U.K., New Zealand regulators tackle teeth whitening by nondentists

Two cases involving nondentists performing teeth-whitening services without the proper credentials — one in the U.K., the other in New Zealand — have made headlines worldwide. In the first, the U.K. General Dental Council (GDC) has successfully prosecuted a nonregistrant for performing tooth whitening, which the GDC regards as the practice of dentistry. It was the first such case of its kind in the U.K., according to the GDC. Paul

Mouth pain may herald oral cancer onset

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In comparison with other patients, those with oral cancer report significant levels of spontaneous pain and functional restriction from pain, researchers report in a March 9 online paper in Pain. “Our research demonstrates that patients with oral cancer experience pain in their mouth but few with precancer suffer such pain. Patients and clinicians should be aware that oral pain could be a sign of malignant

Salivary biomarkers can help ID tongue cancer

Salivary biomarkers could improve early detection of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (TSCC), which has one of the poorest prognoses of head and neck cancers, according to a study in Oral Oncology (March 10, 2011). Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) set out to identify salivary biomarkers that can identify a spectrum of patients progressing from high risk to TSCC. They also examined the mortality of exophytic

Conn. dental board mulls teeth-whitening restrictions

The Connecticut State Dental Commission is considering whether teeth whitening should be classified as “dentistry,” which could result in nondentists being barred from offering teeth-whitening services. The commission held a hearing in December to review the issue and will vote May 11 on whether tooth whitening should be classified as dentistry — a move that would mean the procedure could only be done under a dentist’s supervision, according to a

International study aims to reduce childhood caries

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research will donate $1.2 million toward new research aimed at reducing childhood caries. The research will examine a new approach to dental care that employs four concurrent therapies to people living within First Nations communities. Its goal is to reduce the marked early childhood caries disparities that exist between First Nations and non-First Nations children in Canada. First Nations is a term of ethnicity that

Which composite resins have the lowest residual strain?

In a comparison of four composite resins, SureFil SDR (Dentsply) and Filtek LS (3M ESPE) produced the lowest residual strain on a restored tooth, according to research presented at the recent International Association for Dental Research (IADR) meeting in San Diego. The study, conducted at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry, compared SureFil SDR, Filtek LS, GC Kalore (GC America), and N’Durance (Septodont). The researchers also found

Minn. dentists donate $2.5M in free care

Minnesota dental practitioners donated $2.5 million of free care to 5,678 Minnesota children in two days during the Minnesota Dental Association’s (MDA) Give Kids A Smile outreach in February, according to the organization. More than 2,600 dental professionals volunteered their time to provide care to children whose families cannot otherwise afford it. While some clinics treated as many as 200 children, most clinics saw one or two dozen children, the

SmileRank releases teeth-whitening app for iPhone, iPad, iPod

SmileRank Technologies has introduced an app that allows users to see what they would look like with whiter teeth. Instant Teeth Whitener 1.0 can be used on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to whiten smiles in photos within seconds, according to the company. The app also includes the following features: Recognizes smile — no need to select teeth manually Adjusts the amount of whiteness according to user’s preference Allows

AAE celebrates Root Canal Awareness week

The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) will celebrate Root Canal Awareness Week (March 27 through April 2) with a focus on dispelling negative root canal myths and encouraging patients who need the procedure to see an endodontist. “Many patients do not realize that, just like any other medical specialty, significant advances in technology have enabled endodontists to perform root canals safely and comfortably,” said AAE President Clara Spatafore DDS, in

Ohio dentist treats 900 kids in Nepal for 60th birthday

To celebrate his 60th birthday memorably, an Ohio dentist closed his practice for a month and went to Katmandu, Nepal, to help deliver dental care to more than 900 impoverished children, the Aurora Advocate reported. Joseph Pawlik, DDS, who practices in Mantua and had never been outside of North America, joined three other dentists to make the trip with Global Dental Relief, a charitable organization that brings dental professionals to

Judge green-lights mouthwash lawsuit against Walgreen’s

A federal judge in Florida has ruled that a class-action lawsuit filed against Walgreen’s alleging false claims about certain mouthwash products can move forward, consumeraffairs.com reported. In September 2010, the FDA issued warning letters to Johnson & Johnson, CVS, and Walgreen regarding three mouthwash products: Johnson & Johnson’s Listerine Total Care Anticavity Mouthwash, CVS’ Complete Care Anticavity Mouthwash, and Walgreen’s Mouth Rinse Full Action. The companies have marketed these products

Novalar to cease operations

Following its announcement last week that it had sold its only commercial product to Septodont, Novalar is on the verge of shutting down completely, according to a story in the San Diego Tribune. Novalar’s 12 employees will be let go in the coming weeks as the company winds down operations, Donna Janson, president and CEO of Novalar, told the Tribune. Most of the 24 sales people hired by Novalar two