Irvine, Calif. - Roland DG Corporation has announced several changes and additions to its Board of Directors. The moves were announced after Roland DG’s recent annual shareholders’ meeting and the company’s Board of Directors’ meeting held on March 24, 2016.

Among the announced appointments, Hidenori Fujioka, previously Director and Executive Vice President of Roland DG, was named Representative Director, President of the company. Fujioka joined Roland DG in 2014 as an advisor to the company after serving as Director of RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION. Fujioka earned acclaim at Roland DG for streamlining the R&D process in order to reach strategic goals more efficiently, and for strengthening and diversifying the company’s core technologies to enable the company to quickly develop a variety of new products and solutions that deliver added value. He also led the creation of a new mid-term business plan. In implementing the plan, he will capitalize on his previous knowledge and skills as an engineer, as well as his experience in building new businesses and managing global companies.

Masahiro Tomioka, previously Representative Director, Chairman and President, has stepped aside as President, but continues as Representative Director, Chairman of the company.

David Goward, previously Director of the company, was promoted to Executive Vice President, Director. Goward is responsible for Roland DG global sales, marketing and service. With extensive sales and marketing experience for the Roland DG group, he will serve as the key individual to implement the mid-term business plan and to transform the company into a truly innovative organization on a global basis. In 1994, Goward joined Roland DGA Corporation, the company’s subsidiary responsible for distribution, sales, and marketing of DG products in the Americas, where he remains Director and CEO.

Katsuhiro Endo was named Outside Director. He was previously External Audit and Supervisory Board Member of the company.

Mitsuhiro Honda was appointed External Audit and Supervisory Board Member. He is currently Professor, Graduate School of University of Tsukuba.

Meanwhile, Robert Curtis, previously Director, Vice Chairman, has retired from the company. Curtis joined Roland Corporation U.S. in 1987 as sales manager and, in 1990, became Vice President and General Manager of the newly formed Roland DGA Corporation. In 1997, he was named President and CEO of Roland DGA, a position he retained until 2007. He became Chairman of Roland DGA in 2008, and was also appointed director of Roland DG that same year. As Chairman of the Global Executive Committee (GEC), Curtis was instrumental in unifying company employees from many cultures, backgrounds and disciplines, as well as transforming the headquarters and the independent, international Roland DG operations into one global entity.

According to Masahiro Tomioka, Roland DG Chairman, the changes and appointments follow the successful completion of the company’s GlobalOne structural reform and the start of a new five-year mid-term business plan beginning in FY2016.

“Through aggressive investments, we strengthened both R&D and sales & marketing while completing a revised organizational structure that facilitates working more closely together to meet the ever-changing business environment and customer needs," Tomioka said. "We also promoted the best people from around the world to enable us to take on group-wide initiatives to drive sustainable growth and create multiple pillars of business to meet the needs of the coming era. I believe these appointments will help us continue to grow and strengthen our worldwide leadership market positions."

IDM Centers Becomes an Authorized 3Shape TRIOS® Reseller

GREENDALE, WIS. – IDM Centers is now an authorized 3Shape reseller, allowing dentists the opportunity to purchase chairside scanners directly from the milling center that provides their restorations.

Dentists who purchase a chairside digital impression system from IDM Centers partner with a laboratory that built its workflow to integrate with TRIOS® doctors. Not only do dentists benefit from the precision that comes from implementing the recognized industry leader in digital impression scanners in their practice, they receive the support of a milling center dedicated to making doctors’ transition to the digital age as simple as possible.

While IDM Centers’ workflow is optimized for TRIOS® doctors, the center is fully capable of supporting additional digital impression scanners. It made the investment to become certified in marking margins for iTero® and 3M® systems as well, and also accepts files from Planmeca® scanners. These robust capabilities make it one of the most digitally ready direct-to-doctor milling centers in the Midwest.

Because a chairside scanner is a major investment for any practice, IDM Centers provides a scanner rebate program to help dentists manage their cash flow. Dentists receive a $10 discount on every case they send IDM Centers from their TRIOS®, and receive an additional $10 discount if they choose a model-less solution.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – (March 30, 2016) – With 95 innovations launched in 2015, 3M’s designation as the Most Innovative Company in the Dental Industry was earned through a relentless commitment to science-based innovation. Honored with its 11th consecutive win, 3M’s rank on The Anaheim Group’s “Innovation Index” has once again placed the company in the top spot with 25 percent more innovations than any other dental company.

