Newswise — The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received state and federal approval to award a services contract to NuShores Biosciences LLC for Generation 1 manufacturing of the NuCress bone void filler scaffold products. This contract is funded by a $5.6 million grant awarded by the Department of Defense to UA Little Rock in 2019.

This technology, the NuCress scaffold, is a nanomaterial-based bone regeneration device pioneered by UA Little Rock’s Dr. Alex Biris, director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, leader of the DOD grant, and co-founder of NuShores. Biris spearheaded this new contract alongside NuShores CEO Sharon Ballard.

“We are very excited to collaborate with NuShores for the manufacturing stage of the NuCress product development. NuShores was founded with DOD goals in mind, and this contract is essential for bringing those goals one step closer to fruition,” Biris said.

NuShores was founded in 2014, at DOD’s request, to license UA Little Rock’s bone regeneration products.

“This new contract affirms the strength of NuShores as a company, as well as the potential of UA Little Rock to launch successful technological development efforts,” said Joni Lee, UA Little Rock vice chancellor for university affairs. “We look forward to seeing the results of this collaboration.”

The contracted work will be led by Ballard and supported by NuShores’ manufacturing manager Mark Pelo, a 27-year veteran of the implantable medical devices industry who joined the company in July. Together, they will establish one of the only medical device clean manufacturing facilities in Arkansas.

“This first manufacturing project will establish NuShores as a medical device manufacturer homegrown in Arkansas,” Ballard said. “We have proven we can fund, establish, and recruit these manufacturing elements. Thanks to this contract, we will now also be able to accelerate development and product manufacturing of other maturing products in our pipeline, such as spine and dental implant indications.”

NuShores’ focus in the upcoming years will be production process automation, leading to a hands-free factory that optimizes quality and maximizes gross margins.

“We must be able to compete in pricing with established giants in the industry,” Pelo said. “The only way we can do that is intelligent automation and solid vendor relationships.”

The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 839 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office. This work is supported by the Department of Defense, through the Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program under Award No. W81XWH1920014 to the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense. 

Recognizing how dramatically the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the practice of dentistry, GC has developed a microsite dedicated to providing the latest updates on evolving guidelines for dental professionals. Safe4Dentistry.com is a continually updated resource center that provides safe and effective minimally invasive dental treatment options and data, including information on how to reduce aerosol production to protect staff and patients during appointments. First launched in the U.S. and Canada, the Safe4Dentistry.com microsite will be rolled out globally to include all GC companies in the coming weeks.

The Safe4Dentistry.com site is populated with podcasts, clinical case examples, continuing education (CE) courses, and access to live webinars, recent articles and other resources. Topics include placing minimally invasive low-aerosol fillings, how to approach emergency treatments, ways to keep the dental practice safe and secure, and much more.

Minimally invasive restoration techniques often eliminate the need for high-speed drilling, which creates aerosols that can impact both patients and practitioners. Using glass ionomer and glass hybrid restorative technology systems provide interim and long-term restorative solutions. Featured cases demonstrate how blending glass hybrids and traditional materials and methods can reduce aerosols, such as utilizing materials like EQUIA Forte® HT glass hybrid restoratives that require no high-speed drilling or extensive tooth preparation. Instructors include Drs. Jeremy Horst, Jeanette MacLean, Lance Kisby, and Victor Cedillo Felix.

Implementing the correct protocols is paramount to patient and staff safety but keeping track of the rapidly changing recommendations and guidelines can be daunting. The Safe and Secure Practice section of the microsite contains the latest updates on evolving guidelines by organizations such as ADA, FDI, and CDC, step-by-step procedures, and relevant articles and resources for the dental practitioner.

The Additional Resources section contains systematic reviews, additional tutorials, webinars and podcasts. Presenters include Drs. Timothy Bizga, Jeanette MacLean, Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, and others. Here, dental professionals can join Dr. Bob Margeas for some “product talk” and explore “the restorative decision tree” with Dr. Todd Snyder. Dental professionals can also sign up for virtual meetings and lunch & learn programs, which provide CE credits for dental professionals.

GC America is committed to the safety and wellbeing of both oral health providers and patients and the quality of its products. To gain user opinions and suggestions, Safe4Dentistry.com also includes a brief survey for customers to provide feedback on featured products and their use in procedures. For more information, please visit https://Safe4Dentistry.com/.

