Procter & Gamble Receives Presidential Award For Corporate Leadership
Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez presented the 2006-2007 Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership to Procter & Gamble and two other companies at a White House ceremony on Dec. 5.
Exelon Corporation and Northrop Grumman Corporation were the other recipients. The Ron Brown Award is the only Presidential Award recognizing companies for outstanding achievement in employee and community relations. Established by President Clinton in honor of the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, the award is fully funded by the private sector and is managed by The Conference Board, a business membership and research organization.
Procter & Gamble, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is being honored for providing safe drinking water for children in developing countries. P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program helps address the critical need for clean drinking water by use of PUR™ Purifier of Water. A simple, household-level water treatment technology, a four-gram sachet of powdered PUR treats 10 liters of water effectively killing bacteria and viruses and removing parasites and solid materials. Five clinical studies show that use of PUR can reduce diarrheal illness in children under the age of five by an average of 50 percent. During the last four years, the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program has provided safe drinking water in over 30 countries.
ADEA, Colgate-Palmolive Join To Create A Dental Plaque Biofilm Curriculum
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and Colgate-Palmolive have partnered to create a curriculum on dental plaque biofilm, gum inflammation, and treatment options for dental and allied dental programs. The curriculum will provide educators with the latest research in a rapidly evolving field tailored to first-year students in dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental assisting. With funding from Colgate-Palmolive, ADEA will lead the working group of dental academics and clinicians that develops the curriculum.
Dr. Fotinos S. Panagakos, director of professional relations for Colgate Palmolive, said “Our hope is that ... this curriculum will become a valuable addition to the existing dental and dental hygiene programs, and lead to future curriculum projects with ADEA.”
Plaque biofilm was identified as a topic because it bridges the basic and the clinical sciences. By examining plaque biofilm from both of these scientific perspectives, students will be able to easily synthesize how the complex nature of plaque biofilm connects to treatment options and preventive education. The curriculum will also provide a foundation for more advanced coursework in periodontal therapy that occurs later in the programs.
The curriculum will include a syllabus, DVD supplemental program, and content for lectures and seminars. A dental professional from Colgate-Palmolive will also give guest lectures to students as part of the course. The final curriculum will be announced in November 2008 at the 50th Annual ADEA Deans' Conference.
Ultradent Starts Work On New Facility
Ultradent Products, Inc. broke ground on a new 200,000 foot expansion of their manufacturing facility. A celebration took place on the future site of the facility on Nov. 20.
The groundbreaking began with a welcome from Ultradent’s CEO/President, Dr. Dan Fischer, followed by a presentation by the Colorguard and a rendition of the national anthem by the Salt Lake Scots. Mayor Kent Money gave a speech about the planned manufacturing facility and the City of South Jordan’s involvement. Construction of the facility will take place in four phases. Phase one, consisting of 50,000 square feet, will be ready for occupancy in eight months.
Ultradent Products, Inc. is a developer of high-tech dental materials, devices and instruments worldwide.
Discus Dental Celebrates Irwin’s Legacy
In honor of Steve Irwin’s legacy, Discus Dental donated 100 Protégé® Ultrasonic devices to the Australian Wildlife Hospital — a major project of Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, the charity founded by Steve and Terri Irwin. The donation will coincide with Steve Irwin Day 2007 and is meant to honor his life and work as a wildlife conservationist pioneer.
The Australian Wildlife Hospital has two major units:
- A rescue unit, which collects sick, injured and orphaned wildlife, then rehabilitates them before releasing them back into the wild
- A veterinary unit with an intensive care room and laboratory
The Protégé Ultrasonics donation will enhance the facility’s services in veterinary dentistry
“Steve Irwin brought wildlife conservation and preservation awareness into the homes of viewers around the world,” says Todd Cooper, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Discus Dental. “With our donation, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of veterinary dental care, which I think is often overlooked in dentistry.”
ADEA Releases Report On Workforce Models
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) recently released the report “Emerging Allied Dental Workforce Models: Considerations for Academic Dental Institutions” in the November issue of the Journal of Dental Education (JDE). The report describes several emerging workforce models that address strengthening the U.S. oral health care workforce.
The models currently under consideration are in various stages of development, including the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP), the Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC), the Oral Preventive Assistant (OPA), and the Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT).
All the models under discussion would allow for individuals within their scope of practice to work in settings that treat underserved and unserved populations, while making referrals for patients who require more comprehensive oral health care.
Designed by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the ADHP would provide diagnostic, preventive, restorative, and therapeutic services and would require completion of an advanced curriculum at the master’s degree level. The American Dental Association’s model proposes two new positions. The OPA and the CDHC would work under the supervision of a dentist with a focus on providing patients with oral health education and information and the basic elements of preventive care and services. The CDHC’s duties will also include oral health assessment and palliative care.
Lantis Laser Wins Magazine Award
Lantis Laser Inc., a New Jersey-based company specializing in the commercialization of advanced dental technology, recently won a Popular Science Magazine 2007 Best of What’s New award for its newly developed Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Dental Imaging System™. Lantis’ proprietary OCT System is a diagnostic aid that provides real-time, high-resolution chairside imaging of dental tissue for the early detection of tooth decay and other oral diseases.
Lantis Laser’s system, which is scheduled to launch in August 2008, was a winner in the Personal Health Category because it provides up to 10 times the resolution of a standard x-ray, which enables much earlier detection of tooth decay than is currently possible.
Prinicipal Introduces Dental Web Tool
The Principal Financial Group, a provider of employee and voluntary benefits, recently launched the Principal Dental Health Edge Web site, where consumers can complete a dental risk assessment.
Theresa McConeghey, dental product director for The Principal. said, “The assessments provide a report based on individual answers, which translates to an immediate and clear picture of dental health risks. The result is delivered along with simple tips that could have a big impact on improving dental health.”
The assessments are short quizzes designed to identify if an individual is susceptible to a number of conditions including: cavities, tooth decay, periodontal disease and oral cancer.
The Principal Dental Health Edge is located on www.principal.com.
