MELVILLE, N.Y., May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC), the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners, announced the opening of the Henry Schein Digital Dentistry Program at Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry. The goal of the training and delivery of care program is to prepare the next generation of dental professionals for advances in digital dentistry.

A grand opening was recently held at Temple where dental students and faculty demonstrated the new 3D imaging equipment, intra-oral scanners and milling machines made available as a result of a partnership with Henry Schein.  Five volunteer patients from Temple's local underserved community received digital crowns, and one patient received an inlay, custom-milled on site.

"We are in the midst of unprecedented change in dentistry, driven by digital technology advancements," said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. "Yet one thing will never change, and that is the trust Temple's Kornberg School of Dentistry can place in Henry Schein to help accelerate the adoption of digital dentistry. The profession and its future leaders can rely on Henry Schein to help increase productivity through digital solutions and services, support, education and training."

"This new technology marks the beginning of a new era in oral health care, in which digital technology will dramatically improve patient outcomes," said Dr. Amid Ismail, Dean of Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry. "Temple Dental has been on the cutting edge of dentistry for more than 150 years, with a constant mission to provide the highest quality of care to all those in need. This technology will have a life-changing impact for those we serve. The scanners will reduce patient discomfort, and the milling of well-fitting crowns and other dental prostheses can be completed within a few days, instead of weeks. We are grateful to Henry Schein for giving us the tools that will help enable us to prepare our students for clinical practice, not only with this equipment, but with the type of positive learning experience that will prepare them to work in a technology-driven oral health care environment throughout their careers."

During the launch of Temple's program, 16 faculty members were trained to use the Planmeca PlanScan Scanner® and Planmeca PlanMill 40®. In addition, Dr. Amid Ismail, Dr. Hai Qing, D.D.S., PhD., F.A.C.P., Diplomat of the American Board of Prosthodontics, Assistant Professor, Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry, Department of Restorative Dentistry, and Dr. Aaron Segal, D.D.S., F.A.C.P., Associate Professor and Clinical Scholar, Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry, Department of Restorative Dentistry, were on hand to supervise student work, assist fellow faculty members, and celebrate the launch of the program. Dr. Robert Gottlander, Chief Marketing Officer for Henry Schein Inc.'s Global Dental Group, also attended to discuss Henry Schein's commitment to the education of future dental leaders.

"We are pleased to have collaborated with Temple on the launch of their Henry Schein Digital Dentistry Program as part of our ConnectDental offering, which includes a deep commitment to help educate practitioners about the patient and practice benefits of digital dentistry," said Dr. Gottlander. "Our partnership with leading dental schools, such as Temple, helps ensure future dental professionals have the training and confidence to embrace digital technology."

The collaboration with Temple on the Henry Schein Digital Dentistry Program is another example of the Company's commitment to providing the education and training needed by students to effectively apply new technology in their future work. In October 2015, Henry Schein announced a new partnership with the American College of Prosthodontists Education Foundation (ACPEF)to fund a program of the ACPEF for the development of a digital dentistry curriculum at dental schools.

Baltimore, MD and Novato, CA; May 10th, 2016– In 2016 the most prestigious award for dental industry companies, will transition sponsorship from the Pride Institute to the newly launched Cellerant Consulting Group, founded by Dr. Lou Shuman, DMD, CAGS. The Cellerant “Best of Class” Technology Award, formerly known as The Pride “Best of Class” Technology Award, recognizes innovative game changing technology offerings, services and devices.  Since the inaugural presentation in 2009, the “Best of Class” Technology Awards have grown to occupy a unique space in dentistry, by creating awareness in the community of manufacturers that are driving the discussion as to how practices will operate now and in the future.

Prior to founding Cellerant Consulting Group, Dr. Shuman served as the President of Pride Institute where he created and developed the “Best of Class” Technology Awards.  “As one of the most recognized and reputable names in practice management, the Pride Institute was a terrific launching pad for a completely different kind of award” said Dr. Shuman. 

In just eight years the “Best of Class” designation has become not only a coveted honor for industry, but as importantly a trusted criterion for dental professionals to make educated, informed product and technology investment decisions for their practices and their patients.  “While sponsorship will transition to Cellerant and the award name will change in 2016, the “Best of Class” commitment to integrity, based on its rigorous selection process will remain the same” vowed Dr. Shuman.

