Over 4,000 dental professionals and specialists are expected to attend the American Association of Endodontists’ annual meeting in Montréal, April 10-13 known as AAE19.

This event is the place to be for specialty dentists known as endodontists and other providers of oral health care, and it will provide a space talk about the newest advances in endodontics and dentistry. Over 100 educational opportunities in the form of workshops and sessions with topics ranging from responsible pain management in the era of the opioid crisis to chronic sinus infections and their possible correlations to root canal treatment are being offered.

The gathering will feature a keynote address by futurist Mike Walsh, a bestselling author and tech superstar. Walsh will provide a talk on the challenges medical leaders face in the 21st century and the ways they can adapt to overcome them.

The annual gathering will also usher in new the leadership roles for the Boards of the AAE, Foundation for Endodontics and American Board of Endodontics. The four-day event will also feature a formal award ceremony bestowing the Association’s top honors.

The state of Washington passed a bill in its senate "creating the dental laboratory registry within the department of health and establishing minimum standards for dental laboratories serving dentists in Washington state."

According to National Association of Dental Laboratories Chief Staff Executive Bennett Napier, this was the first new laboratory standards bill on registration passed by any state legislature in more than 30 years.

"On to the governor," Napier posted on Facebook. "Kudos to Matthew Chapman and other volunteers from the [Washington State Dental Laboratory Association] executive office."

Details about the bill can be found here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1177&Year=2019&initiative&fbclid=IwAR30DJ_B46n-ilsFGgxbVbdhvQTJmOrH_VD1-oo7R_QfiiXbxnE7S9WEbqw.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) and Children's Health Fund today announced the launch of a statewide oral health education and public awareness initiative in Pennsylvania as part of their "Guardians of the Smile" national partnership. Supported by a $1 million grant to Children's Health Fund by Guardian, the partnership provides dental services and education to children, teaches students about the importance of proper oral hygiene and aims to instill good habits from an early age.

Oral health professionals from Guardian and Children's Health Fund worked with Scholastic to create educational kits, which they will distribute to 5,000 classrooms throughout Pennsylvania. Each kit serves an entire classroom and contains grade-appropriate lessons and activities that teachers can use to help students learn good oral health habits. The materials will reach students in grades K-3 in communities across the state including Central Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley, Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

"As a leading dental insurance provider in the U.S., Guardian believes that all children should have the benefit of learning how to take care of their teeth," said Chris Swanker, CEO of Avēsis, a Guardian Company with a significant presence in Pennsylvania. "We're excited to bring our partnership to Pennsylvanians and help students have big, bright and healthy smiles."

The launch of "Guardians of the Smile" in Pennsylvania aligns with the state's 2017-2020 Oral Health Plan issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The plan is a blueprint to coordinate efforts to combat oral disease in the Commonwealth. One of the goals of Pennsylvania's Oral Health Plan is increasing public education to help prevent oral health disease.

Reaching Children Most in Need

According to a paper published in 2017 by The Journal of Dental Hygiene, low-income populations of all ages experience the lowest access to oral health care. The report also found that children with untreated dental caries experience adverse outcomes impacting their overall health and quality of life extending into adulthood. To help overcome this challenge, the "Guardians of the Smile" initiative in Pennsylvania will have a strong focus on reaching children in underserved areas through distribution to Title I schools.

"Good oral health is not just about avoiding toothaches and cavities," said Dennis Walto, CEO of Children's Health Fund. "Studies show that untreated tooth decay can also cause school absences, lower academic performance and poor self-esteem issues. Together with Guardian, we are teaching children and their parents positive oral hygiene habits which will help keep kids smiling and healthy as they grow. Ultimately, we're striving to advance Pennsylvania's vision to improve oral health and disease prevention statewide."

"What Makes You Smile?" Contest in Pennsylvania

The "Guardians of the Smile" program also features a website where teachers and parents can find educational resources and materials. Additionally, the site includes information on the "What Makes You Smile?" art and writing contest, which invites students in classrooms across Pennsylvania to share what brings them happiness and makes them smile. Students, teachers and schools are eligible to win prizes. The prize for the winning school will be an oral health event featuring the Tooth Guardian™ mascot and educational activities with oversized toothbrushes, teeth and floss.

Educators and parents can visit the website and learn more about the "What Makes You Smile" contest at scholastic.com/guardiansofthesmile.

About The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian®)

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of 9,500 employees and our network of over 2,700 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2018 included $8.5 billion in capital and $1.6 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Guardian® is a registered trademark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. 2019-77424 (4/21) Scholastic is a global children's publishing, education and media company.

