Latest Articles RSS Latest Articles RSS SomeAlt <![CDATA[Online dentistry TV channel launched]]> A new online information channel has launched in the dental community, called DentisTV. DentisTV provides the dental professional top quality byte sized information in an easy-to-access online format.

The show endeavours to inform and inspire the dental community, to make themselves and their practices from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Broadcast fortnightly, the show brings you interviews with thought leaders on topical information and the latest dental equipment info by a product review panel of practising dentists. There is also a Best of the Best segment which looks at innovative and inspirational ideas by dental practices to market themselves and reach out to new patients. In addition, there are regular slots called Toolbox and Sixty seconds of social media, which explore everything new and important to know in productivity and dental products as well as social media.

For more information, visit www.dentistv.com

]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:17:24 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Intrepid orthodontist scales heights in aid of Nepalese oral health]]> *

Delivering dental care to a village in the Samagon region of Nepal is what you could call extreme dentistry. The villagers have never received professional dental care. Ever. At an altitude of 3800 m the body begins to change in order to survive on reduced oxygen levels; typically, your respiration becomes deeper and you produce more red blood cells. You are a six-day trek away from the nearest town of Kathmandu. The Samagon region is the epitome of remoteness.  Additional challenges include cold, damp weather and limited access to electricity. And the community could do with a dentist or two.
 
This is where Dr Julian Haszard, and orthodontist from New Zealand currently based in London, recently led an oral health team from 20 August to 1 September in conjunction with a medical and food-aid mission run by the United Nations World Food Programme. As co-founder of oral health aid organisation, Smile High, with Dr Mingma Nuru Sherpa, Julian has volunteered in Nepal since 2003. Having conquered Mt Everest in 2004, Julian used his climb to raise the initial funds that were needed to establish SmileHigh. For this latest expedition, he was joined by four dentists and two local dental therapists on a 10 day oral health camp, providing basic oral health care, education, toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste to Samagon villagers. 
 
Providing oral healthcare
“It is amazing to see how appreciative people have been to receive treatment,” said Dr Shekha Bhuva, a London-based volunteer dentist who took part in the expedition. “It was sad to hear that some people had to travel up to four hours on foot from surrounding villages to see us. It has definitely put my day-to-day hassles and problems into perspective!” Shekha continued. The need for medical and dental work here is high and for many people this was the first time they had ever had a dental check-up. “Many had been suffering with abscessed and decayed teeth for years. Anyone who has ever experienced dental pain knows that this is no joke,” she said. 
 
The clinical area where treatment was administered was equipped with variable speed handpieces, forceps, elevators and filling materials. “All patients were recorded on pre-printed record sheets and after triage by Mingma, sent to either a restorative room for fillings and scaling or to the extraction area to have teeth pulled out. In total, the group treated 400 patients, extracted about 200 teeth and saved at least 100 teeth with preventive fillings,” she added. In addition, all patients were given a toothbrush and toothpaste with instructions on their use.
“I am very happy and proud of the way the SmileHigh dental team worked together in Samagon,” Julian reported. “Mingma’s leadership was a real highlight, in particular the way he interacted with the local people; his translation skills and empathy was of huge value. Pasang and Sareena, our SmileHigh dental therapists worked extremely well and became good friends of all the team members. I also could not have had a better group of clinicians on this trip,” he added. 
 
Continuous need for care
The volunteers quickly became aware of the impact on the community of having limited access to medical and dental care. “To go from having significant health services in one moment and then to having nothing highlights the real challenges for the people here. Two days after the medical team departed, I found myself suturing a significant wound to a porter’s hand and dealing with a puncture wound above a one-year-old child’s eye. It’s a tough six-day trek to Kathmandu or a long and very expensive helicopter ride. The people here are so vulnerable to medical and dental situations which cascade out of control,” he explained.
 
Julian has a very pragmatic philosophy to his work with SmileHigh and the reason why he devotes so much of his time to helping people in Nepal: “When I see solution to a problem I find it difficult to accept that it should remain a problem. Despite the challenges involved in doing this type of work I cannot see a valid reason why I should not try my best to help people who need help. I sincerely believe that the biggest danger facing humanity right now is that of wasted human potential, as I am certain that the solutions that are needed do exist.”
 
