CHICAGO, March 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A killer smile can be just as important as a killer resume or a killer LinkedIn profile. According to a trending infographic on social media reposted from MyCareerTopia.com by Interview Laboratory (pictured left), a common nonverbal mistake made during job interviews -- not smiling -- ranked as the #3 blunder. Naturally, it's tough to smile when you're missing teeth, which strikes one third of Americans today.

A popular Facebook-liked article in USA Today, featured young working-class people in poverty-stricken areas of the United States as having trouble finding jobs because they are missing some or all of their teeth. To secure employment, many of these young people attend Remote Area Medical (RAM) events for free dental care and/or purchasing dentures to improve their job prospects.

"Dentures are not just for the elderly anymore," says Victoria A. Vickers, DDS, a Prosthodontist based in San Antonio. "I might see one to two young people a month who are looking to replace teeth they have lost due to dental disease. When a front tooth is missing, this becomes a big issue in getting a job. Patients lose their self-esteem and might stop looking for a job until they can get their teeth replaced." Dr. Vickers is a member of the spokespersons network of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP). Prosthodontists are specialized dentists with advanced training in treating oral health issues such as replacing missing or broken teeth with dental implants, crowns, bridges, veneers or dentures. "What people don't realize is that restored teeth require more maintenance than natural teeth."

The USA Today story said, "nearly one in five working-age adults in some Southern and Appalachian states have lost at least that many teeth, according to statistics from the Commonwealth Fund." The story included interviews with patients at a free dental clinic in Wise, Va., many of whom were from Appalachia, a region where many people have lost their teeth due to poor oral hygiene habits, poor eating habits and lack of dental insurance to visit a dentist regularly.

Dr. Vickers, who has volunteered at Mission of Mercy, free one-day dental clinics that take place across the country, said the lack of early detection and treatment of dental decay can leave patients with such rampant dental disease that they choose to have their teeth removed because they can't afford to save them. Dr. Vickers encourages patients to practice good oral hygiene habits to save their natural teeth, not only for esthetic reasons, but for health reasons.

A recent peer-reviewed research article recently published in The Journal of Prosthodontics says that significant tooth loss (missing more than 12-17 of one's 32 natural teeth) is associated with a multitude of bad health outcomes including increased risk of overall diseases that can lead to death. Patients who have lost their teeth are at an increased risk for developing malnutrition or obesity, cardiovascular disease, head and neck cancer and reduced cognitive function. Patients who don't properly clean their dentures are at a higher risk of developing pneumonia, which can lead to death.

The article, called "Complete Edentulism and Comorbid Diseases: An Update", notes that patients who keep at least 15 to 20 natural teeth are less likely to develop serious comorbid diseases. The article is the result of a systematic review of current literature on the relationship between tooth loss and oral-systemic diseases. It was written by board certified prosthodontist David A. Felton, DDS, MSD, FACP, who recently joined UMMC as Dean after serving as a professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry in Morgantown, W. Va., and regularly saw the costs (financial, emotional and time) of patients living along the Appalachian Mountains missing most of their teeth due to decay, disease or even misinformation – asking a dentist to do elective pulling of all their teeth as a wedding gift "so they don't have to worry about their teeth causing problems later in life."

Per Dr. Felton, "As a prosthodontist and a dentist, we must warn people about the risks of not taking care of their teeth. It's time to educate all Americans to do everything possible to keep as many of your adult teeth for as long as possible throughout one's life and as we age as it's cheaper, healthier and possible. Don't think that pulling out healthy teeth will save you problems down the road – it's not true. Keeping your original teeth if they are healthy for as long as you can is the best thing you can do for your oral health and overall wellbeing. If you must lose teeth, get them replaced as quickly as possible and maintain your implants, crowns or dentures to keep your whole mouth healthy."

Board certified prosthodontist and ACP President, Carl F. Driscoll, DMD, FACP, encourages patients to maintain their natural teeth by brushing for two minutes twice a day, flossing once a day and eating a healthy diet. Visiting a dentist for regular cleanings and examinations can stop dental disease in its tracks before it becomes a more serious and expensive problem down the road, he said.

