Flu season begs the question: To vaccinate or not?

In 2008, a Swiss tourist visited a hospital in Tucson, AZ, and subsequently became the source of 14 cases of healthcare-associated measles (Journal of Infectious Diseases, June 1, 2011, Vol. 203:11, pp. 1517-1525). Half of those affected were older than 18 years of age, four were hospitalized, seven contracted measles in healthcare settings, and none had evidence of measles vaccination. The costs of testing, contact tracing, immunization of healthcare workers,

AcceleDent gains FDA clearance

OrthoAccel Technologies has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the AcceleDent tooth movement system and is preparing to launch the product in the U.S. AcceleDent is a removable, noninvasive appliance that a patient with braces wears in the mouth for 20 minutes per day to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. A randomized, controlled clinical trial conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHCSA)

Modern diet has prompted many orthodontic issues

Many of the common orthodontic problems experienced by people in industrialized nations are due to their soft modern diet causing the mandible to grow too short and small relative to the size of their teeth, according to new research from the University of Kent (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, November 21, 2011). The research, which was conducted by Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel, PhD, from the university’s School of Anthropology

Patterson adds orthodontics to Caesy Cloud

Patterson Dental Supply has added updates to Caesy Cloud, its online portal that gives users instant access to Caesy Patient Education multimedia presentations. Six new orthodontics presentations are now available to help practices keep patients informed: Braces Care for Adults, Early Intervention, Retainers, Molar Uprighting, Invisalign Teen, and Identifying Oral Habits for Kids. Additionally, a number of existing presentations have already been updated, including Orthodontic Alternatives, Invisible Braces Alternatives, Adult

Xlear launches xylitol-based teeth-whitening kit

Xlear has introduced Spry White, a two-stage teeth-whitening kit that incorporates proprietary, xylitol-based technologies. Spry White uses Perogel and patented Viocin whitening technology to whiten teeth in about an hour per application, according to the company. In the first step of the Spry White process, Perogel is used to remove particles embedded in teeth enamel that cause discoloration. The second step uses Viocin to enhance whitening while infusing calcium into

Sun Dental launches CAD design services

Sun Dental Labs has introduced CAD design services that can be used for full zirconia crowns, bridges, and copings. For labs using Cerec Connect, Sun Dental Labs can also design e.max and Empress crowns, according to the company. Labs and dentists can scan impressions or models and send in STL files. A trained CAD technician then creates a computer-designed STL file, and completed files are transferred via File Transfer Protocol

Dental Diaries: Texting and the ‘root canal dude’

Editor’s note: Dr. Doniger’s column, Dental Diaries, appears regularly on the HuangshanDental.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion. I had a patient who was fearful of dental procedures and the related financial implications. She is employed full time with dental benefits and is married, but her husband is now underemployed and more at home taking care of the children. My patient had some emergent dental issues that we resolved, but

W.Va. kids’ program gets $105K fluoride varnish grant

The West Virginia Kids Count program has received a $105,500 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to support a Medicaid policy to reimburse primary care providers for applying fluoride varnish to young children. The money will also be used to develop an oral health indicator for the annual Kids Count Data Book and publish an essay on the state of children’s oral health in West Virginia, according to the

AAPD names new director of research and policy center

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has named Paul Casamassimo, DDS, as director of its Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center. The center conducts research and policy analysis to improve oral health for children, according to the AAPD. Dr. Casamassimo will continue his teaching and clinical duties at the Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital while directing the center. Dr. Casamassimo has taught at the University of

AAE leadership contributes to dental PAC

For the fourth year in a row, the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) Board of Directors became Capital Club members of the American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC). All members of the board who attended the ADA annual meeting in Las Vegas last month made personal donations of at least $200 to ADPAC. ADPAC works to fund and elect congressional candidates who support dental health and understand the importance oral

Dental antismoking campaign deemed a success

A joint campaign by the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NACCME) showed that dental professionals helped smokers to stop, but also found that more therapeutic strategies are needed. From 2010 to 2011, nearly 300 oral care professionals participated in the Tobacco and Oral Health: Smoking Cessation Intervention in Dentistry program through webinars, blogs, and tool kits, according to the organizations. Results

Researchers use NIH grant to study Sjögren’s causes

Researchers at the Georgia Health Sciences University (GHSU) are using a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify what causes Sjögren’s syndrome. Learning more about how the painful condition develops should improve diagnosis and treatment, according to the university. Rafal Pacholczyk, MD, an immunologist in the GHSU Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, and colleagues are studying mouse models to determine how the immune system begins