Tokyo – The part of the jawbone containing tooth sockets is known as alveolar bone, and its loss over time or following dental disease may ultimately result in tooth loss. While dentures can be used as a tooth replacement, the mechanical stimuli under the dentures causes further bone loss. An alternative and more permanent solution is strongly hoped for. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) has been used to stimulate osteogenesis (bone formation) in humans, but high levels can cause inflammation and tumor development. Therefore, agents such as peptide drugs for accelerating bone augmentation need to be developed, even in the presence of lower levels of BMP-2. Additionally, there are no known means of stimulating local bone augmentation without performing surgery.

The peptide OP3-4 has been shown to inhibit bone decay and stimulate the differentiation of cells (osteoblasts) that form bone. Now, an international team centered at Tokyo Medical and Dental University has injected a gelatin-based gel carrying OP3-4 and BMP-2 into mice jawbones to trigger local augmentation of bone around the injection site. The study was recently reported in the Journal of Dental Research.

Use of this injectable gelatin-based gel to carry the agents avoids the need for surgical implantation and resulted in no swelling or other such complications in the experimental mice. The researchers observed a region of increased bone mass around the BMP-2 + OP3-4 injection site that was larger than that seen in mice injected with BMP-2 alone, or with other controls. This mass also had a significantly higher bone mineral content and density.

Microscopic examination revealed the deposition of calcified tissue (mineralization) throughout the newly formed bone of BMP-2 + OP3-4-treated mice.

“Mineralization of the outer region evidently took place before that of the inner region,” lead author Tomoki Uehara says. “We speculate that the size of the new bone is determined before calcification starts, and that OP3-4 plays an important role in making a regeneration site at the early stage of bone formation.”

Corresponding author Kazuhiro Aoki adds: “OP3-4 further enhanced the number of bone-forming cells induced by BMP-2 treatment, and greatly increased the expression of genetic markers of bone formation.”

The article “Delivery of RANKL-Binding Peptide OP3-4 Promotes BMP-2-Induced Maxillary Bone Regeneration” was published in the Journal of Dental Research at DOI: 10.1177/0022034516633170.

Alexandria, Va., USA – The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published a special issue of the Journal of Dental Research (JDR) on orofacial pain. Ronald Dubner, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, served as the guest editor of this special issue.

Today, pain is a health problem that requires a broader perspective than in the past. Millions of people suffer from overlapping chronic pain conditions that share co-morbid behavioral, physiological and psychological characteristics as well as genetic determinants. Many of these conditions affect the orofacial region uniquely or have accompanied widespread systemic manifestations. This includes temporomandibular disorders (TMD), headache, arthritis, and fibromyalgia, to name just a few.

The recognition of the above issues and their importance to students, dental scientists and practitioners has led to this special issue, which highlights the latest developments in the field of chronic orofacial pain. This issue was inspired by the November 2015, 8th AADR Fall Focused Symposium in Washington, D.C., USA, themed "Advances in the Biology and Management of Chronic Pain."

"I am honored that I was able to serve as the guest editor of this special JDR issue on orofacial pain," said Guest Editor Ronald Dubner. "It's pertinent that we focus on the management of orofacial pain for the benefit of our patients and researchers in the field. The articles in this issue include the impact of persistent orofacial pain beyond the orofacial region, its presence as a component of generalized illness and the important evolution of TMD diagnosis in the last decade. I am thankful to the outstanding basic and clinical researchers who contributed their science for publication."

To read the JDR special issue on orofacial pain, please visit https://jdr.sagepub.com.

Since 2009, United States residents have adopted more children from China than any other country. Since China has a high prevalence of cleft lip and palate, some of these children require extra medical care early in their lives. Many prospective families are fearful of the treatment costs needed by a child affected by cleft lip and palate. However, recent research suggests that the costs are not nearly as high as previously thought.

A study conducted between 2010 and 2013 and published in The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal reviewed the records of 138 patients from the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania who underwent first-time cleft palate repair. For the purposes of the study, 118 US-born children were surveyed against 20 international adoptees, with payments to surgeons, anesthesiologists, and the hospital compared between the two groups.

When analyzing the breakdown of payments made by parents of children with cleft palates, they made a few surprising finds. Twenty-six percent of US-born children were covered by Medicaid insurance, but none of the adoptees were eligible. This resulted in the average adoptees’ payments being much higher as compared to the average payments for US-born patients. However, the payment to anesthesiologists and the hospital were actually lower for international adoptees. As a result, the total payment for treatment was relatively similar for both groups.

Overall, the authors of the study concluded that families considering adoption of a child with cleft palate should not be concerned with incurring excessive costs for the child’s repair surgery. As international adoptions and wait times have increased dramatically since the mid-1990s, considering a child with a birth defect could expedite the process of family placement and lead to more children in need finding a home.

