The Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics understands that dentists are sometimes hesitant about all the neuromuscular bruhaha. At their upcoming conference “ACE Bite Camp,” they’ll dispel common myths about neuromuscular dentistry, explain the theories and principles, and most importantly, show how you can market TMD treatment to your patients in an easy-to-understand fashion.

Conference goals include:

• Delivering a new set of clinical skills for the successful treatment of TMD
• Teaching a whole-office approach to treating TMD patients
• Providing successful methods for TMD case acceptance
• Showing dentists how to market and explain TMD to new patients

ACE Bite Camp will take place August 19^th & 20^th at the SuperMedia Center in Dallas, TX.

Click here to register and for more information.

Dr. Clayton Chan and Dr. Joseph Andary have partnered with Triumphant Athletics Group to introduce the AgilityGuard products developed for elite athletes and sports enthusiasts. Dr. Chan is the former director of Neuromuscular Dentistry at the Las Vegas Institute from 1999-2006, the founder of Occlusion Connections, and developer of the Chan-Optimized Bite™,  a precise jaw position based on neuromuscular science shown to enhance athletic performance. Dr. Joseph Andary is a Las Vegas Institute trained neuromuscular dentist with extensive experience in the Chan-Optimized Bite™ and assisting world-class and Olympic athletes with performance mouthguards. Together, they have helped design a mouthguard to optimize performance through the bio-physiology of neuromuscular posture.

The AgilityGuard is the only sports mouthguard approved to use the Chan-Optimized Bite™. The family of products includes the Phi and Trophy lines and both contain a mouthguard specifically designed for non-contact and contact sports. Triumphant Athletics Group has already signed on three labs to create the AgilityGuard for your patients under Dr. Chan’s rigorous quality control. By becoming a Triumphant certified dentist, you can begin to offer a higher standard of care and performance to your patients. With the lab fee set at $250, you’re also free to align your fees with the appropriate level of expertise.

Your patients can join the likes of Apolo Ohno, Giddeon Massie, and Mark Fretta in the use of AgilityGuard, the most technologically advanced mouthguard, for maximum sports performance. There, now we’ve said it! For more information on Triumphant Athletics Group, Inc., their online training courses, and the AgiltiyGuard product line, visit the AgilityGuard website.

Samsung and InnoDen have partnered to bring Dentist nationwide the latest in Dental Unit technology and design. Sky Dental “M” has combined all the design and technology features you could ask for with the best quality materials available. All components create a unit that is aesthetically appealing, functional and above all built to last. Together they are changing the way you view dental equipment today.

Seattle, WA (FPRC) June, 1 2010 – Samsung and InnoDen are set to bring the latest in technology and design to the Dental Equipment Industry nationwide. “Sky Dental’s “M” Chair Unit incorporates American design and functionality that is seen from your leaders in the industry today” said Justin Taylor, Marketing Manager of InnoDen.  The “M” unit offers the same modern color schemes Sky Dental is known for which it’s more advanced counterpart unit “W” offers as well.  From the standard over patient light and Touch Panel, it is apparent that they are creating new unit standards in the industry.

The Sky Dental “W” offers a thin back American design that caters to the Doctor and Patient with complete comfort and style.  The “M” unit is an affordable option for any dentist and is equipped with all the bells and whistles used today, without having to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on options and accessories.

“Samsung and InnoDen chose to represent the Sky Dental brand because, they are leading the way in technology and design and we are confident that it will change the dental equipment industry we know today” Said Dr. Park, CEO of InnoDen.  InnoDen’s product knowledge and sales support combined with Samsung’s extensive infrastructure and global reach ensure that Sky Dental will be a brand that is here to stay. Call your local dealer’s today and get a Sky Dental “M” and change the way your practice is viewed and remembered.

About Sky Dental:

Sky Dental has manufactured chairs and delivery systems for over 27 years. Sky Dental is currently distributed in 30 countries across the world and sells over 3,000 units annually. Samsung and InnoDen are convinced that their chair is the best quality and best product on the market today.  All units come with standard manufacturer 5 year warranties.

Contact:

Justin Taylor, Marketing Manager
InnoDen, LLC
206-832-1818
http://www.innoden.com

Source: http://www.case.edu/think/breakingnews/prostatediseaselink.html

BING Innovations, LLC, the Illinois-based provider of DentalVibe™, launched the new site in June to better educate the dental community about the benefits and uses of the product and to simplify the ordering process. Visitors to the site can view newly produced video segments depicting DentalVibe applications as well as the real-time reactions of patients who experience DentalVibe injections. In addition, the DentalVibe system and accessories can be conveniently purchased with a credit card through a secure e-commerce portal.

