PITTSTON, PA — September 14, 2016 — Blocks from the nation’s first hospital, medical school, and women’s medical school, Philadelphia -- the first planned city in the United States – will greet inspirational women in dentistry next spring. An annual celebration named for Dr. Lucy Hobbs, the woman who, in 1866, became the first American female to earn a degree in dentistry, will award industry professionals for their distinctive talents.

Benco Dental will host The Lucy Hobbs Project 5th Annual Celebration on April 27 and 28, 2017 at Loews Hotel, 1200 Market Street.  During the two-day gathering, The Lucy Hobbs Project will honor the women selected as award recipients for setting new benchmarks in the dental profession.  The event will also include CE credits, and a keynote speaker. Visit The Lucy Hobbs Project website for more information, www.thelucyhobbsproject.com.

Beginning now, through the November 18, 2016 deadline, Benco Dental encourages people across the country to nominate women in dentistry who they view as inspirations to others. Six award categories for consideration include: 

·         Woman to Watch: An up-and-coming leader who utilizes her position to create positive change in the industry,

·         Industry Icon: A trailblazer who is consistently recognized and admired for her work in the dental industry,

·         Mentor: An advisor who recognizes the importance of supporting, educating and encouraging others,

·         Innovator: A groundbreaker who demonstrates a willingness to implement new technologies and business processes without fear of potential failure,

·         Humanitarian: An altruist who works tirelessly for a charity or cause that benefits the well-being of others, and

·         Clinical Expert: A skillful practitioner who embraces advancements and adeptly integrates them into patient care.

Individuals and organizations may submit nominations. Self-nominations are accepted. Only nominations submitted via the online survey and listed as complete will be considered. Entrants are directed to the 2017 Lucy Hobbs Project Awards Nomination form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LucyHobbsProject2017

Powered by Benco Dental, The Lucy Hobbs Project empowers women in dentistry to drive change and deliver success through networking, innovation and giving back. Named after Dr. Hobbs, this project aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry – dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, receptionists, sales representatives and others. The project is free to join and offers networking opportunities, educational programs and charitable events.

Among Lucy Hobbs Award honorees are women whose unwavering professional dedication merits accolades, including:

2016 -- Joyce Bassett, DDS, FAACD, FAGD; Col. Theresa S. Gonzales, Ret., DMD, MS, MSS; Susan Maples, DDS;  Kadambari ‘Kady’ Rawal, BDS, CAGS; Pamela Schmidt, DDS, NMD, IBDM;  and Mary Teddy Wray, DDS, Maryland. Meet them: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/9c07c7ab#/9c07c7ab/1


2015 -- Luz Marina Aguirre, DMD; BB Maboby Bahadarakhann; Lindsay Limbaugh, DMD, MS; Amanda Seay, DDS; Kendra S. Schaefer, DMD; and Dr. Esther M. Wilkins, BS, RDH, DMD. Learn their stories at: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/10683ba7 - /10683ba7/1

 2014 -- Joan Austin (1931-2013); Karen Gear, DDS; Mary Hartigan, DDS; Maria Maranga, DDS; Terryl A. Propper, DDS, MS; Katti Webb Simpson, IPDH; and Kaaren G. Vargas, DDS, PhD. Learn about their contributions to the profession: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/636592a9 - /636592a9/1

 2013 -- Sonia Chopra, DDS; Dr. Lynda Dean-Duru; Anne Eiting Klamar, MD; Sonia Leziy, DDS; Rhonda Switzer, DMD; and Careen Young, DDS, MSD. View their Incisal Edge interviews: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/3b7191a9 - /3b7191a9/1


To learn more and sign up for The Lucy Hobbs Project®, visit: www.thelucyhobbsproject.com

Shown at the 4^th Annual Celebration in Dallas, are 2016 award recipients, clockwise, from bottom left: Dr. Joyce Bassett, Dr. Susan Maples, Dr. Kady Rawal, Dr. Mary Teddy Wray and Dr. Pamela Schmidt. Absent from photo Col. Theresa S. Gonzales, Ret., DMD, MS, MSS.

