The National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC), and The Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology (FDLT) are seeking individuals to fill open seats on the 2018 NADL Board of Directors, 2018 NBC Board of Trustees, and 2018 FDLT Board of Trustees.

New board members will be elected, or appointed, in the fall of 2017 and will take office on Jan. 1, 2018.

The boards guide the organization through proven leadership, a shared vision, and support for the missions of the association. If you enjoy collaborating with other professionals and have a desire to give back to your profession, then the NADL, NBC, and FDLT want you.

Qualities of an Effective Board Member

- Serving as an association leader is both an honorand a reward. It requires a proven commitment to the organization and its missions and goals.

- Participating fully in association activities requires extra time and expense for attending meetings. 

- Well-developed interpersonal skills and ability to communicate are essential to effective teamwork.

- An effective board member brings expertise and experience to provide value, but such experience and expertise should not drive the policy-making process.

- Intuitive and interpretive skills enable leaders to understand the people around them, internalize the data they receive, recognize the relationships that exist between systems within their world, and integrate all these elements into a coherent whole.

- Focusing on policy-making, not the day-to-day operations of the organization, is what makes an effective board.

NADL

The NADL is a nonprofit trade association with voluntary membership. It was founded in 1951 to ensure that the domestic dental laboratory industry could remain competitive and profitable by recruiting and retaining skilled technicians while providing high-caliber products and services to the dental industry. Since then, the NADL has branched out by offering business training and access to relevant services to ensure laboratories can work to their highest potential. The NADL is the voice of the industry at the national level.

NBC

The NBC was established in 1957 to provide professional certification to both dental technicians and dental laboratories. It is not a membership organization, but rather a certifying body. CDTs and RGs are not required to be members of the NADL, but are sometimes eligible for discounts on NADL products and meetings.

FDLT

The Foundation is the newest of the three organizations. It was created in 2008 through both financial seed money from the NADL and intellectual property from the NBC to provide a mechanism to ensure the future viability of dental laboratory education. The main focus is to advance the profession of dental laboratory technology by developing educational curriculum and programs that will be relevant and accessible to technicians and other members of the dental team. The Foundation provides grants, scholarships, and resource coordination to deliver direct support to dental laboratory schools.

All three of the organizations work together on behalf of the industry to ensure that your needs are heard and met. Each organization fills a role within the industry and your involvement is important.

To view eligibility requirements for board service, visit the News Page on each organization’s website. Candidates interested in serving will be required to read and sign a board application in order to be considered for board service.

Contact Sarah at shackney@executiveoffice.org or 800-950-1150 to request a board application. A short candidate biography and digital headshot should be submitted with the completed form. All applications must be submitted by email to shackney@executiveoffice.org by 5 PM EST on Friday, March 31, 2017. No late submissions will be considered. 

The Ratava Group announced that it has moved its corporate office to 105 South Armenia Avenue in Tampa, Florida.

"RG looks forward to continuing to provide excellent customer service from a brand new set of walls in 2017," the company says in a release.

The Ratava Group also welcomed Sydney West to its growing team. West will be responsible for customer service and several marketing initiatives.

The global dental implants market is expected to progress at a CAGR of 7.9% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024 in terms of revenue, according to a report released by Transparency Market Research.

Revenue was expected to reach $4.46 billion by the end of 2016 and $8.18 billion by the end of 2024, the report says.

Institut Straumann, Danaher Corporation, and Dentsply Sirona held 53% of the overall market value for the global dental implants market in 2015, pointing to a largely consolidated market, according to the report, which found that a very small percentage was taken up by regional players; a majority were localized ones present in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific.

“The market held a high degree of rivalry among players,” a release on Transparency Market Research’s website says. “There is a strong presence of all globally prominent players in key regions, as well as a large number of localized businesses in emerging economies that are vying for a greater share of the regional market. Global players, on the other hand, are trying to expand their business by undertaking expansion activities in the form of mergers and acquisitions and long term partnerships.”

The report indicates that new entrants are not expected to pose much of a threat in the coming years, largely as a result of the large capital required for installation, and the costs associated with regulatory compliance and research and development efforts.

