Chapel Hill, NC (PRWEB) July 07, 2015

Raising a call-to-action over a national health concern, more than 20 organizations nationwide have come together to raise awareness of cleft lip and/or cleft palate, an issue deemed one of the most prevalent birth defects in our country. Established by AmeriFace and cleftAdvocate, July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month, promoting public awareness of a condition popularly associated with other countries but often overlooked at home.

In the United States, approximately one of every 700 babies is born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate, a condition created when tissue in the baby’s upper lip or the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy and leaves an opening.

Despite unique health challenges, those born with cleft and craniofacial conditions can lead fulfilling, successful, and accomplished lives. Clefts are usually repaired surgically in the first year of life, though many children require additional surgeries and treatments through adolescence to correct challenges to breathing, eating, or speech development. Individuals born with cleft lip or palate often need specialized dental or orthodontic care throughout their lives as well.

The causes of orofacial clefts are mostly unknown, though some result from changes in the child’s genes before birth. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that women who smoke during pregnancy or are diagnosed with diabetes before pregnancy have an increased risk of having a child with a cleft. The CDC also found that women who use certain medicines to treat epilepsy, such as topiramate or valproic acid, during the first trimester (the first 3 months) of pregnancy also have an increased risk.

“This condition affects roughly 7,000 of our infants every year in the U.S., and is even more widespread abroad,” says Marilyn Cohen, President of the Cleft Palate Foundation (CPF), “This national month of awareness provides an opportunity for dialogue about facial differences, the treatment options currently available, and how to prevent more craniofacial conditions.”

Created in 1973 to be the public service arm of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA), CPF is a national non-profit organization providing comprehensive educational materials free to the public, connections to qualified healthcare specialists, family support services, and funding for college scholarships and research. More information about CPF can be found at https://www.cleftline.org or by calling the Cleftline at 800-24-CLEFT (800-242-5338). CPF works closely with ACPA to promote awareness and supply a wide array of resources. While CPF serves individuals and families affected by cleft and craniofacial conditions, ACPA’s complementary mission is concentrated on the specialty treatment providers. The ACPA is a 73-year old non-profit medical society of healthcare professionals dedicated to treating birth defects of the head and face through a team care approach. ACPA supports the professional community and enhances the quality of team care by providing education and resources, supporting and disseminating research, and acting as an open forum for specialists to communicate. President Ron Hathaway adds, “ACPA has been committed to team care since its inception in 1943. We focus on serving professional members, patients and families as well as the public. Together we can have even greater impact in shaping the future.” More information about ACPA can be found at https://www.acpa-cpf.org/ or by calling 919-933-9044.

Copenhagen - 3Shape, a global leader in 3D scanners and CAD/CAM software solutions, announced that dental professionals can access the implant lines from DENTSPLY Implants in connection with 3Shape Implant Studio™ starting in August.

Dentists, implantologists, and dental technicians virtually access implant systems when using Implant Studio™ software. Professionals choosing implants from DENTSPLY Implants, for example, then plan the implant procedure based on DENTSPLY Implants’ precise specifications. The DENTSPLY Implants library includes all implants from ANKYLOS®, ASTRA TECH Implant System, and XiVE®.

“We are glad to add the DENTSPLY Implants’ renowned and widely used family of implant lines to the implant systems now available in connection with Implant Studio,” says Flemming Thorup, CEO at 3Shape. “Providing easy access to leading implant systems, such as those from DENTSPLY Implants, is helping to make Implant Studio the most attractive implant solution for dental professionals.”

Implant Studio enables implant professionals to plan and perform implant procedures based on the patient’s prosthetics and overall clinical situation. Implant Studio enables dental laboratories to deliver the complete implant package including components and surgical guides, while helping dentists to provide a full range of implant treatments to their patients.

Dental professionals will have access to DENTSPLY Implants as part of the upcoming release of 3Shape Implant Studio 2015. The software is scheduled for release in August 2015.

