The American Association of Endodontists announced it has redesigned its Journal of Endodontics, as well as its homepage and mobile app. The Journal is well-regarded as a number-one member benefit and the premier journal for endodontics. The redesign is the publication’s first in more than a decade.

“We’re bringing a fresh new look and feel to the JOE, without disturbing its time-tested esteem,” said AAE President Dr. Keith V. Krell. “We felt July 1 – the start of our new membership year – is the perfect opportunity to unveil the redesign, as we’re presenting top-notch content in a more modern way that will carry us into our ‘Vision 2020’ thinking for the new decade.”

The JOE is published by Elsevier, which is also the official host of the JOE Online at https://www.jendodon.com/.

Helmed by noted endodontic educator and Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ken M. Hargreaves, the Journal of Endodontics is the official journal of the AAE. This monthly publication features a compilation of scientific articles, case reports and comparison studies evaluating materials and methods of pulp conservation and endodontic treatment. The JOE keeps pace with rapid changes in the field, covering the latest advances in techniques and instrumentation. Endodontists and general dentists rely on the JOE to learn about new concepts in the endodontic specialty.

“At the heart of the redesign is the updated JOE logo,” Dr. Hargreaves noted. “The objective was to keep the new logo authoritative, yet modernize it to connect better with the AAE’s branding. The ‘J’ and the ‘E’ are emphasized and the logo remains gold in color; therefore, this is a conservative way to modernize the logo without losing too much familiarity.”

With an impact factor of 2.833, the publication ranks 12 out of 91 Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine titles.

AAE members can watch their mailboxes for the newly redesigned July print edition. In addition, be sure to download the JOE mobile app, if you haven’t already, available in the Apple Store or Google Play.

“This refresh is just the beginning of a new era for JOE, and I look forward to more positive changes ahead to help captivate the next generation of readers and keep up with changing times and technologies,” Dr. Hargreaves concluded.

Not all burning mouths are the result of a medical condition known as “burning mouth syndrome” (BMS) and physicians and researchers need better standards for an appropriate diagnosis, according to new research at the School of Dental Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

BMS is a painful, complex condition associated with a chronic or recurring burning, scalding or tingling feeling in the mouth—sometimes accompanied by a metallic taste or dry mouth sensation.

But because other conditions have similar symptoms, diagnosing BMS can be difficult, said Milda Chmieliauskaite, a researcher and assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial medicine at the dental school.

“The issues with misdiagnosis, depend to some extent on the context, but include resources, money and patient discomfort,” she said. So if a patient is misdiagnosed with burning mouth syndrome, but actually suffers from burning due to dry mouth, the patient will receive treatment for the wrong condition and the symptoms of burning will not improve.

“Often, these patients see several providers—taking up a lot of health-care resources—before they find out what’s going.”

That’s because many dentists and clinicians aren’t trained well on the topic, she said. The current method for making a diagnosis is ruling out other disorders.

So treating BMS should be approached with caution, said Chmieliauskaite, who co-authored research recently published by Oral Diseases as part of the World Workshop on Oral Medicine VII.

“A lot of the other things that cause burning in the mouth (such as diabetes, anemia and dry mouth) can be easily treated,” Chmieliauskaite said.

The specific cause of BMS is uncertain, she said, but some evidence shows that it may be related to nerve dysfunction. Sometimes, chewing gum or eating certain foods lessens pain symptoms.

Best estimates are that between .1% and 4% of the population is affected by BMS, Chmieliauskaite said. The condition affects females more.

In a review of clinical trials internationally between 1994 and 2017, Chmieliauskaite and an international research team found that many of the participants may have had an underlying condition that could have explained their BMS symptoms.

Chmieliauskaite said BMS clinical trials need more rigorous standards. “We need a consensus for a single definition of BMS that includes specific inclusion and exclusion criteria,” she said. “This will help us in moving the field forward in understanding of the actual disease.”

“And there’s still a lot more we need to study,” she said.