To produce the videos, develop the new website and introduce the breakthrough product to dentistry, BING Innovations enlisted Walter F. Cameron Advertising, an established dental products marketing agency based in New York. An educational communications campaign is being launched concurrently.

“You can’t really understand the ‘wow’ factor of DentalVibe until you see it in action with real patients,” said DentalVibe Co-developer Steven G. Goldberg, DDS, who demonstrates the product on the new videos. “On our website, you can see the expression of both surprise and delight on patients’ faces when they receive a dental injection without any pain whatsoever.”

DentalVibe takes unique advantage of cutting-edge research on the Gate Control Theory of Pain to enable the delivery of anesthetic injections without discomfort. Patented, microprocessor-controlled VibraPulse™ technology delivers a pulsed, percussive vibration to the mucosa ­– the ideal counter-stimulation to block the painful stimuli of injections.

Offices now have the ability to conduct a low dosage scan that shows the full patient dentition. Doctors can use this view to see if a patient has his/her wisdom teeth or could require corrective practices, like braces, while using a fraction of the radiation. This scan has a faster rotation, and uses less x-ray dose, for an overall drop in radiation.The Strato Digital introduces its Frontal Dentition examination. This view allows a doctor see the frontal dentition only. This, combined with the ability to take half-pans, means one can see the right half, left half, or frontal view of any panoramic x-ray, without exposing unnecessary regions. The Strato Digital now comes standard with over 13 applications, including Digital Linear Tomography. The Cesium Iodide CCD sensor provides the highest quality images in any examination type. For more information visit www.ImageWorksCorporation.com/dental or call 914-592-6100.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Every dental professional knows that oral cancer screening is an essential part of a thorough dental checkup. The highly publicized statistics about oral cancer frequency, mortality rate, and cure rate are common knowledge in the field. A recent Web Exclusive article titled “Part 1: The importance of oral cancer screenings” appeared on www.DentalProductsReport.com this month. Written by Eileen Morrissey, a dental hygienist, the text supports the importance of oral cancer screenings and provides a good example of how a dentist can adopt new oral cancer screening technology.

Morrissey provides this advice: “If you are rusty and would benefit from a coaching tutorial, visit the following website. www.nidcr.nih.gov, or call 301-402-7364. A short [PowerPoint] can be downloaded in said format, or as a PDF handout, with images that you can study for a memory refresher.”

The articles is a good read, and it’s open for discussion through comments.

In addition to the DPR article, NEJM recently published an article entitled “Human Papillomavirus and Survival of Patients with Oropharyngeal Cancer.” According to this article, approximately 90% of HPV-positive cancers contain HPV type 16, and another 5% have HPV type 18.”

In addition, “The majority of patients enrolled in therapeutic trials for squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck have oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma, which in a sub-group of these patients is caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). This subgroup is defined by the presence of high-risk types of HPV in tumor cells, predominantly HPV type 16.”

A corresponding editorial, entitled “Prognostic Implications of HPV in Oropharyngeal Cancer,” also shares important information. “The two classes of oropharyngeal squamous appear to have distinct causes. HPV-positive cases suggesting that HPV-positive cancer and HPV-negative cancer may each have a distinct pathogenesis.”

Related Information:

http://www.dentaleconomics.com/index/display/article-display/149212/articles/dental-economics/volume-92/issue-7/features/oral-and-pharyngeal-cancer.html

http://www.dentalproductsreport.com/articles/show/dpr1009_360_oralcancer

http://oralcancerfoundation.org

http://www.velscope.com/velscope.php

http://www.vizilite.com/

http://www.trimira.net/identafi

http://www.dentalcompare.com/matrix.asp?catid=488

Harold Berk practiced dentistry for almost 65 years and taught on the faculty of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine from 1946 to 2005. Save That Tooth contains his clinical memoirs and chronicles the original research in vital pulp therapy and root canal therapy, the techniques he pioneered, and some of the fascinating and often complicated cases that were routinely treated by this most talented of educators and dental practitioners.

Save That Tooth is also available for purchase.  The nearly 300-page hardcover book is richly illustrated and includes extensive references and suggestions for additional reading, as well as sections with helpful hints and frequently asked questions. The cost is $80, including shipping.  It can be ordered by calling 800-343-4342.

Pulpdent manufactures high-quality products for the dental profession, including adhesives, composites, sealants, cements, etching gels, calcium hydroxide products, endodontic specialties and bonding accessories. For more information call 800-343-4342 or visit www.pulpdent.com.