About Children's Health Fund

Children's Health Fund (CHF) envisions a future where all children in the United States get the care and support they need to thrive. Because healthcare is a critical component of that vision and inequities in access exist, CHF's mission is to ensure access to high-quality healthcare for America's most disadvantaged children. CHF also works to reduce health barriers to learning, brings the voice of children to local and national policy debates, and in times of disaster, activates care for those in need.

Since 1987, CHF has been delivering high-quality, comprehensive healthcare to children in some of the most impoverished and underserved communities in the country. From South LA to the Mississippi Delta, from the South Bronx to southern Arizona, every year our national network of 26 programs and fleet of 50 mobile medical clinics provide care to thousands of children living in poverty at more than 400 service sites, including fixed-site clinics, schools, Head Start centers, homeless and domestic violence shelters, and community agencies. Lean more at childrenshealthfund.org.

AmeriHealth Caritas, a national leader in Medicaid managed care and other health care solutions for those most in need, announces the launch of Inclusive Dental, a program designed to address a growing concern around oral health care barriers for individuals with disabilities.

According to a 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 61 million Americans – or one in four U.S. adults – have a disability that impacts major life activities.¹ Physical or intellectual disabilities can often cause patients to be uncomfortable during dental visits, and many providers have expressed concerns around having adequate support to create a more accommodating environment for special needs patients, situations that can deter patients from seeking the care and treatment they need.

“We have been able to design a solid solution to a health care problem that we cannot ignore – our most vulnerable members foregoing much needed dental care because the experience can be difficult to endure, or traumatic,” said Paul Tufano, Chairman and CEO for AmeriHealth Caritas. “This program offers creative and compassionate approaches that address the challenges often caused by disabilities and eases the process of dental care for our members, their caregivers, and their providers.”

“Inclusive Dental is about making sure there is equitable oral health care for all and demonstrating that we can do something different to make things better for all of our members,” said Lawrence Paul, D.D.S., vice president of Corporate Dental for AmeriHealth Caritas. “We’re committed to raising awareness around the barriers to oral health care often encountered by individuals with disabilities and we’re excited to be working with a variety of stakeholders to develop ways to improve the delivery of service. “

In addition to raising awareness around the oral health care barriers often encountered by individuals with disabilities, Inclusive Dental will develop resources and trainings designed to better support current providers as well as future dentists through partnerships with local professional schools. The program is starting in the company’s southeastern Pennsylvania market where partnerships with Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry and the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine are underway. The program will expand to other AmeriHealth Caritas markets in the future.

Poor oral health can negatively impact a person’s overall health and wellness. Research suggests that tooth decay and poor dental hygiene can be linked to diabetes, pancreatic cancer, and heart disease. In very rare cases, poor dental health can be deadly.

Often, patients with disabilities may require additional staff and other resources during dental treatment since they may be more prone to conditions that other patients do not have, such as behavior or mobility challenges, seizures, gastroesophageal reflux and visual or hearing impairments.² A better understanding of how to offer the best care while working with patients facing these challenges is a major objective of Inclusive Dental, which will provide continuing education credits to providers and will work with dental schools to ensure that students are being taught how to properly engage with patients living with disabilities.

The program’s leaders will also work with local, state and federal elected officials to advocate for policies to adequately address the oral health needs of individuals with disabilities as well as their caregivers, including loan forgiveness for dental school graduates who commit to serving people with disabilities.

About AmeriHealth Caritas

AmeriHealth Caritas is one of the nation’s leaders in health care solutions for those most in need. Operating in 11 states and the District of Columbia, AmeriHealth Caritas serves more than 5 million Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) members through its integrated managed care products, pharmaceutical benefit management and specialty pharmacy services, and behavioral health services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, AmeriHealth Caritas is a mission-driven organization with more than 35 years of experience serving low-income and chronically ill populations. AmeriHealth Caritas is part of the Independence Health Group in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritas.com.

References

1. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/features/kf-adult-prevalence-disabilities.html

2. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/developmental-disabilities/more-info

Today, Anatotemp is announcing the addition of an all-inclusive adjustment kit for its family of anatomic dental implant healing abutments. Anatotemp anatomic dental implant healing abutments are considered an off-the-shelf solution for creating the ideal gingival emergence profile during dental implant treatment. An optimal emergence profile eases clinician workflow during the impression and prosthesis placement procedures, as well as assists with the final esthetic outcomes.

