Keystone Dental has announced the appointment of Russ Bonafede as their new CEO. Russ Bonafede assumed responsibilities on 8/14/2018 and will succeed Michael Kehoe, who has stepped down but will remain in a consulting capacity for the next six months.

Russ Bonafede has nearly 30 years of experience predominantly focused in the implantable medical device industry. Russ served as President of Zest Dental Solutions prior to joining Keystone Dental. During that time, he successfully built a commercial organization at Zest, was pivotal to two acquisitions/integrations, and part of a successful sale of the business in March to the private-equity firm BC Partners. Previously Russ Bonafede served as President of Henry Schein Orthodontics, a top five player in the fixed orthodontic market and as Vice-President of Global Marketing for both Zimmer Dental and Biomet 3i before those organizations merged. Russ holds a B.S. Degree in marketing from SUNY Plattsburgh where he graduated cum laude and earned an MBA from San Diego State University.

“Keystone Dental has a significant legacy in the implant market and remains one of the larger independent companies in the sector. In collaboration with our new private equity partners, Accelmed, I look forward to accelerating Keystone’s position through a combination of organic and new business development initiatives”, noted Russ Bonafede.

Keystone Dental is an oral healthcare company dedicated to the delivery of breakthrough dental surgical and prosthetic technology. Headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts with manufacturing and distribution facilities in Irvine, California, Keystone markets its products worldwide. The company’s product portfolio includes proprietary offerings such as Genesis – The Biomimetic Implant System™, the TILOBEMAXX™, PrimaConnex® and Prima Plus™ Implant Systems, the DynaMatrix® Extracellular Membrane, and the DynaBlast® and DynaGraft® bone graft substitutes.

For more information, refer to www.keystonedental.com

America’s ToothFairy is pleased to announce that Ann Bruck, U.S. Professional Services and Industry Relations Manager for 3M Oral Care, has been named Chairman of the Board of Directors for the next fiscal year. The position was previously held by James Ingebrand, former Vice President and General Manager of 3M Oral Care, who recently retired.

Since joining 3M Oral Care in 2008, Ann has served in various training and leadership capacities including Global Training Development Manager and Global Professional Services/Education Manager. Before joining 3M, Ann delivered clinical patient care as a registered dental hygienist and trained the next generation of dental professionals as a lecturer and clinical instructor at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Ann is a member of the American Dental Educators Association (ADEA) and the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) and serves on the Board of the American Dental Association (ADA) Foundation.

“I am impressed by the work that has been done to improve children’s oral health outcomes and deeply moved by the need to do more,” Ms. Bruck said. “I am looking forward to working with the other esteemed members of the Board and with the energetic team at America’s ToothFairy to make an even bigger impact in the years to come.”

“We are grateful for Mr. Ingebrand’s dedication over the past three years and his leadership as Chairman,” said Jill Malmgren, Executive Director of America’s ToothFairy. “We are so excited to have Ann lead our Board and work with us to improve the oral health of our nation’s children and their families.”

Board leaders who continue to serve in the coming year include Paul Guggenheim, Vice Chair, and Paul Mondock, Treasurer, as well as Tegwyn Brickhouse, DDS, PhD, Gordon Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD, Thomas Engels, Roger George, Greg Sheehan, and Cherilyn Sheets, DDS.

About America’s ToothFairy

As a resource provider, America’s ToothFairy increases access to oral health care by supporting non-profit clinics and community partners delivering education, prevention, and treatment services for underserved children. Since its inception in 2006, America’s ToothFairy has distributed more than $18 million in donated products, educational materials, and financial grants to improve oral health outcomes for children and youth in need. For more information, visit www.AmericasToothFairy.org. 

Darby Dental Supply has secured a new 13,845 square foot lease at 600 Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach, positioning the company for continued growth in South Florida.

