St. Renatus, the Colorado start-up founded to commercialize a new needle-free dental anesthetic, has secured up to $3.5 million from an angel investment group and will move forward with phase III clinical trials. The anesthetic, in the form of a nasal mist, is designed to anesthetize the maxillary arch. St. Renatus had a favorable end of phase II review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with agreement that
General dentists can detect changes in radicular features in radiographs prior to root canal treatment when the changes are extensive, but they miss some more-specific feature changes, according to a study in Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (January 2012, Vol. 41:1, pp. 43-54). A team of Indian researchers set out to evaluate which radicular radiographic features general dentists want to interpret, determine which of the radicular radiographic features general dentists interpret and which
DenMat Holdings has acquired Discus Dental’s restoratives and impressions portfolios from Royal Philips Electronics. These products include Splash and Precision impression materials; Vanilla Bite, Chocolate Bite, MegaBite, and Clear Bite registration materials; Moxie bonding agents; Gripper and Perfectray bite trays; Perfectemp crown and bridge material; and Flashlite (Magna and 1401) curing lights. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. DenMat said the acquisition strengthens its product portfolio — which includes
Researchers from the Otto-Schott-Institute for Glass Chemistry have developed a novel glass ceramic for dentistry that they believe is suitable for dentures and other restorative applications (Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, November 21, 2011). Currently, available ceramic materials are not very suitable for bridges, as their strengths are mostly not high enough, according to the study authors. “What the natural tooth enamel has to endure also goes for dentures, inlays,
The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) is encouraging the dental community to get involved in Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April 2012 by offering free oral cancer screenings to the public in an effort to raise awareness of this disease across the U.S. OCF is asking dental and medical professionals nationwide to act as the first line of defense against oral cancer through the process of early discovery, and to raise
The antibiotic prescribing practices of dentists for odontogenic infections in children do not appear to be in line with recommended professional guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the ADA, according to a survey in the Journal of the American Dental Association (January 2012, Vol. 143:1, pp. 31-38). Many medical and dental practitioners and professional associations have recognized the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and its relevance
Medline has enhanced its VAPrevent oral care program, which was created to help clinicians complete oral care on ventilated patients to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). A major cause of VAP is oral bacteria that thrive in dental plaque and oropharyngeal secretions, making their way into the lungs by way of a mechanical ventilator. To prevent VAP, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends cleaning the
Probiotic ice cream statistically reduced the levels of microorganisms associated with caries in saliva, according to a study in Acta Odontologica Scandinavica (November 2011, Vol. 69:6, pp. 389-394). The findings could lead to increased usage of dairy foods, which are ideal vehicles for probiotic bacteria, as a means of preventing caries colonization in children, according to the study authors, from Dr. HS Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, M.M.
(Reuters) – U.S. cancer death rates are continuing to fall, dropping by 1.8% per year in men and 1.6% per year in women between 2004 and 2008, according to the American Cancer Society’s annual report on cancer statistics released on Wednesday in Cancer. Advances in cancer screening and treatment have prevented more than a million total deaths from cancer since the early 1990s, according to the report. But the influential
A new Affordable Dentures dental practice has opened in Tracy, CA, which makes this the sixth Affordable Dentures practice in California. Affordable Dentures has 176 affiliated practices in 37 states within the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The new California location provides dentures and related denture and tooth extraction services. It has a dedicated, onsite dental lab to make new dentures and provide repairs and relines, often with same-day service. Marino
Scientists have identified two substances in licorice that kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and periodontal disease, according to a study in the Journal of Natural Products (December 2011, Vol. 74:12, pp. 2514-2519). To test whether the sweet root could combat the bacteria that cause periodontal disease and caries, a team of international researchers from both industry and academia examined the various substances in licorice. They found that
Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable, MA, has received $1.25 million toward the renovation of its dental hygiene clinic and classrooms — the largest single gift in the school’s history. The donation came from Maureen Wilkens, a local philanthropist and long-time supporter of the college. Wilkens will now serve as honorary co-chair of the campaign. The school also received a $250,000 gift from Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank,
