SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, June 7, 2016–Ultradent Products, Inc., is excited to announce the launch of a consumer-facing online store for the sale of Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste. The site allows United States customers to purchase the toothpaste directly from Ultradent in packs of three.

Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste is available for purchase in the original formula and in the new sensitivity relief formula. Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste Original Formula is formulated to provide excellent whitening effects while helping to strengthen enamel, prevent cavities, and promote oral health. It’s safe for everyday use and comes in a delicious Cool Mint flavor. It offers efficient, quick fluoride release, high enamel fluoride uptake¹,and maximum enamel, dentin, and restoration protection². Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste Sensitivity Formula features all of the whitening and oral health benefits and great flavor as the Original formula, and it also includes Potassium Nitrate to help relieve sensitivity.³ Opalescence Whitening toothpaste, compared with other popular whitening toothpaste brands, is very low abrasion and safe for everyday use. All online orders of Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste come with free shipping.

To learn more or to purchase Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste, please visit opalescence.comand click the “Buy Toothpaste” button in the top right-hand corner. 

The Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology announced the 2016 Pillar Scholarship winners.

The Recipients were: Betty Keller-Zal – Olympia, WA; Brian Artienda, RG – Chesapeake, VA; Don Rosales – Pomona, CA; Erin Popov, RG – Durham, NC; Jacklyn Huskey– Garland, TX; Joel Aviles, RG – Durham, NC; Maria del Carmen L Otero Duran – Fairfax, VA; Mitchell Griffin– Colorado Springs, CO; Oscar Bellamio, RG –Miami, FL; Priscilla Zal – Olympia, WA; Thin Sandar Khine– Rosemead, CA; and Wesley Davis– Richardson, TX.

The Pillar Scholarship is designed to allow qualified dental technicians the opportunity to sit for the three examinations that comprise the Certified Dental Technician (CDT) examination process. Scholarship recipients will have their application and testing fees covered for them to take the written comprehensive examination, the written specialty examination, and the hands-on practical examination, one time each. The scholarship amount awarded varies upon the individual’s current certification process, but could potentially reach up to $1,000.00.

“The Pillar Scholarship has been offered longer than any other grant/scholarship through the Foundation and it continues to deliver great opportunities, as proven by this first-time Spring Pillar Scholarship. Continued popularity and success of this scholarship demonstrates that individuals continue to strive to achieve the voluntary CDT designation, and nothing makes us more proud than assisting in making that happen, said Foundation Chair, Jeff Stronk.”

Pillar Scholarship applications are accepted year round. Those interested in applying for the fall award date (September 15, 2016) can access the application at www.dentallabfoundation.org/resources/pillar-scholarship.

Newswise — The American Dental Hygienists' Assocation just received word that the California Dental Hygienists’ Association House of Delegates have voted to not sign the constituent charter agreement with ADHA. We are disappointed by this development and are committed to ensuring California Dental Hygienists’ continue to have a voice through their national association and to be supported in their professional development throughout their careers.

While ADHA explores chartering a new California constituent, know that all active CDHA members remain a member of ADHA national. We continue to believe in our tripartite structure and and the strength within the local, state and national organization.

Together, we can accomplish so much more and be a strong, collective voice for the dental hygiene profession.

Jill Rethman, ADHA President, and Ann Battrell, CEO would like to thank the California dental hygienists who expressed their support for ADHA during the CDHA House of Delegates.

CINCINNATI—Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have found that adding increasing doses of an approved Type 2 diabetes drug, metformin, to a chemotherapy and radiation treatment regimen in head and neck cancer patients is not well tolerated if escalated too quickly, but allowing slower escalation could be beneficial.

These findings are being presented via poster June 4 at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting: Collective Wisdom, being held June 3-7 in Chicago.

Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology Oncology at the UC College of Medicine, a member of both the Cincinnati Cancer Center and UC Cancer Institute and principal investigator on this study, says retrospective studies have shown improved outcomes in tumors treated with chemotherapy and radiation if they were also on metformin for diabetes.

"In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, which develops in the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat, diabetic patients taking a medication called metformin had better overall survival compared to those not on metformin when also treated with chemotherapy and radiation,” she says. "Additionally, pancreatic cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and metformin required higher doses of metformin—1,000 milligrams twice a day—to experience positive results.