The Anaheim Group’s index combines the number of EC/WIPO patents, U.S. patents and U.S. 510(k) clearances, and is the dental industry’s best measure of overall technical strength and capability.

With its commitment to improving lives through science, 3M continues to improve on its own innovations. The maker of countless award-winning products under such brands as Filtek™, RelyX™ and Scotchbond™, 3M’s breakthrough innovations are often sourced from within its own walls. Interdisciplinary collaborations have inspired many of 3M’s greatest innovations in the dental industry, including pioneering the use of zirconia restorative materials and introducing nanotechnology for enhanced esthetics and strength in universal restorative material.

“Receiving the Most Innovative honor for more than a decade is a testament to what 3M excels at – applying science to help keep people healthy,” said James D. Ingebrand, vice president & general manager, Oral Care Solutions Division of 3M. “Every day, we explore new ways to impact lives, as we consistently pursue new product and process innovations with a focus on promoting lifelong oral health for all.”

To learn more about 3M, visit 3M.com/Dental or 3M.com/Ortho.

The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association’s 73^rd Annual Meeting will be held April 4 through April 9, 2016. This year’s event will take place at the Hilton in Atlanta, GA and will feature a two-day Pre-Conference Symposium followed by four days of meetings, exhibits, panels, and discussions. Registration is required and tickets are required for entry into some sessions.

This year’s program will feature the theme ALL IN: Expertise, Discovery, Leadership, Teamwork. The event is chiefly focused on collaboration and networking, allowing for educational opportunities for individuals new to team care as well as those who have years of experience in the field. The keynote address on Wednesday, April 6 will focus on integrating psychosocial aspects of care to patients.

ACPA’s Program Committee is excited to welcome this year’s speakers and guests to the conference. ACPA President Dr. Richard Kirschner had this to say regarding the highlights of the meeting:

“We are excited to network with colleagues and to learn from one another at what will undoubtedly be an outstanding and memorable 2016 Annual Meeting. This year's event will feature a Leadership Session that will enhance leadership effectiveness, and the keynote presentation by Martin Persson, PhD, MPH, MSc will explain ‘How to Incorporate Psychosocial Care Provision: The Way Forward!’”

In addition to the keynote are the highly anticipated Discipline Forums, which offer attendees an opportunity to network and learn from colleagues around the world. The Nuts and Bolts on Nursing and Team Coordination is being reintroduced into the program during Friday’s concurrent sessions.

“All of these sessions will combine with the other great scientific and educational offerings to form an exciting interdisciplinary program that will appeal to all attendees as we go ALL IN with Expertise, Discovery, Leadership, and Teamwork,” said Dr. Kirschner.

The entire program will feature approximately 150 different sessions, plus times to network with colleagues and exhibitors. Exhibitors include: 3D Systems, 3dMD, Canfield Scientific Inc., CRC Press-Taylor and Francis Group, Dr. Brown’s Medical by Handi-Craft Co., KLS Martin, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Orthomerica Products, Inc., Pentax Medical, OsteoMed, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Stryker, The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal/Allen Press Publishing, and Vital Health Software. The non-profit exhibitors include: the 13th International Congress of the Confederation of Cleft Lip, Palate, and Related Craniofacial Anomalies, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, Cleft Palate Foundation, myFace, and Smile Train.

The ACPA is grateful to sponsors of the event, including: KLS Martin, 3dMD, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Stryker, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

For full details on the 73^rd Annual ACPA Meeting, please visit https://meeting.acpa-cpf.org/.

