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The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Total Temporomandibular Joint Replacement System, manufactured by Walter Lorenz Surgical, Incorporated.

The approval letter is here.

What is it? The Total Temporomandibular Joint Replacement System is a prosthetic jaw joint.

How does it work? The device is a ball and socket joint with one side mounted to the jaw and the other side mounted to the head in front of the ear. A surgeon implants the joint after removing any old devices, unsuccessful grafts, and badly damaged bone.

When is it used? The device is used for patients who need a total jaw replacement due to one or more of the following conditions:

• severe arthritic conditions
• fused joints
• previous multiple surgeries
• severe fractures
• tumors
• severely degenerated joints
• severe developmental abnormalities that cannot be treated by other means

What will it accomplish? The device may reduce jaw pain, reduce interference with eating and increase the ability to open the mouth. Patients who have had many previous jaw surgeries may have more complications during joint reconstruction.

When should it not be used? The device should not be used for partial TMJ joint reconstruction, or if the patient:

• has an active or chronic infection
• has insufficient bone to support the device
• has a systemic disease with increased susceptibility to infection
• has an allergy to any materials used in the device
• has mental or neurological conditions, and is unwilling or unable to follow postoperative care instructions
• is skeletally immature
• has severe hyper-functional habits (e.g. clenching or grinding teeth).
• has a foreign body reaction due to previous implants

Additional information: The Summary of Safety and Effectiveness and labeling will be available at: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf2/p020016.html

The Lorenz Surgical site is here.

For the individuals who need total joint replacement there is now another solution.

Stay tuned for more developments in this area of TM joint replacement and/or modification.

For the technological suave dentist – The TEC Sports Jacket.

The TEC Sport Jacket is the epitome of functional fashion. It combines European styling with American ingenuity. This 3 button navy blue blazer comes in a worsted wool blend, with a silky gold lining. It offers 14 hidden pockets, a Personal Area Network and an abundance of features designed to make your life easier. Imagine what would happen if Giorgio Armani and Bill Gates were stranded on a desert island, and you’ll have a good idea of what the TEC Sport Jacket offers.

Indeed.

Canon continues the popular G-Series line of digital cameras with the new G6. The G6 expands all the features of the G5 with additional resolution – 7.1 megapixel resolution.

The Digital Dentist, Dr. Lorne Lavine, has The Bottom Drops Out.

The big news with digital cameras doesn’t seem to be exciting new cameras (although I’m sure new models are on the way). Rather, the steady decline in prices is the big story. Want an entry-level digital camera with “the works” (Camera, 32MB memory card, high quality macro lens, lighting attachment, memory card reader (for fast image transfer to the computer), hard case and Canon image organization software)? How does $1195 grab you? That’s what they are charging for their Canon A95 kit. The ever-popular G6 is down to $1495, and even the fantastic Rebel XT with Sigma 105mm lens, which debuted at over $2500, is now under $2000.

With fast USB 2 connections (either directly connected or with card readers) attached to intra-operatory computers with LCD monitors a number of dentists are using these digital still cameras in lieu of the more expensive and often quirky intra-oral cameras. Portrait and full profile photos are a snap and intra-oral mirrors aid in that close-up tooth or tissue view.

So, why not……?

Canon continues to refine and enhance their digital camera line with the new Rebel XT. In comparison to the original Digital Rebel, the Rebel XT has more resolution (8.0 vs 6.3 megapixel) and is 25% lighter and smaller. The Rebel XT also includes many of the features that made the Canon 20D popular for dental photography: ultra-fast startup time (0.2 secs), RAW + JPG mode, DIGIC II processor, USB 2.0, advanced color adjustment controls and custom functions for personalized camera operation.

Technorati Tags: dentist, dentistry, dental, Canon, Photomed.net, digital dental camera

Check this out Dentites: EMODELS.

emodelâ„¢ 3-dimensional digital model service helps to eliminate the need for traditional plaster models in orthodontic practice.

emodelsâ„¢ are created through a proprietary, non-destructive, laser scanning process that digitally maps plaster models into precise, high resolution, 3-dimensional electronic records available anytime, anywhere via the internet.

An overview movie is here.

Download and install demonstration software with sample emodelsâ„¢ here.

This is a great innovation and applicable to all phases of dentistry soon.

