Poor oral health is an important indicator of overall health and has been linked to serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes. To address this significant health care problem, Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have entered into a clinical and academic affiliation agreement with ProHEALTH Dental. The affiliation will create a collaborative program to address the important correlation of poor oral health and chronic diseases by expanding dental training, education, and services for the community.

Through this “Oral Health Initiative,” Mount Sinai primary care physicians in Queens and ProHEALTH Dental dentists will collaborate on coordinated care and patient education programs to improve the overall health and wellness of their patients. ProHEALTH Dental’s state-of-the-art facility will open in Long Island City, NY on October 1, 2017, with additional locations throughout Queens planned to open in the next year.

Andrea Perez, DDS, Clinical Instructor of Dentistry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will serve as Chief Dental Officer, and the dentists at this practice will have academic appointments with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “We are among the first health systems to address the important connection between oral and overall health through the coordination of care between patients’ primary care physicians and dentists,” said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, CEO and President of the Mount Sinai Health System. “We are pleased to work with ProHEALTH Dental to further our mission of providing preventative care, promoting health and wellness, and expanding access to care in the communities we serve.”

The Affiliation Agreement also expands the scope of Mount Sinai’s dental residency program through the rotation of its first and second-year residents in ProHEALTH Dental’s state-of-the-art offices in Queens. “We are excited to offer this unique experience to our residents,” said John L. Pfail, DDS, Chief of the Department of Dentistry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Through this initiative with ProHEALTH Dental, our residents will gain community-based comprehensive care experience.”

“We are honored to work with Mount Sinai in this important affiliation,” said Norton L. Travis, CEO of ProHEALTH Dental. “Our model and mission is to improve patients’ overall health through the coordination of dental services with academic health care systems and large high-quality medical groups. By offering full service state-of-the-art dentistry services to patients of all ages in collaboration with the patients’ treating physicians, we will both improve patient health and reduce the cost of healthcare.”

“This important and exciting affiliation with ProHEALTH Dental will create a unique opportunity to marry excellent dental care and medical care, to address disease in a more timely fashion, and to advance dental education,” said Arthur A. Klein, MD, President of Mount Sinai Health Network.

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma taking immunosuppressant drugs – with or without steroids – should be closely monitored because of increased risk for developing other tumors, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

A 10-year retrospective study at the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University analyzed the charts of oral cancer patients on immunosuppressant therapies, which are used to treat those with organ transplants or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers found these patients were more susceptible to developing secondary cancers in lymph nodes in their neck and distant organs, resulting in a notably poorer five-year survival rate.

These findings “must be kept in mind when determining their treatment regimen, and the treatment courses of such patients must be closely monitored,” the authors said.

The authors concluded in the official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) that patients with stage I and II tumors should undergo elective dissection of their cervical (neck) lymph nodes and be carefully monitored. Patients with stage III and IV tumors should undergo postoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy – a combination of chemo and radiation – and their immune status should be monitored.

Another JOMS study published in July shows oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90 percent of all oral cancers and can be caused by external factors such as tobacco or alcohol use and intrinsic factors such as genetics, nutritional deficiencies and the patient’s immunologic status.

About 43 percent of the patients on immunosuppressant therapy – who ranged in age from 44 to 83 – were diagnosed with secondary cancer in single or multiple neck lymph nodes, and about 14 percent were diagnosed with cancer in distant organs such as the liver and lungs.

Oral cancer patients not on immunosuppressant or steroid therapy experienced secondary cancers at lower rates – 29.2 percent for neck lymph nodes and about 4 percent for distant organs.

The authors of “Clinical Course of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Patients on Immunosuppressant and Glucocorticoid Therapy” are Hideaki Hirai, DDS, PhD; Hirofumi Tomioka, DDS, PhD; Yumi Mochizuki, DDS, PhD; Yu Oikawa, DDS; Fumihiko Tsushima, DDS, PhD; and Hiroyuki Harada, DDS, PhD.

The full article can be accessed at www.joms.org/article/S0278-2391(17)30075-7/fulltext.

Just a few days before the Lab Day East tradeshow in Atlantic City, Dreve showed its continued trust in Prodways with the installation of two new ProMaker L5000 D at its US facilities in Eden Prairie and the University of Kentucky, bringing the total MOVINGLight® 3D printers purchased since the beginning of their collaboration up to 13.