3Shape D2000 Dental Lab Scanner Wins Red Dot Product Design Award Copenhagen – 3Shape has been awarded with the Red Dot, the international distinction for high design quality. The product design award was given to the 3Shape D2000 dental lab scanner. The D2000 dental lab scanner was selected by the Red Dot’s 41 member jury of designers, design professors, and specialist journalists. Across industries and around the world, Red Dot is seen as the award for high design quality. This year, the international experts assessed 5,214 entries from 57 countries, with the D2000 winning praise. “Winning the Red Dot Award is tribute to the hard work our team put into creating a very cool looking and disruptive device for a traditionally, conservative industry,” says 3Shape, Chief Designer, Eskild Hansen. He adds, “The D2000 is the culmination of our D-series family of lab scanners that have rethought the way a lab scanner should look and perform. The lab scanner as well as all 3Shape product bring the Scandinavian tradition for design, form and function to medical devices and most importantly, provide superior performance and innovative technology to dental professionals.” The independent expert Red Dot panel assesses each entry strictly and fairly, live and on site, according to criteria such as degree of innovation, formal quality, functionality and ecological compatibility. Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and president of the Red Dot Award: “With their performances, the Red Dot winners not only demonstrated an extraordinary design quality, but they also showed that design is an integral part of innovative product solutions.” 4 July 2016 marks the culmination of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016. During the glamorous awards ceremony, the Red Dot: Best of the Best laureates will accept their trophies in front of around 1,200 guests. At the subsequent after-show party “Designers’ Night”, the winners will receive their certificates and celebrate until the early hours in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen in the midst of prize-winning products. All award-winning products will be presented in the special exhibition “Design on Stage” for four weeks, before becoming part of the permanent exhibition. D2000 Dental Lab Scanner – Red Dot product design winner The 3Shape D2000 dental lab scanner fuses industrial design, disruptive technologies, and simplicity in its ease of use. Industry-firsts like the power to scan upper and lower dental models - two models at once - and All-in-one and multi-line technology are together, cutting workflow times by upwards of 40% for dental technicians. In an industry where production volume and speed matter, the D2000 drives success. Inspired by Scandinavian design, the D2000 brings a touch of elegance to dental laboratories. Its tinted-glass door opens with the tap of the finger and gently glides upwards for easy access and improved ergonomics. The D2000 merges simple sophistication, cool design and technology-breakthroughs to make dental technicians’ days easier and more productive. Video interview with D2000-designer Eskild Hansen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ5fZEANhRA D2000 lab scanner product video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwUFSVyEhYE

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With 95 innovations launched in 2015, 3M’s designation as the Most Innovative Company in the Dental Industry was earned through a relentless commitment to science-based innovation. Honored with its 11^th consecutive win, 3M’s rank on The Anaheim Group’s “Innovation Index” has once again placed the company in the top spot with 25 percent more innovations than any other dental company.

The Anaheim Group’s index combines the number of EC/WIPO patents, U.S. patents and U.S. 510(k) clearances, and is the dental industry’s best measure of overall technical strength and capability.

With its commitment to improving lives through science, 3M continues to improve on its own innovations. The maker of countless award-winning products under such brands as Filtek™, RelyX™ and Scotchbond™, 3M’s breakthrough innovations are often sourced from within its own walls. Interdisciplinary collaborations have inspired many of 3M’s greatest innovations in the dental industry, including pioneering the use of zirconia restorative materials and introducing nanotechnology for enhanced esthetics and strength in universal restorative material.

“Receiving the Most Innovative honor for more than a decade is a testament to what 3M excels at – applying science to help keep people healthy,” said James D. Ingebrand, vice president & general manager, Oral Care Solutions Division of 3M. “Every day, we explore new ways to impact lives, as we consistently pursue new product and process innovations with a focus on promoting lifelong oral health for all.”

Alexandria, Va., USA – The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published an article titled “Tooth Loss Increases the Risk of Diminished Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” in the OnlineFirst portion of the JDR Clinical & Translational Research. In it, Cerutti-Kopplin et al systematically assessed the association between oral health and cognitive function in adult populations.

The increase of cognitive impairment and its pathologic correlates, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, in aging populations is progressing worldwide and creating a significant burden on health systems. Better insight into the nature and extent of the association between oral health and cognitive function is of great importance since it could lead to preventive interventions for cognitive performance. Therefore, the objective of this review was to systematically examine if tooth loss leads to cognitive impairment and its most prevalent pathologic correlate (dementia).

Eligible study reports were identified by searching the MEDLINE (via Ovoid), EMBASE, PsycoINFO and Cochrane Library databases. Pooled hazard ratios with 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated with a random effects model. From 1,251 identified articles, 10 were included in the systematic review and eight in the meta-analysis. Random effects analysis showed, with statistically low heterogeneity, that individuals with less than 20 teeth were at a 20 percent higher risk for developing cognitive decline (hazard ratios equal 1.26, 95 percent confidence intervals equal 1.14 to 1.40) and dementia (hazard ratios equal 1.22, 95 percent confidence intervals equal 1.04 to 1.43) than those with greater than or equal to 20 teeth.

