TotalCare offers free infection-control white paper

TotalCare has released a white paper that provides insights into infection prevention challenges and protocols facing dental professionals today. The white paper, “Current Dental Surface Disinfection Protocols and a Review of the New 1-Minute Surface Disinfectants CaviCide1 and CaviWipes1,” provides the following: Overview of current challenges in dental infection prevention Pathogen overview and hierarchy Overview of chemical agents used in surface disinfection Clinical evaluations of the new CaviCide1 and CaviWipes1

OraMetrix gets $3M credit facility

Horizon Technology Finance, a specialty finance company, has closed a $3 million revolving credit facility with OraMetrix, the provider of the SureSmile system for orthodontics. The funds will support OraMetrix’s continued growth, the company announced. Established in 1998, OraMetrix developed the SureSmile system to give orthodontists a 3D diagnostic, treatment, and monitoring tool for customized orthodontic care. Since 2004, SureSmile has been used on 100,000 patients by more than 400

Study: Mouthwash use not linked to oral cancer risk

The medical and scientific communities have been debating the potential relationship between mouthwash and oral cancer for decades. Now a new meta-analysis has found no statistically significant association between mouthwash use and risk of oral cancer (Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, June 27, 2012, Vol. 19:2, pp. 173-180). Researchers from the European Institute of Oncology, the International Prevention Research Research Institute, and the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri

Nobel Biocare CFO resigns

Dirk Kirsten, chief financial officer (CFO) of dental implant provider Nobel Biocare, will resign, effective January 31, 2013. Kirsten will pursue other opportunities outside of Nobel Biocare, according to the company. The company has not yet named Kirsten’s replacement.

Seaweed enzyme could end up in toothpaste

A team of dentists and scientists from Newcastle University is developing a new product from a marine microbe to protect dentures, teeth, and periodontal tissue from oral bacteria. They are using an enzyme isolated from a marine bacterium, Bacillus licheniformis, found on the surface of seaweed that they were originally researching for the purpose of cleaning the hulls of ships. They presented their findings this week at the Society for

3Shape’s Dental System offers Dentsply CAD design

3Shape’s Dental System is now able to design two-piece customized abutments using Dentsply Friadent premanufactured titanium bases. 3Shape has integrated an original Dentsply Friadent library within its Dental System software supporting Friadent’s Ankylos and XiVE implant systems. The new library enables dental technicians to use 3Shape Abutment Designer to model two-piece abutments using a premanufactured titanium base with a customized zirconia abutment top. To manufacture the designed restoration, the original

3D Systems supports NCOHF programs

3D Systems, a provider of 3D content-to-print dental solutions, has become a corporate underwriter of the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF). Through the support of 3D Systems and many other corporate entitites, NCOHF has delivered nearly $10 million in direct funding, donated dental products, and educational resources to its nonprofit affiliate network and community programs, according to the foundation.

Canadian city diverts $750K from fluoridation to kids’ care

The city of Calgary, Alberta, has earmarked $750,000 saved from discontinuing its water fluoridation program for oral health programs targeting children from poor families, according to a story in the Calgary Herald. On July 4, the city council’s community and protective services committee approved a plan to provide funding to the Alex and Calgary Urban Project Society, which already offers mobile dental services. The society currently offers adult-only dental services

Sleep apnea gets worse in the winter

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The breathing problems caused by sleep apnea appear to worsen during the colder months of the year, according to a new study from Brazil. People with the common sleep disorder stop breathing multiple times throughout the night, each bout lasting from seconds to minutes. Jerome Dempsey, who studies breathing problems at the University of Wisconsin and was not involved in the new study, said it

Align Technology clarifies ClearCorrect case

Align Technology has responded to a press release issued on June 28, 2012, by ClearCorrect relating to the stay issued nearly two months ago of Align’s patent infringement lawsuit against ClearCorrect. ClearCorrect’s press release states that “the U.S. District Court recently granted the motion to stay the case in ClearCorrect’s favor, effectively stopping the federal case indefinitely and virtually guaranteeing the continued unrestricted operation of the company’s U.S.-based manufacturing facility

Allcare president faces more complaints

The Indiana Attorney General’s (AG) Office has filed an administrative complaint with the Indiana State Board of Dentistry against Allcare Dental & Dentures President Robert Bates, DDS, for multiple licensing violations. In January 2011, Allcare Dental & Dentures abruptly closed all of its locations in the U.S., including several in Indiana: Indianapolis, Avon, Muncie, Fort Wayne, Mishawaka, and Evansville. According to the AG’s complaint, filed July 5, Dr. Bates gave

Anti-inflammatory drug reduces esophageal tumors

A new study by researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando finds that tolfenamic acid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), can reduce esophageal tumors (Investigational New Drugs, June 2012, Vol. 30:3:853-861). The study, led by Pius Maliakal, PhD, and Riyaz Basha, PhD, researchers at MD Anderson Orlando’s Cancer Research Institute, found that tolfenamic acid prevented tumor growth and lessened the size of esophageal tumors in a rat model by decreasing