July 23, 2021 | News

SYDNEY, Australia: Though an estimated 3.3% of the Australian population identifies as Indigenous, statistics collated by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have shown that this figures falls to 0.4% in the context of the country’s dental workforce. To help remedy this, the Indigenous Dentists’ Association of Australia (IDAA) has struck up a partnership with the New South Wales branch of the Australian Dental Association (ADA NSW) with the ultimate aim of reducing the oral health inequalities that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

July 22, 2021 | News

SEATTLE, U.S.: Biofilm buildup can lead to many oral health issues, including gingivitis, periodontitis and tooth loss, as well as other serious health consequences, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and bowel disease. To better understand individual variation in gingival inflammation, researchers have recently identified and classified human host and microbial responses to the accumulation of dental plaque. The study may help explain why some people are more susceptible to inflammation-associated health problems.

July 22, 2021 | News

DRESDEN, Germany: Much has been made of the transformative potential of additive manufacturing in the medical field, and a project by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft hopes to pair new 3D-printing technologies with tangible applications in the medical sector. Scientists in Germany and Poland are collaborating on a series of pilot projects in selected medical fields, including dentistry.

July 21, 2021 | News

DUNEDIN, New Zealand: In both developed and developing countries, obesity has become so common that it is being described as a global epidemic. Researchers from the University of Otago in Dunedin and institutions in the UK have proposed a weight loss aid for certain patients in the form of an intra-oral device fitted to the posterior teeth. DentalSlim Diet Control uses magnets to restrict mouth opening, permitting a liquid diet only. While the device has been called a “world-first weight loss device to help fight the global obesity epidemic”, many have expressed their disapproval and concern about it.

July 21, 2021 | News

BOSTON, U.S./ KIGALI, Rwanda: Experts have been warning about the consequences of climate change for years, and with every year that the situation worsens, these consequences become increasingly difficult to reverse. The current rate of global warming is associated with higher risks for adverse health outcomes as well, and these are measurable today, according to a recent commentary.

July 20, 2021 | Middle East & Africa | News

KAMPALA, Uganda: Clear demands have been made of the international community concerning equity in the production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The Kampala Declaration on COVID-19 Vaccine Equity, which was signed during the recent World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Uganda in June, calls for an end to “vaccine egoism and nationalism” and for the sharing of vaccine doses with low- and middle-income countries.

July 20, 2021 | Europe | News

KNITTLINGEN, Germany/KOBLACH, Austria: Last week, Thomas Gienger, dental technician and trainer at Amann Girrbach, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 58. Gienger was valued for his comprehensive knowledge and over 20 years’ experience in dental laboratories and the dental industry. He was a first-generation user of CAD/CAM technology and helped train thousands of dental technicians.

July 19, 2021 | Asia Pacific | News

SYDNEY, Australia: In many parts of the developed world, high rates of vaccination have enabled an easing of COVID-19 restrictions regarding the wearing of masks, travel and more. In Australia, meanwhile, an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant, combined with a slow vaccine rollout, has caused the country’s two largest cities to be locked down, creating major barriers to accessing dental services for many Australians.

July 19, 2021 | Americas | News

BOSTON, U.S.: Little is known about socioeconomic factors in relation to tooth loss. In a new study, researchers at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) have developed machine-learning algorithms for predicting tooth loss in adults that—in addition to the obvious parameters such as age and dental care—included patients’ socioeconomic factors. The findings suggest that these tools may help identify teeth at risk in order to ensure early intervention.

July 16, 2021 | Europe | News

GLASGOW, UK: Changing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have regularly affected the scope of work that dental professionals have been allowed to conduct. Understanding exactly which procedures are permitted—and which ones are not—has been a continued challenge. The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS), one of the leading medical defence organisations in the UK, has announced that it received a record number of inquiries from dentists looking for advice and support during 2020.

July 14, 2021 | Asia Pacific | News

TSUKUBA, Japan: Healthcare can be considered a right or a luxury, depending on one’s location. Although essential for maintaining good health, healthcare is not readily accessible to all as certain barriers might greatly hinder access to certain healthcare services, including dentistry. For example, researchers in Japan have recently found that, although the country is economically developed and has a large dental workforce, there exist socio-economic inequalities that discourage patients from actively seeking preventive dental treatment.

July 14, 2021 | Europe | News

LEEDS, UK: Researchers from the University of Leeds and the University of Liverpool examined the gender balance of invited speakers at dental conferences that were held in the UK over a two-year period. The June study found that gender was acceptably balanced at only 21.4% of conferences and concluded that conference organisers should proactively work towards making their programmes more representative of the dental workforce.

July 13, 2021 | Americas | Business | News

SAN JOSE, Calif., U.S.: The Invisalign clear aligner system entered the market with a string of patents and no competitors in the late 1990s. According to Zacks Equity Research, a June 2011 investment of $1,000 (€700) in its manufacturer, Align Technology, would have gained 2,668% in value by June this year.

