Tony Hashemian, DDS, Associate Dean, Global Oral Health, A.T. Still University Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health will be presenting TEXT2FLOSS - the initiative to raise awareness about the importance of oral health through the use of text messaging and mobile technology. This interactive educational tool is meant to help patients develop positive oral hygiene habits by delivering oral health information.
The webinar will be Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2-3 pm EST. Click here to register.
Voters in six US cities chose to retain community water fluoridation and another city opted to restart fluoridation through ballot referenda on Nov. 4, according to ADA News. The fluoridation votes affect some 73,000 residents nationwide.
To read the full article, click here.
CHICAGO, November 5, 2014 – Every day 10,000 people retire and only 9.8% do so with a dental benefit. To reshape systems that will impact lifelong oral health and stem the growing crisis facing older Americans when it comes to paying for oral healthcare, the DentaQuest Foundation has awarded Oral Health America (OHA) with a $299,450 grant. This grant will be used to support new initiatives within the Wisdom Tooth Project® (WTP), OHA’s program that changes the lives of older adults through improved access and utilization of care, health literacy, and policies that promote oral health equity especially for those most vulnerable.
“OHA is honored that the DentaQuest Foundation has entrusted us to work on a key Oral Health 2020 strategy – building healthier communities by giving older adults and their caregivers an opportunity to advocate for policies and payment systems that improve their oral and overall health and wellness,” said OHA President and CEO Beth Truett. “The DentaQuest Foundation’s support over the past four years has helped OHA to build capacity to take on the challenge of building a broad coalition focused on reshaping systems to improve the oral health of older adults – especially where disparities exist due to race, ethnicity, income, education and challenges of daily living.”
The new grant will support efforts by OHA to advocate for the inclusion of an adult dental benefit in publicly funded health insurance. This will be done in part by expanding toothwisdom.org — a first-of-its kind website that connects older adults and their caregivers to affordable dental services and usable oral health information — to also serve as an advocacy tool. OHA will host a symposium in conjunction with the White House Conference on Aging in Summer 2015 and will also release an updated edition of A State of Decay to further raise public awareness regarding gaps in oral healthcare for seniors.
“The DentaQuest Foundation looks forward to working with Oral Health America to create alternative possibilities that will positively impact the oral health of older adults,” commented Ralph Fuccillo, Chief Mission Officer, DentaQuest and President, DentaQuest Foundation. “That possibility is what we can create together in community with OHA — one of the trusted partners in the Oral Health 2020 initiative.”
To date, the DentaQuest Foundation has invested $800K in OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project.
To access information and resources about older adults and oral health please visit www.toothwisdom.org and to learn more about all aspects of OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org/programs.
November 10, 2014 -- This fall the five KaVo Kerr Group brands completed work on new web properties designed to attract, inspire, and support end-users. Gendex, a leader in dental imaging, has revamped its website, www.gendex.com. Highlights of the new site include improved, user-friendly features; responsive design that makes it easy to navigate on any Internet-ready device; content that connects users to the entire product family with ease; an enhanced support section; and a cleaner, more manageable look designed with the busy practitioner in mind. Gendex is dedicated to improving the dental practice and advancing patient care through comprehensive solutions and exceptional support. The new www.gendex.com is a testament to that commitment.
Orascoptic, a leader in superior vision solutions for dental professionals, also launched an improved website – www.orascoptic.com – that features a newly redesigned Orascoptic brand platform, product recommendations by market, and a mobile-friendly version. The introduction of a global website provides dental professionals across the world an opportunity to access product information, download literature, watch videos and schedule appointments at their convenience. Additional site enhancements include: more student-oriented content, the ability for customers to find their direct rep or distributor, and improved support through “how to” videos, FAQs and warranty information.
Aribex™ Inc., a worldwide leader in handheld X-ray technologies, announced the launch of the new tryNOMAD campaign at www.tryNOMAD.com. With its lightweight, battery-operated design, NOMAD provides the fastest workflow and most flexibility of any intra-oral X-ray. The new site makes it easy for dental professionals to request a NOMAD™ PRO 2 handheld X-ray system trial in the comfort of their practice, making it more convenient for doctors to discover the benefits of NOMAD.
Pelton & Crane, a leader in dental equipment, launched its Ergonomics Evaluation Website (www.pelton.net/ergonomics). The new site provides ergonomics resources and advice from industry experts, including educational videos, and gives visitors the ability to request a free in-office ergonomics evaluation. This unique digital platform creates important context for the true value delivered by the Narrow Back Advantage.
Featuring enhanced design and functionality, the new Marus website, www.marus.com, is mobile-friendly and offers simple navigation that allows users to explore the full line of Marus equipment solutions. The redesigned website brings together the latest product details, images, sales brochures and more.
