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Pamlico CC Starts Laboratory Program

Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Pamlico Community College has started a new program in Dental Laboratory Technology this fall.

The two-year associate’s degree program, which recently received state approval, will train students to create dental appliances such as dentures, partials, bridges, crowns, and other prostheses.

Program graduates will be qualified to work in denture clinics, dental laboratories, and similar settings.

PCC’s program will be led by Kathy Nicodemus, who has more than 30 years of combined experience teaching dental technology and working in the dental prostheses industry.

“We are very excited to offer a new career option for students,” PCC President Dr. Jim Ross says. “We believe this program will create wonderful opportunities for students to have great careers and improve their lives.”

The Dental Laboratory Technology program will be unique in the area; PCC will be the only North Carolina community college east of Interstate 95 to offer the degree program.

The program will consist of classroom teaching and hands-on work in the laboratory. There also will be online instruction.

Students who complete the program will have the skills they need to begin a great career, one with good earning potential and job security, Nicodemus says.

“This is a hands-on career that can appeal to both men and women,” she says. “It is very rewarding to know that your work can help someone improve their appearance, their confidence, and their outlook.”

Months of study and research went into the forthcoming launch of the program.

The college also received a significant boost from the New Bern-based Harold H. Bate Foundation, which recently awarded the college’s Foundation a $30,000 grant to help support the new program.

“We are extremely appreciative for the Bate Foundation’s support, which will help us to create a first-class program,” Ross says. “Like PCC, the Bate Foundation is committed to seeing area residents improve their lives and circumstances. We thank them for their support of this program and our students.”

For more information about the program, contact Nicodemus at knicodemus@pamlicocc.edu or 252-249-1851, ext. 3017.







Results Matter but Patient Experience is What Really Counts

Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2017

When fearful patients who have avoided the dentist for years come to the dental office reporting pain, the dental team often has to soothe patient anxieties before treatment can even begin. Dr. Wendy McCreight and Jamie Rotunno, RDH in Steamboat Colorado are the most recent recipients of the Orkos Award in case study for their careful attention to a patient’s anxieties and oral health. Making treatment as comfortable as possible enabled the patient not only to accept and complete the treatment but also to commit to regular preventative care.

Patients who are anxious about dental care often ignore early signs and symptoms of gum disease, like bleeding gums and bad breath, because the gums don’t hurt yet. When the disease advances to the point of discomfort, it is harder to ignore. The patient in this case study came to McCreight Progressive Dentistry complaining that it hurt to brush his teeth and to eat. He assumed he had a cavity, but Dr. McCreight diagnosed periodontal disease.

Hygienist Jamie Rotunno addressed his concerns by carefully explaining his periodontal charting and ideal treatment steps, the first of which included bacterial testing and prescription tray delivery of medication to fight the infections. Reducing infection and inflammation before scalings, she explained, should make the entire treatment more comfortable. He agreed.

The patient exhibited generalized periodontal disease, with moderate to heavy bleeding, calculus, and pockets measuring up to 7mm (normal is 1-3mm). Bone surrounding his teeth had begun to break down and bacterial testing indicated high levels of pathogens. Treatment started with the prescription Perio Tray® to reduce the bacterial loads and inflammation. After two-weeks of tray usage, four deep cleanings in the office were completed. The prescription tray homecare continued two times a day for 15 minutes between hygiene visits.



Six weeks after the cleanings were completed, the patient returned to the office. Rotunno documented significant improvement throughout the mouth. Bleeding decreased from 90 sites to 6 sites. Deep pockets dropped from 84 sites to 8. The remaining measurements were within normal limits. Healthy stippled tissue was observed and pathogen testing indicated a reduction in bacterial loads in every category tested. Three months later at a maintenance visit, the healthy results had been maintained. 







