A growing body of research suggests an association between oral and systemic health, particularly in terms of the impact of periodontal disease on chronic illnesses, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and pregnancy outcomes. Numerous studies have already demonstrated that receiving concurrent care for both oral and medical disease enhances the effectiveness of both; further, some show reduced costs mainly due to lower hospital-related expenses.

In the April issue of Inside Dentistry, the cover story focuses on the potential integration of oral and primary health care and what affect this could have on the dental community. R. Bruce Donoff, DMD, MD, is among those seeking health care integration. Dr. Donoff, who is dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), hosted a forum on this issue at the school last fall.Dr. Donoff believes that integrating medical care and dental care within a single system is good for the patient and would improve overall health in this country.

“Burgeoning data from a whole host of insurance companies that insure both medically and dentally now indicate that there are economic as well as health benefits to be gained from including oral health care coverage in their plans,” says Dr. Donoff. This offers a compelling cost-saving case for integration during a time of skyrocketing health care costs.

The groundbreaking forum at Harvard brought together leaders outside the dental community, including insurers, business leaders, economists, and public health experts, to explore the costly impact of poor oral health care on overall health especially chronic disease.

Economist Clayton Christensen, one of the key opinion leaders at the Harvard forum, regards the separation of oral and overall health care as a problem whose solution may lie in application of the “disruptive innovation” economy theory for which he is known worldwide. “ The reason why health care is complicated and expensive and not accessible is because the pricing of individual services does not work.” According to Christensen “You have to put the pricing inside the system.”

This is the first in a series of articles from Inside Dentistry that will engage with our readership and offer a healthy forum for debate on the integration of oral and medical health care. To read the full article or to subscribe to the print edition go to our website at www.insidedentistry.net.  You can also follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/InsideDentistryor like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/InsideDentistry.

Media contact:

Mark Macaulay

Director of Corporate Communications

AEGIS Communications

215-504-1275 Ext. 232

mmacaulay@aegiscomm.com

About AEGIS Communications:

Founded in 2005 with the launch of its flagship publication, Inside Dentistry, AEGIS Communications is the culmination of more than 100 combined years of professional experience and insight into healthcare publishing, education, and multimedia communications. Our extensive oral healthcare platform includes The Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, Inside Dental Technology, DentalAegis, and CDEWorld. AEGIS provides the entire team—clinicians, technicians, hygienists, assistants, and students—with a comprehensive collection of accessible, high–quality, purposeful content designed to enhance their practice and patient care.

Mouthguards and other facial protection gear can be useful for anyone engaged in recreational and organized sports, and the ADA encourages dentists to emphasize to patients the importance of this gear, especially during National Facial Protection Month in April.

Click here to read the full ADA News article.

CHICAGO, April 13 — Oral Health America’s Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouth, a first-of-its-kind oral health education workshop for community-dwelling older adults, is expanding this year thanks in part to funding from The Retirement Research Foundation. The $60,076 foundation grant is the first for OHA’s Wisdom Tooth Project® outside of the dental community.

Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouthfeatures a curriculum designed to empower community dwelling older adults with knowledge and a sense of self-efficacy to care for their oral health. The curriculum is taught in workshops led by trained dental hygienists in settings where older adults naturally congregate such as senior centers, libraries, and places of worship. The grant from The Retirement Research Foundation will in part fund the expansion of the workshops to four additional markets in 2015.

“We are honored to receive this funding from The Retirement Research Foundation; we appreciate their recognition that oral health is essential to healthy aging,” said OHA President and CEO Beth Truett. “The Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouth workshops are designed to reach the 92 percent of older adults who are aging in their communities, and we look forward to expanding the pilot in 2015.”

OHA launched the initial pilot during the summer of 2014 in Chicago, IL, with 93 percent of participants reporting they felt more confident in their ability to manage their oral care needs as a result of their participation in the workshop. These overwhelmingly positive results will be the basis for updating the workshops and expanding throughout the country.

To learn more about Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouth and all of OHA’s work for older adults, please visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Students at the University of Utah's new School of Dentistry are now able to practice in a new $36 million facility.

The Deseret News reports (https://bit.ly/1NWNLud) that the university on Wednesday marked the opening of the 85,000-square-foot Ray and Tye Noorda Oral Health Sciences Building. Students have already started using the facility to practice on live patients for the first time.

The building is a 62-chair clinic with a pediatric suite that will serve Utahns who are unable to afford dental work.

It will also give students hands-on experience following work with dummy patients.

The Noorda family donated $30 million for the building's construction.

Tye Noorda was a former model who fell and lost her front teeth. It was a while before she was able to afford the work to fix them.

Brasseler USA^®, the premier dental instrumentation Company in North America, recently introduced a new branding initiative to be implemented throughout 2015 and beyond. The Company unveiled some of the components of its recent efforts, such as a refreshed logo, at an exclusive reception held for members of the media at this year’s Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting. 

Though the updated brand identity will be gradually introduced, Brasseler USA had many noticeable changes at the Midwinter meeting that reflected the new approach including a newly designed tradeshow booth as well as updated marketing materials, business cards, and stationery. Other components showcasing the new look will be progressively integrated over time. 

Brasseler USA’s tagline, “By Your Side”, embodies what sets the Company apart. “Our tagline has been refined to broaden its meaning,” remarked Don Waters, President and CEO of Brasseler USA. “‘By Your Side’ reflects our passion to support dentists in delivering predictable and consistent clinical results. Through collaboration with key opinion leaders recognized for their expertise, Brasseler USA develops innovative products which provide solutions and thereby enhance clinical practice.  Our consultative, direct-sales approach means that Brasseler USA is by the dentists’ side. We are committed to remain ‘By Your Side’ for many years to come.”

The Company has had many noteworthy innovations since entering the dental marketplace almost 40 years ago, such as its unique direct-sales approach. Founder Peter Brasseler felt that the best way to assure that clinicians received the products and ongoing service they deserved was to have his products only sold direct.

“Peter Brasseler believed that the most meaningful path to success was to develop strong relationships with Key Opinion Leaders recognized for their expertise who actually use the products in practice,” stated Waters. “To bring these products to market, Peter established a direct-sales model where Brasseler USA sales consultants sell only Brasseler USA branded products. Each member of our sales team has in-depth knowledge of dental procedures and the products needed to provide predictable results. Remember, Brasseler USA products are only available through Brasseler USA sales representatives.”

Another aspect that sets the Company apart is its focus on instrumentation. As a result, the Company is able to anticipate market needs, especially around modern materials, and design and create precise instrumentation supporting minimally-invasive dental procedures. Brasseler USA prides itself on providing best-of-class instrumentation for use in dental laboratories, restorative dentistry, endodontics, oral surgery, and oral hygiene.

The Company has formed extremely close working relationships through the years with the most respected clinicians and educators in the profession in order to develop products that truly elevate clinical practice. Collaboration with highly regarded thought leaders has led to product development supporting both efficient practice and consistent results.

“Our recent branding efforts were initiated to reinvigorate the classic Brasseler USA brand that dental professionals know and trust,” continued Waters. “Our fundamental philosophy and practice of working to support and elevate clinical practice remains the same. Our customers value quality and precision in their instruments to deliver excellent oral healthcare to their patients. Brasseler USA is, and always has been, proud to be ‘By Your Side’ as a true partner in professional success.”

For more information about Brasseler USA and its products and services, please visit www.BrasselerUSA.com. 

About Brasseler USA^®

Brasseler USA^® is a leading ISO-Certified healthcare Company, providing quality instrumentation to healthcare professionals for use in restorative dentistry, endodontics, oral surgery, and oral hygiene. Over the past 40 years, Brasseler USA has developed a reputation as an innovative market leader in diamonds, carbides, polishers, endodontics, hand instruments, and handpieces. Today, Brasseler USA offers the most comprehensive assortment of dental instruments and surgical power systems under one brand in the world. For more information, please visit www.BrasselerUSA.com.   

Tallahassee, Florida - The Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology has announced the winners of the 2015 Big Ticket Raffle. This is the fourth year in a row the Foundation put on this fundraiser to raise money to support the future of dental laboratory technology.