Growing amounts of disposable income among patients are driving this market, the report says, allowing them to avail better-quality treatments and dental implants.

“This is especially applicable to the emerging economies of the world, where global players steadily making their foray due to the growth in demand for premium quality products and treatments,” it says. “The global dental implants market is also being driven by the growing innovation and the advanced use of technologies such as CAD/CAM to implement better implants.”

High costs and reimbursement scarcity continue to disturb the demand for dental implants, the report says.

“Although a large number of dental implants are meant to be permanent or long-term, they are still not nearly as affordable as a large contingent of patients would like them to be,” it says. “The high costs of several types of dental implants is considered to be the leading restraint acting against the overall growth of the global dental implants market. Complicating matters is the overall lack of insurance coverage that stretches into dental work. With a very low number of reimbursement policies surrounding dental implants, patients are consistently deterred from availing advanced treatments being introduced in the global dental implants market.”

CHICAGO, December 7 – Oral Health America (OHA) strives to change lives by connecting communities with much needed oral health resources.  Through Smiles Across America®, OHA serves 460,000 children annually by supporting preventive oral healthcare in school-based or school-linked settings.  With the Wisdom Tooth Project®, OHA aims to change the lives of older adults especially vulnerable to oral disease, and through our Campaign for Oral Health Equity, OHA leads the effort to promote the conversation on how improved oral health impacts overall health across the lifespan. 

All of this work is done to help Americans of all ages attain a healthy mouth and to understand the importance of oral health for overall health. Oral Health America (OHA) is pleased to announce a generous gift from Safco in support of this important work.

“Safco is proud to support Oral Health America and their mission to change lives through better oral health,” said Ken Saffir, CEO and owner of Safco Dental Supply Co.  “We’re pleased that our contribution will help fund programs designed to advocate for those most in need and increase awareness of the importance of oral health.”

OHA's mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to drive access to care, increase health literacy, and advocate for policies that improve overall health through better oral health for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. Established in 1955, OHA is a national nonprofit that works to bring healthy mouths to life through a range of partnerships and programs across the country.

Learn more about Oral Health America by visiting oralhealthamerica.org or call us at 312.836.9900.

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) is pleased that Health Affairs recognizes the enormous impact oral health has on the overall public health system in the U.S. by devoting an entire issue to the subject. ADHA has long advocated evidence-based oral health management strategies for the prevention of oral and systemic diseases. In fact, ongoing research efforts are underway examining the association between periodontal (gum) disease and heart and lung disease, diabetes, premature, low birth weight babies and many other conditions. The 2000 Surgeon General's report, Oral Health in America, called attention to this association and stated that, if left untreated, poor oral health is a "silent X- factor promoting the onset of life-threatening diseases which are responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans each year."  As such, the ADHA believes that integrating dental hygienists into the healthcare delivery system as essential primary care providers to expand access to oral health care will help improve the public’s overall health. 

This is why proper dental hygiene diagnosis is critical in identifying and treating early risk factors for more serious health concerns. Over the past two decades, we have collaborated with New York Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) and School of Public Health at the State University of New York-Albany (SUNY) to update the Dental Hygiene Professional Index (DHPPI). In her Health Affairs article, Margaret Langelier and her SUNY coauthors examined the increase of dental hygienists’ scope of practice between 2001 and 2014 and found a positive correlation between a state’s more autonomous scope of practice and the oral health of that state’s adult population. Far too often scope of practice limitations impede the ability of dental hygienists to provide the full spectrum of services they are educated to deliver. By reducing supervisory requirements for dental hygienists, it is ADHA’s hope that the gap between dental and medical care narrows for the benefit of our patients. 

ADHA advocates the inclusion of dental hygienists in the development of federal, state and local policies that support improved oral health and wellness. As such, we are committed to collaborative partnerships and coalitions with other organizations that improve access to care for our most vulnerable populations.

PITTSTON, PA — December 6, 2016 —Measuring “influence” is a little like measuring love, or the water view from an apartment terrace. It’s a formula that includes a few numbers, some guesswork and a whole lot of you-know-it-when-you-see it.

