Anyone who has experienced xerostomia knows that it is frustrating, especially when relief products wear off quickly or are inconvenient to use. In addition to discomfort, the absence of saliva can lead to the development and progression of tooth decay. 3M™ Xerostomia Relief Spray is a new, clinically-proven solution that provides prescription-strength relief of xerostomia symptoms—for up to four hours per use.

As a lipid-based spray, 3M Xerostomia Relief Spray achieves relief by moistening and lubricating mucosa, and showed an improvement in dry mouth symptoms in 92% of clinical study participants. Available only by prescription from a dental professional, the spray is conveniently portable and ready to use without any pre-mixing or preparation requirements.

For some, xerostomia is a minor inconvenience. For others, it is a debilitating symptom that can make it difficult to speak, eat and swallow, as well as result in increased dental caries. Since xerostomia is a common side effect of many medications and a symptom of certain illnesses, it’s crucial for dental professionals to know when their patients may be experiencing xerostomia, and to have a plan in place to prevent the risk of dentition breakdown.

For example, when prescribing 3M Xerostomia Relief Spray, clinicians should also consider offering in-office fluoride treatments like 3M™ Vanish™ 5% Sodium Fluoride White Varnish with Tri-Calcium Phosphate, and homecare treatments like 3M™ Clinpro™ 5000 1.1% Sodium Fluoride Anti-Cavity Toothpaste and 3M™ TheraMints™ Xylitol Mints, which stimulate the flow of saliva.

 “Oral health is a critical part of overall health, so people struggling with xerostomia should feel comfortable asking their hygienist or dentist for recommendations,” said Jennifer Post, RDH, MDH and Senior Technical Service Engineer at 3M. "Sometimes, the over-the-counter option from the drugstore just doesn’t cut it—that’s when a prescription solution like 3M Xerostomia Relief Spray is actually what is best for patients.”

3M Oral Care promotes lifelong oral wellness through inventive solutions that help oral care professionals achieve greater clinical, professional and personal success. Learn more at 3M.com/OralCare. For more information on 3M Xerostomia Relief Spray, visit 3M.com/Xerostomia.

About 3M

At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. With $32 billion in sales, our 91,000 employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNewsroom.

Oral Health America (OHA) proudly acknowledges Ivoclar Vivadent as the 2019 Million Dollar Donor. This award will be presented at OHA’s Champions for Change Gala to be held February 20, 2019 at historic Soldier Field in Chicago.

Ivoclar Vivadent helped to launch Oral Health America’s (OHA) Wisdom Tooth Project® (WTP) in 2010. The Wisdom Tooth Project strives to change the lives of senior consumers aging in their communities and especially vulnerable to oral disease.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ivoclar to the OHA Million Dollar Donor family. They have been instrumental not only to our work with older adults but have donated to our Be (In)Kind Product Donation Project, helping school-based and school-linked programs to reduce operating costs and serve more children,” said Beth Truett, President & CEO of OHA. “Ivoclar’s continued commitment to OHA and to improving the oral and overall health of children, families, older adults and their caregivers helps to ensure all Americans enjoy healthier mouths and lives.”

Ivoclar Vivadent also helps OHA by offering a challenge grant each November and December for end-of-year donations up to $50,000. These funds allow OHA to reach older adults through Toothwisdom.org, a website that serves both seniors and their caregivers by providing information about oral health in aging and by connecting individuals with affordable dental clinics through the “Find Care” tool. In Western New York, Ivoclar joined with OHA and the University at Buffalo to offer Tooth Wisdom®: Get Smart About Your Mouth educational workshops, teaching older adults about the importance of oral health on overall health.

"Over the years, our work with OHA has been both exciting and humbling," said Robert Ganley CEO of Ivoclar Vivadent. "Each and every day, OHA strives to educate and improve oral health care for our country, especially those in need. We are extremely proud of and committed to the focus on the dental healthcare of older adults who lack both access to and financial capacity for proper dental care. To see what they have accomplished over the years as well as their vision for the future makes this partnership truly rewarding."

