3M announced that users of the3M™True Definition Scanner now have the ability to place a record of their intraoral scans into the patient’s chart in Henry Schein’s Dentrix® practice management system. Working closely with Henry Schein, 3M has certified its True Definition Scanner as Dentrix® Connected with Dentrix, a leading practice management software system for dental practices.

This new connection seamlessly stores a two-dimensional record of the intraoral scan within the Dentrix patient chart, making the process of recording and saving patient information more efficient, while a link to 3M™ Connection Center gives practitioners easy access to clinical records and exclusive 3D visualization tools.

“This connection furthers our integration within the digital dental ecosystem and strengthens the relationship that Henry Schein, Dentrix, and 3M bring to our joint customers,” says Karen Burquest, global business leader for 3M’s Digital Oral Care Business.

This Dentrix Connected version of the scanning software is available to all subscribers of the Standard Data plan or higher and requires Dentrix 5.2 or higher and a current subscription to Digital Dental Exchange (DDX) OS, a web-based service that enables practitioners to quickly and efficiently exchange and manage casework with a laboratory partner. Some features of the connection may require a subscription to the 3M Advanced DataPlan.

Learn more about the new Trusted Connection by visiting 3M.com/TrueDef.

Paradise Dental Technologies announced the addition of Crown Removing Pliers to their Surgical Instruments product line. This new addition allows PDT to offer customers a more complete line of surgical instruments crafted with PDT's signature attention to quality and ergonomic comfort.

PDT's Crown Removing Pliers allow dentists the ability to remove upper and lower crowns and bridges using tips that provide a solid grip without damaging metal, resin, or ceramic surfaces. Additionally, PDT's adhesive powder can be used with the pliers to increase grip.

The new Crown Removing Pliers can be ordered on their own with a single set of replaceable tips, or can be ordered as part of a kit that contains a set of pliers, five sets of replacement tips, and 10g of Adhesive Powder. Additional replacement tips and adhesive powder can be ordered as needed.

Introduced in 2016, PDT's Surgical Instruments add the quality and ergonomic comfort their oral hygiene line is known for to instruments that are vital to dentists around the world. For a full product lineup and ordering information, please visit www.pdtdental.com.

LabStar Software announced the release of its biggest upgrade ever in early November, including hundreds of design and navigation improvements. Dental laboratories use LabStar to build better businesses with powerful administrative, scheduling, billing, and client-management tools. Major features include an online RX, case scheduling, shipping, secure dentist communication, CRM, client portals, billing, and production line management.

“LabStar was founded on the idea that powerful dental lab management software should be easy-to-use," LabStar CEO Jeff Noles says. "No one likes organizing their lab, so we make it easy. With the release of LabStar 2.0 we’ve taken intuitive design to a new level with upgrades to navigation, case search, client portals, customer management, business reports, and much more. It’s the biggest upgrade we’ve ever released and judging by user feedback, our clients are as pleased as we are.”

Development of LabStar 2.0 started in the fall of 2015. Incorporating customer feedback meticulously documented over the previous 2 years, the goal was to make LabStar even easier to learn and use. For this upgrade, LabStar continued its relentless focus on intuitive, modern design so laboratories can spend less time managing the details of their businesses and more time producing cases.

Grafton, Wis., Nov. 15, 2016 – Microbrush International, the world-class manufacturer of high quality dental accessories, is pleased to announce that it has launched its newest moisture control product, Reflective DryTips®. Through this new release, the company continues to move beyond its core applicator business into new categories by leveraging its industry expertise.

Reflective DryTips® provide ultimate saliva absorbency and don’t lose moisture when handled. They far outlast cotton rolls and comfortably stay in place to provide complete coverage of the parotid gland and buccal mucosa. The reflective backing helps illuminate the oral cavity during procedures to provide increased visibility. They are also designed to aid in cheek retraction.

Reflective DryTips® are available in Large and Small sizes, and are ideal for the following:

• Impressions

• Occlusal Adjusting

• Orthodontics

• Paint-on techniques

• Composites

• Cementation

• Fissure sealing

• Fluoride applications

All Microbrush® International products are made to exacting standards in the company’s state-of-the-art facility in Grafton, Wis., USA under ISO 13485 certification for the production of medical devices.

