Wrigley grant funds New Zealand oral health program

The Wrigley Company Foundation, in partnership with the New Zealand Dental Association, is sponsoring an $84,000 community service grant program to provide oral care to underserved communities in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Between 2013 and 2015, the Wrigley Company Foundation will make the money available to community-minded dentists and dental students to implement oral health community service projects in vulnerable and underserved communities, according to a company press

U.K. researchers seek personal stories of cleft lip/palate

Parents of children with cleft lip or palate or people who were born with a cleft lip or palate themselves are being asked to take part in a new research study to develop an online resource for families and individuals affected by this condition. The research is being led by Andrea Waylen, PhD, at the University of Bristol School of Oral and Dental Sciences. The aim of the study is

Study: Xylitol lozenges aid in caries prevention

While there is no shortage of enthusiasm for xylitol in some sectors of dentistry, others are still skeptical of its usefulness in preventing caries or improving oral health. A secondary analysis of a previously published three-year trial evaluating the effectiveness of xylitol lozenges compared to a placebo has found statistically significant results supporting xylitol’s effectiveness (Journal of Dental Research, April 15, 2013). “While our analysis shows that the caries preventive

Robotic surgery yields better quality of life for OPSCC patients

Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) maintain a high quality of life a year after having transoral robotic surgery, according to a new study in the JAMA Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (April 10, 2013). But elderly patients and those treated with adjuvant treatments such as external-beam radiation therapy and chemoradiation therapy do not, according to the study authors. Patients with OPSCC have historically been treated with primary

Irish Dental Association pushes tobacco control strategy

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) is asking the Health Service Executive (HSE) to give dentists a more prominent role in the country’s tobacco control strategy. Peter Gannon, chair of the IDA’s General Practitioner Committee, told delegates at the association’s annual conference in Galway last week that, contrary to popular perception, smoking remains the biggest killer of Irish people. In Ireland, one in three adults smoke, he added. The IDA believes

Align Technology Q1 revenues up 14%, posts $42M loss

Align Technology reported revenues of $154 million for the first quarter of 2013 (end-March 31), up from $135 million in the same quarter a year ago. However, the company reported a net loss of $42 million for the quarter, compared with net profit of $21 million in the first quarter of 2012. “Recent changes in the competitive environment for intraoral scanners including announcements in March 2013 of new low-priced scanners

Lower radiation reduces xerostomia in head/neck cancer patients

Lowering the radiation dose to the submandibular gland of patients with head and neck cancer decreases xerostomia, according to a study presented on April 20 at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) meeting in Geneva. Radiation oncologists at University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) showed for the first time that it is possible to reduce xerostomia in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer if the radiation

Iodine mouthwash treats gingivitis, lowers cholesterol

A new iodine mouthwash was shown to be safe and effective at fighting gingivitis and lowering LDL cholesterol, according to clinical trial results to be presented this week at a meeting of the American Academy of Oral Medicine. Conducted on behalf of Biomedical Development Corp. (BDC), the three-month, phase II trial was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A longer phase II trial is now being conducted

BPA removed from Calif. toxic list

A California judge has issued an interim order removing the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from the state’s list of reproductive toxicants, as part of an ongoing lawsuit against a California agency. The chemical industry is seeking to convince a Sacramento County Superior Court judge that the chemical does not cause birth defects, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group

Detroit dental school gives ortho care to foster kids

The University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) School of Dentistry is joining a Michigan project to provide orthodontic care to the state’s foster children. The program is a partnership between faculty and students in the postgraduate orthodontics department at UDM and the Detroit Department of Human Services. The effort is being coordinated by an organization called For the Seventh Generation, which matches donations of goods and services with foster children, foster

CareCredit gives $10K to Oral Health America

CareCredit has awarded a $10,000 grant to Oral Health America to help the Smiles Across America program include oral health services for adolescents. The grant will be given to the Huntridge Teen Clinic in Las Vegas to provide dental care to uninsured and at-risk adolescents who are 12 to 18 years old and unable to obtain services through local agencies, according to a company press release. One of the clinic’s

CDA recommends oral cancer screening

As part of Oral Cancer Awareness Month this month, the California Dental Association (CDA) is recommending regular dental checkups for oral cancer screening. Dental professionals can act as a first line of defense in the early detection of oral cancer, the CDA emphasized in a press release. Oral cancer often goes unnoticed until it has spread to other parts of the body, noted CDA President Lindsey Robinson, DDS, and dentists