LOS ANGELES, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SprintRay, manufacturer of dentistry's #1 solution for in-office production, is thrilled to announce two all-new 3D printing resins: NightGuard Flex and NightGuard Firm. These revelatory materials will allow dental professionals to use the SprintRay frictionless ecosystem to design, print, process, and place 3D-printed flexible and rigid nightguards in-house. These new resins, now available for sale in the U.S., will allow clinicians to unlock revenue streams and cut treatment lead times for occlusal care, empowering them to compete with DTC offerings on convenience while delivering fully supervised care.

SprintRay, thanks to its unique Cloud Design lab service and full ecosystem of 3D manufacturing products, is uniquely positioned to help dental professionals deliver more occlusal guards to those who need them with these two new materials:

• NightGuard Flex, formulated to be the fastest, most comfortable 3D-printed nightguard in dentistry.

• NightGuard Firm, a fast-printing rigid splint resin with industry-leading strength and aesthetics.

"With NightGuard Flex, we're able to provide a comfortable occlusal guard that's easy for the dentist to deliver while being comfortable and flavorless for patient satisfaction. This material has been clinically developed from scratch to help dentists address rising occlusal issues," said Ehsan Barjasteh, head of SprintRay resin development. "As parafunctional habits like grinding and clenching are on the rise, our NightGuard resins will play a key role in helping doctors provide fast, cost-effective, long-term relief to thousands of patients across the world."

NightGuard Flex

Clinically formulated to create the fastest, most comfortable 3D-printed occlusal guard in dentistry, NightGuard Flex becomes pliable at body temperature and is completely flavorless. NightGuard Flex makes it easy to protect more smiles with 2X faster print speeds for same-appointment delivery and fewer supports due to improved dimensional stability while in green state, reducing waste and improving speed to delivery.

• Simple chairside experience with heat-set delivery

• >2X faster print speeds vs competition

• Comfortable, easy to clean, and flavorless

• High-impact strength and flexibility

• Class I biocompatible, 510(k) pending

NightGuard Firm

Outstanding longevity, strength, and aesthetics come to 3D-printed occlusal guards with SprintRay NightGuard Firm. This material is simple to clean, resists wear, and is easy to polish. Outstanding mechanical properties mean that NightGuard Firm will be the first choice of clinicians and patients looking for high-strength occlusal appliances.

• Outstanding wear resistance

• Great aesthetics with blue tint

• Up to 20% faster than competitive materials

• Class I biocompatible

• Flavorless and odorless

Contact:

Matt Thompson

Phone: 1 800-914-8004

Email: marketing@sprintray.com

Related Images

sprintray-nightguard-flex-firm.jpg

SprintRay NightGuard Flex & Firm Resins

nightguard-flex.jpg

NightGuard Flex

A list of benefits for the game-changing NightGuard Flex resin

Related Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbTPfQUyl7Q

SOURCE SprintRay

SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ProSomnus Sleep Technologies, the leading Oral Appliance Therapy medical device for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), today announced their plan to support patients affected by the Philips Respironics Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP) and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) recall.

ProSomnus oral appliances are a relevant treatment alternative for patients with sleep apnea. ProSomnus devices are uniquely made from a medical grade, low porosity, biocompatible, hygienic material. Numerous studies have shown that precision Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) is a proven, effective treatment option that should be considered for adult patients who are intolerant of CPAP therapy or prefer alternate therapy. OAT can be used to treat all levels of OSA severity and has been proven to reduce AHI and improve OSA co-morbidities, such as blood pressure, fatigue and fatigue-related accidents and cardiovascular mortality. ProSomnus is offering the following programs to help affected patients get into effective, safe and comfortable therapy;

Find a Qualified Provider

ProSomnus offers sleep professionals two links to make it easy to refer patients to experienced, qualified, dental sleep medicine providers in their areas. The first is ProSomnusDentists.com the second is AADSM.org.

Expedited Production/Capacity

ProSomnus has a scalable rapid, seven-day, production schedule to get patients into therapy faster. Capacity can be expanded easily to accommodate this crisis. The American Academies of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) recommend custom, titratable, oral appliance therapy devices fitted by qualified dentists, and not do-it-yourself mouthguards. Prescription oral appliance therapy devices are made-to-order, which historically took several weeks. ProSomnus uses a unique manufacturing process that speeds up the process and is more precise.

Extended Warranty

ProSomnus standard three-year warranty, fewer interventions and excellent efficacy, adherence and effectiveness, make it a robust and cost-effective solution for the medical insurance reimbursement payer and patients.

Recent ProSomnus Studies

A recent IRB study published at the AASM meeting, demonstrated 96% strongly prefer ProSomnus EVO™ over their previous predicate devices and PAP therapy. Other recent poster abstracts at the AASM and AADSM showed excellent AHI improvements, less dose and fewer side effects and treatment interruptions using ProSomnus devices.

"The objective is to help sleep physicians and dental sleep providers to get affected patients back into safe, comfortable and effective therapy," stated Len Liptak, CEO of ProSomnus. "It is understandable that many affected patients may prefer non-CPAP alternatives. We want the sleep medicine community to know that ProSomnus is a partner they can trust for oral appliance therapy."

"Because of the current limited availability of machines and a complex payment structure for replacing them, ProSomnus OSA Therapy is an exceptional solution," stated Sleep Physician Edward T. Sall, MD, DDS, MBA. "This California medical device manufacturer can scale their artificial intelligent design and robotic manufacturing. This includes a best-in-class 7-day manufacturing timeframe even though each appliance is custom made. My recent AASM poster abstract also demonstrates the efficacy and effectiveness of these devices for mild moderate and select severe patients."

"The AASM and AADSM joint guidelines on the treatment of OSA along with recently published posters at the AASM and AADSM annual meetings clearly demonstrates the efficacy, adherence, and effectiveness of ProSomnus oral appliances as an alternative to PAP therapy," commented Mark T. Murphy, DDS, DABDSM. "Never has there been a better time to utilize this valuable alternative solution to enhance the lives of so many affected by this recall. Treating physicians should engage ProSomnus qualified providers to quickly solve this crisis."

Additional Resources:

Philips Recall Notification

AASM Guidance in Response to Philips Recall

AADSM OAT Fact Sheet

AADSM OAT Patient Info

Related Files

AASM_OAT Prime Time_Sall.pdf

AASM_Preference Study EVO_Murphy.pdf

Related Images

prosomnus-evo-sleep-and-snore.jpg

ProSomnus® EVO™ Sleep and Snore Device

ProSomnus EVO, for preferred OSA therapy. ProSomnus EVO is the first OAT device to incorporate advanced materials, manufacturing robotics and artificial intelligence to advance the treatment of OSA.

SOURCE ProSomnus Sleep Technologies

Neocis, a leader and pioneer in robot-assisted dental implant surgery, today announced that it has been selected to participate in the MedTech Innovator 2021 Showcase, a renowned annual event featuring the medical device industry’s most transformative healthcare technologies from around the globe. With a mission to ensure that the most promising medical innovations reach the patients who need them, MedTech Innovator selected the top 50 companies out of over 1,100 applications from 54 countries and 42 U.S. states. This year’s program was extremely competitive, with a 4% acceptance rate and Neocis was the only dental company chosen.

As the largest medical device accelerator in the world, MedTech Innovator provides unparalleled access to key stakeholders and resources while placing Neocis among the most innovative companies across the industry.

“As a company focused on transforming healthcare through technology, we are proud to be recognized as a leading innovator and excited to take full advantage of the program,” said Alon Mozes, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Neocis. “Robot-assisted technology provides enhanced accuracy and enables a more minimally invasive approach. The strategic insights as well as collaborative opportunities provided by MedTech Innovator will help to further elevate the impact of innovations like the Yomi Robotic System on the field of dentistry.”

The first and only robotic-assisted surgical system cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for dental implant surgery, Yomi^® has been used to place more than 6,500 dental implants to date. The technology is also increasingly being utilized to train the next generation of implant dentists, as Yomi has been installed and integrated into the curriculum at leading dental schools including the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and the New York University College of Dentistry.

Dental implant surgery, which has become the standard of care for replacing missing teeth, requires extreme accuracy to avoid critical anatomical structures. Yomi allows the dentist to precisely pre-plan the dental implant procedure and then guides their hand during the surgery according to the pre-operative plan by using haptic robotic feedback. Due to the increased accuracy and digital planning provided by Yomi, dentists are often able to operate with a smaller incision, resulting in less pain and faster recovery for patients.

As part of this year’s program, Neocis will be featured at two of the industry’s premier conferences: Wilson Sonsini’s Annual Medical Device Conference from June 24-25 and The MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed, from September 27-30.

About Neocis, Inc.

Neocis, Inc. is a private company located in Miami, Florida that is transforming dental surgery with advanced robotics, with a vision of advancing healthcare through the latest technology. Neocis manufactures and markets Yomi^®, the first and only robot-assisted surgical platform for the dental industry cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Neocis is venture-backed, including funding from DFJ Growth, Mithril Capital Management, Norwest Venture Partners, Vivo Capital, Section 32 and robotics surgery industry pioneer, Fred Moll. For more information, visit www.Neocis.com.

About Yomi

Yomi^® is the first and only FDA-cleared robot-assisted dental surgery system. Yomi is a computerized navigational system intended to provide assistance in both the planning (pre-operative) and the surgical (intra-operative) phases of dental implantation surgery. The system provides software to preoperatively plan dental implantation procedures and provides navigational guidance of the surgical instruments. Yomi is intended for use in partially edentulous and fully edentulous adult patients who qualify for dental implants.

Media Contact:

Cassie Hallberg

Vice President of Marketing, Neocis

732-688-8839

info@neocis.com

National Safety Month is an annual observance during the month of June which observes the importance of following safety guidelines in our daily lives.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, safety is more critical than ever, and volunteer based nonprofit, Operation Smile, is adapting their practices to ensure that children are still able to receive life-changing surgeries in our changed world.

Operation Smile is celebrating National Safety Month by highlighting the ways in which its dedicated volunteers continue to provide safe surgical care for patients with cleft conditions worldwide.

In March 2020, Operation Smile made the decision to suspend international travel for medical volunteers and postpone medical missions and treatment at care centers. The organization quickly addressed many of the pandemic’s novel challenges, such as providing hospitals around the world donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) and providing patients and their communities with food and hygiene supplies as lockdowns stifled livelihoods.

We have watched dismayed, how the number of children needing treatment has increased during the pandemic,” said Dr. Ruben Ayala, Operation Smile’s chief medical officer. “Understanding the enormity of the challenge, we have pulled together our knowledge, people and resources. Our leaders around the world have laid out country-specific plans for adapting, evolving and creating environments where care can still be delivered safely. Cautiously, but optimistically, we carry on the work where possible, sending a clear message to our patients that, in spite of the pandemic, we have not abandoned them, and we never will.”

Over the past year, Operation Smile’s Global Volunteer Resources team was building a growing list of 200+ international volunteers that are vaccinated and ready to travel. In April of 2021, Operation Smile was able to send three international volunteers into the field in Guatemala. Since then, other teams of volunteers were able to travel abroad and join forces with local entities to help provide surgeries to children in the midst of the pandemic.

The teams took extra precautions such as enhanced personal protective equipment, rigorous Covid screenings for patients, parents and volunteers, and increased cleaning procedures and social distancing. While the team performed less surgeries in order to maintain physical distancing and cleaning protocols, the ultimate goal of safely providing life-changing surgeries to children was met.

Operation Smile revolutionized cleft surgery globally in 1982. With nearly four decades of experience as one of the largest surgical volunteer-based nonprofits, Operation Smile staff, its private-public partnerships and thousands of volunteers have improved the health and dignity of patients with cleft conditions, helping them to better breathe, eat, speak and live lives of greater quality and confidence. 

While one cleft surgery can bring immediate transformation to a child’s life in as little as 45 minutes, Operation Smile is committed to providing patients with health that lasts—being there to offer patients additional surgeries, dentistry, psychological services, speech therapy and other essential cleft treatments. Its training and education programs elevate local surgical standards and entire health systems to aid safe surgery and strengthen a global network to reach more people earlier in their lives. You can learn more about its transformative and healing work by visiting operationsmile.org or by following @operationsmile on social media.   

Photos of Operation Smile medical volunteers can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ofyqqc0hlss3c1d/AAC3hAsEPrC_ITS24Wnvzm9Oa?dl=0

Interview opportunities are available with Dr. Ruben Ayala.

Contact: Julie Dion, juliedion@dionmarketing.com , (904) 249- 9784 

Jacksonville, FL – June 21, 2021 – The Dental Compliance Institute (DCI), a leading provider of training and certification programs designed to help dental professionals achieve full compliance of HIPAA and OSHA regulations and to also learn the essentials of patient risk management, recently published “How to Survive a Surprise OSHA Audit,” the first in a planned series of “survival guides” for OSHA, HIPAA, and dental risk management.

Dentistry has changed during the past year, and this includes OSHA regulations. According to DCI founder, Linda Harvey, RDH, “All it takes is for an unhappy employee or patient to file an anonymous report, and you may receive a surprise visit from an OSHA inspector. To make matters worse, you may be fined as much as $13,000 a day per violation for non-compliance.”

Rather than being taken by surprise, Harvey suggests that dental professionals download the free guide, “How to Survive a Surprise OSHA Audit,” at www.SurviveOSHA.com. “This is the first of a series,” explains Harvey. “Over the next several months, we will be publishing additional “survival guides” on HIPAA compliance and risk management.”

For more information about the Dental Compliance Institute and its comprehensive training and certification programs for proficiency in HIPAA and OSHA compliance as well as risk management, visit www.DentalComplianceInstitute.com.

About the Dental Compliance Institute:

Founded in 2014 by and based in Jacksonville, Florida, the mission of the DCI has been to provide dental professionals, including dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and office managers with the comprehensive and up to date training and certification regarding OSHA and HIPAA regulations as well as dental risk management. For more information, visit www.DentalComplianceInstitute.com.

June 16, 2021 — Orange, CA — SOTA Imaging today announced the launch of Cazoo, an extraoral aerosol evacuator that reduces dental aerosols, helping protect dentists, dental staff, and patients from dangerous particulates that can transmit COVID-19 — all for only $99.

Safeguards to protect dental staff are of particular importance today with the majority of hiring dentists reporting recruitment challenges. Dental staff who are in the workplace, or are considering returning to the workplace, need to feel safe and protected.

According to the ADA, “Compared with before the pandemic, more than 80% of owner dentists who are currently hiring are finding the recruitment of dental hygienists and assistants to be extremely or very challenging:

• For dental hygienists, 66.3% of dentists said recruitment was extremely challenging and 19.7% reported it was very challenging.

• For dental assistants, 59.2% of dentists found recruitment to be extremely challenging and 23.9% stated it was very challenging.”

In addition, more than 70% of owner dentists said recruitment of administrative staff was extremely or very challenging and more than 50% of owners report the same for recruiting associate dentists, ADA finds.

"Many shortages, especially in dental hygiene and chairside assistant, existed prior to the COVID-19 virus,” Duc "Duke" M. Ho, DDS, chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice, told ADA News. “However, these shortages have been exacerbated by the pandemic, as more employees have left the workforce for a variety of reasons, including early retirement, concerns about safety at the time and a desire for more work-life balance."

Recent American Dental Hygienists’ Association poll data indicates “that for dental hygienists who have voluntarily left their positions, 42.9% reported, ‘I do not want to work as a dental hygienist until after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.’ Another 38.1% stated, ‘I have concerns about my employer's adherence to workplace/safety standards.’”

“Cazoo was designed to help mitigate the risk of COVID-19,” said Albert Kim, SOTA Imaging Vice President. “It not only helps reduce dental aerosols in a cost-effective way, it’s also easy to incorporate into virtually any dental practice.”

Cazoo connects directly to standard high-volume evacuator (HVE) lines, allowing dental practices to quickly begin reducing aerosols. With an extraoral HVE attachment in place, dental practices can significantly reduce airborne particulates. In fact, research shows a reduction of particulates by up to 90.8% when compared to an intraorally positioned standard saliva ejector.

Cazoo can be applied using a lip attachment or can be attached to most leading cheek retractors. A splash guard (sold separately) can also be attached to Cazoo for additional protection from aerosols. The ability to apply directly on the lip or use a cheek retractor allows for hands-free use. An arm accessory (sold separately) is also available, providing practitioners the ability to precisely position Cazoo and further enable two-hand dentistry and hygiene procedures.

“Cazoo is one of the easiest ways to reduce dental aerosols,” said Kim. “I’m excited about the launch of this new solution and look forward to helping the dental community reduce aerosols and minimize the risk of COVID-19.”

SOTA Imaging is a leading manufacturer of dental imaging hardware, software, and accessories. SOTA Imaging solutions include Clio digital x-ray sensors, the Claris i5HD intraoral camera, SOTA Image dental imaging software, and dental accessories, including the Cazoo Extraoral Aerosol Evacuator. Call 888.266.7682 or visit sotaimaging.com.

