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Chico, CA: December 18, 2009— Lares Research has extended its no-lubrication ceramic bearing model option to its entire highspeed product line, including the non-swivel 4H and 5H FO backend configurations. The handpieces do not need lubrication, which saves time and money, and eliminates the risk of handpiece lubricants getting on the cavity prep and diminishing bond strength. Two head sizes are available in these new backend configurations: compact (Model 557) and full size (Model 757).

The new Lares handpieces do not require user lubrication. They feature ceramic bearings, which significantly extend bearing life. The company’s proprietary Debris-Shield™ Bearing Shield System minimizes debris accumulation in the bearings. [Read more →]

One Simple Step to Success for 2010

Do you have a strategic plan for your dental business in 2010? Most businesses that don’t have a plan fail to become successful. Don’t enter into a new decade blindly…make sure you have a plan.

Have you ever heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? Well this holds true for your dental business as well. You can not start a business and proceed blindly and just expect that everything will work out and you will achieve great success. It rarely will happen that way. Each year, in the very beginning of each year you need to sit down outside the regular dental office atmosphere and make a plan. This plan needs to include the entire team. It starts your practice off on the “right tooth”. Well, it is one way to keep you in the black. [Read more →]

We have started working with 6 Month Smiles’ short-term orthodontics. We have in the last two months started six cases, and we’re very excited about the results. Patients are excited, too. Even though the system uses conventional orthodontic wires and brackets, because they are tooth colored, adults patients accept it because they aren’t obvious and offer treatment time that’s less than a year.

I took the 6 Month Smiles course by Dr. Ryan Swain from NY. The two-day course was perfect for my assistants and me, and it was right here in Denver. Between the flash drive information that I came home with and the course itself, I had everything necessary to get started. One thing that helped us get up and running fast is that we had Invisalign certification, so we were updated on recent orthodontic concepts. We applied our knowledge of that product to the new product. The transition was easy. [Read more →]

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that measurable levels of mercury existed in most participants of a recent study, “Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.” Blood and urine samples provided a comprehensive result. These tests showed that in participants over six years old, mercury levels grew with age. However, the finding is in line with other developed nations.

We have to balance this with the fact that mercury can be found in the earth’s elements – soil, water, and air – as well as household items like light bulbs and thermometers. In industry, mercury is released when burning fossil fuels. So while it is toxic in high levels, mercury is a fact of life. For more information, read this MedicalNewsToday article.

As a dentist, your main concern is how the mercury in dental amalgam affects patients. [Read more →]

This is from our friends and web gurus at TNT Dental…

Dentists, Use Your Words!

You don’t say much. If that’s the case, you’re missing out. Search engine spiders feed on words. In fact, if you write – not necessarily well, but just coherently – your words could significantly boost your online popularity. There are three main ways to post written content online for search engine boosting purposes…but first, the basics.

Basic No. 1
Get a website. If you don’t have a website, your online efforts have no nucleus.

Basic No. 2
Link to your website. Always, always, always link back to your website.

And as for those three primary ways to post… [Read more →]

World-renowned speakers to focus on treating complex bone grafting cases.

Lubbock, TX, December 1, 2009 - Osteogenics Clinical Education, a division of Osteogenics Biomedical, has announced dates for its 2010 Global Bone Grafting Symposium. The symposium will be held March 26 and 27, 2010 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Led by keynote speaker Dr. Michael Pikos, the symposium will feature presentations from world-renowned speakers in dental bone grafting, including Dr. Dexter Barber, Dr. Suzanne Caudry, Dr. Daniel Cullum, Dr. Andreas Siebold, Dr. Hom-Lay Wang, and Dr. Thomas Wilson Jr. Approximately 300 clinicians from around the world are expected to attend the symposium. This will mark the second consecutive year Osteogenics Clinical Education has hosted the symposium in Scottsdale. [Read more →]

First of all, there are three companies providing digital impressions – Cadent iTero, 3M, and Sirona.
Anyone looking to invest in digital imaging should compare contrast the pluses and minuses of each brand. Two other companies are looking to get into the market with this technology, so keep that in mind, too.

In a very short time, digital dental impressions have become the obvious future of what we’re going to be doing in the industry. Be sure to look for the technology at big exhibits and shows so that you can learn about its capabilities and limitations.

We’ve had iTero in my downtown Denver dental office for over a year and a half, and we’ve had tremendous success with it. Consistently, patients are very impressed. There’s always a “wow” factor with new technology, which isn’t a reason to buy, but it does impress patients. They see the benefits, and they can participate some in what we’re doing. Those who’ve had lots of dentistry and have had to suffer with traditional impressions really appreciate it. [Read more →]

Molecular DNA Tests Positioning Dental Professionals at the Forefront of Oral Medicine – Company Planning the Launch of HPV/Oral Cancer DNA Test in 2010

Nashville, TN – November 16, 2009 – OralDNA Labs™ Inc. (www.OralDNA.com), a specialty diagnostics subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics® Incorporated (NYSE: DGX) focused on bringing advanced laboratory testing to the dental community, today announced the availability of two revolutionary molecular tests to help periodontists and general dentists identify patients with and at risk for periodontal disease. MyPerioPathsm detects the presence and quantity of specific bacteria associated with periodontal disease, while MyPerioIDsm PST®, which the company licenses from Interleukin Genetics, provides a means of quickly and accurately1 assessing an individual’s genetic risk for periodontal disease. [Read more →]

Performance-enhancing athletic mouthguards, like the popular Pure Power Mouthguard and Under Armour Performance Mouthwear, seem to be a miracle of modern medicine. The premise is, the right mouthguard can help the entire body can function at peak capacity. Athletes who invest in these custom mouthguards make claims of improved focus, balance, endurance, and strength. Pro athletes, in sports ranging from golf to boxing to football, have turned to these appliances for an edge over competitors. [Read more →]

We know that gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for American adults. It also causes an increased risk for health problems, from heart attack and stroke to diabetes complications and low-weight births. But new evidence shows that periodotnal disease can impair mental function, outside of the established connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s or dementia. The newfound link may stem from inflammation in the body that originates in the mouth.

The study, led by Dr. James Noble, involved 2,350 subjects of various  genders who were tested for periodontal disease, then underwent a series of mental skills assessments. Adults over 60 with a high level of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a pathogen that causes gum disease, were three times more likely to forget a three-word sequence after a time lapse. The higher the pathogen level, the greater the potential for forgetting the sequence. [Read more →]