As might be expected given the COVID-19 pandemic, “Financial Concerns” are now the top challenge Canadian dentists intend to address in their practice in 2020 (as compared to fourth highest ranked challenge in 2019), according to results from the DIAC (Dental Industry Association of Canada) Twenty-Fourth Annual Future of Dentistry Survey. However, dentists remained optimistic regarding most other 2020 aspects of operating their practices in the future. This year’s survey was designed and launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was conducted between the period of February 1st to the first week of June 2020 and includes dentist’s opinions during the period of closures due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Due to the timing of the survey no specific questions were included addressing the impact of COVID-19 on dentistry.

As with past surveys, the pattern of Challenges mentioned, other than Financial Concerns, continued in the traditional ranked order noted in 2018 and 2019: Getting More Patients, Staffing Issues, Acceptance of Treatment Plans, and Installing New Equipment/Office Upgrades. These reflect the continuing concerns of the typical dental practice expressed over the years before the onset of the pandemic and appear to be unchanged based on the responses received between February and the first of June 2020. What does appear to be growing is the impact of incorporating technology in the office (32% now rate it as a Key Metric for success) as well as the creation of a new category of concern “Securing Proper PPE,” an obvious reference to COVID-19.

In addition, the continuing positive outlook of dentists surveyed between February and June 2020 in Canada towards the future is reflected by the following findings from this year’s survey in terms of investing in their practices and their abilities moving forward:

 While the trend towards larger practices in terms of numbers of dentists and operatories noted in previous surveys has continued, over 22% of 2020 respondents still intend to add one or more new operatories in the next two years. This percentage has remained basically unchanged since 2017.

 Dentists still intend to purchase new equipment over the next two years at the same rate as in the past with Digital Impression Systems still the top intended equipment purchase (38% of respondents), followed by Electric Handpiece (29%) and Cone Beam Computed Tomography (23%).

 The percentage of respondents with a fully Paperless Office has reached 40% in 2020.

 The percentages of digitization in the individual practice areas studied—X-Ray (91%), Operatories (71%), Private Office (70%) and Charting (57%)—are now all over 50% and continue to increase.

 Social Media continues to climb the list of Practice-Building Tools used (52% of respondents in 2020 use Social Media and it is now second only to Asking For Referrals in popularity).

 Over half still plan to have a specialist place their implants BUT 29% are now placing implants themselves (up from 21% last year).

 40% now use or plan to use Guided Implant Surgery in their practice.

 Over 50% now expect to use modeless restorations for single unit cases.

 A record high 50% are participating in one or more Study Clubs in 2020 (up from an average of 38% the previous eight years).

A total of 440 practicing Canadian dentists responded to this year’s survey with a good proportional distribution across all regions of the country. Based on this response rate, overall 2020 survey results have an accuracy of +/- 4.67% 19 times out of 20.

Despite recent World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to delay routine dental procedures, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) today stressed the importance of maintaining periodontal health during the COVID-19 outbreak. The AAP also announced that its members are committed to implementing rigorous safety measures in an effort to ensure the health and well-being of patients and reduce the risk of exposure during the pandemic.

“It is well-established science that periodontal disease and systemic disease are interconnected,” said Dr. Bryan Frantz, President of the AAP. “As a result, establishing and maintaining healthy teeth and gums is fundamental to overall health. The COVID19 pandemic has certainly affected most aspects of life, but with the right patient safety measures in place that align with state and local guidelines, it should not impact your ability to receive periodontal care.”

Periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, can cause bleeding gums, bad breath, and if left untreated lead to tooth loss. Periodontal disease has been linked to several other serious conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

The WHO’s recent recommendations to delay non-essential dental care cite the risk of disease transmission as a result of the close proximity between dental professionals and patients and due to the aerosols produced by certain dental procedures. However, there is limited evidence to support the claim that dental offices pose an increased risk of spreading disease, including COVID-19.

Additionally, the AAP states that routine visits with a periodontist are crucial to maintaining the health of teeth and gums. “Many patients under the care of a periodontist are undergoing a comprehensive treatment plan,” says Dr. Frantz. “Regular check-ups are an important part of this treatment, and any delay in care could lead to a worsening of their periodontal condition.”