Just checkout this post excerpt from the Sleepnet.com message board:

I have just been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea within the last month. I had two sleep studies done. One with and one without the CPAP machine. Since my diagnosis I have been given the CPAP for a one month trial. I am depressed, angry and frustrated. Everyone keeps telling me to just use the CPAP machine. I am using it for the one month trial because my insurance company requires it. I have already had trouble with the machine.

Why bring sleep apnea treatment into your dental practice?

• There’s a good market for obstructive sleep apnea & snoring treatment
• Many people are CPAP intolerant and want an alternative
• OAT is non-invasive and easy to use
• You can improve lives with oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea

Information about Dental Treatment for Sleep Disorders

If you’ve not yet studied sleep medicine outside of the 2.5 hours you received in your four years of dental school, start with the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine…they’re “Expanding the Science of Dentistry” . At this organization’s website, you can find information about courses, the annual meeting, certifications, and other resources to fuel your quest for knowledge. The AADSM also offers a number of benefits with membership.

You might also check out the SomnoMed website. While biased from a manufacturer’s standpoint, the site actually has some great content for patients, medical doctors, and dentists. SomnoMed is a leader in OAT.

To diagnose sleep apnea, patients no longer have to undergo an onsite sleep study in a lab. Instead, products like Ares by Watermark provide a more comfortable alternative. Learn more about home sleep diagnosis equipment at the Watermark website.

How to Market Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment

Awareness is the main hurdle. People simply don’t consider the dentist when looking for a solution to a sleep problem – and that’s IF they know that their headaches, fatigue, and depression stem from a sleep disorder.

Education for Existing Patients

Marketing to your current patients will be best achieved if you train your staff to present OSA and OAT information during educational opportunities with patients. The AADSM offers four patient brochures in pdf format (or you can order them) that explain snoring, sleep apnea, and OAT. Watermark’s website also has a good patient section with information about sleep apnea, an online quiz, and information about their product. Respironics and ResMed put up an informative site, as well. It’s worth a look if you want some good fodder for in-office patient education about OSA… www.sleepapneainfo.com.

Finding Potential Patients

To market OAT as a way to attract new patients, start with your current advertising. If you have ads coming out, add a blurb about sleep apnea treatment. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, start spreading the word. Be sure to blog about the condition and treatment, as well.

Online marketing is great, as well. Get a search engine optimized page up on your website now – it can take search engines up to 90 days to index the page. Dentists who want a more aggressive strategy can opt for a small website dedicated solely to sleep apnea and snoring: education, resources, and treatment. Be sure to update your bio if you’ve taken courses in sleep apnea treatment.

If you don’t offer home sleep diagnosis with Ares or a similar product, you might contact local sleep labs and sleep specialists for networking.

Share Your Thoughts on Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment

DentalBlogs readers would love to know about sleep apnea treatment in your practice. Post your comments today!

Human molar scaffold by Dr. Mao of Columbia University Medical Center

Here at DentalBlogs, we were giddy to bring you news about scientists making prosthetic sheep bones from wicker. We thought that might have been the absolute coolest thing ever. We jumped up and down while typing blog posts (thank goodness for spell check) that told you about stem cells that promote implant stabilization. We love to bring you exciting news from the world of dentistry every day. But nothing – nothing – has tickled our fancy as much as the new report from Columbia University Medical Center.

Nine weeks. New tooth. No prosthetic. Seriously.

The recipe for re-growing a tooth is as follows:

• Insert a special scaffold made of natural materials
• Direct stem cells within the body to the scaffold
• Let the body do its work for nine weeks

In an animal study, this recipe has shown success in growing a fully integrated, new, natural tooth in place of a missing tooth. In addition, alveolar bone and periodontal ligaments grew to support the tooth. The only outside substance required for the procedure is the human molar scaffold [pictured], made from natural materials.

The research conducted by Dr. Jeremy Mao and his team was published in the Journal of Dental Research. Dr. Mao hopes that this discovery will lead to a cost-effective alternative to pricey dental implants, as well as a practical option for people who are not good candidates for implants.

SOURCE: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/news/press_releases/MAOtooth.html

In addition to using the new discovery for numbing dental patients during procedures, the technique may be used to treat dental phobia, severe facial pain, migraine headaches, and other problems.

The research indicates that the sprayed lidocaine or xylocaine may be administered into the maxillary sinus for quick, precisely focused numbing. There is hope that the technique will become a widely used alternative to traditional injections.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/188713.php

Periodontal Disease Risk Assessment: MyPerioID® PST & MyPerioPath®

HPV Assessment: OraRisk SM HPV

Diabetes Test: If a patient has bleeding gums, you may conduct a finger-stick blood test to check glucose level. People with diabetes are very likely to have gum disease. Read “The Role of Dentists in Diabetes Screening” here.