About Lucy Hobbs

At age 26, Lucy Hobbs decided she wanted a career change.  She had been teaching for ten years and felt a strong desire to pursue her true passion – dentistry.  Sounds reasonable, right?  However, this was 1859 and female dentists simply didn’t exist.   Hobbs was promptly refused admission to dental school because of her gender.  Undeterred, she convinced a professor from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery to accept her into their program.  In three short years, Dr. Hobbs opened her own practice, was professionally recognized and allowed to join the Iowa State Dental Society.  Dr. Hobbs was a true trailblazer who paved the way for other women’s success.  To learn more and sign up, visit The Lucy Hobbs Project website at: www.thelucyhobbsproject.com

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Arjun Srinivasan, MD, will provide an introduction on antibiotic time-outs for the Partnership for Quality Care upcoming webinar: “Successful Antibiotic Stewardship Program Actions: Antibiotic Time-Out: Essential Elements and Development.”

Other featured speakers include:

Stan Deresinski, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases; and Medical Director, Stanford Antimicrobial Safety and Sustainability, Stanford University School of Medicine

Marisa Holubar, MD, MS, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease; Associate Medical Director, Stanford Antimicrobial Safety and Sustainability; and Associate Medical Director, Infection Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine

The webinar is Friday, September 16 at 3 PM ET. RSVP Today: https://pqc-usa.org/antibioticreg/

The FDA has issued a 510(k) clearance for 3Shape Abutment Designer, a functionality within 3Shape Dental System CAD/CAM software.

The 510(k) clearance covers all implant cases being designed using 3Shape Dental System software. A 3Shape Abutment Designer and/or Implant Bridge and Bars license is needed to use the functionality.

“There has been considerable discussion within the U.S. dental laboratory industry regarding CAD/CAM in-house abutment design. We hope that the 510(K) issuance brings clarity to the conversation for 3Shape dental laboratory product users, who, like 3Shape, have always considered patient safety most important,” says Flemming Thorup, president and CEO at 3Shape.

The FDA 510(k) clearance for 3Shape Abutment Designer marks the first time a standalone CAD/CAM software has received clearance under the FDA’s new product code PNP - Abutment design software for dental laboratories. 

3Shape Abutment Designer is part of 3Shape’s larger eco-system of CAD/CAM dental design software. Implant libraries integrated with 3Shape software will need to apply individually to receive 510(k) clearance.

In the US, 3Shape Abutment Designer can only be used with libraries with documented 510(k) clearance. 

Panthera Dental announced today that David “Kim” Solomon joined the company as Vice-President of Sales – USA. Five new Regional Sales Directors also have recently joined the established team: Kevan Vance, Western Canada; Thomas W. Bell, Texas and Oklahoma; Millie Hasan, California; Jack Manno, Florida; and Scott Dodek, Greater New York.

Solomon will be responsible for sales, marketing, and brand development for Panthera Dental in the United States. He has more than 20 years of experience in the dental industry and held a number of leadership roles at Keating Dental Arts, Nobel Biocare, and Keystone Industries in recent years. He is an experienced sales and marketing executive with expertise in business development, product launch, CAD/CAM technology, and clinical/restorative solutions.

“I am pleased to welcome Kim as our new Vice-President of Sales – USA, given his wide-range of experience and his capabilities as a senior executive both at Nobel Biocare and Keystone,” says Gabriel Robichaud, President and Co-founder of Panthera Dental. “His exceptional execution track record will clearly help Panthera Dental achieve growth in the next year and beyond, while strengthening its leadership position.”

Solomon says, “I am excited to join Panthera Dental based on its technology leadership. I will keep on helping our customers offer valuable products to their clients. I am condent my experience in direct and distributor sales channels will help Panthera Dental achieve the next level as a leader in the dental industry.”