If patients lose their teeth, Dr. Felton recommends that they visit a Prosthodontist to replace their teeth right away. The most common and least expensive tooth-replacement methods are full or partial dentures. Full dentures replace all the teeth by resting on the gums that cover the jawbones. Partial dentures attach to the teeth that are still present and rest on the gums and bone where the teeth are missing, according to the ACP.

For patients who need dentures right away, Prosthodontists can place "immediate dentures," which are temporary and can take about an hour. These dentures are for short-term-use only, and should be replaced with high quality, long-lasting permanent dentures, which can be available in a few days, Dr. Vickers said. In addition, Prosthodontists can use CAD-CAM technology to create virtual digital dentures to replicate existing dentures to streamline the process and are excited about new technology options including 3D printing of dentures recently approved to go to market.

The ACP recommends that patients clean their dentures by hand with a dish washing liquid and a special denture brush every day. After rinsing them thoroughly, soak the dentures in a water-based cleaning solution overnight.

Prosthodontists are specialized dentists with advanced training in oral health issues, who are committed to improving patient outcomes. From implants, crowns, veneers and tooth whitening, to full-mouth reconstruction, Prosthodontists specialize in digital dentistry, CAD/CAM, and cosmetic dentistry solutions. The ACP is the only Prosthodontic specialty organization whose membership is based solely on education credentials. ACP members must be in or have completed an ADA-accredited advanced education program in Prosthodontics.

DentalEZ^® Welcomes Richard Vordermark as Senior Leader of Sales

Malvern, PA  – DentalEZ^® welcomes Richard Vordermark as Senior Leader of Sales. Effective March 16, 2016, Vordermark will work closely with DentalEZ to strategically lead the Company’s entire US and Canada sales team to further success.

Vordermark joins DentalEZ with almost two decades of sales and marketing experience. Prior to joining DentalEZ, he worked with A-dec for over 15 years. He started his career at A-dec as a clinical products territory sales manager, was quickly promoted to clinical products region manager, and then assumed the position as overall region manager where he was responsible for managing a substantial budget of $22M. He ultimately rounded off his career at A-dec as leader of its school and government business.

“Ric knows our industry inside and out, and his strong leadership and positive influence within the dental arena will be invaluable as DentalEZ enters the next phase of growth,” remarked Heather Trombley, President/COO of DentalEZ Integrated Solutions. “We are very confident that Ric will integrate quickly within our sales team and work closely with our marketing team as well in order to provide outstanding commercial leadership for the Company.”

Vordermark holds a BS and a MS from Western Illinois University and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Vordermark can be reached at rvordermark@dentalez.com.

About DentalEZ^®

DentalEZ^® is committed to advancing the practice of dentistry through fully integrated products and services. Encompassing five distinct product categories—StarDental^®, DentalEZ^®, RAMVAC^®,NevinLabs^™, and Columbia Dentoform^®—DentalEZ^® manufactures everything in the operatory, from handpieces to chairs to vacuum systems to dental simulation models, creating a complete line of products to elevate the health, comfort, and efficiency of the dental operatory. For more information, please visit www.dentalez.com. 

AN MARCOS, California—March 17, 2016—Shofu Dental Corporation is pleased to announce a release of the instructional video for its EyeSpecial C-II digital dental camera in multiple languages, including French, Portuguese and Spanish.

This video will educate clinicians, dental staff and laboratory technicians how to incorporate EyeSpecial C-II into their operatory or laboratory using the best clinical standards and techniques.

Designed exclusively for dentistry, the EyeSpecial C-II is a smart digital camera intended for clinical photography, dental and orthodontic case documentation, lab collaboration, and patient communication and education. Equipped with a 12 megapixel sensor, a high-performance 49 mm close-up lens, and a panoramic LCD touchscreen that allows the user to view and scroll through images with or without gloves, the EyeSpecial C-II offers eight pre-set dental shooting modes along with intuitive one-touch operations. This intelligent camera captures high-quality images with ease and convenience. It has an exceptional depth-of-field range, fast autofocus and anti-shake capabilities that ensure true-color reproduction. Like the smart phones and tablets, Shofu’s EyeSpecial C-II is highly intuitive and user friendly. The camera employs a spot-focus function, activated with a tap of a finger on the screen, and cropping grid lines both of which make excellence in dental photography easy to achieve. No extensive technical knowledge is required to work with the EyeSpecial C-II, an attribute that brings consistency and efficacy to treatment planning, and allows the clinician to delegate clinical photography tasks to staff members.