Users wishing to benefit from the opportunity should contact their 3Shape distributor for more information on how to access the libraries.  

New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) has been awarded a five-year, $2.5M Health Resources and Service Administration training grant for public health pediatric dentistry. The award allows NYUCD to begin building a public health track at NYUCD through a collaboration of the NYU Departments of Epidemiology & Health Promotion and Pediatric Dentistry and the NYU College of Global Public Health (CGPH).

The grant provides infrastructure to support community outreach to NYC public schools, curriculum redesign of the PG Clinical Trials program, public health training for pediatric dentists interested in obtaining an MPH, and partial stipends for pediatric dentists from underserved populations.

“This funding will enable NYUCD to fulfill its mission of providing needed preventive dental care to children and their families regardless of the ability to pay for services,” said Mary E. Northridge, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, NYU College of Dentistry and College of Global Public Health and Inaugural Editor Emerita, American Journal of Public Health.

This training opportunity represents a valued collaboration between NYUCD and the CGPH to ensure that dentists have the skills needed to lead interprofessional teams in providing preventive services to New York City school children.

With this new training opportunity, NYUCD will be able to bring dental care to children in schools, rather than requiring parents to bring children to often inaccessible dental offices, and advance oral health equity in New York City.

Mary Northridge, PhD, MPH, associate professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, is the principal investigator. The project faculty are: Drs. Bernadette Boden-Albala, Courtney Chinn, Bianca Dearing, Amr Moursi, Richard Niederman, and Ryan Ruff.

To mark the 125th anniversary of BEGO, guests from industry and politics together with customers and suppliers were invited to a reception June 26 in the upper town hall room in Bremen, Germany. The event got underway with a welcome address and included official speeches, and music was provided by the Bremen German Chamber Philharmonic's Future Lab. At the end of the celebrations, the approximately 350 guests were given the opportunity to visit the headquarters of this long-standing medium-sized family company.

For the owner-managed family company BEGO, which is now in its fifth generation, 2015 marks 125 years of dental history. To honor this milestone, the company invited guests to a reception in the Upper Hall of Bremen's Town Hall. Customers, partners, and friends of BEGO from across Germany took up this invitation, and some guests traveled from as far as Japan.

Christoph Weiss, Managing Partner of the BEGO Group, said in his welcoming speech: "Initially, I wanted to talk today about entrepreneurial freedom, courage, and values, as this would have fit well with our 125th anniversary and would also have provided an interesting look back at the company's history. But instead I would prefer to look ahead to what's still in store for us".

Prof. Dr. Heiner Weber, Medical Director at the Policlinic for Dental Prosthetics with Propaedeutics and Section "Medical Materials and Technology" in Tübingen, Germany, spoke a few words of greeting to those present: I first came into contact with BEGO in the early 1970s when non-precious alloys were launched onto the market as an alternative to expensive precious-metal alloys, and, for me, these offered an excellent treatment solution. Even back then I experienced BEGO to be a highly competent and reliable partner who is able to reach quick decisions", recalled Prof. Weber.

The official speech with the title "The miracle of innovation – turbulent times require creative minds" was given by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, member of the Fraunhofer Senate and former President of the Fraunhofer Society, Stuttgart, Germany. He spoke about the trends that will shape how we live in the future. According to Prof. Bullinger, "the innovations which companies like BEGO create will serve to secure our future".

In his role as President of Bremen's Chamber of Commerce, Christoph Weiss presented a congratulatory certificate from the chamber to his father, Joachim Weiss. After 70 years of active involvement in the company, the elder Weiss is now a member of BEGO's advisory board. He concluded by talking about how, thanks in no small part to the invention of the rotation method by BEGO's founder Dr. h.c. Wilhelm Herbst, the company has successfully transformed from a once small operation into an international enterprise with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions. "Ultimately, the key to success is the unabated commitment and performance of our staff. After all, success is always down to team work and I am extremely proud of this," stressed Joachim Weiss.