July 9, 2021 | Asia Pacific | News

CHENGDU, China: For restorative dental treatments to be successful, proper dental isolation and moisture control are essential. One of the more widely applied traditional isolation methods involves the use of a rubber dam. A team of researchers from Sichuan University in Chengdu conducted a meta-analysis of studies regarding the rubber dam method and found that, although there is some evidence correlating its use to lower restoration failure rates, more research on the topic is needed.

July 9, 2021 | Europe | News

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) recently commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a provider of forecasting and advisory services, to perform an analysis on the financial and human cost of periodontal disease in six western European countries. Overall, the results show that preventing new cases of periodontitis by eliminating gingivitis would save up to €101 billion over a ten-year period.

July 8, 2021 | Europe | News

LONDON, UK: Though video calls have become a part of everyday work for many professionals during the pandemic, their increased integration has had some unintended consequences. A new survey jointly conducted by the Oral Health Foundation (OHF) and Align Technology has found that more than half (58%) of British adults have changed how they see their own smile as a result of these videoconferencing technologies.

July 6, 2021 | Asia Pacific | News

SINGAPORE: The idea of writing an article series on sustainable dentistry originated from an article titled “A guide to eco-friendly dentistry” that provided many aspects and opinions regarding sustainable dentistry, but from which it was clear that there is no real consensus or extensive framework for sustainable dentistry. This first article will briefly introduce FDI World Dental Federation’s new initiative regarding sustainable dentistry.

July 5, 2021 | Europe | News

BRISTOL, UK: The largest study to date specifically measuring aerosol generation in dental settings found that many common procedures produced negligible volumes of aerosol. The study is yet to be peer reviewed; however, according to the authors, the findings support current guidance that deems many dental procedures as posing a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and suggests that the level of risk associated with the use of ultrasonic instruments could be downgraded.

July 2, 2021 | Europe | Education | News

VENICE, Italy: In June, Tokuyama Dental hosted the inaugural event on its new online learning platform, the Tokuyama Academy. The company was eager to hear how its innovative mix of webinars and live onsite broadcasts would be received by dental professionals. Attendance figures and feedback from participants confirmed that the virtual event successfully addressed the broad topic of restorative dentistry and served to lessen accessibility barriers for dental professionals around the world.

July 1, 2021 | Education | News

Over the past months, I have been running a course, titled “How to launch an oral health promotion project/business”, which is part of my Smile Revolution platform. The course is open to all dental professionals—dentists, therapists, hygienists and nurses—who want to explore opportunities of expanding their horizon beyond the purely clinical work of the practice.

June 30, 2021 | Americas | Interviews | News

Although he has a growing art collection and is busy with many other activities, general dentist Dr. Kenneth Montague says that his patients still come first. Montague began exhibiting art in his home in the 1990s and has since built up the Wedge Collection—one of Canada’s largest private art collections exploring African diasporic culture and contemporary Black life. Dental Tribune International spoke with Montague about how music and the arts have shaped his dental practice, about his collection and the photographs currently on display at his clinic, and about expressing oneself as a dentist.

June 29, 2021 | Middle East & Africa | News

DUBAI, UAE: The UAE International Dental Conference and Arab Dental Exhibition (AEEDC) in Dubai is the gateway to the emerging and far-reaching dental market in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region. Despite the global SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, the event organisers have decided that the event, now in its 25^th edition, will again showcase a wide range of dental products, equipment and suppliers. As one of the largest dental events in the MENASA region, AEEDC Dubai will host a number of practical and interactive activities that will run alongside the exhibition halls from 29 June to 1 July.

June 28, 2021 | Asia Pacific | News

LONDON, UK/CHENNAI, India: UK Research and Innovation and India’s Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology have recently granted funding to two research projects that aim to examine the impact of COVID-19 in South Asian communities in India and the UK. One of the studies hypothesises that mucosal immunity and the oral microbiome play a critical role in susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19. If confirmed, the findings of the study could help mitigate the severity of the disease in both countries.

June 25, 2021 | Asia Pacific | News

SINGAPORE: For the first time, the Association of Orthodontists (Singapore) Congress (AOSC) will be converted to a fully digital event. The digital event will take place between 2 July and 11 July. This edition of AOSC aims to bring together orthodontists from all over the globe and enable them to connect with world-renowned experts, researchers and thought leaders.

June 25, 2021 | Europe | News

GOTHENBURG, Sweden: Even though high survival rates have been reported for dental implants, biological or technical complications affecting the implant, the tissue surrounding the implant, or the implant-supported reconstruction may occur, resulting in additional treatment costs. A recent study, conducted at the University of Gothenburg for a doctoral thesis, has evaluated the frequency and consequential cost of such complications.

June 24, 2021 | Europe | News

BRUSSELS, Belgium: Given the prevalence and preventable nature of periodontitis, new ways of thinking about gingival health are needed to increase awareness and action at national level, according to the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP). The EFP recently commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit, a provider of forecasting and advisory services, to perform an analysis on the financial and human cost of periodontal disease in six western European countries. The report is directed at policymakers, and the findings emphasise the economic and societal benefits of action in the early treatment of gum disease.