Relocating east from their existing location in Coral Springs, the new expanded footprint at Hillsboro Center will allow the company to better scale operations and add talent in support of Darby Dental Supply’s national growth initiative. With 60 employees currently in South Florida, the firm plans to continue to recruit over the next year and add additional talent to the Deerfield Beach outpost. The Jericho, New York-based company is one of the fastest-growing dental distributors in the United States and currently operates seven regional locations nationwide, including the South Florida lease.

“Our success is largely driven by our sales representatives and customer service specialists who pride themselves on building personalized relationships and understanding the unique needs of our clients,” said Kraig Zaharia, Director of Darby Dental Supply’s Florida branch. “Aligning our real estate footprint to better serve and recruit our employees will also ensure an enhanced service experience for our clients.”

The six-story, 116,116 square foot office building sits on the highly-visible southwest corner of Hillsboro Boulevard and is the only Class A office building in Deerfield Beach. Its close proximity to I-95 was a key selling point for Darby as the company gears up to recruit new employees. Darby Dental Supply will occupy 13,845 square feet on the second floor, where the firm plans to create a state-of-the-art communications and customer support center with an open floorplan, leaving room to continue expanding its footprint.

Darby has invested in a number of growth initiatives in the past few years, including the addition of a capital equipment division, expanded private label offerings, and a surgical division which features the Alfa Gate line of implants exclusively in the U.S. The company also formed an exclusive partnership with Dental Fix Rx to provide on-site equipment service and in January 2018 debuted Darby TechForce®, the company’s new technology services arm. Most recently, Darby acquired the dental supply division of West Coast-based distributor SmartPractice, expanding its coverage and availability for customers nationwide.

600 Hillsboro Boulevard has a planned occupancy of Q4 2018.

About Darby Dental Supply

Darby Dental Supply, LLC, is one of the largest dental distributors in the United States, shipping over one million orders each year. Headquartered in Jericho, NY, the company was founded in 1948 and has seven sales offices and three fully-automated distribution centers strategically positioned across the country. With over 45,000 products in stock, Darby services the general practitioner as well as numerous specialties. In addition to Darby’s supply vertical, the company also hosts a technology services division (Darby TechForce®), a capital equipment division, a surgical division, equipment repair services (through an exclusive partnership with Dental Fix RX), and a full line of private label products. For more information about Darby, please visit www.darby.com.

Dental Whale, a firm specializing in dental practice support services, experienced a landmark year, with three of its nine companies recognized on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States in 2018. Among the companies recognized were Conversion Whale, Tralongo and Dental Fix Rx, which ranked No. 328, No. 350 and No. 4652, respectively.

Recognition as an Inc. 5000 company shows impressive percentages of revenue growth over a three-year period. The prestigious list, which began in 1982 to recognize the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., only includes brands that have proven themselves with increased growth, revenue and reputation within the industry. Receiving recognition on the acclaimed list is one of the most coveted honors to hold as a rising private business and business leader.

“Dental Whale was created to offer all dentists a comprehensive a-la-carte platform that allows them to pick and choose which services they need and reap the benefits of proven systems and years of experience to build up their dental practice,” said David Lopez, co-founder of Dental Whale. “To be recognized for our growth is an undeniable honor but it’s another huge milestone to have three of our companies on the list – that is unheard of.”

Dental Whale has all outsourcing needs of a dentist in mind to enhance the patient experience and increase profitability while implementing streamlined processes with solution-driven results. Here are the wide range of services and customizable outsourcing solutions:

-Front and Back Office Functions - inbound & outbound call centers, insurance verification, billing and insurance claims, IT support and accounting

-Marketing & Lead Generation - website design, digital marketing strategies, SEO, social media and reputation management, direct mail, email drip campaigns

-Seminars & Workshops - practice management education for dentists, building and growing successful startups, and clinical continuing education

-Dental Practice Acquisition – help obtain financing, merger & acquisition consulting, assistance with the transition process and ongoing support for operation of multiple practices

-Dental Partnership - unique opportunity for dental entrepreneurs to partner with a practice management group that provides innovative operations, training, and an attractive exit strategy

-De Novo Specific Support – demographic analysis, negotiations, design and construction management services

-On-Site Equipment Repairs, Service and Sales - for all dental office equipment (including handpieces) and unique ability to loan equipment

-Inventory Cost Control – supplies, equipment, services, labs, technology, software and more.