The American Dental Association (ADA) is dedicated to science and evidence-based dentistry, as well as the health of the public. For these reasons and others, the ADA today announced that it will narrow the focus of the ADA Foundation to research and science.

The ADA Science Institute and the Volpe Research Center will join forces to allow for a renewed focus on the creation and translation of scientific knowledge, as well as the development of new products and technology.

In order to preserve and promote our highly valuable philanthropic activities such as Give Kids A Smile, Dentist Charitable Assistance and Access to Care, these philanthropic activities will continue on, but under the umbrella of the ADA and with the support of ADA members and the larger dental community who help to move these programs forward.

The ADA is appreciative of all those who volunteered for the ADA Foundation; all ADA and ADA Foundation employees who helped the Foundation work toward its mission; and all donors who made contributions to the Foundation over the years. 

The Dentsply Sirona Lab Marketing Summit will offer twenty-four educational breakout sessions that include digital marketing, social media marketing, marketing strategy, and product marketing. Designed specifically to help grow your business, attendees will have an opportunity to attend hours of lectures, two free lunches, a VIP reception at Top Golf, and a Keynote presentation by the Ritz Carlton Leadership Center. This will be an opportunity to gain current industry knowledge, learn impactful marketing principles, and network with likeminded individuals who are passionate about their craft.

Date: September 20-21, 2019

Location: Charlotte, NC

Contact: Michael Dombrowski - (704)-805-1182

URL: https://bit.ly/2019DSLabMRKTsummit

Bringing dental care to remote regions of the Amazon – word about this undertaking of the Brazilian Doutores Sem Fronteiras (Doctors Without Borders) had spread. At the invitation of the organizers of the traditional Xingu Games (Jogos do Xingu, also called "Indigenous Peoples' Games"), a DSF team of seven dentists traveled to Kalapalo to provide dental care to the residents of some Kuikuru villages. Dentsply Sirona supported the dentists, providing CEREC units and modern dental instruments and materials, among other things.

Due to heavy rain, the traditional event, to which the hundreds of athletes from 15 indigenous groups came to compete in 15 disciplines, took place somewhat later than planned. However, this in no way dampened the participants' motivation. The dental treatment offered this year proved to be a positive experience for the patients.

The weather was also problematic for the Doutores: The substantial rainfall made it impossible to reach the region by car. Furthermore, the ferry was not running reliably, which meant that the treatment team and all the dental equipment had to be transported into the jungle for four hours on small boats. The locals helped carry the high-tech devices the last few yards to where they were to be set up. In this way, a total of five "mobile clinics" (improvised treatment chairs and compressors) found their way to the people.

Drills and intraoral scanners meet bows and arrows

Many men, women, and children received dental treatment before the games: Indigenous peoples, who were more familiar with bows and arrows, were able to see intraoral scanners and milling machines, and were amazed to receive dental prostheses within no time at all. In addition, modern instruments and materials were used to gently perform root canal treatments and treat carious lesions for the patients – all of this in challenging climatic conditions and with electricity from generators.

Dental care is by no means a given for the indigenous peoples of Brazil. For most of them, the nearest dentist is too far away or they cannot afford to pay for the treatment. Naturally, they gratefully accepted the offer of free dental treatment.

The trip to this region was a matter dear to the heart of Dr. José Umberto De Luca, the very first CEREC user in Brazil. The dentist from Rio de Janeiro is well aware of the possibilities of modern technology that can restore oral health and give patients a beautiful smile. "This is my third expedition of this kind and I am overwhelmed once again," he said after the expedition. "During this event, we were able to offer CEREC to everyone – in the middle of the jungle! A robust system that defies unusual external circumstances and a motivated team that helps fellow natives: All of this made the expedition a special experience for me." It was agreed then and there that the Doutores Sem Fronteiras would come again next year.

