Analysis of wear patterns on fossil teeth from East African hominins suggests the diets of Paranthropus aethiopicus and Paranthropus boisei were softer than had been thought, according to a study published November 16, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Laura Monica Martinez from Universitat de Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues.

Two species in the Paranthropus genus of early hominins, P. aethiopicus and P. boisei, coexisted for some time with early Homo species including H. ergaster, but seem to have had different diets. Previous isotopic analysis has supported the theory that while H. ergaster, which had relatively small jaws and teeth, consumed a lot of meat, Paranthropus species, which had massive lower jaws and molars with large chewing surfaces, may have specialized to eat a high proportion of fibrous, abrasive C4 plants. However, examination of wear patterns on the grinding surfaces of hominin teeth has not supported this theory. The authors of the present study aimed to resolve this discrepancy by gathering additional tooth wear data. They examined microscopic scratches on the cheek surfaces of teeth from 167 fossil specimens of Paranthropus and early Homo species from sites in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

The researchers found that, contrary to the previous isotopic evidence, the scratch patterns on cheek surfaces of P. aethiopicus and P. boisei teeth suggested that their dietary habits 'did not involve chewing significant amounts of abrasive foods'. However, they note that these species might have eaten less abrasive, brittle C4 plants; which would be consistent with both the isotopic and the dental evidence. Meanwhile, the scratch patterns found on H. ergaster teeth suggest that they ate more abrasive foods that had been expected, which could indicate that early Homo species also underwent a dietary shift to C4 plants as they evolved. This study provides valuable additional evidence concerning the evolution and composition of the diets of Paranthropus and Homo species over time.

OraCoat, a division ofOraHealth Corp., the world leader in the breakthrough technology of oral adhering discs, recently launched a new version of OraCoat^® XyliGel^®. Formulated with all-natural ingredients, XyliGel coats the mouth with 17% xylitol and oral lubricant to help relieve the symptoms of xerostomia (dry mouth) for those who have very low levels of saliva or prefer to use a gel.

Dry mouth is the subjective sensation of dryness experienced during the daytime and nighttime when an insufficient amount of saliva is produced. While mild or occasional oral dryness occurring especially during sleep is considered normal in healthy individuals, excessive ongoing dryness leads to, among other things, disturbed sleep, difficulty chewing and swallowing, tongue roughness, frequently drinking liquids at night, and rampant tooth decay.

Effective for both daytime and nighttime usage, XyliGel stimulates saliva production and coats the mouth and lips. The gel is pH buffered to the optimal range for the mouth, pH 7.4, and is non-acidic. “It’s our mission to provide the market with safe and effective all-natural oral care remedies,” stated Jeff Haley, Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientist of OraHealth Corporation. “XyliGel not only treats many of the symptoms associated with dry mouth, it also has a favorable vanilla taste for its users to enjoy.”

This soothing gel reduces plaque and new cavities and can decrease long-term tooth decay.* XyliGel is the newest member of the OraCoat^® brand family of products which includes XyliMelts^® oral adhering discs, rated by a Clinicians Report^® survey as the most effective remedy for combating dry mouth.^†

To get samples of XyliGel and for additional information on other OraCoat products, please visit www.oracoat.com.

*Documentation of these statements available upon request.

^†Survey of 1168 dentists, March 2016 Clinicians Report^®, an independent, non-profit, dental education and product testing foundation. The full report is available on oracoat.com

Carlsbad, CA – (November 2, 2016) – Zest Dental Solutions (“Zest”), a leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of innovative solutions spanning the treatment of natural teeth through fabrication of dental implant restorations, today announced the acquisition of Iveri Whitening (“Iveri”), an innovative teeth whitening solutions provider. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Our solutions portfolio was broadened earlier this year with the acquisition of Danville Materials. With our focus now expanded to caring for natural teeth, the teeth whitening technology of Iveri will help our customers provide both in-office and take home teeth whitening products that are easy to use, less sensitive and require less time to obtain highly recognizable results.” said Steve Schiess, Zest’s CEO.

Jag Dhamrait, Iveri founder, commented “Becoming a part of Zest is an important step for Iveri and will allow us to build on our already high level of patient satisfaction through expanded distribution capabilities provided by being a part of a larger organization. Our broad range of innovative whitening products provides dental professionals various options to deliver whitening results quickly, and comfortably ensuring a better patient experience and outcome. In addition, Iveri’s ability to manufacture all types of gel strengths and products will further increase our growing portfolio of OEM business.”

