TravelFlo Group announces that Robert S. Wisler, CDT, has joined the company as a Business Development Manager to support and grow their network of dental and optical laboratory clients.  He will work directly with the company's President, John Donnelly, and will be based in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Robert's wealth of experience and industry knowledge position him as a key asset to the TravelFlo Group team. He brings an accumulation of skills and expertise as Program Manager at Global Dental Science, Technical Advisor for SunDance Dental Laboratory & Dani Dental Studio, Dr./Technician Liaison at Expertec Dental, International Trainer at ProCerex, and 30 years as Owner of Alpha Dental Studio, Inc.

"Wisler will be instrumental in growing the company through close relationships with our clients, the development and implementation of continuing education,and our newly launched web-based and mobile app technology," says Donnelly. 

Robert comments that, "There has never been a more important time than now to reward and retain your best clients! I am blessed to be joining such a respected company that prides itself on an exceptional, concierge level of service."

TravelFlo Group announces the release of the "TravelFlo My Rewards" mobile app.

Laboratories offering a rewards program through TravelFlo Group can take advantage of this fully-branded, free mobile app.

The "TravelFlo My Rewards" mobile app allows rewards program participants to take their rewards with them everywhere they go.

Rewards program participants will have real-time access to their rewards account via their handheld device, including merchandise and travel redemption options, and access to the laboratory's special announcements, news and promotions.

“This is an exciting and personal way for laboratories to connect with their doctors, as well as a great way to spark and drive continued sales,” says TravelFlo Group President, John Donnelly.

The “TravelFlo My Rewards” app is 100% free. To download, reward participants can simply search for the "TravelFlo My Rewards" app in their App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android), or they can find additional information and downloading instructions at travelflo.com/en/mobile_app.

Julie Radzyminski 

Karen Kuklewicz

Kari Taylor

PITTSTON, PA: An accomplished financial analyst, a specialist in business innovation and a sales leader on the international level will add their expertise to the senior management team at the nation’s largest privately-owned dental distributor.

Benco Dental announces the elevation of Karen Kuklewicz and Julie Radzyminski to vice president status, and welcomes Kari Taylor, who joins the company as Vice President of Sales & Branch Operations.

Karen Kuklewicz, Benco Dental CFO, joined the family-owned organization as a staff accountant in 1999, shortly after her graduation from Bloomsburg University. She has since served as Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, and Director of Finance. During her time with Benco Dental, she earned her MBA from Wilkes University (2011), and the prestigious Certified Management Accountant designation from the Institute of Management Accountants. In January 2015, Karen assumed the Interim CFO role and has helped steer the company through a most successful year, including the completion of several key projects.

Karen and her husband Ned reside in Mountain Top with their daughter.

Julie Radzyminski, Vice President of Business Innovation, spent 19 years at Procter & Gamble in a variety of roles before coming to Benco Dental as its first Director of Business Innovation in 2012. While in the Professional Oral Health division at Procter & Gamble, she had responsibility for over $350 million in sales, and spearheaded the company's return to distribution. At Benco Dental, Julie has helped shape key initiatives, like The Lucy Hobbs Project™, which empowers women in dentistry to drive change and deliver success through networking, innovation and giving back, OneVisit™ -- the company’s same-day dentistry solution, as well as office supplies, and implants, and she oversees alliances with key organizations like Cain Watters, Seattle Study Club, and Transitions Group NA.

A graduate of Boston College with a BS in Marketing, Julie and her husband Dave live in Albany, New York, with their two high school-age daughters. She travels weekly to CenterPoint East, Benco Dental’s Home Office in Pittston, Pennsylvania.

Kari Taylor has held a variety of leadership positions at WW Grainger and Office Depot, including Vice President of Territory Sales (Grainger) and Vice President of Sales Operations (Home Depot). In her most recent role, she led a team of more than 900 sales professionals who called on medium-sized businesses across the United States. Early in her career, she spent nearly a decade at Sun Microsystems in a variety of international positions.

Kari graduated from California State University, Hayward, and earned her MBA at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She and her husband Rolf, who leads a sales team, calling on business customers for Office Depot, will be relocating to Pennsylvania in January.

 “As part of the Benco difference, we strive to deliver insightful solutions and an innovative experience to our customers, and focus on the career advancement of those with that same commitment,” said Chuck Cohen, managing director of Benco Dental. “Our goal is to empower great people to do great work in a caring family culture. Karen, Julie and Kari bring industry expertise and a passion for excellence to Benco Dental.”

January 5, 2016 – 3Shape TRIOS® Orthodontics has created an integration with Dental Monitoring.  

The integration enables orthodontists using the TRIOS® intraoral scanner to send digital impressions directly to the Dental Monitoring platform with a click.Dental Monitoring uses a digital impression to determine a patient’s current baseline tooth position. The application then enables both the orthodontist and patient to monitor an orthodontic treatment by aligning photos taken regularly with the patient’s smartphone and comparing them with the original baseline tooth position as identified by the initial intraoral scan.

The 3Shape TRIOS® integration now gives orthodontists using 3Shape orthodontic solutions an extra tool for monitoring treatment progress.

Orthodontists using 3Shape TRIOS® can select Dental Monitoring from the list of integrated solution providers within the intraoral scanner’s software. From there, the orthodontist just needs to click to send the TRIOS® digital impression and case information directly to the Dental Monitoring platform. 

Because the digital impression becomes the first reference point in defining the baseline tooth position as well as a benchmark for all future calculations made by the application, it makes the accuracy of the initial intraoral scan paramount.

“The Dental Monitoring platform is an exciting new tool for orthodontists and for encouraging patient treatment participation.  The smooth integration between TRIOS® Orthodontics and the platform will make it much easier for more orthodontists and patients to take advantage of the innovative platform,” said Flemming Thorup, 3Shape president and CEO.