By celebrating this occasion at our 29th Annual Gala, Ivoclar Vivadent will stand with other Million Dollar Donors who have been involved in and supported OHA’s work over the years.

The annual Champions for Change Gala serves as the premier networking event for the dental industry, providing a relaxed space for industry leaders to connect and mingle while supporting the important work OHA does to improve the oral health of the nation.

ABOUT ORAL HEALTH AMERICA (OHA)

OHA’s mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to drive access to care, increase health literacy and advocate for policies that improve overall health through better oral health for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. Through Smiles Across America®, which serves over 447,000 children annually, the Wisdom Tooth Project®, which reaches tens of thousands of older adults, and the Campaign for Oral Health Equity, which prioritizes oral health alongside other chronic diseases, OHA helps Americans of all ages to have a healthy mouth and to understand the importance of oral health for overall health. For more information about Oral Health America, please visit oralhealthamerica.org.

® Smiles Across America and Wisdom Tooth Project are both registered trademarks of Oral Health America

ABOUT IVOCLAR VIVADENT

Ivoclar Vivadent is a global leader in innovative materials and processes for quality, esthetic dentistry. The company employs over 3200 people and operates in over 120 countries throughout the world. Ivoclar Vivadent is headquartered in Schaan, Liechtenstein. Its North American headquarters is based in Amherst, NY. For more information, call 1-800-533-6825 in the U.S., 1-800-263-8182 in Canada. 

Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) today announced multiple updates associated for the iTero® Element family of Intraoral scanner (iTero Element, Element 2 and Element Flex) which includes a new software upgrade with enhanced functionality and connectivity to two important digital dentistry leaders: exocad and Dentrix. With these updates, iTero has strengthened its position in restorative and dental practice workflow and is able to help dentists offer a better and faster patient experience.

1.7 Software upgrade: With the 1.7 iTero scanner software upgrade that will be available through a gradual release, starting in late Nov., general dentists and orthodontists have access to new features that improve scan quality and provides additional functionality for patient data protection. These improved features include:Improved image quality and resolution of restorative model

Direct visualization of high resolution scan in “scan mode”

-Improved scan process for prep segments and

-Inactivity log out feature that activates after a pre-defined period of system inactivity for greater privacy of patient information

-In addition, a separate iTero software update this week also provided customers with an improvement in their experience at myitero.com, with clear visibility to file download status.

iTero Intraoral scanner open chair-side milling workflow with exocad ChairsideCAD software offers a fully-validated workflow between iTero Element Intraoral scanner and exocad ChairsideCAD to enable in-house milling of dental restoration on any compatible milling machine. With the flexibility of being able to choose chair-side workflow that works for their practice, dentists can focus on offering a better patient experience and faster treatment through same-day dentistry.

iTero Intraoral scanner is now integrated with Dentrix patient management platform. This integration simplifies workflow and increases efficiency by eliminating the need to re-enter patient data for digital impressions taken using the iTero scanner by automatically inserting the scan into Dentrix patient chart. This connectivity is available only in North America.

About Align Technology, Inc.

Align Technology designs and manufactures the Invisalign® system, the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, and iTero intraoral scanners and services. Align’s products help dental professionals achieve the clinical results they expect and deliver effective, cutting-edge dental options to their patients. Visit www.aligntech.com for more information.

For additional information about the Invisalign system or to find an Invisalign doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com. For additional information about iTero digital scanning system, please visit www.itero.com.

About exocad GmbH

exocad GmbH is a dynamic and innovative dental CAD/CAM software company committed to expanding the possibilities of digital dentistry and providing its distribution partners flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use software. exocad's technology enables system integrators to turn equipment into comprehensive, class-leading solutions.