Pursuing even greater heights
This dental mission was not the final summit for Julian this year. Shortly after the Samagon trip, Julian began to prepare for his next challenge: climbing the eighth highest mountain in the world, Mt Manaslu. From 2 September to 10 October, Julian will take part in a six week expedition led by Russell Brice. Julian aims to raise NZD$27,000 or NZD$1 for every foot of that he climbs of the 26,759 foot mountain in order to secure SmileHigh's funding until 2013 which will enable further dental aid missions to be undertaken.
 
“For me to climb like this again is a huge opportunity and something that can happen only a few times in anyone’s life. The motivation to climb Manaslu is different to the motivation I had to climb Mt Everest. The drive that surged through me to reach the world’s highest mountain is a unique drive. The drive to climb Manaslu is different, it is more about the pursuit of adventure, passion to climb high mountains, to reach my potential and also to bring support and awareness to SmileHigh. This will be an exciting six weeks!” Julian reported before embarking on his next challenge.
 
Donate today!
Donations can be made via www.haszard.co.nz. Every NZD$50 donated receives a ticket in a draw to win an Everest photo signed by Sir Edmund Hillary. More importantly, you will be expressing your support for exciting initiative based on the principles of promoting oral health access for all. 

 
*Photo was taken by Mike Scott from Taranaki Daily News, New Zealand www.taranakidailynews.co.nz
 
]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:46:29 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[New book shows dentists how to survive the recession]]>

Dr Marc Cooper's book, 'Running on Empty' is a comprehensive analysis of how dentistry has been affected by the current economic climate, and what dentists can do to navigate this new territory. Below is the introduction to the book by Marc.
 
"Not since the first day you walked into your practice have you had a world of uncertainty before you quite like now. Unclear. Doubtful. Threatening. For some, even though the conditions are radically altered, nothing will change. They will force old habits and tired routines that worked in the past onto this very different future. There will be others, however, who will take the risk and reformulate themselves and their practices and adjust and adapt to the new economy. You are at a crossroads and you need to decide which one of these two paths you will take.
The good news is there is opportunity in the recession. The opportunity is to transform your practice into a high performing enterprise fine tuned to deliver outstanding service through strong team work supported by
highly effective systems. If you can succeed in the recession by doing these things, when the economy rebounds, you’ll be stronger than ever. 

We offer to guide and navigate you through the nasty and turbulent waters of the current economy. We offer you the opportunity to change and reformulate yourself and your practice so you will have a successful, strong and, ultimately, more satisfying business. I appreciate who you are and what you have achieved in your life. This is but another step in evolving yourself and your business.
Be fearless!"

The book is now for sale on Amazon.
]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:01:03 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Oral Health Atlas maps out global dental trends]]>
Singapore: On Wednesday 2 September, the FDI World Dental Federation launched the Oral Health Atlas at the 2009 World Dental Congress. The Oral Health Atlas illustrates oral health globally, highlights oral health as a neglected area of health for individuals and health systems, and suggests realistic individual and population-wide solutions. The atlas uniquely combines short texts, colourful maps, photographs and graphics with complex statistics and facts in an intuitive, easy-to-understand visual format. 

Authored by Habib Bezian, Roby Beaglehole, Jon Crail and Judith Mackay, the atlas presents trends in oral health worldwide and the widespread impact of factors such as tobacco use, fluoride, sugar consumption and socio-economic conditions. 
 
“The Oral Health Atlas is one of the FDI’s major accomplishments this year,” said Dr David Alexander, FDI Executive Director. The atlas is one in a series of health atlases that covers topics such as cancer, tobacco and sexual health. “The atlas takes an awful lot of very boring tabular data published in black and white in scholarly journals and turns it into graphic images and world maps. It makes oral health and the disparities in oral health very clear to all, making it a great tool for advocacy,” Dr Alexander added. 
 
