8 World News DeNtal tribuNe | January-March, 2010 Directa presents new solutions for Class II cavity preparations Daniel Zimmermann DTI and easy solution by for this a According to the Swedish company, the combined matrix and wedge are inserted as one piece. A new technology contours and compliments the curvature of the patients tooth and holds its shape without having to use a retentive ring that inhibits access to a cavity. The contact point is created by the dual curvature of FenderMate so that further burnishing will not be necessary. With the combination of FenderMate and Fender Wedge, Directa also offers a tissue friendly approach for the preparation and DT LEIPZIG, Germany: Placing a matrix band to attain a good contact point and avoiding interproximal overhang after excavation for Class II fillings has always been a time consuming & laborious procedure. Directa has announced to offer a unique procedure combining separating plastic wedge with a stainless steel matrix. The Fendermate is available in regular and narrow width and for left or right application and will be colour coded for better identification. filling of Class II cavities. Rice University to work on oral cancer test Daniel Zimmermann DTI NEW YORK, NY, USA/LEIPZIG, Germany: Researchers at the BioScience Research Collaborative at Rice University in Houston in the US have received a US$2 million grant from the US National Institutes of Health for the development of a new test for detecting oral cancer. The test, which utilises latest LED and nano microchip technology, aims to provide an accurate diagnosis in less than 30 minutes and can be performed in the dental office. Additional tests for the detection of cardiovascular diseases and HIV are also in development, the researchers said. Oral cancer affects about 300,000 people per year worldwide, and most cases are diagnosed in the late stages. If oral cancer is detected early, the prognosis for patients is excellent, with a 5-year survival rate of more than 90 per cent. Unfortunately, the actual 5-year survival rate for oral squamous cell carcinoma is only about 50 per cent, amongst the lowest rates for all major cancers. “We want to provide an accurate diagnosis for oral cancer using a minimally invasive test that requires no scalpels or off-site lab tests,” said principal investigator Prof. John McDevitt, Rice’s Brown-Wiess Professor of Chemistry and Bioengineering. “The payoff for this could be tremendous because oral cancers today are typically diagnosed much too late in their development.” According to McDevitt, the test is being developed in collaboration with other scientists from universities in the US and the UK. DT