Mr. Paul Vigario, CEO of Digital Smile Design (DSD), and Dr. Christian Coachman, founder of DSD, along with the company's executive board, have announced the appointment of Mr. Mark Maier as Chief Operating Officer of DSD Global and CEO of DSD Lab Corp.

Maier will work hand-in-hand with Vigario in the execution of DSD Global’s extensive offering of products and services. In parallel, Maier will take the helm of DSD Lab Corporation, which will be responsible for providing all of DSD’s laboratory and digital production services as well as clinical, lab and consumer DSD-branded products. Maier is also the CEO and President of The Aurum Group and Chairman of Core3dcentres International.

"I am thrilled to appoint Mark to this important role as we accelerate our transition into a full-fledged global company. No one understands the transformation occurring in the dental industry more than Mark, and it's critical that our Chief Operating Officer has a strong digital foundation as we expedite DSD's global reach," Vigario said.

Dr. Coachman added: “With an extensive background in finance, private equity, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership, Mark brings a suite of unique skills to our team that can help propel DSD Global to continue to be a leading provider of comprehensive interdisciplinary dental solutions worldwide. Along with Mark comes the pedigree, depth, and breadth of The Aurum Group and Core3dcentres that is required to help deliver on our vision. Paul, the board and I are very excited to have Mark as part of the executive leadership team.”

Maier said the formation of DSD Global is the culmination of extensive strategic planning to bring leading companies and thought leaders together to create a powerhouse platform of distinct business verticals that can both - individually and collectively - provide clinics and labs the systems, tools, and know-how to deliver comprehensive digital dentistry to patients. “Never before has there been a time where clinically, technically and financially we can offer dental patients a full spectrum of comprehensive solutions that meet their clinical needs and financial needs," he said. "DSD is the fulcrum of this capability. It is an honor and a privilege to be chosen to be part of this exceptional team.” 

Malvern, PA (June 14, 2017)- DentalEZ® announces new additions to their product management team and a new strategic account management team.

Lindsay Viola has joined the DentalEZ team as Sr. Product Line Manager, DentalEZ Equipment and RAMVAC. Lindsay comes to DentalEZ with extensive product line management and marketing experience with Air Techniques and Sirona/Denstply. Lindsay’s experience includes the development of products such as caries detection, diagnostic, and intra- and extra- oral x-ray products. Lindsay has thorough marketing experience in both upstream and downstream marketing, as well as in product launches and market research. Lindsay’s experience will provide her with the foundation for success at DentalEZ. 

Also joining the DentalEZ team as StarDental® Sr. Product Line Manager is Eric Reno. Eric comes to DentalEZ with extensive product line management and marketing experience with W.L. Gore and Dupuy Synthes CMF. Eric’s experience includes work with neurosurgery products and power equipment, piezoelectric systems, and tools in the neurosurgery space. In addition, Eric is also accomplished in the development of working with the battery operated power products used in craniofacial surgeries. Eric’s immense depth of experience will play a major role in StarDental’s revitalization.

DentalEZ has also announced a newly created position of National Strategic Accounts Marketing Manager as part of the Strategic Account Management (SAM) Team. This role is filled by Aggie Pennington, a DentalEZ employee of 40 years in marketing management and product management positions. DentalEZ is leading the industry as a partner to dental service organizations (DSOs) through the unique SAM Team approach to customer service. The SAM team provides a single point of contact for all DSO needs and is always available to work with your business to tailor solutions to meet your specific goals. The result is faster responses, better solutions, and more reliable service, no matter the challenge. As this new role will work very closely with sales and customer service, Aggie’s skills in direct customer relations and her knowledge of the internal processes make her the perfect choice to assume this position. 

Madrid, Spain, 14 June 2017: The results of a study presented today at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017 have shown a link between newly-diagnosed Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) and previous infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).

However, even though an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) has been found in patients with SjS, in this study, TB infection itself did not appear to be associated with an increased risk of going on to develop SjS.

Patients newly diagnosed with primary SjS (in people with no other rheumatic disease) were around 11 times more likely to have had a prior infection with NTM than a matched group of controls. The magnitude of the association between NTM and SjS risk was greatest among those patients aged between 45 and 65 years. No association was found between SjS and a previous TB infection.