The selection process relies on an expert panel of dentists recognized as thought leaders and educators that includes Dr. Paul Feuerstein, Dr. John Flucke, Dr. Marty Jablow and Dr. Parag Kachalia. Over the course of each year, the panel members seek out and conduct research on potentially practice-changing technologies, with deliberations on nominees and final voting taking place in February.  Panelists are precluded from voting in any category where they have consulting relationships.  The entire selection process is conducted and managed on a not-for-profit basis.

“Best of Class” Technology Award winners are showcased at the ADA annual meeting. Dental professionals have the unique opportunity to speak with each company and interact with the award-winning products at the Technology Expo in the Exhibit Hall. The Technology Expo also offers free continuing education taught by the leading experts in technology integration and social media. More information can be found online at ADA.org/meeting.

“Lou started Cellerant in response to the industry consulting business that grew organically during his time as President of Pride.  We agreed that Pride should remain laser focused on the practice management side” commented Amy Morgan, Pride Institute CEO.  “It’s logical and fitting that “Best of Class”, now the most prominent dental industry award, transition to Cellerant and continue forward under Dr. Shuman’s leadership”.  “I am excited about this transition year and the 2016 “Best of Class” award winners which will be announced in June” added Dr. Shuman.

ATLANTA—Carestream Dental has announced the launch of eConnections, the first all-in-one solution to help oral health care professionals manage, market and grow their practices. eConnections provides solutions to many practice challenges by bringing appointment reminders, online scheduling, online brand management including ratings and reviews, local SEO, online directories, ROI tracking, and call recording and analysis into one robust, easy-to-manage software solution.

eConnections is powered by MMG Fusion and made possible through an integration agreement with the company.

“In order to better serve our clients, we’ve partnered with MMG Fusion to deliver solutions for practices to more effectively connect with their patients, better manage their online brand presence and make more informed marketing decisions,” Robert Patrick, global director of product line management, Carestream Dental, said. “eConnections is a fully integrated, all-in-one technology that provides best-in-class features and tools.”

“We’re excited to be working with a leader in the dental practice management software industry to offer them everything a doctor needs to manage, market and grow their practice,” Paul Intlekofer, chief executive officer of MMG Fusion, said. “MMG Fusion provides dental practices a broad set of tools and the flexibility to meet oral health care professionals’ specific needs, all in one easy-to-manage, integrated dashboard.”

Carestream Dental recognizes the rapidly changing marketplace and the challenges practices face to build and grow their business, and more effectively connect with patients. With eConnections, practitioners use a single sign-on to one powerful dashboard to manage their brand’s online presence and reputation, patient communications and scheduling, and marketing programs, while tracking all programs back to specific patient revenue through a seamless connection to CS OrthoTrac, CS SoftDent, CS PracticeWorks or CS WinOMS practice management software.

To learn more about eConnections, visit www.mmgfusion.com. To know more about Carestream Dental’s practice management software, or any of its innovative solutions, visit www.carestreamdental.com or call 800.944.6365.

About MMG Fusion

MMG Fusion is dedicated to helping dentists build a thriving practice by making front office management and marketing simple through its all-in-one, best-in-class innovative technology. MMG Fusion brings patient communication and scheduling, call recording and analysis, local SEO, online directories, ROI tracking, brand management and social media together in the only all-in-one practice growth solution. MMG Fusion is committed to continue to evolve our product by keeping abreast of the latest social media trends, advancements in technology and changes in best practices. For more information, visit https://www.mmgfusion.com.

About Carestream Dental

Carestream Dental provides industry-leading imaging, CAD/CAM, software and practice management solutions for dental and oral health professionals. With more than 100 years of industry experience, Carestream Dental products are used by seven out of 10 practitioners globally and deliver more precise diagnoses, improved workflows and superior patient care. For more information or to contact a Carestream Dental representative, call 800.944.6365 or visit www.carestreamdental.com.

About Carestream Health

Carestream is a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and IT solutions; X-ray imaging systems for non-destructive testing and advanced materials for the precision films and electronics markets. For more information about the company’s broad portfolio of products, solutions and services, please contact your Carestream representative, call 888.777.2072 or visit www.carestream.com.