About Dentrix

Dentrix Dental Systems was founded in 1985 and acquired by Henry Schein, Inc. in 1997. More than 35,000 dental practices rely on Dentrix practice management software. Dentrix leads the dental software market by providing solutions for both the clinical and business sides of your practice. Plus, Dentrix helps you build your practice with integrated eServices — innovative dental software that adds new capabilities to your system — and "Dentrix Connected" products from top dental technology companies.

iTero and INVISALIGN are registered trademarks of Align Technology, Inc. EXOCAD and DENTRIX are registered trademarks of their respective owners. 

Dental 3D printing solutions provider Structo has announced the appointment of Doug Statham as their new Vice President of Global Sales. Doug brings with him almost 20 years of experience in the dental industry and a focus on digital dentistry that meshes perfectly with Structo’s.

Doug began his career in dental with a 7-year stint at Nobel Biocare. He then moved on to become Global Director of Business Development for Keystone Dental. He played an integral role at this Massachusetts-based company, increasing annual sales from zero to more than $50M, allowing Keystone to grow from 12 to 125 employees. During his 4-year tenure at a leading Germany-based 3D printing company, Doug managed a sales team covering the United States, Latin America, and Canada, as well as various reseller and distribution networks. His contribution led to a 250% sales growth over a period of 2 years, surpassing sales goals. 

“When the Structo team invited me over to Singapore to visit their engineering and manufacturing facilities, I did not know what to expect initially,” said Doug. “After seeing it first hand, I was really impressed with what they’ve set up in terms of research & development and manufacturing processes. I was surprised at the level of resources Structo is pouring into developing new materials for new applications, and also at how much the team is investing in automation that will solve the industry's key pain points. I can’t wait to help bring these new products to market.” 

Doug will be tasked with further expanding Structo’s reach, starting with North America. “With offices on both the East and West Coasts, Structo is well positioned to strategically expand its network throughout the entire continent. And I am excited to contribute towards that growth,” added Doug.

“Doug brings tremendous value to our organization,” said Huub van Esbroeck, Structo’s co-founder and CEO. “His past experiences with dental and particularly digital technology will help us deliver our dental industry-focused solutions to our customers throughout North America and later worldwide.” 

“I am excited to join the young and fast-growing team at Structo, which has clearly been making waves in the dental 3D printing world in recent years,” added Doug. “As the only company to focus exclusively on the dental and orthodontic applications of 3D printing, I believe I’m joining a winning team that is going to be highly successful in the revolution that’s occurring in dentistry’s shift to full digital workflows.”

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) will host the premier dental implant educational event – the Dental Implant Conference – from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 at Sheraton Grand Chicago in Chicago, Ill.

The 26th annual conference will feature international experts presenting the latest research in the field of dental implants, which offer patients a long-term solution to missing teeth. More than 1,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons, their staff and restorative dentists will attend sessions taught by more than 30 speakers on topics including the transition from freehand to guided navigation, and social media in dentistry.

Highlights of the preconference and general sessions include:

-Two full days of fast-paced, practical and innovative presentations during the general sessions Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 will focus on such topics as managing and avoiding complications and ridge augmentation and prosthetic solutions.

-In honor of AAOMS’s 100th anniversary, a general session Dec. 1 will celebrate the Association’s history, touching on the application of technology in the field and the development of patient-specific implants.

-The Nov. 29 preconference schedule features three hands-on sessions covering peri-implant soft-tissue augmentation, digital scanning for the OMS and the evolution of implant dentistry.

-Three other preconference sessions designed for OMSs and their restorative dental colleagues will discuss transforming surgical practices with new digital technology, approaches to augment the narrow ridge and full-arch esthetic management.   

-Back by popular demand, a live simulcast will allow participants to watch general sessions from afar and earn continuing education credit. In addition, more than 100 companies will display cutting-edge products and services for dental implant practices in the Exhibit Hall at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.