The Anatotemp anatomic dental implant healing abutment family consists of six anatomic shapes and numerous anti-rotational connections, making Anatotemp usable with the majority of dental implant systems on the market today. Anatotemp’s anti-rotational connections include the internal hex, the internal conical hex, the internal trilobe and the internal octagon. With the addition of an allinclusive adjustment kit, practitioners now have all the armamentarium needed to contour Anatotemps. The adjustment kit contains four rotary instruments, including a fine PMMA/PEEK contouring bur, a PMMA finishing wheel and disk and a polishing cloth wheel. All of the instruments fit neatly into an aluminum case that is autoclavable.

“We are very pleased with the addition of the adjustment kit, which provides clinicians with all that is needed to ideally contour Anatotemps when the case arises,” said Terry B Philibin DDS, MS, MBA, Anatotemp President and CEO. “Our goal is to provide an Anatotemp for all dental implant systems utilized today. Creating ideal emergence pro????le is of utmost importance for today’s modern dental implant surgeon and restorative clinician.”

The Dawson Academy has named four resident experts to guide its growth in four disciplines of dentistry. Lee Culp and Drs. Kim Daxon, Scott Finlay and DeWitt Wilkerson will lead some of The Dawson Academy’s current curriculum and develop new courses that expand on the principles of occlusion.

The resident experts will assist The Dawson Academy’s leadership team with the instruction and growth of areas within their clinical expertise, which include digital protocols, removable prosthodontics, esthetics, and airway and integrative dental medicine.

The new resident experts are:

· Kim Daxon, DDS, resident expert of removable prosthodontics. Dr. Daxon is a practicing prosthodontist, specializing in complex occlusal disorders, complete dentures and implants at her practice, Daxon Dentistry in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Dr. Daxon joined The Dawson Academy faculty in 2000, after working in Dr. Peter Dawson’s practice for more than 20 years. She teaches several courses within the curriculum. She holds awards from the International College of Dentists and the Academy of Oral Medicine.

· Scott Finlay, DDS, FAGD, FAACD, resident expert of esthetics. Dr. Finlay is one of the world’s most recognized dentists in the area of esthetic dentistry, and is a highly sought-after speaker. He’s a fulltime practicing dentist in Annapolis, Maryland, and he authored “AACD Guide to Accreditation Criteria: Contemporary Concepts in Smile Design.”

Dr. Finlay joined The Dawson Academy faculty in 2007. He’s one of only approximately 75 dentists in the world to be named a fellow by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

· DeWitt Wilkerson, DMD, resident expert of airway and integrative dental medicine. Dr. Wilkerson is a recognized leader in dentistry’s role in the diagnosis and medical management of disordered breathing, airway issues, and oral systemic connections. He authored “The Shift - The Dramatic Movement Toward Health Centered Dentistry.”

Dr. Wilkerson joined The Dawson Academy faculty in 1994, 12 years after joining Dr. Peter Dawson’s private practice. He helped launch The Dawson Academy’s annual Airway Symposium in 2017, and has lectured on integrative dental medicine, whole health dental treatments, and airway/dental sleep medicine all over the world. He co-owns DuPont & Wilkerson Dentistry in St. Petersburg, Florida with fellow faculty member Dr. Glenn DuPont.

· Lee Culp, CDT, resident expert of digital protocols. Culp is a pioneer in digital dentistry, and a leading inventor for many of the materials, products and techniques used in dentistry today. He regularly contributes articles to dental publications, and is known as one of the top lecturers and innovative artisans in digital dentistry, dental ceramics and functional esthetics.

Culp joined The Dawson Academy faculty in 2018. He has been a lab technician for over 40 years, and is the CEO of Sculpture Studios, a dental laboratory, research and product development center in Cary, North Carolina that focuses on new and innovative digital dental technologies.

“Our resident experts are industry leaders who are well-respected for their work and teachings in their area of clinical expertise,” said Dr. John Cranham, clinical director of The Dawson Academy. “They will play a key role in helping The Academy provide more highly acclaimed courses for today’s dentists, which build upon our core philosophies.”

The Dawson Academy selected the resident experts for their experience and mastery of techniques of their specific area of dentistry. They not only practice at the highest, but also teach, write and lecture about their areas of expertise.

About The Dawson Academy

The Dawson Academy teaches dental professionals to enhance their general dentistry and to confidently solve complex dental problems through multiple interdisciplinary treatment methods. In following The Dawson Academy’s concepts, dentists have significantly increased efficiency and profitability at their dental practices. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, The Dawson Academy offers in-person courses, hands-on training and local study groups in seven countries, as well as online courses and treatment planning software. More than 30,000 dentists and dental lab technicians have completed The Dawson Academy’s continuing education courses since 1979. For more information, visit https://thedawsonacademy.com.  