Dreve manufactures models and implant guides for dentures and orthodontic pieces. Dentists are increasingly using intraoral scanners, thereby bringing the workflow into the digital realm, which could result in a sharp increase in the demand for 3D-printed dental models over the coming years. To meet this increasing demand, Dreve chose to equip its dental production facility in Germany with Prodways’ MOVINGLight® printers in 2013.

Dreve’s accuracy tests on the new ProMaker L5000 D at its US facilities showed a result of more than 95% data points within 32µ on dental model production. As a result, Dreve chose to train future dental specialists on MOVINGLight® based 3D printers at its facility within the University of Kentucky to develop new dental applications.

Dr. Volker Dreve, Chief Executive Officer of Dreve, stated: “We decided to launch our own production for high-quality dental models using Prodways MOVINGLight® 3D printers four years ago. We have chosen these printers because they are more precise and more accurate than other market ranges and highly reliable. Our decision to go on with Prodways printers is driven by Prodways’ constant quality for dental production.”

Student and professional researchers have only until 11:59 pm EST on Sept. 29, 2017 to submit their abstracts of original research and clinical cases of interest in the field of implant dentistry for the Academy of Osseointegration’s (AO) 2018 Annual Meeting.

As the premier global multi-disciplinary nexus for implant dentistry, AO’s 2018 Annual Meeting will be held Feb. 28 – March 3, 2018 for the first time in its history in Los Angeles, Calif. at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Abstracts are being accepted for Clinical Innovations, Oral Research (Scientific and Clinical), and E-posters (Scientific, Clinical and Case Studies) via: https://osseo2018.abstractcentral.com/.

As part of the call for abstracts, the Osseointegration Foundation (OF) will be awarding twenty, $1,000 Student Travel Grants via its new Student Travel Grant Program. These grants will be awarded to recipients of the top scoring oral research and e-poster abstracts submitted for the 2018 AO Annual Meeting. This award is open to both AO student members and student non-members who submit an abstract for the 2018 meeting and are currently enrolled in a dental school program.

For students, abstracts must be submitted via the electronic abstract submission site at https://osseo.org/student-travel-grant-program/.  Only authors indicating their interest via the abstract submission site will be considered for a Student Travel Grant.

“As the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Osseointegration, the OF is giving grants to students to advance the science of osseointegration for both clinical application and basic scientific research,” said Dr. Edward Sevetz, OF president and board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon based in Orange Park, Fla. “Today’s students need financial assistance, as they are the ‘life blood’ to advancing the evidence-based scientific approach to, and further benefiting mankind with osseointegration.”

Members of the AO Research Submissions and E-Poster committees will review and score the submitted abstracts to determine the best student and professional presentations based on the quality of the research and relevance to the field of Osseointegration.

“There has never been a more exciting time in implant dentistry than right now, as research is pushing the implant science envelope toward new horizons,” Dr. Robert Lemke, chairman of AO’s Research Submissions Committee and board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon from San Antonio, Texas. “AO is the only program in the world that brings together specialists, general dentists, and laboratory technicians to promote all aspects of implant dentistry, and provides the greatest number of travel grants to students. Fostering research at this grassroots level is key to advancing the science of implants for the ultimate benefit of our patients.”

Brasseler USA, a leading provider of dental instrumentation, launched today a new e-commerce experience: Shop.BrasselerUSA.com. The all new, mobile-friendly Shop.BrasselerUSA.com introduces a completely refreshed shopping experience with enhanced search features, expanded product information, and an easy-to-navigate interface.

“Brasseler USA’s new e-commerce platform further embodies the Company’s ‘By Your Side’ commitment by satisfying the constantly evolving needs of dental professionals and their desire to access our wide range of dental instrumentation whenever and wherever,” says Marc Gordon, Vice President and General Manager.

Enhanced search features allow dental professionals to find what they need, quickly and easily. Shoppers can search for a product by name, product number, category or even a specific product attribute. What’s more, type-ahead search results complete with product images makes searching simple, and choosing the right product is now easier than ever with a new product comparison tool.

In addition, richer product information on the new site provides details such as size, shape, grit and procedure, along with enhanced descriptions, supporting documentation, and videos. Everything shoppers need is all in one place—dental professionals no longer have to filter through multiple websites to obtain the information they want.