Technorati Tags: emodels, dental, dentistry, orthodontics

Medgadget finds this mechanical jaw hard to swallow and recommends everyone to sink your teeth into this press release from Massey News, The robotic human jaw.

A robotic human jaw, under collaborative development by Massey engineers, will have applications for both medical and food technological research.

A team led by Dr John Bronlund and Associate Professor Peter Xu in the Institute of Engineering and Technology has been subcontracted by the University of Auckland to design and make a robotic jaw as part of a larger project in its Bioengineering Institute.

Associate Professor Andrew Pullan at the Auckland Institute is mathematically modelling the muscles of the human face to reproduce jaw movement through muscle contraction, but requires information about the mechanics of the jaw muscles, the forces used in chewing and biting.

The Massey team is now engaged in the construction of the robotic jaw, which will provide comprehensive data of the forces and movements applied in the chewing of food. during chewing of food. Post-graduate students have also been given the opportunity to work on the jaw, which is the first of its type in the world.

Masters student Jozsef-Sebastian Pap has designed the robot and the six actuators which drive the bottom jaw (the top half of the human jaw remains fixed). PhD student Jonathon Torrence is working on the control of the robot.The team estimates the first prototype robotic jaw is six months from completion.

Dr Xu says the project is an excellent example of multidisciplinary research – combining a very innovative type of mechatronics, food technology, and biomechanics. The project is also collaborative, originating from a visit to the University D’Auvergne Clermont in France in 1999. There, Dr Bronlund became interested in a project measuring the chewing behaviour of humans and has since been working with Dr Xu to replicate this in robots.

In New Zealand, Professor Jules Keiser at the University of Otago’s School of Dentistry has contributed data on the shape of the jaw and teeth. This information will be combined with research by Dr Kylie Foster at Massey’s Albany campus measuring the movement of the jaw as it chews, to provide a complete picture of the jaw in motion from which to base the robotic movement.

Dr Bronlund says the ability of the jaw to mechanically replicate the chewing actions of humans has applications across medicine and food technology. Dental researchers can use the jaw to study the response of dental implants to the chewing of different foods and to evaluate the impact of impaired dentition on chewing efficiency. The jaw is designed to be fitted with a variety of teeth, such as the sharp pointy teeth of a six year old or the blunter molars of an adult..

For the purposes of food technology, the jaw will be especially useful in the study of the dynamics of texture changes in foods during chewing. Dr Bronlund says robotic testing of this type will be very valuable when combined with sensory food evaluation techniques. . In the future it is intended to teach the robot to adaptively chew food. It may be made to make its own decisions on how to chew a new food product. If it loses a tooth, it will adjust its motion accordingly and the data collected, of chewing force and jaw movement, will reflect the changed situation.

This research really is a GRIND isn’t it.

Interesting stuff and the first of many models to understand the art and science of occlusion.

Technorati Tags: dentistry, dental, jaw, teeth

Flap ran across this dental gadget: MirroScopeTM is a unique combination of the familiar intra oral dental mirror, and a sophisticated hi-tech CCD sensor, which transfers a full-color, high-resolution real-time video image of the object reflected in the mirror.

MirroScope^TM allows the freedom to work without having to change standard procedures, but at the same time, be able to upgrade some of the procedures to a new improved operative level. This new concept provides for the first time a real clinical value to the old Intra oral camera.

The unique design of the sensor eye, mounted in a small one millimeter in diameter hole in the center of the dental mirror and its special focus system, allows for complete imaging intra oral and extra oral capabilities, along with complete accessibility to all areas of the mouth cavity, including hard-to-see regions. Independent lighting capabilities allow operating easily in the dark or obscure areas.

The need for the mirroscope^TM (Size: 2 MB)

Clinical Procedures (Size: 6 MB)

Mirroscope^TM close up (Size: 4 MB)

Miras-Hands on courses (Size: 3 MB)

Check it out!

An interesting concept!

Dentist and Internet Dental Forum founder, Dr. David Dodell, has developed the Dentalcast Podcast network which brings you the latest in dental techniques and information via a regular “Podcast” radio show.

The feed is: http://www.dentalcast.net/podcast/dentalcast.xml.

Flap says check it out.

You will be glad you did.

Technorati Tags: dentalcast.net, dentalcast, Internet Dental Forum, Podcast, David Dodell