To view instructions for use or an informational video about our DryTips® products, visit: https://microbrush.com/products/moisture-control/dry-tips/

November 17, 2016—Dental equipment manufacturer Planmeca Oy offers a solution to a problem facing many practices: how to help clinicians work more efficiently in the footprint of their existing office. 

Connected technology, and efficient environments combined with clever organization are the answer – and Planmeca Evolution Dental consoles provide the solution. Our new line of Evolution Consoles including the Evolution 12 O’Clock, Evolution Central Island Console, and Evolution Side Console all feature quick and easy integration of modern technology. Offering Ethernet and 3.0 USB connections, PlanScan® (digital scanner) integration, CPU storage, LED lighting, and medical grade duplex GFCI outlets, these digital, and up-to-the-minute enhancements aid the clinician’s workflow and information processing. Evolution console features are unmatched by standard dental cabinetry. 

Flexibility, expandability and antiseptic measures were all incorporated to the Evolution line of console design. With clinician-requested features including: LED lighting, durable Corian® work surfaces, powder coated steel bases, writing shelf, pass-thru X-Ray apron, X-Ray safety door lock, and soft-close drawers/doors, Evolution consoles are feature-loaded to meet the needs of contemporary operatory environments.

“Today’s modern dental offices need the integration and flexibility for technology assimilation,” states Tetsuya Shimabuku, Planmeca Product Manager. “Dental cabinetry has evolved from simple storage to console platforms designed to increase efficiency and allow clinicians to create their optimal workflow process,” Shimabuku added.

Dentistry is rapidly embracing digital technology. Planmeca Evolution Consoles are the cutting edge of modular storageintroducing digital connectivity to the operatory space. Planmeca Evolution consoles are designed to accommodate present “connected” needs, but are expandable with an eye toward adapting future technology.

To learn more about Planmeca Evolution Dental Consoles, please check out Planmeca Evolution Dental Cabinetry for the latest product images and details.

CHICAGO, November 17 – Oral Health America (OHA) is honored to accept the support of both runners and walkers participating in the 2016 Philadelphia Marathon as they raise funds and awareness for OHA’s peer-to-peer fundraising initiative, Smile4Health. This new fundraising effort engages individuals and corporate partners with opportunities to raise support for OHA’s programmatic work, which focuses on improving the oral health of individuals across the lifespan. Philadelphia-based company, DentalEZ, is pleased to support Smile4Health and the Philadelphia community during this weekend’s race as a corporate sponsor of the team.

”DentalEZ felt it was important to partner with Oral Health America in the Smile4Health initiative to raise awareness for how oral health and overall health are critically linked,” states Heather Trombley, President of DentalEZ.  “When we thought about how we can best help get this important message out, we couldn’t think of a better venue than the Philadelphia Marathon for bringing attention to oral health issues and prevention, as the race includes both participants and supporters who are keen to promote healthy lifestyles and living.  This effort ties directly to our vision where we intend to be a vibrant and trusted partner supporting oral and overall health.”

Members of the Smile4Health team participating in the Philadelphia Marathon include Bailey Moorhead (2013-14 alum of OHA’s Graduate Fellowship program), volunteers from DentalEZ and others in the community interested in raising awareness about the importance of oral health. Smile4Health will be represented with both athletes and a cheering section during the race.

Established in 1955, Oral Health America is a national nonprofit that works to bring healthy mouths to life through a range of partnerships and programs across the country. You can learn more about the Smile4Health program and other OHA fundraising opportunities by visiting oralhealthamerica.org/smile4health.

Québec City--A large number of mouth cells exposed to e-cigarette vapor in the laboratory die within a few days, according to a study conducted by Université Laval researchers and published in the latest issue of Journal of Cellular Physiology.

Dr. Mahmoud Rouabhia and his team at Université Laval's Faculty of Dental Medicine came to this conclusion after exposing gingival epithelial cells to e-cigarette vapor. "Mouth epithelium is the body's first line of defense against microbial infection," Professor Rouabhia explains. "This epithelium protects us against several microorganisms living in our mouths."

To simulate what happens in a person's mouth while vaping, researchers placed epithelial cells in a small chamber containing a saliva-like liquid. Electronic cigarette vapor was pumped into the chamber at a rate of two 5-second "inhalations" per minute for 15 minutes a day.

Observations under the microscope showed that the percentage of dead or dying cells, which is about 2% in unexposed cell cultures, rose to 18%, 40%, and 53% after 1, 2, and 3 days of exposure to e-cigarette vapor, respectively.

"Contrary to what one might think, e-cigarette vapor isn't just water," explains Rouabhia. "Although it doesn't contain tar compounds like regular cigarette smoke, it exposes mouth tissues and the respiratory tract to compounds produced by heating the vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and nicotine aromas in e-cigarette liquid."

The cumulative effects of this cell damage have not yet been documented, but they are worrying, according to Rouabhia, who is also a member of the Oral Ecology Research Group (GREB) at Université Laval: "Damage to the defensive barrier in the mouth can increase the risk of infection, inflammation, and gum disease. Over the longer term, it may also increase the risk of cancer. This is what we will be investigating in the future."

A University of Rochester Medical Center study suggests that electronic cigarettes are as equally damaging to gums and teeth as conventional cigarettes.

The study, published in Oncotarget, was led by Irfan Rahman, Ph.D. professor of Environmental Medicine at the UR School of Medicine and Dentistry, and is the first scientific study to address e-cigarettes and their detrimental effect on oral health on cellular and molecular levels.

Electronic cigarettes continue to grow in popularity among younger adults and current and former smokers because they are often perceived as a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes. Previously, scientists thought that the chemicals found in cigarette smoke were the culprits behind adverse health effects, but a growing body of scientific data, including this study, suggests otherwise.

"We showed that when the vapors from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins, which in turn aggravate stress within cells, resulting in damage that could lead to various oral diseases," explained Rahman, who last year published a study about the damaging effects of e-cigarette vapors and flavorings on lung cells and an earlier study on the pollution effects. "How much and how often someone is smoking e-cigarettes will determine the extent of damage to the gums and oral cavity."

The study, which exposed 3-D human, non-smoker gum tissue to the vapors of e-cigarettes, also found that the flavoring chemicals play a role in damaging cells in the mouth.

"We learned that the flavorings-some more than others--made the damage to the cells even worse," added Fawad Javed, a post-doctoral resident at Eastman Institute for Oral Health, part of the UR Medical Center, who contributed to the study. "It's important to remember that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is known to contribute to gum disease."

Most e-cigarettes contain a battery, a heating device, and a cartridge to hold liquid, which typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. The battery-powered device heats the liquid in the cartridge into an aerosol that the user inhales.

"More research, including long term and comparative studies, are needed to better understand the health effects of e-cigarettes," added Rahman, who would like to see manufacturers disclose all the materials and chemicals used, so consumers can become more educated about potential dangers.

A single bout of sleep apnea impacts the human body's ability to regulate blood pressure.

In a recent study measuring the impact of simulated sleep apnea on humans, researchers at University of British Columba's (UBC) Okanagan campus found that just 6 hours of the fluctuating oxygen levels associated with sleep apnea can begin to deteriorate a person's circulatory system.

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The condition can result in frequent periods of decreased oxygen levels in the body, known as intermittent hypoxia.

"While it is well established that sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure, our study shows this condition has an impact on the cardiovascular system that can begin within a single day," says Glen Foster, an assistant professor of health and exercise science. "After just 6 hours of fluctuating oxygen levels, similar to what happens with sleep apnea, the body's ability to regulate blood pressure is impaired.

"These changes occurred almost immediately in healthy young adults who were not experiencing the cumulative effects years of sleep apnea could bring about."

As part of his study, Foster examined the impact of intermittent hypoxia on the cardiovascular system in 10 healthy young adults. Study participants wore a ventilating mask for 6 hours and oxygen levels were altered to mimic sleep apnea symptoms.

The study found that sleep apnea compromised the function of a person's baroreceptors--biological sensors that regulate blood pressure. It also found damaging blood flow patterns in the legs, which over time could impact vascular health.

"These findings suggest that interventions for people suffering sleep apnea should occur as soon as the condition is diagnosed," adds Foster.

Foster's research was recently published in the American Journal of Physiology.