Full text of the article, “Economic Analysis of Cleft Palate Repair in International Adoptees,” The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal, Vol. 53, No. 5, 2016, are available at https://www.cpcjournal.org/doi/full/10.1597/14-227.

Newswise — FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A biological anthropologist at the University of Arkansas and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Marquette University have received a $219,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study skull and jaw anatomy in 16 closely related primate species, including humans.

The study will focus on how the teeth, jaw and related joints work together as a chewing system and how the components are affected by aging and abnormal changes.

“We’re trying to provide a more complete picture of the anatomical interrelationships of this complex system,” said Claire Terhune, assistant professor of anthropology in the

J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “We hope not only to address how the different components are correlated but also show how changes occur during the lifetime of an individual, and how primate species differ from one another in these changes. By changes, we mean both normal and pathological dental wear, as well as normal and abnormal, or arthritic, changes in the temporomandibular joint.”

The temporomandibular joint (or TMJ) connects the jaw to the temporal bones of the skull and sometimes develops pathologically in primates, resulting in an arthritic joint. But very little research has been done regarding which primate species experience these arthritic changes and how often this occurs. The research may help to explain these pathologies and inform clinical studies of dental problems in humans.

In addition to studying changes that occur at different ages, the researchers will compare the 16 closely related primate species and look for similarities in the degree of evolutionary change over time.

“Do two shapes or pathologies vary in relation to one another?” said Terhune. “Do you always see dental pathologies, such as tooth loss or abscesses, occurring with osteoarthritis in the temporomandibular joint? These are the kind of questions we’re asking.”

Data from the study will be made available to both anthropological and biomedical researchers.

In addition to travel for data collection, the grant will support a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Arkansas and involvement by undergraduate students.

Terhune’s colleagues are Siobhán Cooke at Johns Hopkins University and Claire Kirchhof at Marquette University.

Due to high demand, BEGO for the fourth time is offering its customers the opportunity to stay on exclusive ships directly on the Rhine during the world's leading trade fair of the dental industry, the International Dental Show (IDS).

The traditional Bremer company will once again be presenting its latest conventional, CAD/CAM, and implantology solution at IDS from March 21-25, 2017. As in the past, BEGO can be found in hall 10.2 on booth M020/N029 with its 500-sqm large fair stand.

“We are already looking forward to inspiring our customers at the IDS – not only with our booth and our product portfolio, but also with a stay on our exclusive ships,” says Jürgen Schultze, international sales manager of BEGO Bremer Goldschlägerei and BEGO Medical.

As a special highlight, the BEGO ships as well as the BEGO International Youth Boat for dental trainees will be offered. The ships MS AMELIA & MS SWISS TIARA, which are available exclusively for BEGO customers, are first-class-quality accommodations with a professional level of service in a warm, elegant atmosphere. The offer contains an overnight stay in a spacious cabin, an international breakfast buffet, and shuttle service to the fair for 299 Euros per night in a single room or 399 Euros in a double room.

Those who are interested should reserve this accommodation package as soon as possible. All information can be found online at www.bego.com/bego-ships. The registration form can also be downloaded here.

Roland DGA announced that Andrew Oransky has been appointed the company’s new President. Oransky previously served as Roland DGA’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and prior to that was Director of Marketing and Product Management for the Irvine, California-based company.

“All of us at Roland have great confidence in Andrew’s knowledge across our multiple industries and business operations, as well as his excellent leadership abilities,” says David Goward, CEO of Roland DGA and Executive Vice President, Director of Roland DG. “With his guidance, we expect Roland DGA to experience continued growth and success in the years to come.”

This year, Roland launched its most advanced wide-format inkjet printers to date, as well as new dental milling technology, and the company has plans to unveil additional cutting-edge products in the coming months.

For more information on Roland DGA Corporation, or the complete Roland product lineup, visit rolanddga.com.

PITTSTON, PA--(Marketwired - August 18, 2016) - What do three dentists, an architect, a global healthcare designer and educator, an accomplished woodworker and you have in common?

The 4th annual Incisal Edge Design Competition sponsored by Herman Miller, for one.

Incisal Edge, the leading lifestyle magazine for dental professionals, offers an opportunity for national recognition for those who incorporated creativity and innovation when creating their dental practice. Nominations will be accepted through September 9, 2016, and winners will be awarded prizes in each of the contest's three categories: new construction, repurposed practice, and specialty practice. Each winner will receive:

• an Aeron Chair valued at $3,000 provided by Herman Miller,

• a professional photo session for their practice,

• a profile in Incisal Edge dental lifestyle magazine's Winter issue, and

• bragging rights for eternity.

For contest specifics, visit: IEDesignContest.com, an entry point created for ease of use, where previous year's winners provide motivation, and detailed instructions offer helpful tips.