"In basic science studies, metformin has been shown to stop mTOR, a molecular pathway present and active in this type of head and neck cancer, and pretreatment with metformin resulted in a decrease in the occurrence of oral cavity tumors in animal models. In this study, we wanted to see if the combination of escalating doses of metformin with the chemotherapy agent cisplatin and radiation for head and neck cancer tumors in non-diabetic patients would be effective.”

Wise-Draper says that metformin, which is an approved Type 2 diabetes medication, was provided by their investigational pharmacy. Metformin was administered orally in escalating doses for 7 to 14 days prior to starting the cisplatin and radiation and continued throughout standard treatment. Blood samples were collected before and after metformin treatment as well as during chemotherapy. Flow cytometry, a technique used to count cells, was used to detect the percent of circulating immune activated cells, and clinical laboratory tests including glucose, B12 and C-peptide (an amino acid that is important for controlling insulin) were performed.

"This is part of an ongoing clinical trial,” says Wise-Draper. "We found that eight patients with advanced head and neck cancer have been enrolled so far; we plan to have 30 total. Due to the relatively quick escalation of metformin, the patients’ tolerance was poor with higher doses of metformin when initiated 7 days prior to their chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimen.

"Therefore, the protocol was modified to allow slower escalation over 14 days. The most common toxicities observed included nausea (71% of patients) and vomiting (43% of patients), increase in creatinine (57% of patients), decreased white blood cell count (43% of patients) and pain when swallowing (43% of patients) with only nausea being directly attributed to metformin and the rest attributed to cisplatin and radiation.”

She adds that there wasn’t a substantial change in T cell or glucose levels with administration of metformin in the small sample of patients but that there were increased C-peptide levels in response to metformin administration.

"These results show that the combination of metformin and cisplatin and radiation was poorly tolerated when metformin was escalated quickly. However, there has been no significant increase in side effects thus far with the addition of metformin,” Wise-Draper says. "The trial is continuing with escalation of metformin over a longer period of time to provide more data; we will also try to increase our sample size."

This research is being funded by the UC Cancer Institute. Wise-Draper cites no conflict of interest.

Aspen Dental–branded practices will donate $22,375 to The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) as part of a program that contributed $5 for each ViziLite® oral cancer screening conducted during April for Oral Cancer Awareness Month. In total, more than 4,000 patients were screened across more than 550 practices in 33 states.

Since 2010, Aspen Dental-branded practices have donated more than $105,000 to OCF.

“Approximately 48,250 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with an oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year; and of those only about 57% will be alive in five years,” said Natalie Riggs, Director of Special Projects for The Oral Cancer Foundation. In 2016 we estimate that 9500 individuals will lose their lives to oral cancers and we are grateful for the support from Aspen Dental practices in helping us raise awareness and aiding in our efforts to fight this disease.”

Oral cancer is frequently preceded by visible pre-malignant lesions and can be diagnosed at a much earlier stage (I or II) with ViziLite® Plus, a specially designed light technology.  When caught early and treated, the survival rate is 80 to 90 percent.

“We’re working to educate our patients about the risk factors, warning signs and symptoms associated with oral cancer so that we can help them catch the disease before it progresses,” said Dr. Murali Lakireddy, a general dentist who owns Aspen Dental offices in Ohio. “Many of our patients do not think about oral cancer when they go to the dentist, but in fact, oral cancer screenings are just as much a part of your routine dental visit as a deep clean from the hygienist.”

To learn more about oral cancer screenings, visit the OFC website at https://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/how_do_you_know.html.

ROSEMONT, Ill., PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It is estimated that 48 million individuals in the United States lack medical insurance and for those seeking the treatment for head and neck cancers (HNC) the financial burden is only the tip of the iceberg. Investigators from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard found that patients without insurance, as well as those who are on Medicaid, are diagnosed at later stages of their cancer and are less likely to receive adequate treatment, leading to less favorable outcomes. 

"Health Insurance Affects Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Patterns and Outcomes," an article featured in the June issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, details the study, whose purpose was to examine the effect of the lack of adequate insurance coverage on (a) the point in the disease process at which HNC is diagnosed, (b) the quality of treatment the patient receives, and (c) the patient's likelihood of survival.

Compared with privately insured patients, the cancers found in both those who were uninsured or covered by Medicaid were more likely to have metastasized either locally or to more distant areas at the time of diagnosis. In addition, both Medicaid and uninsured patients were far less likely to have received appropriate treatment for HNC, and much more likely to die as a result of their disease.

