Kans. group wins $400K oral health research grant

A University of Kansas (KU) School of Medicine – Wichita researcher has been awarded a two-year, $398,500 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for community-based participatory research to explore oral health and insurance issues among uninsured children. The grant will allow Judy Johnston, a preventive medicine and public health research instructor, and her team at the medical school to examine the barriers uninsured children in Sedgwick County encounter when trying

Judge questions FDA’s graphic tobacco warnings

A federal judge expressed doubts during a hearing last week about whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can force tobacco companies to post graphic images on their cigarette packages showing the negative effects of smoking, according to a Washington Post report. In June, the FDA announced that it will require larger, more prominent health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the U.S., beginning in September 2012.

Survey finds many favor professional teeth whitening

Philips, the makers of Sonicare power toothbrushes and Zoom whitening, has launched a new educational campaign called Get It Right that encourages people to engage a dental professional in the teeth-whitening process to ensure a healthy smile worthy of a great first impression. A recent telephone survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Philips as part of the Get It Right campaign, found that 89% of those polled feel

Cultural views of cleft lip/palate vary outside Western world

One person’s flaw may be another person’s strength, according to a study of cultural perceptions of cleft lip and cleft palate (Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal, September 2011, Vol. 48:5, pp. 497-508). In the Western world, many people with these facial anomalies experience social and emotional difficulties because of the importance placed on appearance. In other parts of the world, a range of views are influenced by religion, superstition, and cultural prejudices.

Spire gets $100K grant for ortho wire coatings

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has awarded Spire Biomedical a nine-month Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Grant for $114,173 to develop coatings for dental arch wires used in orthodontics. The purpose of the coatings is to reduce sliding resistance between the arch wire and bracket, lowering the force required to straighten teeth, reducing treatment times, and resulting in more predictable outcomes for the orthodontist. “Spire Biomedical

Oral-B, celebrity to promote power toothbrushing

Oral-B and celebrity comedienne and talk show host Sherri Shepherd are calling on power toothbrush users across the U.S. to share their “Powerful Moment of Truth” — that instant when they switched from a manual to a power toothbrush — and its impact on their oral health. Shepherd is revealing her “power moment” in a video testimonial available at OralB.com to help inspire others to take charge of their oral

One-hour dentures open new doors for edentulous

SAN FRANCISCO – Is it possible to fabricate a full set of dentures in one hour, without the need for multiple visits or lab fees? Yes, according to Lawrence Wallace, DDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has developed the Larell One Step Denture system. The need for affordable dental care for the edentulous is on the rise, Dr. Wallace emphasized in a presentation September 22 at the California Dental

Nerve growth factor linked with oral cancer progression, pain

Antinerve growth factor could be used to enhance the treatment of oral cancer by reducing symptoms such as pain and rapid weight loss, according to a study in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (September 2011, Vol. 10:9, pp.1667-1676). Cancer-induced pain and cachexia are often studied and treated independently, although both symptoms are strongly linked with chronic inflammation and sustained production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, noted the study authors, from New York University and

BPA found to diminish fertility

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) significantly alters the development of oocytes and future ova in women, possibly diminishing the fertility of their offspring and increasing the risk of Down syndrome in following generations, according to a study in Human Reproduction (October 2011, Vol. 26:10, pp. 2807-2818). Researchers at Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), in collaboration with the Vall d’Hebron Hospital Fetal Tissue Bank, the Hospital Vall d’Hebron Department of Gynaecology

Ask Marty: What matrix do you use to get good contact for class II restorations?

Q: When doing posterior composites, what are you using for your class II matrix? A: There are a lot of matrix systems available that all claim to create the perfect morphology and contact with adjacent teeth. I like to say “one size fits many, but not all.” I believe you do need more than one matrix system in your toolbox. I am currently using the Triodent V3 Ring along with

Pelton & Crane donates equipment to NCOHF

A donation of dental equipment from Pelton & Crane to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) will provide much needed furnishings to nonprofit dental programs serving at-risk children and their families. This donation will enable 13 NCOHF affiliates to continue to meet the ever-growing need for oral health services for the underserved, according to NCOHF. “Equipment donations from generous companies like Pelton & Crane are key to ensuring NCOHF

NCI grant to fund head/neck cancer drug study

Researchers from Louisiana State University (LSU) are collaborating with the University of Chicago and 13 other research institutions to evaluate an immunosuppressant drug’s potential to prevent the recurrence of head and neck cancer. Cherie-Ann Nathan of LSU Health Shreveport and colleagues have been awarded a $1.24 million National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to study rapamycin, an antirejection drug used in organ transplant patients. Initial studies found that rapamycin blocks a cellular