As more dental professionals utilize the web for product discovery, research and evaluation, KaVo Kerr Group companies will continue to prioritize the development of websites and digital tools that facilitate a dynamic learning experience that helps end-users make smart decisions about the products they bring into their dental practice.
About KaVo Kerr Group:
KaVo Kerr Group is a global portfolio of leading dental brands that share common values of Trust, Experience, Choices, Quality and Smart Innovation. Brands include KaVo, Kerr, Kerr Total Care, Pentron, Axis|Sybron Endo, Orascoptic, Pelton & Crane, Marus, Gendex, DEXIS, Instrumentarium, SOREDEX, i-CAT, NOMAD, Implant Direct, DUX Dental and Ormco. With over 500 years of combined experience and proven solutions, KaVo Kerr Group uniquely serves 99% of all dental practices. Visit www.kavokerrgroup.com for more information.
Durham, NC (PRWEB) November 5, 2014 – In a new study published in the latest issue of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, doctors at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry (UMSoD), Ann Arbor, have found a new way to regenerate a patient’s jawbone through the use of stem cells.
Half of all traumatic injuries to the face result in a loss of teeth and the surrounding tissue and bone that once supported them, which in turn makes these types of injuries very debilitating and difficult to treat. The new procedure, done under local anesthesia, significantly speeds up the healing time relative to that of traditional bone grafting while allowing a patient to experience only a minimal amount of pain.
Part of a larger clinical trial, the findings highlighted in this issue focus on a 45-year-old woman missing seven front teeth plus 75% of the bone that once supported them, the result of a blow to her face 5 years earlier. She was left with severe functional and cosmetic deficiencies, since the missing bone made it impossible for her to have dental implant-based teeth replacements.
Darnell Kaigler, DDS, MS, PhD, an assistant professor of dentistry in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, was a lead member of the study team. "In small jawbone defects of the mouth created after teeth were extracted, we have placed gelatin sponges populated with stem cells into these areas to successfully grow bone."
Since the sponge material is soft, it does not work in larger areas. Thus, he and his team of researchers decided to try b-tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP) as a scaffold upon which to place the cells instead. "For treating larger jawbone defects, it is important to have a scaffold material that is rigid and more stable to support bone growth," he explained.
They then placed the b-TCP scaffold, which had been seeded with a mixed population of bone marrow-derived autologous stem and progenitor cells 30 minutes prior to treatment at room temperature, into the defective area of the patient’s mouth during a procedure that requires only local anesthesia. Four months later, 80% of her missing jawbone had been regenerated, allowing them to proceed with placing oral implants that supported a dental prosthesis to once again give her a complete set of teeth.
Study team member Sharon Aronovich, DMD, FRCD(C), a clinical assistant professor of dentistry in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the UMSoD, said, “I am very grateful to all the patients and researchers that participated in this study. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we are one step closer to providing patients with a minimally invasive option for implant-based tooth replacement.”
“As the first report to describe a cell therapy for craniofacial trauma reconstruction, this research serves as the foundation for expanded studies using this approach,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
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The article, “Optimized Cell Survival and Seeding Efficiency for Craniofacial Tissue Engineering Using Clinical Stem Cell Therapy,” can be accessed at https://www.stemcellstm.com.
The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) inducted 90 new Associate Fellows and Fellows into the Academy at its recently concluded 63rd Annual Meeting. This brings the total number of current AAID credentialed members to 989. The Academy is the only organization recognized by the US Federal and State Courts as having a bona fide implant dentistry credentialing program.
The AAID credential serves as a patient's assurance that a doctor performing dental implants has education, training, experience and competence in implant dentistry. AAID credentialed dentists include general dentists, periodontists, prosthodontists and oral surgeons who perform surgical and/or restorative procedures.
Credentialing by the AAID means that the dentist has:
- Demonstrated qualifications, knowledge, skills and competence in implant dentistry
- Education, training and experience in implant dentistry
- Completed 300 or more hours of postdoctoral or continuing education related to implant dentistry
- Trained in dental implant process, including diagnosis and surgical placement of dental implants and/or the placement of replacement teeth
- Meets national standards of education and practice in oral implantology
A list of the newly credentialed implant dentists can be found here.
NEW BRUNSWICK – A drug proven to kill leukemia cells in animals is closer to reaching patients after a Rutgers School of Dental Medicine researcher was awarded nearly $1 million from the National Institutes of Health to fund the process of getting FDA approvals.
Scott Kachlany, an associate professor in the department of oral biology, and his company, Actinobac Biomed, Inc., were awarded a grant from the NIH/National Cancer Institute to develop a potential treatment for blood cancers and autoimmune inflammatory diseases.
Several years ago, Kachlany discovered that a protein produced by the same bacterium that causes periodontal disease eliminates diseased white blood cells. He established Actinobac Biomed to develop the protein as a drug, named Leukothera, which is made from the same biologic agent that specifically targets and depletes these cells.
