In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is offering the 2020 Virtual AAOMS Annual Meeting Oct. 1 to 10. The meeting combines the educational content of the Association's 102nd Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition and annual Dental Implant Conference.

The meeting's live and on-demand educational sessions will provide greater flexibility for attendees to learn about the latest research in the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS). A community-oriented platform will foster interaction between attendees and speakers. Held in conjunction with the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the meeting will feature several international speakers and focus on the theme of the Digital Workforce: Improving Efficiency and Safety for our Patients. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons, faculty, residents and allied staff are expected to attend.

Anthony S. Fauci, MD – director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 – will speak during the meeting's President's Event. He has served as a key advisor to six U.S. Presidents on AIDS and other health issues, including COVID-19.

This virtual meeting replaces the AAOMS Annual Meeting originally scheduled for Oct. 5 to 10 in San Antonio, Texas, and the Dental Implant Conference slated for Dec. 3 to 5 in Chicago, Ill.

Similar to previous in-person AAOMS Annual Meetings, the educational content will present clinical tracks that cover the scope of OMS practice: anesthesia, cosmetic, dentoalveolar, orthognathic, pathology, pediatrics and cleft, reconstruction/nerve, temporomandibular joint and trauma. Sessions also will address timely topics to help enhance the OMS practice. The Dental Implant Program will present enhanced dental implant content with four live sessions, three on-demand sessions and interaction opportunities. In addition, a virtual Exhibit Hall will display the most advanced products and services available in the OMS specialty.

"With respect for the safety of our members and their staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, AAOMS decided to shift to a virtual format for its two annual fall meetings," said AAOMS President Victor L. Nannini, DDS, FACS. "For more than 100 years, our members have expected the Annual Meeting to offer outstanding educational sessions to advance knowledge, provide opportunities for dialogue and showcase the latest products. We are pleased to still be able to hold our annual premier events, now in a virtual format that is expected to provide convenience and value to our members with consideration for their evolving needs."

Registration is open to AAOMS members, OMS residents, professional allied staff and non-members. More information is available at AAOMS.org/AnnualMeeting.

The experts in face, mouth and jaw surgery® -- The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is the professional organization representing more than 11,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons, OMS residents and OMS professional staff in the United States. AAOMS supports its fellows' and members' ability to practice their specialty through education, research and advocacy. AAOMS fellows and members comply with rigorous continuing education requirements and submit to periodic office anesthesia evaluations. For additional information about oral and maxillofacial surgery, visit the AAOMS websites at AAOMS.org and myOMS.org.

SOURCE American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons

Track, Remind and Find those Clear Aligners You Should Be Wearing Right Now

Dental aligners are a big investment, and an even bigger pain to keep track of wearing. Chances are, you remember to wear them after brushing your teeth, but throughout the day, you repeatedly take them out for meals and snacks and forget about them.

nCase is the first of its kind putting the latest technology into a clear aligner case that’s paired with a highly customizable mobile app. The SmartCase is programmed to track your wear throughout the day and provides helpful reminders via the mobile app when you begin to miss your wear goals.

Features

Real-time usage tracking – Patented technology detects when aligners are placed in the case. Paired with the mobile app, you’ll know exactly how long the aligners have been in the SmartCase as well as how long they have presumably been in your mouth. See your progress day by day, aligner by aligner, or for the entire treatment.

Intelligent wear notifications and alerts – Receive automatic reminders when the aligners have gone unworn for too long. You can also set a wear goal for how long to wear your aligners per day, based on your dental care provider’s recommendations. You also receive reminders when it is time to change aligners.

Lost SmartCase locator – Contains several features to make sure your SmartCase never gets lost. Receive an automatic notification when you leave the SmartCase behind, ring it when it’s within range of your phone or pull up its last location on a map when it’s not.

No Charging Needed – The SmartCase uses replaceable coin cell batteries (CR2450) that only need to be replaced a couple times throughout the course of your treatment. You will receive reminders when it is time to order new batteries and the easy-to-navigate design allows them to be ordered directly from the app.

The nCase is compatible with iOS 11+, Android 5+ (Lollipop), and Bluetooth 4.0+.

For more information:

Visit: https://www.ncase.io/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ncase_inc/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/nCaseInc

Watch these helpful videos:

Intro https://youtu.be/PNDIKeU5YzE

Product Demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtmjkXUxC3Q&feature=youtu.be&t=60

The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a grant to researchers at New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) to explore age-related, chronic low-grade inflammation and changes in the gut microbiome. The grant (R01AG068857), which began August 15, provides $2.4 million over five years.