Those who so wished then had the opportunity to visit BEGO's production facilities. The doors of the high-tech CAD/CAM production centre, the BEGO Implant Systems Surface Technology Centre as well as other production areas were swung open to welcome visitors. The experts from BEGO explained all about the materials and processes and were on hand to answer any questions.

ARVADA, CO – Further cementing its position on the vanguard of innovation in the restorative dental industry, Custom Milling Center unveiled a freshly designed, mobile-optimized version of its website, located at Custom-Milling.com.

Developed as a resource to CMC’s laboratory partners, Custom-Milling.com is a central hub offering interactive features, and serves as a knowledge center to help clients improve their production capabilities that streamline interaction with the industry’s premier outsourcing partner. From an interactive case scheduling module and a point-and-click shipping label generator to resources such as proprietary instructional videos and materials guides, the revamped Custom-Milling.com serves to supplement CMC’s education, digital integration, and outsourcing services.

“Many of our partners are very technologically savvy and demand a website that directly supports their laboratory processes,” said Tonya Hampshire, CMC Director of Sales and Marketing. “Our new website puts everything a technician could need within reach.”

The intuitive functions aren’t the only innovative feature on CMC’s updated website. It was also developed to be mobile ready. With Google reaffirming the importance of mobile access by making it a factor in search rankings, mobile responsiveness is poised to be the next major design trend to sweep the web. True to its position as an innovator, CMC is out in front of the changes.

The responsive design of Custom-Milling.com allows it to display perfectly every time it loads – regardless of a user’s device, operating system, or browser. Images resize and menus reconfigure based on screen size and available space, making Custom-Milling.com as easy to navigate on a smartphone’s small screen as a desktop’s large one.

“The ability to deliver a website experience regardless of a visitor’s chosen device and platform perfectly integrates everything that CMC stands for: leading-edge technology, responsive service and enabling laboratory owners to operate at their peak efficiency,” Hampshire said.

The revamped Custom-Milling.com is fully operational and ready to be experienced – on the desktop or mobile device of your choosing, of course.

Toronto, ON – July 7, 2015 – Based on tracking long term trends, the make-up of the typical Canadian dental practice continues to show consolidation, according to results from the DIAC (Dental Industry Association of Canada) Nineteenth Annual Future of Dentistry Survey. While the number of patients being treated per day per respondent has remained relatively consistent over the past eight years, there have been some real shifts in the practice profile appearing since the 2008 study.

As first reported in 2013, the trend towards recent Canadian dental graduates taking longer to set up their practices than those who graduated in past decades is continuing and, in fact, appears to be accelerating. The number of practice owners taking one year or less to set up or buy their practice after graduation is now down to 29% (as opposed to an average of 33% over the last three years and much lower than the average 42% from 2007 to 2011). On the other hand, 12% of owners took 10 years or more to set up or buy their practice after graduation. This represents an all-time high (up from 7.7% last year and an average of 9.8% from 2007-2013).

The established practice is also seeing major changes in its make-up. The 2015 survey confirms that there is a trend towards increasing numbers of dentists in the practice. In 2015, 36% identified themselves as sole practitioners (down from an average of 40% the last seven years) while those practices with five or more dentists (including the respondent) was up to 9% (an all-time high and up from an average of 6.4% the last 12 years).

As might be expected, this has been accompanied by an increasing number of operatories in the average practice. Practices with three or fewer operatories have been in steady decline since the survey began, a real drop of 27% since 1997 (58% in 1997 versus 31% in 2015). Two-thirds (65%) of respondents in 2015 had 4 or more operatories, with 28% having more than five (up from 23% last year and up from the average of 19% from 1997-2007).

