Leaders in Dentistry: A conversation with Dr. Louis Malcmacher

HuangshanDental.com is pleased to present the next installment of Leaders in Dentistry, a series of interviews with researchers, practitioners, and opinion leaders who are influencing the practice of dentistry. We talked with Louis Malcmacher, DDS, a practicing general dentist, lecturer, author, evaluator emeritus for Clinicians Report, and current president of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. Dr. Malcmacher, who teaches courses on how to inject Botox, believes that dentists are

Free sleep apnea assessment app released

ResMed has released the Sleep Assessment app for the iPhone that lets users record themselves while they sleep and features a clinically validated questionnaire that assesses their risk of sleep apnea. The app quantifies a person’s risk of sleep apnea based on known characteristics with an overnight snore recorder that lets them compare their snoring to the snoring of an actual sleep apnea patient. With the snore recorder feature, the

Behavioral therapy better than hypnosis for dental anxiety

A recent study published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics examines alternatives to general anesthesia for patients who have dental anxiety. Cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) was better than hypnosis among alternatives to general anesthesia for treating dental anxiety, the researchers found. The researchers from tye department of clinical psychology at the University of Wuppertal in Germany and the St. Augusta Hospital Dental Clinic conducted a practice-based study to assess the comparative effectiveness

Henry Schein launches new mouthguard material

Henry Schein has introduced its ProFlav mouthguard material. Lamination on the material provides strength, shock absorption, and abrasion resistance, according to the company. ProFlav also has a “cool mint frost flavor” that is infused into the molecular structure of the material, so it is slowly released through diffusion, Henry Schein noted. The product is available in clear 5 x 5-inch laminated sheets and packaged in six-unit quantities.

Pew: Many U.S. states still fall short in kids’ oral care

Healthcare reform will provide dental coverage for an additional 5.3 million children by 2014, but most states don’t have basic policies and programs in place to translate the expanded coverage into more dental care, according to a report released today by the Pew Center on the States. Most of the new coverage will come through public insurance programs such as Medicaid and CHIP, but federal and state governments need to

Study: Hawley, vacuum-formed retainers equally effective

The degree of relapse after fixed appliance therapy is unlikely to be affected by the choice of either a vacuum-formed or a Hawley retainer, and, therefore, other factors such as cost may play a more significant role when deciding on the type of retainer, a new study has found (Angle Orthodontists, May 2011, Vol. 81:3, pp. 404-409). Researchers from the U.K. looked at 82 patients who had received treatment with

Vitamin D may impact periodontal surgery outcomes

Vitamin D status may be critical for postperiodontal surgery healing, according to a new study in the Journal of Dental Research (May 9, 2011). The study authors from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry looked at 40 vitamin-D-sufficient and -insufficient patients with severe chronic periodontitis. The patients received periodontal surgery, daily calcium and vitamin D supplements, and self-administered teriparatide or a placebo for six weeks. The researchers evaluated serum

Study: NaOH + Alloy Primer yields best bond strength to zirconia

Researchers at the University of São Paulo Bauru School of Dentistry in Brazil have examined the best methods of bonding self-adhesive cement to high-crystalline content zirconia after different chemical surface treatments and produced concrete recommendations based on their findings. Of the surface treatments they tested, treating the zirconia with a basic solution of sodium hydroxide and then conditioning it with Alloy Primer (Kuraray) yielded the greatest bond strength in a

Study provides treatment strategies for tongue cancer

A retrospective study in Head and Neck Oncology (May 21, 2011) provides new treatment strategies for primary tumor disease and tumor recurrence in patients with tongue cancer. The authors, from the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Hannover Medical School in Germany, present a clinical review of their experience with tongue cancer by looking at 341 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue who were treated in

Mydent offers free infection-control product samples

Mydent International, manufacturer for Defend and private-label disposables, preventatives, infection control products, and impression material systems, is offering free samples of its Defend products to dentists, hygienists, assistants, and other healthcare professionals. Samples are being offered for a limited time and are subject to availability, the company noted. They are intended only for licensed dental offices and industry professionals in U.S. To request a free sample pack of Defend products,

Turkish firm to manufacture dental implants

AGS Medikal Ürünleri, a Turkish medical device company, is preparing to manufacture dental implants in the Black Sea province of Trabzon, according to a story in the Hurriyet Daily News. The company has invested 5 million Turkish liras ($3.1 million) in the business and began construction on a new manufacturing facility in April. At present, Turkey is dependent on foreign countries for dental implants, Görkem Serçe, general director of the

Kids with irregular teeth bullied, teased more

One in eight adolescents with overbites or irregular-shaped teeth has experienced bullying, negatively impacting self-esteem and the quality of oral health, according to a report published in the British Dental Journal (May 2011, Vol. 210:9, pp. 411-415). The authors, hospital-based orthodontic specialists, found that children between the ages of 10 and 14 were at an increased risk of being teased or bullied by their peers if they had certain dental