LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire/ -- Rehrig Healthcare, a division of Rehrig Pacific Company, announced that its SharpsTank® Reusable Sharps Container Model TS received Food and Drug Administration approval to market the device as an FDA 510(k) cleared Class II medical devices subject to the general controls of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 

"Rehrig manufactures reusable medical waste containers that meet the demands of today's medical facilities. By listening to its customers Rehrig has developed a family of reusable medical waste containers for the market today," said Cindy Meissen, New Market Development Manager, Rehrig Healthcare. "Our customized and innovative solutions could potentially help healthcare facilities achieve higher quantifiable efficiencies with more sustainable operations. Container reuse is the most economical and environmentally sustainable option for medical waste generators, and Rehrig's SharpsTank completes the sustainability loop between generation and disposal."

The SharpsTank Model TS reusable container is designed to be used for the disposal of used medical sharps by healthcare workers in hospitals, clinics, physician offices, dental offices, laboratories, veterinary offices, and other areas where sharps disposal is needed. It is a 4.9 gallon reusable sharps container with an integrated hinged lid, a restrictive mail chute and flusher insert. The container is supplied to the customer fully assembled. All device components are injection molded using polycarbonate plastic. Other features include minimal moving parts, reinforced handles, smooth interiors for easy cleaning, and textured exterior surfaces for easy removal of adhesive labels after each use. Various accessories to aid handling are also available.

Sharps are deposited into the SharpsTank Model TS by placing the used sharps in the mail chute, which allows the sharps to drop into the container while keeping fingers and hands away from direct access to the contents of the container. Between deposits of sharps the lid can be placed into a temporary closed position. During use, the containers can be placed in an optional counter top holder or a wall bracket. When the contents of the container reach the fill line the flusher is pushed into a locking position preventing additional sharps from being placed into the container. Once the flusher is secured, the lid is closed engaging both the temporary and final secured positions. The SharpsTank Model TS can be safely transported to medical waste disposal and washing facilities for sanitation and then to healthcare facilities for sustainable reuse. The SharpsTank Model TS reusable container is tested and cleared for 600 cycles in a reusable environment.

In addition to medical waste solutions, Rehrig provides complete environmental services offerings including waste, recycling and composting roll-out carts and bins for municipal and commercial use. Technology services including sophisticated tracking hardware and software that is designed to streamline the management of your container assets and improve operations are also available. For more information about Rehrig Pacific Company and its full line of sustainable waste and recycling collection and supply chain products and services visit: www.rehrigpacific.com.

About Rehrig Pacific Company

Rehrig Pacific has been helping customers find better ways to transport and store their products for 100 years. Founded in 1913, Rehrig Pacific has grown to become a world-leading plastic pallet and container manufacturer serving the agriculture, pharma, bakery, beverage, dairy and materials handling industries. It manufacturers roll-out carts, recycle bins and commercial containers for the waste and recycling collection industry. Rehrig Pacific also provides technology services including tracking hardware and software systems for these industries. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., Rehrig Pacific serves customers with manufacturing and service locations throughout North America and Mexico with sales offices in South America.

CHICAGO — Oral Health America (OHA) would like to thank Trident for its continued generous support of the Smiles Across America® (SAA) program, with the company recently announcing a $325,000 donation to the program’s efforts. This marks the ninth consecutive year that the brand has teamed up with SAA.  Trident sugar-free gum has been helping Americans fight cavities for almost 50 years—supporting SAA is a natural fit for the brand. "Since 2004, Trident has helped bring needed oral health services to millions of children across the nation and Trident has made a commitment to help SAA continue to build capacity,” said Beth Truett, President  & CEO, Oral Health America. "We could not be more grateful for their continued support and praise Trident for their commitment to helping kids with oral care.” In total, Trident has donated over $2 million to OHA, helping SAA support organizations that provide preventive oral health services and education. In New York, SAA helps support the New York University College of Dentistry with their work providing dental care to children in need in New York Public schools. In addition, the NYU College of Dentistry also treats children in foster care by working with the Graham Windham Foster Care Agency. With 35 percent of children entering foster care with significant dental and oral health problems, the College of Dentistry's work providing a single dental home for these children is especially important. "The programs that Smiles Across America support satisfy a critical need for children throughout the nation – access to preventative and restorative dental care and education. Trident® is proud to partner with SAA for another year, reaching even more children in 2013 and 2014," said Alex Picciano, Senior Associate Brand Manager, Trident.

