Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak Thursday at the annual American Dental Association conference in New Orleans. ADA members and registrants of the 2013 Annual Session will have free access to the event. Non-members of ADA can watch a live-stream of the speech online for a fee of $50, according to ADA. President Clinton is expected to share his insights as a former president and governor during the program.

The ADA’s annual session, which is scheduled Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, brings together leaders in dental practice, research, academia, and industry to present more than 300 continuing education courses over 4 days. The Opening General Session, which kicks off the convention, will also honor the winner of the 2013 Humanitarian Award, Dr. Sherwin Shinn.

Chicago, IL – October 28, 2013 – The use of self-report questions may help predict the prevalence of periodontitis in US adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). A clinical research report recently published in the Journal of Dental Research found that self-reported measures performed well in forecasting periodontitis in a representative sample of the US adult population.

The study utilized eight questions developed by the CDC and AAP that address gum health and treatment history, loose teeth, bone loss around teeth, teeth not “looking right”, and use of dental floss and mouthwash. Responses were obtained during the in-home interview component of the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Response rates were very high, at greater than 95%, suggesting that adults responded well to the questions in the survey.

Researchers then compared the self-report data against clinically classified periodontitis assessed during the Full Mouth Periodontal Examination (FMPE) Protocol used in the 2009-2010 NHANES to gauge predictive performance. Statistical analysis indicated that the self-report data on gum health and treatment, bone loss and use of dental floss was found to be effective in predicting periodontitis prevalence.

“Over half of US adults have some form of periodontal disease, which makes periodontitis a significant public health issue. The ability to conduct valid and reliable periodontal disease research that demands fewer resources allows us to better understand community-specific disease trends and essentially provide better, more personalized treatment for patients,” explains Stuart J. Froum, DDS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Periodontics and Implant Dentistry at New York University Dental Center.

The American Academy of Periodontology supports the study’s findings that while clinical data remain the preferred measure for surveillance of periodontitis, self-reported measures offer an effective alternative for expanding population-based public health research of periodontitis in the US adult population. Due to good performance and cost-effectiveness, the self-reported models provide a viable alternative to clinical periodontal measures in population surveys where the latter may be impractical or cost-prohibitive. In the future, existing interview-based surveys at the local, state and national levels can serve as platforms for self-report-based surveillance of periodontitis.

To view the study abstract, visit https://jdr.sagepub.com/content/92/11/1041.short.

A study published in the November 2013 issue of Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) examines dental care issues for frail older adults in the last year of life.

The study, led by Dr. Xi Chen, assistant professor in Department of Dental Ecology at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, was the first to examine the dental treatment provided to chronically ill long-term care residents in the last year of life. Researchers found that although oral health was poor in the 197 patients retrospectively evaluated, more than half of those examined received no dental care leading up to death. However, of those who received treatment, 62.9% received usual care instead of limited care focusing on pain and infection. Researchers also found that having dental insurance coverage significantly increased the likelihood of a patient's receiving dental care before death. There was no correlation between patient's oral health conditions and how much care they received.

“Essentially what we learned was that this most vulnerable group seems to either receive no care - and subsequently suffer dental-related pain and infection before death - or receive more care than is needed to maintain their quality of life for their life stage,” explained Chen. “Both are a concern from a public health perspective.”

The dying process can linger up to a year or longer in patients with chronic diseases or advanced frailty. During this process, severe dry mouth, repetitive oral pain and oral infection may substantially affect a patient's quality of life. Poor oral hygiene and oral infection may also cause severe, and sometimes fatal, systemic complications such as aspiration pneumonia. Impaired chewing function and swallowing disorders can also further aggravate malnutrition and accelerate the terminal decline.

“To that end, it’s essential to prevent oral pain and infection, and to maintain good oral health in those with serious illnesses. Although oral diseases and conditions are highly prevalent, oral health is often neglected among these individuals, especially in cognitively-impaired patients who lose language function to report pain,” said Chen.

Conversely, Chen's study shows that among those who received dental treatment prior to death, nearly two-thirds received comprehensive treatment that would be expected in a healthy elderly patient, including multiple tooth fillings, extractions and/or new denture treatment. More than 60% of those patients had their treatment completed within the last three months of life.

“Given the short survival time of such a great percentage of those patients, some may have never benefited from these treatments, which raises a concern for better use of our society’s limited health care resources given many have government-subsided dental insurance. These futile treatments can also invoke unnecessary pain, discomfort and physical distress, increase the risk of systemic complications associated with dental treatment, and sometimes even cause death in seriously-ill patients,” explained Chen.

Chen continued, “Our basic recommendation is that we, as a profession, more closely examine palliative oral health care in patients with serious illnesses. Oral health care needs to be considered within a larger context and be included as a part of overall care plan. A new care model which enables physicians, dental professionals, nurses and other palliative care staff to work more closely is a possible solution to the wide disparity in provided dental care at the end of life.”

Full text of the study is available here. Other authors include Dr. Hong Chen, UNC School of Dentistry Department of Endodontics; Dr. John Preisser, UNC Gillings School of Public Health Department of Biostatistics; Mr. Christian Douglas, a Ph.D. student studying biostatistics at the UNC Gillings School of Public Health; and Dr. Stephen Shuman, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry Department of Primary Dental Care. This study was supported through funding from NIH/NIDCR and internal funding from UNC.

Source: UNC School of Dentistry

ANNAPOLIS, MD—March 27, 2013 — Continuing its mission to be a leading advocate for the safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare, the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) has added Air Techniques, a top manufacturer of dental products that include infection control, and Biolase, a leader in dental lasers, as members of its prestigious Super Sponsor partnership.

OSAP's membership program unites a committed community of clinicians, educators, consultants, associations, policy makers, and companies—all who share the organization's global vision of safe oral healthcare for people everywhere. OSAP's Super Sponsors represent the highest level of commitment to the organization's mission and programs.

Available to a limited number of companies, Super Sponsor status offers the most inclusive relationship with OSAP, allowing access to publications, meetings, and other programs. Super Sponsors receive strategic partner recognition through premium placement in all materials and meetings, exclusive website recognition, an invitation to participate in OSAP Board meetings and other valuable benefits.

"We are grateful for the significant commitment our new Super Sponsors, Air Techniques and Biolase, have made to help OSAP amplify its mission globally,” said OSAP's executive director, Therese Long, MBA, CAE. "We look forward to optimizing our partnerships with our Super Sponsors in the fight to ensure safe oral healthcare throughout the world.”

Air Techniques and Biolase join Crosstex International, Hu-Friedy, Medicom, SciCan, Sultan Healthcare, and TotalCare as Super Sponsors.

Air Techniques has a heritage of more than 50 years in the dental industry as a leading innovator and manufacturer of dental products, including digital imaging, utility room equipment, merchandise and now the Monarch™ line of products for surfaces, instruments, skin and hands, and equipment that are marketing under the tagline Simply Smarter™.

Biolase, a leading manufacturer and distributor of lasers in the United States, is revolutionizing surgery in dentistry and medicine with its WaterLase technology. Biolase specializes in developing, manufacturing, and marketing of lasers and related products to provide biological treatments that eliminate pain and increase patient safety.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 20, 2013 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced it will collaborate with the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research in Brisbane, Australia, to increase understanding of the genomic differences between young and older patients with oral cancer and between progressive and non-progressive oral potentially malignant lesions.

Oral cancer is part of a group of cancers commonly referred to as head and neck cancers. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, under the U.S. National Institutes of Health, oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Over 275,000 new cases are diagnosed per year, resulting in nearly 125,000 deaths annually1. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was once considered a disease affecting older, high-risk men2, but the past decade has shown an increase in the number of cases in younger, low-risk patients.

Oral potentially malignant lesions (OPMLs), which are visible, morphologically altered precursors of many OSCCs, are important cancer prevention targets. The underlying reason for progression of OPML to OSCC is not fully understood. By implementing next-generation sequencing and data analysis, scientists can unravel the molecular genetic basis of these diseases, potentially leading to the development of targeted preventive therapies.

"Our collaboration and support from Agilent will accelerate our work in this important area of clinical research," said associate professor Camile Farah, head of the Oral Oncology Research Program at UQCCR.

DNA obtained from OPML and OSCC from both young and older patients and sequential biopsies from patients with OPML will be followed for at least seven years from initial clinical diagnosis. Protein-coding regions for the DNA will be selectively enriched using Agilent's SureSelect target enrichment system (SureSelect Human All Exon V5) followed by DNA sequencing on the SOLiD5500 (Life Technologies). The data will be analyzed at the Queensland Facility for Advanced Bioinformatics, which will compare3 DNA alterations at different stages of carcinogenesis.

"SureSelect has been successfully used by researchers to discover the genetic basis of a wide range of diseases," said Agilent's Dr. Russell McInnes, general manager for Genomics Solutions, South Asia Pacific and Korea. "Now, working with Professor Farah, we will enable greater understanding of the genetic changes that characterize oral cancers. Agilent is delighted to be a partner in this clinical research project."

Robert Ganley, CEO of Ivoclar Vivadent, was inducted as Honorary Fellow into the International College of Dentists.

On 1 November 2013, Robert Ganley was inducted as Honorary Fellow into the International College of Dentists (ICD). The accolade was awarded in honour of Mr Ganley’s outstanding and meritorious service to the dental profession and community.

In addition to Robert Ganley, a further three non-dentists involved in teaching, scientific research and branches of science allied to dentistry and who have positively contributed to the advancement of dentistrywere inducted as Honorary Fellows.

Festive ceremony

The ceremony took place on the occasion of the 84^th Annual Convocation of the ICD in New Orleans. Additionally to the new Honorary Fellows, 300 dentists from the United States were invited into the College. The ceremony was witnessed by hundreds of members and guests. The College, with representative chapters in more than 80 countries, has over 11,000 members, including 6,500 in the US.

PITTSTON, PA — November 27, 2013 — After its unveiling on the West Coast, an original Paul Jr. Design chopper will return to its roots for a chrome finish at the Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM), the largest healthcare and dental event in the U.S.