Core3dcentres® NA and the SKYN™ Corporation announced that, as of September 2016, they have come together to form an exclusive Global Partnership and to offer the First Global Network of SKYN Production Centres.

Core3dcentres NA is ISO 13485:2012 and has leveraged its existing highly skilled teams on CAD/CAM dental technology through rigorous further training and testing over the past few months, led by Dr. Paulo Kano and Livio Yoshinaga, to ensure that all its technicians and milling centres are fully qualified and validated to meet the high esthetic demands that the SKYN Concept requires.

Together, Core3dcentres and SKYN Concept offer a fusion of digital dentistry with natural anatomy, in a simple comprehensive workflow. This workflow, complete with clinical and technical education protocols developed by Dr. Kano and Yoshinaga, brings a new age of patient-centric delivery of consistent and repeatable life-changing smiles. 

The main goal of this partnership is to build on each company’s experience to allow global market access for high-end esthetic restorations through an automated workflow utilizing all digital manufacturing for consistency and repeatability. Both companies are working together to bring new products to the market including a SKYN Models Kit, SKYN-Core3dcentres Digital Library, and pre-made SKYN Temporaries. Future workflows on full-mouth rehabilitation will encompass a comprehensive inter-disciplinary approach including orthognatics, orthodontics, periodontics, and implants, integrating all levels of chairside and digital outsourcing.

For more information on the SKYN Concept from Core3dcentres, or any other products, services, and educational offerings, visit core3dcentres.com, call 888-750-9204, or email InfoUSA@core3dcentres-na.com.

SAN DIEGO –Terrence J. Griffin, DMD, a periodontist in Boston, has been installed as the American Academy of Periodontology’s (AAP’s) President during its 102^ndAnnual Meeting, held Sept. 10-13, 2016, in San Diego. Other newly installed AAP leaders include President-elect Steven R. Daniel, DDS, of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Vice President Richard T. Kao, DDS, PhD, of Cupertino, Calif., and Secretary/Treasurer Bryan J. Frantz, DMD, MS. Wayne A. Aldredge, DMD, of Holmdel, N.J., will act as the Academy’s Immediate Past President.

Dr. Griffin has served on 12 AAP committees since becoming a member. He maintains a private practice in Boston and has served as the Director of Tufts University’s postdoctoral periodontology program for 16 years. Dr. Griffin received his dental degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and went on to serve in the US Navy where he completed a one-year fellowship in periodontics at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. After completing his 2-year tour of duty, he rejoined Tufts University as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Periodontology, earning his certificate of advanced graduate studies in periodontology immediately after graduation. 

Other installed officers:

Steven R. Daniel, DDS, President-elect: A Knoxville, Tenn., native, Dr. Daniel has been a practicing periodontist in Murfreesboro, Tenn. for more than 33 years. He earned his dental degree and Certificate in Periodontics from the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry. Dr. Daniel became a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology in 2005. In addition to his service with the AAP, Dr. Daniel has served as a trustee for the Tennessee Society of Periodontists and the Southern Academy of Periodontology.

Richard T. Kao, DDS, PhD, Vice President: Dr. Kao, who maintains a private practice in Cupertino, Calif., is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of periodontology at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry and a Clinical Professor in the Department of Orofacial Sciences at the University of California San Francisco, where he earned his dental degree, periodontal certificate, and doctorate in experimental pathology. Dr. Kao has previously served as a Trustee of the California Dental Association and AAP, and is a Past President of the California Society of Periodontists.

Bryan J. Frantz, DMD, Secretary/Treasurer: Dr. Frantz has maintained a private practice in the Scranton, Penn., area for more than 25 years. He also serves as Clinical Associate Professor at Commonwealth Medical College’s Department of Surgery, Eastman Institute of Oral Health, and at Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry, where he earned his dental degree. A past president of the AAP Foundation, Dr. Frantz has held positions on a number of AAP member committees and task forces. He also is a past president and board chairman of the Scranton District Dental Society.

