Ariz. dentists can do Botox, dermal fillers

Arizona dentists are now permitted to perform Botox and dermal filler procedures following a recent vote by the state’s Board of Dental Examiners. Botox and dermal fillers will be allowed within the scope of dental practice for general dentists in dental aesthetic and therapeutic procedures with appropriate training, according to the American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE). A majority of states allow dentists to perform the two procedures. The AAFE

P&G sues another firm over teeth-whitening strips

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is suing Team Technologies, a private-label manufacturer and distributor of tooth-whitening products, over allegations that Team Technologies is violating P&G’s intellectual property by manufacturing and selling its Oral Care Whitening Dental Strips and Ultra Whitening Strips products. P&G is suing Team Technologies to protect its investment in its technology and its Crest Whitestrips business, according to the company. P&G introduced Crest Whitestrips for at-home whitening in

Researchers move closer to growing teeth

To create a tooth in the laboratory, a detailed recipe to instruct cells to differentiate toward proper lineages and form dental cells is needed. However, the study of stem cells requires their isolation and a lack of a specific marker has hindered studies so far. Now researchers at the Institute of Biotechnology in Helsinki have found a marker for dental stem cells. They showed that the transcription factor Sox2 is

Race, HPV influence oropharyngeal cancer survival

Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for certain head and neck cancers, its presence could make all the difference in terms of survival, especially for African Americans with oropharyngeal cancer, according to a study to be presented July 22 at the 8th International Conference on Head & Neck Cancer in Toronto. HPV has a substantial impact on overall survival in African Americans with oropharyngeal cancer, according to

Ivoclar Vivadent, 3M settle patent litigation

Ivoclar Vivadent and 3M have settled their respective patent lawsuits in Germany and the U.S. involving polymer-based restoratives materials. Ivoclar alleged that the 3M Filtek composite dental restoratives infringed its patents. Ivoclar voluntarily withdrew its German and U.S. patent-infringement suits against 3M, prompting the settlement. These actions settle a six-month lawsuit between the parties. The legal dispute involved U.S. patent No. 5,936,006, Filled and Polymerizable Dental Material, which was issued

Align Technology Q2 profits double

Align Technology reported revenues of $145.6 million for the second quarter of 2012 (end-June 30), a 21.2% increase over revenues of $120.1 million for the same quarter in 2011. Net profit for the quarter was $28.5 million, compared with net profit of $11.2 million in the same quarter a year ago. Total Invisalign clear aligner revenue was $133.7 million, up 17.6% year over year from revenues of $113.6 million. The

Delta Dental of Iowa donation aids kids’ oral health

The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has donated 8,400 toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste, and floss dispensers to the Iowa Head Start Association as part of its long-term goal to have Iowa children ages 0 to 12 cavity-free by 2020. The Southern Iowa Economic Development Association will receive a portion of the donation. Head Start is a locally operated, federally funded program that provides a child development program for children from

Colgate must discontinue misleading toothpaste ad in U.K.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), an independent regulator of the advertising industry in the U.K., is taking issue with an advertisement for Colgate-Palmolive’s Colgate Total toothpaste, according to an adjudication posted on its website. The television and video-on-demand advertisement in question features a nurse at work talking about the antibacterial qualities of the toothpaste, and then shows the woman visiting her dentist and his recommendation to use the product. The

Israel no longer allows dentists to offer Botox

Dentists in Israel have been administering Botox for years, but in a sudden and surprising move, the health ministry has forbidden its use, according to a news story on Ynetnews.com. The decision came after a request from the Israeli Society of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, according to the story. Now dentists who have been providing Botox injections have hired an attorney who has asked the ministry to override the request.

Light activation ups tooth sensitivity during bleaching

Use of light activation increases the risk of tooth sensitivity during in-office bleaching and also may not improve the bleaching effect, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis (Journal of Dentistry, August 2012, Vol. 40:8, pp. 644-653). With the rising popularity of teeth whitening, new systems have been developed that use light — including halogen, curing lights, xenon-halogen lights, plasma arcs, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, and LED plus lasers

Dental Brasseler sues Brasseler USA

Dental Brasseler has sued a competitor that was once part of the company for trademark infringement. The lawsuit, filed July 16 in federal court in Delaware, accuses Brasseler USA of infringing a “blue spiral” design trademark used for specialty dental tools. The German company said the defendant has continued to use the trademark without authorization after it became a separate entity in 2008. In addition to a court order permanently

Australian dental implants may contain illegal tissue

Tutogen, a subsidiary of RTI Biologics, is being accused of raiding human corpses for materials used to make dental implants, according to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald. Useful tissues were harvested from bodies stored at forensic institutes in the Ukraine without consent from the families of the deceased, according to the Herald. The reusable tissues were then transported to Tutogen, and some of the tissue was used to