From January through March, raffle tickets were sold to individuals in the dental laboratory industry for a chance to win one of six items that were donated by generous supporters in an effort to ensure the future of the profession. The results of the 2015 Big Ticket Raffle are as follows:  

• Origin Live Multi-Layered Zirconia Discs, donated by B&D Dental Technologies: Gary Iocco, Dimension Dental Design, CDL (Hastings, Minnesota)

• BruxZir Shaded Zirconia Milling Blanks, donated by Glidewell Laboratories: Barbara Wojdan, CDT, Knight Dental Group, CDL, DAMAS, ISO (Oldsmar, Florida)

• BruxZir Shaded 16 Zirconia Milling Blanks, donated by Glidewell Laboratories: R.J. Delapa, United Dental Labs, Inc., CDL (Tallmadge, Ohio)

• Inclusive Prosthetic Components, donated by Glidewell Laboratories: Andrew Herr, Dental Prosthetics, Inc., CDL (Tucson, Arizona)

• $4,000 of Nowak Dental Store Credit, donated by Nowak Dental Supplies, Inc.: Douglas Jackson, CDT, Touchstone Dental Lab (Altamonte Springs, Florida)

• Infinity ZR Sintering Furnace, donated by Whip Mix: Kimberly Cabrera, Natural Esthetics, Inc. (Tampa, Florida)

All funds raised through the Big Ticket Raffle will be put toward developing educational programs that are relevant and accessible to both dental technicians working in the laboratory as well as dental laboratory technology students. 

For additional information on the Foundation and how to support its efforts, visit dentallabfoundation.org/.

DAL DT Technologies has announced that the cubeX² Cubic Zirconia material has been granted 510k compliance from the FDA and is now commercially available for purchase through its laboratory.

The American Academy of Periodontology’s 2015 Spring Conference, Embracing Technology to Enhance Your Clinical Practice, will be held May 2-3, 2015, at the Hilton Chicago. 

Designed for periodontists, dental colleagues, and office staff, this unique educational and interactive conference offers:

• Key insights from experts on how to integrate technology into practice.

• Take-home information that can be immediately applied to your own clinical practice.

• A communal learning experience that reinforces a team approach to patient care.

• The chance to earn up to 8.75 hours of continuing education credit.

Learn more and register here!

Syracuse, NY – Nearly two in five American adults (39 percent) say they have limited or will delay dental care due to their financial situation, a number that has increased by nearly eight percent in the past two years. And they’re making the decision despite knowing the long-term financial implications -- 80 percent are aware that postponing or delaying routine visits will cost them more money in the long run. A survey of more than 1,000 adults was conducted by ORC International and commissioned by Aspen Dental Management, Inc.

Among the other key findings of the survey:

More than half of survey respondents (53 percent) consider routine dental visits for exams and cleanings a “nice to have” that can be delayed.

Nearly one in five respondents (17%) would fix problems with their car ahead of addressing pain in their mouth.

“For millions of Americans, life is made up of hard financial choices, and unfortunately, dental care has become discretionary, a ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘must do,’” says Dr. Schatzie Vincent, director of clinical support and community giving at Aspen Dental Management, Inc. “The dentists and teams at Aspen Dental-branded practices believe that everyone deserves a healthy mouth, and are committed to breaking down barriers that have kept people from getting the dental care they need.”

Americans who delay dental care face serious long-term dental problems. More than two million visits are made to hospital emergency rooms each year for dental pain, where treatment is nearly ten times more expensive than the cost of preventive care. Emergency room visits for dental care are on the rise, and cost nearly $1 billion a year. In addition to the financial implications, research shows that poor oral health can increase the risk for other serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

The Healthy Mouth Movement Is Bringing Relief to Those in Need

 To bridge the oral healthcare gap and provide much needed care to those in need, the dentists and staff at Aspen Dental-branded practices across the country are volunteering their time and talents once again in 2015 through the Healthy Mouth Movement.

The Healthy Mouth Movement is a community giving initiative launched by Aspen Dental Management, Inc. and the dental practices it supports in 2014 to deliver free dental care and oral health education to people in need across the United States. In its inaugural year, the Healthy Mouth Movement served close to 3,000 patients by nearly 2,000 team members from Aspen Dental-branded practices, who delivered more than $1 million in free dental care, through free days of service in hundreds of practices and via the Aspen Dental MouthMobile, a fully-equipped dental office on wheels.

This year the Healthy Mouth Movement will focus efforts on serving those who have served our nation -- veterans -- to empower them by helping address their oral health issues. The Aspen Dental MouthMobile will travel to communities throughout the U.S. in partnership with local veterans’ organizations, and participating Aspen Dental-branded practices will open for one day for free care for veterans later this year.

The Healthy Mouth Movement kicks off today as the MouthMobile makes its first of 28 stops in Phoenix, Arizona.

As part of this commitment, Aspen Dental Management, Inc. is proud to partner with Got Your 6, a highly influential campaign that helps strengthen communities and empower veterans nationwide. Got Your 6- meaning “I got your back” - focuses on six key pillars of veteran reintegration, including leadership, health and education.

“Got Your 6 believes that our veterans have the unique opportunity to strengthen and reinvigorate their communities. Aspen Dental’s support helps our veterans to successfully reintegrate and ensures that they are seen as the civic assets that they are,” says Chris Marvin, Managing Director of Got Your 6. “We are excited to partner with the Healthy Mouth Movement as we work to empower veterans and support them as leaders in our communities.”

For more information, visit www.HealthyMouthMovement.com.

About Aspen Dental Practices

Dentists and staff at Aspen Dental-branded practices believe everyone has the right to quality, affordable oral health care. As one of the largest and fastest-growing networks of independent dental care providers in the U.S., local Aspen Dental practices – nearly 500 of them across 30 states – offer patients a safe, welcoming and judgment-free environment to address their dental challenges. Every Aspen Dental-branded practice offers a full range of dental and denture services – including comprehensive exams, cleanings, extractions, fillings, periodontal treatment, whitening, oral surgery, crown and bridge work – allowing patients to have the peace of mind that they are taken care of and protected, so they can focus on getting the healthy mouth they deserve. In 2014, Aspen Dental-branded practices recorded more than 3.4 million patient visits and welcomed nearly 750,000 new patients.

About Aspen Dental Management Inc.

Aspen Dental Management Inc. (ADMI) is a dental support organization that provides non-clinical business support services to independently owned and operated dental practices in approximately 30 states. This can include services and recommendations related to finding the right location, leasing, IT services, accounting and marketing. This model leaves independent, licensed practitioners free to concentrate on patient care.

To learn more about Aspen Dental-branded practices and services, preview the patient experience, get answers to general treatment questions, find a location, and schedule appointments, visit www.aspendental.com. To learn more about careers at ADMI and Aspen Dental practices, visit https://aspendentaljobs.com.

About Got Your 6

Got Your 6 is a collective impact campaign that works to bridge the military-civilian divide. Combining the reach and resources of the entertainment industry with the expertise and commitment from veteran-focused non-profit and government partners, the campaign works to advance the conversation in America so veterans and military families are seen as leaders and civic assets who will invigorate our communities. In 2013 and 2014, Got Your 6 distributed grants totaling over $4 million to their veteran-focused non-profit partners. For more information, visit www.gotyour6.org. Be the Change, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is the organizing body and fiscal sponsor of Got Your 6.

Charlotte, NC – Sirona Dental, Inc. has announced that due to overwhelming demand, VIP and Entertainment-Only tickets to its upcoming CEREC^© 30^th (CEREC 30) Anniversary Celebration held at The Venetian^® and The Palazzo^® Hotel in Las Vegas from September 17-19 will no longer be available for sale after May 15.

“Sirona’s CEREC 30 Celebration is smashing registration records,” said Sirona Dental, Inc. President Michael Augins. “The record number of those who have already purchased tickets for C30 affirms the event’s popularity and solidifies its place as the world’s premier digital dentistry festival and experience.”

The Entertainment-Only pass is offered to spouses or guests who are not doctors and who are not attending courses. The pass allows entry to the welcome reception Thursday evening, celebrity entertainment Friday evening, and the closing celebration at TAO nightclub on Saturday night. This pass does not include breakfast or lunches.

The VIP package offers an enhanced CEREC 30 event experience, including:

·      Exclusive VIP registration and lounge area

·      VIP entrance to the general session

·      Reserved seating in the general session that guarantees some of the best seats

·      VIP reception area during the welcome reception, including special access to reserved bar and special lounge seating

·      Reserved seating for Friday’s musical entertainment featuring the Grammy-award winning rock and roll band Train

·      VIP entry to the final night party at TAO nightclub

·      Entry to exclusive VIP area at final night party

The CEREC 30th Anniversary Celebration provides up to 18 CE credits across a comprehensive spectrum of digital dentistry topics and tracks, and features an exhibit hall showcasing top dental companies and their products and services.

Anyone who wishes to purchase VIP and/or Entertainment-Only passes for CEREC 30 must act by May 15. All dental and dental laboratory professionals are encouraged to visit www.CEREC30th.com to register and for additional information.