PITTSTON, PA — December 10, 2015 —Parents of patients who visit the Utah pediatric dentist Dr. Jason Horgesheimer often ask him for something unrelated to their kids’ dental care: interior-design pointers.  

“It’s rewarding to have parents say ‘I want my house to look like your office,’” says the 44-year-old practitioner, who recently earned national recognition for outstanding dental practice design. Dr. Horgesheimer is among five dental and architectural professionals featured in the Incisal Edge winter edition as winners of the magazine’s third annual design competition, presented by Clarion Financial.

Annually,Incisal Edge, the leading lifestyle magazine for dental professionals, offers an opportunity for national recognition in outstanding practice design. The magazine’s team canvasses doctors, architects, designers, and students for nominations across five categories, then turns it all over to the blue-ribbon panel of judges. This year’s competition ran from February 25 through September 25. New for 2016: An entry point designed for ease of use, where previous year’s winners provide motivation, and detailed instructions offer helpful tips  – IEDesignContest.com

Award-winning dental practices for 2016 include:

·       Design of the Future – Discovery Dentistry, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Amanda Thomas

·       New Construction Practice – South Davis Pediatric Dentistry, Bountiful, Utah, and Dr. Jason Horgesheimer

·       Repurposed Practice (Tie) – Blanc Dental Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Dr. Christopher Roxas

·       Repurposed Practice (Tie) – Van Timmeren Family Dentistry, Wyoming, Michigan, and Dr. Scott Van Timmeren

·       Specialty Practice – Little Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Costa Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, Ashburn, Virginia, and Dr. Shane Costa.

To be inspired both aesthetically and dentally, view the winning practices in Incisal Edge magazine at: Incisal Edge, Winter 2016.  Published by Benco Dental, Incisal Edge celebrates dentists’ achievements both inside the operatory and during their hard-earned downtime. For additional information regarding the magazine, visit: https://cms-web.benco.com/incisaledge/

The competition’s juried panel from the dental and architectural worlds included: David Allison, FAIA, NCARB, ACHA; Tristan Hamilton, DDS, M. ARCH.; Lisa Philp, RDH, CMC; Sangita Doshi, DDS, Columbia, Maryland; and Adam M. Wise, LEED AP Designer, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

Patterson Dental CEO Paul Guggenheim receives the 2015 San Fernando Valley Dental Society Foundation Humanitarian Award from Dr. Michael Simmons, 2015 President of the San Fernando Valley Dental Society Foundation

ST. PAUL, Minn., December 2, 2015– Patterson Dental CEO Paul Guggenheim was recently honored by the San Fernando Valley Dental Society Foundation (SFVDSF) with its Humanitarian Award. The award was presented at SFVDSF’s Third Annual Gala in Los Angeles, Calif. The event was also a fundraiser to benefit Smiles From the Heart, Veterans’ Smile Day and Give Kids a Smile.

“There are a significant number of people experiencing dental disease that is preventable and treatable,” said Paul, who is actively involved in many organizations that advocate for and assist with providing oral healthcare to underserved populations. “It is incumbent upon those of us in a position to help to do just that. Helping organizations reach these disadvantaged populations is part of our responsibility as members of our greater community."

While Paul lives in St. Paul, Minn., where Patterson Dental is headquartered, he is originally from Los Angeles. He maintains ties to several area organizations including serving on the boards of the Children’s Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles and the University of Southern California Dental School. He is also a board member and treasurer of the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. 

About Patterson Dental

Patterson Dental provides a complete range of consumable dental products, equipment and software, turnkey digital solutions and value-added services to dentists and dental laboratories throughout North America. Patterson Dental is a business in the progressive, global Patterson Companies (Nasdaq: PDCO) family of businesses. 

CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --John D. Ball, DDS, FACP, has been installed as regional membership director for the Central Region 3 to the board of directors of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP). Dr. Ball was sworn in during the 45th Annual Session of the American College of Prosthodontists in Orlando from Oct. 21-24, 2015.

Dr. Ball retired in January 2013 after serving 37 years in the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Dentistry. He had most recently been the Director of both VA Central Dental Laboratory (CDL) locations (Dallas and Washington). He also maintained a clinical practice as a prosthodontist in the Dallas VA Dental Service. Dr. Ball was an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences at the Baylor College of Dentistry, working in the pre-doctoral Removable Prosthodontic Clinic.

Prior to relocating to Dallas, Dr. Ball was Director of the Prosthodontic Residency Program at the Houston VA Medical Center. Also, he was a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston Dental Branch. Dr. Ball is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Clinical Sciences at the UMKC School of Dentistry; Removable Prosthodontics Section Head; and course director for both the Advanced Prosthodontics course and the Complete Removable Prosthodontics lecture and laboratory.

"Prosthodontics continues to be an important part of my life both professionally and personally. I want to make a positive contribution to the future of my specialty with my fellow members in a dynamic organization. I want the ACP to be relevant to us members on a daily basis! I want to listen, learn, and serve," said Dr. Ball.

Tampa, FL — Raising capital to pay for expansion plans sometimes can be a major hurdle for smaller companies that aren’t publicly traded on the stock exchanges.

But a new investor option is making the path less formidable for these smaller businesses with big dreams, including one in the Tampa Bay area.

Revised rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission went into effect over the summer, allowing those companies to sell up to $50 million of securities in a 12-month period, and allowing everyday citizens to be the investors.

Already some companies have positioned themselves to take advantage.

“We are excited about this because it gives us easier access to capital without having to be listed on the trading markets,” says Derek Diasti, chief executive officer of Sun Dental Labs (www.sundentallabs.com), a St. Petersburg-based company that was one of the first in the nation to receive SEC qualifications to move forward with a Tier 2 securities offering under the change.

“Anyone can invest in this company, so this democratizes investing. You don’t have to be a millionaire to get involved.”

The new rules were a long time in coming. They were mandated as part of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act passed by Congress in 2012. But the SEC took nearly three years to craft the details as regulators tried to balance giving businesses an effective capital-raising strategy, while still providing strong investor protections.

The rules update and expand what was known as Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933. The rules allow for two tiers of securities offerings:

·      Tier 1.This lets companies offer and sell up to $20 million in securities over a 12-month period to accredited investors (high-net-worth individuals, banks and large corporations) and non-accredited investors (those of more modest means). Similar to the original Regulation A, Tier 1 does not require audited financial statements, does not limit the amount that can be invested by a non-accredited investor and does not require ongoing reporting. Issuers are required to register securities with each state in which they sell securities.

·      Tier 2.This increases to $50 million the amount of securities that companies can offer and sell. Tier 2 offerings preempt state registration requirements, but the companies must file audited financial statements with the SEC. Once an offering is complete, ongoing reporting requirements include annual reports, semiannual reports and current event reports. Limitations are placed on how much non-accredited investors can invest. 

Diasti saw the SEC rule change as the perfect opportunity for Sun Dental Labs, which manufactures and distributes custom dental devices, such as crowns, bridges, partials, dentures, implants and orthodontic devices.

Although based in St. Petersburg, Sun Dental Labs also has facilities in the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Germany and China.

“Our goal is to be in the forefront of the movement as dentistry goes digital in the coming decade,” Diasti says. “Right now, 95 percent of dentists use the traditional method for creating an impression of a patient’s teeth when the patient needs a crown or bridge or other dental device.”

Anyone who has gone through such a procedure knows the routine. The patient bites into an uncomfortable gooey substance that Diasti says doesn’t always provide correct results.

“We’ve developed a digital workflow that lets the dentist scan the mouth to get an impression, which will provide a more accurate fit, is more comfortable for the patient and results in a quicker turnaround,” Diasti says.

Sun Dental anticipates that the dental-device market will continue to grow, and the company plans to grow with it. That’s where the sale of securities under the new SEC rules comes in.

Sun Dental’s initial goal is to raise $20 million, but the company decided to pursue a Tier 2 offering so it has the option to raise as much as $50 million.

“Our plan is to purchase additional manufacturing equipment and technology, and acquire a dental lab facility in Latin America,” Diasti says.

In addition, the capital raised would be used for such purposes as to pay off a portion of the company’s bank line of credit, make strategic acquisitions and hire additional personnel.

Diasti says the new SEC rules came at an opportune time for Sun Dental.

“In the next 10 years, I believe very few patients will go to a dentist unless that dentist’s office is digital,” Diasti says. “The industry is changing and we plan to be a big part of that.”

Tallahassee, Fla. – According to research by the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), only four states in the U.S. require dental technicians to be certified or obtain continuing education. To increase awareness of the lack of standards in the dental industry, NADL created the “What’s In Your Mouth?” campaign to inform dentists that the technicians they trust could lack the skills and knowledge they should have when creating restorations that may be permanently placed in the mouths of dental patients.   