The camera also possesses a unique draw/edit function that makes sharing information, office-lab collaboration, and patient communication more streamlined. This feature enables making notes on images which is a valuable asset for discussing treatment options, or tracking the progress between treatments, increasing overall satisfaction and case acceptance.

Designed for comfort and functionality, the EyeSpecial C-II is convenient to hold using one hand. With an ultralight, durable body engineered to withstand rigorous infection control protocols, Shofu’s superior and simplified EyeSpecial C-II will contribute to consistency and predictability when capturing images for case planning and documentation in today’s dental practice and laboratory.

Watch in French: https://www.shofu.com/en/eyespecial-c-ii-instructional-video-in-french/

Watch in Portuguese:  https://www.shofu.com/en/eyespecial-c-ii-instructional-video-in-portuguese/

Watch in Spanish:   https://www.shofu.com/en/eyespecial-c-ii-instructional-video-in-spanish/

Copenhagen, February 25, 2016 – TRIOS, 3Shape’s intraoral scanner, will soon be used by dentists to do much more than just replace analog impression-taking. A new tool in the TRIOS intraoral scanner’s software called Digital Patient Monitoring (DPM) will enable doctors to monitor patient oral health ongoing.

Digital Patient Monitoring allows doctors to use the TRIOS digital color impressions to systematically monitor treatment and oral health over time.

DPM (Digital Patient Monitoring) compares TRIOS scans taken over time. Tracking and quantifying, i.e., gingival retraction, bruxism and teeth movement, and highlighting changes to the mouth that may require action on the computer screen. The Digital Patient Monitoring tool will be available as part of the TRIOS workflow.

The Digital Patient Monitoring tool was introduced today at Midwinter in Chicago by 3Shape. DPM will be available as a TRIOS software update later in the year.

Already today, doctors are using TRIOS digital color impressions to track oral health, such as lesions, staining and decay. Doctors find that TRIOS unique features like digital color impressions, shade measurement, HD photos and its documented-accuracy make the intraoral scanner ideal for monitoring the oral situation.

“Basically, I see us using TRIOS on not just any patient, but EVERY patient. I definitely see the scanning of each patient becoming a part of our routine,” says Dr. Jonathan L. Ferencz, prosthodontist, NYC Prosthodontics, New York.

Using DPM, doctors can show patients discoloration, tooth movement and trouble spots while they still sit in the chair. Involving the patient in any treatment proposals that are in turn, supported by the digital color impressions.

“The best patient is an educated patient. If I scan them, says Dr. Ferencz, I can take that lateral incisor and say, notice that from the labial your tooth is perfect. But if I flip it (on the TRIOS touch-screen monitor) look at what I see that you cannot see. The TRIOS scan shows a crack.

The patient asks me, what should I do? I say let’s schedule a crown and boom! The patient schedules because it is such a convincing demonstration,” says Dr. Ferencz.

The idea of using intraoral scans to monitor a patient’s oral health is completely new to dentistry. Likewise, empowering patients in treatment decision-making is a change as well. But as transparency becomes an established practice in the business world, it could be beneficial for today’s doctors as well. Especially in lieu of the wealth of medical information readily available to patients online.

“Dental practices are businesses too, and as such, building customer trust is essential. We are very excited to see this evolution in dentistry where digital technology is not only being used to replace analog workflows but as way of monitoring and actively involving the patient in their own care,” says Flemming Thorup, president and CEO at 3Shape.

Copenhagen, February 25, 2016 – 3Shape introduces a rechargeable battery-powered TRIOS cart model.

The new TRIOS 3 Battery Cart model contains the TRIOS wand, touchscreen color monitor and built-in PC. The digital color impression solution can be wheeled anywhere around the office, with no need for a wall socket for power - only for recharging.

The rechargeable battery powers the complete TRIOS digital color impression solution.

