Weave, headquartered in Utah’s very own Silicon Slopes, has seen some incredible growth in 2017. From gaining $17 million in investor funding to being ranked as one of the top companies to work for in Utah, they have a lot to thank their customers for…and they plan to.

During the month of December, Weave will show a little extra appreciation to all new customers who sign up for their services by gifting each with an Amazon Echo and 50 percent off their activation fee.

Weave has been known to offer their customers some great promotional discounts in the past, whether an office has signed up for their services at a convention or with one of their knowledgeable sales reps over the phone, they have a history of taking care of their customers. However, this December, they have decided to throw in the added gift of an Amazon Echo as a “Thank you” for choosing their services as you head into the new year.

What does this all mean for you? If you have been wanting a patient communication platform that allows you to text your patients from your office phone, automatically send appointment reminders, recalls and birthday messages as well as provide a means of gaining positive exposure through Google reviews, than this month is the best time to sign up with Weave.

To learn more about Weave and how their software is helping thousands of Dental offices across the United States, as well as to schedule a demo and learn more about the December promotion, visit www.getweave.com 

The Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting -- the nation’s leading dental meeting and comprehensive source of continuing education in dentistry – has opened registration for Hinman 2018, which will be held March 22-24 at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The 106th annual meeting offers dental professionals the opportunity to earn up to 21 hours of continuing education (CE). In addition, new, in-depth courses have been added to a roster of nearly 300 courses and workshops presented by 80 speakers.

“We expect a great turnout this year with dental professionals taking advantage of our world-class educational program, face-to-face networking opportunities and unsurpassed Southern hospitality,” said Dr. Patrick Yancey III, General Chairman for Hinman 2018. “Attendees can expect to discover 31 new speakers, as well as some of the profession’s favorites, and leave the meeting truly inspired to return to their practice and provide great dentistry to their patients.”

Registration opened on Dec. 5 and attendees can secure their courses and events online at www.hinman.org. Attendees can take advantage of lower fees by registering before Feb. 22, 2018.

This year, the meeting has added several new and in-depth sessions to its lineup of continuing education, including:

· “Understanding the Concepts of Endodontics: A Hands-On Workshop” Fr119 – Dr. Ralan Wong, March 23, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (one-hour lunch break)

· “Introduction to Implant Dentistry: Hands-On Placement with Models” Sa147 – Dr. Michael Pruett, March 24, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (one-hour lunch break)

· “Women and Their Money: A Road to Retirement,” (Sa366) -- Ms. Megan Brinsfield with Motley Fool Wealth Management, March 24, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

· “Maximizing Pediatric Airways with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta” Sa276 – Dr. Erik Bauer, Dr. Steve Goudy and Dr. Michael Sebastian, March 24, 8 – 11:30 a.m.

In addition to Hinman’s continuing education program, Hinman 2018 will feature nearly 400 companies -- located in the Building A Exhibit Hall. Exhibitors will showcase new technology, equipment, products and services for the entire dental staff. New this year, Hinman will offer “Free Advice” booths in the exhibit hall where Hinman members will provide guidance on a number of hot, relevant topics. The exhibit hall will be open on Thursday, March 22, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday, March 23, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Saturday, March 24, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Among a variety of social, alumni and networking events, Hinman’s signature social events include:

· James Farmer Book Signing & Coffee – Best-selling author, Southern Living editor-at-large and professional garden, floral and interior designer, James Farmer, will speak Thursday, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and sign his newest book, A Place to Call Home. Fee: $25.

· Opening Keynote Session – World-renowned forensic pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, will speak at the Keynote Session held Thursday, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Fee: Free to registered attendees.

· Hinman Luncheon with Roland Mesnier – Hosted at the Capital City Club, Roland Mesnier will share stories from his time in the White House. He was hired in 1979 by first lady Rosalyn Carter and served as Executive Pastry Chef under five Presidents over 26 years. The luncheon is held Friday at 11:45 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. Fee: $70.

· Dental Student Happy Hour – Dental students are invited to a Happy Hour in the Hinman Hoops area of the exhibit hall to kick-off Friday evening from 4 - 5 p.m. Attendees can enter-to-win fabulous prizes as well as receive two free drinks. Fee: Free to registered dental students that pre-register for the event.

· Hinman’s Night Out at the Georgia Aquarium – Hinman takes over the Georgia Aquarium and invites all registered dental professionals to the masquerade-themed event held Friday from 7 - 10:30 p.m. Fee: $40 for registered attendees with a reduced price of $20 for students and residents.

· Atlanta History Center and Swan House Tour – Saturday, between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., tour 33 acres of award-winning exhibitions, historic houses, enchanting gardens, interactive activities and more. This includes a docent-led tour of the historic Swan House. Transportation provided. Fee: $40.