(Chicago) – If you're exposed to chemicals in the workplace every day, you're not alone. A new educational offering from the American Dental Assistants Association reports that you and about 43 million other Americans daily enter workplaces where chemical exposure might cause or contribute to health problems such as organ damage, dermatitis, cancer, burns or even sterility. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Hazard Communication Standard to address these situations and this Standard is upgraded periodically including in 2012. The Standard applies to any workplace with one or more employee and so includes most U.S. dental practices. The first deadline in the implementation phase is Dec. 1, 2013, the date by which employers must train workers on the new label elements and safety data sheet. 

The ADAA Foundation’s new course will help you to understand how the Standard applies to dental practices and how to identify and comply with its requirements. It also helps in providing the best workplace for practice team members and is a step toward peace of mind for practice administrators. 

A glossary of terms is provided to make it easier to understand the Standard as it is written - the A to V of Waste Management from "ACGIH" (what's that?!) to "vapor" as OSHA defines it. Now you're ready to start reviewing hazardous material regulations and classification, how to prepare a waste manifest, safety data sheets, inventory and files and deal with the all-important subjects of employee information and training. 

ADAA's continuing education course is called "Hazard Communication Standard and Hazardous Waste Regulations in Dentistry” and sells for only $45 (free online to ADAA members) and was written by industry expert Eve Cuny, MS. Ms. Cuny is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Associate Professor at Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry and is a consultant to the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs and the FDI Education Committee. It is PACE approved and may be used for DANB recertification credit. The course is 3 Credit Hours. For more information or to purchase: go to www.dentalassistant.org (CE Tab) or 877-874-3785. This course is among the many offerings from the ADAA Foundation as it fulfills its mission to advance the careers of dental assistants and to promote the dental assisting profession in matters of education, legislation, and credentialing and professional activities. 

Looking to further your career and connect with your peers? Become a writer for Inside Dental Assisting. A host of topics are available for your choosing, including ergonomics for dental assistants, surface disinfectants in the dental office, and periimplantitis. Or suggest your own topic. 

If you would like to write or have questions about becoming a writer for Inside Dental Assisting, please contact Editor Melissa Tennen at mtennen@aegiscomm.com. 

Dr. Bicuspid.com is reporting that a class-action lawsuit has been filed against a Tulsa, OK, oral surgeon accused of exposing thousands of patients to hepatitis and HIV because of contaminated equipment. 

To read more, please click here. 

OSAP now offers proceedings from its highly regarded 2013 Symposium. The proceeedings summarize three days of content about preventing infection and promoting safety in dentistry. 

Click here to access your copy of the 2013 OSAP Symposium Proceedings.

CHICAGO—The Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) recently published the 2013 editions of its two state publications, which feature the latest state-by-state dental assisting requirements.

DANB's State Career Ladder Templates for Dental Assistants and DANB's State Fact Booklet are must-have resources — both in print and online — for dental assistants, educators, state legislators, oral healthcare organizations and state dental boards.

Download the order form.

DANB's 2013 State Career Ladder Templates for Dental Assistants features easy-to-use charts with information on each state's rules and regulations for dental assistants. Each state chart highlights job designations for dental assistants; education, exam and training requirements; allowable functions; non-delegable functions; and levels of supervision required in each state. This information is particularly useful for dental assistants interested in relocating, educators answering questions about state regulations, dental offices needing helpful printouts, and legislators or state dental boards comparing state regulations.

DANB's 2013 State Fact Booklet provides a synopsis of current state requirements and excerpts from state dental practice acts related specifically to the dental assistant, as well as dental board contact information, the number of DANB certificants in each state, comparative salary information, information on expanded functions and radiography requirements, general dental assistant-related information on anesthesia and sedation regulations, and a list of Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)-accredited dental assisting programs.

"DANB's state publications are a great resource for dental professionals who are looking for the latest information on dental assisting regulations and requirements — all in one place," said DANB Executive Director Cindy Durley, M.Ed., MBA. "DANB also publishes this information on its website, so the information can be accessed at the click of a button."

Information from both publications can be found in the "Meet State Requirements" section of DANB's website.

While visitors to DANB's website can download much of this information at no cost, those who wish to obtain print copies can order them from DANB for a fee. To place an order for the publications, download the order form or call 1-800-367-3262.

More than 200,000 preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke occurred in the United States in 2010, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  More than half of these deaths happened to people younger than 65 years of age, and the overall rate of preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke went down nearly 30 percent between 2001 and 2010, with the declines varying by age.  Lack of access to preventive screenings and early treatment for high blood pressure and high cholesterol could explain the differences among age groups.

