Align Technology offers educational website for Invisalign providers

Align Technology has launched a new interactive website that provides a range of professional education resources for Invisalign providers. The new site is designed to provide a clear educational pathway for doctors of every Invisalign experience level and offers specific, customized content based on their needs. It is part of the Invisalign Doctor Site, a password-protected portal that allows Invisalign providers to manage all aspects of their Invisalign patient care

Study documents head/neck cancer molecular tumor subtypes

A new study has confirmed the presence of four molecular classes of head and neck cancer (HNC), suggesting there may be an underlying connection between the molecular classes and observed genomic events, some of which affect known cancer genes (PLOS One, February 22, 2013). A team led by researchers from the Universities of North Carolina (UNC) analyzed data from DNA microarrays to complete the study, which could pave the way

Legislators question HHS rule on kids’ dental health

U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin and Rep. Elijah Cummings (all D-MD), are urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reconsider its final rule on the children’s dental care provisions to be offered in health exchanges starting in 2014. HHS has weakened the provisions that would guarantee affordable dental coverage for all American children, Sen. Mikulski noted in a news release. “In the United States of

NASCAR extends Give Kids A Smile partnership

The ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program, ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, Care Credit, and 3M ESPE have struck a partnership with NASCAR driver Greg Biffle for the third year to spread oral health awareness to young fans of the sport. Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will help deliver the message to children about healthy habits, such as brushing for two

Smiles abound at Chicago Midwinter Meeting

Chicago certainly lived up to its reputation as the Windy City last week as more than 30,000 dental professionals attended the Chicago Dental Society’s (CDS) 147th annual Midwinter Meeting in the midst of a chilly winter storm. But it was warm and cozy at McCormick Place as we walked the exhibit hall floor and attended dozens of meetings and continuing education courses. In fact, the general consensus was that this

ADA video showcases CDHC project

The ADA has released a video that provides an overview of its Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) project. The ADA’s CDHC pilot project began in 2006, with the final group of students completing their training last year. The CDHC is a dental team member whose primary functions are oral health education, disease prevention, and helping patients navigate the system to make and keep appointments with dentists, according to the association.

Colgate debuts prescription fluoride toothpaste

Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals introduced Colgate PreviDent 5000 Booster Plus, a prescription-only fluoride therapy toothpaste, at this week’s Chicago Midwinter Meeting. The newest addition to Colgate’s PreviDent home fluoride product portfolio contains 1.1% sodium fluoride (5,000 ppm), FluoriGard technology, and tricalcium phosphate to help patients who are at high risk of caries. FluoriGard is an optimized fluoride delivery system that produces a temporary shift in pH, the company noted in a

HHS releases final rule regarding essential health benefits

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released the final rule on standards related to essential health benefits (EHB), actuarial value, and accreditation. The rule solidifies the Obama administration’s approach to EHBs, the standard set of services that must be covered by insurance plans offering coverage on the new health insurance exchanges, as well as in the individual and small group insurance markets in each state, according

NH reconsiders dental therapist legislation

New Hampshire is making another effort to establish a legally defined role for dental therapists, according to a report by New Hampshire Public Radio. SB 193-FN, sponsored by state Sen. Peggy Gilmour (D-District 12), would allow dental therapists to perform a host of procedures under the supervision of a currently licensed dentist, following appropriate training. Under the proposed bill, the permissible procedures would include the following: Mechanical polishing Applying fluoride

JADA study outlines repairs for chipped restorations

The usage of porcelain restorations among dentists, whether porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) or all-ceramic, inevitably leads to cases of chipped restorations. Researchers from the New York University College of Dentistry and the University of Maryland School of Dentistry have completed a study that dentists in such situations may find useful. In this literature review, the researchers examined how frequently chipping occurs in certain systems and why it happens. The second aspect of

Drug combo could prevent head/neck cancer in high-risk patients

Researchers have found promising results from a drug combination that appears to reduce the risk for patients with advanced oral precancerous lesions to develop squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), according to a new study published in Clinical Cancer Research (February 19, 2013). SCCHN is the most common form of head and neck cancer, and survival rates are very poor, making an effective preventive approach crucial, the

Endoscopic therapies proves effective for Barrett’s esophagus

Patients with Barrett’s esophagus and early or precancerous cells significantly benefit from minimally invasive therapy delivered through an endoscope, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, February 2013, Vol. 77:2, pp. 190-199). Until recently, patients with these conditions were treated by surgically removing the whole esophagus, the researchers noted in a university press release. Their study results