A unique concept that delivers enhanced esthetics and improved color stability for zirconium oxide has been born out of the collaboration between Dentaurum Group and Doceram Medical Ceramics. It combines two premium brands, ceraMotion^® and Nacera^®, to form the new "One Touch Concept," coordinated to deliver a diverse, high-performance range of products.

Together, they help technicians more easily serve every indication and processing technique for esthetic, fully anatomical restorations using zirconium oxide.

The companies have collaborated on joint research and development for more than a year. Dentaurum, located in Ispringen, Germany, is a  fourth-generation family-run company that develops, produces, and sells high-quality products for prosthetics, orthodontics, and dental implants worldwide. Doceram Medical Ceramics, located in Dortmund, Germany, manufacturs high-performance industrial ceramics, the success of which is based on a materials expertise that spans more than 20 years. The collaboration brings together the strengths of two dental companies that share the same philosophy and concerns for safety and quality for products "Made in Germany."

Two all-ceramic systems that fit together perfectly

The “One Touch Concept” combines flagships from both companies: the modern ceraMotion^® veneering ceramics system, with its specially developed two- and three-dimensional One Touch pastes, and the shaded, highly translucent zirconium oxide milling blanks, Nacera^® Pearl. Not only are the individual components perfectly matched where color is concerned, they also fulfill the user's requirements and demands for simplicity, color reliability, and esthetics.

"Experience plays an important role in prosthetics - this is true for the user and for the manufacturer," says Anne Christine Kocherscheidt, Product Manager at Dentaurum. "The dental technician is looking for simple systems that have been tried and tested and are effective. They want systems that are based on technological know-how from manufacturers with a sound understanding of their needs. The One Touch Concept fulfils all of the requirements expected of modern, all-ceramic restorations."

Innovative power twice over for real added value

"The research departments at Dentaurum and Doceram have been working intensively for many years on the development of ceramic materials," says Sascha Holstein, Director Business Unit at Doceram Medical Ceramics. "Our collaboration is a perfect synergy of many years of experience and a consistent innovative power - it is a win-win situation twice over from which the users will benefit in particular. The new product concept  resulting from this collaboration is only the first of more to come."

Kocherscheidt adds: "We will continue to share our knowledge and to work together on developing new high-performance materials. One strong brand is valuable, but two strong brands combined in one system really does mean genuine added value for the user!"

It is not only the field of technology in which the two companies are working together: The Dentaurum Group will serve as the exclusive distributor  for all Nacera^® products in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, providing high-level service and consultation in these countries.

For the US market, all Nacera® products are available through Nacera US Inc.

NEW YORK, NY–Columbia College of Dental Medicine researchers have identified stem cells that can make new cartilage and repair damaged joints.

The cells reside within the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which articulates the jaw bone to the skull. When the stem cells were manipulated in animals with TMJ degeneration, the cells repaired cartilage in the joint. A single cell transplanted in a mouse spontaneously generated cartilage and bone and even began to form a bone marrow niche.

The findings were published on Oct. 10 in Nature Communications.

“This is very exciting for the field because patients who have problems with their jaws and TMJs are very limited in terms of clinical treatments available,” said Mildred C. Embree, DMD, PhD, assistant professor of dental medicine at Columbia and the lead author of the study. Dr. Embree’s team, the TMJ Biology and Regenerative Medicine Lab, conducted the research with colleagues including Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD, the Edwin S. Robinson Professor of Dentistry (in Orthopedic Surgery) at Columbia.

Up to 10 million people in the United States, primarily women, have TMJ disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health. Options for treatment currently include either surgery or palliative care, which addresses symptoms but can’t regenerate the damaged tissue. Dr. Embree’s findings suggest that stem cells already present in the joint could be manipulated to repair it.

Cartilage helps to cushion the joints and allows them to move smoothly. The type of cartilage within the TMJ is fibrocartilage, which is also found in the knee meniscus and in the discs between the vertebrae. Because fibrocartilage cannot regrow or heal, injury or disease that damages this tissue can lead to permanent disability.

Medical researchers have been working to use stem cells, immature cells that can develop into various types of tissue, to regenerate cartilage. Given the challenges of transplanting donor stem cells, such as the possibility of rejection by the recipient, researchers are especially interested in finding ways to use stem cells already living in the body.

“The implications of these findings are broad,” said Dr. Mao, “including for clinical therapies. They suggest that molecular signals that govern stem cells may have therapeutic applications for cartilage and bone regeneration. Cartilage and certain bone defects are notoriously difficult to heal.” Dr. Mao is co-director of the Center for Craniofacial Regeneration at Columbia. His own research with stem cells has regenerated teeth and the meniscus, the pad of cartilage within the knee joint, and the TMJ in 2003.

