3D Dental announced the launch of an extension to its respected Visionary brand, a new line of X-Ray aprons. These cost effective, high quality aprons are worn during the X-Ray process. These aprons offer patient safety - the CE certified lead core material quality meets the IEC 61331-1:2014 and ASTM standards for radiation protection. The lush, silky-smooth fabric feels soft and supple on the patient ensuring patient comfort, and the vibrant, rich colors add a nice touch. The outer fabric is anti-microbial and easy to clean and maintain. The high quality material will not crack or fade with use thereby offering longevity. These aprons include sturdy sewn-in loops for hanging to ensure apron is stored properly. The Visionary aprons come in many vibrant colors in adult sizes with or without a collar and child sizes with collars as well as a panoramic apron.

3D Dental was launched six years ago with the vision and determination to bring a unique value proposition to the dental industry. They share a passion and resolve to offer innovative and simplistic solutions to the dental office.

With products ranging in categories from Impression Material, Dental Restoratives, Preventative and Hygiene related products, Endodontics, X-ray, Surgical, Infection Control and more, 3D Dental has more than a thousand sku’s in its portfolio that are being used and trusted by healthcare professionals daily.The cost effective, high quality Visionary aprons are available today! Email sales@3d-dent.com or call 877-605-8061

SOTA Imaging proudly launches its next-generation intraoral camera, the Claris i5HD. The Claris i5HD leverages the same high-quality and attention to detail you expect from SOTA Imaging’s products and adds high-definition imaging with seamless integration so offices can get up and running quickly to capture high-def images.

SOTA Imaging has been creating intraoral cameras for more than three decades. Through many years of experience in R&D, manufacturing, and by paying close attention to customer feedback, SOTA has launched a high-definition intraoral camera with unprecedented image quality and usability. The high-definition images that the Claris i5HD produces make educating and diagnosing patients easier and more exciting than ever before.

SOTA Imaging’s driving goal is to create the best imaging solutions on the planet. In order to achieve the highest resolution image, true to life color reproduction, and lowest image distortion on the market, the Claris i5HD leverages the most advanced sensor and fastest video processor technology available in an intraoral camera. Utilizing a state-of-the-art sensor with native HD resolution and aspect ratio, the i5HD doesn't need to cut out or crop pixels to call itself "HD," unlike existing cameras. Furthermore, with its customized image signal processor dynamically making enhancements to gamma, contrast, gain, and more based on current lighting conditions in and out of the mouth, you'll find that photos taken with the i5HD are more crisp, vibrant, and true to life than anything seen from an intraoral camera. From half molar shots to full face grins, your images will be breathtaking.

The Claris i5HD is made of space-grade anodized machined aluminum, giving it both a stunning design and fault-resistant durability. It also features a simple, robust connector that makes it easy to disconnect and move between operatories while maintaining a solid connection. The Claris works with both USB 2.0 and 3.0 connections allowing you to use the camera on existing workstations up to the most current computers (please check the minimum requirements for details).

The i5HD’s touch-intuitive slide focus makes it easy for clinicians to get clear images no matter how close they are to the patient’s dentition. With a unique ambidextrous focus design that encircles around the capture button, users will be able to quickly focus and snap clear images without hunting for button placement, minimizing retakes. Dental practitioners will love how comfortable the i5HD is to hold and use.

SOTA Imaging knows the importance of efficient time management and has created both software and devices to simplify and streamline daily tasks. With SOTA Imaging’s state-of-the-art solutions, offices can focus more on a patient’s well being while decreasing patient chair-time.

"The whole team at SOTA Imaging is thrilled to present the best intraoral camera on the market to the dental community,” states Dustin Johnson, Systems Development Engineer for SOTA Imaging. “Like the award-winning Claris i4D before it, the Claris i5HD is sure to set a new standard for patient care and communication, and we could not be more excited to release this new, high-definition solution to dental professionals."

Find out more about SOTA Imaging’s suite of imaging products at www.sotaimaging.com.

About SOTA Imaging

SOTA Imaging is regarded as an industry leader for digital imaging, with more than three decades of experience developing high-quality devices and software. SOTA Imaging’s focus is for our customers and their patients to receive the highest-quality care possible. SOTA Imaging offers intraoral imaging devices, X-ray imaging devices, and imaging software.

To learn more, visit: www.sotaimaging.com.

Prodways Group has announced that it has acquired the US 3D printing maker Solidscape Inc., a subsidiary of Stratasys.

Prodways Group was created five years ago and now has 400 employees. As an integrated player that offers its customers 3D printing systems (machines, materials, and software) as well as 3D-printed parts, the Group develops several lines of 3D printers based on different technologies:

    •stereolithography, with its MOVINGLight® series for 3D printing with resins and ceramics;

    •laser sintering for plastics;

    •Rapid Additive Forging for the 3D printing of large metal parts.