“One of my favourite maps in the atlas looks oral health advocacy and integration (page 63),” said Dr Habib Benzian. For him, this is a unique presentation of content that lists all the oral health advocacy activities that have taken place over the past decade which contributed to raising oral health to a new level. “It places oral health into the bigger context of international health by listing landmark declarations and political decisions. It is also the first time a direct link has been made between oral health and the UN Millennium Development Goals,” Dr Benzian said. 
 
The Oral Health Atlas can be purchased online via Amazon
 
 
]]> Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:05:10 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[MID symposium encourages dentists to put down their drills ]]>
Described as a philosophy of lifelong management of the oral environment and a comprehensive, personalised approach to the diagnosis and management of oral diseases, MI dentistry is fast becoming recognised as a sustainable and ethical way to treat patients. Although many dentists are interested in MI as a concept, few know how to change their daily practice to adopt these principles. The symposium is aimed at showing dentists how to take the first steps to implement MI successfully.
 
Attendees will be given an update on the latest in caries understanding and management of the disease and will learn about all the MI products available and how to maximize their utility for diagnosis, monitoring treatment success and as a communication tool. Dentists will also be shown how to expand services to patients amid challenging economic times by offering new MI clinical treatment and can hear from those who have successfully implemented MI in their practice; how they overcame obstacles and benefits gained by practicing MI. 
 
Presentation topics include: MI redefined, the MI journey, successfully implement MI into general dental practice; the nuts and bolts approach, early caries; you have to see it to save it and MI approach made simple.
This symposium is geared to dentists who want to improve the oral health of their patients and get better treatment outcomes, to confidently assure their patients that their restorations will last longer and build better relationships with their patients. 
 
]]> Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:57:46 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Global oral health tops agenda at FDI World Dental Congress in Singapore]]>
Singapore: Members of the global dental community are once again meeting for the annual World Dental Congress, held this year at the Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore. Organised by the FDI World Dental Federation and the Singapore Dental Association, the congress takes place from 2 to 5 September and is estimated to attract more than 10 000 participants from around the world.

“Singapore is at the heart of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and a globally recognised education hub,” said Associate Professor Teo Choo Soo, who served on the local organising committee for the 2009 event. The cutting edge and diverse scientific programme, themed ‘Advancing Dentistry at the Crossroads of the World’ features 120 speakers from 35 different countries.
 
“In addition to benefitting from our world class scientific programme, hundreds of representatives from FDI member associations will meet at the World Dental Parliament to discuss global matters concerning the FDI and oral health professionals in order to establish the organisation’s strategic direction and policies for the years to come,” said Dr Burton Conrod, FDI President.
 
The FDI will also use the congress to launch and promote some of its latest initiatives, as part of its main objective to leading the world to optimal oral health. These projects include the Oral Health Atlas and the Global Caries Initiative. 
 
 
]]> Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:37:50 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Study provides new insight on dentin caries]]>
USA: The methods used to assess the outcomes of remineralization of dentin were critically evaluated by Professor Grayson Marshall, President-elect of the American Association for Dental Research. Currently, the most used assessment methods fall either into quantitative analysis of the mineral content of the remineralized structures or dry measurements of their mechanical properties.

The study carried out by Dr Marshall’s group emphasizes that a more appropriate endpoint to evaluate the effectiveness of remineralization in dentin should be associated with the recovery of the mechanical properties of the hydrated tissue, which is presumed to correlate well with its overall functionality.

“Significant progress has been made regarding enamel caries. We know that early enamel caries can be reversed through a combination of diet, hygiene and chemical treatments such as fluoride. However, once the caries reaches the inner dentin layer of the tooth, dentists normally surgically intervene by removing the demineralized dentin and must restore the lost tissue with a restorative material (filling). Dentin caries proceeds more quickly than enamel caries since dentin contains much less mineral and the mineral is of much smaller size and is more soluble,” explained Professor Marshall, who is chair of the Division of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, vice-chair at the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.

