AppleWhite Dental dentists to use VELscope

The VELscope Vx early oral cancer detection system has been approved for use by AppleWhite Dental Partners. AppleWhite Dental Partners provides an array of services to 17 participating dental practices in Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. Manufactured by LED Medical Diagnostics and its subsidiary, LED Dental, the VELscope Vx is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Henry Schein. LED Dental introduced the first generation of VELscope’s fluorescence visualization technology five

Researchers ID new oropharyngeal cancer gene

Researchers at King’s College London and Hiroshima University have identified a specific gene linked to oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma through a genetic study of a family with 10 members who have developed the condition, according to research published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The study uncovered a mutation in the ATR gene, demonstrating the first evidence of a link between abnormality in this gene and an inherited form

3M sues Ivoclar Vivadent over zirconia

3M has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Germany against Ivoclar Vivadent regarding its nonshaded zirconia CAD/CAM blocks and coloring liquids, sold Ivoclar’s IPS e.max ZirCAD brand. In related news, a nearly two-year patent infringement lawsuit between 3M and Zirkonzahn in Germany has been resolved with a licensing agreement. Zirkonzahn is the latest dental company to license 3M technology that enables the coloring of zirconia-based dental restorations. This technology improves

Study: Head/neck cancer patients should quit smoking

Head and neck cancer patients who continue to smoke are at increased risk for adverse outcomes and poor survival rates, according to research conducted at the Moffitt Cancer Center and presented this week at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco annual meeting in Houston, TX. Little information is available regarding relapse in this population, and there are no interventions tailored to them, the researchers from Moffitt’s Tobacco Research

CDC issues warning on C. difficile infections

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an advisory regarding the rising incidence of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)-related infections, which are now causing 14,000 deaths annually. While most types of healthcare-associated infections are declining, one infection — caused by C. difficile — remains at historically high levels. Healthcare professionals are being asked to take precautions to prevent these types of infections, which cost the healthcare system

Lithium disilicate FDPs fare well in 10-year study

All-ceramic materials are firmly entrenched in prosthodontics, but until recently there was a gap in the research documenting their performance. Now a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association has established that after 10 years, three-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) made from monolithic lithium disilicate have survival rates similar to metal-ceramic FDPs and better rates than other all-ceramic materials (March 2012, Vol. 143:3, p. 234-240). Previous long-term

Silver nanoparticles target candidiasis

Silver nanoparticles may contribute to the development of new strategies for the improvement of oral health and quality of life for complete denture wearers, according to a new study in Letters in Applied Microbiology (March 8, 2012). Researchers from the University of Minho in Portugal examined the use of different sizes of silver nanoparticles to determine their anti-fungal properties against candida albicans and candida glabrata, yeasts that cause oral thrush

FDA approves cell-based product for mucogingival conditions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GINTUIT, the first cell-based product made from allogeneic human cells (from a donor unrelated to the patient) and bovine collagen, to treat oral mucogingival conditions in adults. GINTUIT, manufactured by Canton, MA-based Organogenesis, is used as part of a surgical procedure to treat mucogingival conditions. The treatment regimen is a single application over a surgically created vascular wound bed in the

Cleft palate art illustrates attitudes of past cultures

Art from the past depicts social attitudes toward cleft lip and palate, according to an article in the current issue of Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. The article explores the social and psychological ramifications that these works carry and suggests new directions for today’s artists. Many societies, then and now, measure a person’s intelligence, character, and even “goodness” based on physical appearance, according to a press release announcing the article (CPCJ, March

Zhermack launches microsandblasting system

Zhermack has introduced its Dune EcoTech microsandblasting system, which the company said ensures minimum sand consumption and reduces oxide and microsphere supply costs due to its sand recirculation system, calibrated dosing and blasting nozzles, and instant flow shut-off valves. Features of the system include dust suction through a double connection that is effective from either side of the machine, as well as flow shut-off valves and calibrated nozzles that interrupt

Start-up targets S. mutans with antimicrobial peptide

A Los Angeles-based biotechnology company has ambitious plans to advance the ability of dentists to combat caries in their patients’ mouths. Using a peptide developed at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), C3 Jian is working on a product that would target S. mutans in the oral cavity. “This particular technology is a ‘smart bomb,’ as we call it,” chief science officer, co-founder of C3 Jian, and chairman of

Increased demand to change Calif. kids’ dental plan

California politicians are stepping up their efforts to improve a failed children’s dental program that was supposed to control costs and make it easier for underserved children to see a dentist. State officials promised new accountability after elected representatives, county supervisors, and advocates demanded better care for the more than 110,000 Sacramento County children who receive dental coverage through Medi-Cal, according to a story by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF).