The Western and Central Districts of the AAID are furthering AAID’s promise to provide Practical Education for the Practicing Implant Dentist™.

This two-day course, to be held at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, April 11- 12, 2014, will address both placement and restorative issues that implant patients present with on a regular basis. The presentations will help elevate fixed implant dentistry practice to the next level. Attendees who sign up by March 3, 2014 will receive $100 off the registration fee. Complete information about the conference is available on the AAID website.

Attendees will learn about:

• Full-Arch Planning, Surgery and Restorations

• Immediate Implant Dentistry Decision-Making and Delivery

• Esthetic Zone Planning, Surgery and Restorations

In addition to lectures, there will be a number of table clinics that will provide interactive learning opportunities.

AAID’s Western and Central Districts will also honor Dr. David Vassos at the meeting for a lifetime of outstanding achievement as an implant dentist. Dr. Vassos is an Honored Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry. He is a founding member of the Canadian Society of Oral Implantology.  Dr. Vassos is in private practice limited to dental implants in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  The dinner will be held on Friday, April 11, 2014.

Established in 1951, the AAID is the only dental implant organization that offers credentials recognized by state and federal courts as being bona fide.  Its membership, which exceeds 4,600, includes general dentists, oral surgeons, periodontists, and prosthodontists from across the United States and in more than 60 other countries.

For more information about the AAID and its credentialed members, please visit www.aaid.com, www.aaid-implant.org, or call 312.335.1550.

The first evidence-based diagnostic criteria have been developed to help health professionals better diagnose temporomandibular disorders (TMD), commonly known as TMJ, a group of often-painful jaw conditions that affect an estimated 10% to 15% of Americans. The diagnostic criteria, developed by researchers in North America, Europe and Australia, are professional recommendations on how best to detect a disease or condition.

The new criteria, supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, comprise an improved screening tool to help researchers and health professionals including dentists more readily differentiate the most common forms of TMD and reach accurate diagnoses that are grounded in supportive scientific evidence. Historically, diagnostic criteria for TMD have been based on a consensus of expert opinion and often reflect a shared clinical perspective. None have been rigorously tested by scientists.

“We’ve had diagnostic criteria for years,” said Eric Schiffman, DDS, a co-lead author on the article, who studies TMD at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis. “What is unique here is instead of a panel of experts empirically deciding best practices, we relied on science as a methodology to test our best assumptions and see if we were actually correct.”

Called DC/TMD, the latest criteria are published today in the winter issue of the Journal of Oral and Facial Pain and Headache. They are available online at the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network website: https://www.rdc-tmdinternational.org/TMDAssessmentDiagnosis/DCTMD.aspx

Although TMD is commonly considered a jaw problem, researchers have determined that most people with chronic temporomandibular problems also contend with other ailments. In 1992, the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) reflected this awareness. They were the first to integrate biological, psychological, and social factors into two distinct protocols, or axes. Axis I was designed to evaluate the physical diagnoses, while Axis II characterized the nature of a person's pain, distress, and disability. The criteria were translated into 18 languages and become the most widely used diagnostic system among TMD researchers.

But the RDC/TMD dual axes represented a first step with biopsychosocial diagnostic criteria. In the early 2000s, the NIH's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) assembled a group of experts to lead the first comprehensive assessment of the criteria. The group found Axis I in particular to be less valid than previously thought, leading to a mandate from the TMD clinical and research communities to create the diagnostic equivalent of RDC/TMD 2.0.

All agreed at the outset that the "R" was no longer needed. Research criteria, while useful for scientists in the laboratory and clinic, can leave researchers and health care providers using different diagnostic terms, measures, and tools.

“A common language allows clinicians to communicate more easily to researchers about their daily diagnostic challenges,” said Richard Ohrbach, D.D.S., Ph.D., a co-lead author on the publication who studies TMD at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in New York. “Conversely, a common language allows research findings to be more easily integrated into a clinical setting and improve patient care.”

The DC/TMD start with a refined version of Axis I, the physical assessment. It begins with an easily administered patient questionnaire that is specially designed to detect pain-related TMD. If TMD is detected, the protocol moves on to newly crafted diagnostic criteria to help practitioners differentiate among the common subtypes. In field tests, the diagnostic criteria for painful TMD were found to have at least 86 percent sensitivity and 97 percent specificity. Sensitivity refers to how well a test identifies a person with a given ailment, while specificity characterizes the ability to identify correctly those who are not affected.

Axis II, the psychosocial assessment, screens patients to assess pain location, pain intensity, pain-related disability, psychological distress, degree of jaw dysfunction, and presence of oral habits (i.e.,e.g. grinding teeth) that may contribute to the dysfunction. If more information is needed, a more comprehensive follow-up questionnaire is available to tap into additional anxiety measures and the possible presence of other pain-causing physical ailments. Both instruments have been scientifically validated.

“By diagnosing the person, beyond only the physical condition, a whole avenue of treatment options opens up,” said Schiffman. “Instead of prescribing mouth guards, exercises, or surgery, practitioners can consider trying bio-behavioral treatments including relaxation techniques and biofeedback to help the patient successfully manage their TMD. In short, you can better customize the treatment to fit the whole person, not just their disorder.”

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is the Nation’s leading funder of research on oral, dental, and craniofacial health. The NIDCR-supported International RDC/TMD Consortium Network provided the investigative framework for researchers from North America, Europe, and Australia to develop an improved diagnostic system and test its validity. Visit the NIDCR website at https://www.nidcr.nih.gov.

Source: National Institutes of Health

MADISON, Wis. (January 30, 2014) — The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), the world’s largest non-profit membership association dedicated to the art and science of cosmetic dentistry, has launched a new consumer website, www.YourSmileBecomesYou.com.

With the launch of this site, AACD is embarking on a new campaign aimed to help educate consumers about cosmetic dentistry, encourage them in their pursuit to improve their smiles, and to raise awareness of the importance of seeking out an AACD Accredited or member dentist for treatment.

“There are currently many different cosmetic dentistry treatment options for patients, and this website enables the consumer to learn more about these procedures through a less intimidating, more consumer-friendly fun way,” said Dr. Jack Ringer, DDS, AAACD; AACD President 2013-2014. “We hope that the ‘Your Smile Becomes You’ website provides consumers with foundational information that will help them to have more informed conversations about their oral health with the right cosmetic dentist in their area.”

The ‘Your Smile Becomes You’ website educates consumers types of cosmetic dental procedures that can improve their smiles. The website’s content includes:

“What Does Your Smile Say About You?” – A personalized smile analysis tool that uses Facebook to determine what your smile says about your personality.

“A Share Your Smile gallery” – A photo gallery where users can upload their smile personality and view the personalities of other users that have also used the analyzer.  

"Your Smile IQ” Quiz” – A step-by-step quiz to help consumers determine the procedures that could improve their smiles.

“Explore Cosmetic Procedures” – An educational section with consumer-friendly videos showcasing cosmetic dentistry procedures available to patients, such as bonding, veneers and whitening.

The website also features a “Find a Cosmetic Dentist” locator that quickly allows the user to find an AACD Accredited or AACD member dentist practicing near them.

"A recent study conducted by Kelton Research the importance the public places on an attractive smile. More consumers are willing to pay to fix their teeth than to pay for weight loss,” said Barb Kachelski, AACD executive director. “Knowing this, we built the ‘Your Smile Becomes You’ website to help consumers understand steps they can take to improve their smiles and to showcase the clinical excellence of our AACD member dentists.”

University of Adelaide (Australia) physics researchers have developed a new type of laser that will enable exciting new advances in areas as diverse as breath analysis for disease diagnosis and remote sensing of critical greenhouse gases.

Published in the journal Optics Letters, the researchers from the University's Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing and the School of Chemistry and Physics describe how they have been able to produce 25 times more light emission than other lasers operating at a similar wavelength—opening the way for detection of very low concentrations of gases.

"This laser has significantly more power and is much more efficient than other lasers operating in this frequency range," says Ori Henderson-Sapir, PhD researcher. "Using a novel approach, we've been able to overcome the significant technical hurdles that have prevented fiber lasers from producing sufficient power in the mid-infrared."

The new laser operates in the mid-infrared frequency range—the same wavelength band where many important hydrocarbon gases absorb light.

"Probing this region of the electromagnetic spectrum, with the high power we've achieved, means we will be able to detect these gases with a high degree of sensitivity," says Project Leader Dr David Ottaway. "For instance, it should enable the possibility of analysing trace gases in exhaled breath in the doctors' surgery."

Research has shown that with various diseases, minute amounts of gases not normally exhaled can be detected in the breath; for example, acetone can be detected in the breath when someone has diabetes.

Other potential applications include detection in the atmosphere of methane and ethane which are important gases in global warming.

"The main limitation to date with laser detection of these gases has been the lack of suitable light sources that can produce enough energy in this part of the spectrum," says Dr Ottaway. "The few available sources are generally expensive and bulky and, therefore, not suitable for widespread use."

The new laser uses an optical fiber which is easier to work with, less bulky and more portable, and much more cost effective to produce than other types of laser.

The researchers, who also include Jesper Munch, Emeritus Professor of Experimental Physics, reported light emission at 3.6 microns -- the deepest mid-infrared emission from a fiber laser operating at room temperature. They have also shown that the laser has the promise of efficient emission across a large wavelength spectrum from 3.3-3.8 micron.

"This means it has incredible potential for scanning for a range of gases with a high level of sensitivity, with great promise as a very useful diagnostic and sensing tool," says Dr Ottaway.

This research was supported by the State Government through the Premiers Science Research Foundation (PSRF).

Source: Science Daily

OXNARD, CALIF. – FEB. 3, 2014– Dr. Gerard Kugel, DMD, MS, PhD will present a free webinar wherein he will identify the cross-contamination risks from dental bib clips and compare the advantages and disadvantages of current disinfection methods and options. Cross Contamination from Dental Bib Holders: Implications for Your Practice will be presented by CDEWorld on Wed., Feb. 12^th at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and is supported by DUX Dental. Registration for the webinar is now open at cdeworld.com/webinars. Each participant will receive one continuing education credit upon completion of the webinar.

“I teach and work in private practice, and I know as well as anyone that the issue of touching things with contaminated gloves is an issue all dental professionals have to be aware of. It is a very difficult thing to avoid and bib clips are in the line of fire,” says Dr. Kugel, who serves as Compendium’s Research section editor. “Cross-contamination is an issue for everyone in the dental office – for dentists, the dental team, and patients.”

During the webinar, which will offer 1 CE credit, Dr. Kugel will:

- review the risk of cross-contamination associated with dental bib holders as identified by multiple clinical research studies and research papers

- describe methods of sterilization for bib holders and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each

- analyze the costs of sterilizing reusable bib clips versus the costs of disposable bib holders

Dr. Gerard Kugel is the Associate Dean of Dental Research and a Professor of Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. In addition, Kugel is on the editorial board of Practical Periodontics & Aesthetic Dentistry, Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry, and is editor-in-chief of Inside Dentistry. With an expertise in clinical research and esthetic dentistry, he is a reviewer for a number of journals including The New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Dental Association. He has published hundreds of articles and abstracts in the field of restorative materials and techniques, and has given more than 250 lectures nationally and internationally. Dr. Kugel practices at the Boston Center for Oral Health in Boston, Mass.

INTELIHEALTH - Omega-3 fatty acid pills may help people with canker sores, says new research.

The study was done by researchers at October 6 University in Cairo, Egypt. It included 50 people. All of them had canker sores. These are shallow, painful sores in the mouth. Some heal within 1 or 2 weeks. Others can take up to 6 weeks.

People in the study were randomly assigned to take either pills containing omega-3 fatty acids or placebo pills that contained no omega-3s. No one in the study knew which pills they were taking.

The omega-3 group took 1 gram of omega-3s, 3 times per day. The study continued for 6 months.

Three months into the study, people taking omega-3s had fewer sores and less pain. Their sores also went away sooner, compared with the group taking placebo pills.

These results persisted through the end of the study.

Up to one in three adults has canker sores at some point. Many factors have been suggested as affecting people's risk of canker sores. They include:

- Family history

- Mouth injury

- Tobacco use

- Some drugs

- Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid

- Gluten sensitivity, celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease

- Stress

- Some bacteria and viruses

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have multiple health benefits. They are thought to reduce inflammation throughout the body. They also have been linked with improved brain function.

There is no established treatment to cure or prevent canker sores. This is the first study to examine whether omega-3 supplements might help symptoms.

The study appears in the February issue of the journal Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology.

Source: InteliHealth News Service

A large Melbourne study has demonstrated thatuse of oral bisphosphonates dramatically raises the odds of delayed healing after dental surgery as well as subsequent jaw osteonecrosis, according to Endocrinology Update.

Data from more than 4,200 dental patients and controls from various hospitals showed a 13-fold increased risk of delayed healing after a dental intervention in those using oral bisphosphonates. After adjustment for smoking, the researchers from the University of Melbourne found an 11.6-fold raised risk with bisphosphonates.

To read the full article, click here.

Regular use of fluoride toothpaste containing triclosan, an antibacterial agent, and a copolymer, which helps prevent the triclosan from being washed away by saliva, reduces plaque, gingivitis, and bleeding gums and slightly reduces tooth decay compared to fluoride toothpaste without those ingredients, finds a new review in The Cochrane Library.

"We are very confident that adding triclosan and copolymer to a fluoride toothpaste will lead to additional benefits, in terms of less plaque, inflammation, bleeding, and tooth decay," said Philip Riley, a researcher at the University of Manchester in England, and a co-author of the study. But he added, "We don't know how important the effects are clinically."

Tooth decay and gingivitis are the main causes of tooth loss. Both are caused by plaque, the film of bacteria that builds up on teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to periodontitis, a more serious gum disease that can cause pain and loose teeth. A team from the Cochrane Oral Health Group reviewed 30 published studies of toothpastes containing triclosan and copolymer.

Their analysis of the combined data found a 22 percent reduction in plaque, a 22 percent reduction in gingivitis, a 48 percent reduction in bleeding gums, and a 5 percent reduction in tooth decay (cavities) compared to toothpaste with fluoride alone. However, they did not find significant evidence that triclosan/copolymer toothpaste reduced the incidence of periodontis more than toothpaste without the combination. No adverse reactions to triclosan or the copolymer were reported.

The findings of the review are not surprising, according to Clifford Whall, Ph.D., director of the American Dental Association's (ADA) Seal of Acceptance Program and Product Evaluations. The ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs has independently reviewed data on the safety and effectiveness of triclosan /copolymer for reducing cavities, plaque and gingivitis. The council concluded that there were sufficient clinical studies that showed these toothpastes reduced the incidence of cavities, the presence of plaque and gingivitis.

Most of the studies of toothpastes evaluated in the Cochrane report were directly or indirectly supported by companies that make toothpaste. Only three studies appeared to be independent, according to the reviewers. The independent or government-funded research community and industry should work together to research antibacterial agents in toothpastes, Riley noted. "But we would argue for complete independent control of the research, including study design, conducting the study, and ownership of the data."

Source: Science Daily

Nobel Biocare continues to deliver innovation to the dental industry with new NobelProcera implant-based CAD/CAM products and solutions at the 149^th Chicago Dental Society “Midwinter Meeting,” February 20-22.

“Our new and superior products and solutions are designed to increase patient acceptance for the clinician and efficiency in the lab,” said Richard Laube, Nobel Biocare CEO. “This means that more patients are treated better resulting in more opportunities and stronger businesses for dental professionals.”

A new angulated screw channel concept and tooling is aone-of-a-kind solution clinicians have not seen before, the company says. The innovative combination of the NobelProcera Angulated Screw Channel (ASC) abutment and Nobel Biocare’s unique new Omnigrip tooling solve two typical challenges clinicians often face: buccal screw access holes that limit restorative options in the anterior and difficult access in the posterior region from lack of vertical space.

Available in zirconia for Nobel Biocare implants with conical connection, the abutment can be designed with an angulated screw channel of up to 25 degrees from the axis of the implant. Clinicians using the superior Omnigrip friction-based pick-up function gain peace of mind as the screwdriver easily grips the screw at any angle within the available range. The intense grip keeps the screw in position making it less likely to drop while adjusting the insertion angle and finding the first threads for fixation.

Also launched is the new cost-effective NobelProcera^® Hybrid is an ideal restoration for edentulous patients, bringing together the best possible acrylic and teeth support with the time-efficient workflow of a fixed implant bar at an attractive price. This practical titanium restoration saves time and money by relying on a full CAD workflow with powerful design flexibility. Fingers in the anterior and retention elements in the posterior enhance the durability of the restoration. The added strength can save the restorative dentist time by reducing the need for chairside repairs.

The Hybrid is a safe, affordable and understandable treatment choice that is easier for a patient to accept. It is also perfectly suited for the All-on-4^® treatment concept, which enables the restoration of a fully edentulous jaw on just four implants.

Additionally, Nobel Biocare extends “open access” to 3Shape^® users with NobelProcera^® zirconia copings.The classic precision-milled zirconia copings from NobelProcera are now available to 3Shape users via the new ‘open access’ program launched last fall by Nobel Biocare beginning with NobelProcera Abutments. After integrating, 3Shape users can access the extensive global production network of NobelProcera to produce high-quality in-lab designed zirconia copings and industry-leading abutments in zirconia and titanium. Interested 3Shape users should contact their local Nobel Biocare representative for availability.

Finally, dental laboratories will gain more business opportunities from new integrated treatment workflow. The NobelProcera 2G System will soon provide laboratories more opportunities in business-building as part of the upcoming integrated and more efficient treatment workflow by Nobel Biocare. A new data-transfer capability between NobelProcera and NobelClinician in the upcoming workflow will allow labs to offer precise data from solid model scans via the NobelConnect network to clinicians diagnosing and planning implant surgeries with the NobelClinician Software. Providing digitized model surface information, such as soft tissue and the diagnostic tooth set-up, will help better integrate the dental laboratory and the dental technician into the treatment planning process. This early involvement can reduce the likelihood of prosthetic challenges occurring after implant placement.

For more information, visit: NobelProcera^® 2G System, www.nobelbiocare.com/2G; NobelClinician^™ Software www.nobelbiocare.com/nobelclinician.

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, announced today that it has been ranked first in the Wholesale: Health Care industry on the FORTUNE® World's Most Admired Companies list for 2014.

 Henry Schein also ranked first in each of the nine sub-categories of the ranking, which are: Innovation, People Management, Use of Corporate Assets, Social Responsibility, Quality of Management, Financial Soundness, Long-Term Investment, Quality of Products/Services, and Global Competitiveness. This year marks the 13^th consecutive year that Henry Schein has been named a FORTUNE Most Admired company.

"We are honored to have been ranked first in our industry in Fortune's 2014 list of the World's Most Admired Companies," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. "Our first-place ranking in each of the nine sub-categories, including Social Responsibility and Global Competitiveness, demonstrates again that a company truly can 'do well by doing good'. This ranking reinforces our long-held belief in Benjamin Franklin's philosophy of 'enlightened self interest', and further inspires Team Schein to continue the work of giving back to society through engagement with our suppliers, customers and shareholders."

According to FORTUNE magazine, the World's Most Admired Companies list is the definitive report card on corporate reputations.  For more information on FORTUNE's 2014 World's Most Admired Companies rankings, please visit: https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-admired/