Copenhagen, February 17, 2016 - 3Shape announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted (510k) USA market clearance for the latest version of its Implant Studio software, which features an edentulous patient treatment workflow.

3Shape Implant Studio software merges CT/ Cone Beam CT imaging with 3D digital surface scans of the teeth and gingival situation to provide a digital view of dental patients. This enables dental professionals to evaluate the clinical situation, including, bone density and nerve positions, for creating prosthetic implant planning and surgical guide design.

Implant Studio™ introduces a dedicated workflow for implant planning and surgical guide design for edentulous patients. Edentulous patients can now be treated by using only CBCT/CT scan data and through the application of a dual scan protocol. The latest version of the software also features more than 20 new functional improvements including, the ability to manual align scans, gingiva-supported surgical guides and an innovative two-piece guide design. In addition, surgical guides designed in Implant Studio™ are optimized for milling and/or 3D printing.

“3Shape is very excited to receive FDA (510k) market clearance once again for our Implant Studio software. Importantly, the newest version has now added an edentulous patient workflow. This is extremely valuable as people of all ages are choosing dental implants to meet their restorative needs. Implant Studio™ provides dental professionals with an easier-to-use and more efficient workflow for caring for their patients,” says Flemming Thorup, 3Shape, president and CEO.

The dental implant market in the U.S. is projected to reach $5 billion by 2018. With 3 million Americans already having implants. That number is predicted to grow by 500,000 per year, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

Implant Studio™ is available through 3Shape resellers. Availability to end-users will depend on the specific system configuration.

For more information about Implant Studio™, please visit https://www.3shape.com/en/new+products/implant+studio/cad+software

See Implant Studio™ training video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCWnYzDhJOgOutlSxX_0rH1UneXU03XKO

Doxa Dental, Inc. is launching Ceramir Crown & Bridge QuikCap at the 2016 Hinman Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Ceramir C&B QuikCap remains the same unique material that has created a new category of dental cement.

As the only calcium aluminate/glass ionomer hybrid on the market, Ceramir C&B cement:

• sets and remains at a high pH

• forms new apatite

• is resin-free

• has shown in a preliminary study to close artificial marginal gaps

• has excellent retention and other physical properties

• performance has been documented in numerous published US and international studies

With the launch of the new Ceramir C&B QuikCap capsule, the benefits to the customer now also include:

• self-activated capsule, no separate activation equipment needed

• the Ceramir C&B QuikCaps work with most brands of appliers

• contains .17 ml of extruded material versus .10 ml in Ceramir C&B SingleCaps

Kelley Reinfelds, VP North America, states, “We are very excited about this improvement in the delivery system as it will benefit our current customers in saving them procedure and chair time, as well as customers new to Ceramir C&B Cement. With Ceramir C&B QuikCaps, we look forward to introducing even more dentists to the benefits of Doxa’s unique calcium aluminate technology.” 

Earth City, Mo., MARCH 17, 2016 – Young is excited to launch a sweet addition to its D-Lish® Prophy Paste family - a new Dessert Trio Prophy Paste.

Featuring an assortment of mouth-watering Strawberry Cheesecake, Sugar Cookie and Triple Fudge Brownie flavors,D-Lish Dessert Trio Prophy Pastehas a uniquely smooth and creamy texture that’s easy to rinse.

D-Lish Prophy Paste has a smooth texture and pumice-based formula designed for easy application and improved stain removal. D-Lish Dessert Trio Prophy Paste is gluten-free, contains 1.23% fluoride ion and xylitol, and is available in assorted 200ct bags in coarse grit, only.

These new dessert-inspired flavors are part of Young’s line of D-Lish Prophy Paste, which offers more than 15 delicious flavors that are great for all ages.

“My favorite Young Dental product has to be the D-Lish Prophy Paste. It doesn't splatter like many other pastes do, and it goes on very nicely,” said Kristen Shoemaker, RDH. “Patients also appreciate the vast array of AWESOME flavors! D-Lish products taste so good, they even satisfy pregnancy cravings!”

In addition to classic D-Lish flavors such as Key Lime, Fresh Strawberries™, Dreamsicle Orange and many more, patients also love the assorted D-Lish Happy Hour Drink Mix flavors of Mint Mojito, Pina Colada and Strawberry Margarita!

For more information or to request your FREE SAMPLE of Young’s D-Lish Prophy Paste, please visit www.youngdental.com. 

Newswise — Chicago, IL (March 11, 2016) — The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has announced the details of its two Plenary Sessions and Community Service Day (CSD) set to take place during the 2016 Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) at the 93rd Annual Session (AS) being held in downtown Pittsburgh on June 8-14. Beginning at 8:00 a.m. on the mornings of Thursday, June 9 and Saturday, June 11, this years’ Keynote speakers are Erik Wahl and Mika Brzezinski. Community Service Day – made possible by the ADHA’s Foundation: Institute for Oral Health (IOH) – is set for Wednesday, June 8 from 12:30 p.m. -to- 4:30 p.m. at Mercy Health Systems in downtown Pittsburgh.

Sponsored by Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant, Thursday’s 8:00 a.m. session entitled “Unlock Your Creative Genus” will be delivered by American graffiti artist, author, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur, Erik Wahl. Sponsored by Procter & Gamble Crest + Oral B, Saturday’s session will begin with the ADHA Awards Ceremony at 8:00 a.m. followed by the keynote presentation entitled “Knowing Your Value” by best-selling author, journalist, and co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Mika Brzezinski. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for both Plenary Sessions. All CLL attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to attend.

“The enthusiasm and anticipation surrounding CLL at the 93rd Annual Session continues to build as we come ever closer to the largest gathering of dental hygiene professionals in the country,” said ADHA President Jill Rethman, RDH, BA. “We are proud to introduce keynote speakers Erik Wahl and Mika Brzezinski, who are sure to bring unique perspectives and a great deal of energy to this years’ Plenary Sessions.”

The ADHA and Institute for Oral Health are also pleased to once again be hosting Community Service Day – a powerful kickoff to the annual session. The Community Service Day program brings registered dental hygienists from around the country together in a local community outreach event. Participants educate at-risk populations and help better community by providing dental hygiene education, oral cancer screening and varnish treatments.

“This is an initiative that demonstrates the Foundation’s determination to better the public’s total health by increasing the awareness of and access to quality oral healthcare,” said Rethman about Community Service Day’s impact. “We made a significant impact on older adults at CLL Nashville last year and hope to do the same for special needs individuals of the Pittsburgh region in June.”

More than 2,000 attendees will be at ADHA’s convention, as dental hygienists gather for professional development, continuing education, exhibits, networking and social events.

March 16, 2016 -Washington, D.C. – The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) will host the 47^th Annual Convention & Trade Show in Reno, Nevada from October 5-8, 2016. This year’s theme, “Building Education Nations by Engaging Families, Educators, and Leaders,” brings together Native educators, students, and advocates focused on improving the academic achievement of Native students.

NIEA Executive Director Ahniwake Rose says, “The NIEA Convention creates a unique opportunity for educators, advocates, and tribal leaders to share successful teaching strategies and seek solutions for challenges faced in school systems. We offer a meaningful space for stakeholders to discuss, network, learn, and guide policy and advocacy at a national level.”

NIEA is excited to host the 2016 Convention in Reno, NV. NIEA President Patricia Whitefoot said, "NIEA is thrilled to bring the 47th Annual Convention and Trade Show to Reno. Reno remains a focal point of Native culture, community, and innovation and will shape the future of Native education by allowing attendees to immerse themselves in the rich tradition and history of the Great Basin."

NIEA Convention participants will have the opportunity to choose from more than 100 workshops focusing on advancing educational programs for Native students. The three day convention offers a tradeshow, including Native art vendors from across the country, college & career opportunities, education resources, and chances to network. As part of the tradeshow, high school students will have the opportunity to take part in NIEA’s 3^rd Annual College Showcase which welcomes thousands of local students to interact with university exhibitors.

Both NIEA members and non-members are welcome to attend the Convention. Registration for Early-Bird pricing will open on April 1^st. For more information about the 2016 NIEA Convention or to inquire about becoming an NIEA member, sponsor, or tradeshow exhibitor, please visit the website at www.niea.org.