In a series of experiments described in the new report, Dr. Embree, Dr. Mao, and their colleagues isolated fibrocartilage stem cells (FCSCs) from the joint and showed that the cells can form cartilage and bone, both in the laboratory and when implanted into animals. “I didn’t have to add any reagents to the cells,” Dr. Embree said. “They were programmed to do this.” And while some approaches to regenerating injured tissue require growth factors or biomaterials for the cells to grow on, she noted, the FCSCs grew and matured spontaneously.

Dr. Embree and her team also identified a molecular signal, Wnt, that depletes FCSCs and causes cartilage degeneration. Injecting a Wnt-blocking molecule called sclerostin into degenerated TMJs in animals stimulated cartilage growth and healing of the joint.

She and her colleagues are now searching for other small molecules that could be used to inhibit Wnt and promote FCSC growth. The idea, according to Dr. Embree, will be to find a drug with minimal side effects that could be injected right into the joint.

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis can have stunted jaw growth that can’t be treated with existing drugs, Dr. Embree noted. Since the TMJ is a growth center for the jaw, the new research may offer strategies for treating these children and lead to a better understanding of how the jaw grows and develops. While orthodontists currently rely on clunky technologies like headgear to modify jaw growth, she added, the findings could point toward ways to modulate growth on the cellular level.

Ultimately, Dr. Embree and her team say, the findings could lead to strategies for repairing fibrocartilage in other joints, including the knees and vertebral discs. “Those types of cartilage have different cellular constituents, so we would have to really investigate the molecular underpinnings regarding how these cells are regulated,” the researcher said.

The study is titled, “Exploiting endogenous fibrocartilage stem cells to regenerate cartilage and repair joint injury.”

How do we ensure that all seniors get access to needed dental care? The Santa Fe Group and its partners are looking for answers. Their recent salon, Expanding Oral Healthcare for America’s Seniors, brought leaders together to develop initiatives to improve the understanding on aging and oral health.

In this interview with Compendium, Dr. Richard Valachovic. President and CEO of the American Dental Education Association, explains how this issue has always been present but now the focus is on bringing inter-professional education, collaborative care, and a team based approach to the issue, in ways that have not been discussed before.

Daily, thousands of Americans wake up on their first day of retirement with no dental health benefits. How do we ensure that all seniors get access to needed dental care?

At their recent salon, Expanding Oral Healthcare for America’s Seniors, the Santa Fe Group and a diverse group of leaders came together to develop initiatives to improve the understanding on aging and oral health. They also teamed up to look for answers on how to achieve the important goal of expanded access to basic dental care for the aging American population.

In this interview, Dr. R. Bruce Donoff, Dean of Harvard School of Dental Medicine, spoke with Compendium about the issue of coverage in Medicare as a way to bring medicine and dentistry together at a practical level.

PHILADELPHIA /PRNewswire/ -- The Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to innovative leadership in health care and named after the late Dr. Edward B. Shils, held its 2016 Shils Awards ceremony on October 5. The Awards recognize people, organizations, and programs that positively influence the dental community and the public oral health arena. They were presented at the Shils Fund Dinner, held at the Union League of Philadelphia. 

"For 14 years, the Shils Fund has celebrated innovation, recognized excellence, and honored the visionaries that shape our industry and protect the oral health of so many," said Steven W. Kess, President of the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund's Board of Directors. "This year's honorees exemplify Ed's dedication to the values of entrepreneurship and education, and I believe that he would be incredibly proud to see the impact their talent, compassion, and leadership have had in our communities."

Shils served as the Executive Director of the Dental Manufacturers of America and the Dental Dealers of America for almost 50 years and earned six degrees—including three doctorates—from the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as a professor and Chair of the Management Department at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was also instrumental in establishing the Wharton Entrepreneurial Center, the first institute dedicated to the academic study of entrepreneurialism.

Because of his stewardship, scholarship, and encouragement of innovative business practices in dentistry, the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund was established by the dental industry to recognize those whose contributions reflect a similarly enduring commitment to innovation in the field of oral health.

Three different awards were presented at the event:

-The Shils-Meskin Award, named after Dr. Shils and Dr. Lawrence Meskin, a renowned dental educator and former Dean of the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine;

-The Shils Award, which is a monetary prize given to people and programs from all sectors of the health care community in recognition of their positive impact on the field and their respective communities; and

-The Special Recognition Award, which acknowledges people and programs for their work to improve the oral health and well-being of others.

