Perio drug reduces risk of osteoporosis, heart disease

A drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating periodontal disease could also significantly reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (March 2011, Vol. 142:3, pp. 262-273). Subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline (SDD) is the only drug approved by the FDA for treating chronic inflammatory periodontal disease. For the study, researchers from several

Endodontic website changes name

The founders of endomailmessageboard.com have unveiled a new name and Web address, www.ddschat.com, and added several new features, including a discussion forum on cone-beam CT in endodontics. The new name better encompasses the goal of the site, which is to provide dentists with a message board that allows open conversation and open dialogue among peers, the founders said in a press release. For those who are more comfortable using www.endomailmessageboard.com,

Oral cancer screenings a must, say malpractice attorneys

The patient was insistent: All she wanted was to get her teeth whitened for an upcoming high school reunion. She came in for the $99 Internet special the dentist had run and mentioned a sore on her tongue, but she said it was recent, attributing it to a tongue-biting habit. The dentist did the procedure but advised the patient that she needed a follow-up oral exam. The patient eventually went

OHSU dental school gets $5.1M donation

The Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) dental school has received a $5.1 million gift from the late Wilbur Van Zile, DDS, professor emeritus and the first graduate residency program director for the OHSU School of Dentistry Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS). The bequest from the Van Zile estate is the largest private donation in the dental school’s 112-year history. Beginning in the fall of 2011, the dental

Biomoda joins U.S. cancer research network

>Cancer diagnostics company Biomoda has been accepted as an associate member of the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), an initiative of the National Cancer Institute focused on the development of molecular technologies for the screening, early diagnosis, and target-based treatment of cancer. “The EDRN is at the forefront of biomarker research,” Biomoda President John Cousins said. “Our membership opens the door to extraordinary opportunities for collaborative research with our scientific

Haptics make injection simulator more user-friendly

Sensable Technologies will showcase several touch-enabled medical simulation applications for surgical training at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, TX this week, the company announced. The applications — which include the Dental Nerve Block Injection Simulator from BioDigital — all employ Sensable’s Phantom haptic devices and OpenHaptics software toolkit, the company said. The Dental Nerve Block Injection Simulator is a computer-based training tool designed to teach dental residents

New glass ionomer has antibacterial properties

A new glass ionomer cement with antibacterial properties shows promise for use in clinical dentistry in initial lab-based experiments, according to a new study (Dental Materials, March 8, 2011). Researchers from Indiana University and Purdue University tested a light-curable glass-ionomer cement using newly synthesized poly(quaternary ammonium salt) (PQAS)-containing polyacid to study the effect of the PQAS on the compressive strength and antibacterial activity of the cement. The functional QAS and

Many U.S. states revising dental sedation guidelines

As part of Sedation Safety Week, DOCS Education has released a comprehensive list of all the U.S. states and Canadian provinces that changed or updated dental sedation regulations since January 2010. In the past 14 months, 14 states and provinces — including Alberta, Oregon, Utah, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Georgia — amended their dental sedation regulations. Each regulation change brings the respective state or province more in line with the ADA

Dentist mimics da Vinci on crowns, veneers

A California dentist is using painting techniques originated by Leonardo da Vinci when the Renaissance master created Mona Lisa and her famous smile. Scientists from the Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France recently used high-tech scanners to examine the Mona Lisa and found that da Vinci used up to 30 extremely thin layers of paint — each about half the width of a human hair —

DenMat enhances online Snap-On Smile marketing program

DenMat will launch a new Snap-On Smile marketing program in April 2011 that has been tailored to the needs of dental offices, the company announced. DenMat purchased Snap-On Smile in March 2010 and launched the appliance via a national TV and online advertising campaign in August 2010. During the first six months of the campaign, almost 200,000 consumers responded to the company’s TV ads and online creative. Starting in April,

Ohio lawmaker asks federal officials to tour VA clinic

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Centerville) has formally invited Veteran Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki to visit the Dayton VA Medical Center in Ohio in a letter his office issued on March 9, the Dayton Daily News reported. “Visiting the Dayton VA Medical Center Dental Clinic will go a long way to reassure the community that the VA is committed to providing the highest quality of care and will do everything

Komet launches interproximal starter kit

Komet has released an interproximal enamel reduction (IPR) starter kit containing six hand-selected oscillating instruments that includes new contact breakers to replace diamond strips during the initial phase of IPR procedures. As an addition to Komet’s OS system, which was introduced in 2009, the starter kit includes two single-sided OS disks, two double-sided OS disks, and two new single-sided, ultrathin contact breakers that are abrasive enough to cut through tight