Chronic low-grade inflammation that develops with age is known as inflammaging, and it plays an important role in the rate of aging and age-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Inflammaging is likely the consequence of a dysfunctional relationship between an imbalanced gut microbiome and the immune system.

Xin Li, PhD, associate professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry and the project’s contact principal investigator, studies metabolites—small molecules that are produced during metabolism—and how they function as signals in aging and other conditions. Li and her colleagues recently found that the elevation of a metabolite called succinate is associated with aging in both humans and mice.

Elevated levels of succinate alter the gut microbiome by increasing the abundance of disease-causing organisms and also activate the succinate receptor to increase inflammation and the production of myeloid lineage in the bone marrow. Preliminary data from Li’s team shows that the interplay among gut microbes, altered metabolites, and the activation of succinate receptor contributes to inflammaging.

In this NIH-funded study, the researchers will examine the impact of succinate elevation on the gut microbiome in animal models and how these changes regulate signaling to promote inflammation. They will then “reprogram” the microbiome using antibiotics and fecal transplants to see if this alters the inflammation. The researchers will also study the role of bone marrow in succinate-stimulated inflammation and the myeloid lineage shift.

“Our study aims to help us better understand how the aging microbiome relates to the causes and pathophysiology of age-related chronic inflammation,” said Li. “If we find that targeting the gut microbiome and succinate receptor activation can alleviate inflammaging, this could provide us with novel targets for treating age-related inflammation.”

Deepak Saxena, PhD, professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry, is the project’s multiple principal investigator.

About NYU College of Dentistry

Founded in 1865, New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating nearly 10 percent of the nation’s dentists. NYU Dentistry has a significant global reach with a highly diverse student body. Visit https://dental.nyu.edu for more. 

Newswise — WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2020 — Oral bacteria are ready to spring into action the moment a dental hygienist finishes scraping plaque off a patient’s teeth. Eating sugar or other carbohydrates causes the bacteria to quickly rebuild this tough and sticky biofilm and to produce acids that corrode tooth enamel, leading to cavities. Scientists now report a treatment that could someday stop plaque and cavities from forming in the first place, using a new type of cerium nanoparticle formulation that would be applied to teeth at the dentist’s office.

The researchers will present their progress toward this goal today at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo. ACS is holding the meeting through Thursday. It features more than 6,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

The mouth contains more than 700 species of bacteria, says Russell Pesavento, D.D.S., Ph.D., the project’s principal investigator. They include beneficial bacteria that help digest food or keep other microbes in check. They also include harmful streptococcal species, including Streptococcus mutans. Soon after a cleaning, these bacteria stick to teeth and begin multiplying. With sugar as an energy source and building block, the microbes gradually form a tough film that can’t easily be removed by brushing. As the bacteria continue metabolizing sugar, they make acid byproducts that dissolve tooth enamel, paving the way for cavities.

Dentists and consumers can fight back with products including stannous fluoride to inhibit plaque, and silver nitrate or silver diamine fluoride to stop existing tooth decay. Researchers have also studied nanoparticles made of zinc oxide, copper oxide or silver to treat dental infections. Although bactericidal agents such as these have their place in dentistry, repeated applications could lead to both stained teeth and bacterial resistance, according to Pesavento, who is at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “Also, these agents are not selective, so they kill many types of bacteria in your mouth, even good ones,” he explains.

So, Pesavento wanted to find an alternative that wouldn’t indiscriminately kill bacteria in the mouth and that would help prevent tooth decay, rather than treat cavities after the fact. He and his research group turned to cerium oxide nanoparticles. Other teams had examined the effects of various types of cerium oxide nanoparticles on microbes, though only a few had looked at their effects on clinically relevant bacteria under initial biofilm formation conditions. Those that did so prepared their nanoparticles via oxidation-reduction reactions or pH-driven precipitation reactions, or bought nanoparticles from commercial sources. Those prior formulations either had no effect or even promoted biofilm growth in lab tests, he says.

But Pesavento persevered because the properties and behavior of nanoparticles depend, at least partially, on how they’re prepared. His team produced their nanoparticles by dissolving ceric ammonium nitrate or sulfate salts in water. Other researchers had previously made the particles this way but hadn’t tested their effects on biofilms. When the researchers seeded polystyrene plates with S. mutans in growth media and fed the bacteria sugar in the presence of the cerium oxide nanoparticle solution, they found that the formulation reduced biofilm growth by 40% compared to plates without the nanoparticles, though they weren’t able to dislodge existing biofilms. Under similar conditions, silver nitrate — a known anti-cavity agent used by dentists — showed no effect on biofilm growth.