Hatfield, PA (May 13, 2016) DEXIS, LLC, a brand of the KaVo Kerr Group, announced today that the American Dental Association (ADA) meeting notes include reference to a code for caries detection, which is appropriate for use when requesting insurance reimbursement for images taken with DEXIS CariVu™.

The code will be published later this year and effective January 1, 2017. The meeting notes indicate that the code can be used to cover a “Non‐ionizing diagnostic procedure capable of quantifying, monitoring, and recording changes in structure of enamel, dentin and cementum.”

“This announcement allows dentists to code images taken with DEXIS CariVu, a portable caries detection device that uses patented infra-red transillumination to identify carious lesions and cracks,” said Adam Palermo, DEXIS Product Manager. “To be paid by certain insurance companies, dentists must submit insurance claims that report the services provided. The introduction of a code that specifically covers the CariVu technology will enable accurate coding.”

The American Dental Association (ADA) indicates that CDT Codes are used for claims processing and completion of Electronic Health Record. In addition, any claim submitted on a HIPAA standard electronic dental claim must use dental procedure codes from the version of the CDT Code in effect on the date of service. The CDT Code is also used on paper dental claims, and the ADA's paper claim form data content reflects the HIPAA electronic standard.

DEXIS CariVu is a compact, portable caries detection device that uses patented transillumination technology to support the identification of occlusal, interproximal and recurrent carious lesions and cracks. Using transillumination technology, and no ionizing radiation, CariVu reveals the tooth’s structure and the actual structure of any carious lesions or cracks. By hugging the tooth and bathing it in safe, near-infrared light, CariVu makes the enamel appear transparent while porous lesions trap and absorb the light. This allows the clinician to see through the tooth exposing its structure and the actual structure of any carious lesions with very high accuracy. For more information about DEXIS CariVu, visit www.dexis.com/carivu. For DEXIS indications for use, visit www.dexis.com/ifu.

About DEXIS

DEXIS is an industry leader in developing high quality digital imaging solutions for the dental community. In 1997, DEXIS introduced digital radiography on laptop computers — making it the first truly portable and affordable digital X-ray system. In 2001, DEXIS™ became the first intra-oral digital radiography system to be accepted by the American Dental Association into the highly prestigious ADA Seal Program. Today, DEXIS is the most highly awarded intra-oral digital X-ray system with numerous awards from dental researchers and well-respected dental publications. For more information on the DEXIS Imaging Suite of products including the DEXIS™ Platinum Sensor and CariVu™, visit www.dexis.com.

DEXIS is a member of the KaVo Kerr Group. KaVo Kerr Group is a global portfolio of leading dental brands that share common values of Trust, Experience, Choices, Quality and Smart Innovation. Brands include KaVo™, Kerr™, Kerr Total Care™, Pentron™, Axis|Sybron™ Endo, Orascoptic™, Pelton & Crane™, Marus™, Gendex™, DEXIS™, Instrumentarium™, SOREDEX™, i-CAT™, NOMAD™, Implant Direct™ and Ormco™. With over 500 years of combined experience and proven solutions, KaVo Kerr Group uniquely serves 99% of all dental practices. Visit www.kavokerrgroup.com for more information.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Dental Association applauds Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for joining the fight against the over-prescription and abuse of opioid painkillers. The ADA agrees with Sen. Durbin that health care professional organizations have a special role to play in addressing the problem.

In fact, ever since the Journal of the American Dental Association published a cover story in 2011 about the dentist’s role in preventing prescription opioid abuse, the ADA has worked on the issue, beginning in earnest that same year when approached by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Since that time, the Association has taken a number of steps to ensure that its members are aware of the potential for opioid addiction and that they have the tools to prevent it.

Continuing education. For years, the ADA has offered in-person and online continuing education courses to help dentists better recognize signs of opioid abuse. The courses address how to briefly counsel and refer patients who may be abusing opioids for appropriate treatment. Every dentist that attended the Association’s 2015 Conference on Dentist Health and Wellness completed a continuing education course on opioid prescribing. And the opioid prescribing courses offered the Association’s 2015 annual dental meeting completely sold out. The ADA is finalizing the content for its next round of online courses, which are planned for August and September. 

