Smokeless tobacco users who said they didn’t want to quit changed their minds or significantly cut back their use when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a Mayo Clinic study, published in Addictive Behaviors (February 4, 2013). Mayo researchers recruited 81 users of chewing tobacco or snuff who had no intention of quitting in the next 30 days. Forty were given 4-mg nicotine lozenges and 41 received tobacco-free snuff
The CAO Group, a high-tech dental and forensic detection company, has filed a patent infringement complaint against DentLight regarding its LED curing and detection light patent portfolio, which consists of more than 30 patents. CAO Group’s patent infringement complaint against DentLight was filed February 20 in the Eastern District of Texas, according to the company. CAO’s LED curing light products for the dental industry includes its Ascent PX LED curing
Kool Smiles has partnered with the Institute for America’s Health (IAH), a nonprofit youth health education organization, to launch a dental education program in recognition of Children’s Dental Health Month. The program is designed for children in grades K-5 and includes free lesson plans and toothbrushes to teach students about good oral health. To support the program, Kool Smiles has set aside 50,000 toothbrushes for teachers who use the curriculum.
3Shape has launched the LABcare program, a customer-centric business model that backs labs with a support network, new technologies through annual upgrades, and access to training and learning channels. The LABcare program is automatically offered to every 3Shape Dental System subscribed user, according to the company. It is designed to give labs a competitive edge, a future secure CAD/CAM investment, and added value because it directly addresses support, training, and
National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF): America’s ToothFairy and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) have expanded their partnership, timing the announcement to coincide with National Children’s Dental Health Month. The two organizations first began working together in 2010. The goal of the expansion is to encourage good dental hygiene and foster stronger leaders among teens by providing critical oral health education and mentoring activities in some 4,000 clubs
Air Techniques has previewed its Monarch line of dental practice infection at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. The line covers infection-control needs for surfaces, instruments, skin and hands, and equipment. It has the fastest clinically relevant kill times and formulations that are nontoxic and gentle on skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, according to the company. They are also free of carcinogens and hormone disrupters. The packaging design reduces waste,
Patient age can play a role in the presence of artifacts due to movement during a dental cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan, according to a short communication in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (February 2013, Vol. 42:2, 91866873). Researchers from Glasgow Dental Hospital and School conducted an audit at the dental hospital to analyze how many scans showed signs of motion artifact. They also examined whether there was any correlation between patient age and
The Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry has launched Project Engage, a $1.75 million initiative designed to improve children’s access to oral healthcare. Start-up funding came from a $1 million United Health Foundation grant and another $750,000 from UnitedHealthcare, the university noted in a press release. The program will be available to North Philadelphia children younger than age 6 and their families who are enrolled in the state’s Medicaid plan.
Christine Hovliaras, RDH, MBA, CDE, a hygiene professional, has released a series of textbooks intended to educate dental hygiene students and dental hygiene professionals about career opportunities in the industry. The three-volume textbook series and faculty guide, Savvy Success: Achieving Professional Excellence and Career Satisfaction in the Dental Hygiene Profession, covers career avenues, clinical competencies, ethical responsibility, and career success in the profession. Hovliaras, who has 28 years of experience
A new report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reveals that 55% of third-graders surveyed in 2010 experienced tooth decay, slightly higher than the national rate of 53% for children 6 to 8 years old. In collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders, the MDH has produced the Minnesota Oral Health Plan: Advancing Optimal Oral Health for All Minnesotans, the state’s first comprehensive oral health plan. The strategic plan
The James Graham Brown Cancer Center at the University of Louisville is among a growing number of facilities working to improve care for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients through collaborative care programs that bring together a spectrum of oncology specialists. Zafrulla Khan, DDS, MS. All images courtesy of Dr. Khan. Zafrulla Khan, DDS, MS. All images courtesy of Dr. Khan. The center provides multidisciplinary treatment for HNC patients using novel techniques
DNA preserved in calcified bacteria on the teeth of ancient human skeletons has shed light on the health consequences of the evolving diet and behavior from the Stone Age to the present (Nature Genetics, February 17, 2013). The ancient genetic record reveals the negative changes in oral bacteria brought about by the dietary shifts as humans became farmers, and later with the introduction of food manufacturing in the Industrial Revolution,