“The advantage of our treatment is that it looks to be less harmful to oral bacteria, in many cases not killing them,” Pesavento says. Instead, the nanoparticles merely prevented microbes from sticking to polystyrene surfaces and forming adherent biofilms. In addition, the nanoparticles’ toxicity and metabolic effects in human oral cells in petri dishes were less than those of silver nitrate.

Pesavento, who was awarded a patent in July, would like to combine the nanoparticles with enamel-strengthening fluoride in a formulation that dentists could paint on a patient’s teeth. But, he notes, much work must be done before that concept can be realized. For now, the team is experimenting with coatings to stabilize the nanoparticles at a neutral or slightly basic pH — closer to the pH of saliva and healthier for teeth than the present acidic solution. His team has also begun working with bacteria linked to the development of gingivitis and has found one particular coated nanoparticle that outcompeted stannous fluoride in limiting the formation of adherent biofilms under similar conditions. Pesavento and his team will continue to test the treatment in the presence of other bacterial strains typically present in the mouth, as well as test its effects on human cells of the lower digestive tract to gain a better sense of overall safety for patients.

A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 1 p.m. Eastern time online at www.acs.org/fall2020pressconferences.

Pesavento acknowledges funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder® and STN®), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

This research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Plak Smacker is excited to introduce VursaWedge, an innovative new matrix wedge technology that delivers perfectly sealed gingival margins.

The specially developed split wedge technology delivers a better gingival seal, which helps in routine and deep-lesion cases. The wedge not only provides an interproximal seal, but the “wings” also carry that seal around to the lingual side of the tooth. This perfect seal dramatically reduces the time needed to finish the restoration and remove flash from this hard-to-reach area.

“Since the advent of composite restorations, dentists have been struggling to seal the gingival margin and achieve proper contact, as well as a natural contour, without an excessive amount of time spent finishing the restoration,” said VursaWedge inventor Dr. Matthew Burton, DDS, of Burton Dental Innovations, LLC. “VursaWedge is the culmination of several years spent analyzing and solving the inherent physical limitations of current wedges on the market.”

Even more exciting is that the VursaWedge easily lends itself for use with a clinician’s traditional system and technique. “The learning curve on this product is zero, it’s incredibly intuitive to use. Achieving perfect gingival margins is as simple as swapping VursaWedge for their traditional wedge,” explains Dr. Burton. Furthermore, the wings of the VursaWedge help lock in the ring, greatly reducing ring slippage. This product helps save time on the set up as well as the clean up!

Plak Smacker has partnered with Dr. Burton to provide a CE course about the impacts of wedges and how to achieve perfect gingival margins. The virtual CE course will take place on Thursday, August 20th and is free to attend.

To register for the event, visit https://info.plaksmacker.com/cutting-wedge. To learn more about VursaWedge technology, visit BurtonBands.com or search VursaWedge at PlakSmacker.com.

Sterngold Dental President and CEO, Gordon S. Craig III, announced the addition of Gene Peterson, CDT, to the company’s leadership roster. Gene assumes the role of Director of Technical Development and Learning, where he oversees all aspects of Sterngold’s technical department, leading digital development efforts, product offering pipeline, and educational methods and content directives, working closely with sales, marketing, and customer service.

With over 30 years of experience, Gene has an extensive and diverse background in the dental industry, including R&D, clinical and dental laboratory workflows and protocols, learning and development, production, and management. After owning and operating a full service dental laboratory for 18 years, he spent the last 9 years with a major digital denture and technology company. As a pioneer and subject matter expert in the growing field of digital dentures, he has written and co-authored research and white papers on this and other technical subjects.

Gene is involved with several professional organizations, including the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), and the Academy for BioEsthetic Dentistry. He serves as Co-Chair of the Advisory Board and is a guest lecturer for the Dental Laboratory Technology program at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Gene also speaks fluent Spanish and has enjoyed delivering webinars and speaking at various national and international dental meetings. He holds a BS degree in Biology from Brigham Young University, is a Certified Dental Technician (NBC), and is a Certified BioEsthetic Dental Technician.

What can dental laboratory technicians and clinicians look forward to with Gene at the technical and learning helm? “Having both independent laboratory and manufacturing experience puts me at a good position to share relevant knowledge to the dental community. I am digitally minded and have a clear sense of exactly which type of technology really matters in terms of efficiency, growing the business, staying competitive, helping further cultivate the profession—simply making life easier for clinicians and fellow technicians. For Sterngold customers, I aim to provide knowledgeable support on current products and work on developing new ones that fulfill their needs.”

