Lexicomp to offer oral lesion diagnosis tool

Lexicomp has partnered with Logical Images to deliver the oral lesion diagnosis tool VisualDx Oral to dental professionals. Those using Lexicomp Online for Dentistry can now access an enhanced level of decision support through VisualDx Oral, which combines a searchable medical image library of oral lesions with specialist-developed clinical information. The program is designed to be searchable by patient factors. VisualDx Oral, developed by Logical Images, enables dental professionals to

Star Wars toothbrushes help make brushing fun

Sunstar GUM has launched a line of Star Wars toothbrushes, featuring three different products in Star Wars character designs. The Star Wars Lightsaber toothbrush offers timed brushing assistance by flashing for 60-second intervals to encourage one-minute maxillary and one-minute mandibular brushing. The Star Wars Manual toothbrush features a bristle design to enhance plaque removal, while the Power toothbrush has oscillating bristles that massage gums while cleaning teeth, according to the

Sirona to debut caries-detection device

In May Sirona Dental will launch SIROInspect, a battery-operated, rechargeable caries-detection probe that utilizes optical technology to help dentists determine where caries does or does not exist prior to excavation. SIROInspect is based on fluorescence-aided caries excavation technology (FACE), which exploits the fluorescence characteristics of teeth. If teeth are illuminated with violet light in the spectrum of around 405 nm, it causes dentin to fluoresce. Healthy dental tissue lights up

Dux kicks off breast cancer campaign

Dux Dental will kick off its “Bib-Eze for Boob-Eze” campaign to benefit the American Breast Cancer Foundation next week at the California Dental Association (CDA) convention in Anaheim, CA. During this year’s Bib-Eze for Boob-Eze campaign, which runs May 1 to October 31, dental offices are invited to send their used bib chains and holders to Dux Dental in exchange for a free box of Bib-Eze disposable bib holders, the

Fish oil could help treat perio disease

Could fish oil become another tool for treating periodontal disease? To evaluate whether fish oil supplementation is an effective adjunct therapy for periodontitis, Alison Coates, PhD, from the University of South Australia and colleagues from the School of Dentistry at University of Adelaide reviewed evidence from eight unique studies that involved humans. Their review showed that improvements in clinical measures were common in all studies but were scientifically significant in

Align profits, sales up from 1 year ago

Thanks to strong sales of Invisalign, Align Technology reported revenues of $135.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 (end-March 31), a 29% increase over revenues of $104.9 million in the first quarter of 2011. Net profits were up substantially from last year as well, from $15.8 million in the first quarter of 2011 to $21 million in the first quarter of 2012. Invisalign clear aligner revenue of $123.3

Study: 30 days of OSA increases stroke risk

Middle-aged and older men who have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have higher risk of stroke and death, even if their cases are mild, according to a study being presented this week at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting in San Diego. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine developed a model that recreates human OSA to better understand its effect on cerebral vessels. They found that as few as 30 days of

Ask Marty: How often do you screen for oral cancer?

Q: How often are you screening for oral cancer in your office? Do you or the hygienist do the screening? Do you use any adjunctive devices? A: A great set of questions, given that April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. The problem is that oral cancer is not limited to one month. Every hour of every day, someone dies from oral cancer, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. You need

Study reveals national statistics on orthognathic surgery

How much will it cost? What could be the potential complications? How long will I have to stay in the hospital? When it comes to orthognathic surgeries, which are performed to correct discrepancies of skeletal origin and improve speech, aesthetics, and function, dentists and orthodontists frequently encounter such questions from patients. But there is a lack of information on a national level when it comes to the answers. A study

Researchers propose new classification for severe ECC

The International and American Associations for Dental Research have published two studies in the Journal of Dental Research that examine the definitions of dental caries susceptibility to hypomineralization and hypoplasia and propose a new classification for severe early childhood caries (ECC). The first study (JDR, February 27, 2012), conducted by M.E.C. Elfrink and colleagues from the Academisch Centrum Tandheelkunde Amsterdam, focused on the relationship between deciduous molar hypomineralization (DMH) and

Minn. may require dental labs to register

A Minnesota bill that would regulate the state’s dental laboratories is nearing approval by state lawmakers. HF 614 would require labs that make crowns, bridges, dentures, or other dental pieces to register with the state, according to a story in the Red Wing Republican Eagle. Labs also would have to disclose to dentists the materials involved and where the products were made, in whole or part. Currently, when a dentist

Electrochemotherapy shows potential for head/neck cancer

OncoSec Medical’s electrochemotherapy has shown promising results compared to surgery in the treatment of primary and locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC), according to a study presented April 20 at the 5th European Conference on Head and Neck Oncology. The study includes data from 81 patients in a Phase IV study of HNSCC treated with electrochemotherapy. The primary goal of the study was to assess