This study not only underscores the disparity between privately insured patients and those covered by Medicaid or uninsured regarding timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and mortality rates. In addition, the researchers concluded, the huge gap between Medicaid and private insurance should serve as a trigger to increased discussions of how to improve the health care insurance system.

Dentin is one of the most durable biological materials in the human body. Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin were able to show that the reason for this can be traced to its nanostructures and specifically to the interactions between the organic and inorganic components. Measurements performed at BESSYII, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin's synchrotron radiation source, showed that it is the mechanical coupling between the collagen protein fibers and mineral nanoparticles which renders dentin capable of withstanding extreme forces. Results from this research have been recently published in the journal Chemistry of Materials.

In humans, teeth come into contact almost 5,000 times per day under normal use. In spite of this, and although we often use large forces during mastication, it is surprisingly rare for healthy teeth to break. It is widely accepted that the design of teeth makes teeth tough, where an inner core, known as dentin, supports the outer hard enamel cap. The secret to the marked toughness lies in the structural details. Dentin is a bone-like substance, which is composed of mineral nanoparticles, collagen and water. While both enamel and dentine are composed of the same mineral called carbonated hydroxyapatite (cHAP), dentin represents a complex nanocomposite material. It consists of inorganic cHAP nanoparticles embedded in an organic matrix of collagen protein fibers. A group of researchers, led by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Forien and Dr. Paul Zaslansky from Charité's Julius Wolff Institute, had previously shown that residual stress in dentin contributes to the high load-bearing capacity of this biological structure.

Compression stress found within the material can explain why damage or cracks in enamel do not extend catastrophically into the dentin bulk. As part of the new findings, Dr. Zaslansky's team used samples of human teeth to measure how nanoparticles and collagen fibers interact under humidity-driven stress. “It was the first time we succeeded in precisely determining not only the lattice parameters of the cHAP crystals contained within the nanoparticles, but also the spatially-varying size of the nanoparticles themselves. This also allowed us to establish the degree of stress they are generally able to withstand,” says Zaslansky. In order to gain insights into the performance of the nanostructures involved, the researchers used both laboratory experiments and measurements obtained using the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin's synchrotron radiation source BESSY II, a device that produces radiation frequencies ranging from terahertz to hard X-rays.

As part of their experiments, the researchers increased the compressive stress inside the dentin samples. The samples were also dried by heating them to 125ºC. This resulted in the collagen fibers shrinking, leading to huge stress being exerted on the nanoparticles. The ability to withstand forces of up to 300 MPa is equivalent to the yield strength of construction grade steel, and is comparable to 15 times the pressure exerted during mastication of hard food, which usually remains well below 20 MPa. Heat treatment did not lead to the destruction of the protein fibers, suggesting that the mineral nanoparticles also have a protective effect on collagen.

Analysis of the data also showed a gradual reduction in the size of the cHAP crystal lattices as one moves deeper into the tooth. “Tissue found near the dental pulp, which is formed during the later stages of tooth development, contains mineral particles that are made up of smaller cell units,” explains Zaslansky. The nanoparticle length shows the same trend, with the mineral platelets situated near bone on the outer parts of the root measuring approximately 36 nm in length, while those found near the pulp are smaller, only 25 nm long.

Such a design could be used as a model system for new materials development, for example when designing novel dental restoration materials. “Dentin's morphology is considerably more complex than we expected. Enamel is very strong, but also brittle. In contrast, the organic fibers found in dentin appear to exert exactly the right pressure on the mineral nanoparticles that is required to increase the material's repetitive, cyclic load-bearing capacity,” argue the scientists. At least, this is the case as long as the tooth remains intact. Bacteria that cause dental decay soften and dissolve the mineral, and produce enzymes that destroy collagen fibers. Teeth become more fragile as a result and can then break more easily. The findings of this study are also of interest to practicing dentists. Dr. Zaslansky explains: “Our findings highlight an important reason for doctors to keep teeth moist during dental procedures, such as when inserting dental fillings or installing crowns. Avoiding dehydration may very well prevent build-up of internal stresses, the long-term effects of which remain to be studied."