About Dental Whale

With offices in Atlanta, San Antonio and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Dental Whale is an innovative dental company carving a new category of group private practice ownership and management. Through its suite of subsidiary companies, Dental Whale helps dentists operate dental practices more efficiently by saving money on purchases, marketing to new patients, expanding through acquisitions, improving patient experience and increasing office efficiency. In 2017, Dental Whale and its more than 850 team members supported more than 17,000 dentists and helped serve more than 4 million patients. For more information on Dental Whale, call 855-339-3740 or visit. 

Sterngold has announced that a new and improved sterngold.com is now live. Sterngold.com was built with easy page navigation, newly implemented product selection guides, enhanced resources, and upgraded customer and technical support services. These are just a few of the many new features sterngold.com has to offer. You can visit www.sterngold.com for a first-hand experience.

“In 1996, the first sterngold.com was born and soon became one of the most recognizable and multifaceted web platforms in the dental and medical device industries. It is with great pleasure that I announce that a new and improved sterngold.com is now live and ready to make an impact! For the past 120 years, Sterngold has prided itself on excellent customer support, remarkable products, and a high level of educational standards and will continue to do so with the backing of our newly enhanced web capabilities!” stated Gordon Craig, President and CEO of Sterngold Dental, LLC.

Larry Clark, Director of Clinical Affairs and Marketing at Pulpdent Corporation, explains how bioactive materials can be used to improve patient outcomes in this Free On Demand Webinar. Register here.

About PULPDENT® Corporation

PULPDENT® Corporation is a family-owned dental research, manufacturing company and leader in bioactive dental materials. ACTIVA BioACTIVE™, developed by PULPDENT, is the first esthetic bioactive restorative material. ACTIVA behaves much like natural teeth and stimulates the formation of apatite (the building blocks of teeth), chemically bonds to teeth and helps protect against decay. For over 70 years, Pulpdent has been committed to product innovation, clinical education and patient-centered care in the fields of restoratives, oral hygiene, endodontics, temporization, periodontics, orthodontics, and general dentistry. To stay updated on bioactivity and learn about the Heroic Dentistry Series, which demonstrates ACTIVA's unprecedented capabilities, visit the Pulpdent blog. 

DenMat Holdings, LLC is pleased to announce that it was recently named an American Dental Association (ADA) Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP)-recognized provider. The distinction of ADA CERP means that continuing education (CE) courses, lectures and seminars offered by DenMat have been reviewed and approved as quality continuing dental education.

DenMat, as a premier provider of CE programs, may now use the ADA CERP-recognized logo and recognition statement, which symbolize to oral health professionals that the content contained therein such materials is of the highest possible quality. This notation was important to DenMat, as the company wants CE credits offered at its comprehensive courses to be recognized by the ADA for the benefit of its member community.

"We are very pleased to have our continuing education platform recognized by the ADA, " says David Casper, DenMat Chief Executive Officer. "CE has and will continue to play a strategic role in our company, with nearly 100 CE events held in North America this year alone."

From the ADA, "Established in 1993, the ADA CERP provides ADA members and the dental community a mechanism to select quality continuing dental education with confidence and promotes the continuous improvement of continuing dental education both nationally and globally."

The review process for ADA CERP recognition is thorough and managed by the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition (CCEPR). Through an application and review process, CCEPR evaluates institutions and organizations that provide CE program offerings. CCEPR serves the public, the dental profession, and other healthcare providers by developing and implementing standards that promote excellence in continuing dental education to support professional competence and improvement of patient care.