A juried panel from the dental and architectural worlds will select America's most striking practices. Each judge performs a comprehensive review of numerous submissions, including practice photos and floor plans, along with explanations of how each attains a functional balance of design, operation, and technology. Get the inside track on the blue ribbon panel of judges:

JOYCE BASSETT, DDS, FAACD, FAGD, studied biology as an undergrad at the University of Toledo at age 16, and entered the College of Dentistry at Ohio State by 19. Without skipping a beat, Dr. Bassett opened a private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, with its focus on complex rehabilitation cases. Voted among the Top 5 Female CE Educators, this national lecturer and published author founded the Women Teaching Women Cosmetic Learning Facility, which has been an adjunct teaching site for the Arizona Dental School. The state's only accredited Fellow in The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Bassett recently earned the appointment of President for the organization.

DAVID BISHOP, DDS, received his doctorate of dental surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio Dental School. While pursuing his education, he worked summers constructing houses with his uncle in Missouri, and later used these skills -- along with his father's assistance -- to design and build from the ground up his dental office on Greenville Avenue in Allen, Texas. At The Dentist of Allen, which earned an Incisal EdgeDesign Award in 2014, the accomplished woodworker joined, cut, pegged, and constructed by hand (from 54,000 pounds of rough cut cypress; no metal whatsoever) the timber frame that can be viewed in the reception area.

TRISTAN HAMILTON, DDS, M. ARCH., holds degrees in architecture (from Andrews University in Michigan) and dentistry (from Loma Linda University in Southern California). He practiced as an architect for several years in Washington, D.C.; among the projects he worked on were renovations of numerous U.S. embassies around the world. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, where he practices in an office he designed himself, a space previously featured in Incisal Edge as one of the best dental offices in America.

PHYLLIS MARSHALL-RICE, LEED AP, EDAC is the Healthcare Design Manager at Herman Miller, Inc., where for 24 years she has contributed in various design and design-related training roles. There, she and her team focus on creative and adaptive solutions for both inpatient, outpatient, and administrative facilities, working with and supporting major healthcare systems and Herman Miller dealers throughout the country, as well as globally. Currently she serves on the East Carolina University Interior Design Advisory Board. A LEED Associate Professional who is EDAC certified (Evidence Based Design Accreditation and Certification), she holds a BFA in Environmental Design from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

Published by Benco Dental, Incisal Edge celebrates dentists' achievements both inside the operatory and during their hard-earned downtime. To celebrate excellence in dental design, the magazine will profile the winners of its 4th annual design competition in the magazine's winter edition. For additional information regarding Incisal Edge magazine, visit:https://www.incisaledgemagazine.com

Genetically analysing lesions in the food pipe could provide an early and accurate test for oesophageal cancer, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and Arizona State University. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that some cells that are 'born to be bad' could be identified early on, preventing the need for repeated endoscopies.

Barrett's Oesophagus is a common condition that affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK alone, although many are undiagnosed. This condition involves normal cells in the oesophagus (food pipe) being replaced by an unusual cell type called Barrett's Oesophagus, and is thought to be a consequence of chronic reflux (heartburn).

People with Barrett's have an increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer - a cancer that has a five year survival of 15 per cent. Although the overall lifetime risk of developing oesophageal cancer in people with Barrett's is significant, most Barrett's patients will not develop cancer in their lifetime. It is the unfortunate few who will develop an aggressive cancer.

Currently there is no easy way to distinguish between high and low-risk Barrett's patients. Regular surveillance by endoscopy is the current best way to prevent cancer. During an endoscopy a camera is pushed into the oesophagus to look for early signs of cancer, and treatment is then given to those who need it. A test based on the genetic make-up of the Barrett's lesions could benefit patients through improved diagnosis, giving people at high risk of cancer the best care, and reducing the burden of endoscopy for those at low risk.

Dr Trevor Graham from QMUL's Barts Cancer Institute said: "We have shown that some Barrett's oesophagus lesions are 'born to be bad' - and conversely that some are 'born to be benign'. Once these results are validated in other patients and over longer periods of time, we will be able to say with confidence which people with the benign form can be spared unnecessary endoscopy and worry. This will dramatically improve the quality of life for people with Barrett's, and provide substantial cost saving to healthcare providers."

The team followed up more than 300 Barrett's patients over three years, and analysed around 50,000 cells in the process. They performed genetic analysis of individual cells and measured the genetic diversity in each lesion to track it over time. The results validated a previous group's discovery that measurement of the genetic diversity between Barrett's cells in any given lesion is a good predictor of which patients are at high risk of developing cancer.