In dentistry, a multibillion-dollar health-care industry that’s home to some of the nation’s most innovative and interesting people, no ranking of “influence” existed – until now. Months ago, Incisal Edge dental lifestyle magazine embarked upon the quest: to shine a light on 32 such “voices” – one for every tooth, of course.

“We ultimately nailed down a few key metrics. We counted dollars – company size, or size of budget controlled – as most important. Next we looked at the weight an organization can throw around. Finally, we tried to calculate ‘size of voice’: how much influence an individual has through his or her speaking, writing or research activities,” Incisal Edge Founder Chuck Cohen said.

“In the end, we were (and remain) proud of how wide ranging this list is. Only 14 of these 32 are actually dentists, a reflection of just how diverse, broad-based and, yes, influential our industry has become.”

The 32 Most Influential People in Dentistry for 2017, ranked by Incisal Edge dental lifestyle magazine, include:

1.      Jeffrey Slovin,CEO, DentsplySirona,

2.      Rick Workman, DMD,CEO and President, Heartland Dental,

3.      Howard Farran, DDS, MBA,Founder, Dentaltown.com, Dentaltown Magazine,

4.      Stanley Bergman,CEO and Chairman of the Board, Henry Schein,

5.      Martha Somerman, DDS, PH.D.,Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research,

6.      Steve Bishop,Group President, Procter & Gamble Global Health Care, Including Oral Care,

7.      Ben Carson, M.D.,Health-care Adviser to President-elect Trump,

8.      Marco Gadola,CEO, Straumann,

9.      Kathleen O’Loughlin, DMD, MPH,Executive Director, American Dental Association,

10.   Michael Graham,Senior Vice President, American Dental Association’s Division of Government and Public Affairs,

11.   Gordon Christensen, DDS, MHD, PH.D., Founder, Practical Clinical Courses,

12.   Amir Aghdaei,Group Executive and Vice President, KaVo Kerr Group,

13.   Steve Thorne, MHA,Founder and CEO, Pacific Dental Services,

14.   “Dr. Doe,”Plaintiffs,

15.   Michael Cohen, DDS,Founder, Seattle Study Club,

16.   Representative Mike Simpson, DMD,U.S. Congressman, Idaho’s 2^nd Congressional District,

17.   James Glidewell, CDT, President and CEO, Glidewell Laboratories,

18.   James Ingebrand, MBA,President and General Manager, 3M ESPE Dental Division,

19.   Kevin Jackson, Senior Vice President, Underwriting and Actuarial, Delta Dental of California,

20.   John Kois, DMD, MSD, Founder and Director, The Kois Center

21.   Don Moody, Partner, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis,

22.   Linda Niessen, DMD, MPH, MPP,Dean, Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine,

23.   Michael Helgeson, DDS, CEO, Apple Tree Dental,

24.   Gary Price,President and CEO, Dental Trade Alliance,

25.   Susannah Schaefer, CEO and Executive Vice Chair, Smile Train,

26.   Jack Dillenberg, DDS, MPH,Dean, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health,

27.   Ed Snyder,Managing Director, Northcoast Research,

28.   Gwyneth Paltrow,Actress, Oral Cancer Foundation Activist,

29.   Roger Levin, DDS, Founder and CEO, The Levin Group,

30.   Ann Battrell, MSDH, CEO, American Dental Hygienists Association,

31.   Major General Dr. Roosevelt Allen, DDS,Chief of Dental Corps, United States Air Force, and

32.   Peter DuBois,Executive Director, California Dental Association.

Meet the dental demigods in Incisal Edge magazine at: Incisal Edge, Winter 2017.  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://www.incisaledgemagazine.com/

ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers® announced the opening of two new centers in Alpharetta, Georgia, and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. These new centers are the most recent expansion for the ClearChoice network. The ClearChoice Dental Implant Center in Alpharetta is the second center to open in the Atlanta area. Fort Washington is the first in the state of Pennsylvania.