DenMat is proud to join the ranks of CE providers as an ADA CERP-recognized provider. For a full list of DenMat's CE opportunities, visit https://www.denmat.com/r_dm_education_courses.

ABOUT DENMAT HOLDINGS

Since 1974, DenMat has been a leader in high-quality dental products for dental professionals in more than 115 countries around the world. DenMat manufactures and assembles most of its products at its world headquarters on California's Central Coastal region. DenMat offers three main product categories: Consumables, Small Equipment, and Dental Lab Services. DenMat's consumables include brands that are known and trusted, including Geristore®, Core Paste®, Tenure®, Ultra-Bond®, Infinity®, SplashMax®, Precision®, Perfectemp®, Atridox® and LumiSmile White®. DenMat's small equipment offering includes a broad range of products, including NV®PRO3 and SOL™ soft-tissue diode lasers, the Rotadent® power toothbrush, PeriOptix™ magnification loupes and lights, Flashlite™ curing lights, Vizilite® and Vizilite® Pro for oral lesion screening, and a full line of high-quality Hartzell hand instruments. DenMat is also home to Lumineers®, the world's #1 patient-requested veneer, and Snap-On Smile®, the life-changing removable appliance.

Notarantonio Named AACD Accredited Fellow Member

MADISON, Wis. (08/21/18)— Adamo Notarantonio, DDS has been named an Accredited Fellow in the American      Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry 

(AACD). The purpose of Fellowship is to provide the highest level of achievement for members in accordance with the  AACD's mission of education and excellence. 

Notarantonio has been a member of the AACD since 2007 and achieved Accredited Member status in 2011. He is a 2002 graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, where he received honors in both removable and fixed prosthodontics.  He completed his residency in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program at Stony Brook in 2003 and was chosen by faculty to complete a second year as Chief Resident.

In 2016, Notarantonio was awarded AACD’s Rising Star Award. He currently serves as Accreditation Chairman, is on the American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Board of Cosmetic and Esthetic Dentistry and volunteers for the AACD Charitable Foundation’s Give Back a Smile program.  

“Dr. Notarantonio’s commitment to responsible esthetics and cosmetic dentistry is undeniable with his most recent achievement as an AACD Accredited Fellow,” said AACD Fellowship Chair Bradley J. Olson, DDS, FAACD. “Our Accredited Fellow members must complete one of the most rigorous, yet life-changing journeys of their career—and of their lives.”

Notarantonio will be honored for this achievement at the 35^th Annual AACD Scientific Session in San Diego on April 24, 2019.

About the AACD

The AACD is the world’s largest non-profit member organization dedicated to advancing excellence in comprehensive oral care that combines art and science to optimally improve dental health, esthetics, and function. Comprised of more than 5,000 cosmetic dental professionals in 80 countries worldwide, the AACD fulfills its mission by offering superior educational opportunities, promoting and supporting a respected Accreditation credential, serving as a user-friendly and inviting forum for the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas, and providing accurate and useful information to the public and the profession.

AEGIS Dental Network, an educational publishing and media company headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania, has announced that Michael DiTolla, DDS, has joined the company as Vice President of Clinical Affairs and Communications. Since his graduation from the University of Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, DiTolla has served in various roles in the oral healthcare profession, including maintaining a private practice for 15 years. His previous positions include Director of Clinical Affairs for Sirona Dental Systems, as well as Director of Clinical Research and Education for Glidewell Laboratories.

In this new post, DiTolla will be focusing on expanding the educational capabilities and opportunities of the AEGIS video platform. “I am thrilled to be joining the team at AEGIS Dental Network,” he says. “Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of writing for their publications and teaching in their educational programs, and I have always been impressed by their professionalism and expertise. It’s been my dream to be part of an organization that produces publications, online education, and live events as well as AEGIS does.”