“The Dental Implant Conference is designed to provide OMSs, their referring dentists and staff – the entire dental implant team – the latest in research and development,” said AAOMS President A. Thomas Indresano, DMD, FACS. “For more than a quarter century, the conference has presented innovations in dental implants from a renowned faculty of international experts in the field.”

Registration is open to AAOMS members, students, non-members and the media. Visit AAOMS.org/DIC for additional information.

The experts in face, mouth and jaw surgery® — The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is the professional organization representing more than 11,000 oral and maxillofacial surgeons, OMS residents and OMS professional staff in the United States. AAOMS supports its fellows’ and members’ ability to practice their specialty through education, research and advocacy. AAOMS fellows and members comply with rigorous continuing education requirements and submit to periodic office anesthesia evaluations. For additional information about oral and maxillofacial surgery, visit the AAOMS websites at AAOMS.org and MyOMS.org.

The Argen Corporation has announced the release of ArgenZ HT+ Pre-Shaded 98mm discs.

The highly anticipated ArgenZ HT+ Pre-Shaded release introduces 16 VITA Classical Shades, three Bleach shades, and two “Light” A shades to complete the HT+ product line. The material allows dental labs to consistently achieve an accurate shade match. With 45% translucency and 1250MPa, ArgenZ HT+ Pre-Shaded discs are suitable for singles up to full roundhouse, for frames or full contour.

“We spent considerable time developing and meticulously testing our pre-shaded HT+ discs to ensure accurate and consistent results. ArgenZ HT+ has been incredibly popular with our customers, and we are excited to now offer all 16 VITA Classical Shades and Bleach shades to make shade matching even easier for labs,” said Anton Woolf, CEO of Argen.

Southern Implants North America announced that the distribution agreement it held with Keystone Dental expired on November 17, 2018.

In 2016, Southern Implants established Southern Implants North America (SINA) as a direct subsidiary in the North America market. At that time, the company held a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Keystone Dental. This agreement ended on November 17, 2018. Southern Implants North America is now the sole provider for all classic Southern Implant manufactured products that were previously available through

Keystone Dental including the popular TRI-NEX™ standard and TRIMAX post extraction molar replacement product lines.

“Since its inception in 2016, SINA has focused on science and education that has led to the commercialization of product innovations that support innovative treatment solutions,” said Lars Janson, President, Southern Implants North America. “We are excited to continue to introduce Dental Professionals to the company’s corporate culture and our innovative, site-specific products for simpler and accelerated dental implant therapy. SINA has introduced numerous new products in 2018 and 2019 promises to be rich in innovation as well”.

For more information, please visit www.southernimplants.com, contact us at customercare@southernimplants.com or call 800.359.1708.

About Southern Implants North America

Southern Implants has been a pioneer in the top-end specialist sector of the dental implant market since 1987, servicing maxillofacial and craniofacial surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists and general dental practitioners. Our continually expanding product range includes both established and state-of-the-art technologies, enhanced by exceptional customer support. SINA is located in Jupiter, Florida. For more information visit https://www.southernimplants.com/

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) is seeking nominations for their annual Celebration of Excellence Awards, also known as the Evy.

Since 1988, the AACD has publicly recognized dental professionals who make significant contributions to the field of cosmetic dentistry and those who make a positive and influential impact on the Academy, the profession, and their communities.

Membership-wide award categories include: 

• Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry Education Award

• Hall of Fame Award

• AACD Humanitarian Award

• Outstanding Innovation in Cosmetic Dentistry Award

• Outstanding Service Award

• AACD Rising Star Award

Industry-wide award categories include:

• Lifetime Achievement Award

• Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry (jCD) Award

Previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Ray Bowen, was awarded for his development of dental composites and efforts leading to the creation of BIS-GMA resin among other notable dental materials. Andi Jean Miro, DDS, received the Rising Star Award for being the only NYU undergraduate to have an article accepted and published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Affiliate awards are also bestowed to noteworthy AACD Affiliate Members who demonstrate tremendous dedication to the AACD and its mission and contribute significantly to the growth and leadership of their Affiliate. AACD Affiliate organizations help to extend the mission of the Academy into their local areas, educating the world’s cosmetic dentists and raising awareness for AACD programs and events. A great example of an affiliate fulfilling this mission is AACD Affiliate Member, Mohan Bhuvaneswaran, MDS, AAACD, who successfully designed and executed the first meeting of the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry India (ACDI) in 2017. Under his leadership, the meeting garnered great attention and was extremely well attended.