For more information about Zest Dental Solutions, please visit www.zestdent.com. For more information about Iveri Whitening, please visit www.iveriwhitening.com

Air Techniques, Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of dental equipment, has announced the addition of the AirStar 100 to their current Air Compressor line. Air Techniques is North America's leading and largest manufacturer of air compressors for dental practices. Each air compressor is proudly manufactured in the USA at Air Techniques’ 200,000 square foot facility in Melville, NY. Specialized engineers put every air compressor system through rigorous and repetitive testing at Air Techniques’ in-house laboratories. From design to install, Air Techniques is there every step of the way.

The AirStar series has been engineered with exclusive Membrane Dryer Technology; air is quadruple filtered to ensure it is cleaner and drier than ever before. These oil-free compressors are virtually maintenance-free and sized for every practice. Models can support practices with one to fourteen users. The AirStar 100 is the new big guy in town and can support up-to fourteen users and uses a three-phase voltage supply for maximum energy efficiency.

“As the leader in dental air compressors, it is important that we sup- port our customer needs,” said Gregory Kass, Air Techniques’ Utility Equipment Product Manager. “The addition of the AirStar 100 will provide a simple solution to ever growing practice sizes.”

Air Techniques’ AirStar compressor heads are designed with its exclusive long-stoke, Teflon-bonded piston and brass-lined cylinder technology that ensure years of reliable use. Each AirStar is backed by a five year limited warranty. AirStar can be purchased through Air Techniques’ dealer network. Visit Air Techniques at the Greater New York booth 825 and see the new AirStar 100 firsthand.

Productive Practices new Purekey’s Hygienic Keyboards is now available through your preferred dealer. The dental/medical keyboards combine a completely flat top with the tactile feedback of a normal keyboard. The flat top surface is made of a high grade silicone rubber and can be cleaned with any dental/hospital grade disinfectant. With cleaning time less than 5 seconds, the best practice to clean between patients can be easily achieved.

For more information, visit the website at www.productivepractices.net.

Convergent Dental Inc., developer of Solea^®, the industry-leading, computer-aided, CO₂ all-tissuedental laser system, is pleased to announce that the Company has moved its headquarters to support the continued growth of the business. The new facility is located at 140 Kendrick Street in Needham, Massachusetts and is situated about 25 minutes south/west of Boston, with easy access to routes I-95 and I-90.   

This expansion is required to accommodate the remarkable growth at Convergent Dental.  “We need the space to support our growing investment in engineering as well as customer facing activities,” remarked Michael Cataldo, Convergent Dental CEO. “We have created a world class organization of incredibly talented, dedicated employees. Our new facility allows to grow that team further and provide and even better experience for our customers.”

As Convergent Dental’s commercial accelerated in recent years, the need for a new facility became apparent, “This step reflects years of hard work to build a company that is changing an industry,” continued Cataldo.

For updated information on all Convergent Dental news, please visit www.convergentdental.comor call 844.GOSOLEA.

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 13, 2016 — After a multi-faceted campaign that included policy changes and community education efforts, residents of one Maryland county put fewer sugary drinks in their grocery carts, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2016.

Drinks loaded with added sugars are one of the leading sources of empty calories in the diet of both children and adults, and overconsumption of sugar is associated with obesity and an increased risk of heart disease.

In 2012, the Horizon Foundation and several community partners began a multi-year campaign to encourage people to reduce consumption of sugary sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks and flavored water/teas in Howard County, Maryland.

Comparing 2012, before the campaign, to 2015, researchers found sales of sugar-sweetened soda fell by almost 20% by volume in Howard County but remained stable in comparison stores; sales of fruit-flavored beverages with added sugars fell about 15%; and sales of 100% juice fell 15%.

The researchers note that this is the first study to use objective retail sales data to measure the effectiveness of a community led campaign to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks.

“This study shows that a public health campaign combining community-wide education, policy changes and culture-shifting efforts can significantly reduce sugary drink sales,” said Marlene B. Schwartz, PhD, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. “Through complementary strategies from advocating for changes to child care nutrition standards to creating TV ads, “Howard County Unsweetened” made a concerted effort to encourage families to switch their drinks.”

The campaign included policy measures such as successfully strengthening the local school system’s wellness policy to eliminate sugary drinks in student-accessible vending machines and at school-day functions; enacting a 2014 state law that prohibits licensed childcare centers from serving sugary drinks to children in their care; enacting a 2015 local law making healthier food and drink more widely available on local government property and in children’s programming; and convincing almost 50 local community organizations through outreach and education to improve the food and drink choices they offer at meetings and through vending machines.

The campaign also educated the community through social marketing (eg, TV ads, social media, online ad buys); direct consumer education (e.g., using a marketing team to engage consumers at pools, community events, sporting events, health fairs); and healthcare professional training to improve patient counseling on the dangers of sugary drinks and the diagnosis and treatment of childhood obesity.