To meet the other members of the Sterngold Dental Leadership team, visit sterngold.com/leadership-team.

With over 120 combined years serving dentistry, DCI Edge, the fastest growing dental equipment and dental furniture manufacturer, and NSK, the #1 selling electric handpiece manufacturer in the US, introduce a seamlessly integrated electric motor system to be built into all DCI Edge delivery systems. The co-engineered system fully integrates the NLZ E Electric Motor and its licensed differentiators, including WaveOne® technology.

"We are excited to offer this industry leading integrated technology to our customers. In keeping with our mission to make our customers' lives easier, it was critical to select a company with a similar culture, care for the customer and a vision for continuous innovation. We found that in NSK. Working together we will challenge the industry with new and exciting integrated technologies," said Jason Spencer, President of DCI.

“It is incredible to see two great companies come together—especially in our current climate—Our integrated motor system will add capabilities across DCI Edge and NSK product lines, expanding treatment possibilities for everyone. We are so excited for customers to try it,” said Colan Rogers, President of NSK America.

The integrated motor has a custom interface to guide clinicians as they work, placing all the control at their fingertips. Its ergonomic design and intuitive operation help minimize unnecessary movement, keeping treatment as streamlined as possible for greater efficiency and a better treatment experience overall.

The motor systems unique touchpad interface is engineered for complete integration with the NSK NLZ E Electric Motor that performs at a speed of 100-40,000 min-1 and a max torque of 4.2 Ncm. For enhanced safety, NSK’s proprietary Contra-Check Function is built-in to detect abnormalities caused by deterioration of the electric attachment and insufficient maintenance before use.

To eliminate integration anxiety for the clinician, all integration options, including the new touchpad and electric motor, will be installed at the DCI factory in Newberg, OR. The system is designed to integrate across the entire DCI Edge Delivery Unit line and can be retrofitted to existing Series 5 Delivery Units. The factory-installed options for instrumentation include essential diagnostic and clinical devices, such as the ACTEON® SOPRO intraoral camera family, piezoelectric scalers, curing lights and the Dentsply Sirona Cavitron® System. Efficient endodontic treatment capabilities for both rotary and reciprocating files, including WaveOne® technology, are also part of the integration experience.

DCI Edge operatory equipment is available through DCI authorized Edge dealers. The DCI Edge product line is built with dentists, patients, and service technicians in mind, enabling clinicians to work more efficiently and comfortably. All DCI products are built at its factory located in Newberg, Oregon. Find a dealer at www.dciedge.com/dealer/locator 

About NSK

Founded in 1930, Nakanishi (NSK) is the world’s largest manufacturer of rotary instruments for the dental profession which includes air-driven and electric handpieces, specialty handpieces (endo, surgical, hygiene), electric motors and handpiece maintenance systems. NSK is passionate about creating innovative products that deliver outstanding value. Almost all parts are manufactured in-house to guarantee the highest precision, reliability and performance. The Ti-Max Z contra-angle and air turbine series and the NLZ micromotors resulted from NSK’s constant quest to make the impossible possible. www.nskdental.com

About DCI

Started over 35 years ago in Newberg, OR by the Spencer family, DCI was founded on three guiding principles: making customers’ lives easier, delivering reliable, high-quality dental parts & equipment, and giving back to those in need. Over the years, the Spencer family redefined the operatory equipment landscape by designing dental equipment and parts that challenged the status quo. This experience gives DCI its edge. Today, the family brings their design expertise and commitment to value and service to the forefront with the DCI Edge lines of operatory equipment. www.dcionline.com www.dciedge.com

VOCO introduces CleanJoy, a fluoride-containing, splatter-free, less abrasive prophy paste in three cleaning grits and three delicious flavors. Containing fluoride (700ppm) and xylitol, paraben-free and available in SingleDose cups, CleanJoy is a safe, hygienic and effective paste for the prevention of caries, the removal of soft and hard surface plaque, the removal of extrinsic stains (e.g., coffee, tea, tobacco, etc.), the polishing of tooth surfaces and restorations as part of professional cleanings, and more.

CleanJoy is available in caramel, mint, and cherry flavors and in three less abrasive grits—fine, medium and course—for use in a wide range of clinical situations. The fine grit features a low enough abrasion grade (RDA) that it is suitable for use with implants. CleanJoy has a stable, homogenous consistency, will not clump or dry out, and does not splatter, even when used with a polisher spinning at up to 3,000 rpms. VOCO is proud to add CleanJoy to its large catalog of high-quality product solutions that continue to service dental professionals and their patients throughout North America.