Shop.BrasselerUSA.com’s new, responsive design is ready for use on digital devices of all shapes and sizes, including phones and tablets. Dental professionals can order what they need, when they need it, whether at the office, at home, or on the go.  A modern design and straightforward navigation make the site familiar and easy to use.

“We focused our efforts to develop a site based upon user feedback in order to exceed expectations,” remarked Ryan Dew, Brasseler USA’s Director of Administration. “We believe Shop.BrasselerUSA.com delivers not only a superior experience over other e-commerce sites in the dental industry, it’s actually comparable to the e-commerce giants we as consumers buy from regularly.”

For more information about Brasseler USA’s new e-commerce site, visit Shop.BrasselerUSA.com.

ANN ARBOR, MI - The dental health of middle-aged Americans faces a lot of problems right now, and an uncertain future to come, according to new results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

One in three Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 say they're embarrassed by the condition of their teeth. A slightly larger percentage say dental problems have caused pain, difficulty with eating, missed work or other health problems in the past two years. Forty percent of those polled don't get regular cleanings or other preventive care that can help prevent dental problems.

Insurance coverage appears to have a lot to do with this lack of care. Overall, 28 percent of respondents said they don't have dental coverage. But that percentage was much higher -- 56 percent -- among those who say they only seek care for serious dental problems.

As for the future, 51 percent of those surveyed said they simply didn't know how they will get dental insurance coverage after they turn 65.

Another 13 percent of middle-aged adults expect to count on Medicare or Medicaid to cover their oral care needs after that age. Traditional Medicare does not cover routine dental care, and Medicaid dental coverage is often limited.

The poll, based on a nationally representative sample of older adults, was conducted by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation with support from AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center.

"Our findings highlight a stark divide among middle-aged Americans in terms of their oral health now, and a real uncertainty about how they will get and pay for care as they age," says associate poll director Erica Solway, Ph.D. "This is not out of disregard for the importance of preventive dental care - more than three-quarters of the people we polled agree that regular care is important to preventing problems later. But it does highlight opportunities to improve access to care and insurance options after age 65."

Solway and poll director Preeti Malani, M.D., a professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, divided the poll respondents into three groups based on their responses about their use of dental care:

   • prevention-focused: about 60 percent of the sample, who got regular preventive care as well as getting attention for dental problems

   • inconsistent prevention: the 17 percent who sought preventive dental care occasionally

   • problem-only: the 23 percent who went to the dentist only for serious dental problems.

"We know that oral health is a critical factor in overall wellness, and this research helps us identify some key issues - such as affordability and coverage - that we can focus on to address those 40% who are not prevention-focused," stated Dr. Alison Bryant, Senior Vice President of Research for AARP.

A clear divide

Poll respondents who were female, white, had higher incomes or had insurance were much more likely than others to take a prevention-focused approach to dental care. Men, African Americans, Hispanics, those with lower income, or those without insurance were more likely to seek dental care for problems only.

The differences among the three groups was also apparent when the U-M team asked about how easy it was to get care, and why they might not have sought care.

Among those who were prevention-focused, only 13 percent said they had delayed or hadn't received dental care when they needed it in the last two years. But that jumped to 35 percent in the inconsistent-prevention group, and 56 percent in the problem-only group.

Why didn't poll respondents get needed dental care? Cost was the most commonly reported answer, given by 69 percent who said they did not get or delayed needed care. Respondents also reported they were afraid of the dentist, couldn't find time to go, or couldn't find a dentist. Of the people who didn't receive care they needed, one in five cited fear of the dentist as a major factor.

Uncertain future

Looking ahead to the years beyond their 65th birthday - an age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare- the poll respondents were uncertain about how they'd get dental insurance.

Some - 16 percent - said they counted on employer-based coverage or a retirement-based plan. Another 12 percent said they planned to buy supplemental dental insurance.

And in addition to the half of respondents who indicated that they didn't know whether they will have dental insurance at all after age 65, another eight percent said they'd just go without it.

But it's the remaining respondents - the 13 percent who expect Medicare or Medicaid to cover their dental care in their older years - that concern the poll leaders the most.

"Traditional Medicare does not cover dental care, and many states offer very limited or no dental coverage for adults with Medicaid," says Malani. "Even those who were diligent about seeing the dentist and had dental insurance throughout adulthood may find it harder to afford dental care as they get older and coverage options may be more limited."