A raffle for the bike, launched April 10 at an event in Costa Mesa, CA, will wrap up on the final day of the national dental meeting, slated for Dec. 1-4, 2013 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY.  The limited ticket sale net proceeds will benefit Smiles for Success, a 501c3 foundation of the American Association of Women Dentists, which helps provide women with cost-free dental care.

Benco Dental commissioned the motorcycle, custom-built by Paul Teutul Jr., at his headquarters in Rock Tavern, NY, as the first give-back initiative for the company’s Lucy Hobbs Project. Named for the woman who, in 1866, became the first American female to earn a degree in dentistry, the project works to create an inclusive, encouraging environment nationwide in which women of all backgrounds can connect with one another.

“As a company, we can relate to Lucy Hobbs – the idea of overcoming adversity and spurring innovation. She had a lot to overcome: They wouldn’t let her go to dental school and she persevered,” said the renowned designer, Teutel Jr., who rose to fame on the reality show American Chopper and now oversees a business empire of custom bikes, clothing and other gear.

The $25 ticket, available through Dec. 4, will offer the chance to win the aforementioned Paul Jr. design, a sleek, shapely creation of gleaming chrome. And the consolation prizes are nothing less than noteworthy: 2^nd prize - a Tiffany bracelet; 3^rd prize - a $1,000 shopping spree and 4^th prize - a $500 spa day.

While the Benco Dental sales force spread the word cross country about the raffle, the Lucy Hobbs themed chopper followed the same path; with guest appearances everywhere from the American Dental Association (ADA) Annual Session in New Orleans; the Pocono IndyCar 500 in Long Pond, PA and at bike nights hosted at locations of the national restaurant chain Quaker Steak & Lube^TM .

A few days remain to enter to win online at TheLucyHobbsProject.com/give-back or to enter in person at the Greater New York Dental Meeting at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34^th Street, New York, NY from Dec. 1-4. Winners need not be present.

“I built the frame to be a pro street-style bike, which creates more of a long, low look,” said Teutel Jr. “You can really see the design in the wheels (20-inch on the back and 26-inch on the front); it gives the whole bike a dramatic, shapely look.”

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is pleased to unveil its new visual brand, designed to articulate a consistent and compelling presentation of ADEA’s authentic “identity” and to communicate the excellence of the organization’s mission, services and people. The new ADEA Visual Communications System was created in response to feedback received from ADEA members, staff and key stakeholders during a communications audit.

“We are extremely pleased by how the new brand incorporates our existing identity and values while, at the same time, visually representing the organization in a more contemporary and vibrant manner that better resonates with our existing and future audiences within the dental education community,” says Richard W. Valachovic, D.M.D., M.P.H., ADEA President and CEO.

ADEA’s new Visual Communications System establishes a common visual “umbrella” and a consistent framework for using the new ADEA brand that is audience focused. The new ADEA Visual Communications System:

• Provides visual cues that convey the intended audience of any ADEA message through the use of colors and graphics.

• Strengthens ADEA’s visual branding across all publications so that it is clear that they are part of a family of communications from ADEA.

• Features a new ADEA logo that has a more modern appearance and is easier to read.

• Enforces use of the tagline The Voice of Dental Education on all communications to more easily identify ADEA’s core mission, promise and brand.

ADEA has also designed a "Member of ADEA" logo, featuring the tagline, The Voice of Dental Education, for members to use to show their support for, and membership within, the Association. The Member of ADEA logo and usage requirements are now available for members to download atwww.adea.org/branding.

MESA, Ariz. -- On Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) will announce the global expansion of Text2Floss - an innovative, mobile-based program promoting oral healthcare – at the 89th Annual Greater New York Dental Meeting. At this meeting Latin America will be highlighted with a live broadcast demonstrating Text2Floss.

In conjunction with ATSU-ASDOH, The American Dental Hygienists’ Association will officially announce its commitment to the continued success of Text2Floss program. “As dental hygienists, we are a community of professionals devoted to health promotion and disease prevention” said ADHA President Denise Bowers, RDH PhD. “We are excited to continue our partnership with Text2Floss as it offers important and innovative tools for patient education and, ultimately, for the prevention of disease.”

Text2Floss is a free mobile information service and a non for profit initiative designed to raise the awareness of and promote oral health through text message technology backed by technological support from CellTrust Corporation. Through a seven-day text message exchange, Text2Floss is available on a live platform at www.Text2Floss.com . Additionally, ATSU-ASDOH is developing a mobile app for the iPhone, which will forge a link between oral health and overall health.

“The widespread global use of cell phones combined with the popularity of text messaging makes Text2Floss a powerful and cost-effective medium for oral health messaging,” said program founder Tony Hashemian, DDS, assistant dean, Global Oral Health, ATSU-ASDOH. “Text2Floss has the potential to reach people across the nation and globally.”

The Greater NY Dental Meeting, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization, will broadcast the Text2Floss expansion in Spanish.

Via ADA News - Just announced, President George W. Bush is scheduled to address the ADA 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. https://www.ada.org/news/9398.aspx