The 2016 Shils-Meskin Award, which is given at the discretion of the Board of Directors to an individual of great character and modesty in the face of renowned achievement and well-deserved recognition, was given to Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, the Principal Deputy Director and the Deputy Ethics Councilor of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Tabak was recognized for his dedication to and advocacy for the advancement of dental research and leadership at the NIH. Some of Tabak's many accomplishments include the NIH Roadmap effort to support team science, the NIH Director's initiative to enhance peer-review, and the NIH's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Tabak is just the eighth person since 2002 to receive the Shils-Meskin Award.

This year's Shils Awards were presented to:

-Dr. Laurie M. McCauley, for her outstanding leadership as a health educator as the Dean of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and for her commitment to researching the prevention of early tooth decay;

-Dr. Carolyn Primus, the President of Avalon Biomed Inc., for her innovation and development of many products for fixed prosthodontics, orthodontics, and endodontics to enhance dental procedures and advance the dental profession;

-Dr. Othman Shibly, the Director of the Post Graduate Program in Periodontics for the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, for his exceptional leadership as a dental educator and for his participation in medical missions to help Syrian refugees in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon; and

-The Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11^th Street Family Health Services, an organization that provides quality, comprehensive health services to residents of the public housing units in Philadelphia's 11^th Street Corridor.

Dr. Sidney Whitman, the Director of Pediatric Dentistry at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, received this year's Special Recognition Award for his advocacy for and lifelong dedication to improving the oral health of thousands of children living in the Delaware Valley and New Jersey.

Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. delivered remarks about his personal relationship with Dr. Shils and the effect Dr. Shils had on so many people.

"Ed was an unforgettable man with an uncanny ability to forge friendships and empower all those fortunate enough to know and work with him," Mr. Bergman said. "His unmatched belief in the power of education and entrepreneurship have had an incredible impact on our industry, and it is so comforting to see his legacy being carried on by the people and programs honored here tonight."

Mobile tablets, commonplace in many aspects of clinical practice in health care settings, have arrived in the dental industry with the introduction of the 3M™ Mobile True Definition Scanner, a one-of-a-kind tabletbased intraoral scanner that fits in your hand.

The compact, ergonomic design is similar to rechargeable tablets that patients and clinicians use in their daily lives, allowing clinicians to move freely between operatories without power cords or carts. Flexible mounting options help to minimize workspace clutter, offering more space for the clinician and assistant to maneuver in small spaces. Informed discussion and visual patient communication is made easy with a system that can be placed directly into the hands or lap of a patient, where they can experience a cutting-edge digital visualization of their oral anatomy, and ultimately, a better understanding of proposed treatments. With easy setup – users can unbox and scan in less than an hour – the 3M Mobile True Definition Scanner can seamlessly integrate into the practice.

“The 3M Mobile True Definition Scanner takes the patient experience to another level,” said Karen Burquest, digital oral care global business director at 3M Oral Care. “This scanner offers clinicians the flexibility to place the tablet in the patient’s hands so they can experience unprecedented access, while the clinician educates them about the treatment process. Because the tablet is compact and operates on battery, clinicians can easily hand carry the scanner between operatories. This scanner will impact the landscape of digital dentistry.”

Developed with the tradition of 3M science in mind, this new scanner is designed to deliver convenience for practitioners, as well as a memorable visual experience for the patient. “At 3M Oral Care, we are committed to inventing new products and processes that will positively impact a patients’ oral health for years to come,” concluded Burquest.

Restorations created from scans are proven to be accurate – and more consistently accurate – than other leading intraoral scanners, with a 99.7 percent fit rate. This paired with the smallest wand on the market means scanning with this system is not only comfortable for clinician and patient alike, it delivers precision clinicians can trust. With a low-price entry into digital impressioning at just $16,995, this new mobile scanner fits the size, mobility, practice requirements and budget needs of practitioners. The decision to adopt digital scanning just got a little easier.

For more information on the new 3M Mobile True Definition Scanner, visit www.3m.com/TrueDef.

There is strong evidence of the importance of oral health for seniors. Unfortunately, every day, thousands of Americans wake up on their first day of retirement with no dental health benefits. How do we ensure that all seniors get access to needed dental care?

The Santa Fe Group and its partners are looking for answers. Their recent salon, Expanding Oral Healthcare for America’s Seniors, brought leaders together to develop initiatives to improve the understanding on aging and oral health. 

In this interview, Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, Global Director of Scientific Affairs for Colgate-Palmolive describes the resources and partnerships needed to improve senior oral health.

There is strong evidence of the importance of oral health for seniors. Unfortunately, every day, thousands of Americans wake up on their first day of retirement with no dental health benefits. How do we ensure that all seniors get access to needed dental care?

The Santa Fe Group and its partners are looking for answers. Their recent salon, Expanding Oral Healthcare for America’s Seniors, brought leaders together to develop initiatives to improve the understanding on aging and oral health. 