Zahntechnique in Miami, Florida, will host Peter Pizzi, MDT, CDT, for a 2-day lecture and workshop Friday, January 26, and Saturday, January 27.

The sessions will be about accomplishing the highest esthetic results.

Limited seating is available. Contact info@zahnlab.com for more information or to register.

As President of the Dental Lab Owners Association of California (DLOAC), Greg Nash, CDT, presided over the 14^th Annual International CAD/CAM Symposium on November 16th through 19th. Over 300 lab owners and technicians attended the dental CAD/CAM show in Garden Grove, California. Dr. Marko Tadros, a prosthodontist who practices with Drs. Goldstein, Garber, and Salama at Team Atlanta rocked the house with his presentation, “Meet Your Future Customer; Is Your Lab Relevant?” Dr. Tadros shared his perspective on how 3D printing and other technologies will change the dental landscape and presented digital workflows that provide opportunities for laboratories to increase their value to the clinicians they serve. Another presentation highlight was Dr. Rella Christensen, who provided an update on her current research on zirconia and other restorative materials. 

Jerry Ulazic, CDT, National Association of Dental Laboratories President, presented CDT Milestone Awards to David Workman, CDT (35 years), Kenneth Bailey, CDT (40 years), and Johannes Kuehn, CDT (50 years). Helen Smith also received an award from the DLOAC for her years of tireless work on their behalf.

The 2018 Symposium will be held on October 11th through 14th again in Garden Grove. Lee Culp, CDT, and other industry luminaries will be presenting. Exhibit space sold out over a month before the show this year, so early registration is recommended. For more information, contact Rachelle Kenyon at 949-498-8791 or execsec@dloac.org.

With Veneer.ME from Smile Line USA, you'll be able to carry, ship and manipulate your hyper-delicate veneers in the highest conditions of security. The base of the veneerME box is covered with a sticky pad out of polyurethane gel. Veneers are placed on the pad on their buccal surface and adhere naturally. All the preparation process of the internal part of the veneer (acid etching, silanization) can be done in this position without any fear of a veneer escaping or falling on the floor. The pad's material is super resistant and can be re-used several times (it is easily replaceable in case of deterioration). The membrane-frame can be clipped on the base of the box for extra fixation. This membrane is permeable which is a huge advantage. The clinician can proceed with rinsing and drying after having replaced the membrane-frame on the base without the fear of losing a veneer. This allows the clinician to work in the best conditions and with total security. Veneer.Me is sold in a set of three compartments with extra spare PU pads and extra membrane filters. To order, visit the website at www.smilelineusa.com or contact us directly at 877-755-6868

Air Techniques, Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of dental equipment, received stellar reviews for Monarch Vinyl Upholstery Cleaner. The upholstery cleaner was evaluated by 12 dental professionals. This Peer-to-Peer product evaluation was conducted by Dental Product Shopper. Monarch Vinyl Upholstery Cleaner received a 4.3 rating out of a possible 5.0 making it a DPS Best Product.       

The evaluators used Monarch Vinyl Upholstery Cleaner for a period of four weeks in their practice. They then rated the product on five criteria’s that were then averaged together along with the overall satisfaction to calculate the final score. Monarch received the highest ratings in “Solution leaves fabric unharmed” and “Convenience”.  

“We’re happy to offer dental professionals a product that safely and effectively cleans and preserves their dental chairs,” said Nicole Miller, Product Manager of Hygiene. “Monarch Vinyl Upholstery Cleaner was specially formulated to help protect your valuable investment for longer life.”   

Monarch Vinyl Upholstery Cleaner maintains the integrity of the material for longer life of dental chairs made out of artificial leather. It cleans and cares without leaving any residues. The cleaner is made of a blend of special surfactants, silicone compounds and avocado oil.    

Linda Franklin an evaluator said the Monarch Vinyl Upholstery Cleaner turned her dull vinyl into material that looked like new, commenting, “The difference was like night and day.” She added, “We were considering new upholstery, but after using this cleaner we are able to keep the ones we have.”

Air Techniques offers a comprehensive line of infection control products, as well as an entire line of digital imaging products, and is the leading dental manufacturer of dental vacuums and air compressors systems in North America. Air Techniques distributes their products globally through a large network of dealers. For more information on Air Techniques, please visit: www.airtechniques.com. Become a fan of Air Techniques on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter and Instagram.

ids (integrated dental systems) introduces the SmartTouch™ Scannable Impression System. The SmartTouch hand-held auto dispenser is portable and fills an impression tray in only 10 seconds- all with the push of a button. No more filling impression trays with manual hand guns, now you can have the power of a countertop machine in the palm of your hand.