Guidelines. In May 2015, the ADA published an easy-to-use reference manual, “Practical Guide to Substance Use Disorders and Safe Prescribing,” that includes techniques dentists can use to identify and respond to suspicious drug-seeking behaviors, including after-hours requests for prescription drugs. In addition, the Association is updating its Guideline on the Use of Opioids in the Treatment of Dental Pain. The guideline will help dentists establish a more appropriate balance between the need to use opioids for effective pain management and their abuse potential. It will also help dental schools develop curriculum for drug abuse prevention, and help state dental societies and state boards of dentistry as they establish position papers.

AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse. The ADA joined the American Medical Association Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse last year. The mission of this coalition of health professional organizations is to reverse the nation’s opioid epidemic. The coalition’s initial goals are to improve the design and operation of prescription drug monitoring programs, increase the number of prescribers registered with those programs, and increase the number of health professionals who complete training in model opioid prescribing practices.

Medicine Abuse Project. The ADA has been a member of the Medicine Abuse Project since 2015. This initiative of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America raises awareness of prescription drug abuse and enlists dentists in the fight against it. 

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative. The ADA began promoting the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative in 2012. The Association has used the campaign to remind dentists to counsel patients on how to safely secure and dispose of unused medications at home, and encourage patients to attend local Take-Back events.

National Recovery Month. The ADA has been a proponent of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Recovery Month since 2004. The ADA uses the campaign to help its members to identify their community's substance abuse treatment resources and learn how to make referrals when indicated. 

White House Partnership to Address Prescription Drug Abuse. The ADA last year entered a strategic partnership with the White House to help prevent opioid drug-related overdoses and deaths.  The Association pledged to seek an increase in the number of dentists completing its continuing education webinars (certified by the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program) on responsible opioid prescribing. The ADA also pledged to seek an increase in the number of dentists who are registered with their state’s prescription drug monitoring program (where available).

For years, the ADA has leveraged all of these programs and campaigns to encourage dentists to refresh their knowledge about how to safely prescribe opioid pain medication. In addition, the ADA has worked hard to ensure that its members are aware of modern drug-seeking behavior and to help those patients who may be addicted to opioid painkillers.

Find out more at ADA.org/opioids.

2016 Sterngold Grant Awarded by the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology

The Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology announced the winner of the 2016 Sterngold Grant is Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California.

Sterngold Dental pledged $10,000 to the Foundation in both cash and product donations over a period of time to help support the future of dental laboratory technology. With this donation, Sterngold and the Foundation created this grant in order to support the Foundation’s purpose by making higher-level education more accessible. Pasadena City College will be awarded $1,250 in product donation. 

“Through both cash contributions and product donations, Sterngold’s support enables the Foundation to offer more grants and scholarships to interested candidates for advanced education as well as provide direct support to educational institution’s dental laboratory technology programs. Especially with the duration of this grant, I can confidently say we are positively changing the future of the dental laboratory technology profession one day at a time,” said Foundation Chair, Jeff Stronk. 

The Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology (FDLT) is a non-profit 501c (3) organization. The purpose of FDLT is to advance the profession of dental laboratory technology by addressing industry driven needs and providing solutions that are relevant and accessible to dental technicians and other members of the dental team.

Sterngold Dental is located in Attleboro, Massachusetts and is the leading source for restorative dentistry and is a global leader in alloys, attachments, implants, and restorative systems. Sterngold uses the ERA® denture attachment, the number one attachment in the world, and has lectured and presented hands-on clinics to thousands of dentists and dental technicians all over. For additional information about Sterngold Dental, visit www.Sterngold.com. 

For additional information about the Foundation and its program, visit www.dentallabfoundation.org.  

The Foundation relies heavily on donations from individuals as well as companies to fund the scholarship and grant programs. Donations are accepted throughout the year.  To support the Foundation, please visit www.nadl.org/dltf/donate-online.cfm. 

PITTSBURGH, PA. (PRWEB) MAY 13, 2016

The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences and UPMC are collaborating on a joint venture dedicated to better understanding the trillions of microbes that form an ecosystem inhabiting the human body, called the microbiome.

To be announced today as a participant at the launch of the National Microbiome Initiative hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in Washington, D.C., Pitt’s Center for Medicine and the Microbiome brings together scientists and clinicians to explore how the microbiome affects health and disease—and how it can be harnessed to develop new therapies to help patients. The initiative and its research and clinical partners aim to advance the understanding of microbiome behavior and enable protection and restoration of healthy microbiome function, including investigations of fundamental principles that govern microbiomes across diverse ecosystems and development of new tools to study microbiomes.