According to Dr. Frantz, periodontists are uniquely experienced in infection control and other safety measures to protect themselves and their patients from disease exposure. “As dental professionals who are predominantly involved with surgical procedures, periodontists have always been committed to ensuring that effective safety barriers are in place for patients. While the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us, members of the AAP are adhering to COVID-19 mandates issued by state and local agencies and implementing additional measures to ensure the safety of both their patients and their staff.”

Additional measures include regular temperature checks for both staff and patients, social distancing, the use of personal protective equipment such as face shields, masks, and gloves, and rigorous infection control and sanitation procedures. For more information or to find a periodontist, visit perio.org.

About the American Academy of Periodontology:

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) is the leading professional association of periodontists, dentistry’s experts in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gum disease and in the placement and maintenance of dental implants. AAP members are dedicated to supporting the optimal oral and overall health and excellent quality of life for their patients through exceptional periodontal care. Periodontists receive three years of additional training following dental school to hone their clinical, surgical, and anatomical skills. Periodontics is one of the twelve recognized specialties of the American Dental Association (ADA).  

MouthWatch, LLC, a leader in innovative teledentistry solutions, digital case presentation tools and intraoral imaging devices, was recently included on the annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses.

After being founded only eight years ago, MouthWatch is in good company as Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

“It’s beyond exciting for our entire team and customers to see the incredible growth MouthWatch has accomplished in recent years,” says Brant Herman, MouthWatch founder and chief executive officer. “While we are known for our achievements in improving dental care, we are striving for broader goals within healthcare. It’s humbling to have MouthWatch recognized by the Inc. 5000 and to remind us of how far we’ve come.”

The company’s recent growth was propelled by sales of two products that are highly rated by dental clinicians and educators: the TeleDent™ all-in-one teledentistry platform, and the MouthWatch Intraoral Camera.

“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism.”

About MouthWatch LLC

Headquartered in Metuchen, New Jersey, MouthWatch, LLC is a leader in innovative teledentistry solutions, digital case presentation tools and intraoral imaging devices. The company is dedicated to finding new ways to constantly improve the dental health experience for both patient and provider.

The founders and management team of MouthWatch have relevant backgrounds and successful track records in dentistry, consumer products and communications. Since 2012, this team has pioneered the integration of digital imagery and communications technology in the field of oral health. Their cumulative experience makes it possible for the company to take the lead in bringing the benefits of telemedicine to the world of dentistry. For more information, visit www.MouthWatch.com.

The American Dental Association (ADA) respectfully yet strongly disagrees with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation to delay “routine” dental care in certain situations due to COVID-19.

“Oral health is integral to overall health. Dentistry is essential health care,” states ADA President Chad P. Gehani, D.D.S. “Dentistry is essential health care because of its role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing or treating oral diseases, which can affect systemic health.”

Dr. Gehani added that in March, when COVID-19 cases began to rise in the U.S., the ADA called for dentists to postpone all but urgent and emergency care in order to understand the disease, consider its effect on dental patients, dental professionals and the greater community.

Both the ADA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then issued interim guidance for dental professionals related to COVID-19. The ADA’s guidance calls for the highest level of PPE available—masks, goggles and face shields. The ADA’s interim guidance also calls for the use of rubber dams and high velocity suction whenever possible and hand scaling when cleaning teeth rather than using ultrasonic scaling to minimize aerosols.

Dr. Gehani concludes, “Millions of patients have safely visited their dentists in the past few months for the full range of dental services. With appropriate PPE, dental care should continue to be delivered during global pandemics or other disaster situations.”

About the ADA

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 163,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org

Dentists and dentistry leaders in the U.S. have launched a nationwide campaign, Keep Dentistry Open for Patients. This new coalition urges state health and elected officials to keep dental practices open as COVID-19 cases continue to spike around the country. Dental practitioners play a crucial role in keeping dental emergencies out of hospital emergency departments, which preserves precious PPE resources and reduces further transmissions of the Coronavirus. With some state health officials and governors considering new stay-at-home orders, dentists are taking action by signing a petition asking the leaders in their states to consider the essential services dental offices provide to their communities. For more information and to sign the petition, click HERE.