Dr. Wayne A. Aldredge, DMD, Immediate Past President:  A member of the AAP since 1995, Dr. Aldredge has more than 20 years of professional dentistry experience, first honing his general dentistry skills as an army captain at the US Military Academy at West Point. In addition to maintaining a private practice, Dr. Aldredge is also a lecturer and researcher whose interests include guided bone regeneration, dental implants and surgical technique, localized delivery of chemotherapeutic agents, and connective tissue grafting.

Newly installed AAP officers will serve a term ending with the appointment of a new slate of officers at the AAP’s 103^rd Annual Meeting in Boston, to be held Sept. 9-12, 2017.

CHICAGO – The 2016 AAID Dental Student Award is available to all accredited dental education programs in the United States and Canada.  Sixty-one schools awarded the AAID Dental Student Award for undergraduate or graduate students this year at their graduation ceremonies.

Award recipients received a certificate of recognition and were provided one year free membership in the AAID and a complimentary registration at the Annual Conference. The full list of the recipients and schools that participated in order of the name of the school are available on the AAID website here. 

Heraeus Kulzer Precious Metal Refining announced that its new AutoShip program is designed to make it dramatically easier for dental practices and laboratories to take advantage of the industry’s highest scrap metal payouts.

The AutoShip program comprises four simple steps:

1. The customer selects a preferred container size, delivery date, and monthly delivery frequency at MyDental360.com/Refining.

2. The chosen container will automatically arrive on the customer’s doorstep in future months at the customer’s chosen frequency. Upon receipt, customers simply place their scrap and the form in the container and attach the prepaid UPS label.

3. The customer drops off the container at a UPS location or schedules a pickup at

MyDental360.com/Refining.

4. The customer receives an assay report and payout in 7-10 business days.

At MyDental360.com/Refining, customers may choose from five container sizes ranging from a mailer with 5-ounce capacity to a 30-gallon drum with a 300-pound capacity. Customers also indicate the date they would like the shipping container to arrive, and how often they would like additional containers to arrive in the future.

“We have always set the industry standard for the highest possible scrap metal payouts for dental practices and dental laboratories,” says Ched Hawthorne, Heraeus Kulzer senior product manager. “With our new AutoShip program, we will now now create a new industry standard for customer convenience.”

As one of the world's largest private refiners, Heraeus Kulzer Precious Metal Refining uses state-of-the-art technology to heat, melt, separate, and analyze its customers’ precious metals in one location using a Triple Core Analysis process to determine the precise amount of precious metal in the scrap. The company then provides a full assay report utilizing the ICP-AES method to give its customers the most accurate, highest return possible.

One reason customers maximize their return with Heraeus Kulzer Precious Metal Refining is that the fees it charges are often less than one-third the fees charged by other direct refiners, and less than one-fourth the fees charged by middlemen.

“Refining their scrap precious metal with us on a regular basis can generate a real windfall for our customers. Unfortunately, many other dental practices and laboratories have given into the temptation to take ‘fast cash’ when middlemen make a sales call, which means dramatically lower payouts than they would get from us,” Hawthorne says. “Now with our AutoShip program, it’s easier than ever for these customers to earn the thousands of dollars in annual precious metal revenues that they deserve.”

To learn more about Heraeus Kulzer Precious Metal Refining, visit https://mydental360.com/Refining. For additional information on Heraeus Kulzer and the company’s product range, visit www.heraeus-kulzer-us.com.

Because most children are afraid of the process, convincing a child to cooperate when a tooth needs to be pulled is a major challenge for dentists. Researchers have been studying sedatives in the hopes of finding a safe, effective, low-dose solution that reduces the amount of anxiety that children experience prior to these types of procedures.

A new study in the current issue of the journal Anesthesia Progress looks at one particular method that may make it easier to give sedatives to children before extracting a tooth. The researchers compared the effectiveness of different doses of a sedative administered to children using a special device similar to a decongestant nasal sprayer and also measured how long it took those children to recover from the sedation.

