A new $1 million, three-year grant from First 5 LA will enable the Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California (USC) to provide underprivileged children with oral health care and help them see a dentist regularly. The Children’s Health and Maintenance Program (CHAMP) will travel to Head Start and Women, Infants, Children centers throughout South Los Angeles, where Ostrow School faculty, students, and staff will screen children
Using a sensor made of densely packed carbon nanotubes coated with gold nanoparticles, a researcher team at the University of Connecticut has developed a low-cost microfluidic device for detecting oral cancer. Tests on samples obtained from 78 oral cancer patients and 49 control subjects showed that the device has a clinical sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 98% for detecting oral cancer (Analytical Chemistry, June 14, 2012). While other groups
Australians are paying extra for so-called whitening toothpastes that contain no bleaching agents, according to Choice, a consumer watchdog group. The organization reviewed 17 toothpaste products ranging in price from $1.27 to $7.99 and broke down product claims such as advanced whitening, multiaction, enamel lock, and microcleaning crystals. Choice found none of the whitening toothpastes investigated actually contained a bleaching agent required to physically alter the color of teeth, according
Dear DrBicuspid Member, In part two of its comprehensive investigative report on corporate dental chains and their increasing — and sometimes questionable — role in the treatment of children on Medicaid, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) focuses on Kool Smiles, the largest provider of Medicaid dental services in the U.S. According to CPI, the very business model that makes Kool Smiles profitable has also led to allegations that the
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – African-American kids are now as likely as their white peers to visit the dentist — erasing a once-large racial divide, a new study finds. That’s good news, researchers say. But they also stress that a key gap remains: Black children are still more likely to have cavities and tooth decay. “We’ve come a long way, but a lot more work needs to be done,” said
What are the effects of different dosages and duration of adjunctive antibiotic therapy in the treatment of periodontal disease, and how does this therapy impact final outcomes? These questions were the focus of multiple oral sessions at the recent International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in Brazil. In one study, researchers from Federal University Rio De Janiero and Boston University evaluated the one-year effect of combining systemic amoxicillin (AMX)
A protein that is overactive in oral and head and neck cancers and encourages tumors to grow could be a target for new treatments for the disease, according to a new study out of the U.K. Cancer Research UK scientists have found that the FRMD4A protein is permanently switched on in cancer, and the higher the levels the more likely the disease is to spread and return (Cancer Research, July
A systematic review published last year in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR) found little evidence to support the use of oxalates for treating dentin hypersensitivity (DH). Now a critical summary by the ADA Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry’s (CEBD) review council lends further support to these findings (Journal of the American Dental Association, June 2012, Vol. 143:6, pp. 614-615). “With the possible exception of 3% monohydrogen-monopotassium oxalate alone, there is
Delta Dental of Michigan has invested $3 million in Interleukin Genetics to advance the company’s periodontal disease susceptibility risk test. The investment includes the purchase of 500,000 shares of Interleukin’s convertible preferred stock, according to the company. In return, Interleukin expects to receive net proceeds of approximately $2.7 million after deducting fees and expenses. Delta Dental also will obtain one board seat as part of the deal. Delta Dental of
Roydent Dental Products has launched two new bite registration materials: Futar D Fast and Futar Scan. Futar D Fast is an ultrarigid, quick set material with a working time of 15 seconds, an intraoral set time of 45 seconds, with a total set time of one minute, according to the company. Futar Scan is scan optimized for ideal optical image replication and does not require powering, the company noted. Futar
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry has received a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a research training program for oral health. Faculty at the UCLA School of Dentistry have conducted multidisciplinary research that has led to major advances, ranging from stem cell science to saliva diagnostics, the school noted in a press release. The grant, from the NIH’s National
3M ESPE is now offering Lava Ultimate, part of a new class of CAD/CAM restorative materials based on the company’s nanotechnology. Lava Ultimate provides a lasting polish and is backed with a 10-year warranty, according to the company. It is durable and shock-absorbent, enabling a fast, no-firing process, with only a few minutes of polishing needed. Lava Ultimate is indicated for a full range of permanent adhesive, single-unit restorations, including