Sunstar Provides Classroom Kits
Sunstar Americas, Inc. is providing “How do you measure your smile?” classroom educational kits in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month in February.
Available to hygienists interested in volunteering for classroom presentations, kits include items to help get grade school children excited about good oral hygiene. Packaged in a GUM® Crayola™ draw-string bag, each kit contains GUM® Plak-Check™, a special liquid that adheres only to plaque and glows yellow under the provided special blue light revealing the plaque that was missed during brushing. Also included, a mirror cling that allows kids to “grade” how well they brushed by measuring the amount of plaque remaining on the teeth.
“Sunstar is dedicated to promoting oral hygiene and we recognize good habits are learned at a young age,” said Richard Gross, senior marketing manager for Sunstar. “The classroom tool kits are designed to help children and their parents better understand dental health issues and the primary steps for optimal gum health. This is just another way Sunstar is supporting hygienists and helping kids realize dental care can be fun.”
Kits contain 25 each of the mentioned items, enough for one average classroom. Additional contents include a GUM children’s coloring booklet, GUM brand retail coupons and lesson plans outlining basic oral health tips from Sunstar with directions for the use of Plak-Check. The lesson plans, developed by independent oral care experts, will outline other classroom suggestions and resources, including Sunstar’s online resource for kids, http://www.gumclub.com/classroom.
To order your Sunstar “How do you measure your smile?” classroom tool kits, please call (800) 528-8537 or e-mail [email protected]. Please include name, mailing address, e-mail address and school you will be visiting.
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‘Scrapyard Detectives’ Honor Diversity
The Diversity Foundation, Ultradent Products’ non-profit organization, is pleased to announce the release of its first graphic novel, “The Scrapyard Detectives Collected Cases: Volume One.” Proceeds benefit The Diversity Foundation, which distributes the Scrapyard Detectives comic book series to schools and libraries free of charge.
In 1999, Dr. Dan Fischer, president/CEO of Ultradent Products, established The Diversity Foundation with the mission to promote diversity and foster multi-cultural awareness. The foundation’s program is designed to cultivate mutual respect and appreciation among individuals of every age and nationality. The Scrapyard Detectives relates the adventures of a group of children from diverse backgrounds and abilities who work together to solve mysteries.
Cigna Supplies Previser Technology
Dentists in CIGNA Dental’s network now have access to PreViser’s patented oral risk and disease management software technology at a discounted cost through the most recent enhancement to CIGNA’s Power Purchasing program. The program offers discounts to network dentists on products and services from established, independent, national vendors. In addition, individual dentists in CIGNA’s network will be working directly with PreViser through a pilot program to evaluate the oral health outcomes and practice productivity benefits of the software.
“At CIGNA, we believe consumers should have access to technology, information, and services that help improve health,” said Dr. Miles Hall, chief clinical director for CIGNA Dental. “Through this program, we can help our network dentists adopt technology that advances prevention and early treatment and builds evidence to substantiate the effective use of technology in improving oral health.”
PreViser’s software is aimed at simplifying the diagnosis and treatment planning process for periodontal disease, in addition to providing accurate assessments of oral cancer, cavities and periodontal disease risk. The software produces reports that provide patients with actionable suggestions to better address their oral health care needs.
CRA Foundation Changes Name
CRA Foundation of Provo, Utah, announced that it has changed its name to CR Foundation, effective Jan. 1. The name was simplified from Clinical Research Associates to Clinicians Report to reflect an expanded vision and an increase in scope of the Foundation’s research and educational services.
“We are increasing our research base by several thousand qualified professionals all over the world,” states Dr. Gordon Christensen, CR Foundation co-founder and senior consultant. “We are launching new ground-breaking programs that will significantly increase communication among dental professionals.” CR will be initiating a new Dentist Project Directors program, a Cyber Evaluator reporting program, and a new reporting process allowing thousands of clinicians to report their experiences with products they have purchased. These new programs will enhance the efforts of the current team of in-house basic scientists and over 400 in-office evaluators. These combined efforts will provide fast, broad, in-depth research and clinical observations of significance to both dentists and their patients.
“CRA was created to give dentists an unbiased, research-based dental product review,” says Dr. Rella P. Christensen, co-founder. Rella Christensen pioneered the concept of working with large groups of practicing dentists in coordinated, long-term research projects. These projects will continue under her direction.
Dental Museum Receives Award
The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry and Executive Director Rosemary Fetter have been honored for Distinction in Public Service by the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR).
Fetter accepted the award at FNIDCR’s Annual Gala at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10. The event honors contributors to the advancement of oral health and research.
“The National Museum of Dentistry makes the connection between good oral health and a healthy life – on site here in Baltimore, online, and nationwide through our traveling exhibitions,” Fetter said. “We are extremely honored to be recognized by the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for making an impact on oral health across the country.”
The National Museum of Dentistry, designated by Congress as the official museum of the dental profession, is committed to raising awareness of the important of oral health in a healthy life. Smile-inspiring hands-on exhibitions encourage good oral health habits and celebrate the heritage and future of dentistry at the museum’s historic location in downtown Baltimore. NMD’s Traveling Exhibition program has reached more than 2 million people at children’s and science museums across the country, inspiring visitors of all ages to keep their smiles bright and healthy. NMD also shares the power of a healthy smile with children around the world through www.MouthPower.org, an educational web experience developed in partnership with the American Dental Association.