"Although the exact disease mechanism behind SjS remains elusive, a variety of environmental, genetic and hormonal factors have been linked with the development and different manifestations of this debilitating disease," said lead author Dr. Hsin-Hua Chen from the Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Province of China. "Identifying NTM as one of the triggers will hopefully provide a clue to the future development of a targeted therapy for these patients," he added.

After excluding those SjS patients who had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), an association was observed between NTM infection (Odds Ratio, 11.24; 95% confidence intervals, 2.37-53.24) and SjS among 5,751 newly diagnosed cases compared to 86,265 non-SjS patients matched for age, sex, and year of first diagnosis. The diagnosis of NTM was established using ICD9-CM disease codes, as well as the prescription of NTM related anti-bacterial medication. The association was quantified after adjusting for the Charlson comorbidity index and bronchiectasis .

"Because SjS is a disease of insidious onset, we can't exclude the possibility that it may have occurred before the NTM infection. In our study, of the seven subjects with NTM infection later diagnosed with SjS, three of them were diagnosed within three months of NTM infection, indicating the potential co-existence of these two diseases. However, the other four subjects were diagnosed on average 2.9 years after NTM infection.

"The significant association between NTM infection and newly diagnosed SjS demonstrated in our study certainly supports the need to screen for the presence of SjS in any patient previously infected with NTM to enable prompt diagnosis and treatment," Dr. Chen concluded.

SjS is an immune mediated chronic inflammatory disease where the body's immune system attacks glands that secrete fluid, such as the tear and saliva glands. Inflammation within the glands reduces fluid production causing painful burning in the eyes, dry mouth, and sometimes dryness in the nasal passages, throat, vagina and skin.

Primary SjS occurs in people with no other rheumatic disease; secondary SjS occurs in people who have another rheumatic disease, most often lupus and RA.3 The worldwide prevalence of primary SjS has been estimated at about 0.2% of the adult population.

This condition can affect people of any age, but symptoms usually appear between the ages of 45 and 55. It affects 10 times as many women as men. About half of patients also have RA or other connective tissue diseases, such as lupus.

Dr. Christian Coachman, founder of Digital Smile Design, along with DSD Global’s Executive Board, has announced the appointment of Mr. Paul Vigario as Chief Executive Officer of the company. Dr. Coachman was elected as Chairman of the Board.

Vigario, founder and president of the renowned dental information technology company SurfCT, will run the day-to-day operations of DSD Global and make its technology more readily available to the market while expanding on its offerings. The Dental Information Technology Company where Everything Is Connected™, SurfCT helped expand the Dental Technology field by educating and supporting the dental community since it launched in 2003. Vigario was first selected to be on the elite worldwide DSD Clinical Team in 2016 before accepting the position of CEO of DSD Global. He is an industry leader in the areas of digital workflow, dental imaging, cloud technology, dental software, ergonomics, integration, system process, and the delivery and support of world-class healthcare technology.

“Paul’s 15 years of service to the dental industry has been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and dedication in everything he does,” Coachman said. “The board has complete confidence that Paul is the right person to lead DSD Global.”

Vigario said he is honored that Dr. Coachman and the board have unanimously chosen him for this prestigious position. “We will immediately be bringing eight pillars to DSD Global that will elevate you and your practice at every level: DSD Education, DSD Technology, DSD Marketing, DSD Planning Center, DSD Lab, DSD Community, DSD Licensed Products and DSD Financial Services,” he said. 

Toronto, ON – June 6, 2017 – The fundamental shift in the make-up of the Canadian dental practice detected in previous reports is continuing, according to results from the DIAC (Dental Industry Association of Canada) Twenty-First Annual Future of Dentistry Survey. All of the following points may reflect on the impact of the current economic situation on the dental practice in Canada:

 There are now more dentists per practice on average, with a record 13% of practices with five or more dentists. This was 3.4% in 2016 and an average of 6.3% the last 14 years.

 There are now more operatories per practice (72% of respondents had four or more operatories. Of these, an all-time high of 30% had five or more). Almost 1/4 (22%) of respondents were planning on adding at least one operatory in the next two years.

 The number of hygiene days per practice is increasing overall (44% of respondents in 2017 had 5 or more hygiene days per week, as compared to 40.4% last year and the average of 38.5% the last ten years).