Continuous support – CEREC for everyone

With its renewed commitment in the Amazon, Dentsply Sirona reinforces its readiness to make a sustained contribution to improving the oral health and quality of life of the indigenous peoples. The next project has already started. Up to July 23, 2019, Dentsply Sirona will be supporting a project of Dr. Caio Eduardo Machado, the founder of DSF, for the seventh time in a row. Journeying through the Amazon, he offers dental treatments to the indigenous peoples in Vale do Guaporé and in Terras Indígenas Sete de Setembro, Igarapé de Lourdes, Povos Arara, and Uru-eu-wau-wau.

NeoDiamond, the pioneer and #1 single-patient-use diamond, is celebrating its 30^thanniversary. Three decades ago, Microcopy co-founder Thom Maas, Jr. achieved his vision to offer a high quality, sterile and efficient dental diamond bur —even coining the phrase “Single-Patient-Use”. NeoDiamond launched, outfitted in the distinctive magenta packaging, in early 1989. The original NeoDiamond line consisted of 16 shapes. Unbeknownst to Thom, NeoDiamond would go on to become a highly regarded brand by dental professionals around the world.

“Much has changed since NeoDiamond launched in 1989,” said Paul Tucker, CEO, “But through the years Microcopy has stayed true to its mission to bring products to the dental market that make dentistry easier and safer.” The NeoDiamond line now consists of 126 shapes in various grits. Most recently, in May 2019, 6 new pediatric short shank diamond burs were released. Microcopy has expanded globally and maintains a focus to offer innovative, single-patient-use products that enable dentists to fulfill a social responsibility to provide better, healthier patient care. It’s no longer 1989 but Microcopy is planning to keep NeoDiamond around for the next 30 years. As Heather Siler, marketing manager puts it, “NeoDiamond was developed with safety and performance in mind, which is still the driving force for the brand today. Great products like NeoDiamond will never go out of style.”

To celebrate NeoDiamond’s golden anniversary, Microcopy wants to hear from NeoDiamond customers, old and new. Microcopy has launched a photo submission campaign, encouraging customers to submit their “NeoDiamond Story” along with a photo, sharing why they started using or what they love about these single-patient-use diamonds. Entries will be submitted into a drawing to win a trip to Atlanta for a tour of Microcopy and select from a list of other exciting places to visit while in the city. To share your NeoDiamond Story visit: https://microcopydental.com/nd-30form.  

For more information about NeoDiamond visit www.NeoDiamond.com or call 800-235-1863.

DenMat Holdings, LLC (“DenMat”) proudly introduces to oral health professionals its DenMat Study Club: a dental community dedicated to excellence. The Study Club will meet monthly at DenMat headquarters in Lompoc, Calif., with its inaugural meeting held on June 20, 2019. This first Study Club featured a presentation called “High Tech Innovations in Endodontics” featuring Stephen Buchanan, DDS, FICD, FACD. Dr. Buchanan has more than 30 years expertise on this subject matter; is an associate clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry; and maintains a private practice in Santa Barbara, Calif.

DenMat is proud to offer several engaging lectures as part of its DenMat Study Club through 2019. This exciting series will feature presentations on dental implants. esthetics, soft tissue management, restorative dentistry, social media marketing, dental sleep medicine, digital dentistry, and much more. Each informative Study Club gathering will be lead by respected and well-known industry leaders – each of whom is an expert authority on his/her given topic.

Jennifer Archer, Sr. Director of Continuing Education and Events, shares, “We are very pleased to honor the legacy of our founder, Dr. Robert Ibsen, by offering an interactive forum for local doctors. Through the DenMat Study Club, these oral health professionals will further their knowledge in the latest developments in dentistry, gain tools to strengthen their practices, build a trusted network of colleagues, and increase their impact on our dental community.”

Lompoc-area dentists, and those oral health professionals of California’s Central Coast are invited to attend the monthly DenMat Study Club presentations, which will take place at 1017 West Central Avenue. Each relevant two-hour presentation offers 2 Continuing Education units, with registration and dinner preceding the lecture. Office and hygiene staff members are invited as well, at no charge when in attendance with a dentist. Cost is $40 per dentist per Study Club lecture. Interested dentists/hygiene and office staff can also purchase attendance to all 2019 sessions for a 20% discount. Course registration, a complete list of presentation topics, and DenMat Study Club details are available online: https://www.denmat.com/education/study-club

DenMat is a premier provider of Continuing Education for oral health professionals. The company is recognized as such by the American Dental Association ADA CERP program and as a designated Academy of General Dentistry Approved PACE program provider.