The machines designed by Prodways based on these three technologies are used primarily in a manufacturing setting, most often as a substitute for conventional production methods.

Solidscape is an established player in the 3D printing industry. Since it was founded in 1994, the company has been developing a leading 3D printing technology for investment casting applications, particularly for the jewelry market.

Drawing on its patent portfolio, Solidscape offers machines and materials that enable users to print wax models of unrivaled quality and precision to be used in casting processes. Since its inception, Solidscape has sold more than 5,000 machines that are used in manufacturing, mainly in the jewelry and investment casting sectors. These sales are spread over Europe, America, and the rest of the world through a large distribution network. Solidscape was acquired by Stratasys in 2011.

The MOVINGLight® technology, which is already available to the jewelry market, the burnout resins developed by Prodways Materials, and Solidscape's proprietary technologies complement one another perfectly and will give the new Group a comprehensive, global, and unmatched offer on the investment casting market, from mass manufacturing to high-precision manufacturing. This new offer is expected to spur Solidscape's business growth. 

A major transaction for Prodways Group

This acquisition solidifies the positioning of Prodways Group, which bases its strategy on 3D printing manufacturing applications. These markets are experiencing the gradual supplanting of traditional manufacturing techniques by 3D printing processes. The investment casting application, particularly for jewelry, is an indicative example. The added value offered by the technology enables the sale not only of machines but also of materials and supplies. This recurrence model is a feature of the 3D printing technologies using plastic, resins, and waxes developed by Prodways.

Consolidated over 12 months, Solidscape should generate revenue greater than $10 million in 2019, of which nearly 50% will come from sales of materials and supplies. The expected synergies, and particularly the marketing of small MOVINGLight® machines through the Solidscape network, should help the new subsidiary post a double-digit EBITDA by 2020. The brand name, management, and 66-person staff based in Merrimack, New Hampshire, will be retained. This transaction will substantially expand Prodways Group's presence in North America and increase its global geographic coverage through an international distribution network.

"The acquisition of Solidscape dovetails with Prodways Group's overall strategy and is a unique opportunity to bolster its machine sales business and expand its portfolio of technologies, while gaining excellent geographic coverage and teams renowned for their expertise in additive manufacturing" said Raphaël Gorgé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Prodways Group.

“Since 2011, Stratasys proudly promoted Solidscape and its proprietary technology as part of its product portfolio. As Stratasys moves strategically to more focus on specific vertical markets, we believe that this acquisition is beneficial for all parties and we wish Prodways the best of luck in accelerating the growth of Solidscape and maintaining its position as a market leader in its core markets,” said Rich Garrity, President of Stratasys Americas.

The transaction, whose amount is not being disclosed, will be paid for entirely in cash.

MSDA welcomes DRNA (Dental Recycling North America) into the fold of MSDA Members Perks Vendors. A leader in dental waste management, DRNA is the number one compliance partner for dental waste management and recycling.

With the passing of the new EPA amalgam separator rule, MSDA went to considerable lengths to bring its members the best economic and compliance vendor. When MSDA members sign on with DRNA, they will receive the necessary equipment completely free! That is a value of $850...a savings they will not find with other vendors.

With other vendors of this service, dental offices will typically purchase two or more cartridges, which are more costly that DRNA's annual one-time-all-inclusive-recycling-fee. In addition, when members sign up with DRNA, their annual recycling rate will be locked in for 3- to 5-years. MSDA members will find that not only are their annual recycling costs more economical than their competitors, but they are the only vendor willing to lock in their already lower recycling costs for years to come.

To receive your free unit, MSDA members need to go to the new DRNA MSDA web page www.drna.com/MSDA.php and sign up for an annual recycling contract. MSDA urges its members to sign up now as costs will only get higher as the July 2020 compliance date gets closer.

Don't miss your opporunity to speak to a DRNA representative at the Chesapeake Dental Conference. Stop by their booth or call 800-360-1001 ext. 2 for more information. 

Dentsply Sirona Lab is committed to offering the opportunity to establish a network with experts across all lab-related areas and enable the exchange between peers in every field of expertise. For this purpose, the Global Lab Experts Network (GLEN) has been initiated by the company’s Clinical Affairs team. To kick off this program, dental technicians, dentists and lab owners from all over the world came to Germany. The attendees from all five continents participated in a comprehensive 2-days program with varied general and breakout sessions and the possibility for a professional exchange with peers and colleagues. One main focus was also the importance of a successful teamwork between dental technician and dentist.

