New Hampshire has passed a law requiring notification that 6-month-olds should not be routinely fed infant formula mixed with fluoridated water to avoid fluorosis. The law, HB 1416, goes into effect on August 4 and requires that a notice be posted in the water system’s consumer confidence report. The notice reads: “Your public water supply is fluoridated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if your child under
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has signed a new law that expands the scope of services that dental hygienists can perform. SB 284 allows certified public health dental hygienists who work in schools, hospitals, and other public settings or who deliver care to homebound patients to perform dental x-rays, offer nutritional counseling, and place temporary fillings in teeth. The Pew Center on the States provided research and other support for
The Michigan Oral Health Coalition awarded 11 grants for water fluoridation at its annual oral health conference, June 8-9, in Lansing. The funds will supply or update water fluoridation equipment for Grand Haven, Holland, St. Joseph, Charlotte, Cedar Springs, Milford, Schoolcraft, Wayland, Norway, Midland, and East Lansing. This is the third year the Delta Dental Foundation donated to the community water fluoridation program. Sessions at the conference focused on issues
Kelyniam Global, a medical device company focused on the design and manufacturing of custom cranial implants, has filed a 510(k) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clearance to market Kelyniam custom skull implants. The craniofacial implant product is made from the Invibio PEEK Optima material, the company noted.
A review in the Cochrane Library (June 13, 2012) has found insufficient evidence to support or refute the necessity of routine prophylactic removal of impacted third molars in adults. “Watchful monitoring of asymptomatic third-molar teeth may be a more prudent strategy,” the reviewers concluded. Six authors, led by Theodorus Mettes of Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, combed through several databases — Cochrane Oral Health Group’s Trial Register (to 30 March
The University of Queensland School of Dentistry’s Oral Oncology Research Program has secured a $500,000 grant to support the development of clinical and molecular diagnostics for the early detection and treatment of head and neck cancer. The funding is part of the Queensland government’s $3.5 million grant for the Herston Imaging Research Facility and Cancer Molecular Diagnostics, combined with $1.38 million of funding from Cancer Australia, industry partners, and the
Surgery alone is the least expensive treatment for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OP SCCA), and chemoradiation therapy is the most expensive treatment, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers (Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, June 2012, Vol. 146:6, pp. 946-951). With annual healthcare costs in the U.S. now hitting the $2 trillion mark and more patients being diagnosed with OP SCCA, the cost of treating patients with
Dux Dental is set to release ZONEfree, a temporary dental cement that contains color-blending nanofillers that act like tiny glass beads to reflect the color of any adjacent surface. It is the only zinc oxide noneugenol cosmetic cement that is translucent, according to Dux. ZONEfree is, triclosan-free, has a working time of one-and-a-half minutes (it self-cures in two minutes without a curing light), and comes in a 4-gram automix syringe
When New Jersey dentist Raj Upadya, DMD, decided recently to hire another dental assistant, seven qualified, experienced people applied. Of those seven, he ultimately hired one of the two men who applied. According to Dr. Upadya and a growing number of dental professionals, “pink collar” jobs traditionally held by women — such as dental assistants and hygienists — may be a thing of the past. “One of the things that struck
Oral Health America (OHA) is preparing to launch its third annual Fall for Smiles public messaging campaign conducted in collaboration with Crest, Oral-B, Patterson Dental, and Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait, an initiative of the Dental Trade Alliance. The campaign, which runs from September through October, is intended to promote to consumers the importance of self-care, good nutrition, regular dental visits, and tobacco avoidance in maintaining oral health. On September 1,
Retailers in Canada must sell only cigarette and little cigar packages that display new, larger health warning messages, according to a new policy that took effect June 19. The graphic warnings cover three-quarters of the front and back of the main panel package and include a Canada-wide quit line phone number and Web address. Canadian retailers started selling the new packages back in March, but businesses had until June 19
SomnoMed and Sleep HealthCenters have joined to create the National Center for Integrated Dental Sleep Health program. The program will bring together SomnoMed’s dental network and the Sleep Partners network to diagnose and treat patients suffering from sleep disorders, such as sleep disordered breathing, according to a press release. It will provide participating practices and centers with testing, treatment, and compliance protocols that meet American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines.