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A shortage of NHS dentists is leading to thousands of needless deaths from mouth cancer, according to dental experts. "The survival rate of mouth cancer has not improved in 30 years," Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation said. "If people were able to gain easier access to a dentist then the 50 per cent mortality rate could be significantly improved. It is Britain`s secret cancer despite killing more people annually than cervical and testicular cancer put together." There are 4,750 new cases of mouth cancer in Britain a year.
A recent BBC documentary reported that there is an epidemic of poor teeth in Britain. 1 in 5 people never visit the dentist. 1 in 10 is terrified of the dentist chair. Sugar consumption, eating disorders, and bad diet make Britain’s global reputation for being a nation of terrible teeth completely justified.
The Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry has selected BreakAway, Ltd. to develop a virtual, 3D simulator to help teach students dental implant procedures. The virtual dental office is designed to improve student learning outcomes in the areas of diagnostics, decision making and treatment protocols for enhanced patient therapy outcomes and risk management. The computer application will be initially developed and tested in conjunction with MCG dental students and faculty. It will then be tested by other universities in the NobelBiocare University Partner Program and distributed globally.
3M announced that it will acquire Imtec Corp, a leading manufacturer of mini dental implants. “We are looking forward to the reputation, resources and worldwide reach that 3M brings to help us build this business,” said Ron Bulard, DDS and Chairman of the Board, IMTEC Corp. “Its overall strength in oral care with both the 3M ESPE and 3M Unitek divisions makes them a particularly good partner for us.” This acquisition gives 3M ESPE access to two of the fastest growing segments in the dental industry. “Our combined digital products and expertise will enable a digital ‘total restorative’ approach with more options than ever, including IMTEC implants, 3MTM ESPETM LavaTM crowns, and 3M’s advanced digital workflow solutions,” said Jeffrey Lavers, vice president and general manager, 3M ESPE. “Together, we will have an end-to-end implantology solution, making the process easier, faster and better for dentists everywhere.”
Novalar has developed NV101, a novel compound that is the only local anesthetic reversal agent that accelerates the return to normal sensation and function following restorative and periodontal maintenance procedures. Novalar has contracted with the leading North American supplier of dental anesthesia cartridges to manufacture NV-101. NV-101 treated patients reported the return of sensation and function in less than half the time it normally took after receiving local dental anesthesia. NV-101 induced a 54.8 percent and a 62.3 percent decrease in time to normal for those with anesthesia administered in the mandible and maxilla respectively.
Southern Implants have released an implant design to address immediate placement in maxillary molars. The very wide (8-9mm) diameter tapered implant is designed to obliterate the molar extraction socket. The placement of this implant involves the use of a shaping tap to taper the osteotomy. Their implant design features both an external hex as well as an internal connection.
The Baha system utilizes direct bone conduction, which allows the bone to transfer sound to a functioning cochlea – thereby bypassing the middle ear. This unique hearing treatment is the only system of its kind cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hearing loss.
One reason the Baha system works so well is due to its simple design. The Baha system combines a sound processor with an abutment and a small titanium implant. The implant is placed behind the non-functioning ear. Surgery is minor, and Baha recipients report a wide range of advantages over other hearing devices.
The Baha system, which is based on bone conduction, utilizes a titanium implant, which is placed in the skull bone behind the ear. An abutment connects the sound processor with the implant in the bone. This creates direct (percutaneous) bone conduction. In contrast, traditional bone conductors connect indirectly to the bone through unbroken skin (transcutaneous) and work by exerting pressure against the skull.
Direct bone conduction, provided by Baha, gives improved access to sound when compared to traditional bone conductors since sound is not weakened when passing through the skin
Tighter laws are on the cards for dentists wishing to practice implantology in Dubai. A proposed change in policy will require dentists to complete 100 hours of implantology study and to present completed case reports, before being permitted to sit for the oral licensing exam. The move is set to infuriate local product companies, who have previously complained of the United Arab Emirate`s excessive licensing requirements.Industry-led courses are likely to be most affected by the ruling, as most are structured to ensure dentists clock up the 96 hours.
"Most of these courses would not be recognised," said Dr Elhami Nicolas, of Nicolas & Asp College of Postgraduate Dentistry. "It is a positive change. People were not receiving adequate education." The news will be a particular blow for Zimmer Dental whose upcoming course, held through Sharjah University`s College of Dentistry, aimed to fast-track local dentists to license level.
Michael Mastromarino, 44, was arrested nearly two years ago, and this month he plead guilty. Mastromarino and two of his associates were charged in 2006 with enterprise corruption, body stealing, opening graves, unlawful dissection and forgery. Authorities released photos of exhumed corpses that were boned below the waist. They said the defendants had made a crude attempt to cover their tracks by sewing PVC pipe back into the bodies in time for open-casket wakes.
The bodies came from funeral homes in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. BTS shipped the bone, skin and tendons to Regeneration Technologies Inc, LifeCell Corp and Tutogen Medical Inc, all publicly traded companies, along with two non-profits, Lost Mountain Tissue Bank and the Blood and Tissue Centre of Central Texas.
Mastromarino plead guilty in March and will be sentenced May 21, to 18 to 54 years in prison.
Researchers at the University of Ankara, Turkey have designed an innovative CAD based implant guide. The design features a plastic stent produced by rapid prototyping methods that snugly fits the implant handpiece and uses a square slot system to guide the drill direction as opposed to the metal/plastic sleeves used by similar systems. This allows for better visualization of the surgical area and negates the use of stepped sleeves of increasing diameter to guide the twist drill. Additionally it eliminates the risk of metal shavings entering the osteotomy site.
A US patent has been issued to Biomet 3i for an implant which features two anti-rotational elements. One anti-rotational feature is adapted to engage a driving tool, while the other anti-rotational feature is adapted to engage an abutment. An implant abutment system is provided with an angled abutment adapted to mate with one of the anti-rotational features. A second, straight abutment is adapted to engage with the other anti-rotational feature. An abutment is provided with resilient fingers to interface with the implant and provide tactile and audible feedback indicating when the abutment is properly seated. An abutment screw extends through the abutment and engages the implant bore distal of the stem of the abutment. The abutment screw limits axial movement of the abutment relative to the implant. A driving tool comprising one of at least retention structure and visual alignment indicia is provided to facilitate screwing the implant into a patient`s bone.
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