Dental Tribune South African Edition

6 International News Dental Tribune South African Edition - June 2013 During the night of 8-9 June 2013, A-Dec employees cycled the 2013 London Nightrider Challenge; a 100km moonlit ride through the streets and past iconic structures of the Capital. A-dec used the ride as an opportunity to raise funds for Bridge2Aid, a dental and development charity based in the United Kingdom. Bridge2Aid is working to address the issue of nearly 75% of the world’s population having no access to dental care. A-dec supports the charity organisation by donating equipment and raising funds for the charity. Bridge2Aid has been operating in Tanzania Nightrider 2013 – riding through the night for Bridge2Aid On the 1st of July 2013, two 3M dental products will receive the Red Dot quality seal at the awards ceremony to be held in Essen, Germany. The 3M ESPE™ Astrigent Retraction Paste and the 3M Express™ XT Intra-oral Syringe both received the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design 2013. The competition included 1865 companies, architects and designers who submitted applications for 4662 products in 19 different categories. Entries were received from 54 different countries and the jury consisted of 37 international experts who are all renowned professionals. Products are judged on criteria such as innovation, functionality, clarity of function, ergonomics, longevity, self-explanatory quality and ecological compatibility of the product to name a few. Both of 3M’s products have a number of the above characteristics. The Express XT Intra-oral Syringe is a single use syringe designed for VPS impressions materials and has been designed for precise application of wash materials in the patient’s mouth. Due to easy loading and dispensing, a slim and ergonomic shape it allows for optimal intra-oral handling. The ESPE Astrigent Retraction Paste has been designed for direct application of its material into the sulcus via an ergonomically developed capsule. This allows for effective mechanical retraction of the gingival before an impression is taken or a direct restorative procedure. DT 3M products win Red Dot design award The A-dec team. since 2002; training health workers and providing nearly 1.7 million people with the ability to go to someone for dental care. The charity not only works with local Tanzanian institutions such as the Bukumbi Care Centre which cares for people affected by Leprosy but also has opened the Hope Dental Centre which provides dental healthcare. A volunteer programme is also run by Bridge2Aid in Tanzania whereby qualified dental health professionals can travel to Tanzania and pass on their knowledge and expertise to local health workers. For more information, have a look at www.bridge2aid.org. DT