NEW YORK, June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures (BSBF) is partnering with Save the Children to provide oral health and hygiene products to respite shelters serving migrant children and families. Hosting new arrivals entering the United States with documentation via border towns in California and Texas, the respite shelters will receive over 25,000 units of toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap from Colgate, as well as oral health educational materials, via a product donation to Save the Children.

Hundreds of migrants from Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras arrive weekly and sometimes daily at respite centers in such cities as San Diego, Mecca and Bell, San Antonio, Brownsville, El Paso, and Laredo. "These children and families are fleeing unimaginable violence and disasters at home," explained Betsy Zorio, Save the Children's Vice President of U.S. Programs. "They are arriving exhausted and distressed, often with only the clothes they are wearing, to seek legal asylum."

A temporary refuge, the respite shelters provide a place to sleep and bathe, clean clothing, oral health products, toiletries, and diapers, and with assistance from Save the Children and partners, safe care and activities for children. "The adults are overwhelmed by trying to keep their children safe, navigate the immigration process, and connect with family members here in the U.S.," Zorio said. "To best support these children, Save the Children assists shelter partners with critical supplies to set up play areas so children have a place to be a kid and engage in age-appropriate activities. We also provide training so shelter staff can support children's social and emotional needs."

"As a global children's health initiative, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures has an important role to play in helping to prevent disease and protect the health and well-being of vulnerable children and their families," said Dr. Gillian Barclay, Vice President, Global Public Health and Scientific Affairs, Colgate-Palmolive Company. "Last year in North America, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures donated more than three million units of oral care products and delivered oral health education to more than 27 million children and families. By partnering with Save the Children, a leading humanitarian organization and authority on child health and education, we can positively impact the lives and health of vulnerable children now and in the future. Together, we are promoting lifelong learning opportunities and the promotion of well-being for all."

As a company, Colgate has supported Save the Children since 1999. It began its global partnership with the organization in 2016, working together to increase access to oral health care for children in need in the U.S., Africa and Latin America. In addition to supporting the organization's emergency response efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border, this year Colgate is supporting Save the Children with programmatic funding for its U.S.-based Head Start, Healthy Choices, and rural education programs, as well as infant toothbrushes for its home visitation program, Early Steps to School Success, which offers home visits for families beginning with a mother's pregnancy until a child reaches age three.

In addition, Colgate supports Save the Children's "100 Days of Reading" campaign designed to feed the minds and bodies of children in rural America. Running from June 1 – September 8, 2021, the program encourages children to keep reading and learning during the summertime and every link that is clicked or tapped by campaign participants helps donate books, educational materials, and healthy food to over 750,000 kids living in poverty in rural America.

"For thirty years, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures has supported and partnered with organizations that mobilize communities to improve health," said Colgate's Dr. Barclay. "Together with Save the Children, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures engages, educates, and empowers children and their families to embrace a healthy future we can all smile about."

About Colgate-Palmolive Company

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, the Company sells its products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom's of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA Skin, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet. The Company is recognized for its leadership and innovation in promoting environmental sustainability and community well-being, including its achievements in saving water, reducing waste, promoting recyclability and improving children's oral health through its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, which has reached more than 1.3 billion children since 1991. For more information about Colgate's global business and how the Company is building a future to smile about, visit www.colgatepalmolive.com.

About Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures

Established in 1991, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures provides free oral health education, dental screenings, and treatment referrals to children ages 1-12 in underserved areas. Through its mobile dental van program, award-winning in-school oral health curriculum, and grass-roots efforts, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures has reached more than 1.3 billion children and families in more than 80 countries around the world. For more information about Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, visit www.ColgateBSBF.com.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

SOURCE Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures 

Today, in honor of Stop Cyberbullying Day, CO. by Colgate and The Cybersmile Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to digital wellbeing and tackling all forms of bullying and abuse online, announce a partnership to raise awareness of online bullying and its impact on the lives of many young people. CO. by Colgate will donate $1 for every product purchased in 2021 to The Cybersmile Foundation, committing to a minimum donation of $200,000 and a maximum of $300,000.

As a purpose-driven brand founded on the values of inclusivity and authentic self-expression, CO. by Colgate envisions a world where everyone can express themselves freely; when we can express ourselves freely, we smile more. Yet research conducted by CO. by Colgate and The Cybersmile Foundation shows cyberbullying is a significant barrier to confident self-expression – with 73% of Gen Z stating they have seen somebody targeted with online abuse, bullying or harassment for how they express their individuality or identity.** CO. by Colgate aims to help change this reality by supporting the work of The Cybersmile Foundation through financial contributions and by raising awareness around cyberbullying on CO.'s social media platforms.

