Multispectral LEDs shed light on oral cancer

Multispectral imaging has long been used for space-based analysis of environmental conditions, crop management, and urban growth. Can this same advanced technology improve the ability to detect oral and skin cancers? A Canadian medical device company with roots in terahertz imaging thinks so. Verisante Technology — a public company formerly known as T-Ray Science — has licensed multispectral imaging technology developed by researchers from the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA)

Enzyme-infused foam fights bad breath

Orabrush has added a new item to its product line: Orabrush Tongue Foam powered by Orazyme, an enzyme-infused foam that works with the company’s tongue cleaner to help eliminate bad breath. The consistency of the foam allows it to stay on the tongue cleaner and works with its bristles to maximize cleaning, according to the company. The Orabrush Tongue Foam applicator is similar to the pumps used with hand soap

Hygienist charged with $14K Medicaid fraud

A Rainier, WA, dental hygienist allegedly stole more than $14,500 from the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Medicaid program, according to an article in the Olympian. Karen Ann Lockhart faces eight criminal charges from the state attorney general’s office: five counts of first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft, and one count of making a false statement for Medicaid reimbursement. The majority of Lockhart’s clients resided in

Parents sue after teen dies after third-molar surgery

The parents of a Maryland teenager who died after a routine third-molar extraction are suing the anesthesiologist and oral surgeon who performed the procedure for medical malpractice, according to an article in Explore Howard. The civil suit, filed November 30 in Howard County Circuit Court, alleges that anesthesiologist Krista Michelle Isaacs, MD, and Domenick Coletti, DDS, MD, were negligent after Jennifer Olenick, a 17-year-old girl from Woodstock, died 10 days

Hand sanitizer improves skin’s moisture barrier

Biotech company fiteBac SkinCare, which has developed an antimicrobial intellectual property platform technology, has launched a new hand sanitizer called fiteBac SkinCare germicidal hand softening gel. The gel uses patent-pending technology that combines a nonalcohol-based antimicrobial formulation with a silicone-based cross polymer that provides hydrophobic properties. The formulation will improve the skin’s moisture barrier and keep skin soft after frequent hand washing or glove use, according to the company. The

What types of noncarious lesions are most often restored?

What types of noncarious lesions do dental practitioners most often choose to restore, and why? That was the question addressed in a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (December 2011, Vol. 142:12, pp. 1368-1375). Researchers from the University of Florida (UF) College of Dentistry in Gainesville analyzed data collected by a dental practice-based research network (DPBRN) over 30 months to quantify the reasons restorations are placed

Cosmedent offers ’30 deals for 30 days’

In honor of its 30th anniversary, Cosmedent is offering a “deal a day” for every business day for 30 days. Beginning January 17, 2012, the deals will be available exclusively on the company’s website.

Allcare bankruptcy moves forward

Allcare Dental & Dentures, the dental chain that closed abruptly last December and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last month, has sold off nearly all of its equipment in an attempt to pay its creditors. In a bankruptcy meeting held December 12 in Buffalo, NY, Allcare executives explained to creditors how the company operated, but not why it failed, according to an Associated Press (AP) story. Allcare CEO David Pennington

U.S. tonsil, tongue cancer rates decline

Survival rates among U.S. patients with cancer of the tonsils and base of the tongue have improved dramatically in the last 20 years, according to a study in Cancer Causes and Control (January 2012, Vol. 23:1, pp. 153-164). Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, researchers from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary employed the Kaplan-Meier method to draw survival curves and calculate survival rates and estimated adjusted

Hu-Friedy introduces eco-friendly perio probe

Hu-Friedy has expanded its line of diagnostic products with the Colorvue PerioScreen probe. The probe features universally understood color coding of green and red, which can indicate the absence or presence of periodontal disease and can assist in patient education, the company noted. The probe is also ergonomically and eco-friendly, with a larger metal handle that can be reused or recycled, according to Hu-Friedy.

CDA donates $25K to educational center

The California Dental Association (CDA) has approved a $25,000 donation to the Powerhouse Science Center as a founding partner of the project. The 30,000-sq-ft facility will consist of a four-story, interactive, hands-on science center, including space, robotics, environmental and traveling exhibits, science labs, archeological digs, and wildlife shows. CDA provided the financial contribution to help increase public oral health education. The donation will be used to support the development of

Shatkin dental implant lab expands

Todd Shatkin, DDS, recently expanded the Shatkin F.I.R.S.T. Dental Laboratory in Amherst, NY. Dr. Shatkin expanded his business into a building across from the Aesthetic Associates Centre for Plastic Surgery and Dentistry, where he has been practicing since 1989 with his brother Samuel Shatkin Jr. MD, according to a press release. Dr. Shatkin’s F.I.R.S.T. (Fabricated Implant Restoration & Surgical Technique) was developed to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, and