“Dentsply Sirona has the intention of organizing this kind of GLEN meeting every two years, establishing a network of experts across all lab-related areas”, said Tom Leonardi, Group Vice President at Dentsply Sirona Lab. “The atmosphere at the premiere edition was great, bringing together industry experts from all over the world for the very first time. These types of meetings facilitate exactly the required regular update on products and techniques for lab experts.” Indeed, the Dentsply Sirona Academy educates approximately 350,000 dental professionals every year across an extensive range of clinical, technical and practice excellence programs.

Exciting encounters, networking, and high-level learnings

The meeting was kicked off with a relaxed dinner that offered the perfect possibility for networking in a beautiful ambiance. The next day started with an exclusive tour through Dentsply Sirona’s Bensheim and Hanau production facilities, where participants were able to experience first-hand how the products for the labs are manufactured, from fixed traditional and CAD/CAM materials to equipment and technology. This interesting excursion was subsequently followed by a welcome speech from Dentsply Sirona’s Senior Vice President Technologies and Equipment Segment, Dominique Legros, and a lecture by Dentsply Sirona’s Chief Clinical Education Officer Dr. Terri Dolan, who pointed out the importance of continuing education “We have built the broadest education platform in the industry, helping dental professionals get the knowledge, skills, inspiration and certification they need to stay up-to-date as well as develop themselves and their businesses.”

Tom Leonardi completed the General Session by emphasizing the passion of the whole team to support dental technicians to develop themselves and to be prepared for the future- by embracing traditional technologies as well as laying the foundation for digital steps. 

The last day included amongst others a panel discussion on Digital Impression, its opportunities and limitations. Four experts from Europe and North America shared their experiences with the audience, based on their expertise as a dentist or dental technician. They explored the current status, strength and weaknesses, and provided an outlook into the future. 

After lunch the groups were invited to join breakout sessions, featuring current state and future developments of digital dentures, ceramics like Celtra Press and Cercon, traditional and digital workflows for full dentures as well as implant-retained dentures- a key topic for Dentsply Sirona, as this attracts increasing attention in the dental industry. At the end of the GLEN-meeting participants were overwhelmed by impressions, by the vivid exchange of ideas and they appreciated the opportunity to establish new contacts with peers from all over the world. Many of them were already eager to meet again in 2 years for the next GLEN-meeting and use the time in between to expand their global network and work on the future of dental technology together. 

As a strong partner for dental labs the new Lab SBU emphasized again how Dentsply Sirona has increased its commitment to dental labs. The GLEN program is yet another initiative to further cement the company’s determination to further expand the broadest clinical educational platform in the industry and to continue to develop new materials, procedures and technologies that can improve dental care delivery. And by working closely together with labs and dental technicians, Dentsply Sirona drives forward its focused development of innovative products for better, safer and faster lab workflows. 

Sterngold Dental pledged $20,000 to the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology 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. Pima Community College located in Tucson, Arizona, will be awarded $1,250 in store credit at Sterngold Dental.

Evident has announced the launch of their new Evident Design Services. The design services are available 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, to help the dental industry keep up with the demand of digital impressions as the industry shifts.

"Our mission is to empower the dental industry, mostly small business owners, to help them manage and grow their business in the most convenient way possible," said Paolo Kalaw, CEO of Evident. "We launched Evident Design Services because we truly believe that this solves staffing issues, one of the industry's hardest tasks to manage."

As consumers become more esthetic-focused, there is an increased demand for restorations, and the need for design services and other dental technologies is crucial.

As part of the launch, Evident also announced a strategic global Collaboration Agreement with Amann Girrbach. This strategic partnership will help support dental consumers in their digital transition with access to premium digital products and services. This partnership allows Evident and Amann Girrbach to develop and manufacture designs at a large scale.

While Amann Girrbach continues to offer in-house CAD design solutions, the newly launched design services of Evident support dental customers in a variety of scenarios that range from outgrowing in-house capacity of design personnel to covering peak demand periods to begin the transition from analog to digital. "In that respect, I see the high quality and customer-oriented design service of Evident as a valuable complementary offer for our existing customers in the United States, and what unites both partners is our ambition to provide flexible solutions that suit customer-specific needs and make their lives easier," said Georg Eickhoff, President of Amann Girrbach North America.

Great Lakes Dental Technologies (formerly Great Lakes Orthodontics) will host Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson for a one-day course on Friday, August 3rd 2018. Dr. Wilkerson will present a comprehensive lecture on Airway and Integrative Dental Medicine for dentists and staff.

Attendees will learn to identify major risk factors for complete health, including airway and breathing dysfunction. The key relationship between complete health and dental and TMD problems will be discussed. The course covers many of the common issues confronted by every dentist. It will help attendees excel as problem solvers and produce predictably stable results in restorative dentistry.

Dr. Wilkerson will share his comprehensive Integrative Dental Medicine Checklist to facilitate learning and guide clinical implementation into the patient evaluation process.