“The 3Shape TRIOS® has an excellent track record when it comes to accuracy and user-friendly interface, so we're very excited about the integration of our platforms,” said Philippe Salah, Co-Founder and CEO at Dental-Monitoring. “I think this integration is the next logical step in the development of our product. We strongly believe in simplifying access to the latest innovations in digital orthodontics and have always been committed to building bridges between different digital techniques.”

“States and communities can also help reduce youth tobacco use by funding tobacco prevention and control programs that address the diversity of tobacco products available on the market, including e-cigarettes,” said Corinne Graffunder, Dr.P.H., director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “We know what works to effectively reduce youth tobacco use. If we were to fully invest in these proven strategies, we could significantly reduce the staggering toll that tobacco takes on our families and communities.”

Other key findings in the Vital Signs report show that:

• More than half of high school students (8.3 million) saw e-cigarette ads in retail stores, and more than 6 million saw them on the Internet.

• More than half of middle school students (6 million) saw e-cigarettes ads in retail stores, and more than 4 million saw them on the Internet.

• About 15 percent of all students (4.1 million) saw e-cigarette ads from all four sources: retail stores, the Internet, TV/movies, and magazines/newspapers.

The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the manufacture, marketing, and sale of certain tobacco products. FDA has announced its intention to regulate e-cigarettes and other currently unregulated tobacco products as part of this Act. The rulemaking is currently under review at the Office of Management and Budget.

Vital Signs is a report that appears on the first Tuesday of the month as part of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report provides the latest data and information on key health indicators. These include cancer prevention, obesity, tobacco use, motor vehicle passenger safety, prescription drug overdose, HIV/AIDS, alcohol use, health care-associated infections, cardiovascular health, teen pregnancy, food safety, and viral hepatitis.

Source: CDC Press Release

PATTERSON DENTAL OFFERS DISASTER RELIEF TO AFFECTED CUSTOMERS

Focus on relief and rebuilding in wake of tornadoes, flooding and other natural events

December 31, 2015 (ST. PAUL, Minn.) – Patterson Dental, a business unit of Patterson Companies (NASDAQ: PDCO) is helping dentists and their teams as they face operational issues in the wake of recent natural disasters.

Residents in many parts of the U.S. have been hit hard over the past few weeks by a host of natural disasters including severe weather, tornadoes and flooding across the Midwest and Southeast.

Patterson Dental’s outreach efforts are being conducted within impacted communities through its network of local branches. Dentists affected by disasters in areas where a state of emergency has been declared can obtain assistance from Patterson by contacting their local representative or by calling 800.873.7683, which routes callers to the nearest Dental branch. All Patterson locations are operational and are prepared to help dentists manage their business needs by providing a variety of financial terms for re-equipping and re-supplying their dental practice.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected,” said Paul Guggenheim, CEO, Patterson Dental. “We want our customers to know that we are here to support them during this challenging time and to assist in any way we can to help them get their businesses back up and running.”

AACD SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR EVY AWARDS

MADISON, Wis. (01/04/16)—The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) is seeking nominations for their annual Celebration of Excellence Awards, also known as the Evy.

Since 1988, the AACD has made it a point to publicly recognize dental professionals who make a difference to the academy, the profession and their communities. Evy award categories include: Outstanding Innovation in Cosmetic Dentistry, Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry, AACD Humanitarian, AACD Rising Star, jCD Award, Outstanding Service to the Academy, and the Lifetime Achievement awards.

If you know of a colleague who is making significant contributions to the field of cosmetic dentistry and/or to the Academy itself, please complete the nomination form. The AACD would like to thank and recognize these outstanding individuals who have made a tremendous impact.           

The Evy Awards will be presented during the Celebration of Excellence Gala at AACD 2016 in Toronto. Nominations are due by Friday, January 22, 2016.

PREAT announced the release of a resource for dentists, laboratories, and specialists engaged in implant dentistry. The PREAT reference manual has been an asset for technicians and clinicians for implant identification, abutment and attachment options, torque values, and figuring out which screws work with which systems.

PREAT has taken the information from print and online and has released an App that can be used on all Apple iPad devices.  Not only will the reference manual be housed on this App, but clinicians and technicians will be able to:

·       Search specific parts by description or part number

·       Learn about specials and upcoming product releases

·       Search for and identify implants

·       Begin a chat with a PREAT technician to help with case design or other questions

·       Send images of parts or implants for free identification

Along with the printed reference manual and the library of information online at www.preat.com, this App will allow clinicians and technicians to better and more efficiently serve their patients and get answers to tough questions.

You can go to the Apple App Store and download the PREAT App for free, go online and download a PDF copy of the reference manual at www.preat.com, or call 1-800-232-7732 to order a printed copy of the reference manual.  PREAT also welcomes any technical questions you may have.

MADISON, Wis. (01/04/16)—The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) is seeking nominations for their annual Celebration of Excellence Awards, also known as the Evy.

Since 1988, the AACD has made it a point to publicly recognize dental professionals who make a difference to the academy, the profession and their communities. Evy award categories include: Outstanding Innovation in Cosmetic Dentistry, Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry, AACD Humanitarian, AACD Rising Star, jCD Award, Outstanding Service to the Academy, and the Lifetime Achievement awards.

If you know of a colleague who is making significant contributions to the field of cosmetic dentistry and/or to the Academy itself, please complete the nomination form. The AACD would like to thank and recognize these outstanding individuals who have made a tremendous impact.       

The Evy Awards will be presented during the Celebration of Excellence Gala at AACD 2016 in Toronto. Nominations are due by Friday, January 22, 2016.