• Age: Death rates in 2010 were highest among adults aged 65-74 years (401.5 per 100,000 population).  But preventable deaths have declined faster in those aged 65–74 years compared to those under age 65.

• Race/ethnicity: Blacks are twice as likely—and Hispanics are slightly less likely—as whites to die from preventable heart disease and stroke.

• Sex: Avoidable deaths from heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure were higher among males (83.7 per 100,000) than females (39.6 per 100,000). Black men have the highest risk. Hispanic men are twice as likely as Hispanic women to die from preventable heart disease and stroke.

• Location: By state, avoidable deaths from cardiovascular disease ranged from a rate of 36.3 deaths per 100,000 population in Minnesota to 99.6 deaths per 100,000 in the District of Columbia. By county, the highest avoidable death rates in 2010 were concentrated primarily in the southern Appalachian region and much of Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.  The lowest rates were in the West, Midwest, and Northeast regions.

To save more lives from these preventable deaths, doctors, nurses, and other health care providers can encourage healthy habits at every patient visit, including not smoking, increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medicines as directed.  Communities and health departments can help by promoting healthier living spaces, including tobacco-free areas and safe walking areas. Local communities also can ensure access to healthy food options, including those with lower sodium. Health care systems can adopt and use electronic health records to identify patients who smoke or who have high blood pressure or high cholesterol and help providers follow and support patient progress.

ST. LOUIS, MO – Perio Protect LLC trains dental professionals in the U.S. and Canada to use non-invasive prescription tray delivery for patients with gum disease. Previously these trainings have been 3-8 hours in length, but recently the company developed an express training option to convey the essence of the Perio Protect Method® in 90 minutes. The express option is designed for the dentist or hygienist who wants the fastest route possible to research-based training with significant practical application. This CE training is open to all dental professionals. 

The Perio Protect Method® combines prescription Perio Tray® delivery of medication with debridement and scaling, laser treatments, and surgery when necessary. The Perio Tray has a unique seal and extension system needed to place medication deep into periodontal pockets and hold it there long enough to have therapeutic effect. Research demonstrates that the Perio Tray delivery of antimicrobials, combined with SRP, results in better pocket probing depth and bleeding index reductions than SRP alone. Sites examined include natural and restored teeth. Research also confirms patient-reported side effects of whiter teeth.  

The first Perio Protect Express Webinar will take place Tuesday, September 24, from 7:00-8:30pm Central. Independent private practitioner Dr. Alan Friedel will present the Express program in a live Webinar format. Having incorporated Perio Tray delivery into his own practice, Alan Friedel has a wet-gloved point of view. He will help dental professionals identify good patient candidates and the steps needed to implement the prescription trays in dental offices, with an eye on the scientific rationales for case selection.

There are many benefits to adjunctive Perio Tray usage. It can be prescribed before and after SRP and for all stages of periodontal disease. The Perio Tray also delivers into both shallow and deep pockets, so the dental team doesn’t have to watch disease progression in frustration before prescribing an effective adjunctive delivery. For patients with generalized bleeding or pocketing, an arch delivery technique is ideal. Perio Tray delivery offers maximum treatment flexibility. While dentists can prescribe antibiotics in the Tray for localized delivery, a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide has demonstrated efficacy. The Perio Tray is especially appreciated by patients with dental anxieties, by patients with systemic inflammatory illnesses or artificial joints, and by patients who have worked hard at oral homecare but still struggle with the disease. Patients who cannot afford surgery or for whom surgery is contraindicated have also benefited from this technology.

An uptick in interest in Perio Protect training likely results from the addition of the new CDT code D5994 for a “periodontal medicament carrier with peripheral seal – laboratory processed,” effective January 1, 2014. But even before this addition, dentists requested an easier transition for incorporating this treatment modality into their dental practices. Perio Protect values the feedback from the dental community and expects this training to fit the bill.

The Express course tuition is $99/person and offers 1CE. For more information, call 877-434-GUMS (4867) or visit https://www.perioprotect.com/CertificationWebinars.asp#739. Dentists who have completed Perio Protect training confirm improved patient results, enhanced hygiene protocols, and better office production.

To learn more about Perio Protect, visit www.perioprotect.com

MYDENT INTERNATIONAL launched a new ordering website that allows healthcare professionals to place DEFEND® product orders online. The orders will then be fulfilled by the distributor designated by the client. To start this new program, Mydent is offering $50 Restaurant.com gift cards for initial orders of $250 or more. Complete details may be found at www.defend.com/order.