A $500 prize will be awarded to Mason Gray, a third-grade student at Linglestown Elementary in Dauphin County, for winning first place in the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) 2013 National Children’s Dental Health Month statewide poster contest. With a shiny white tooth proudly positioned between a red-caped toothbrush and toothpaste, Mason’s superhero-themed “Fighting Every Day to Defeat Tooth Decay” poster delivers a powerful message encouraging good oral health, the PDA

Tom’s of Maine is awarding $10,000 each to 10 dental clinics as part of the company’s Be a Tooth Fairy Hero initiative. The contest encouraged children to submit drawings and recommendations to nominate nonprofit dental clinics in their states, part of a Tom’s of Maine program to raise awareness about the need for greater access to dental care, the company noted in a press release. Tom’s of Maine also donated

The Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation has awarded $300,000 to the state health department to create a data system that will provide information about oral health trends. The Minnesota Oral Health Surveillance System will help public health workers and private providers deliver oral care to the public, Delta Dental noted in a press release. The state health department reported in February that more than half of the state’s third-graders have

Spanish researchers have confirmed the effectiveness of a spray containing 1% malic acid, which improves xerostomia caused by antidepressant drugs, according to a study in Depression and Anxiety (February 2013, Vol. 30:2, pp. 137-142). The product, combined with xylitol and fluorides in a spray format, stimulates saliva production in patients with xerostomia, improving their quality of life, according to the researchers from the University of Granada. One of the main

Oklahoma health officials say more than 60 patients have tested positive for hepatitis and HIV since their investigation began last month into a Tulsa oral surgeon’s practice. But it is unclear whether the patients contracted the diseases from the Owasso or Tulsa practices of W. Scott Harrington, DMD, according to a story by KTUL TV Channel 8. Public health officials have been advising current and former patients of Dr. Harrington that

The Pima County Health Department in Arizona is contacting 174 dental patients who were seen at the T Dental Clinic between January and July 2010, because they may have been exposed to blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis or HIV. While no cases of transmission have been identified, this is a precautionary measure, the health department stated in a press release. The potential exposure may have been the result of improperly