Dental Heroes: Returning smiles to kids in need

Kecia, a high school student near Bakersfield, CA, had multiple dental problems, including several missing teeth and gaps between her teeth. But her family could not afford the orthodontic treatment she desperately needed. The teasing and bullying she endured affected her personality, turning her into a shy, introverted child — until a physical education teacher recommended her to the orthodontic practice of Donald Montano, DDS. Donald Montano, DDS Donald Montano,

Healthy oral bacteria provide ideal conditions for perio disease

Normal bacteria present in the oral cavity provide the catalyst for the development of periodontal disease, according to a study in Cell Host and Microbe (October 2011, Vol. 10:4, pp. 302-306). Scientists from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Washington School of Dentistry introduced the oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis to mice living in two different test conditions. The mice with normal bacteria in their mouths developed periodontal

Plackers to give away 10,000 dental flossers

October is National Dental Hygiene Month and to cap off the month, Plackers is giving away 10,000 samples of its Micro Mint dental flossers beginning October 27 Plackers’ portable, disposable dental flossers allow users to floss on the go. “Our Micro Mint flosser giveaway is a great way to celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month since they make it easy to take care of teeth on the go, whether you’re at

Ameritas ups dental sealant program contribution

Ameritas Group has increased its contribution to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry school-based dental sealant program by 50% this year. The program reaches out to public elementary schools in Lincoln, NE, and will visit seven Lincoln schools through April 2012, helping approximately 1,050 kids, according to the company. UNMC dental hygiene students and instructors provide a screening and any needed sealants to children in second,

Study finds higher rate of oral HPV in minorities

The low rate of high-risk oral human papillomavirus (HPV) found among adult patients in a pilot study conducted by researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is comparable to those of other studies of HPV prevalence (BMC Oral Health, October 10, 2011). But the few who tested positive for HPV were Hispanic women, reflecting the growing rate of oropharyngeal cancer among U.S. minorities, despite overall declining rates, according

MetLife Foundation gives oral health programs $1.1M

MetLife Foundation is awarding $1.1 million to two organizations focused on children and children’s health to promote the importance of oral healthcare and teaching children and their families proper tooth-brushing techniques. MetLife Foundation will provide $500,000 to Children’s Health Fund (CHF) to support CHF’s national oral health initiative, Healthy Kids, Healthy Smiles, the organizations announced. With the funding, CHF programs will provide oral healthcare to low-income and homeless children and

Anticaries DNA vaccine makes progress

Anticaries DNA vaccines such as pGJA-P/VAX are showing promise in their ability to prevent dental caries, according to a new study in the Journal of Dental Research (October 25, 2011). Researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences used recombinant flagellin protein derived from Salmonella as a mucosal adjuvant for pGJA-P/VAX. They analyzed the effects of the Salmonella protein on the serum surface protein immunoglobulin

Scholarship to fund endodontic leadership training

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) Foundation are sponsoring an endodontic educator’s participation in ADEA’s leadership development program. The ADEA/AAE Foundation Scholar in the ADEA Leadership Institute will receive a $25,000 scholarship to participate in the ADEA Leadership Institute, a yearlong program that develops faculty members from all elements of dental education as the future leaders of dental and higher education. In particular,

Good nutrition critical for head and neck cancer patients

Maintaining good nutrition and sufficient calorie intake is critical for head and neck cancer patients who are undergoing treatment, and dental professionals can help cancer patients control common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, including oral mucositis, xerostomia, dysgeusia, and dysphagia, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dental Association (October 2011, Vol. 142:10, pp. 1163-1167). Cancer can impact the oral and oropharyngeal areas, limiting oral

Okla. teen dies of rare infection after root canal

An Oaklahoma teen has died from a rare bacterial infection after having a root canal, KOCO.com reported. Jonathan Adams, 18, had a sore throat and fever that doctors diagnosed as strep throat before he died on October 10, according to the article. Now the Northeastern State University student’s parents are informing the media that he died of Ludwig’s angina. Adams fell ill several weeks after the root canal and had

Triple-scan protocol aids 3D fit assessment

Since 2D fit assessment techniques currently used in dentistry miss important information about the third dimension, researchers from the University of Erlangen have developed a new protocol to provide 3D information to enhance the virtual registration of digital restorations with abutments (Quintessence International, September 2011, Vol. 42:8, pp. 651-657). They used CAD/CAM to produce 10 titanium single crown copings for five gypsum master casts each, representing a molar prepared for

U.K. man fined for selling dangerous whitening pen

A U.K. businessman has been charged with selling a teeth-whitening pen that contains more than 100 times the legal levels of hydrogen peroxide, Kent Online reported. Trading Standards Institute investigators, who prosecuted the case, cited serious potential health consequences that could stem from using the pen, the article noted. The investigators found that Thai Tran, director of All White 3000, was selling pens with a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 10.9%,