NEW YORK, NY – Today, the Colgate-Palmolive Company and the American Dental Association (ADA) have announced a collaboration in support of Colgate’s annual Oral Health Month program. Now through June 30, the “Share More Time, Share More Smiles” campaign will endeavor to decrease poor oral health outcomes among U.S. Hispanics by inspiring families to share more time, moments and smiles together, as a means of educating them about the importance of proper oral care. 

To engage Hispanic families, “Share More Time, Share More Smiles” will rally around the social media hashtag #TimeToSmile. For each image posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google+ of family members practicing oral hygiene and tagged on social networks, Colgate will donate $1 (up to a maximum of $40,000) to Give Kids A Smile®, an ADA Foundation program that provides free oral health care, education and screening to underserved children.

To help spread the message of proper oral health, Karla Martínez – Colgate spokesperson, TV personality and mother of two – will be attending community events at two Fiesta Mart stores in Houston, TX on Saturday, June 11, 2016, to take photos, meet families and speak about the importance of oral health practices, such as brushing twice a day, flossing daily and visiting a dentist regularly. Colgate products with the ADA Seal of Acceptance will also be featured during the events.

"We're excited about Oral Health Month, which focuses on the importance of prevention and the impact of good dental health on overall health. Good habits — like brushing for two minutes, twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and visiting a dentist regularly — helps keep smiles healthy," said ADA president Carol Gomez Summerhays. "Leading by example is one of the best ways to teach these healthy habits."

In collaboration with the ADA, this campaign will provide bilingual oral health education materials such as sharable infographic, pamphlets and resources on colgate.com/sonrisas. Bilingual videos, articles, downloadable family activities will also be available on the ADA’s site MouthHealthy.org/OralHealthMonth. 

“At Colgate, we are committed to communicating in culturally relevant ways to inform people about proper oral health habits,” said Carla Kelly, general manager, U.S. Multicultural Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive. “‘Share More Time, Share More Smiles’ provides an opportunity to interact with the U.S. Hispanic community in an engaging and educational way to encourage lifetimes and generations of healthy smiles.”

More information about Oral Health Month is available on Twitter at @SonrisaColgate in Spanish for news and oral health tips. Also, bilingual resources for consumers are available on ADA’s Facebook , on Twitter at @AmerDentalAssn and on YouTube. 

PITTSTON, PA — June 1, 2016 —  Dr. Irene Marron-Tarrazzi isn’t just newly elected to the board of the American Dental Association – she’s a periodontist whose inspirational tale encompasses success across two distinct cultures and languages.

As welcome speaker for The Lucy Hobbs Project™ 4^th Annual Celebration that will honor exemplary women in the dental community later this week in Dallas, Texas, she brings the best of both worlds.

“As women we naturally carry many responsibilities,” Dr. Marron-Tarrazzi says. “I hope that, as Lucy Hobbs did, I leave my footstep in the sand by encouraging other women to run independently for leadership roles at the national level.”

She references the project’s namesake Dr. Lucy Hobbs, who when denied access to education based on her gender, persevered to learn dentistry through apprenticeship, and eventually graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery.

Dr. Marron-Tarrazzi embodies that potential, able to draw on her own story to inspire young women looking to pursue a career in dentistry. Now a periodontist in private practice in Miami, Dr. Marron-Tarrazzi hails from Venezuela; she received her DMD in 1996 from Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas. Four years later, she graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with a master’s in science and a certificate in periodontology. (In 2003, she earned a DMD from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.)

The Lucy Hobbs Project 4^th Annual Celebration will begin Thursday evening, June 2 at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218 and continues Friday, June 3 at the Hyatt Regency, 300 Reunion Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75207. Events are free to attend, but registration is required, at: https://www.regmadeeasy.com/benco/the-lucy-hobbs-project/2016/

"What the Lucy Hobbs Celebration event does is tell women that we're shaking things up. Women united like this have a strong voice," said event keynote speaker Libby Gill, a renowned presenter who inspires established and emerging leaders to increase passion in their organizations.