To determine the impact of the overall campaign, researchers compared weekly beverage sales of top-selling brands from 15 supermarkets in Howard County with a matched set of 17 supermarkets in southeastern Pennsylvania, controlling for marketing influences such as product prices.

The study did not have sales data from non-supermarket vendors, such as convenience stores, and only included the top selling brands sold rather than all brands sold.

The American Heart Association recommends that children and adult women consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugars a day. Adult men should have no more than 9 teaspoons. One 12-ounce can of soda has more than 8 teaspoons of added sugar.

Co-authors are Glenn E. Schneider, M.P.H.; Yoon-Young Choi, Ph.D.; Xun Li, Ph.D.; Jennifer Harris, Ph.D.; Tatiana Andreyeva, Ph.D.; Maia Hyary, M.P.A.; Nicolette Highsmith Vernick, M.P.A.; and Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

The study is funded by the Horizon Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Rudd Foundation.

CHICAGO, ILL., Nov. 4, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thomas D. Taylor, DDS, MSD, FACP, has earned the Distinguished Lecturer Award for outstanding contributions through original research, literature, teaching, or clinical applications from the American College of Prosthodontists. Dr. Taylor was honored at the Annual Awards & President's Dinner during the 46th Annual Session of the American College of Prosthodontists held in San Diego from October 5-8, 2016.

Dr. Taylor is a professor and Head of the Department of Reconstructive Sciences and chairman of the Division of Prosthodontics at the University Of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine. He is involved in both clinical and laboratory research and has published extensively in prosthodontic literature including the Journal of Prosthodontics. He is a past editor of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, and has contributed to over 20 books.

He is a Fellow and Past President of the American College of Prosthodontists. He is also past president of the International College of Prosthodontists, the International Team for Implantology (ITI), the Academy of Prosthodontics, and the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics. Currently, Dr. Taylor serves as Executive Director of the American Board of Prosthodontics, which rigorously examines Prosthodontists that are seeking to become board certified.

Previously, Dr. Taylor has been awarded the American College of Prosthodontists' President's Award (2003), the Dan Gordon Award for Lifetime Achievement (2007), Educator of the Year Award (2010), and the ACP Education Foundation Founders Award (2015).

"I have been extremely fortunate in my career to have been involved with so many great leaders in dentistry and prosthodontics. As I look back over that career I feel that our specialty and the College have achieved remarkable success in fulfilling our responsibilities to the profession and the public. We can all be very proud of those accomplishments. I am deeply honored to be named the ACP distinguished lecturer for 2016," said Dr. Taylor.

The Distinguished Lecturer Award is presented to individuals (ACP members, non-ACP member dentists or non-dentists) who have made significant contributions to the welfare and advancement of the College or prosthodontics; provided outstanding service to the College; and/or made significant contributions to the sciences or health professions. The winner of this award has presented high-quality original research representing a major contribution to Prosthodontics, or significant contributions to the literature, teaching or clinical applications.

Prosthodontists are specialized dentists with advanced training in oral health issues, who are committed to improving patient outcomes. From implants, crowns, veneers, and tooth whitening, to full-mouth reconstruction, prosthodontists specialize in digital dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and sleep apnea solutions.

The ACP

The ACP is the only prosthodontic specialty organization whose membership is based solely on education credentials. ACP members must be in or have completed an ADA-accredited advanced education program in prosthodontics.

The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is the official sponsoring organization for the specialty of prosthodontics, which is one of only nine recognized specialties of the American Dental Association. Founded in 1970, ACP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing patient care, advancing the art and science of prosthodontics, promoting the specialty of prosthodontics to the public and other dentists and healthcare professionals, ensuring the quality of prosthodontic education, and providing professional services to its membership. For more consumer information visit GoToAPro.org, professionals can visit Prosthodontics.org

DeWitt Wilkerson, DMD, was inducted as President of the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH) at the annual AAOSH meeting on September 17 in Orlando, Florida.

Wilkerson is the Director of Dental Medicine and Senior Faculty member at The Dawson Academy. Joan Forrest, President and CEO of The Dawson Academy, said, “Witt Wilkerson brings his experiences in organized dentistry, particularly in his past role as President of the American Equilibration Society, to AAOSH. His leadership is sure to propel AAOSH to the next level as this young organization continues to grow.

Wilkerson said, “I’m excited, through my leadership opportunity in AAOSH, to be able to encourage dental teams and patients to jump aboard an important national movement. The field of dentistry will soon be experiencing a dramatic shift in emphasis, especially related to two topics: the importance of airway evaluation and management in the dental office and the critical role of systemic inflammation as it relates to periodontal disease, airway disorders, healing, etc.”