Based on the published literature, the results of this study show that the risk for cognitive impairment and dementia increases with loss of teeth. This information suggests that oral health strategies aimed to preserve teeth may be important in reducing risk of systemic disease.

This study is available online at jdrctr.sagepub.com.

NEW YORK, March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Smoking drastically alters the oral microbiome, the mix of roughly 600 bacterial species that live in people's mouths. This is the finding of a study led by NYU Langone Medical Center and its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center to be published online March 25 in the ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) Journal.

The researchers say their analysis is the most comprehensive to date to examine the effects of smoking on the make-up and action of bacterial species in the human mouth based on precise genetic testing.

Recent work in the field links imbalances in microbial populations in the gut to such immune disorders as Crohn's disease, as well as to some gastrointestinal cancers. Experts estimate that more than three-quarters of oral cancers are tied to smoking, but it remains to be seen whether smoking-related microbial differences in the mouth contribute to disease risk.

"Our study is the first to suggest that smoking has a profound impact on the oral microbiome," says study senior investigator and epidemiologist Jiyoung Ahn, PhD.

"Further experiments will be needed, however, to prove that these changes weaken the body's defenses against cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke, or trigger other diseases in the mouth, lungs, or gut," says Ahn, an associate professor at NYU Langone and associate director of population sciences at its Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Microbiome Bounces Back

The NYU Langone team relied on mouthwash samples from 1,204 American men and women whose health is already being monitored as part of larger ongoing cancer risk studies funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society. Study volunteers were all age 50 or older and included 112 smokers, 571 former smokers (among whom 17 percent had quit within the past 10 years), and 521 people who never smoked. The team then used genetic tests and statistical analyses to tell apart the thousands of bacteria in each study participant's mouth.

Importantly, the investigators found that the oral microbiome of smokers differed significantly from that of people who had never smoked and those who had quit smoking. The team also found that the oral microbiome of smokers bounces back after they quit smoking, with all former smokers (who had not smoked for at least 10 years) showing the same microbial balance as nonsmokers.

More than 150 bacterial species showed significantly increased growth in the mouths of smokers, while another 70 showed sharp decreases in growth. For instance, smokers had relatively fewer species of Proteobacteria (at 4.6 percent of overall bacteria in the mouth), than nonsmokers (at 11.7 percent), with Proteobacteria shown to be involved in the breakdown of toxic chemicals introduced by smoking. By contrast, smokers had 10 percent more species of Streptococcus than nonsmokers, with Streptococcus known to promote tooth decay.  

Postdoctoral fellow and study co-lead investigator Brandilyn Peters, PhD, cautions that study data did not enable researchers to tell how long it actually takes former smokers to rebalance their oral microbiomes after they stop smoking. But, she adds, further experiments are planned to determine the precise timeline for microbiome recovery.

Ahn says their goal is to identify what happens biologically from smoking-related changes in the oral microbiome. The team also plans to investigate how these smoking-related changes might influence risk for various cancers of the mouth and other parts of the body.

Funding support for the study, which took two years to complete, was provided by National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants R01 CA159036, U01 CA182370, U01 CA170948, R01 CA164964, R03 CA159414, P30 CA016087, and R21 CA183887.

Besides Ahn and Peters, other NYU Langone scientists involved in this research were study co-lead investigator Jing Wu, PhD;Christine Dominianni, PhD; Yilong Zang, MS; Zhiheng Pei, MD; Liying Yang, MD; Yingfei Ma, PhD; Huilin Li, PhD; Alexander Alekseyenko, PhD; and Richard Hayes, DDS, PhD. Additional research support was provided by Mark Purdue, PhD, at the NCI; and by Eric Jacobs, PhD; and Susan Gapstur, PhD, at the American Cancer Society.

Annapolis, MD: March 29, 2016-The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released the Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care. The new CDC summary addresses the fundamental elements needed to prevent transmission of infectious agents, key CDC recommendations, current CDC recommendations from theGuidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings–2003, additional topics, recommendations and information published since 2003 and assessment checklists to evaluate prevention practices.

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) recognizes the importance of these CDC documents and supports CDC’s efforts to guide the profession to provide the safest care possible. To this end, OSAP has created an array of tools and resources at www.osap.org specifically designed to help dental teams understand and comply with the CDC guidelines.