“Every good team includes good partners. For dentists, dental technicians are true partners in helping grow an oral health practice,” said Gary Iocco, co-chair of the NADL Public Awareness Committee. “Although operating behind the scenes, dental technicians are a crucial part of ensuring delivery of quality dental care to the dental patient.”

The dental industry is constantly implementing new technology and materials; however, continuing education for dental technicians is not mandatory. According to this report, the U.S. is the only non-third-world country that doesn’t have some form of requirements for dental technicians and laboratories.

“It is important that dentists seek to work with individuals and laboratories that have voluntarily achieved ‘third-party verification’ of their skills, knowledge and operating standards. There are many dental technicians and dental laboratories committed to quality standards and we want dentists and patients to know about them.” said Iocco.  

NADL’s “What’s In Your Mouth?” initiative suggests the following ways dentists can help ensure they are using technicians who will provide quality restorations for their patients. Dentists can find a Certified Dental Technician to work with here (click on the CDT logo under “Show”); dentists can stay up-to-date on legislative updates here; if dentists are working with a Certified Dental Technician, they should inform their patients that they are receiving quality dental restorations.  

For information on the campaign and more about dental technician and dental laboratory standards, please visit the website: https://whatsinyourmouth.us/.

SAN MARCOS, California, December 2, 2015—Shofu Dental Corporation, a leading manufacturer of award-winning dental materials and equipment, has unveiled a new finishing system, The Artistic Composite Kit.

Designed for artisan’s finishing of anterior composite restorations, The Artistic Composite Kit features a selection of Shofu’s finest diamonds, carbides and stones. The instruments included in this kit are concomitant with “The Essence of Composite Art,” an artistic restoration concept developed by Frank J. Milnar, DDS, AAACD. Arranged in a sequence of logical steps, these carefully-selected abrasives will help clinicians create natural-like aesthetics in an efficient manner.

The Artistic Composite Kit finishing technique supports minimally invasive dentistry. The protocol begins with creating a unified surface using fine and super fine Robot Diamonds in various shapes (PN 840F-1, 840V-1, 835F-1) which helps effectively prep the surface for further characterization. In the following steps, with a fine-grit T&F Hybrid Point diamond (PN 0933-1) and egg-shaped Robot Carbide Finisher (PN 0718), three facial planes – the emergence profile, face of the tooth, and the incisal third — and secondary anatomy can be achieved. In areas of the restoration where light-diffusing architecture is needed, a flame-shaped Dura-Green Stone (PN 0060) will deliver predictable results. Other components employed for the final finishing step – the creation of macro and micro aesthetics, are the 8-, 16-, and 30-fluted Robot Carbide Finishers (PN 0770-3, 0771-3, 0772-3).

A finishing system with artisan’s selected abrasives is an indispensable element in achieving natural aesthetics. Shofu’s Artistic Composite Kit includes finest diamonds, carbides and stones, all designed to help create naturally appearing smile in a swift, predictable manner.

• Comprehensive finishing system inclusive of finest diamonds, carbides and stones

• Supported by an efficient artisan’s finishing technique

• Excellent for anterior composite restorations

• Promotes minimally invasive dentistry

• PN 0980BB

• Suggested retail price: $165

• Available through your local dealer

About Shofu Dental Corporation

Shofu Dental Corporation is a leading manufacturer of award-winning dental materials and equipment. From its inception, Shofu has been changing modern dentistry by delivering innovative, smart solutions that enhance dental practices large and small. Today, Shofu remains one of the top manufacturers of outstanding products used by dentists, dental lab technicians, dental hygienists, and dental assistants.

MELVILLE, N.Y. - Henry Schein, Inc., the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, unveiled at the Greater New York Dental Meeting (GNYDM) the Henry Schein ConnectDental® Pavilion, which brought together for the first time the industry's broadest array of open solutions designed to help any practice or laboratory enter the digital age.

For practitioners considering integrating digital technology solutions into their practice or laboratory, the Pavilion provided a full suite of innovative, integrated solutions, services and support, as well as global experts who have successfully incorporated digital dentistry and experienced increased efficiency and enhanced patient care.