Early Oral Cancer Detection: Identafi, VELscope, & ViziLite

Caries Risk Assessment: CAMBRA

Early Caries Detection: CariesID & DIAGNOdent

Instead of treating a decaying tooth with remineralization or a filling, dentists can now rebuild a decaying tooth with Icon caries infiltrant by DMG America. No drill. No filling. No problem.

Icon is a microscopic, invasive material that literally fills and reinforces tooth enamel. The product can be used for smooth surfaces and proximal caries that extends to the first third of dentin, D1.

In just 15 minutes, you can restore the integrity of a tooth with progressing caries. Simply prepare the area with a rubber dam, then treat the tooth with a gel containing 15% HCL. The pores will open in the affected area, and you will then rinse, apply ethanol to dry, and then air dry the tooth. Apply Icon to the lesion and light cure. A second layer of Icon is recommended.

Learn more about Icon by DMG American by visiting www.dmg-america.com.

Fresh breath. White teeth. Balanced oral health.

Evora Plus™ mints for adults and EvoraKids™ chews for children add good bacteria and a low level of hydrogen peroxide to the oral environment for fresher breath, a healthier mouth, and whiter teeth. Twenty-five years of research went into the making of this innovative product, developed by Jeffrey Hillman, DMD, PhD.

The company’s website states: “Within 30 days of using EvoraPlus twice daily, the natural healthy oral balance of good bacteria will be greatly restored and you will begin to notice a whiter, brighter smile and long-lasting fresh breath.”

How it Works

For some time, scientists have known that probiotics promote good digestive health. Yogurt, a food rich with probiotic power, is often recommended for patients with stomach aches and digestion issues. The same philosophy backs the effectiveness of Evora.

Good oral bacteria “crowd out” bad bacteria to promote a positive balance in the mouth. In addition, by reducing bad bacteria, Evora mints reduce potential for foul breath caused by bad bacteria. Good bacteria actually bond to teeth and gums, and even below the gum line for lasting results. This is unlike traditional mouthwashes that kill all bacteria in the mouth, not just the bad bacteria.

As for teeth whitening, Evora’s by product is a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, which is known to naturally brighten tooth enamel without causing sensitivity or irritation to oral tissues.

Each Evora mint has one calorie, and patients are instructed to use two mints each day for best results. Today, Evora is sold at these retail stores: Albertson’s, A&P, Kerr Drug, Walgreen’s, Sweetbay, Heartland, and Pathmark. Online, consumers can purchase Evora through ActiveForever.com, CVS.com, Drugstore.com, ProHealth.com, Quick2You.com, Swansonvitamins.com, Target.com, and Walgreens.com.

Visit Evora online at http://www.evoraplus.com/.

This new strategy is geared to help those doctors who already have some experience in orthodontics but have been unable to make this area of their practice efficient, effective, and profitable. The Simplicity System focuses on teaching practitioners how to incorporate orthodontics into their practice in order to both increase patients and revenue.

Eliminating on-shelf inventory, The Simplicity System consists of merely two wires for the entire treatment, a fixed lingual arch and indirect bonding trays. This kit allows doctors to treat approximately 90% of all orthodontic cases including crowded and narrow arch cases. As Dr. Hughes explains, “this systematic approach to Orthodontics allows me to focus on treating my patients without having to stress about product, organization or long term results.”

Starting this summer, Dr. Hughes is offering CE courses on The Simplicity System nationwide. The first of these courses will occur May 7^th in San Diego and May 8^th in San Francisco. There will also be courses offered in Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit, Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Denver, Washington D.C., New York, Seattle and Costa Mesa. For more information and details regarding the course schedule and The Simplicity System in general, consult the brand new website at http://www.thesimplicitysystem.com.

The new website features information about Simplicity including video demonstrations and case presentations. Furthermore, product order forms, bonding prescription forms, and model analysis of information are available via the site.

About Dr. Hughes

Dr. Thomas J Hughes is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, Chicago. Upon his graduation he opened his private practice in Cassville, Wisconsin and incorporated orthodontics in 1983.

He has lectured extensively in the United States, Poland, throughout Europe and the Philippines. In 2007 he was elected as an IAO Education Committee Chairperson and Examiner. Dr. Hughes is a past IAO President and is currently a Master Senior Instructor.

Dr. Hughes is committed to the on going quality enhancement of his patients care, and superior continuing education of his fellow practitioners.