"Cyberbullying is a longstanding issue that impacts people's confidence in their smile: new research has found that 77% of Gen Z** have felt self-conscious posting a selfie online because of their teeth or smile," said Dana Medema, Vice President & General Manager, Oral Care, Colgate-North America. "We are proud to support the work of The Cybersmile Foundation to build a safer, more inclusive future for Gen-Z and all online users."

To extend the conversation beyond Stop Cyberbullying Day, CO. by Colgate and The Cybersmile Foundation will continue to raise awareness of cyberbullying throughout the year and will publish a Cybersmile report sponsored by CO. by Colgate titled "The State of Play Report: Gen Z & Identity Based Cyberbullying." The report will center on the prevalence of cyberbullying on Gen Z and its emotional impact, with a particular focus on the intersection of cyberbullying and ableness, race, skin tone, religious affiliation, individual identity, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Findings from the report will inform a series of best-practice recommendations for dealing with cyberbullying and reporting identity-based abuse and hate-speech on a platform-by-platform basis; it will also help guide The Cybersmile Foundation's ongoing work and support services.

"Stop Cyberbullying Day is a very important day for The Cybersmile Foundation as we dedicate our work to promote kindness, diversity and inclusion by building a safer, more positive digital community," said Scott Freeman, CEO of The Cybersmile Foundation. "We are pleased to have CO. by Colgate as a partner, a brand that champions all people to share their authentic selves with the world and live their truth boldly."

Join us on social media at @CO.Colgate and @cybersmilefoundation to help promote a more inclusive and positive online community where everyone can smile brighter and bolder.

*A minimum donation of $200,000 will be made and the donation is capped at $300,000.

**All figures are from Perksy. Total sample size was 1,096 individuals 16-24. Fieldwork was undertaken between June 3 2021 and June 4 2021. The survey was carried out on mobile.

It's long been known that people living with HIV experience a loss of white matter in their brains. As opposed to gray matter, which is composed of the cell bodies of neurons, white matter is made up of cells that produce myelin, a fatty substance that coats neurons, offering protection and helping them transmit signals efficiently. A reduction in white matter is associated with motor and cognitive impairment.

Earlier work by a team from Penn Dental Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that antiretroviral therapy (ART)—the lifesaving drugs that many with HIV use daily—can reduce white matter, but it wasn't clear how the virus itself contributed to this loss.

In a new study using both human and rodent cells, the team has determined how HIV prevents the myelin-making brain cells called oligodendrocytes from maturing, reducing white matter production. When the researchers applied a compound blocking to this process, the cells were once again able to mature. The work appears in the journal Glia.

"Even when people with HIV have their disease well-controlled by antiretrovirals, they still have the virus present in their bodies, so this study came out of our interest in understanding how HIV infection itself affects white matter," says Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, professor at Penn Dental Medicine and the study's co-senior author. "By understanding those mechanisms, we can take the next step to protect people with HIV from these impacts."

Jordan-Sciutto and Judith Grinspan, CHOP research scientist and Professor of Neurology at Penn Medicine, have been collaborating to elucidate how ART and HIV affect the brain. Their previous work on antiretrovirals had shown that commonly used drugs disrupted the function of oligodendrocytes, reducing myelin formation.

In the current study, they aimed to isolate the effect of HIV on this process by looking at human macrophages, one of the major cell types that HIV infects.

Ultimately, the researchers want to discern the effects of the virus from the drugs used to treat it in order to better evaluate the risks of each.

"When we put people on ART, it's important to understand the implications," says Jordan-Sciutto. "Antiretrovirals may prevent the establishment of a viral reservoir in the central nervous system, which would be wonderful, but we also know some drugs have unintended consequences, which may include altering white matter." Read more on the study >> 

The Dawson Academy is dedicated to teaching dental professionals the principles and skills necessary for the successful practice of complete, predictable dentistry with concentrations in occlusion, the TMJs, esthetic restorative techniques, and treatment planning for large cases. The Dawson Academy takes pride in its unique hands-on, clinical approach. The golden standard of CE set by the academy continues to help dentists and other professionals around the world through their online, in-person, and hybrid learning experiences.

Full course details will be released on Friday, June 25.