AADOM Names Terri Lenihan Practice Administrator of the Year

Posted on Monday, October 30, 2017

The American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM) has awarded Terri Lenihan the 13th annual AADOM Practice Administrator of the Year Award - sponsored by CareCredit. Terri Lenihan, FAADOM, is the Practice Administrator for Omni Dental Centre in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

AADOM annually recognizes dental professionals who provide exceptional patient care and are an inspiration and leader within their practice. As in past years, many nominations were received and reviewed by a committee comprised of industry leaders invited to participate by AADOM. “When we received Terri Lenihan’s nomination, we knew she was an outstanding example of the impact a Practice Administrator can have on their patients, team, practice and community,” says Heather Colicchio, AADOM president.

“From day one, Terri exemplified leadership,” wrote Grant Flenker, DDS, of Omni Dental Centre. “Terri started as an assistant in a two doctor practice. As our practice grew, Terri grew. It was a natural progression for her to become office manager, and through her help and guidance, we have become who we are today. We now have two locations, six dentists, seven hygienists and six business team members. Terri is responsible for overseeing the management team, managing the business of the practice and managing the dentistry systems to ensure they continue to deliver care to our standards and expectations. Terri is also greatly responsible for increasing practice revenue. She is fantastic at helping the patient find a way to finance needed care. This is critical to the success of our practice. Outside of our practice, Terri somehow finds the time to be involved in many organizations on both a professional and personal level. She is a key component of organizing our Give Kids a Smile Day and our Omni Cares Day in which we provide care for disadvantaged children and adults respectively, free of charge. Our practice would not be what it is today without Terri.”

“I would like to sincerely thank AADOM and Dr. Flenker for recognizing me in this manner,” Ms. Lenihan said about winning the award. “It’s easy to do good when you love what you do. I’m glad I have the opportunity to make a difference, each and every day.” As the 2017 award winner, Ms. Lenihan will receive a special package provided by CareCredit, AADOM’s Founding Sponsor, including complimentary registration to the 2017 AADOM conference, a profile story in AADOM’s digital magazine The Observer and $1,000 in prize money. 

 







Young Innovations Announces Sale to The Jordan Company

Posted on Monday, October 30, 2017

Young Innovations Inc. (“Young”), a leading global manufacturer and distributor of consumable dental supplies and equipment, today announced that it is selling a majority interest to The Jordan Company, LP (“TJC”), who is investing in partnership with the existing Young management team. In addition, Linden Capital Partners (“Linden”), a healthcare-focused investment firm which has owned a controlling interest in Young since 2013, will be reinvesting in this transaction. TJC is a leading investment firm with a long history of partnering with management teams to help them build their businesses through a combination of strategic investments to drive organic growth and acquisitions.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with TJC for the next phase of Young’s growth,” said Dave Sproat, CEO of Young Innovations. “This transaction enhances our ability to continue to grow our business organically and through acquisitions in our core categories across the globe.”

“Young consistently delivers a diverse and innovative portfolio of highly-recognized, proprietary brands to dental professionals,” added Dave Butler, Senior Partner at TJC. “Dave Sproat and the broader team of Young employees have been instrumental to Young’s track record and are well positioned to lead the business going forward.”

“We have been proud to partner with Young during the past five years and support the Company in its pursuit of multiple value creation initiatives, including investments in new product development, infrastructure, international expansion, and acquisitions,” said Tony Davis, President and Managing Partner of Linden. “We are excited to invest alongside TJC and continue to support Young throughout its next phase of growth.”

Jefferies and William Blair served as financial advisors to Linden and Young in this transaction and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel in connection with this transaction.







Implant Direct Evolving to Meet the Needs of the Growing Implant Market

Posted on Monday, October 30, 2017

Rebranding initiative will better align strength’s and values with branded image

WATCH VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/BkRbI7OOWjs

Originally launched as an online direct brand, Implant Direct has outgrown the ‘value’ designation, transforming itself into a full-spectrum provider with a significant footprint in both the education and support elements of the dental implant profession. This evolving identity will be reflected in a new brand identity for Implant Direct that will be rolled out in the coming months.

“Because we entered the field as an online direct business, it’s important for clinicians to know that we have always held ourselves to the highest of standards,” said David Painter, Vice President of Commercial Operations at Implant Direct. “We felt this was an opportune time to begin transforming our brand identity to better reflect the depth of our expertise and ability to meet the changing demands of the marketplace. At the same time, we will continue evolving our position within the implant space including expanding the scope of our Customer Care and Support Center, expanding access to implant procedures and growing the overall implant market.”

Located in Thousand Oaks CA, Implant Direct uses sophisticated manufacturing processes to provide affordably priced implants to patients in over 40 countries. All of our implant systems meet American tolerances, follow ISO 13485 and FDA standards and hold multiple BSI and EC certifications.

“We are passionate about this rebranding initiative because it allows us to better tell our complete story. Implant Direct affords doctors the ability to have the top quality products and support without having to compromise their high standard of excellence. We know our implant products will meet or beat any of the competition regardless of how much more or less, they charge,” said Painter.

With the implant market expected to grow at about 10% over the next few years, Implant Direct is already well positioned to meet the needs of a growing marketplace. They are a part of the Danaher family along with Kavo Kerr, Nobel Biocare and Ormco within the Danaher company.







PCORI Approves $13.4 Million to Study the Effectiveness of Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride in Combination with Fluoride Varnish

Posted on Monday, October 30, 2017

A five-year study comparing the effectiveness of utilizing a combination therapy of Advantage Arrest® Silver Diamine Fluoride plus fluoride varnish (“simple care”) versus a combination therapy of a traditional sealant plus fluoride varnish (“complex care”) will be conducted in 60 elementary schools in the Bronx, NY. The study will be led by NYU Dentistry’s Richard Niederman, DMD and Ryan Richard Ruff MPH, PhD. In addition to analyzing the effects of the different products, this study will also compare care delivered by nurses as well as dental hygienists.

Dr. Mike Shirtcliff of Advantage Silver Dental Arrest stated: “We are excited to hear that Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride will be used to potentially help so many children in these high-need elementary schools.” Kevin Thomas, Managing Member of Elevate Oral Care, the commercialization organization for Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride, said: “We are happy to play a part in this extremely worthwhile effort.”

The PCORI award is the latest acknowledgement of the potential that silver diamine fluoride can have on treating cavities in a simple, cost-effective manner. The PCORI award announcement comes on the heels of $9.8 million dollars in funding recently awarded by the National Institutes of Health to conduct a Phase III clinical trial using Advantage Arrest® Silver Diamine Fluoride 38% for arresting caries in children.

In 2016, Advantage Arrest® Silver Diamine Fluoride 38% was the first product ever to receive the FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for the arrest of tooth decay in children and adults. It is the only oral care product to ever receive this prestigious designation. BTD represents the FDA’s effort to address an unmet, serious, life-threatening medical need where there is no available therapy. 

 







Effectiveness of Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride in Combination with Fluoride Varnish

Posted on Friday, October 27, 2017

Redmond, OR and West Palm Beach, FL – October 27, 2017 -- A five-year study comparing the effectiveness of utilizing a combination therapy of Advantage Arrest® Silver Diamine Fluoride plus fluoride varnish (“simple care”) versus a combination therapy of a traditional sealant plus fluoride varnish (“complex care”) will be conducted in 60 elementary schools in the Bronx, NY. The study will be led by NYU Dentistry’s Richard Niederman, DMD and Ryan Richard Ruff MPH, PhD. In addition to analyzing the effects of the different products, this study will also compare care delivered by nurses as well as dental hygienists. 

Dr. Mike Shirtcliff of Advantage Silver Dental Arrest stated: “We are excited to hear that Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride will be used to potentially help so many children in these high-need elementary schools.” Kevin Thomas, Managing Member of Elevate Oral Care, the commercialization organization for Advantage Arrest Silver Diamine Fluoride, said: “We are happy to play a part in this extremely worthwhile effort.”

The PCORI award is the latest acknowledgement of the potential that silver diamine fluoride can have on treating cavities in a simple, cost-effective manner. The PCORI award announcement comes on the heels of $9.8 million dollars in funding recently awarded by the National Institutes of Health to conduct a Phase III clinical trial using Advantage Arrest® Silver Diamine Fluoride 38% for arresting caries in children.

In 2016, Advantage Arrest® Silver Diamine Fluoride 38% was the first product ever to receive the FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) for the arrest of tooth decay in children and adults. It is the only oral care product to ever receive this prestigious designation. BTD represents the FDA’s effort to address an unmet, serious, life-threatening medical need where there is no available therapy. 

 







Midmark Showcases New Dental Health Clinic at Sinclair Community College

Posted on Friday, October 27, 2017

DAYTON, Ohio, Oct. 26, 2017 — Midmark Corp., a leading provider of medical, dental and veterinary equipment and technologies, recently held an open house to showcase the new Midmark Dental Health Clinic at Sinclair Community College. The facility, which includes state-of-the-art equipment and furnishings from Midmark, provides a unique teaching environment for dental hygiene students and a valuable health service to the Dayton community.

Located at Sinclair’s Ned J. Sifferlen Health Sciences Center, the new facility is a fully functional dental hygiene clinic providing low-cost exams, cleanings and more to the public, as well as a teaching facility focused on training students enrolled in the college’s Dental Hygiene Program. Annually, the Midmark Dental Health Clinic provides close to $500,000 of patient care to approximately 1,500 uninsured or underinsured children and adults, including senior citizens and the region’s military veterans.  Now, with the state-of-the-art equipment and furnishings provided by Midmark, Sinclair is expecting to grow those numbers by approximately 20 percent.

“We are so fortunate to have such a committed partner in Midmark,” said Sinclair President Steve Johnson. “Midmark shares our mission to prepare the region's future workforce with the highest quality equipment. In addition, Midmark’s partnership is helping Sinclair provide more healthcare services to the region’s dental patients in this expanded Dental Health Clinic.” 

The Midmark Dental Health Clinic contains 25 dental stations outfitted with the latest dental equipment. Midmark worked closely with representatives of Sinclair to design the stations and outfit them with the equipment and technology needed to provide quality dental care to patients and give students the hands-on training they need to succeed in dental hygiene. Each station features a Midmark Elevance Dental Chair, delivery unit, LED lighting and other equipment. 

John Baumann, CEO of Midmark, was on-hand to welcome guests during the open house on October 25.

“We are extremely honored to work with Sinclair and be a part of this dental health clinic that exemplifies our commitment to the region and the future of dentistry,” said Baumann. “By building each dental station with the latest dental equipment and most up-to-date technology, we are helping ensure the dental hygiene students who walk through these doors are prepared to deliver high quality care and improved outcomes.”

About Midmark 

Midmark Corporation, a privately held company, founded in 1915, is a leading provider of medical, dental and veterinary equipment and technologies. Our nearly 1,700 teammates worldwide are passionate and courageous leaders focused on making a positive difference in the lives we touch by improving the experience between patients and their caregivers. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Midmark maintains production and administrative offices in Versailles, Ohio. Midmark has six other locations in the United States as well as a number of subsidiaries in the United States, including Versus Technology, Inc. Midmark also maintains international subsidiaries in India, Italy and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Midmark, visit midmark.com

 







NYU College of Dentistry Awarded $3.6 Million by NIH for Cavity Prevention Research

Posted on Thursday, October 26, 2017

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a research team at New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) funding to study cavity prevention and cost effectiveness in school-based dental programs in New Hampshire.  

