Heraeus expands Pala denture product line

Heraeus Kulzer has added the heat-curing Paladon ultra and cold-curing PalaXpress ultra fracture-resistant acrylics to its Pala line of denture-related products. Paladon ultra allows implant overdentures and fixed removable dentures to be manufactured as simply and easily as partial or full dentures, according to the company. It will be available in shades pink, light pink, dark pink, light reddish pink, shade 200, pink veined, R50 veined, and pink live. PalaXpress

La. Medicaid reimburses physicians for fluoride varnish

Effective December 1, the Louisiana Medicaid program is now reimbursing physicians for applying fluoride varnish twice each year to the teeth of Medicaid recipients between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Previously, Medicaid only covered this service when performed by a dental provider, according to the state Department of Health and Hospitals. With the implementation of the updated fluoridation varnish policy, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses,

Carbolite launches flame-free heater

Carbolite has introduced SafeAir Heatstream, a flame-free heat source that offers dentists improved safety for prosthodontics modeling and fitting work. The heat source can heat dental wax, modeling tools, and rim formers, as well as soften thermoplastic impression materials for registration trays used to form and fit a patient’s dentures, according to the company. The design provides a safer device for use by dentists who routinely wear rubber and plastic

Tobacco company sues Australian government

British American Tobacco has filed a lawsuit against the Australian government, arguing that a new law that bans logos from cigarette packs is unconstitutional and violates intellectual property rights. The legislation forces tobacco companies to remove their distinctive colors and logos from cigarette packages and instead print their brand names in a tiny font on drab, olive-green packs, according to an Associated Press (AP) story. The packs will also feature

Chloral hydrate ‘unpredictable’ for pediatric use

The University of Florida has decided to discontinue the use of chloral hydrate following the 2010 death of a 5-year-old Florida boy who was sedated with the drug prior to dental work. In April 2010, Dylan Shane Stewart went to the office of Ronnie Grundset, DDS, a longtime Gainesville-area pediatric dentist, to have four fillings and eight crowns placed, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. After being sedated with

OCT firm raises $4.7M, targets dental implants

MedLumics, a medical imaging diagnostics company specializing in advanced optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology, has closed a 3.5 million euro ($4.7 million U.S.) round of Series A financing. The funds will be used to conclude the progress of the company’s imaging diagnostic platform and for technical and executive team recruitment, according to MedLumics. MedLumics’ platform integrates all OCT components in a compressed system based on a microchip, reducing production and

Antibiotics useful adjuncts in periodontitis treatment

Using a combination of amoxicillin and metronidazole in conjunction with full-mouth scaling and root planing during the treatment of generalized, aggressive periodontitis is safe and effective, according to a meta-analysis in the Journal of Periodontology (JOP, November 3, 2011). Among the possible antibiotic regimens, the combination of amoxicillin and metronidazole has gained popularity because of its effectiveness at suppressing Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, according to the study authors, from the University of

Parents hire high-profile lawyer in Facebook case

Families in Bakersfield, CA, are set to begin working with Jim Moriarty, a high-profile Colorado attorney, to pursue claims that Edward Dove, DDS, mistreated their children during dental treatment, according to a story in the Bakersfield Californian. In August, dozens of local parents formed a Facebook group alleging that Dr. Dove mistreated their children, including scratching and hitting them while they were not sufficiently numb and restraining them with Velcro

Impression guns pose contamination risk

It happens more often than any of us would like to think. A patient enters a healthcare facility for a minor procedure, but leaves with a much more severe issue to contend with after he or she has been exposed to contaminated instruments or supplies and develops a bacterial infection. In a recent study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (November 2011, Vol. 142:11, p. 1269-1274), researchers from

A-dec offers Cavitron integration option

A-dec is now offering Cavitron ultrasonic scalers from Dentsply as a factory-installed option with the A-dec 300 or A-dec 500 delivery systems. With this option, users can combine Cavitron’s magnetosrictive technology with a fully integrated A-dec dental unit. The benefit to the dental team includes simplifying the treatment room’s environment, clearing up space, and putting more technology at the doctor’s fingertips, according to the companies. Cavitron ultrasonic scaling tips operate

3M, Ivoclar battle over restoratives patent

A legal dispute is heating up between 3M and Ivoclar Vivadent over a U.S. patent issued to Ivoclar in 1999 covering polymer-based restoratives materials. On November 30, 3M filed a lawsuit against Ivoclar Vivadent in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota stating Ivoclar has engaged in a series of acts that “create a real, concrete dispute between the parties and constitute a clear threat that Ivoclar AG and

Law professor to oversee Fosamax/ONJ settlements

A federal judge has appointed a law professor to oversee settlement talks in hundreds of lawsuits filed against Merck in the U.S. alleging that its bisphosphonate drug Fosamax caused osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). On November 22, John Feerick, a law professor at Fordham University, was appointed special settlement master for all federal lawsuits involving Fosamax and ONJ, according to a story on injuryboards.com. Feerick will attempt to facilitate a