 At the same time, the average number of patients treated per day continues to decline. While influenced by specialist respondents, on an overall basis, dentists treated 12 patients in an average day as compared to the average of 12.5 patients over the last ten years.83% stated they treated less than 15 patients a day (as opposed an average of 77.5% over the last four years).

It is little wonder that “Getting More Patients” was the top challenge that respondents intended to address in 2017 (as well as the Top Metric for Success in the opinion of 83%), with “Financial/paying bills/overhead” a close second.

Many dentists have responded by moving into Multi-practice (Group Practice). While the majority (59%) of respondents stated they were in a solo practice, more than a third (36%) were now in a group practice and a further 4% in Corporate dentistry. The two key advantages of a multi-practice structure attracting those who were in that type of practice were Associate Support (51%) and Buying Power (30%).

Dentists are also now focusing their Practice Management CE activities on Financial aspects. While all four of the highest rated Practice Management topics for 2017 related to building the business of the practice (Ranked in order from highest: Revenue Enhancement/Expense Management; Fraud Protection, Marketing the Practice, and Communication/Case Presentation), the top focus has switched from Marketing to “the Numbers”, which may be a reflection on the economic situation. At the same time, member in Study Clubs was up overall; with 45.1% of respondents stated they belonged to one or more as compared to the average 37.9% of the previous eight years.

The majority (65%) of dental practices now offer patient financing in some fashion. Almost one-half (47%) of respondents offered in-house financing while 19% used third party financing.

Social Media continues to climb the list of Practice-Building Tools utilized at 45% of respondents, now second to “Asking for referrals” and progressively trending upward from 13% in 2012 when the question was first asked. This movement to on-line promotion mirrors where dental patients are telling practitioners they are getting information on dental treatment options. According to the survey, Internet achieved an all-time high rating and was ranked as the top patient source for the second straight year. This was followed by the more traditional sources of Family members, friends, etc. and Dentist/Dental Team presentations.

A total of 335 practicing Canadian dentists responded to this year’s survey with a good proportional distribution across all regions of the country. Based on this response rate, overall 2017 survey results have an accuracy of +/- 5.4% 19 times out of 20.

Source: Twenty-First Annual Future of Dentistry Survey

Dental Industry Association of Canada / Eric P. Jones & Associates Inc.

PORTLAND, Oregon – While root canals are effective in saving a tooth that has become infected or decayed, this age-old procedure may cause teeth to become brittle and susceptible to fracture over time. Now researchers at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, have developed a process by which they can engineer new blood vessels in teeth, creating better long-term outcomes for patients and clinicians.

Their findings published online today in the journal Scientific Reports.

More than 15 million root canals are conducted annually in the United States. The current procedure involves removing infected dental tissues and replacing them with synthetic biomaterials covered by a protective crown.

"This process eliminates the tooth's blood and nerve supply, rendering it lifeless and void of any biological response or defense mechanism. Without this functionality, adult teeth may be lost much sooner, which can result in much greater concerns, such as the need for dentures or dental implants,” says principal investigator Luiz Bertassoni, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of restorative dentistry in the OHSU School of Dentistry, and assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the OHSU School of Medicine.

To address this issue, Bertassoni and colleagues used a 3D printing-inspired process -- based on their previous work fabricating artificial capillaries -- to create blood vessels in the lab. They placed a fiber mold made of sugar molecules across the root canal of extracted human teeth and injected a gel-like material, similar to proteins found in the body, filled with dental pulp cells. The researchers removed the fiber to make a long microchannel in the root canal and inserted endothelial cells isolated from the interior lining of blood vessels. After seven days, dentin-producing cells proliferated near the tooth walls and artificial blood vessels formed inside the tooth.

"This result proves that fabrication of artificial blood vessels can be a highly effective strategy for fully regenerating the function of teeth,” says Bertassoni, who also serves as an honorary lecturer in Bioengineering at University of Sydney-School of Dentistry. "We believe that this finding may change the way that root canal treatments are done in the future.”

The study was funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health (R01DE026170), and the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon.

Dentsply Sirona, the Dental Solutions Company™, revealed that actor, musician, producer, and philanthropist Will Smith, an iconic figure in the entertainment industry, will join the impressive roster of celebrity entertainment at Dentsply Sirona World in Las Vegas Sept. 14-16 at The Venetian and The Palazzo Resort. 