With the NIH grant, Actinobac will perform preclinical studies that will allow testing to begin on humans, possibly within the next two years. Kachlany is hopeful that Leukothera could potentially be put on the market within six to eight years.
"The goal is to treat cancer and allow it to go into remission,'' said Kachlany.
Kachlany believes Leukothera could prove more effective than other cancer treatments because it kills cells rapidly and with fewer side effects. He has also found that it can be used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, type 1 diabetes, lupus, dry eye, asthma and psoriasis.
"To our knowledge, Leukothera exhibits a mechanism of killing cells that is unlike any other drug on the market and could offer patients a new therapeutic option,'' said Kachlany.
The NIH funding helps small business applicants collaborate with research institutions. It will allow Actinobac to manufacture clinical grade Leukothera and test on animals using FDA guidelines.
The project is being conducted in collaboration with Joseph R. Bertino, chief scientific officer at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. After these preclinical studies are completed, Actinobac can file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA and begin human clinical trials.
"This NIH grant supports our assertion that Actinobac scientists are working on breakthrough research that can make a tremendous difference for people suffering with leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases," said George F. Heinrich, vice chair and CEO of Foundation Venture Capital Group, an affiliate of New Jersey Health Foundation, which originally funded Actinobac.
November 5, 2014 -- A ballot measure that would have quadrupled the cap on noneconomic damages for medical and dental malpractice to $1.1 million was soundly defeated by California voters Tuesday, according to the California Secretary of State's website, DrBicuspid.com reports.
Read the full DrBicuspid article here.
Rockville, MD: November 5, 2014 – DrFirst, a leading provider of healthcare IT solutions designed to improve clinical outcomes for patients, and BRS Dental, which specializes in office management software for dental practices, has announced a partnership to bring the industry’s leading e-prescribing solution, Rcopia®, and controlled substance e-prescribing with EPCS Goldsm 2.0, to dental providers.
“Our dentists frequently prescribe medications—and often the prescriptions are for painkillers, which are controlled drugs,” explains Randall Smith, Senior Vice President, Consulting and Support, for BRS Dental. “We are excited to be able to offer our dentists DrFirst’s suite of medication management solutions to upgrade the safety and efficiency of every prescription they write — all from within their dental practice management software.”
Smith continues: “BRS Dental recognizes the importance of supporting dentists with tools that help improve patient safety while increasing practice efficiency and simplifying workflow. DrFirst provides our users with Akario Mailsm, its secure and HIPAA-compliant email system, to send referrals, x-rays, images, text documents, treatment plans, and even videos to healthcare professionals.”
Adoption of e-prescribing for controlled substances is on the rise, with nearly half of pharmacies nationwide accepting e-prescriptions for controlled substances. When using EPCS, chances of prescriptions being misread or intentionally changed are minimized, drug shoppers are more easily identified, and providers are alerted to potential drug interaction or drug allergy issues at the point-of-care. In addition, the importance of EPCS is underscored by New York State’s e-prescribing mandate for both controlled and non-controlled substances to begin in March 2015.
CHICAGO (October 22, 2014) – New research shows vulnerable patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who received enhanced oral care from a dentist were at significantly less risk for developing a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), like ventilator-associated pneumonia, during their stay. The study* was published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
"Bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections often start in the oral cavity," said Fernando Bellissimo-Rodrigues, MD, lead author of the study. "This study suggests that having a dentist provide weekly care as part the ICU team may improve outcomes for vulnerable patients in this setting."
Brazilian researchers utilized an observer-blind randomized clinical trial design to analyze data from 254 adult patients who stayed in a general ICU for at least 48 hours. Patients were randomized to receive enhanced dental care provided by a dentist, or to receive routine oral hygiene performed by the ICU nurse staff.
Enhanced dental care included teeth brushing, tongue scraping, removal of calculus, atraumatic restorative treatment of caries, tooth extraction and topical application of chlorhexidine corresponding to each patients' needs four to five times a week. Comparatively, regular treatment consisted of mechanical cleansing using gauze followed by topical application of chlorhexidine three times a day.
Patients provided enhanced dental care were 56 percent less likely to develop a respiratory tract infection during their ICU stay compared to the control patient group. Researchers note that enhanced dental treatment, including oral antisepsis routinely performed in ICUs could be more effective in reducing the oral bacteria and help prevent migration of these bacteria into the lungs.
* Wanessa Bellissimo-Rodrigues, Mayra Menegueti, Gilberto Gaspar, Edson Nicolini, Maria Auxiliadora-Martins, Anibal Basile-Filho, Roberto Martinez, Fernando Bellissimo-Rodrigues. "Effectiveness of a dental care intervention in the prevention of lower respiratory tract nosocomial infections among intensive care patients: a randomized clinical trial." Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology [35:11] (November 2014).
