Contact Information: Contact Information: Company Contact: Stan Baron President & CEO Lantis Laser, Inc. Tel: 203-300-7622 Agency Contact: Michael Ventriello Lanmark Group Tel: 732-389-4500
Tooth Decay Is on the Rise Among Young Children, but Help Is on the Way
Newly Developed Dental Imaging System From Lantis Laser Provides Earlier, More Accurate, Radiation-Free Cavity Detection
| Source: Lantis Laser, Inc.
DENVILLE, NJ--(Marketwire - June 5, 2007) - Lantis Laser, Inc. (PINKSHEETS : LLSR )
(http://www.lantislaser.com), a New Jersey-based company specializing in
the commercialization of advanced dental technology, believes it can help
to stem the rising tide of tooth decay in young children with its newly
developed Optical
Coherence Tomography (OCT) Dental Imaging System™.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recent
report, "Trends in Oral Health Status - United States 1988-1994 and
1999-2004," tooth
decay in the primary teeth of children aged 2-5 years increased from
24% to 28%, highlighting an incidence increase of 16% compared to the
previous study.
"Overall, there has been a solid decline in tooth decay of school-age
children," said American Dental Association (ADA) president Kathleen Roth,
"but sadly, tooth decay in our youngest population -- kids aged 2-5 years
-- has increased about 4 percent over the last 10 years. All of America
should be concerned with this statistic."
Two reasons that contribute to this sobering trend are:
1. Traditional X-rays cannot show the early incidence of tooth decay.
2. Traditional X-rays on children are avoided due to concerns of
radiation exposure.
According to Dr. Craig
Gimbel, Clinical Director for Lantis, "Dentistry has long needed a more
accurate, safer way of detecting early tooth decay in young children.
Lantis Laser has the exclusive worldwide rights to a breakthrough imaging
technology that will finally meet this need."
For example, traditional x-rays are not able to detect decay in the
recessed pits and irregular grooves of tooth biting surfaces, where almost
ninety percent of decay begins. Lantis Laser's OCT (Optical Coherence
Tomography) Dental Imaging System™ has up to 10 times the resolution of
the standard x-ray, which enables much earlier detection of tooth decay
than is currently possible.
What's more, because the OCT Dental Imaging System™ utilizes an
innovative, safe, non-invasive light that is scanned over the tooth surface
via a very small handheld probe, it can be used safely on children (and
pregnant women), thus enabling the dentist to implement the necessary
program to safeguard their oral health.
"The OCT Dental Imaging System™ will enable the dentist to detect and
treat childhood tooth decay much earlier," explained Gimbel. "This is of
extreme importance, since baby teeth maintain space and guide the growth of
permanent adult teeth. Loss of primary teeth can cause crowding that can
necessitate or complicate later orthodontic treatment."
"We expect to launch the OCT Dental Imaging System™ in mid-2008," said
Lantis President & CEO
Stan Baron. "The application of this technology goes far beyond cavity
detection in children."
For example, although the recent CDC report uncovers an alarming trend
among young children, it also points out that adults are keeping their
teeth longer, which is a positive trend. However, because the adult
population is living longer, oral care and preservation of natural
dentition is even more important. "Again, we expect OCT to play an
important part in the early detection of root caries (decay) in older
people that will help them to preserve and enhance their oral health
through the years and keep their teeth even longer," explained Baron.
In addition, OCT is expected to be useful in the early detection of gum
disease, a leading cause of adult tooth loss, because it can scan and
produce images of soft tissue to determine the depth of periodontal pockets
without uncomfortable physical probing. This level of accurate detection is
not possible with conventional x-rays.
OCT may also aid in the early diagnosis of oral cancer without surgical
removal of tissue, as in a conventional biopsy, by imaging deep into
affected tissue and performing what is known as an "Optical Biopsy." "We
believe the OCT Dental Imaging System™ will prove itself as both a
tooth-saving and lifesaving technology," explained Baron.
About Lantis Laser
Lantis was formed to commercialize the application of novel technologies in
the dental industry. The criteria for selected products include competitive
edge, exclusivity and large market potential. The Company plans to launch
the OCT Dental Imaging System™ in the third quarter of 2008 as its first
product. Lantis has exclusive rights to the application of OCT technology
in the field of dentistry under its license Agreements with Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory and LightLab Imaging. OCT was invented in the
early 1990's at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently
being commercialized by Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. in ophthalmology and by
LightLab Imaging for cardiovascular imaging. To find out more about Lantis
Laser (PINKSHEETS : LLSR ), visit our website at www.lantislaser.com
Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this press release, including statements regarding
the anticipated development and expansion of Lantis' business, and the
intent, belief or current expectations of Lantis, its directors or its
officers, are forward-looking statements. Because such statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.