DATE: Friday August 3, 2018

LOCATION: Great Lakes Dental Technologies, Tonawanda, New York

TIME: 7:30AM – 5PM

CREDITS: 8 CE Credits PACE AGD Subject Code 370

This 8 CE credit course is open to dentists and their non-dentist staff.

To register visit Airway-IDM.com or call Great Lakes Dental Technologies at 800.828.7626.

This course is presented with commercial support by Great Lakes Dental Technologies.

ABOUT DR. WILKERSON:

Dr. Wilkerson has lectured internationally for over 25 years on the topics of Restorative Dentistry, TMD, Breathing Disordered Sleep & Integrative Dental Medicine. He has taught over 600 hours of hands-on instruction to over 4,000 students through Dawson Academy programs. In 1982 he graduated from the University of Florida College of Dentistry and joined the private practice of Dr. Peter Dawson in St. Petersburg, Florida.

ABOUT GREAT LAKES DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES:

Great Lakes Dental Technologies (formerly Great Lakes Orthodontics) is an employee owned company, with over 270 employee-owners who design, develop, manufacture, and market products for use in the orthodontic, dental, and sleep/airway market. Great Lakes is one of North America’s largest orthodontic laboratories and offers more than 4,000 products and services. Great Lakes is a nationally approved PACE Program Provider for FAGD/MAGD credit. Great lakes is located in Tonawanda, New York • 800.828.7626 • GreatLakesOrtho.com

Johannesburg – When talking about healthcare, especially volunteering, rarely will we associate that need with dental health. However, Medical News Today reported on studies that have proven a direct link between critical diseases, such as cardiovascular problems and even Alzheimer’s disease, and poor dental hygiene. So, when you can’t see a dentist, you open the door to very real health problems.

“We were overjoyed to be able to host a dental awareness campaign between 28 May and 10 June 2018. The idea was born when Dr Pestana volunteered earlier this year and were shocked at the appalling state of oral health in the area, especially amongst children,” says Barbara McGorian, Tshemba Foundation director.

A study published in the South African Dental Journal by Dr Ramphoma found that “while 84-90% of the South African population is dependent on the public oral health services, only one quarter of all South African dentists were employed by the public sector in 2009”. Furthermore, the study revealed that in 2002 up to 60% of South African children suffered from dental decay, and 32% needed orthodontic treatment.

In 2017, research was published based on the state of dental health in Limpopo, which indicated a great need for preventative care and dental education. So, when Colgate, The Dental Warehouse and Wright-Millners offered equipment and mobile units, it was like a dream-come-true.

“Our dental programme comprised two elements: the education, screening and treatment of school children in the mornings, and the treatment of adults in the afternoons. All of this was done free of charge thanks to all the volunteers and dental donations we received,” comments McGorian.

The campaign proved to be a huge success. Over 8 000 Grade R to 4 children were taught about basic oral health and the importance thereof. The children also received toothbrushes and toothpaste, and the Grade 1 pupils were screened and, where necessary, treated by the volunteer dentists in the Colgate mobile units. Focus shifted in the afternoons to adults; the volunteer dentists and hygienists treated just under 200 adults at various clinics in the area.

“We would like to extend our thanks to each and every volunteer, the team from Sefako Makgatho University, Colgate, The Dental Warehouse and Wright-Millners, as well as the permanent staff from Tintswalo Hospital and Hlokomela Clinic. Lives have been changed thanks to your donations,” concludes Godfrey Phillips, Tshemba Foundation director.

About Tshemba Foundation

We offer a unique voluntourism programme. Our aim is to improve access to healthcare in low-income communities in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, while enriching the lives of qualified medical professionals. Our volunteers (local and international) reside in a 5-star lodge, while providing essential medical care at the surrounding hospitals and clinics, as well as upskilling local healthcare providers. Contact Barbara@tshembafoundation.org or visit www.tshembafoundation.org for more information.

Dental Wings and Carestream Dental have announced that the CS 3600 intraoral scanner has been certified by Dental Wings for use with DWOS® and DWOS® Chairside Design Software, as well as coDiagnostiX® Implant Planning Software.

Scans obtained by the CS 3600 can now be imported into Dental Wings DWOS andDWOS Chairside Design Software, and/or coDiagnostiX Implant Planning Software, providing CS 3600 and DWOS users with new options for their digital design workflow, including crown and bridge, implant and denture planning, guided surgery planning, splint design, and orthodontic archiving.

“This latest certification for Dental Wings DWOS reflects our ongoing commitment to broaden accessibility to our range of open software solutions for chairside, lab, and central milling, through partnerships with other key market players,” said Michel Divet, EVP Sales and Marketing, Dental Wings.