The Executive Director of the AADR, Christopher Fox took a moment to speak with Compendium about the need to help older Americans maintain their teeth longer. 

DENTSPLY introduced SDR™ technology in 2009, enabling dentists to bulk-fill up to 4mm instead of placing and curing multiple composite layers in Class I and II restorations. In 2016, SureFil SDR flow+ material enhanced this technology for use in an expanded range of indications while also offering more shades, greater wear resistance and increased radiopacity. 

Now, a five-year clinical study shows that SureFil SDR flow+ material can be used in bulk-fill applications with comparable results versus conventional composites using a layered technique. Dentists and their patients can benefit from the simplicity and convenience of a bulk-fill procedure without compromise. 

The Clinical Study Design 

The study was performed by the Biomedical Research Group of the University of Umeå, Sweden, and was released at the 2016 meeting of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Authored by Director of Clinical Research JWV van Dijken, the study compared 100 Class I and Class II restorations using the bulk-fill technique against the same number of restorations using the layering technique. 

SureFil SDR flow was used for the bulk-fill restorations, with applications up to 4mm deep. The control restorations were performed using an industry-standard composite in multiple layers, using an oblique layering technique when possible. Layers were light cured for at least 20 seconds. All restorations were bonded with the same self-etching adhesive, and occlusal surfaces were finished with the same universal composite material. 

The bulk-fill and layered restorations were performed on pairs of cavities with similar characteristics on the same patients, enabling the most direct comparison of durability and wear over time. A baseline evaluation was performed, and restorations were re-evaluated at yearly intervals for a period of five years to assess anatomic form, marginal adaptation, marginal discoloration, surface roughness, color match and secondary caries. 

The Results 

Both restorative techniques showed good surface, marginal and color stability, with substantially equivalent durability. The few failures that occurred were primarily due to tooth fracture and secondary caries, and Page 2/2 

only in Class II restorations. Although the difference is not statistically significant, the annual failure rate for the bulk-fill technique was actually lower than for layered-fill restorations: 1.4 percent versus 2.1 percent. 

The study concluded that both the traditional layering technique and the bulk-fill technique provide the same clinical efficacy over a five-year period. In addition, the study did not report any cases of post-operative sensitivity among any of the participants. Dentists can choose SureFil SDR flow material and enjoy all the advantages of the bulk-fill technique with no compromise to patient comfort or the long-term durability and aesthetic beauty of the restoration. 

SureFil SDR flow+ Material Offers Even Greater Versatility 

When SureFil SDR flow was launched in 2009, it introduced a new way of placing Class I and II restorations. 

Its highly flowable consistency provides excellent cavity adaptation, even in the deepest corners of the proximal box. Its self-leveling property, requiring no further manipulation, provides an optimum base for the final occlusal layer and simplifies placement even on maxillary posterior teeth. And the unique SDR™ chemistry provides up to 60 percent less polymerization stress compared to other flowable and universal composites – including other bulk-fill materials – allowing layers up to 4mm thick even in high C-factor cavities. 

The most researched and clinically proven bulk fill composite, SureFil SDR flow+ is the “gold standard” for bulk-fill composite materials. More than 84,000 dentists worldwide have tried it, placing more than 44 million restorations – a testament to its broad acceptance in the dental community. 

Now, the new SureFil SDR flow+ material offers even greater versatility, with additional A1, A2 and A3 shades in addition to the original universal shade, greater wear resistance and radiopacity, and approval for use in a wider range of cases beyond Class I and II. It’s an essential component of the Class II Total Practice Solution™ from Dentsply Sirona, delivering more efficient procedures and reliable clinical outcomes for a more effective dental practice. 

Efficiency matters. So does long-term performance. The latest clinical research shows how dentists can get both with one advanced bulk fill flowable composite: SureFil SDR flow+ material. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded more than $14 million to fund new approaches to combat antibiotic resistance, including research on how the microbiome can be used to predict and prevent infections caused by drug-resistant organisms

“Understanding the role the microbiome plays in antibiotic-resistant infections is necessary to protect the public’s health,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH.  “We think it is key to innovative approaches to combat antibiotic resistance, protect patients, and improve antibiotic use.”

The microbiome is a community of naturally occurring microbes in and on our bodies. The microbiome is often the body’s first line of defense against infections. Antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome by changing the balance of good and bad bacteria, putting people at risk for potentially untreatable illnesses.

Research projects will study:

How antibiotics disrupt a healthy microbiome

How a disrupted microbiome puts people at risk

How antibiotic stewardship protects the microbiome

The awards support activities related to the CDC Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative, and they also address the tracking, prevention, and antibiotic stewardship activities outlined in the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Learn more about CDC research on innovation to combat AR.