As a result, he feels the efforts to reverse the process by remineralizing the lesion are not as well developed as for enamel caries. “We have gained some insight into the structure of dentin and dentin caries that suggests that a portion of the demineralized dentin may contain remnant mineral nuclei that can serve to assist remineralization. Most current dentin caries remineralization logically depends on measurement of new mineral added to the structure, but we have evidence that it is important to replace the mineral in close association with the remaining organic matrix (collagen fibrils),” Marshall added. Since a prime function of teeth depends on their mechanical properties he suggests in the paper that measurement of the restoration of mechanical properties of the dentin is important in evaluating remineralization treatments in dentin.

The paper goes on to say that the measurement of mechanical properties of remineralized caries lesions is an important indicator of successful remineralization treatment and measurements of newly formed mineral alone should not be relied on, because it may not indicate the correct incorporation of mineral in the remineralized tissues. “Furthermore, we have found that such measurements are most revealing when performed on the hydrated tissues. In this work we demonstrated the importance of using these wet measurements, since the same measurements done on dry tissues can be misleading,” he said.

He believes this work will provide new methods for evaluating new treatments of dentin caries and that these treatments can be evaluated in the laboratory prior to clinical application and should enhance the potential for clinical success.

“Eventually we hope that applications of these insights will lead to more conservative treatment of dentin caries and will allow fewer or smaller fillings to the benefit of patients. We are currently using these methods to evaluate various treatments designed to restore the hydrated mechanical properties of both artificial and natural caries,” he concluded.

Full article

‘Biomechanical Perspective on the Remineralization of Dentin’ Caries Research 43 (1) 70-77

 Read the article as it appeared in Apex

]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:38:38 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Important oncology updates for dental professionals]]>
USA: The purpose of a paper by Professor Joel Epstein from the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Illinois, Chicago, was to review and update advances in stem cell transplant for oral health care providers. 

Oral supportive care is critical in the management of patients receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and advances in HCT have led to increased transplant rates and an altered spectrum of therapy-related complications, such as mucositis, dry mouth and to shifts in the prevalence and pattern of occurrence of infections and graft-versus-host disease. 
 
“Pretreatment assessment and management of oral care needs, management during transplant and following transplant are important components of overall care, and may impact the cancer treatment and overall cost of care,” Professor Epstein explained.  He believes quality of life represents key outcomes that may be affected and that oral care must be integrated in the oncology care. 
 
“Oral healthcare workers play a role in the recognition and management of the oral status of cancer patients. Oral signs and symptoms may represent the first clinical presentation of a local or systemic malignant disease,” Epstein added. Oral and dental management may be required before beginning cancer therapy and forms a critical component of care during cancer therapy and impact quality of life and cost of care. Potential oral and dental sources of infection are critical during periods of neutropenia and as sources of orofacial pain.

“Oral and dental care following cancer therapy must also be addressed to maintain oral health and oral function and quality of life. As medical management changes, oral and dental needs must be managed, and oral issues in survivorship are increasingly recognized. Appropriate integration and timing of oral care in oncology requires excellent communication and best managed in an integrated overall health care team,” he concluded. 
 
Full article
‘Advances in hematologic stem cell transplant: An update for oral health care providers’ Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontology 107 (3) 301-312.
 
Read the article as it appeared in Apex
]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:49:29 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Unlocking the potential of stem cells in teeth]]>
When David James, a cosmetic dentist from Chester, Cheshire, first came across the concept of harvesting and storing stem cells from deciduous teeth on the internet, he had no idea that only a short while later, he would become the CEO of BioEDEN Limited, a European stem cell bank.

After extensive research and contact with the team of scientists who first discovered the presence of stem cells in teeth, he soon saw the potential for a storage facility to store these cells. He visited BioEDEN in Austin,Texas, an FDA registered facility, and bought the license to provide the service in the UK and Europe. “Mesenchymal stem cells are very powerful with great therapeutic  potential. As a result I thought it would be good to bring BioEDEN over to the UK. I felt that as a dentist, I would be a good person to do it,” he explains. 
 
Today, BioEDEN Group, the result of a merger between its European and American companies, is based at the Daresbury Innovation Centre in Cheshire, UK, with commercial partners in key locations around the world. Joint ventures and collaborative projects are already underway with a hospital in Thailand and firms in Australia, Dubai and India. “Two years ago BioEDEN didn’t exist; now we are a global brand,” he says, adding that interest is growing rapidly in this field.
 