The nationally representative sample included 1,066 people ages 50 to 64, who answered a wide range of questions online; laptops and Internet access were provided to those who did not already have it.

San Diego, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 -- Squid ink might be a great ingredient to make black pasta, but it could also one day make getting checked for gum disease at the dentist less tedious and even painless. By combining squid ink with light and ultrasound, a team led by engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a new dental imaging method to examine a patient’s gums that is non-invasive, more comprehensive and more accurate than the state of the art.

“The last time I was at the dentist, I realized that the tools that are currently being used to image teeth and gums could use significant updating,” said Jesse Jokerst, a nanoengineering professor at UC San Diego and senior author of the study. 

The conventional method for dentists to assess gum health is to use an instrument called a periodontal probe — a thin, hook-like metal tool that’s marked like a tiny measuring stick and inserted in between the teeth and gums to see whether and how much the gums have shrunk back from the teeth, creating pockets. This method of measuring pocket depth is the gold standard used in dentistry. A pocket depth measuring one to two millimeters indicates healthy gums while three millimeters and deeper is a sign of gum disease. The deeper the pockets, the more severe the gum disease.

However, procedures using the periodontal probe are invasive, uncomfortable and sometimes painful for the patient. Measurements can also vary greatly between dentists, and the probe is only capable of measuring the pocket depth of one spot at a time.

In a paper published on Sept. 7 in the Journal of Dental Research, Jokerst and his team at UC San Diego introduced an innovative method that can image the entire pocket depth around the teeth consistently and accurately, without requiring any painful poking and prodding.

“Using the periodontal probe is like examining a dark room with just a flashlight and you can only see one area at a time. With our method, it’s like flipping on all the light switches so you can see the entire room all at once,” Jokerst said.

The method begins by rinsing the mouth with a paste made of commercially available food-grade squid ink mixed with water and cornstarch. The squid-ink-based rinse serves as a contrast agent for an imaging technique called photoacoustic ultrasound. This involves shining a light signal — usually a short laser pulse — onto a sample, which heats up and expands, generating an acoustic signal that researchers can analyze. “Light in, sound out,” Jokerst said.

Squid ink naturally contains melanin nanoparticles, which absorb light. During the oral rinse, the melanin nanoparticles get trapped in the pockets between the teeth and gums. When researchers shine a laser light onto the area, the squid ink heats up and quickly swells, creating pressure differences in the gum pockets that can be detected using ultrasound. This method enables researchers to create a full map of the pocket depth around each tooth — a significant improvement over the conventional method.

Researchers tested their photoacoustic imaging method in a pig model containing a mix of shallow and deep pockets in the gums. While their results closely matched measurements taken using a periodontal probe, they were also consistent across multiple tests. On the other hand, measurements with the periodontal probe varied significantly from one test to another.

“It’s remarkable how reproducible this technique is compared to the gold standard,” Jokerst said.

Moving forward, the team will be collaborating with dentists and testing their method in humans. Future work also includes minimizing the taste of the squid ink oral rinse — it’s salty and somewhat bitter — and replacing laser lights with inexpensive, more portable light systems like LEDs. The team’s ultimate goal is to create a mouthpiece that uses this technology to measure periodontal health.

Solutionreach, the leader in patient relationship management (PRM) solutions, announced today it has been recognized on the Utah Business annual “Fast 50” list as Utah’s 25th fastest growing company. This year marks the company’s fourth consecutive appearance on the list, showcasing their continued growth in the Utah and healthcare markets.

Solutionreach has pioneered the healthcare industry’s leading PRM platform since its founding in 2000. Currently, Solutionreach supports more than 100,000 healthcare professionals at approximately 25,000 practices. The company’s PRM technology reaches 80 million patients nationwide. Additionally, Solutionreach continues to grow and contribute to Utah’s job market in a substantial way, adding over 300 employees since 2014.

The companies recognized on the Fast 50 list are selected for the strides gained in their time doing business and ranked based on financial data submitted for analysis. This ranking is a nod to Solutionreach’s commitment to patient relationship management through the use of thoughtful, consumer-oriented technology. The company continues to expand its footprint, offerings and ownership of the PRM market, most recently by:

Conducting the Patient-Provider Relationship Study, which examines patient-provider communication dynamics across generations;

Launching SR Smart Reviews, a new product which allows practices to identify and send patients text messages encouraging them to leave positive reviews online; and

Partnering with programs such as Allscripts Developer Program (ADP) and athenahealth’s ‘More Disruption Please’ (MDP) program, joining key industry networks to fuel advancement in healthcare.