“The very nature of the microbiome involves many organs and affects many areas of medicine—from infectious disease, to cancer biology, to inflammatory bowel disease, to immunology—requiring collaboration between the many disciplines of science and medicine, something UPMC and Pitt have a proven track record of achieving,” said Mark T. Gladwin, M.D., chair of medicine and Dr. Jack D. Myers Professor of Internal Medicine at Pitt.

The Center will be led by Alison Morris, M.D., M.S., who holds the UPMC Chair for Translational Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Pitt’s School of Medicine and attended the White House event.

“Our bodies are not ours alone. A great variety of microscopic organisms call us home and, in turn, they perform critical functions for us, including digesting our food, modulating inflammation and fighting off bad bugs,” said Dr. Morris, also a professor of medicine in the Pitt Department of Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, with a joint appointment in the Department of Immunology. “We expect our Center for Medicine and the Microbiome to usher in a new era of care, with what we learn leading to therapies for diseases and conditions ranging from obesity to cancer.”

The Center for Medicine and the Microbiome is a joint venture, with more than $5 million in funding provided by Pitt’s Department of Medicine, UPMC and UPMC Enterprises. The Pitt School of Dental Medicine and uBiome, Inc., a microbial genomics company based in San Francisco, also have contributed to Center activities.

The center will enable several innovative projects. For example, in collaboration with Pitt’s School of Dental Medicine, the microbiomes of approximately 3,500 saliva samples previously collected with patient permission can be examined and anonymously linked to patient medical records to yield what is expected to be the largest study of human genetics and microbial communities.

In the near future, the center will launch the Pittsburgh Biome Project to crowd-source a large collection of gut microbiome samples from local community members. Those who participate could get an analysis of their own microbiome and contribute to a research project that would analyze the microbiome in relationship to current and future health. This project will establish a large biorepository of clinical samples that will be linked, with the participants’ consent, to electronic health records. It will be the first of its kind to engage a local community in large-scale microbiome research related not only to current health and disease but also to future disease risk.

“Having such a biorepository and database here in Pittsburgh, where we have such strong academic and medical resources, is going to be an incredible asset,” said Arthur S. Levine, M.D., Pitt’s senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean of Medicine. “This initiative will enable studies that could explore the impact of the microbiome on cancer, lung conditions, hypertension, heart disease, malnutrition and myriad other conditions. We may discover that the balance of microbes in the gut can be adjusted to fight obesity, or that our microbiome could help or hinder certain cancers or the response of cancer to therapy. Our discoveries could lead to clinical trials that result in therapies to help people around the world.”

Other key research areas the center intends to tackle include the development and treatment of drug-resistant pathogens and the use of fecal transplantation for various diseases, such as Clostridium difficile colitis. UPMC’s existing fecal transplant program will become an important contributor to Pitt’s Center for Medicine and the Microbiome.

The center also will provide collaboration opportunities to give Pitt scientists access to microbial analyses previously unavailable to them.

“Sequencing technologies have evolved rapidly over the past several years and can generate large amounts of data on microbiome diversity, but unfortunately these types of tests are too expensive and the analytics too complex for many researchers,” said John W. Mellors, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in Pitt’s Department of Medicine. “We intend for our new center to facilitate this type of testing, incorporating microbiome research into existing studies and supporting development of novel studies.”

Alexandria, Va., USA – Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will hold an event to announce the official launch of the National Microbiome Initiative. Microbiomes are communities of microorganisms that live on and in people, plants, soil, oceans, and the atmosphere. Microbiomes maintain healthy function of these diverse ecosystems, influencing diverse features of the planet—human health, climate change, and food security. During the event, the Administration will announce steps to advance the understanding of microbiome behavior and enable protection and restoration of healthy microbiome function, including by investigating fundamental principles that govern microbiomes across diverse ecosystems, and developing new tools to study microbiomes. 
  


This past year, the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) worked, on behalf of its members, with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to highlight the importance and value of the oral microbiome. 
  


The oral microbiome is unique, accessible and highly amenable to modulation, compared to the microbiomes at other body sites. In the next several years, the breakthroughs in knowledge and technology already in progress will offer tremendous new opportunities to control the most common diseases of mankind—dental caries and periodontitis—as well as their deleterious effects on systemic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, preterm birth and others. The lessons learned from the oral microbiome as a model system will furthermore inform work on other diseases at other body sites. 
  


AADR Institutional Section Member The Forsyth Institute included a new commitment for oral microbiome research as part of the National Microbiome Initiative. Specifically, Forsyth will dedicate up to $100,000 per year for three years for pilot grant funding for novel microbiome projects. This multi-year commitment to invest in groundbreaking projects in its newly formed Host-Microbiome Center will provide funding to support exploratory or proof-of-principle studies for which no other funding sources are available. Such studies must have the potential to develop into full-fledged research projects that test new paradigms, and can lead to intellectual property, and NIH or other extramural funding.  



"The Forsyth Institute is honored to be able to participate in the National Microbiome Initiative through the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center at Forsyth," said Forsyth President & CEO Phil Stashenko, D.M.D., Ph.D. "This newly-formed Center focuses on five areas of investigation, including new ways to: re-engineer the oral microbiome as well as modulate host inflammatory responses; use defined microbial (gnotobiotic) systems to study crosstalk between the oral microbiome and the immune response; characterize microbial activities using metatranscriptomics that contribute to health or disease; define the 'geography' of the oral microbiome to identify bacterial partnerships vs antagonisms; and the replacement of pathogens with commensal bacteria using pre- and probiotics. I believe that these efforts have great potential to lead to a reduction in the burden of oral diseases on the population, improve overall health, and further reduce health inequalities."  
 

"We are extremely pleased by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy support of microbiome research," said AADR President Jack L. Ferracane, Ph.D. "Given the enormous opportunities, we hope the National Microbiome Initiative will spur Congress to provide increased federal investments to all fields of microbiome research including to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for research on the oral microbiome. NIDCR funds a community resource providing comprehensive information on more than 700 different microbial species present in the oral cavity. Increased federal investments in oral microbiome research will lead to a better understanding of the two most common diseases affecting the population–dental caries and periodontal disease." 
  


AADR will live tweet from today's National Microbiome Initiative launch event. Follow AADR @DentalResearch and #microbiome to follow the conversation. The OSTP event will be live streamed from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. EDT at https://www.whitehouse.gov/live.

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah, May 12, 2016 –Following a nation-wide nomination and voting process, Ultradent Products, Inc., an international dental supply and manufacturing company based in South Jordan, Utah, was selected for the second consecutive year out of over 3,000 other nominated companies to receive the Golden Hands Award of Xcellence for Ethics and Truth in Advertising today at a national dental trade show in Anaheim, California.

Initial nominees for the prestigious award were selected by a respected group of well-known clinicians and leaders in the dental industry, including numerous, well-known Key Opinion Leader doctors. They selected the nominees based on the merits of ethical conduct, placement of public health before profits, dependable products, knowledgeable personnel, and excellent customer service. The nominees were then voted on by thousands of practicing dentists across the nation to select the winner.

Of receiving the honor, Dr. Dan Fischer, President and CEO of Ultradent Products, Inc. said, “We’re so honored to have received this recognition. Additionally, it must be said that the true honor for this award goes to the men and women at Ultradent who work tirelessly every day to uphold the values upon which Ultradent hangs its hat: Integrity, Care, Quality, Innovation, and lastly, Hard work. They embody these values in the way they contribute to our vision every day, regardless of their personal job description or the continent on which they serve. We are humbled to receive this recognition and will use it as a critical reminder of our duty to continue to be responsible and caring to those we serve, both inside and outside Ultradent. Indeed, we are truly fortunate humans. Onward and upward!”

Prominent doctors involved in selection, assistance and support of the award include: Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. John Farah, Dr. Howard Farran, Dr. Edward Feinberg, Dr. Eddie Harouni, Dr. Howard Landesman, Dr. Brian LeSage, Dr. Pascal Magne, Dr. Michael Miller, Dr. Hessam Nowzari, Dr. Terry Pannkuk, Dr. Ron Saidara, Dr. Han Scoble, Dr. Gary Solnit and Dr. Frank Vidjak.A very special thanks goes to the following individuals for their guidance, assistance and support: Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. John Farah, Dr. Howard Farran, Dr. Edward Feinberg, Dr. Eddie Harouni, Dr. Howard Landesman, Dr. Brian LeSage, Dr. Pascal Magne, Dr. Michael Miller, Dr. Hessam Nowzari, Dr. Terry Pannkuk, Dr. Ron Saidara, Dr. Han Scoble, Dr. Gary Solnit and Dr. Frank Vidjak. A very special thanks goes to the following individuals for their guidance, assistance and support: Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. John Farah, Dr. Howard Farran, Dr. Edward Feinberg, Dr. Eddie Harouni, Dr. Howard Landesman, Dr. Brian LeSage, Dr. Pascal Magne, Dr. Michael Miller, Dr. Hessam Nowzari, Dr. Terry Pannkuk, Dr. Ron Saidara, Dr. Han Scoble, Dr. Gary Solnit and Dr. Frank Vidjak. A very special thanks goes to the following individuals for their guidance, assistance and support: Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. John Farah, Dr. Howard Farran, Dr. Edward Feinberg, Dr. Eddie Harouni, Dr. Howard Landesman, Dr. Brian LeSage, Dr. Pascal Magne, Dr. Michael Miller, Dr. Hessam Nowzari, Dr. Terry Pannkuk, Dr. Ron Saidara, Dr. Han Scoble, Dr. Gary Solnit and Dr. Frank Vidjak.

The Golden Hands Award of Xcellence has the distinction of being the most elaborate award in Dentistry. Conceptualized by Amir H. Motamed, DDS, the sculpture has been designed and made by commissioned artist and master craftsman, Donjo. Using the lost-wax process, the sculpture is made of casted bronze over an Italian barble base. The hands are patina. The logo is casted bronze, then polished and enamelized with automobile paint. The sculpture stands 16 inches tall and weighs 18.4 pounds. The sculpted Golden Hands of Dentistry are shown upholding the four colored triangles of the dental profession: Dental Education, Dental Professionals, Dental Organizations and the Dental Industry— all pointing to a common core. 

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Convergent Dental Inc. today announced the release of Solea 3.0, revolutionary new software that dramatically enhances Solea’s® industry-leading anesthesia-free and blood-free performance. Convergent Dental has simplified the number one selling all-tissue dental laser’s workflow to allow dentists to cut any tissue without changing any settings. Dentists simply turn Solea on, direct the beam at the desired tissue and step on the variable speed foot pedal. The one-setting-fits-all-approach works for tooth structure, bone and soft tissue and enables any dentist to reliably perform anesthesia-free, blood-free, suture-free and pain-free procedures. Dentists interested in experiencing the dental laser’s new, powerful Solea 3.0 software first-hand can stop by booth #607 at CDA Presents: Anaheim 2016 taking place May 12-14, 2016. “When we introduced Solea we changed the paradigm. Now, with Solea 3.0, we’ve changed it again by designing software so simple every dentist can be a laser dentist. Solea 3.0 is like a car with an automatic transmission - you simply turn it on, step on the pedal and go. Anesthesia-free and blood-free procedures are now well within reach for any dentist. I don’t know what’s better: the fact that Solea 3.0 is easy to use or that it cuts 2.5 times faster1 and 5 times smoother2 than the previous software version,” said Convergent Dental CEO Michael Cataldo. “I’m also proud of the fact that this major enhancement can be delivered via Wi-Fi to any Solea and is free as part of our service plan. Our dentists are telling us that Solea 3.0 is faster, smoother and easier to use with many approaching 100 percent anesthesia-free for 100 percent of their cavity preps regardless of enamel thickness or the depth of the preparation3.”

One Setting No Matter What the Tissue

Solea 3.0 offers a single-setting for any tissue so dentists don’t have to think about which setting to use for which procedure or change settings during a procedure. They simply press softer on the foot pedal for softer tissues and press harder on the foot pedal for harder tissues.

Dramatic Performance Improvement Delivered via Wi-Fi

Solea 3.0 is faster, smoother and easier to use. Amazingly, this is all enabled by the latest software update delivered automatically via Wi-Fi.

“This new software makes me feel like I’m using an entirely new laser,” said Dr. Ryan Slaten. “The ‘cut’ is the smoothest and fastest I’ve ever seen. Best of all, Solea 3.0 was delivered over Wi-Fi – no hardware changes required. All that and it was included for free in my service contract!”

Dentists interested in learning more about Solea 3.0 can email info@convergentdental.com or call 1-844-GO-SOLEA.