Forrest adds, “Dentistry’s role in patients’ overall health continues to grow. The oral cavity is a window into total health and patients often see their dentist more regularly than their physician. As Witt says, ‘Let’s not just save a smile, let’s save a life.' "

The mission of the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health is to create a network of dedicated health care leaders working to change professional and public behaviors and address the importance of oral health as it relates to whole body health.

Wilkerson shares some of his own knowledge and experience on the topics of disordered breathing, sleep apnea, systemic inflammation, nutrition and more at upcoming Dawson Academy courses.

St. Petersburg, Fla (PRWEB) November 09, 2016

The ADA Board of Trustees presented Dr. Peter E. Dawson, founder of The Dawson Academy, with the Distinguished Service Award for his lifelong, undying devotion to advancing the art and science of dentistry on October 20, 2016 in Denver, Colo.

“Dr. Dawson is known around the world for his contributions to the science and art of dentistry, and he has educated thousands of dentists on his signature concept of ‘complete’ dentistry. With his best-selling textbooks, forward-thinking work on practice management and pioneering research on restorative dentistry, Dr. Dawson is more than worthy of being recognized for his achievements that have benefited the entire world,” said Dr. Carol Gomez Summerhays, ADA president and former Dawson Academy student.

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Dawson said, “In accepting this award I want you to know how grateful I am for all those that came before me to make my path bright. There’s no way I’d be standing here on this occasion without the contribution of generous mentors that opened the doors of opportunity for me during my early practice years.” Dawson credited Drs. L.D. Pankey and Sigurd Ramjford as his most influential early mentors.

“While much is known about Dr. Dawson’s clinical contributions to dentistry, I believe his impact on the lives of dentists is equally important,” said Joan Forrest, President and CEO of The Dawson Academy.

“Pete is a humble, caring man. He is devoted to his wife, Jodie, their four children and their 8 grandchildren. He is a man of great faith and throughout his amazing career, God and family have always come first. Leading a balanced life is always part of his message to dentists and many have told him how thankful they are for that message, adding that they would never have the wonderful relationships with their spouse and children were it not for Pete’s generously offered wisdom.”

In his acceptance speech Dr. Dawson shared with the audience, “I asked two questions about everything dentists had accepted as standard concepts and procedures. Why are we doing it? And is there a better way to do it?” With these questions in mind so many years ago, he began to look for answers.

In addition to his many contributions in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics, he brought together a group of specialists to form the first interdisciplinary “think tank” committed to diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of masticatory system disorders. From within this combined group of specialists, a number of major diagnostic and treatment advancements have emerged, including doppler auscultation and other treatment modalities for orofacial pain and TMJ disorders. He was instrumental in developing simplified instrumentation for analysis and treatment of occlusal problems and also devised new classification systems for occlusal disorders.

Dawson is also credited as one of the first dentists to hire systems analysts to evaluate every phase of his practice, which led to advancements in quality control and development of a block scheduling system for increased productivity.

In addition to numerous awards and special recognitions, Dr. Dawson is the past president and life member of the American Equilibration Society and a past president of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry and the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry.

For thousands of dentists, Dr. Dawson’s biggest impact was through his lectures and seminars, which he began teaching in 1961 when 35 dentists attended his first course. Through the years, it has evolved from Dr. Dawson’s one-man lecture series to a curriculum of both lectures and hands-on courses instructed by a faculty of over 25 dental professionals. The Academy’s locations have also grown from its original location in Saint Petersburg, Fla. to three additional locations in the United States and six internationally: China, India, Japan, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. With this growth, the Dawson Academy now reaches a worldwide audience of dentists for its curriculum directed at ‘Complete Dentistry”

On The Dawson Academy Facebook page past students share their gratitude for Dr. Dawson’s work. “Peter Dawson is the inspiration for so many top clinicians in our profession.

From day one of reading his first book and attending his courses he influenced the destiny of my patient's care as well as my practice. I am forever grateful,” shared Dr. Hugh Flax.

“You have always been my hero. I learned your philosophy at your courses early on in my career. You have inspired thousands of restorative dentists with a focus on diagnosis, and this became my center of gravity. Your humility and at the same time a giant in our field is refreshing, thank you! You deserve all honors!” shared Dr. Jonathan Levine, another Dawson Academy student.

Dr. John Cranham, Clinical Director and Partner at The Dawson Academy, said he first encountered the work of Dr. Dawson as a dental student three decades ago. As part of his studies, he wanted to do a full-mouth reconstruction on his mother and asked one of his professors for advice. The professor told him to read Dr. Dawson’s “Evaluation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Occlusal Problems.” Cranham did, and 30 years later, his mother, now 88, still has a perfect smile.

“There isn’t another dentist alive who’s had a bigger impact on the profession than Pete,” Dr. Cranham said.