Every hour, a person dies from oral cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2019 alone, approximately 53,000 people in the U.S. will get oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer and an estimated 10,860 will die of these cancers. Although oral cancer is the 6th most common form of cancer, awareness about this deadly disease is low. In recognition of Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April, The Oral Cancer Foundation encourages dentists across the United States to offer oral cancer screenings for their patients during regular dental visits.

Testing

Pacific Dental Services® (PDS®)-supported dentists perform a standard oral soft tissue exam during each dental visit. In addition, the dentists also utilize the VELscope® Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment System, a handheld scope that uses natural tissue fluorescence to enable clinicians to visualize oral mucosal abnormalities before patients are able to see or feel them.

Risk Factors

Many patients find themselves ill-informed of the risk factors of oral cancer. Prevention starts with spreading awareness to all, especially to those who may be more susceptible. An oral cancer diagnosis may be caused by environmental or inherited factors including, but not limited to:

● A family history of oral cancer

● Tobacco use

● Alcohol use

● Gender (men are twice as likely to get oral cancer)

● Advanced age (most cases are diagnosed over the age of 40)

● Patients diagnosed with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Symptoms of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer can present on the cheeks, lips, tongue, hard and soft palate, floor of the mouth, sinuses, and pharynx. Dentists look for a number of symptoms when screening their patients including, but not limited to:

● A mouth sore that does not heal 

● A white or reddish patch inside the mouth

● One or several growths in the mouth

● One or more loose teeth

● Pain in the mouth and ears

● Difficulty swallowing

PDS-supported practices are committed to bringing awareness to patients about the link between oral health and whole-body health – what PDS and its supported practices call the Mouth-Body Connection®. Research shows that harmful bacteria and inflammation in the mouth can indicate and even cause systemic conditions throughout the body. Maladies of the mouth, including periodontal disease, may be linked with other medical conditions including oral cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.

About achieving this milestone, Sonendo President and CEO, Bjarne Bergheim said, "We are excited to see demand for the GentleWave Procedure continuing to grow – both for consoles and procedure instruments. We believe this increase in demand reflects our commitment to partner with endodontists and drive improvements in clinical efficacy and practice efficiency."

Sonendo.com offers perspectives from endodontists across North America on how the GentleWave System is helping providers redefine their practice, streamline processes, and improve patient care. The GentleWave System officially launches this week in Canada at the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) annual meeting in Montreal, Canada.

About Sonendo

Sonendo, Inc. is a privately-held company developing innovative technologies to transform dentistry by Saving Teeth Through Sound Science®. The GentleWave® System shows significant improvements in clinical efficacy and practice efficiency when compared to standard root canal treatment.^1,2, 3 Sonendo is the parent company of TDO™ Software, the developer of the most widely used endodontic practice management software in the world, designed to simplify practice workflow. TDO software seamlessly integrates practice management, imaging, social media, referral reporting, CBCT imaging, and offers built-in communication with the GentleWave System.

References

1. Sigurdsson A et al. (2016) J Endod. 42:1040-48.

2. Molina B et al. (2015) J Endod. 41:1701-05. 3Trope M et al. (1999) J Endod. 25:345–50.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements based on management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations and information currently available to management. All statements that address events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including without limitation our expectations on the timing and progress of research and development activities. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they speak only as of the date when made. Sonendo does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements publicly, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results, developments or events could differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements.  

Aesthetic Z+ represents a leading-edge classification of dental zirconia. Technological advancements have increased the flexural strength to 1250 MPa, resulting in fewer fractures, and enhanced the shade matching and consistency to deliver aesthetics of natural dentition. Aesthetics Z+ offers 45% translucency. Indications: single crowns and bridges up to 14 units. Contact Assured Dental Lab 877.283.5351 and assureddentallab.com.

GC America Inc. has announced that their Environmental Management System (EMS) has been certified to ISO 14001:2015 by NSF, a highly respected notification body. To become ISO 14001:2015 certified, GC America underwent a rigorous auditing process led by NSF-ISR. This achievement demonstrates GC America’s commitment to a sustainable manufacturing operation that protects the environment and local communities. GC America now proudly bears the NSF mark, to assure customers, retailers, and regulators that we hold Corporate Social Responsibility at the core of our company’s values.

NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR) is a leading global certification body, known for its superior technical expertise and customer satisfaction. Through the highest level of integrity, the NSF-ISR mark is recognized as the gold standard of the certification industry.