The $3.6 million, five-year grant (R01MD011526) will fund a statewide program in six rural New Hampshire counties providing dental care to approximately 12,000 children, from preschool to sixth grade, in over 40 schools.

NYU Dentistry's Richard Niederman, DMD, and Ryan Richard Ruff, MPH, PhD, will lead the study comparing the effectiveness of two cavity-prevention techniques — a “simple” treatment of topical silver and fluoride, and a “complex” treatment of traditional sealants and fluoride.

Nearly 30 percent of school-age children in the U.S. have untreated cavities. For children in rural areas, this number is even higher: more than 35 percent have untreated cavities. For rural populations, the primary barrier to care is the distance required to travel to dentists.

Children with cavities and associated toothaches face multiple disadvantages, including reduced quality of life, school absences, difficulty paying attention in school, and lower standardized test scores. Traditional office-based dental care presents barriers to treatment, including cost, fear of dentists, and geographic isolation.  

“Bringing care to children instead of children to care eliminates these barriers,” said Dr. Niederman, professor and chair of the Department Epidemiology & Health Promotion at NYU Dentistry.

Through prior work in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Colorado, NYU Dentistry researchers determined that “complex” school-based cavity prevention programs are effective in reducing cavities by two-thirds. Preliminary results suggest that “simple” prevention can be equally effective and is preferred by patients. 

In the NIH-funded study, the New Hampshire schools will be selected at random to receive either the “simple” treatment of silver diamine fluoride and fluoride varnish, or the “complex” treatment of sealants and fluoride varnish. The simpler method takes six minutes to deliver, compared to the more complex method that takes 20 minutes. All children will receive the same preventive dental care twice each year. The researchers will assess oral health to compare the outcomes of both treatments. 

The researchers expect that both treatments will be similarly effective in reducing untreated cavities. However, for the same time and cost, nearly four times more children can be treated with the simpler prevention. Therefore, if the simpler, less expensive strategy is found to be as effective as the more complex, more expensive method, the findings could support clinical and policy changes.

“In the short term, this trial will improve the health of New Hampshire children. In the long term, our findings can inform New Hampshire and U.S. policy planning to reduce oral health disparities through the creation of a cost effective, evidenced-based, and school-based cavity prevention model,” said Dr. Ruff, assistant professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion at NYU Dentistry.

Partners for the program include several state organizations: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Northeast Delta Dental, and the New Hampshire Dental Society. Local partner organizations include the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital’s Community Health Department, Concord Dental Sealant Coalition, Coos County Family Health, HealthFirst Family Care Center, and Sullivan County Oral Health Collaborative.

The same research team also received funding to compare cavity prevention techniques in urban elementary schools.  The five-year study, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, focuses on high-need elementary schools in the Bronx that serve largely Hispanic/Latino communities.  The Bronx program will also assess educational outcomes and quality of life. In contrast, the NIH-funded study focuses on high-need rural New Hampshire schools serving largely white communities. If both studies show that the “simple” treatment is as effective as the “complex” treatment in preventing decay, the findings should be generally applicable nationwide.

 







Improved Cool Cassette 2 Instrument Trays: cooler, safer, quieter

Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Practicon’s silicone Cool Cassette 2 instrument trays incorporate a number of improvements based on feedback from users, including larger vent holes for increased flow-through and wraparound perforations for complete drainage at any angle. Cassettes are also longer to accommodate ultrasonic scaler inserts, and feature built-in lock buttons to prevent accidental opening. Cool Cassette 2 comes in four colors and four sizes, including the new size 10XL with an extra compartment for syringes, handpieces, or other accessories.

For 35 years, Practicon has partnered with dental professionals to advance patient care, increase productivity and profitability, and heighten professional enjoyment by bringing “practical innovations” to dentistry. Practicon’s growing product line ranges from hard-to-find problem solvers to cost-effective everyday supplies. For more information, visit www.Practicon.com or telephone (800) 959-9505.

 







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