Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ) is a rare condition, but patients on long-term bisphosphonate therapy are still at risk for it. So is there anything that can be done to mitigate this risk? An expert panel discussed the issue of osteonecrosis of the jaw during a presentation on Friday at the 2012 ADA Annual Session. An expert panel discussed the issue of osteonecrosis of the jaw during a presentation
The British Dental Association (BDA) is urging dentists, Trading Standards officials, and the General Dental Council (GDC) to join forces to put an end to teeth-whitening treatments being supplied illegally by nonqualified individuals. The call coincides with a new directive on teeth-whitening products in the U.K. that takes effect October 31. The new regulations are a result of the European Council’s amendment last September to its Directive on Cosmetics Products
Hu-Friedy and OralDNA Labs are just two of the companies who helped sponsor this year’s Oral Health America Fall for Smiles campaign, which began in September and ran through October. Hu-Friedy sponsored the year’s children’s coloring sheet, which was distributed to more than 100,000 dental offices across the U.S., and an internal coloring contest among employees’ families. The winners, who were chosen by the Hu-Friedy graphic design team, received a
Government officials in China are promoting a new technique for helping employees improve their smiles: chopsticks. In a course hosted by the Dalian Port Inspection Station in the Liaoning province of northeastern China, customs officers were taught a technique for how to put forth their best smile, according to an article on the “Behind the Wall” blog by NBC News. In the “How to Smile” course, the officers placed a
The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) 2012 Salary Survey reveals that dental assistants who have earned DANB certification receive a higher salary than noncertified dental assistants and demonstrate high employer loyalty. The findings are consistent with DANB’s previous salary surveys, which have been conducted since 2001. DANB, which is recognized by the ADA as the national certification board for dental assistants, offers the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) national certification exam
Despite a sluggish European market,Straumann saw a year-over-year increase in sales for the third quarter of 2012 (end-September 30). Even so, the company plans to cut some 150 jobs by early next year The company reported net revenues of 157 million Swiss francs ($168 million), a 4% increase over net revenues of 151 million Swiss francs ($162 million) for the same quarter a year ago. North America was the key
The ADA has launched a new version of its MouthHealthy.org website that is optimized for use on mobile devices and smartphones. The new mobile version of MouthHealthy.org is designed to provide oral health information to consumers on the go, according to the ADA. Available in English and Spanish, MouthHealthy.org mobile is organized by life stages and includes information on the top 10 dental symptoms, how to handle dental emergencies, A
Nisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers (HNC), a University of Michigan (U-M) study has found (Cancer Medicine, October 2, 2012). What makes this particularly good news is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization approved nisin as safe for human consumption decades ago, according to Yvonne Kapila, DDS, PhD, the study’s principal investigator and a
3Shape has introduced CAD Points, a new way for midsized or smaller dental labs to offer a wider range of indications or test potential new business models without committing to a major upfront investment. CAD Points gives labs pay-per-design access to 3Shape’s add-on modules for designing advanced indications such as customized abutments, implant bars and bridges, and removable partial dentures, according to the company. CAD Point functionality is integrated in
Brackets made from clear plastic polymer used in dental correction orthodontics have produced very good results in recent years, especially in relation to the improved aesthetics when compared with metal brackets, but they do present certain problems of wear and tear within the mouth. Now a collaboration between researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the company CEOSA-Euroortodoncia is using nanoparticles to address the problem. “We were estimating
Children’s brains are more affected by an inhaled anesthetic than an intravenous anesthetic with increased levels of brain lactate, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Stony Brook University School of Medicine (Anesthesiology, November 2012, Vol. 117:5, pp. 1062-1071). Lactate increases brain activation and may lead to metabolic changes associated with anxiety and delirium. The findings provide new clues to metabolic changes within the brains of children undergoing
A new study comparing the effectiveness of propofol-remifentanil and propofol-ketamine combinations for the removal of all four third molars found that the latter is a less-than-perfect alternative to the former, primarily due to recovery times (Anesthesia Progress, Fall 2012, Vol. 59:3, pp. 107-117). The prospective, randomized, double-blinded controlled study was performed by researchers from Indiana University (IU); University of California, Los Angeles; and Ohio State University (OSU). “The biggest difference