Patient safety and infection control are important topics in healthcare, both in the developed and developing parts of the world. The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) will discuss these topics at lenght at the FDI World Dental Congress, which will take place September 14 - 17, 2011 in Mexico City.

LEIPZIG, Germany: Lifco Group, a Swedish based industrial and dental trading group owned by Carl Bennet AB, has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire European Dental Partners (EDP) from private equity firm Silverfleet Capital. Following the acquisition, Lifco will become one of Europe´s leading distributors of consumables, equipment and technical services to dental offices and dental laboratories with market presence in 15 European countries. 

LOS ANGELES: The online dental institute, Global Institute for Dental Education (gIDE), hosts four hands-on workshops per year at its training facility in Los Angeles. Topics covered include soft-tissue management and grafting around dental implants; bone, ridge and socket grafting; and sinus elevation and grafting.

This clinical case required optimal implant placement based upon a restoratively driven treatment plan and guided surgery. To achieve this goal, we made use of CT scans, SimPlant planning software, the new Zimmer guided surgery instrumentation and the new Materialise Dental Immediate Smile model. The patient was a 49-year-old white female in good health, completely edentulous in the maxilla and wearing a complete upper denture.

HONG KONG/NEW YORK, USA/LEIPZIG, Germany: For Himalaya tourists, the remote village of Jiri in Nepal is just a regular stopover on the way into the mountains. Professor Richard J. Sherwood from Dayton in the US however thinks the small group of natives living there could hold the key to understanding the origin of common birth defects, such as cleft lip or palate.

Dentists are often concerned about how to best protect their patient base when an associate dentist leaves the practice. The owner of a dental practice must make sure that associates cannot take the practices’ patient base or employees with them when they leave. There are two methods of preventing this type of devastation to a dental practice, which are non-compete agreements and trade secret agreements.

Have you ever wondered where the expression “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” came from? Well, if you know a little about horses you probably know the answer. If you don’t: it’s because a horses’ teeth show the horse’s age. Thus, out of politeness, if you are going to look the horse in the mouth, you should wait until the one who gave you the horse is not around.

Align Technology announced recently that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Cadent Holdings, a leading provider of 3-D digital scanning solutions for orthodontics and dentistry based in Carlstadt, N.J. Cadent strengthens Align’s ability to drive adoption of Invisalign by integrating Invisalign treatment more fully with mainstream tools and procedures in clinicians’ practices.

If used appropriately, bisphosphonates are a tremendous tool in treating osteoporosis. There is currently a great deal of confusing information over when and how to safely use them. Clearing up the confusion is important because more than 30 million people in the United States are currently suffering from osteoporosis, and if they are not treated, they are at risk for osteoporotic fractures that seriously jeopardize their lives.

TORONTO, Canada/LEIPZIG, Germany: Not only humans, but animals too, have to deal with toothache once in a while. A team of researchers from the University of Toronto Mississauga has examined the jaw of Labidosaurus hamatus, a terrestrial reptile that lived 275 million years ago, and found evidence of bone damage due to oral infection. An evolutionary process may have increased the reptile’s susceptibility to oral infections.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ: The College of Health Sciences and the School of Oral Health Science, University of Technology, Jamaica, in conjunction with the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the Ministry of Health, Jamaica, presented a hands-on dental implant conference and continuing education program called “Implants in Paradise,” in Montego Bay.

Over 350 clinicians from 10 countries gathered in Scottsdale, Ariz., April 1 and 2 to attend Osteogenics 2011 Global Bone Grafting Symposium, a continuing education event focused on dental bone grafting and treatment planning, hosted by Osteogenics Biomedical. It was the third annual event.

NEW YORK, USA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned parents and dental professionals in the US to administer teething pain relievers containing benzocaine to children. Cases of methemoglobinemia, a serious blood disorder that can be fatal, have increasingly been reported in infants treated with teething gels, the agency said. They recommended to use alternatives such as teething rings or massaging the gums of the teething children with fingers.

Suni Medical Imaging, a pioneer in the manufacture of digital radiography products for dental professionals based in San Jose, Calif., has announced an agreement with Midwest Dental Equipment Supply whereby Midwest will be the exclusive seller of Suni Digital Imaging products to dental professionals in the states of Texas and Oklahoma.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public, recently issued a report, Advancing Oral Health in America, in which it offers key recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

CHICAGO: As Spring gets into full swing, many people look forward to getting out and enjoying the sunshine. So when you suit up with your kneepads and wrist guards, don’t forget your mouthguard too, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

HONG KONG/LEIPZIG, Germany: People in Hong Kong should brush up on their knowledge of misaligned teeth (malocclusion). According to a new survey conducted by the city’s Society of Orthodontists on more than 1,000 participants, four in five people did not know that it can lead to long-term dental complications, such as temporomandibular disorders or impaired speech and chewing dysfunction.

SAN ANTONIO, USA: The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) held its annual session April 13 to 16 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The theme of the meeting, which offered attendees the chance to earn up to 31 continuing education credits, was “Bridging the Gap: Partners in Interdisciplinary Care.” The focus of the meeting was on collaboration among dental professionals for optimal patient care.

It’s an interesting paradox of these economic times. Although the unemployment rate nationwide remains high and it would seem that the job market would be flooded with able candidates, according to a recent Manpower survey, talent shortages remain a problem. In some cases, employers have become so rigid in what they will accept that some very good, albeit not perfect, candidates are never even considered.

KEY BISCAYNE, FL: The board of directors of the L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation recently announced that Ricki Braswell, certified association executive (CAE), has been hired to serve as The Pankey Institute’s new chief executive officer. Braswell assumed her role on April 4. Braswell has spent her career successfully leading not-for-profit organizations.