Maxillent introduces sinus lift system in Europe

Maxillent, a dental implant technology company, has signed a contract with Dental Force to distribute Maxillent’s iRaise in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. iRaise is designed to enhance the sinus lift procedure, which is required for an estimated 20% of dental implants, when patients have insufficient bone mass. The iRaise procedure is based on a channel within the implant that allows dentists to elevate the sinus membrane by injecting fluids, the

Penn. dentist suspended for infection-control lapse

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is advising patients of a York County dentist that they might be at risk for infection after an investigation discovered the dental facility did not follow appropriate infection-control procedures. The health and state departments conducted a joint, unannounced site visit of the office of Jacqueline Marcin, DMD, on April 24. To date, the investigation has found that Dr. Marcin and her employees did not properly clean,

Are partners of people with HPV-related oral cancers at risk too?

Spouses and long-term partners of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oral cancers appear to have no increased risk of oral HPV infections, according to a pilot study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University. The study findings were presented June 1 at the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. The researchers noted that there are no guarantees that partners of such patients will not develop oral HPV

LED Medical Diagnostics Q1 revenues drop 69%

LED Medical Diagnostics, the parent company of LED Dental, saw its 2013 first-quarter (end-March 31) revenues decline significantly year-over-year due to a shift in its exclusive distribution partnerships. Revenue for the quarter decreased by 69% to $310,000, compared with $1.0 million from the same period in the prior year. The company reported a net loss of approximately $1.33 million for the quarter, compared with a net loss of $1.25 million

Risky jaw surgery popular in S. Korea

Dangerous double-jaw surgery is growing among South Korean women as a way to improve their appearance. Many are being encouraged to undergo the risky operation to get a slimmer jawline, according to a story in the Daily Mail. A small face with a V-shaped chin and jawline is considered a mark of feminine beauty in much of East Asia, along with a high-bridged nose and big eyes, the story noted.

Teeth-whitening by nondentists in NC OK

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners has lost its appeal of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling that supported the right of nondentists to offer teeth-whitening products and services in the state. On May 31, in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Fourth Circuit in Richmond denied the board’s appeal. The FTC’s original complaint against the dental board, issued in June 2010, alleged that the board

Vibration technology for assessing dental health gets patent

Fovean has received a new patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its vibration technology to assess dental health. The system can work with or obviate the need for x-rays while providing diagnosis of tissue conditions, according to the company. U.S. patent No. 8,460,216 covers the company’s “percussion tapping” technology, which induces vibrations in a first body object using a vibratory transducer, picks up vibrations transmitted by the

Nutraceuticals show promise in oral cancer therapy

Two nutraceuticals — green tea extracts and resveratrol — have shown promise in treating various cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). But the limited availability of these plant-derived dietary compounds, along with inadequate targeted delivery mechanisms, poses a challenge to their widespread adoption, according to a new study in Oral Oncology (June 2013, Vol. 49:6, pp. 502-506). Research has shown that nutraceuticals have the potential to treat various cancers

AAPD foundation accepting dental home grant applications

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is accepting applications for its 2014 Access to Care Grants. The $20,000, single-year grants from the AAPD’s Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC) foundation, support community-based initiatives providing dental homes to children whose families cannot afford dental care, according to the AAPD. HSHC funds may be used for dental care, clinic supplies and instruments, patient/parent/caregiver education materials, take-home supplies (toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.), education, and/or

Did dental implants cause actor’s neurological disorder?

Actor Dick Van Dyke suspects that his dental implants may be linked to an undiagnosed neurological disorder he has had for seven years, according to an article in the Huffington Post. The 87-year-old actor posted a tweet on May 30 that stated, “It seems that my titanium dental implants are the cause of my head pounding. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks for all your replies.” He has shared his

Less radiation better for HPV/oropharynx cancer patients?

Researchers have completed a phase II clinical trial that may help identify patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal cancer who do not require the full radiation dose given in a standard regimen of intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Preliminary findings will be presented by lead study author Shanthi Marur, MD, an oncologist at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting on

Head/neck cancer patients with HPV fare better

Patients with metastatic or recurrent forms of head and neck cancer respond better to systemic treatments if their tumors arise in association with the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to new findings to be presented June 2 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago. To study whether the same pattern appears in patients with metastatic and recurrent forms of the disease, researchers from Fox Chase Cancer