With a network of more than 9,000 members, The Lucy Hobbs Project’s commission to select six honorees each year for the distinction of Exemplary Women in the Dental Community is no easy undertaking. This year, celebration attendees will be awestruck by winners in the following categories: Clinical Expertise, Industry Icon, Mentor, Woman-to-Watch, Innovator, and Humanitarian. Among this year’s recipients are: Joyce Bassett, DDS, FAACD, FAGD, Arizona, Col. Theresa S. Gonzales, Ret., DMD, MS, MSS, South Carolina, Susan Maples, DDS, MSBA, Michigan, Kadambari ‘Kady’ Rawal, BDS, CAGS, Massachusetts, Pamela Schmidt, DDS, NMD, IBDM, Illinois, and Mary Teddy Wray, DDS, Maryland. Meet the winners in the summer edition of Incisal Edge dental lifestyle magazine:

Throughout the two days, attendees will be hosted to events including a Continuing Education opportunity, courtesy of Benco Dental and event sponsors: Crest, Oral-B, Engle Dental Systems, KaVo Kerr Group, Centrix, Hu-Friedy, Medicom and Sunstar.  CE credits will be awarded, at no cost to attendees, via a presentation, “The Proper Care and Feeding of Your Attitude,” led by Robb Zbierski, a personal development instructor who encourages people to embrace their passion and energy to get the job done.

Powered by Benco Dental, The Lucy Hobbs Project is a national, long-term program based on three pillars – networking, innovating and giving back.  This project aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry – dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, receptionists, sales representatives and others. Free to join, the group offers networking opportunities, education programs and charitable events. 

Each year The Lucy Hobbs Project collaborates with a national partner to give back, and for 2016, will help the National Head Start Association (NHSA) provide healthy snacks to children in need. The Give Back portion of The Lucy Hobbs Project 4^th Annual Celebration will benefit Head Start of Greater Dallas. In lieu of a fee for this event, attendees are asked to donate non-perishable, healthy snacks.

Committed to the belief that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in life, the NHSA provides opportunities that lead to healthier, empowered children and families, and stronger, more vibrant communities. For more information about the NHSA or Head Start of Greater Dallas, visit their websites at: https://www.nhsa.org/  and https://www.hsgd.org/.

To access details regarding these events or to sign up for The Lucy Hobbs Project^®, visit: www.thelucyhobbsproject.com

The initial allocation of seats for Nobel Biocare’s 2016 Global Symposium in New York has been filled. Nobel Biocare will welcome over 2,000 dental professionals to the event, which takes place June 23–26 at the iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, US.

Given the high demand, a limited number of additional places have been made available, though they are expected to fill up quickly. Those who wish to attend the event should visit nobelbiocare.com/global-symposium-2016 or contact their local Nobel Biocare representative as soon as possible.

Under the banner “Where innovation comes to life,” participants will experience a program that combines lectures and master classes from world-renowned speakers with practical hands-on training in the latest techniques in implant dentistry. Attendees will also discover the new innovative additions to Nobel Biocare’s range of products and solutions.

The four-day program is divided into three main themes, each addressing current opportunities and challenges for dental professionals. The themes are:

- Treatment enhancement and refinement – evidence counts

- Reaching excellence in esthetics by joining the journey of digital dentistry

- Achieving clinical excellence in challenging situations

If participants choose to follow only one theme, each lineup has been scheduled so that they will not have to miss any of the related sessions. Alternatively, attendees can also pick and choose between the different themes and attend the sessions that interest them most.

For the first time at a Nobel Biocare dental event, dental professionals around the world could directly influence the Nobel Biocare Global Symposium program by voting on various topics, formats, and speakers. Using a crowdsourcing model, visitors to the event website could vote for the topics they would like to see featured at the event. Those that received the most votes were incorporated into the program. The chosen sessions were two case studies – one on soft tissue management, the other on immediate loading protocols – and a keynote lecture on “the true benefits of digital dentistry.”

The evolution of digital dentistry will be a key focus, with attendees able to visit a digitally enabled practice that showcases current technology as well as potential future innovations that could further increase integration, collaboration and efficiency.

Hans Geiselhöringer, President, Nobel Biocare and Dental Imaging, said, “The Nobel Biocare team is now looking forward to welcoming a record number of dental professionals from across the globe to the Nobel Biocare Global Symposium 2016. We promise all those attending an educational and inspirational experience in a fantastic setting, and that they will leave with new perspectives and practical skills to utilize in their practice or laboratory. They will also be the first to see innovative new Nobel Biocare products and solutions that will help them take treatment results to the next level.”

Dental professionals who have questions about the event should contact their local Nobel Biocare representative.

To view the full program for the Nobel Biocare Global Symposium 2016, please visit nobelbiocare.com/global-symposium-2016.