“Mike’s experience and commitment to oral health education is the perfect fit for our growing video network,” says Karen Auiler, COO/CFO. “The synergy between his expertise and our capabilities should result in many exciting, innovative programs. We are looking forward to building new pathways in how educational content can be developed and delivered.”

The AEGIS Dental Network brands include Inside Dentistry, Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, Inside Dental Technology, and CDEWorld. As a core resource in the global professional oral healthcare community, the company’s publishing, continuing education, live event, and video outlets provide expert insight into the delivery of patient care.

About AEGIS Communications

Founded in 2005 with the launch of its flagship publication, Inside Dentistry, AEGIS Communications is the culmination of more than 150 combined years of professional experience and insight into healthcare publishing, education, and multimedia communications. Its extensive oral healthcare platform provides the entire team—clinicians, technicians, hygienists, assistants, and students—with a comprehensive collection of accessible, high-quality, purposeful content designed to enhance their practice and patient care.

Alexandria, Va., USA – Tooth loss is a significant health issue currently affecting millions of people worldwide. While artificial dental implants are the existing standard tooth replacement therapy, they do not exhibit many properties of natural teeth and can be associated with complications leading to implant failure. Two articles published in the SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH share recent advances in bioengineering teeth.

In the article “BIOENGINEERED TOOTH BUDS EXHIBIT FEATURES OF NATURAL TOOTH BUDS” Pamela Yelick, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass., USA and co-authors explored new methods to create highly cellularized bioengineered tooth bud constructs that include features that resemble natural tooth buds such as the dental epithelial stem cell niche, enamel knot signaling centers, transient amplifying cells and mineralized dental tissue formation. The constructs were composed of postnatal dental cells encapsulated within a hydrogel material.

This is the first report that describes the use of postnatal dental cells to create bioengineered tooth buds that exhibit evidence of these features of natural tooth development, pointing to future bioengineered tooth buds as a promising, clinically relevant tooth replacement therapy.

In the article “BONE MARROW STROMAL CELLS PROMOTE INNERVATION OF BIOENGINEERED TEETH” Sabine Kuchler-Bopp, French National Institute of Health and Medical Research and Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, France, and co-authors developed a strategy where autologous mesenchymal cells coming from bone marrow can be used to supply nerves to bioengineered teeth without treatment that uses an immunosuppressor. The innervation of teeth is essential for their function and protection but does not occur spontaneously after injury. This new method provides innervation while avoiding multiple side effects associated with immunosuppressors.

“These exciting studies point to a promising future for bioengineered teeth,” said Journal of Dental ResearchEditor-in-Chief William V. Giannobile. “This cutting-edge research has the potential to advance tooth replacement therapy and the science base to bring such regenerative medicine treatments to improve clinical care.”

About the Journal of Dental Research

The IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research (JDR) is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the dissemination of new knowledge in all sciences relevant to dentistry and the oral cavity and associated structures in health and disease. With a 5.380 Impact Factor, the JDR ranks #2 in Impact Factor of 91 journals in the “Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine” category and ranks #2 of 91 in Article Influence with a score of 1.546. The JDR continues to rank #1 of 91 journals in Eigenfactor with a score of 0.02095 and the JDR’s 5-year Impact Factor remained above 5 for the third year at 5.715, ranking #2 of 91 journals. With over 19,000 citations, the JDR also boasts the most citations in the “Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine” category. This information comes from the 2017 Journal Citation Reports® (Clarivate Analytics, 2018).

About the International and American Associations for Dental Research

The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with over 11,000 individual members worldwide, dedicated to: (1) advancing research and increasing knowledge for the improvement of oral health worldwide, (2) supporting and representing the oral health research community, and (3) facilitating the communication and application of research findings. To learn more, visit WWW.IADR.ORG. The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is the largest Division of IADR, with over 3,400 members in the United States. To learn more, visit WWW.IADR.ORG/AADR.