Newsbites

OSAP Announces Its 2006 Symposium

The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) 2006 Infection Prevention Symposium, “Thriving in Today’s Uncertain World,” will take place June 1 to 4 at the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa in Tucson, Ariz.

The symposium, which is designed for infection-control and safety instructors, lecturers, authors, consultants, researchers, dentists, hygienists, and assistants, will focus on education and professional development, while providing opportunities for personal relaxation through the services of the resort’s Red Door Spa and golf course. In addition, experts will discuss developments regarding key dental-infection prevention and safety issues and their impact on systemic health, training tools and techniques, ergonomic positions to improve current and potential musculoskeletal problems in dentistry, biofilm, how to manage dental-unit waterlines, and Class B sterilization technology.

  For more information or to register for the symposium, visit www.osap.org.

HHS Finalizes HIPAA Enforcement

On February 16, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final rule on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) administrative-simplification enforcement. The rule lays out guidelines for HHS to follow if complaints are filed against those who must comply with HIPAA. HIPAA regulations apply only to dental practices that submit or receive electronic transactions—for which HHS has established a standard—directly or through a vendor.

HHS will pursue imposition of civil monetary penalties for violations only if its attempts to informally resolve a covered entity’s noncompliance are unsuccessful.

The rule says HHS has the right to conduct compliance reviews to determine whether covered entities are meeting the requirements of the HIPAA regulations. According to HHS, although its compliance reviews have been complaint-driven until now, it might possibly, on its own initiative, try to determine if a covered entity is in compliance. Under the enforcement rule, compliance reviews are applicable to all HIPAA regulations.

The enforcement regulations reinforce that covered entities must keep records to document their compliance with the HIPAA regulations. They also hold covered entities liable and subject to civil fines for the actions of staff members acting within the scope of their responsibilities.

Sirona Dental Systems Installs its 500th InLab System

Sirona Dental Systems has installed its 500th inLab system in the United States. Designed with specific requirements of dental laboratories in mind, the inLab system fabricates restorations ranging from a single crown to a six-unit bridge.

“inLab is enabling us to reinvent the way we operate as a business,” says Strat Fotos of Creations Crown & Bridge Dental Lab in Huntington, WVa. “We are now fully equipped to meet dentists’ demands for quick turnaround on strong, aesthetic, all-ceramic restorations that require no additional work on their part.”

 Supported by material providers including VITA®, Ivoclar®, Vivadent®, and 3M™ ESPE™, the inLab system offers a range of core materials, full contour materials, and veneering porcelains to satisfy the aesthetic and functional attributes of any clinical indication.

Ortho Organizers To Expand North American Operations

Ortho Organizers Inc recently announced that it has relocated its global corporate headquarters to Carlsbad, Calif. 

“Innovative products, unparalleled education courses, and practice-building programs have catapulted us into the leadership position we enjoy today,” says George Guttroff, president and CEO of Ortho Organizers. “Now, we’re poised to take each of those core competencies to the next level.”

Due to the business growth in recent years and with the anticipation of accelerated growth, the company has moved to a 64,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the company’s global hub for manufacturing and distribution.

Executive and administrative offices have also been relocated to the same site, which also features an on-site training facility for clinicians and employees.

Kodak and 3dMDvultus Team Up

As a result of an alliance between Kodak and 3dMDvultus, orthodontic and maxillofacial surgery professionals can obtain 3-D surface images of patients and analyze treatment outcomes in a 3-D environment.

“This advanced 3-D imaging solution will enable our customers to offer cutting-edge patient care,” says Jay Chitwood, orthodontic and OMS market manager for Kodak Dental Systems Group. “This collaborative relationship with 3dMDvultus demonstrates the po-tential of integrating sophisticated imaging technology with practice-management solutions.”

The 3dMDface system captures 3-D surface images in approximately 1.5 milliseconds. The images can then be matched with 3-D radiographs to generate composite 3-D images for pretreatment planning, outcome assessment, statistical analysis, and research quantification. Because 3dMD’s imaging technique is noninvasive, a 3-D image of the patient can easily be captured on every visit, allowing orthodontists to monitor progress and modify treatment plans.

  Through a distribution agreement, Kodak will become the distributor of 3dMD’s imaging systems, related hardware for 3-D surface imaging, and 3-D analysis software in the United States. Orthodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons can use 3D CBCT and CBVT radiography systems, along with 3dMD’s extraoral photography system, to mathematically register surface tissue and hard tissue for analysis purposes.

Acologix Announces Results of Clinical Trial of a Peptide to Form New Dentin

At the 35th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) in Orlando, Fla, Acologix Inc, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced the results of a Phase 2 clinical trial. The trial found that AC-100 (Dentonin®), a synthetic peptide derived from an endogenous human protein produced by bone and dental cells, met its primary goal of stimulating the formation of new dentin when applied to tooth defects.

“This Phase 2 clinical study demonstrates that a novel biological approach to dentistry, by modulating normal cell functions to stimulate the innate biological defenses of the tooth, can be introduced as a supplement to routine dental care,” says Cornelis H. Pameijer, DMD, DSc, PhD, study author and professor emeritus of prosthodontics at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. “What is exciting are the many possible uses of AC-100 that could cover a broad range of applications in dentistry.”

The randomized, placebo-controlled trial included 35 patients who were candidates for at least two third-molar extractions. One molar was treated with 200 µg AC-100 on days 0, 2, and 4 through the dentin tubules; the other tooth was treated with a placebo. After 2 months, the teeth were extracted and evaluated for remaining dentin thickness, new dentin formation, inflammation, and necrosis.

The results found that administration of AC-100 formed more new dentin compared than the placebo. The effect was seen across a wide variety of cavity depths. The efficacy of AC-100 was seen most dramatically in the deepest cavities. AC-100 was well tolerated with no inflammation, necrosis, pulpitis, or other complications.

StraightWay Helps Make Invisible Aligner Practitioners More Visible

Since the restriction on general dental practitioners doing invisible aligner treatments was lifted after a lawsuit in 2001, close to 30,000 dentists worldwide have been certified to straighten teeth using aligners.

Willis Pumphrey, DDS, a general practitioner, increased his practice income by 40% over 3 years while doing 100 aligner cases per quarter, and now he is looking to help other dentists who are certified to use aligners but may not have the marketing savvy to spread the word. To do this, he has formed StraightWay Cosmetic Dental Affiliates, a company to help dentists grow their practices through special training and marketing of aligner technology.

“The idea of StraightWay is doctors helping doctors,” Pumphrey says. “It’s not a case of changing what a successful practice is already doing. We help doctors add this successful product line to their normal flow of dental work. We want to help other doctors have the same success we have had.” For more information, visit www.straighwaycda.com.