Debuting for the first time at the GNYDM meeting, which took place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from November 27 - December 2, the Henry Schein ConnectDental Pavilion was designed to educate and encourage practitioners to harness the power of digital dental technology for the benefit of the patient and the practice. The Pavilion showcased open-architecture solutions ranging from digital intraoral scanners, milling and printing devices and materials, to Conebeam 3D imaging, practice management, and digital laboratory solutions. Visitors to the Pavilion also saw how Henry Schein's "Practice Analysis Tool" can help identify tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of a practice. In addition, the "ConnectDental Cafe" located within the Pavilion offered a comfortable spot for visitors to engage with visiting industry experts to learn how these visionaries have incorporated these digital solutions into their practice to deliver an enhanced patient experience. 

"Two years ago, Henry Schein unveiled its vision for the future of digital dentistry, and we have made great progress in realizing that vision, most recently through our ConnectDental solution," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. "ConnectDental is a patient-centric model that delivers a complete solution, which represents a transformational change in the dental community. The Henry Schein ConnectDental Pavilion reinforces our mission and commitment to focus on practice care, so that our customers can focus on patient care."  

The Pavilion included a number of Henry Schein's valued supplier partners offering digital dental solutions, and also displayed a variety of key products and services. 3M, 3Shape, 360imaging, Bego, Custom Milling Center (CMC), Dental Wings, DDX^®, Dentrix^®, Glidewell Laboratories, iSy^® by Camlog, Ivoclar Vivadent, KaVo Kerr Group, Katana, Planmeca, VHF, and Zirlux^® were among those highlighted in the Pavilion.

"Relationships founded on trust with our customers and supplier partners lie at the heart of ConnectDental," said Jim Breslawski, President, Henry Schein, Inc., and CEO, Global Dental Group. "The supplier partners of ConnectDental represent the vanguard of the digital dental era. All of us at Henry Schein are proud to represent their products in the marketplace and to demonstrate their significant benefits to our customers." 

Reinforcing that the first step into digital dentistry is through ConnectDental, the Henry Schein ConnectDental Pavilion was located just steps away from the Crystal Palace entrance to the Javits Center on the main floor outside the Exhibit Hall.

"As the largest dental meeting in the United States, the Greater New York Dental Meeting is the ideal location to unveil this exciting new Pavilion," said Dr. Robert Gottlander, Vice President, Global Prosthetic Solutions for Henry Schein, Inc. "The Pavilion is a wonderful educational engagement environment for digital dentistry and a great gateway into the larger world of Henry Schein's offering, represented in our main booth in the Exhibit Hall. It is a must-see for practitioners interested in the significant benefits that digital dentistry can provide to their patients." Click here to view Dr. Gottlander speak about the Henry Schein ConnectDental Pavilion.

Malvern, PA -- November 30, 2015 – DentalEZ^®, a supplier of integrated products and services for dental health professionals worldwide, is pleased to introduce the StarDental^® iStar Cordless Prophy Handpiece. Designed to make dental hygiene procedures fast and easy, the iStar is the first true cordless prophy handpiece that allows full freedom of movement and freedom for each dental professional to choose his or her preferred disposable angle.

The lightweight, well-balanced, cordless design of the iStar is ergonomically designed for optimum freedom of movement and comfortable use. Free of extraneous handpiece tubing, the iStar relieves wrist stress caused by cord drag while providing superior accessibility with less effort to posterior regions during prophylaxis procedures. Moreover, the need for a foot pedal is eliminated, freeing the user of extra operatory obstacles. The iStar also comes with a storable charger and 100 disposable sleeves.

With the highest torque (2.0 Ncm) of any cordless prophy handpiece currently available, the iStar is equipped with consistent steadfast power comparable to air-driven handpieces. The unwavering stable rotation provides reliable and comfortable operation for fast, effective dental hygiene procedures.

Operated by an easily accessed single multi-function button, the iStar offers multiple speed settings. A 5-speed control of 500 – 2,500 rotations per minute allows for numerous procedures to be performed from tooth polishing to treatment with seamless automatic speed adjustment, with a battery that delivers 3 continuous hours of use.

The required disposable sleeves are custom fit to the iStar, available now and packaged in boxes of 500. The iStar carries a 1 year limited warranty on system and 3 year limited warranty on battery.

Special Notice: Dental professionals who purchase the iStar between now and January 31st, 2016 will receive a special discounted rate of $100 off retail cost. 

For more information about the new iStar cordless prophy handpiece, please visit www.dentalez.com.

December 2, 2015– Members of the dental profession are an increasing target for professional negligence lawsuits, and dental implant professionals are no exception. At February’s 2016 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Osseointegration (AO), Dr. Michael Ragan will address this and more in the Young Clinicians’ Lecture Series: Reducing the Young Clinicians’ Legal Exposure and Protecting Your License to Practice.

One important and fundamental action can protect dentists from lawsuits and actions against their license to practice: practitioner-patient communication in the form of informed consent. Dr. Ragan—a dentist who has practiced law for over 25 years, exclusively defending health care professionals—states that nearly 100% of lawsuit complaints include a count alleging that the doctor didn’t secure sufficient informed consent.

His presentation will address how comprehensive informed consent can help prevent exposure to a malpractice lawsuit, and also the possible revocation of a clinician’s state license. Additionally, Dr. Ragan will address other areas of concern that impact the Young Clinician, including:

1. Employment Contracts and Office Leases

2. HIPAA, HITECH and Breach of Confidentiality

3. Cyber Liability and Social Media

4. Practice Due Diligence

5. Fraud and Abuse, Deceptive Trade Practices

6. Corporate Practice of Dentistry and Fee Splitting

7. Delegation of Personnel Duties

Most importantly, he wants attendees to understand that patients need to know—with no conflict in their mind—what their alternatives are and what “bad things” can happen as a result of their implant procedure.

“A great percentage of claims may not reflect a specific act of negligence,” he said. “Most derive from a breakdown of communication.”

One common communication problem occurs when the patient is not made aware of possible side effects for the procedure or complications that could have long-term effects. Other times the breakdown can occur when the patient doesn’t understand their responsibility to the success of the implant. This responsibility can be as simple as oral hygiene requirements or as complicated as the management of a systemic health condition that has consequences for the success of the implant.

The responsibility for communication of this vital information to the patient is the clinician’s and without documentation of its occurrence, the doctor is at risk of a malpractice claim and a possible action against their license.

“When you increase the scope of clinical dental practice, there is a concomitant increase in practitioner responsibility,” he said. “Informed consent is more than a piece of paper. It’s a process.”

In addition to his defense law practice based in Miami, Florida, Dr. Ragan is on the faculty in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Nova Southeastern College of Dental Medicine, as well as teaching at a number of other Schools of Dental Medicine. Dr. Ragan also sits on the Board of Directors of the Fortress Insurance Company, a subsidiary of OMSNIC (the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons National Insurance Company). The board members review thousands of claims every year to evaluate potential defensibility and exposure. While some of the claims they review are frivolous, some have merit.

The 31^st Annual Meeting is set for February 17 to 20, 2016, in San Diego. You can register to attend at www.osseo.org. Follow AO on Facebookand Twitterusing #AO2016 to stay up-to-date. 

Melville, NY, December 1, 2015 – Henry Schein Dental, the US dental division of Henry Schein, Inc., announced today the launch of its new Henry Schein Business Process Solutions website www.hsdbps.com. The new site features resources for improving key business functions that contribute to the successful operation of a practice. The Henry Schein Dental Business Process Solutions website is debuting this week during the Greater New York Dental Meeting in New York City.

A user-friendly toolbar helps visitors navigate through solutions for six key business functions, including marketing, human resources, finance, training, information technology, and overall operations. Practitioners can begin their journey to improved practice efficiency and growth potential by requesting a comprehensive practice analysis by a Henry Schein sales consultant who will provide a detailed evaluation of practice inefficiencies and areas for practice improvement. Once the analysis is complete, the website offers practitioners an opportunity to select the business solutions that best meet their individual practice needs

“By relying on Henry Schein for business solutions that focus on practice care, practitioners can focus on their passion for patient care,” said John Chatham, Vice President, Global Sales Leadership & Development, Administration, Henry Schein Dental. “We are pleased to present our new Business Solutions website at the Greater New York Dental Meeting, and look forward to speaking with practitioners about how outsourcing certain key business functions can greatly improve the health of their practice.”

To learn more about the Henry Schein Business Process Solutions, visit www.hsdbps.com, or watch the short video here.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC) is the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500^® Company and a member of the S&P 500^® and the NASDAQ 100^® indexes, Henry Schein employs more than 18,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than one million customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 100,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 150,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, NY, Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 33 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $10.4 billion in 2014, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 16 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein and @HenrySchein on Twitter.