Leaders in Dentistry: Dr. John. S. Greenspan

HuangshanDental.com is pleased to present the next installment of Leaders in Dentistry, a series of interviews with researchers, practitioners, and opinion leaders who are influencing the practice of dentistry. We spoke with John S. Greenspan, BDS, PhD, a professor of oral pathology and the associate dean for global oral health at the School of Dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Greenspan is founding director of several

Water Pik combines sonic toothbrush, water flosser

Water Pik has introduced the Waterpik Complete Care, which bundles the company’s Waterpik water flosser with the Sensonic Professional Plus toothbrush. The new water flosser has five tips and a high-volume, covered reservoir, as well as a hygienic tip storage compartment and a pressure control system with 10 settings, according to the company. The Sensonic toothbrush includes two brush heads, a two-minute brushing timer, a 30-second quadrant pacer, and a

Study: Many bib clips harbor bacteria after disinfection

A new study has found that 20% to 30% of dental bib clips still harbor bacterial contaminants even after proper disinfection procedures. Researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, in collaboration with researchers at the Forsyth Institute and with funding support from Dux Dental, found that rubber-faced metal bib clips retained more bacteria than bib clips made only of metal before disinfection. The study, published in the Compendium of

Will Ore. city finally fluoridate its water?

The city council of Portland, OR, is expected to vote to end the city’s run as one of the largest municipalities without fluoridated water, according to an article in the Oregonian. The vote to fluoridate a water supply serving some 900,000 residents in Portland, Gresham, Tigard, and Tualatin will be the subject of a public hearing on September 6 and a vote on September 12. If passed, the ordinance would

Wichita to vote on fluoridation in Nov.

The city council of Wichita, KS, has voted unanimously to let voters decide on water fluoridation on the general election ballot November 6, KAKE TV reported. Building the fluoridation infrastructure is estimated to cost $2.3 million, while operations and maintenance would run $570,600 annually, according to the report. Consumers would pay about an additional 9¢ per month to their water bill for fluoridation once it operating. Wichitans for Healthy Teeth

Straumann midyear revenues down, profits up

Europe’s debt crisis and resulting economic downturn continue to impact Swiss dental implant maker Straumann’s financials. The company reported revenues of 361.7 million Swiss francs ($375.4 million) for the first half of 2012 (end-June 30), compared with 367.3 million francs ($381.2 million) for the same period a year ago. However, Straumann saw its net profit rise. The company reported net profit of 43.8 million francs ($45.5 million) for the first

Ormco redesigns Loyalty Rewards online platform

Ormco has redesigned its Ormco Loyalty Rewards online platform to improve shopping functionality and help users better manage account purchases, rewards points, and program compliance. The platform’s dashboard also provides users with a program utilization tool to assess how the rewards are impacting a clinician’s overall practice, according to the company. Orthodontists receive points for each dollar spent with the company that can be redeemed for products, seminars, and education

Soft market hurts Nobel Biocare financials

The slowing market for dental implants continues to affect Nobel Biocare’s financials. The company reported a net profit of 27.7 million euros ($34.5 million) on revenues of 296.5 million euros ($370 million) for the first half of 2012 (end-June 30), compared with a net profit of 28.8 million euros ($35.9 million) on revenues of 286.4 million euros ($357 million) for the first half of 2011. “In a slowing implant market, the

Vita launches new composite restorative material

Vita has launched a new composite restorative material, VM LC, including paste opaquers and new shades. VM LC is dispensed in an ergonomically shaped, light-proof plastic syringe. Preopaque material aids adhesion for metal frameworks, hardening and enabling an even opaque layer. Opaque paste material accelerates processing and also allows for fast polymerization and framework coverage, for stability on edges and retentions, according to the company. VM LC can be built

FTC bars Brain-Pad from making mouthguard claims

In a settlement reached with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Brain-Pad and its president, Joseph Manzo, have been barred from making unsupported claims that the company’s mouthguards reduce the risk of concussions from lower jaw impacts, reduce the risk of concussions generally, or have been clinically proven to do either. The settlement also prohibits Brain-Pad and Manzo from misrepresenting the health benefits of any mouthguard or other athletic equipment

More parents, kids getting orthodontic treatment together

While orthodontic treatment has typically been linked to adolescence, more and more adults are seeking corrective treatment to achieve that perfect smile. In fact, there is a growing trend of parents and their children undergoing orthodontic treatment together, according to the British Lingual Orthodontic Society (BLOS). According to a BLOS news release, orthodontists historically report seeing members of the same family, and those specialists who have stayed in the same

Simple screening tool helps detect oral premalignancies

A simple visual screening tool developed by researchers from three medical colleges in India shows promise for detecting oral premalignancies in a general health setting, according to a new study in Oral Oncology (August 2012, Vol. 48:8, pp. 671-677). Oral cancer has been growing at an alarming rate with new cases annually exceeding 640,000 worldwide, two-thirds of which occur in developing countries. In India, it is the most common form