More than 500 individual children have cells stored in the BioEDEN banks to date. To stay at the forefront of stem cell therapy development and applications, the company has established a professional advisory board, consisting of key opinion leaders in novel research on treatment of disease and injuries, including stem cell therapies, drug development.  Board members include Dr Magdi Henein Hanna, Director of the Pain Research Unit at Kings College Hospital in London, Dr Alan Boyd, Chairman of the Specialist Advisory Committee in Pharmaceutical Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Dr John Hunt, Head of Clinical Engineering Division at the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at the University of Liverpool. 
 
As a dentist, what drew you to BioEDEN?
David James: I find it fascinating, because it is an interplay between dentistry and general health.  Dentistry nowadays is a modern and cutting edge subject and this is a very interesting part of that. It is nice to think that through a dental connection we might be able to help cure rare and life-threatening conditions. It is an interesting role to be involved in a patients’ overall health.
Also, through deciduous teeth it is a very natural way of acquiring stem cells. Stem cell acquisition in the past has had a very murky background. It is a clean and ethical way to obtaining stem cells and I like the positive dental connection to it.
 
How can donors access their stored cells?
David James: If a donor becomes ill, the physician will be informed that the patient has stem cells in storage. The BioEDEN storage facility is registered with the human tissue authority (HTA) which means the cells are fit and proper in the way they’ve been stored and can therefore be used for medical therapy anywhere in Europe and on the NHS in the UK. Transport of these cells from storage to a medical facility is very important and will require an expert carrier, similar to that of human transplant organs. 
 
What cures for disease would you like to see emerge from stem cell research?
David James: The cells harvested from deciduous teeth are mesenchymal cells. What we know from our work with the UK Tissue Engineering Group, is that these cells are going to be very effective in growing organ and tissue structure. Hopefully, this could lead to the repair of nerve tissue for spinal cord injuries which are currently incurable.
There is evidence that these cells can be used to grow Islets of Langerhans, pancreatic cells destroyed by Type 1 diabetes. Although not life-threatening, this widespread disease affects the quality of life of many and it would be great if stem cells could offer a cure.
 
How far off is stem cell therapy from being integrated into medical practice today?
David James: It is already used in areas such as bone marrow transplants, which is a well documented and successful form of stem cell therapy. King’s College in London are successfully treating heart attack patients with stem cells at the moment. At the University of Newcastle, researchers have grown liver tissue while scientists in Japan have grown new tissue to repair jawbone and facial tissue of maxillofacial trauma patients.
 Worldwide there are about 9000 clinical trials taking place involving stem cells, each of which will bring out new treatment protocols to use the cells in a particular way to get a particular result. In less than 10 years I expect a lot of these therapies will be proven safe and widely available for patients. Stem cells also contribute to gene therapy and genetic medicine. The safest way to introduce gene therapy is through autologous stem cells. In future, stem cells will be used for a wide range of treatment beyond the ‘traditional’ stem cell therapies. 
Our job is to provide clinicians with stem cells in the proper condition in order for the therapies to be effective for treating patients. 
 
What are your goals for BioEDEN over the next 5 years?
David James: The aims are to maintain our quality of service here and throughout the world.  We have very high standards in order to work with the HTA and FDA and we would like to be able to operate at the same level worldwide. Future developments with international partners include licensing out the patented stem cell storage protocols to allow for larger storage banks. 

Read the article as it appeared in Apex
 
]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:20:19 GMT SomeAlt <![CDATA[Unlocking the potential of stem cells in teeth]]>
When David James, a cosmetic dentist from Chester, Cheshire, first came across the concept of harvesting and storing stem cells from deciduous teeth on the internet, he had no idea that only a short while later, he would become the CEO of BioEDEN Limited, a European stem cell bank.