Dentists are also spending more time in the practice, with 17% of dentists now spending over 250 chairside days (an-all time high as opposed to an average of 13.7% at that level from 2011-2014). This finding is reinforced by a drop in those spending Under 100 days chairside in 2015 (4.0% as opposed to 5.1% in 2014). At the same time, the number of practice hygiene days is once again increasing. After having levelled off over the previous three annual surveys, nearly forty-five percent (44.8%) of 2015 respondents had 5 or more hygiene days per week (an all-time high and up from an average of 38% over the last eight years).

Yet, despite all of this, dentists are seeing no more patients per day today than they have on average over the past eight years. More than three-quarters of dentists (77.2%) (similar to the last four years: 77% last year, 77% in 2013, 78% in 2012 and 78% in 2011) treated less than 15 patients per day in 2015, with over half (52%) treating between 6-10 patients and 22% treating 11-14 patients in an average day. On an overall basis, dentists treated 12.4 patients in an average day in 2015 (almost exactly the same as the average 12.5 patients seen over the last eight years).

It may be extrapolated that the delay in setting up practices has been a function of the recent poor economy’s impact on patient loads combined with the rising costs of education and practice set-up for the younger dentist. For those owning established practices, the trend may well be a function of sharing rising expenses in the face of a static patient load or as an exit strategy for the older dentist. Almost 1000 practicing Canadian dentists responded to this year’s survey (similar to the response achieved over each of the previous fifteen years) with a good proportional distribution across all regions of the country. Based on this response rate, overall 2015 survey results have an accuracy of +/- 3.3% 19 times out of 20. S

ource: Nineteenth Annual Future of Dentistry Survey Dental Industry Association of Canada / Eric P. Jones & Associates Inc.

PITTSBURGH, July 6, 2015 – University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) scientists recently led a panel of experts in revising national guidelines for thyroid cancer testing to reflect newly available tests that better incorporate personalized medicine into diagnosing the condition.

Their clinical explanation for when to use and how to interpret thyroid cancer tests is published in the July issue of the scientific journal Thyroid. The American Thyroid Association is revising its 2015 Guidelines for Thyroid Nodule and Thyroid Cancer Management to direct doctors to the scientific publication.

“Minimally invasive molecular testing for thyroid cancer has improved by leaps and bounds in the last several years,” said co-author Robert L. Ferris, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery in Pitt’s School of Medicine. “But different tests perform differently and, therefore, need to be interpreted carefully to make the best decisions regarding extent of surgery for patients with thyroid nodules. Our goal with this analysis is to give clinicians a clear understanding of what each type of test can tell them and when to use them to determine the best course of treatment.”

Cancer in the thyroid, which is located just below the “Adam’s apple” area of the neck, is the fifth most common cancer diagnosed in women. Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers that continues to increase in incidence, although the five-year survival rate is 97 percent.

UPCI, partner with UPMC CancerCenter, has been a national leader in developing personalized genetic tests for thyroid cancer that have spared patients repeat or unnecessary surgeries. A low-cost test called ThyroSeq, developed by a team led by Yuri Nikiforov, M.D., Ph.D., director of Pitt’s Division of Molecular and Genomic Pathology, allows pathologists to simultaneously test for multiple genetic markers of thyroid cancer using just a few cells collected from the nodule.

This allows doctors to “rule-in” a specific cancer diagnosis with a high degree of certainty, without a biopsy to remove a large portion of the thyroid, which would then have to be followed with a second surgery if cancer is detected to remove the entire gland. As Dr. Nikiforov’s group added more genetic sequences to the ThyroSeq test to create a larger and more sensitive version of the test, it is now also performing as a “rule-out” test that can tell doctors with a high degree of certainty that a patient does not have cancer.

Other available tests use different technology to serve as accurate “rule-out” tools, but do not have the high sensitivity needed to also reliably “rule-in” cancer. And, in some cases, the accuracy of the “rule out” tests depends on the prevalence of cancer in the patients seen by each individual cancer institute. This is critical because clinicians must know this rate at their institution to correctly calculate the accuracy of “rule-out” test results for each patient.

In addition to Dr. Ferris and co-author Sally E. Carty, M.D., who is professor and chief of the Division of Endocrine Surgery in Pitt’s School of Medicine and co-director of the UPMC/UPCI Multidisciplinary Thyroid Center, the panel reviewing the tests was a multidisciplinary group from a dozen institutions in the U.S. and Canada.

“This was a very innovative and collegial initiative,” said Dr. Carty.  “Through an objective review of the existing tests and the scientific literature characterizing their performance, we are seeking to help clinicians make the best decisions for their patients.”

Dr. Ferris agrees, noting that “this is an exciting time in personalized medicine, and these tests give us the ability to not only better diagnose and treat thyroid cancer, but also significantly reduce surgeries for people who don’t have cancer.”

Additional authors on this publication are Zubair Baloch, M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania Medical Center; Victor Bernet, M.D., Mayo Clinic; Amy Chen, M.D., Emory University; Thomas J. Fahey III, M.D., New York Presbyterian Hospital; Ian Ganly, M.D., Ph.D., and Ashok Shaha, M.D., both of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Steven P. Hodak, M.D., and Kepal N. Patel, M.D., both of New York University Medical Center; Electron Kebebew, M.D., National Cancer Institute; David L. Steward, M.D., University of Cincinnati Medical Center; Ralph P. Tufano, M.D., Johns Hopkins University; and Sam M. Wiseman, M.D., St. Paul’s Hospital & University of British Columbia.

CHICAGO–July 2, 2015–The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is set to hold its 101^st Annual Meeting from November 14-17, 2015, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Offering over 25 hours of continuing education credits, the 101^st Annual Meeting provides more than 40 different courses relevant to periodontal care, including treatment technique advances, emerging technologies, scientific advancements, practice development and management, clinical applications, and more.

“With thousands of periodontists, hygienists, dental students, and researchers in one place, the annual AAP meeting provides an opportunity to learn, share, and network with professionals from around the world,” remarked Dr. Joan Otomo-Corgel, president of the AAP. “Attendees can tailor their schedules with course selections that are right for them. Sessions range from single topics in periodontics to multidisciplinary symposia that explore diverse clinical solutions—and everything in between! We strongly encourage all dental professionals who are interested in learning about the latest advances in periodontics and understanding how partnering with periodontal colleagues can benefit patient care to register now.”

Attendees of the AAP’s 101^st Annual Meeting can choose from a diverse selection of programming organized into eight program tracks that focus on various aspects of periodontics, including:

·       Imaging and Emerging Technologies

·       Implants

·       Interdisciplinary Therapy

·       Periodontic-Systemic Relationships

·       Periodontal Plastic/Oral Reconstructive Surgery

·       Practice Development and Management

·       Regenerative/Tissue Engineering

·       Treatment of Inflammatory Periodontal Diseases

Each track provides a number of in-depth educational sessions, exceptional hands-on workshops, and clinical technique showcases presented by leading industry experts and thought leaders. In addition, the Corporate Forums will feature presentations from leading periodontal vendors, and the Exhibit Hall will feature over 150 companies showcasing the latest industry products and services.

Some highlights of the 2015 AAP Annual Meeting include the following:

Opening General Session:A compelling educational experience entitled, “Facial Reconstruction and Facial Transplantation: Achieving Success Though a Team Effort”, presented by renowned facial transplant experts Dr. Lawrence Brecht and Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez

AAP/AAP Foundation and Osteology Foundation Symposium: A jointly developed program from the AAP, AAP Foundation, and Osteology Foundation entitled, “Current Technologies for Hard and Soft Tissue Oral Regeneration”

Dental Hygiene Symposium:Geared exclusively toward dental hygienists, this special series of lectures recognizes the valuable role of hygienists in oral healthcare by providing sessions on the most current topics in periodontics, including perio-systemic health inter-relationships, periodontal regeneration, peri-implant disease, and soft tissue augmentation

To register for the 2015 Annual Meeting or for more information, please visit www.perio.org/meetings, call 1-800-282-4867 ext. 3213, or email meetings@perio.org. 