About DenMat:

Since 1974, DenMat is a leader in high-quality dental products for dental professionals around the world. DenMat makes and assembles most of its products at its world headquarters on the Central Coast of California. DenMat offers three main product categories: Consumables, Small Equipment, and a Dental Laboratory. DenMat's consumables include brands that are known and trusted, including Fluoridex®, Geristore®, Core Paste®, Tenure®, Ultra-Bond®, Infinity®, Splash Max®, Precision®, Perfectemp®, Atridox® and LumiSmile White®. DenMat's small equipment offering includes a broad range of products, including NV® PRO3 and SOL® soft-tissue diode lasers, the Rotadent® power toothbrush, PeriOptix® magnification loupes and lights, Flashlite® curing lights and a full line of high-quality Hartzell® hand instruments. DenMat is also home to Lumineers®, the world's #1 patient-requested thin veneer, and Snap-On Smile®, the life-changing removable appliance.

DMG adds new Icon-Etch Refill etching gel to its Icon Smooth Surface product line in response to high demand from dental professionals.

Introduced 10 years ago at the IDS – an international dentist conference – resin infiltration with DMG’s Icon is now well-established as a microinvasive treatment option.

Read more about Icon caries infiltrant.

As of July 1st, 2019, Icon-Etch Refills will be available in the U.S. as an extension of the Icon Smooth Surface caries infiltrant, which effectively treats smooth surface white spot lesions. It contains three .45ml syringes of the Icon Etch etching gel and 15 smooth surface tips.

The procedure was originally developed as a treatment for initial proximal caries using a highly fluid resin without drilling. The additional option of successfully treating cariogenic white spots on smooth surfaces was soon recognized and confirmed by studies.

"My partners and I have been using Icon for the past 10 years," said Dr. Richard Chaet, DDS. "We've had success rate of 95% in arresting incipient interproximal lesions on permanent teeth, and we’ve also made many smiles by removing cosmetic defects on facial surfaces of anterior permanent teeth. Icon is a revolutionary product and has been a major benefit to our patients."

Icon presents an entirely new category to the world of dentistry: caries infiltration. It effectively bridges the gap between prevention and restoration, eliminating the need for anesthesia, pain and drilling.

Icon Caries Infiltration features & benefits:

• Esthetic results on smooth surface white spots

• Arrests incipient caries upon discovery

• Preserves healthy tooth structure

• Microinvasive technology, without anesthesia or drilling

• One, quick patient visit

View two Icon resin infiltration webinars.

For information about DMG and its category-defining products, please visit https://www.dmg-america.com/.

About DMG

DMG manufactures and distributes market-leading restorative materials and preventive products that are internationally recognized for their quality and innovation. Known for breakthrough material technology, including flagship products Luxatemp, LuxaCore Z Dual, and the revolutionary Icon resin infiltrant, DMG is committed to helping the dental profession meet its materials needs through innovation, collaboration and dedication. For more information about DMG products, or to find a sales representative, please visit online at https://www.dmg-america.com, or call (800) 662-6383.

For over 50 years, Nobel Biocare has been a pioneering force for implant dentistry. At the Global Symposium in Madrid, the company is now taking innovation to another level with the announcement of its Nobel Biocare N1™ implant system.

Soon to be available to dental professionals worldwide, the purpose behind the new system was to make treatments faster as well as more straightforward and predictable. To achieve this required challenging conventional techniques in implantology. Addressing some of the shortcomings of current protocols, Nobel Biocare N1 was designed from the ground up with biological principles and patient needs in mind. In collaboration with a group of international researchers and clinicians, Nobel Biocare is now bringing to the market this long-anticipated new system, which was created from over five years of scientific and clinical refinement.