On Thursday evening, Sept. 14, following a full day of general sessions and breakout sessions, attendees can sit back and enjoy a relaxed, undoubtedly amusing dialogue between Dentsply Sirona World host Dr. DiTolla and Smith. Following the interview, the floor will open to questions from the audience. 

The two-time Academy Award nominee and Grammy Award winner holds a diverse career encompassing films, television and multi-platinum records.Smith’s vast filmography includes transformative portrayals of true-life icons in “Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness” (for which he received an Academy Award nomination) and “Concussion.” He has headlined an extraordinary list of films, including “Hitch,” “I am Legend,” “I, Robot,” “Independence Day,” “Men in Black I, II & III” and he most recently appeared in the summer blockbuster “Suicide Squad.” 

He began his career as a musician selling millions of records worldwide before crossing over into television with the beloved “Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” In 1998, he, and partner James Lassiter, founded production and management company Overbrook Entertainment, which has produced numerous top film and television projects. 

In addition to his artistic achievements, Smith is dedicated to working toward the advancement of communities and individuals through areas of education, sustainability, empowerment and health through the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation. 

“I am personally excited to welcome one of the most recognized names in entertainment to our event, and hear him share with our attendees the hustle and the drive required to efficaciously maintain a 30-plus year career as he has,” said Senior Vice President of the U.S. Commercial Organization Michael Augins. 

The second annual Ultimate Dental Meeting combines robust clinical and business education with marvelous entertainment. This year’s three-day event, hosted at The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas from Sept. 14-16, will again offer 11 educational tracks, exciting general sessions, enlightening breakout sessions, lively social activities and more spectacular celebrity entertainment. 

Visit www.dentsplysironaworld.com to register. 

May 16, 2016: Glenview, IL— StellaLife®, an innovator in biotechnology products, announced the launch of a new line of products for oral pain management, accelerated healing, and long-term oral healthcare. The patent-pending VEGA® Oral Care system is formulated to improve dental postsurgical recovery and optimize oral systemic health. It is the first line of products launched by StellaLife. 

The VEGA Oral Care system consists of three natural products: a gel, a rinse, and a recovery kit that contains a spray in addition to the gel and rinse. The VEGA products accelerate healing and reduce pain, swelling, and bruising. They also contain anxiolytic properties to help reduce anxiety associated with dental procedures. The spray is for sublingual application, the gel is a topical application, and the rinse is a mouthwash that is antimicrobial and enhances wound healing. 

StellaLife VEGA Oral Care products contain sixteen active ingredients that are part of Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS). The products can be used after all dental surgical procedures, including bone and tissue grafting, extractions, implant placements, osseous surgery, biopsies, and dental nonsurgical procedures such as scaling and root planning, and quadrant dentistry. StellaLife products are manufactured in the United States, FDA registered, and follow the GMP guidelines.

“StellaLife’s mission is to improve people’s lives by helping to relieve pain, accelerate healing, and significantly reduce the need for opioids and steroids after dental procedures,” says StellaLife CEO Gennady Sirota. “Our products provide a safe, effective, and natural alternative to help deal with pain, accelerate healing, and promote optimum oral health.”

Dr. William Carter, a periodontist from Tennessee, has been working with the VEGA Oral Care products to heal his patients. Dr. Carter says: “StellaLife's VEGA Oral Care is the best product we have used for post-operative discomfort in the last 13 years.”

 Dr. Jason Stoner, a periodontist from Ohio added, “My patients recovered more quickly, reported less pain and on average required fewer narcotic pain medications when they use StellaLife. We have yet to uncover the limitations of this product."  

StellaLife® is a biotechnology company that formulates oral health and pain management products that improve dental patients’ experience. VEGA® Oral Care solutions are clinically proven to accelerate healing and reduce pain, bruising and swelling after surgical and non-surgical procedures. In addition, its solutions deliver exceptional long-term oral health care. For more information, please visit www.stellalifehealing.com or call 800.828.7265.

Researchers from NYU Dentistry are investigating a protein found inside the spicules of a sea urchin embryo to understand what makes these proteins such efficient ‘brick organizers’

Calcium carbonate, or CaCO3, comprises more than 4% of the earth’s crust. Its most common natural forms are chalk, limestone, and marble, produced by the sedimentation of the shells of small fossilized snails, shellfish, and coral over millions of years. 