AUSTIN, TEXAS. – The 2015 National Hispanic/Latino Oral Health Education Campaign begins on June 30th . The project is funded by a $50,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of BattleCreek, Mich.

“As the Hispanic Community continues to grow, oral health disparities are not being addressed at a pace that keeps up with the increase in the population size. We look forward to an impactful partnership where we can empower the public with culturally appropriate oral health information,” voiced Dr. Vidal Balderas DDS, President of the Hispanic Dental Association.

Campaign efforts will be national in scope, but highlight and focus in cities where HDA has a professional chapter and be augmented through its 34 Dental Student Chapters. The focus centers on 3 key components;

1. Educate dental oral health professionals regarding the oral health needs of the underserved population in their communities suffering from untreated dental disease.

2. Educate private practitioners on how to strengthen and expand the public/private health safety net through new innovative oral health providers and workforce models.

3. Educate the Hispanic/Latino population on disease prevention and dental health through bi-lingual messaging and materials.

"Our partnership and campaign will shine a light on communities where oral health disparities continue to be an issue. From a health equity standpoint, we hope that this will be a catalyst for conversations and action throughout our communities that receive little to no oral health information, and are disproportionately impacted by the inequities in access to information and services,” said David Pena, Jr., Executive Director of the Hispanic Dental Association.

“This campaign effort pursues authentic engagement with communities, and has the potential to be the strongest and most effective pathway to community-led solutions for improving the oral health of Latino children and families,” said Dr. Alice Warner, director of policy with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Fremont, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2015 | eHuman Digital Anatomy, the industry leader in next generation dental education software announced today the release of their latest product, Head and Neck Anatomy Atlas. Head and Neck Anatomy Atlas is a growing encyclopedic resource covering human anatomy, with extensive 3D anatomic resources, self-assessment quizzes with reference libraries and games that test the knowledge acquired through the use of the programs 3D resources.

Head and Neck Anatomy Atlas include the following interactive sections: 

•     Skull Osteology

•     Temporomandibular joint anatomy

•     Bony landmarks of the skull

•     Muscles and Ligaments

•     Innervations

•     Arterial supply

•     Venous drainage

•     Edentulous anatomy

Within each section, there are interactive 3D programs that allow users to rotate, zoom, and pan 3D anatomic specimens derived from high resolution CT scans so they can visualize and learn critical relationships between the structures. There are also 3D animations and video clips that allow 3D navigation through objects, seeing their cross-sectional form.

A unique feature of the program is the ability to 3-dimensionally view the temporomandibular joint and skull. Each of the individual components of the TMJ can be visualized and interactively manipulated. The program also has the ability to “Build a Temporomandibular Joint”, a feature that allows users to view any of the hard or soft tissue components of the joint either singly or in combination with any number of the other components.    

“I have used the program for several years to teach students in different parts of the world and have found it to be an extremely valuable learning resource" said, Dr. Charles Goodacre, Professor of Restorative Dentistry, Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

Head and Neck Atlas Anatomy includes several specially designed “Quizzes with Reference Libraries” that allow users to test the knowledge they have acquired by viewing the 3D programs and video clips. The Reference Library section of each quiz provides an extensive resource of visual and textual information that can be accessed while the quiz is being taken to find the answer to a question after which the user can then return to the quiz and continue answering the questions.

Additionally, uniquely designed games have been included in the program to provide users with the ability to assess the speed and accuracy with which they can recall the visual information learned through the “3D Programs” and the “Quizzes with Reference Libraries”.    

For more information or to purchase eHuman’s Head and Neck Anatomy, please visit:https://www.ehuman.com/products/HeadandNeckAnatomy