LONDON (Reuters) – More than a billion people in 19 countries are now covered by laws requiring large, graphic health warnings on tobacco packs, but too many countries are still not doing enough to cut smoking rates, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. In its third Global Tobacco Epidemic report, the United Nations health body said such warnings are proven to motivate people to quit smoking and also to
Oral Cancer Prevention International (OCPI), makers of the Oral CDx brush test for oral cancer detection, is suing Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for at least $70 million over a terminated distribution contract with OraPharma. OraPharma was previously a subsidiary of J&J until it was acquired last December by Water Street Healthcare Partners, a private equity firm in Chicago. J&J, which among other things sells Listerine mouthwash, was worried that a
A University of Georgia researcher has invented a new technology that can inexpensively render dental instruments, medical linens and clothing, face masks, even paper towels permanently germ-free (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, June 21, 2011). The simple and inexpensive antimicrobial technology works on natural and synthetic materials. The technology can be applied during the manufacturing process or later, and it doesn’t deteriorate after washing. Unlike other antimicrobial technologies, repeated applications
Patients with elastomeric (traditional “rubber band” style) orthodontic brackets have similar levels of bacteria as patients wearing self-ligating (gated) orthodontic brackets when examined after one year, researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry have found (Orthodontics: The Art and Practice of Dentofacial Enhancement, Summer 2011, Vol. 12:2). This is in contrast to an OHSU pilot study one year ago that determined elastomeric orthodontic bracket patients
A U.K. company has designed a periodontal tool that it claims can alleviate the difficulty of achieving consistent measurements during periodontal tissue probing. Implantium has partnered with Iain Chapple, BDS, head of periodontology at the University of Birmingham, to design and develop this double-ended, force-measuring probe. .pullQuoteCredit { align:right; text-align:right; font-family:arial, sans-serif; font-size:11px; line-height: 16px; font-style: normal; padding-top:2px; } “We believe the final product will be of genuine interest to
Whip Mix has introduced the Digital Water Bath, a digitally controlled unit that maintains temperatures in a range of 89.6° F to 159.8° F (32° C to 71° C) to soften a variety of wax or compound dental materials. It features a digital temperature control with indicator light, LED screen that constantly displays the temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius, stainless steel casing, and a removable stainless steel pan. The Digital
For the second year in a row, New York legislators have voted to require dental warnings on sippy cups for children. The state Senate and Assembly have both approved the bill, and it has now gone to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk for review, according to news reports. If he signs it, every manufacturer or importer of baby bottles and sippy cups that are sold or distributed in New York will
A team of researchers at King’s College London and the Forsyth Institute have been awarded a follow-on grant by the U.S. National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to continue their work compiling the first comprehensive list of oral bacterial species. Established in 2008, the Human Oral Microbiome Database provides descriptions of each species together with tools for analysis of their DNA. The database helps scientists studying the role
The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) has issued an updated position statement about the scope and objective of periodontal therapy and the procedures that are used in it (Journal of Periodontology, July 2011, Vol. 82:7, pp. 943-949). Most patients can now retain their dentition over their lifetime with proper treatment, reasonable plaque/biofilm control, and continuing care, according to the AAP. This means the goals of periodontal therapy are to preserve,
Ultradent has introduced Valo Cordless, a new curing light that maintains the broadband technology offered by the Valo and adds a battery-operated, cordless wand for mobility. Valo Cordless features custom, multiwavelength light-emitting diodes to produce high-intensity light at 395 to 480 nm — capable of polymerizing all light-cured dental materials, the company noted. This intensity can penetrate porcelain and is capable of curing underlying resin cements, similar to a quality
HuangshanDental.com is pleased to present the latest installment of Leaders in Dentistry, a series of interviews with researchers, practitioners, and opinion leaders who are influencing the practice of dentistry. We spoke with David T.W. Wong, DMD, DMSc, the associate dean of research and a professor of oral biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry; immediate past president of the American Association for Dental Research; and
Health inspectors were shocked at the sight of the facilities at Newton Dental Labs in Framingham, MA, where they found hundreds of issues with unsanitary conditions, MetroWest Daily News reported. But the state and city lack the authority to close it because licenses are not required to operate labs like the one run by technician Donald Canton, the article noted. Ethan Mascoop, director of the Framingham Board of Health, told