Genetic diversity describes how diverse the genetic make-up of individual cells is in any given group of cells. The reason that this is a good predictor of cancer risk could be because the more diverse the Barrett's cell population is, the more likely it is that one will be a 'bad egg' that will progress to cancer.

In addition, the team found that there were no significant changes in genetic diversity during the three years that the patients were followed. This suggests that the genetic diversity amongst a person's Barrett's cells is essentially fixed over time, and mutations have little impact on the lesion's development. Whenever someone's Barrett's is tested, their future risk can be predicted regardless of how soon it is after the appearance of abnormal cells.

Dr Graham commented: "Our findings are important because they imply that a person's risk of developing oesophageal cancer is fixed over time. In other words, we can predict from the outset which Barrett's patients fall into a high risk group of developing cancer - and that risk does not change thereafter."

Professor Sheila Krishnadath from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam said: "We have been working for over 10 years on collecting and typing single cells of this large group of Barrett's patients. The analysis by our unique collaboration indicates that the cancer risk in these relatively benign early lesions is determined by the number of abnormal clones that has been established in the Barrett's mucosa, rather than by specific gene abnormalities."

Brasseler USA^®, a leading manufacturer of innovative, quality dental instrumentation, introduces an innovative new spin on basic, plastic snap-on polishers with the new VersaFlex^™ diamond-coated disposable polishing system. Unlike traditional Mylar^® (plastic) polishers, VersaFlex is outfitted with a durable diamond coating that provides numerous advantages over traditional aluminum oxide-coated polishers.   

VersaFlex’s diamond coating delivers unprecedented results. It gently yet effectively smooths all surface irregularities; powerfully and effortlessly eliminating rough exterior areas caused by  adjusting and finishing while leaving behind a high-gloss, aesthetically pleasing exterior on any restorative material.

The flexible design of VersaFlex easily conforms to the individual contours of each tooth, providing unrestricted access to even hard-to-reach locations, such as tight interproximal areas, for a thorough finish every time. In addition, VersaFlex works well on a wide variety of restorative materials, including composites, all-ceramic materials and metal restorations.

Two diamond-coated Mylar strips are included in the VersaFlex four-step polishing system and each single-sided strip is outfitted with two diamond-abrasive grit choices: super-coarse/coarse or medium/fine. To fulfill a variety of individual restorative requirements, VersaFlex polishers are also available in two sizes: 12mm and 10mm. Each polishing disc seamlessly snaps onto either a right-angle latch or straight low-speed handpiece mandrel.

For more information about the new VersaFlex and all Brasseler USA products and services, please visit www.BrasselerUSA.comor call 800-841-4522 today.

Zest Anchors unveiled Zest Dental Solutions as its new company name, reflecting both the evolution the company has realized and its vision for the future. 

For nearly 40 years, Zest Anchors has focused on improving the lives of edentulous patients throughout the world with innovative, functional products for overdenture treatment. The company’s flagship product, the LOCATOR® Attachment System, continues to be recognized by the implant industry, clinicians, and patients as the most trusted brand for overdenture restorations. Never remaining idle, the company set its sights on providing more patient solutions by introducing a line of narrow-diameter dental implants, the CHAIRSIDE® Product Portfolio consisting of dental tools and materials for overdenture modification and processing, and the next generation LOCATOR R-Tx™ Removable Attachment System. The company will enter the fixed full-arch restoration segment with its innovative LOCATOR F-Tx™ Fixed Attachment System with a commercial launch slated for Q4. In early 2016, further expanding the breadth of its product portfolio, the company acquired Danville Materials, a leading manufacturer of restorative consumables, small equipment, and unique minimally invasive treatment solutions such as Perioscopy. This acquisition propels and positions Zest as a company that offers product solutions for a continuum of patient care from preservation of natural teeth to edentulous treatment options. 

"Zest’s success and evolution has led it to be much more than just an 'Anchors' company deserving of a name that mirrors its vision for the future," the company says in a release. For this reason, Zest Anchors, Danville Materials, and the Perioscopy product portfolios will all roll up under the umbrella company name Zest Dental Solutions, with the new name reflecting the diversity of the product portfolio and positioning the company for continued growth and future expansion. As a result of this growth and expansion, Zest Dental Solutions (zestdent.com) has moved into a new 46,000-square-foot corporate headquarters located in Carlsbad, California. Zest Dental Solutions' total facility footprint will be in excess of 75,000 square feet. 

“Customers and patients have come to know and trust Zest for delivering high quality products that work”, says Steve Schiess, Zest Dental Solutions' CEO. “Adding Dental Solutions to the name not only reinforces Zest as a solutions based company, it shows our valued customers that the company is committed to continuing its innovative spirit by delivering future solutions to meet their needs.” 

For more information about Zest Dental Solutions' new branding, or information about the new corporate headquarters, go to zestdent.com.