Affiliate award categories include:

• Affiliate Leader Award

• AACD Affiliate Spirit

Past President Dwight Rickert, CDT, FAACD, explained why he believes colleagues within the cosmetic dentistry industry should nominate one another for these honorable awards: “It is precisely this drive for achievement and dedication to professional excellence that sets the AACD apart as a community. No matter where you are in your professional endeavors in cosmetic dentistry, you are part of a living breathing system of knowledge and expertise… This is truly something worth celebrating.”

If you know of a colleague who is making significant contributions to the field of cosmetic dentistry and/or to the Academy itself, please nominate them for one of these distinguished awards. The AACD would like to thank and recognize these outstanding individuals who have made a tremendous impact.

The Evy Awards will be presented during the Celebration of Excellence closing reception at AACD 2019 in San Diego. Nominations are due by Friday, January 11, 2019 at 5 p.m. CT.

For more information and to complete a nomination form, please visit www.aacd.com/evy-awards.

Septodont, the world’s largest manufacturer of dental anesthetics, has always been at the forefront of dentistry, providing a wide range of products and services for dentists. Septdont continues to innovate with the Dentapen, the next generation of electronic syringe.

Performing the right injection is the first step toward a pain free patient experience

Anesthesia is a first and essential step for most dental procedures. But dentists face a variety of issues when using a traditional syringe such as: adhering to the recommended injection time (1milliliter in 1 minute), variations in pressure, which can damage tissue and cause discomfort to the patient, keeping the quality of injections consistent throughout the day. With the Dentapen, these challenges are greatly reduced.

Dentapen : a new generation of electronic syringe to perform pain free injections

Like most electronic syringes, the Dentapen injection is monitored with a constant flow, at the right pace. This gives the dentist the opportunity to focus more on needle insertion¹, leading to better control of the injection and a reduction in pain for the patient. For instance, during a study done on 50 dentists who received a palatal injection, 96% of them preferred injections from an electronic syringe vs. manual syringe and their pain perception was reduced by a factor of two².

What makes the Dentapen different is that it is a self-contained, cordless, intuitive device that matches the dentists’ habits. There is no console, no foot pads, no tubing or proprietary disposables. It can be held in two different ways – by the wings, like a manual syringe, or pen-like, for a precise injection during special procedures. And dentists can use any local anesthetic cartridge and their favorite dental needle. Patients find the small, modern look to be less threatening and more reassuring, helping them to relax.

About Septodont

For over 80 years Septodont has been a global influence in manufacturing dental materials and local anesthetics for the dental community. Today they are a leader in pain management with a presence in over 150 countries with regulatory approvals to match. Septodont has 8 manufacturing facilities on 4 continents; Canada, United States, India, France (3) Brazil (2). For more information, visit www.septodont.com

Palmero Healthcare, the leader in dental safety eyewear and a Hu-Friedy subsidiary, is proud to announce the addition of three new styles of safety eyewear to its ProVision® line.

Palmero understands the dental professional’s responsibility to protect their practice and their patients. We also understand that those needs vary by patient and circumstance. That’s why Palmero is introducing ProVision® Econo Tilts, ProVision® Rainbow™, and ProVision® Econowrap Mini Bonding™. Available January-2019.