The entire Nobel Biocare N1 system, from planning to the prosthetic delivery, was created to streamline workflows and enhance patient comfort. Going beyond a new implant design, Nobel Biocare is also redefining site preparation with the introduction of the OsseoShaper ™, a new innovative alternative to conventional drilling protocols. Experience gained from over 18 months of clinical evaluations with an early ambassador group on the Nobel Biocare N1 concept have already indicated promising results in terms of the method’s effectiveness.

Fully embracing the new Mucointegration™ concept, the Xeal™ and TiUltra™ surfaces will be available on the Nobel Biocare N1 implant system from day one. With the help of their specially tailored surface chemistry and topography, the Nobel Biocare N1 TiUltra implants and Xeal abutments can thus benefit from optimized tissue integration.

Nobel Biocare N1 will be further integrated into the digital workflow with DTX Studio™, giving dental professionals more opportunities to provide patients with shorter-time-teeth.

"Our Nobel Biocare N1 system is a real breakthrough in almost every aspect of the treatment workflow,” said Nobel Biocare President Hans Geiselhöringer. "With the help of our early ambassador group we have collected over 18 months of clinical experience on the Nobel Biocare N1 concept as well as the unique implant site preparation technique. The feedback we received from clinicians experiencing the system for the first time here in Madrid has been extremely positive. I am more than convinced that the system will be able to set new standards for the industry."

Dental professionals visiting the Nobel Biocare Global Symposium in Madrid have until Saturday, June 29, to discover and try out the new system. Nobel Biocare N1 will first become available to clinicians in CE markets later in 2019, followed by additional markets pending regulatory approval.

More information about Nobel Biocare N1™ is also available at www.nobelbiocare.com/n1

With the launch of its Xeal™ abutment surface and TiUltra™ implant surface this year, Nobel Biocare recently initiated the Mucointegration™ era for implant dentistry. Now, evidence supporting these pioneering surfaces including clinical data has become available in a special supplement of the journal Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research (CIDRR).

Building on the scientific track record of the TiUnite™ surface, scientific research has been a key driving force behind the development of Xeal and TiUltra. The CIDRR supplement contains seven publications that include in vitro, pre-clinical and clinical studies conducted by researchers around the globe over the last five years. They have focused on how clinical and biological needs must be balanced, surface chemistry can enhance tissue integration as well as the Mucointegration™ concept. Overall, they provide a unique insight into the extensive research behind these surfaces. Promising results were found by a randomized controlled clinical study from the Brånemark Clinic in Gothenburg with two years of follow-up. It showed better soft tissue parameters, such as statistically significant greater mucosa height when using the new abutment surfaces over machined titanium abutments.[i]

With their unique surface chemistry and topography, Xeal and TiUltra were introduced with the goal to optimize early tissue integration and long-term tissue stability. Both surfaces are currently available in CE markets and will be released to dental professionals in other regions throughout 2019 following clearance, licensing or registration. Extending their benefits to the next generation of implants and abutments, they will also be an integral part of the company’s upcoming Nobel Biocare N1™ implant system.

Hans Geiselhöringer, President of Nobel Biocare Systems commented: “The new CIDRR supplement impressively shows our commitment to scientific documentation and product validation when bringing new solutions to the market. At Nobel Biocare, we believe that the Mucointegration™ concept is the next milestone in implantology for achieving both immediacy and longevity for successful treatment outcomes. Having launched this next generation of dental implant and abutment surfaces with such a wealth of scientific information already available at market release, we are once again confirming our role as a company that puts science first for the benefit of patients.”

All seven studies from the CIDRR supplement are available for download from nobelbiocare.com/surface. There, dental professionals can also find more information about the clinical benefits and availability of Xeal and TiUltra.

[i] A New Era in Mucointegration and Osseointegration Driven by Surface Chemistry. Clin Implant Dent Relat Res. 2019; Vol. 21, Issue S1, pages 1-68.