After extensive research and contact with the team of scientists who first discovered the presence of stem cells in teeth, he soon saw the potential for a storage facility to store these cells. He visited BioEDEN in Austin,Texas, an FDA registered facility, and bought the license to provide the service in the UK and Europe. “Mesenchymal stem cells are very powerful with great therapeutic  potential. As a result I thought it would be good to bring BioEDEN over to the UK. I felt that as a dentist, I would be a good person to do it,” he explains. 
 
Today, BioEDEN Group, the result of a merger between its European and American companies, is based at the Daresbury Innovation Centre in Cheshire, UK, with commercial partners in key locations around the world. Joint ventures and collaborative projects are already underway with a hospital in Thailand and firms in Australia, Dubai and India. “Two years ago BioEDEN didn’t exist; now we are a global brand,” he says, adding that interest is growing rapidly in this field.
 
More than 500 individual children have cells stored in the BioEDEN banks to date. To stay at the forefront of stem cell therapy development and applications, the company has established a professional advisory board, consisting of key opinion leaders in novel research on treatment of disease and injuries, including stem cell therapies, drug development.  Board members include Dr Magdi Henein Hanna, Director of the Pain Research Unit at Kings College Hospital in London, Dr Alan Boyd, Chairman of the Specialist Advisory Committee in Pharmaceutical Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Dr John Hunt, Head of Clinical Engineering Division at the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at the University of Liverpool. 
 
As a dentist, what drew you to BioEDEN?
David James: I find it fascinating, because it is an interplay between dentistry and general health.  Dentistry nowadays is a modern and cutting edge subject and this is a very interesting part of that. It is nice to think that through a dental connection we might be able to help cure rare and life-threatening conditions. It is an interesting role to be involved in a patients’ overall health.
Also, through deciduous teeth it is a very natural way of acquiring stem cells. Stem cell acquisition in the past has had a very murky background. It is a clean and ethical way to obtaining stem cells and I like the positive dental connection to it.
 
How can donors access their stored cells?
David James: If a donor becomes ill, the physician will be informed that the patient has stem cells in storage. The BioEDEN storage facility is registered with the human tissue authority (HTA) which means the cells are fit and proper in the way they’ve been stored and can therefore be used for medical therapy anywhere in Europe and on the NHS in the UK. Transport of these cells from storage to a medical facility is very important and will require an expert carrier, similar to that of human transplant organs. 
 
What cures for disease would you like to see emerge from stem cell research?
David James: The cells harvested from deciduous teeth are mesenchymal cells. What we know from our work with the UK Tissue Engineering Group, is that these cells are going to be very effective in growing organ and tissue structure. Hopefully, this could lead to the repair of nerve tissue for spinal cord injuries which are currently incurable.
There is evidence that these cells can be used to grow Islets of Langerhans, pancreatic cells destroyed by Type 1 diabetes. Although not life-threatening, this widespread disease affects the quality of life of many and it would be great if stem cells could offer a cure.
 
How far off is stem cell therapy from being integrated into medical practice today?
David James: It is already used in areas such as bone marrow transplants, which is a well documented and successful form of stem cell therapy. King’s College in London are successfully treating heart attack patients with stem cells at the moment. At the University of Newcastle, researchers have grown liver tissue while scientists in Japan have grown new tissue to repair jawbone and facial tissue of maxillofacial trauma patients.
 Worldwide there are about 9000 clinical trials taking place involving stem cells, each of which will bring out new treatment protocols to use the cells in a particular way to get a particular result. In less than 10 years I expect a lot of these therapies will be proven safe and widely available for patients. Stem cells also contribute to gene therapy and genetic medicine. The safest way to introduce gene therapy is through autologous stem cells. In future, stem cells will be used for a wide range of treatment beyond the ‘traditional’ stem cell therapies. 
Our job is to provide clinicians with stem cells in the proper condition in order for the therapies to be effective for treating patients. 
 
What are your goals for BioEDEN over the next 5 years?
David James: The aims are to maintain our quality of service here and throughout the world.  We have very high standards in order to work with the HTA and FDA and we would like to be able to operate at the same level worldwide. Future developments with international partners include licensing out the patented stem cell storage protocols to allow for larger storage banks. 

Read the article as it appeared in Apex
 
]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:20:56 GMT