ProVision Econo Tilts is part of Palmero’s Wraparound Collection. It features a lightweight, frame with tilting arms to ensure a great contoured fit for many individuals, as well as an anti-fog polycarbonate. The firm nose pad and soft, rubberized temple tips guarantee comfort and grip while the curved lens provides wraparound splatter protection. The ProVision Econo Tilts block up to 99.9% of UVA and UVB rays, meets the ANSI Z87.1 standard, and is available in 2 colors: Rose Quartz and Blue.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Policy on Patient Safety recognizes safety as an essential component of quality oral health care for infants, children, adolescents, and those with special health care needs. The policy emphasizes procedural protocols that protect the patient and minimize opportunity for injury during delivery of care including using protective eyewear.

“We’ve learned that most dental offices are not aware that there are small pediatric sizes of protective eyewear that are ANSI certified,” said Karen Neiner, President of Palmero Healthcare, LLC.

In its effort to help dental professionals avoid the risk of eye injury to their young patients, Palmero Healthcare has designed two new lines of safety eyewear for children: ProVision Rainbow and ProVision Econowrap Mini Bonding.

ProVision Rainbow puts younger patients at ease with fun, brightly colored patient eyewear. Designed to fit smaller faces, these economical options with flexible temples come in packs of 12 with six vibrant colors and make it easy and fun to have pediatric patients wear their safety glasses. ProVision Rainbow safety eyewear feature a scratch resistant, 100% polycarbonate grey tinted lens that has a calming effect for young patients by reducing the effect of harsh operatory lights. This new safety eyewear provides ultimate protection blocking up to 99.9% of UVA and UVB rays and meets the ANSI Z87.1 safety standard of impact protection.

ProVision Econowrap Mini Bonding is part of Palmero’s Wraparound Collection featuring an orange polycarbonate lens for maximum protection to prevent ocular damage, while blocking blue light rays between 385-500 nm which exceeds the blue light wavelengths of 450-495 nm. This mini version of our popular full size sleek, bonding eyewear comes with the same great features and benefits. The distortion-free, wraparound lens offers superior peripheral vision and protection, filtering up to 99.9% of blue, UVA, and UVB rays. Comfortable, lightweight, fog-free, and scratch-resistant, ProVision Econowrap Bonding also meets the ANSI Z87.1 standard.

Dental professionals continually perform tasks placing them and their patients at risk for exposure to blood, saliva, and respiratory droplets. Palmero recommends dental professionals implement an Eye Conservation Program.

“We advise dental professionals to use the four C’s of safety eyewear: Certified, Clarity, Comfort, and Compliance,” said Neiner.

Certified: Safety eyewear should incorporate a wraparound design for full coverage and meet industry standards and guidelines for lens, cornea, and retina protection (ANSI Z87.1, OSHA, and CDC). It must be manufactured from high impact resistant materials to protect from flying debris and projectiles and encompass a special bonding lens to filter out damaging blue light (400 nm- 500 nm) levels to the retina.

Clarity: Anti-fog coating, scratch resistant technologies, and superior lens designs provide excellent optics for visual acuity.

Comfort: There are many styles with a broad range of frame, temple, and nose bridge designs. Individualized fit provides all day security and optimal comfort.

Compliance: All practitioners should be willing to use safety eyewear for everyone in every procedure, every day.

Palmero’s New Provision Safety Eyewear meets the four C’s and protects all patients and dental practitioners against spray, splash, and splatter for infection control; eliminates blue light exposure; and protects from high impact flying projectiles that can cause permanent damage to the eye.

Protect your eyesight and the eyesight of your patients with Palmero’s full line of safety eyewear, the ultimate in comfort, convenience, and affordability.

About Palmero Healthcare

Palmero Healthcare has been committed to bringing a wide range of infection prevention products such as hospital-level disinfectants, barrier products, and safety products to the dental community since 1957. With quality and reliable dental products, Palmero’s goal is to become the recognized leader in infection prevention and safety products. We take pride in knowing that our legacy will continue to expand and flourish as a Hu-Friedy subsidiary where our MISSION is to provide infection prevention and safety products that protect clinicians, patients, and the practice.