“It is an honor to be recognized for the fourth year in a row by Utah Business for our continued growth and success improving patient relationships, efficiency and patient loyalty in healthcare,” said Jim Higgins, CEO and founder of Solutionreach. “It is important to Solutionreach to contribute to our state’s economy, bringing jobs and revenue to Utah and putting the state on the map within the rapidly growing and changing healthcare industry.”

Utah Business’ Fast 50 is an annual list honoring the top 50 fastest growing companies in the state based on a combination of revenue growth and total revenue. More information on Utah Business’ Fast 50 may be found here.

To learn more about Solutionreach, visit www.solutionreach.com.

Hu-Friedy, a global leader in the manufacturing of dental instruments and products, today announced a new line of Titanium Implant Scalersin five variants, allowing clinicians to thoroughly and safely debride biofilm and calculus from the supra-and sub-gingival surfaces of dental implants.

The new Titanium Implant Scalers are immediately available in the most common scaler variants, including: the 204SD Sickle Scaler, featuring a contra angle design for enhanced access to distal surfaces; the Langer 1/2 Curette, ideal for the mandibular posterior surfaces; and Hu-Friedy's signature Gracey Mini Five® Scalers 1/2, 11/12, and 13/14, which deftly respond to the challenge of deep and/or narrow pockets with their shorter, thinner blades and longer terminal shanks.

In addition to the versatile range of initial instrumentation, Hu-Friedy's Titanium Implant Scalers bring several new features to clinicians’ instrument trays. The working ends, constructed of the same titanium alloy as implants and abutments, are gentler on these delicate surfaces than stainless steel. The signature teal-colored anodized titanium working ends provide enhanced contrast to the abutment surfaces, while serving to differentiate the specialized instruments from the rest of the armamentarium. The instruments can also be re-sharpened, allowing for increased life and return on investment.

The new Titanium Implant Scalers are the latest addition to Hu-Friedy's growing implant maintenance portfolio. In 2010, the company brought the first iteration of Implacare® – their unfilled resin implant scalers – to market. These unfilled resin scalers marked Hu-Friedy's commitment to clinicians' implant patients, and enabled prosthetic surfaces to be safely scaled without the harmful scratching or alteration of the crowns or titanium abutments caused by stainless steel scalers. Hu-Friedy also has a line of Colorvue® probes, whose gentle, flexible resin tips are particularly useful in the assessment of dental implant patients.

“Hu-Friedy is committed to a constant state of dialogue with our customers and developing the products they tell us they need on their instrument trays. The new line of Titanium Implant Scalers fulfills one of those needs,” explains Hu-Friedy chairman and CEO Ron Saslow. “We have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the care and maintenance of dental implants, as shown by our Implacare and Colorvue lines. These Titanium Implant Scalers are the latest product in support of our promise to help you perform at your best.”

The new Titanium Implant Scalers complement the existing unfilled resin Implacare II instruments, which remain ideal for the prosthetic crown as well as for light biofilm removal from the titanium abutment and implant. Recognizing the need for a robust solution for the growing numbers of prosthodontic patients, Hu-Friedy's Titanium Implant Scalers are designed to safely and effectively remove calculus from Titanium Implant surfaces. The precision working ends ensure increased access to periodontal pockets with increased patient comfort, while the enhanced ergonomics and visibility allow dental clinicians to perform at their best. Visit https://www.hu-friedy.com/TIS for more information.

Dental Enhancements, LLC, founded by Jill C. Obrochta RDH BS, has been providing seminars and workshops to dental practitioners since 1994. Dental Enhancements, LLC is an all-in-one web-based education company specializing in Federal OSHA/GHS & HIPAA Training & Compliance providing comprehensive compliance guidance and training in the (3) Federal Mandates currently required for the dental office setting. 

Dental Enhancements, LLC “thoughtfully” created the OSHA made EASY™ & HIPAA made EASY™ brand. The design of their products—paired with their supportive service from a team of dental compliance OSHA & HIPAA experts, is constantly evolving and updating to keep their clients on-trend with current compliance mandates. 

For more information, please visit: https://dentalenhancements.com/.