The need for sedation during dental procedures has received increasing scrutiny in recent years, as many dentists find sedation necessary when children are frightened and nervous in the chair. Giving a sedative by mouth is standard in the United States, but it is difficult to judge the proper dose. Oversedating kids can have serious consequences and even lead to death, prompting lawmakers in several US states to consider changing how and when anesthesia is administered. The device used in this study, a mucosal atomizer, has been used in pediatric hospitals for some time and is slowly gaining favor in dental applications.

In the current study, researchers gave a sedative to 118 South African children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. All of the children needed to have a tooth extracted in an emergency dental clinic. A mucosal atomizer was used to spray intranasal midazolam, a commonly used sedative that is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the lining of the nose, at doses of 0.3 or 0.5 mg/kg.

The researchers found that all of the children were sedated to some degree, and pulse rate and oxygen saturation levels were within normal ranges. The children who received the larger dose had less anxiety and a better behavior score, and only took a couple of minutes longer to waken from the sedation.

The only common complaint of the mucosal atomizer was a burning sensation felt when the drug was being sprayed. In these cases, a nurse gave a nasal anesthesia a few minutes before the main sedative. As a result, only 9% of children in the study said they felt burning in their nasal cavity.

The researchers concluded that the mucosal atomizer is best for children during short procedures. Additionally, the study showed that either dose of intranasal midazolam is safe and effective; however, the stronger dose causes less anxiety during the procedure, making the child easier to work with. The authors recommend using the larger dosage of the drug in emergency medical and dental hospitals. American pediatric dentists may need an additional permit and training before they can use this tool.

Full text of the article “Intranasal Midazolam Sedation in a Pediatric Emergency Dental Clinic,” Anesthesia Progress, Vol. 63, No. 3, 2016, is now available at https://www.anesthesiaprogress.org/doi/abs/10.2344/15-00016.1.

Dental caries— tooth decay — is the most prevalent dental disease among children and adults around the world. Left too long before treatment, the disease results in difficulty eating, infection, and even tooth loss. Research published this week by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, in the Journal of Biomedical Optics describes a method enabling much earlier detection using inexpensive long-wavelength infrared imaging.

A cavity begins with a minute amount of mineral loss from the tooth enamel surface, resulting from the acidic environment of dental plaques. If caries can be detected early enough, the progression can be stopped or even reversed.

Dentists currently rely on two methods to detect early caries: x-ray imaging and visual inspection of the tooth surface. But both of these diagnostics have limitations: dentists can’t see caries until it is relatively advanced, and x-rays can’t detect occlusal early caries — those on the biting surface of the tooth.

In “First step toward translation of thermophotonic lock-in imaging to dentistry as an early caries detection technology,” Ashkan Ojaghi, Artur Parkhimchyk, and Nima Tabatabaei of York University in Toronto describe a low-cost thermophotonic lock-in imaging (TPLI) imaging tool that would allow dentists to detect developing caries much earlier than x-rays or visual analysis.

The TPLI tool uses a long-wavelength infrared camera to detect the small amount of thermal infrared radiation emitted from dental caries after stimulation by a light source.

To test the effectiveness of this new imaging tool, the authors artificially induced early demineralization on an extracted human molar by submerging it in an acid solution for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days. The TPLI image taken after just 2 days clearly showed the presence of a lesion, whereas a trained dental practitioner could not visually detect the same lesion even after 10 days of demineralization.

Journal associate editor Andreas Mandelis, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Toronto, said, “This paper will have a high impact on the way dentists diagnose incipient caries. The longwave IR thermophotonic imaging technology is at its nascent steps, but this paper brings it closer to actual clinical practice.”

The tool has the benefits of being noncontact, noninvasive, and low cost, and has great potential as a commercially viable diagnostic imaging device for dentistry.