New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) researchers are studying how nature creates three-dimensional CaCO3 inorganic/organic based materials to form seashells, invertebrate exoskeletons, and vertebrate bone, dentine, and enamel.

John Evans, DMD, PhD, a professor in NYU Dentistry’s Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, oversees a research group focusing on the study of proteins that modulate the formation of biominerals, which in turn create new composite materials with unique properties, such as increased fracture and puncture resistances.

In a paper recently published in Biochemistry, Gaurav Jain, PhD, a postdoc in Dr. Evans’s lab and coauthor of “A model sea urchin spicule matrix protein, rSpSM50, is a hydrogelator that modifies and organizes the mineralization process,” looked at how the CaCO3 matrix is organized inside a sea urchin spicule (See figure 1). At first, these spicules are nothing more than chalk, but when combined with sea urchin proteins, they form tiny stacks of “bricks,” creating a structure that provides some of the toughest defense against predators and harsh ocean conditions. 

“Primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) inside a sea urchin embryo deposits amorphous CaCO3 within the matrix of spicule proteins where these bricks are shaped into layers of calcium carbonate crystals,” notes Dr. Jain. “However, the functional and assembly capabilities of individual spicule matrix proteins aren’t clear. We are currently investigating one such protein found inside the spicules of a sea urchin embryo to understand what makes these proteins such efficient ‘brick organizers.’”

The researchers looked at SM50, one of the most abundant and well-studied proteins found inside these spicules. They found that a recombinant version of the SM50 protein, rSpSM50, is a highly aggregation-prone protein that forms tiny jelly-like structures called hydrogels in solution. These ‘jellies’ capture tiny mineral nanoparticles and organize them into crystalline ‘bricks.’ Moreover, rSpSM50 causes surface texturing and forms randomly interconnected porous channels within these crystals. 

“What is unique about rSpSM50 is that it fosters the formation and organization of two different forms of calcium carbonate - calcite and vaterite within the ‘jellies’ themselves, inducing fracture resistance to the overall structure,” said Dr. Jain. 

Researchers used a specific type of titration method that revealed the details about very early events in the spicule formation. 

“rSpSM50 turns out to be a really important piece of the puzzle, as it slows the formation kinetics but neither stabilizes nor destabilizes the extremely tiny mineral particles that ultimately form these bricks,” says coauthor Martin Pendola, PhD.

CaCo3 has always been a man’s favorite construction material to make primitive tools, musical instruments, and craftware since the beginning of civilization. In modern times, CaCO3 is the most widely used mineral in the paper, plastics, paints and coatings industries both as a filler – and due to its special white color - as a coating pigment.

“Our current research, funded by U.S. Department of Energy, will enable scientists to better understand the mineralization and assembly process crucial to spicule formation in sea urchin,” said Dr. Evans. “Our ultimate goal is to determine the molecular properties of these proteins that allow matrices to assemble, mineralize, and participate in the formation of naturally occurring organic/inorganic skeletal structures. The hope is that the comprehensive understanding of spicule proteins will enable the development of tunable fracture resistant materials that one day will find its use in developing lightweight ‘armor' and ‘sturdier’ dental composites.”

DALLAS, May 31, 2017 –Great Expressions Dental Centers (GEDC), the largest single-branded dental support organization in the United States, expands its presence in Texas through an affiliation with eight Floss practices.  With the addition of the eight Floss practices, GEDC’s footprint now spans 30 offices across the state, including locations in the Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin metropolitan areas.

“Our continued growth and investment in Texas is a direct reflection of the quality dental centers in the state,” said Richard Beckman, CEO of GEDC. “Great Expressions has earned a stellar reputation by operating with a customer and community focused mindset, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to provide exceptional dental care to the Texas communities we serve.”

GEDC provides comprehensive affordable dental services through a network featuring more than 900 dentists and hygienists, all under a single brand and operating philosophy. Since January 1, 2016, the company has added 45 affiliated practice locations to its growing footprint. This partnership will help GEDC further strengthen the exceptional and convenient care it provides and develop future doctor leaders.   

“The affiliation with Floss reflects GEDC’s commitment to its strategy of building density and scale in the Texas market through strategic affiliations. Affiliating with a new dental organization that shares our same patient care values is always top of mind for GEDC,” said Greg Nodland, COO of GEDC. “We look forward to not only welcoming new patients and families, but providing word class support to the outstanding provider base.”