As a trusted source of information for dental educators, consultants, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers, OSAP provides timely updates, advanced education, innovative training tools, referenced answers to vexing infection control questions, and proven strategies to address compliance challenges.The organization has custom-designed tools and resources to help the dental team put the CDC guidelines into practice. These include:

·       From Policy to Practice: OSAP's Interactive Guide to the CDC Guidelines, a free online course with seven modules that break the guidelines down into easily understood principles.

·       CDC Guidelines:  From Policy to Practice by OSAP, a self-study workbook that walks users through the CDC guidelines. Each chapter contains practical how-to instructions, charts and checklists, pictures and captions, answers to common questions, and guidance for making sound clinical judgments. 

·       OSHA & CDC Guidelines: Interact Training System, a program that combines requirements for OSHA annual training with the CDC Guidelines.

·       OSAP Dental Infection Control Educators' & Trainers' Toolkit, a coaching workbook delivered via CD designed to assist with the development, planning, and promotion of successful, high-impact infection control and safety programs and presentations.

In addition, OSAP will keep the dental profession informed using social media, member publications such as InfoBites, expert advice via Ask OSAP, web forums, and special programming at the OSAP Boot Camp, the annual OSAP conference, and national dental meetings. OSAP will also work with consultant, educator, and corporate members, and coordinate with other dental organizations to help inform the dental community.

Dental practitioners and other interested parties are encouraged to check the OSAP website (www.osap.org) frequently and become a member of OSAP to receive timely updates on new resources and gain access to additional educational opportunities as they become available.

Celebrating over 30 years of service to the worldwide dental community, OSAP is a growing community of clinicians, educators, students, policy-makers, and industry representatives who advocate for safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. OSAP focuses on strategies to improve compliance with safe practices and on building a strong network of recognized infection control experts to help dental professionals ensure that every visit is The Safest Dental Visit™ for patients and the dental team.

WALTHAM, Mass., March 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (OTCQB:ILIU), a life sciences company focused on developing and marketing proprietary genetic tests for chronic diseases and health-related conditions, today announced Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for a clinical study to assess the impact of the Company’s PerioPredict Genetic Risk Test on dental patient engagement for more preventive dental care. The study will build on Interleukin Genetics’ evidence base in support of the medical and economic value of the PerioPredict genetic testing platform.

PerioPredict identifies individuals at increased risk for severe periodontitis because they have a genetic tendency to over-produce chronic inflammation, an underlying root cause of many chronic diseases. Dental care and periodontal treatment and maintenance provides a practical access point to significantly lower the systemic inflammatory burden. The use of PerioPredict can help meet the need for improved surveillance and risk stratification of these individuals, enabling personalization of treatment plans and improved outcomes.

The clinical study will evaluate dental patients who routinely visit their dentist once per year by choice, despite having insurance coverage for twice-per-year visits, to ascertain how knowing their increased risk for developing severe periodontal disease due to genetic tendency to overproduce inflammation might impact the frequency of preventive care visits for these patients. The practice-based clinical study will enroll 800 subjects from 20 to 30 general dentistry clinics. The study is expected to launch on May 1, 2016.

“Given the role of inflammation in many chronic diseases, PerioPredict test results may serve as a powerful motivator for an individual to engage and take action to increase preventative dental care, which has been associated with substantial reduction in the cost of managing several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease,” said Mark Carbeau, Chief Executive Officer of Interleukin Genetics. “We believe this study will provide further evidence in support of the clinical utility of PerioPredict, and are excited to be collaborating with such accomplished scientists from prominent, forward-thinking institutions in this effort.”

The study will be conducted by a team with broad expertise, including collaborators Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D., a founding director of the Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine and a professor of Medicine, Pathology and Biomedical Engineering, at Duke University, and Jeffrey L. Fellows, Ph.D., from The Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente – leading experts in the fields of genetic medicine and population health initiatives, respectively. Kenneth Kornman, D.D.S., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Interleukin, will serve as Principal Investigator.

“This study will help us determine how dental professionals can use genetic risk information provided by PerioPredict to positively impact patient behavior and ultimately, improve patient wellness outcomes as well as reduce their healthcare costs,” said Dr. Kornman, Chief Scientific Officer of Interleukin Genetics. “Dental offices provide a potentially powerful access point to reduce systemic inflammation. Our goal is to provide dental offices with additional practical tools they can utilize to enhance health in their at-risk patients and to add value to the dental practice.”

Periodontal disease is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases in developed countries, and better control of the condition has been shown to significantly lower the systemic inflammatory burden.