Designed for the SmartTouch auto dispenser, the SmartTouch™ VPS impression material combines excellent flow and detail reproduction with easy handling. The powder-free formulation is fully scannable and is ideal for all crown, bridge and implant impressions. All the benefits of digital CAD/CAM technology are now available without any change to your procedure.

For more information, visit idsimplants.com or call 866.277.5662.

Searching for “night guard allergy” online now yields more than 375,000 results from Google. This high hit rate shows the urgency of the topic in current discourse and should prompt dentists and dental technicians alike to take a closer look at the fabrication of occlusal splints for allergy patients.

Monomers and peroxides are considered potential allergens, and both substances are found in many acrylics used for making bite splints. Other substances and ingredients can be used to make the splint easier to handle or give it greater clarity, but they could also lead to a higher potential for allergic reaction. At the same time, the number of patients with hypersensitivity to dental resins is constantly increasing; because of that, dentistry has had to search for occlusal splints that are free of irritants and can be integrated effectively and efficiently into everyday laboratory and practice life.

The light-cured primosplint material from Primotec has been specially developed with the least possible potential for allergic reaction, and the market has not confirmed a single case of incompatibility, allergy, or undesirable side effects for 15 years now. In addition, primosplint is an easy-to-handle, pre-fabricated rod that is applied directly on the master model. It is precise, without clinically relevant polymerization shrinkage, tasteless, and fully autoclavable. Primotec even offers an info sheet titled "Advice for Allergy Patients," available at www.primotecusa.com. It lists a large number of regularly requested irritants that are not contained in primosplint, thus making this highly biocompatible splint material suitable for allergy patients.

On Thursday, November 9, 2017, Heather Voss, NBC Chairperson and Owner of the Legacy Dental Arts, CDL, and Barbara Warner-Wojdan, NADL Laboratory Representative and owner of the Knight Dental Group, CDL, DAMMAS, ISO, visited and lectured at the Department of Restorative Dentistry, New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn, NY.

Founded in 1946, today New York City College of Technology is the largest public baccalaureate college of technology in the Northeast. As part of 24 colleges making up the City University of New York, NYCCT grew from 246 students in 1947 to over 17,400 in the student population today. The Department of Restorative Dentistry was one of the first programs that opened in 1946, and it is now celebrating 71 years. Currently, there are around 100 students enrolled in the dental laboratory technology program, supported by a staff of 25 members.

Heather Voss and Barbara Warner-Wojdan represent what is the best in the profession - dedication to preservation of dental technology knowledge and high standards. Both women are heavily involved in speaking nationally, volunteering for professional organizations and fundraising for numerous causes supporting the profession. Both women are also laboratory owners and have vast experience in all phases of dental lab management and production. At NYCCT, Heather and Barbara shared their expertise and experience by lecturing on topics of national trade organizations, volunteerism, laboratory practices, the latest trends in dental materials and equipment, laboratory management, and opportunities that exist for graduates of programs like the one at NYCCT.

Further, Heather Voss, current chair of the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology, explained in detail how dental technology CDT certification is conducted and how it was revamped within the past two years. She explained the process, the involvement of industry members and the components within the certification that needed to be changed. Heather also spoke about her experiences in the dental laboratory profession and how she became a sole owner of Legacy Dental Arts. Barbara Warner-Wojdan shared her voluntary work on the Boards for the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology (FDLT) and National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) and her role as laboratory owner and manager at Knight Dental Group in Florida. The speakers also held engaging discussions on numerous topics with students and faculty of the Restorative Dentistry Department and toured the College and dental technology classrooms.

Henry Schein Dental, the dental business of Henry Schein, has launched an automated system to manage handpiece repair with the new ProRepair web portal, which is designed to enhance customer experience by managing all aspects of handpiece repair including: maintaining each practice’s handpiece inventory, diagnosing problems and displaying repair options, providing preapproved pricing for each repair, and retaining customer’s history and warranty status. These new features will expedite the repair process, allowing practitioners to focus on quality patient care.

The ProRepair web portal, which is compatible with all mobile devices, allows oral health professionals to submit a repair request in three easy steps. First, after logging into their account, dental professionals will find an organized list of their practice’s handpieces, which can be given unique names to eliminate confusion. Then, after selecting the handpiece in need of repair, the portal will diagnose the problem and provide pricing immediately with no need for estimates. Finally, dental professionals are then able to submit their order and print a UPS label.

"We at ProRepair believe that this web portal will allow for a quick and simple solution for dental practitioners," said Ron Appel, Vice President and General Manager of Henry Schein's ProRepair Division. "By creating a portal to expedite the repair process, we believe we are helping our customers operate efficient practices so they can continue delivering quality patient care."

The web portal consistently updates each customer’s inventory of handpieces, as well as the warranty on each item. Additionally, the ProRepair web portal will keep track of repair history, creating an archive for dental practitioners.