Dentistry is a critically important element of the healthcare system. Studies indicate that good oral health has shown to help improve individual defenses against the novel Coronavirus, and that poor oral hygiene has been linked to COVID-19 complications, particularly in patients suffering with diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease. It is critical that dental offices remain open to treat patients to help maintain their oral health.

Dentists supported by leading dental support organization Pacific Dental Services® (PDS), as well as all dentists throughout the country, have always taken precautions to ensure the safety of their patients. Now, in the midst of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, additional safety measures have been adopted at dental offices nationwide to protect patients from the COVID-19 virus. Nevertheless, according to recent reports, a large population of patients are suffering from untreated dental issues due to fears from entering a dental office. Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. and half of all seniors reported delaying medical care in April due to fears of contamination at medical facilities, and the latest American Dental Association data reported average weekly patient visits were down 82% in early May. While concerns about safety are understandable, experts believe the health consequences of delaying needed dental care are an even greater risk. For this critical reason, it’s imperative that dental offices remain open throughout the continued healthcare crisis. For more information on the #DentalSAFETY of patients, click here.

For more information about the Keep Dental Offices Open campaign and to sign the petition, click HERE.

About Pacific Dental Services®

Founded in 1994, Pacific Dental Services (PDS) is one of the country’s leading dental support organizations, providing supported autonomy that enables dentists to concentrate on clinical excellence and the highest levels of cost-effective comprehensive patient care. PDS originated the Private Practice+® model to enable dentists to focus on their passion: serving patients. PDS also pioneered the concept of Modern Dentistry so that dentists are equipped to combine advances in the latest technology with the best operational practices and procedures, highly skilled support staff and a commitment to ongoing training and education. PDS continues to grow, with over 800 supported dental offices across the United States and plans to expand into several new markets. PDS has been on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America 14 times. PDS supported dentists aim to be the provider of choice in all the markets they serve and to develop Patients for Life™.

For more information, visit us at https://www.pacificdentalservices.com

Millions of Americans are without access to basic dentistry, which is an essential element in maintaining good overall health. In 2020, with the impact of the health and economic crises, millions of additional children and adults are without access to the oral health care they need. Smile Generation Serve Day once again is answering the call to provide countless patients with donated dentistry. Taking place on Saturday, August 15, this annual day of service is part of a nationwide campaign of giving that focuses on dental care. Smile Generation Serve Day lives at the heart of the Smile Generation’s culture of service. Hundreds of Smile Generation-trusted dental practices will be providing donated dentistry to underserved members of their communities.

“Smile Generation Serve Day is an extremely rewarding day for the dentists and their teams, and for the patients who never thought they would have the opportunity to receive this level of care,” said Kyle Guerin, Director, Pacific Dental Services® & Corporate Social Responsibility. “It’s a privilege to be able to help so many underserved patients regain their confidence and their smiles.”

After Innocence: Giving a New Start to Life

This year, the Smile Generation will join forces with After Innocence, a non-profit organization that serves more than 500 exonerees nationwide, to provide donated dentistry to women and men who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. These innocent men and women, many of whom served decades in prison, are trying to rebuild their lives. After Innocence, a 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered in Oakland, California, provides reliable, efficient re-entry assistance for America’s wrongfully convicted. The organization advocates with exonerees for laws that provide them with meaningful compensation and effective re-entry support.

“Dental care is a major issue for so many exonerees and working with the Smile Generation has given many of them a level of care that would have been otherwise unobtainable,” said Jon Eldan, Founder and Executive Director of After Innocence. “Most exonerees didn’t receive good dental care while they were in prison, and some developed serious problems as a result. Once released, they found it difficult to get affordable dental care. That's why our partnership with Smile Generation Serve Day is a game-changer for many of our exonerees. The scope of the work these dentists do for our exoneree-clients is just extraordinary.”

This Saturday, Smile Generation-trusted dentists will be offering patients comprehensive oral health care, including cleanings, x-rays, scaling and root planing, restorations, and extractions. Since its inception in 2011, more than 19,000 patients have received donated dental services during Smile Generation Serve Day, totaling $32 million in oral health care.   

CHICAGO, August 10, 2020 — A new interim policy from the American Dental Association (ADA) states dentistry is an “essential health care service,” reaffirming that oral health has long been recognized as an integral part of overall health.