Sacramento, Calif. — The California Dental Association is pleased to announce eAssist Dental Solutions as a CDA Endorsed Program that offers dentists a valuable billing service, enhancing timely claims payment from dental plans.

CDA has been helping members navigate the dental benefits side of their practices for over a decade utilizing a dedicated, knowledgeable team and a full library of resources to educate members on how to properly complete and submit dental claims as well as address dental plan claim denials. Due to the complex nature and high volume of dental plan claim submissions, CDA sought an Endorsed Program partner as an option for members who need assistance submitting and managing their claims, including investigation and appeal of questionable denied claims.

eAssist provides an end-to-end electronic billing service for dental offices. The service optimizes claims payment and appeals processes. eAssist eases the burden on office staff and helps dental practices be more efficient, profitable and patient-centric. Founded by a dentist in 2012 to address the stress and anxiety caused by team turnover and retraining on dental benefit billing and processes, eAssist currently has a team of over 600 dental billing experts serving more than 4,000 dentists around the country, collecting $2.2 billion dollars from dental plans.

“CDA recognizes the ongoing challenges our members continue to face when dealing with dental benefit plans, and the association remains committed to offering dentists support and solutions such as eAssist,” said Steven Kend, DDS, chair of the CDA Finance Committee, which oversees CDA Endorsed Programs. “CDA selected eAssist for its offerings and its service-oriented mission to the profession of dentistry, which align with CDA’s mission and core values.

During these challenging times, having a dental plan billing solution for dental practices is paramount to ensuring the continuing financial health of the dental practice. Employing eAssist as a potential solution can help address some of the staffing shortages dental offices are experiencing.”

“eAssist is proud to partner with CDA in offering this valuable member benefit to provide dentists with an alternative method of maintaining their practices with fewer headaches,” said James Anderson, DMD, CEO of eAssist. “eAssist looks forward to serving CDA member dentists by ensuring they get paid what is rightfully owed to them from dental plans utilizing our unparalleled team of dental billing experts and our time-tested proven process.”

About the California Dental Association

The California Dental Association is the non-profit organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA is committed to the success of our members in service to their patients and the public. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDA’s membership consists of more than 27,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association. For more information, visit cda.org.  

The number of deaths globally due to smokeless tobacco has gone up by a third in 7 years to an estimated 350,000 people, a new study suggests.

The research, from the University of York, comes at a time when there are concerns that spitting - a behaviour common among those who chew tobacco - is likely to transmit the COVID-19 virus.

The researchers - who are part of an international group called ASTRA - are calling for governments and public health bodies to regulate the production and sale of smokeless tobacco. They say a ban on spitting in public places will also discourage smokeless tobacco use and may reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

Dr Kamran Siddiqi, from the Department of Health Sciences and Hull York Medical School, said: "The study has come at a time when COVID-19 is affecting almost all aspects of our lives. Chewing tobacco increases saliva production and leads to compulsive spitting.

"There are concerns that spitting - a behaviour common among those who chew tobacco- is likely to transmit the virus to others.

"In acknowledgement of this, India for example, has already taken a positive step by banning spitting in public places to reduce the transmission of COVID-19."

The study, which was funded by the National Institute of Health Research, estimates that in 2017 alone smokeless tobacco resulted in more than 90,000 deaths due to cancers of the mouth, pharynx and oesophagus and accounted for more than 258,000 deaths from heart disease. Millions more have their lives shortened by ill health due to the effects of chewing tobacco-based products, the study reveals.

Researchers compiled the figures using data from 127 countries and extracted from the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study and surveys such as Global Adult Tobacco Survey. The results are published in BMC Medicine.

Dr Siddiqi said South and South-East Asia continues to be a hotspot with India accounting for 70%, Pakistan for 7% and Bangladesh for 5% of the global disease burden due to smokeless tobacco.

Dr Siddiqi added: "Smokeless tobacco is used by almost a quarter of tobacco users and most of them live in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In the UK, South Asian communities also consume smokeless tobacco products which too needs to be regulated just like cigarettes."

"We have an international policy in the form of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, to regulate the supply and demand of tobacco products. We need to apply this framework to smokeless tobacco with the same rigor as it is applied to cigarettes."

###

The paper called, "Global burden of disease due to smokeless tobacco consumption in adults: an updated analysis of data from 127 countries" is published in BMC Medicine today.