ClearChoice was founded in 2005 to provide an innovative all-in-one treatment facility for dental implant procedures. This concept provides patients of the affiliated practices with a collaborative treatment plan between the prosthodontist, oral surgeon, and laboratory technician, and delivers high-quality care under one roof. The need for dental implant treatment is large and growing with nearly 38 million Americans expected to require dental prostheses by 2020.

“The mission of ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers is to provide the edentulous population with an improved overall state of health,” says Kevin Mosher, CEO of ClearChoice Management Services. “Patients in need of implants often settle for a denture, which can be a poor substitute for natural teeth. The doctors within the ClearChoice network provide clinical treatment options that can improve the quality of life for people with missing or failing teeth.”

The ClearChoice Dental Implant Center in Alpharetta is led by prosthodontist Amy Camba, DMD. The Fort Washington center is owned and operated by prosthodontist Felicia Wilson, DDS, MS, FACP. Dr. Camba and Dr. Wilson are excited to be able to provide the residents of these two cities with treatment options for their dental issues.

“The opening of the Alpharetta Center gives our team the ability to provide dental care with unprecedented personal service," Dr. Camba says. "We strive for a positive and substantial impact in the lives of patients by restoring hope, dignity, confidence and above all, health."

Dr. Wilson adds, “I am so excited and humbled to be in the Philadelphia area. To offer Pennsylvanians with the level of service and care that the ClearChoice network provides is the highlight of my professional career.  My team and I are committed to providing a life changing experience for our patients.”

ClearChoice will run an educational campaign in these local markets, featuring real patients, in an effort to inform the public about the dental treatment options that are available to them and how these procedures can improve a patient’s quality of life.

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) announced today that Steve Kess, Vice President, Global Professional Relations and Co-Founder of Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate social responsibility program, was inducted as a Fellow of the International College of Dentists (ICD) at the 87th Annual Convocation of its USA Section in Denver, Colorado.

An honorary organization for the recognition of outstanding and meritorious service to the dental profession and to the community, the College presented Steve Kess with an Honorary Membership plaque, a gold lapel pin, and a gold key symbolic of this Fellowship in appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions to the dental profession and for outstanding services provided to the cause of oral science.

“It is truly a privilege to be honored as a Fellow by the International College of Dentists,” said Mr. Kess. “I am grateful for the opportunity ICD has given me, and for the support of Henry Schein, to help advance oral health around the world. As a Fellow, I am committed to identifying more opportunities to enhance access to care and to further support the ICD USA Section Foundation and the ICD Global Visionary Fund (GVF).”

The ICD has more than 12,000 members in 122 countries throughout the world. All members of the College adhere to one universal motto: “Recognizing Service and the Opportunity to Serve.” Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only. A nominated professional must pass a rigorous, peer review process leading to the recognition of the individual’s outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind. Mr. Kess is the third Team Schein Member to be honored as an ICD Fellow, the others being Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, and Simon Gambold, Vice President European Dental Northern Region.

“We are pleased to recognize Mr. Kess, who has been such a strong advocate for oral health issues, catalyzing partnerships and leveraging the Henry Schein Cares Foundation and Henry Schein Cares, to make such a profound and lasting impact on the dental needs of those who are less fortunate,” said Dr. Phillip Dowell, International President of the International College of Dentists. “Henry Schein’s work to advance health care by providing education and supporting the development of dental leadership is an excellent match to the ICD’s goals.”          

In a cap and gown ceremony, held during the ICD USA Section’s annual meeting, Dr. Margaret M. Culotta-Norton, President of the USA Section, inducted 309 dentists and four Honorary members from the United States into the College this year. The induction was witnessed by hundreds of members and guests, including International College Councilors and citizens from more than 20 countries throughout the world.

“All of us at Henry Schein congratulate Steve for his induction in ICD as a result of catalyzing public-private partnerships to enhance access to care for those in need,” said Mr.  Bergman. “We are very pleased with Team Schein’s ongoing relationship with ICD and our collective efforts to help make an impact on the communities we serve.”

PITTSTON, PA — December 5, 2016 —An oasis of calm in Manhattan. A day by the ocean in Dana Point, California. A walk through history in Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania. A sun-warmed glimpse of Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach, Florida.

Mid-winter vacation escapes? Only for those who consider a dental appointment a respite from reality -- or those patients who visit the award-winning dental practices of the 2017 Incisal Edge Design Competition as sponsored by Herman Miller.

Pablo Picasso once described the process of making art as “washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”  Dr. Carlos J. Huerta, as much as an artist with dentistry as Picasso was with paint or clay, uses artwork to “elevate the overall patient experience and ease anxiety,” as he puts it.

The 1,239 –square-foot Manhattan practice, The Dental Boutique, certainly delivers.  Bottom line: In the heart of bustling New York City, Dr. Huerta’s office is an oasis of calm.

“Patients enjoy the same elements we enjoy,” Dr. Huerta says of himself and his staff: the relaxation, the comfort and the art. The 39-year-old practitioner, who recently earned national recognition for outstanding dental practice design, is among dental and architectural professionals featured in the Incisal Edge winter edition as winners of the magazine’s fourth annual design competition, sponsored by Herman Miller.

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 four categories, then turns it all over to the blue-ribbon panel of judges. This year’s competition ran from July 25 through September 9.

Award-winning dental practices for 2017 include:

·       New Construction Practice (Tie) – The Dental Boutique, New York, and Dr. Carlos J. Huerta

·       New Construction Practice (Tie) – Dana Point Endodontics, Dana Point, California, and Dr. Daniel Boehne

·       Repurposed Practice – Green Valley Dental, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, and Drs. A.J. Giesa and Lisa M. Ciabattoni

·       Specialty Practice – Young Dentistry, Delray Beach, Florida, and Dr. Marcie Young

·       Design of the Future – Los Rocas Dentistry, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Mandy Welman, Monica Wilder and Josh Diehl

Design of the Future category winners received a $3,000 purse. Four existing dental practices received an Aeron Chair valued at $3,000 provided by Herman Miller, a professional photo session for their practice and a plaque; all winners are profiled in the Incisal Edge winter issue.

To be inspired both aesthetically and dentally, view the winning practices in Incisal Edge magazine at: Incisal Edge, Winter 2017.  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://www.incisaledgemagazine.com/

The competition’s juried panel from the dental and architectural worlds included: Tristan Hamilton, DDS, M. ARCH.; Joyce Bassett, DDS, FAACD, FAGD, Phyllis Marshall-Rice, LEED AP, EDAC, and David Bishop, DDS. View their insightful commentary regarding this year’s entries, and gain motivation from previous year’s winners at: IEDesignContest.com

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 6, 2016) -- Research conducted by the University at Albany's Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) finds that in states where dental hygienists are allowed by law to practice at higher levels of professional competence and skill, the population's oral health notably improves.

The paper, published in Health Affairs’ December 2016 thematic issue on oral health, examines impacts of dental hygiene "scope of practice" on oral health outcomes. Scope of practice for health professionals is defined by individual states’ laws and regulations, which describe permissible settings, allowable services, and requisite supervision by other health professionals.

CHWS researchers examined 2014 scope of practice parameters for dental hygienists across the nation and found that in states where dental hygiene scope of practice rules were closely aligned with dental hygiene professional competence, there was a statistically significant association with positive oral health outcomes in the population.

The paper, “Expanded Scopes of Practice For Dental Hygienists Associated With Improved Oral Health Outcomes For Adults,” will be highlighted at a briefing event in Washington D.C. convened by Health Affairs on December 7, 2016.  Deputy Director Margaret Langelier of the Oral Health Workforce Research Center at CHWS, who led the research team for the study, will present findings at the briefing.

“Demonstrating that broader scopes of practice for dental hygienists are correlated with better oral health outcomes is very useful, especially in public health settings,” said Langelier. “The impact of scope of practice is an important consideration for policymakers when identifying strategies to increase the availability of preventive oral health services, particularly for underserved populations.”

The study was funded under a Cooperative Agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services under grant number U81HP27843, to establish an Oral Health Workforce Research Center.