“Whether it’s the current pandemic, a future epidemic or a natural disaster in a particular area, this policy recognizes the need for people to be able to continue to access the full range of dental services,” said ADA President Chad P. Gehani, D.D.S. “Oral health is integral to overall health — staying well depends on having access to health care, which includes dental treatment.”

Dr. Gehani added that regular dental visits are important because treatment, as well as prevention of dental disease, helps keep people healthy. “Beyond teeth and gums, the mouth also serves as a window to the rest of the body and can show signs of infection, nutritional deficiencies and systemic diseases,” he said.

The policy includes the following:

Oral health is an integral component of systemic health.

Dentistry is an essential health care service because of its role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing or treating oral diseases, which can affect systemic health.

The term “Essential Dental Care” be defined as any care that prevents and eliminates infection, preserves the structure and function of teeth as well as orofacial hard and soft tissues. Orofacial generally refers to the mouth, jaws and face.

Essential dental care should continue to be delivered during global pandemics or other disaster situations.

Government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have acknowledged dentistry as an essential service needed to maintain the health of Americans so they can sustain their health and livelihoods and live resiliently during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

For more information and to read the full policy, visit ADA.org.

For more information about oral health, visit the ADA’s website for consumers, MouthHealthy.org.

Editor’s Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn

About the ADA

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing 163,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA's consumer website MouthHealthy.org

Newswise — WASHINGTON, August 11, 2020 -- Scientists used computational fluid dynamics to determine the effect of temperature on root canal cleaning efficiency. Higher temperatures can, to a point, improve cleansing, but this benefit falls off if the temperature gets too high.

In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, scientists from China and the U.S. report calculations with a model of the conical-shaped root canal inside a tooth. This cavity is usually filled with pulp. When the pulp becomes inflamed or infected, an endodontist removes the infected pulp, and then cleans, shapes and fills the canal. The apex is then sealed.

A crucial step in this common dental procedure is irrigation, or rinsing, of the root canal cavity with an antibacterial solution, such as sodium hypochlorite. Efficient cleaning and successful destruction of any bacteria or other microbes in the cavity depend on the penetration and cleaning ability of the irrigation fluid.

The computational investigation used a structured mesh as a model of the conical root canal cavity. More than 1 million cells in the mesh completely and accurately described both the root canal and the side-vented needle through which the hypochlorite solution is injected. Fluid dynamics equations were used to model flow of the hypochlorite solution.

The scientists varied the fluid velocity, temperature and input power to determine the most efficient cleansing technique. As expected, higher fluid velocities lead to better cleansing. Perhaps counterintuitively, cleansing efficiency is higher on the wall behind the needle vent.

“The effective area on the root canal wall, in which the shear stress exceeds the critical value to clean the wall, is usually larger behind the needle outlet than in front of it,” said author Hanhui Jin.

The maximum shear stress also usually occurs on the wall behind the needle outlet, Jin explained.

The investigators also looked at the effect of temperature on cleansing. They considered four different temperatures: 22 Celsius, which is room temperature; 37 C, which is body temperature; and two higher temperatures of 45 C and 60 C. Temperatures above 60 C are painful for the patient and tend to cause root canal damage.

Increasing the temperature to 45 C, while holding the fluid velocity fixed, improved the depth of cleansing and the cleansing span across the canal’s width, but further increases in temperature beyond 45 C actually decreased the cleansing efficiency.

The investigators considered the effect of power consumption by the irrigation device. If the power consumption is held at a fixed value, the effect of temperature on cleansing efficiency is much more pronounced.

“The fluid circulation within the canal is clearly enlarged when the temperature is increased,” said Jin. Therefore, careful control of both power consumption and temperature leads to increased cleaning efficiency.

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The article, "Effect of inflow temperature on root canal irrigation: A computational fluid dynamics study," is authored by Mingzhou Yu, Zhengqiu Huang, Na Zhou, Zihan Xu, Shuli Deng and Hanhui Jin. The article will appear in Physics of Fluids on Aug. 11, 2020 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0014737). After that date, it can be accessed at https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0014737.

Physics of Fluids is devoted to the publication of original theoretical, computational, and experimental contributions to the dynamics of gases, liquids, and complex fluids. See https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf.