Fluoride provides an important public health benefit by helping to reduce cavities and tooth decay. But too much fluoride over a long time when teeth are forming under the gums can cause changes in the appearance of tooth enamel, called dental fluorosis. Striking the right balance is especially important for children under the age of 8 as their permanent teeth are still forming. It's the FDA's responsibility to ensure that if fluoride is added to bottled water, it is added at appropriate levels so that consumers receive its important health benefit while also being protected from potential adverse effects. That's why today we are taking this step to lower the amount of fluoride in bottled water if added by manufacturers. This proposed rule would align the limits for fluoride with the updated recommendation by the U.S. Public Health Service for community water systems that add fluoride, a recommendation that provides an optimal balance between the prevention of dental caries and the risk of dental fluorosis," said Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "Most fluoride added to bottled water is already at or below the limit being proposed. Today's action, if finalized, is a step toward helping to ensure that bottled water strikes the right fluoride balance by setting out requirements that manufacturers who add fluoride to bottled water must adhere to. By lowering the allowable level of fluoride in bottled water following its addition by the manufacturer, we can help ensure that consumers enjoy the important health benefits of fluoride while preventing overexposure."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a proposed rule, "Proposed Rule to Revise the Allowable Level of Fluoride in Bottled Water to which Fluoride Has Been Added," to lower the allowable level of fluoride in bottled water to which fluoride is added by the manufacturer to 0.7 mg/L to be consistent with the 2015 recommendation by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) for community water systems that add fluoride for the prevention of dental caries. This action ensures that consumers receive its dental benefits while avoiding unintentional excess exposure. If finalized, this rule will revise the current allowable levels of fluoride in domestically packaged and imported bottled water to which fluoride is added by the manufacturer. It will not affect the allowable levels for fluoride in bottled water to which fluoride is not added by the manufacturer (such as bottled water that may contain fluoride from its source water).

The FDA is issuing this proposed rule as part of a formal process to revise the standards for bottled water with added fluoride. If adopted, this rule will align with the recommended level of 0.7 mg/L set forth by PHS for municipal, community water in 2015. At that time, the FDA also advised the bottled water industry that the PHS' recommendations should be considered for their products as well. That's why many manufacturers of bottled water with added fluoride have already taken steps to reduce fluoride levels.

The proposed rule provides a 60-day comment period for the public, industry and other stakeholders to share with the FDA any comments on the proposed revisions. For more information, as well as instructions on how to submit your comments, please visit the federal register.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

Whip Mix is celebrating its centennial by toasting its customers at events throughout the year. What started in 1919 as a small company making a special mixer to ensure a creamy smooth plaster mix has grown into a worldwide business with over 100 dealers servicing over 80 countries. The company has thrived because of its dedication to consistent quality and to keeping its dentist and dental laboratory customers happy. From gypsums and investments to mixers and furnaces to articulators, mills, and 3D printers and the materials they use, Whip Mix team members have taken pride in making it right. That, and its commitment to customers, has helped the company sustain its reputation for manufacturing excellent products for an entire century.

Tosoh Corporation was awarded the 65th (2018) Okochi Memorial Technology Prize from the Okochi Memorial Foundation for the adaptation for industrial use of and market establishment for high-strength zirconia.

The prize was awarded in recognition of Tosoh’s establishment of mass production technology that enabled the manufacture of stable, high-quality zirconia powder. This was accomplished by employing the hydrolysis method to investigate the synthesis mechanism of fine zirconia particles. Particularly noteworthy was Tosoh’s discovery of grain boundary segregation induced phase transformation, which overturned the established theory of sintered body microstructure. The Okochi Memorial Foundation highly evaluated Tosoh’s successful development of a new zirconia by overcoming degradation, an intrinsic weakness, thereby contributing significantly to the adaptation for industrial use and establishment of markets for high-strength zirconia.

High-strength zirconia, a member of the fine ceramic family, was first put to practical use in the 1980s. As suitable powder manufacturing technology had not yet been established at the time, and achieving consistent quality and mass production of the raw material powder was difficult. Moreover, degradation was pronounced in humid air at 150~400℃, or in hot water at temperatures greater than 100℃, limiting use to normal temperatures.

To address these challenges, Tosoh developed zirconia powder control technology and established an innovative hydrolysis process. This enabled the manufacture of high-strength and high-toughness zirconia powder characterized by high reliability through the significant control of degradation. In addition to grinding media, optical fiber connecting components, and various types of structural components, Tosoh has contributed to the advancement of market formation for high-strength zirconia by employing it in a wide variety of applications such as esthetically superior dental material. Furthermore, this technology enables the manufacture of products of a variety of shapes and with wide-ranging control of color and translucency. It is expected that applications for zirconia as a high-strength material will continue to expand into uses such as optical instruments, decorative applications, and portable device parts with superior tactility.

The Okochi Memorial Prize award commemorates the achievements of the late physicist Masatoshi Okochi. The Okochi Memorial Foundation, established for the purpose of promoting production engineering, is an authority that recognizes outstanding achievements in Japan in production engineering, in the research and development of production technology, and in the implementation of advanced production methods. The Okochi Memorial Technology Prize was awarded to Tosoh for having achieved superior innovative research results in production engineering and production technology, and distinguished achievement contributing to academic progress and industrial development.

Inspired by the Okochi Memorial Technology Prize, Tosoh will continue its innovative R&D efforts.

DMG, a manufacturer of dental restorative materials and preventive products, proudly supports the efforts of the CARE Center Children’s Medical and Dental Clinic in Chandler, Arizona.

The CARE Center Children’s Medical and Dental Clinic is a 501(c)3 organization that provides no-cost dental care and treatment to uninsured, low-income children. Of the youth it serves, 51% live in single parent households, and 60% come from homes with under $25,000 in annual income for a family of four.

An innovative partnership between Chandler Unified School District, St. Vincent de Paul Dental Clinic, and Dignity Health Chandler Regional Medical Center, the Clinic is the only one of its kind in the Phoenix metro area providing access to free dental services five days a week for children in need. The support of dental product manufacturers and other industry members enable the Clinic to provide compassionate dental care to more than 1,000 Chandler youth annually.

The Clinic relies in part on product donations from dental manufacturers, particularly those whose products facilitate the minimal invasiveness that is needed for younger, more vulnerable patients who are apprehensive about having their teeth treated. DMG’s Icon Caries Infiltrant is one such product that quickly and effectively blocks the progression of early stage caries with no need for drilling or anesthesia.

DMG is proud to support the efforts of the CARE Center Children’s Medical and Dental Clinic to help this great organization continue to provide this important and desperately needed dental care.

For more information about the Chandler CARE Center Children’s Medical and Dental Clinic, please visit https://www.cusd80.com/page/999.

DenMat Holdings, LLC (“DenMat”) today announced the release of the new LumiSmile® mobile application available now in the Apple App Store. LumiSmile is designed to help patients visualize their potential smile by producing a digital rendering of their smile restored with Lumineers® and whitening services. This new visual aid helps facilitate the smile design conversation between the doctor and the patient, making it more likely the practice will convert high-end aesthetic cases.

The LumiSmile design technology has been around for over 10 years, but before today, it was only available as a printed display after a photo was taken on a camera. The new mobile app makes the process of taking the photo extremely simple and delivers the final result directly to the patient’s phone. Your patients can now easily share their new digital smile design with friends and family or post it on their social networks. This allows the patient to receive encouragement from their peer group and can lead to more referrals for the dental office.

“LumiSmile has been a very effective marketing tool for dentists for more than a decade,” said Barry Trexler, VP of Sales and Marketing at DenMat. “With the new mobile app, the process of converting cases has never been easier. In addition, the new LumiSmile app is part of a robust digital practice management solution that we will continue to develop and advance through multiple generations.”

This new technology has been a huge hit with doctors, including Dr. Apolinar Madrigal, who has already seen positive results in his own practice. “Most patients who come into your office aren’t thinking about cosmetic treatment, and they don’t know what change can be accomplished if we don’t show them,” Dr. Madrigal said. “With LumiSmile, you can actually get the patients emotionally involved, because they’re seeing what they would look like with that change.”

LumiSmile is available for free with membership in DenMat’s Smile Discovery Program® (SDP). SDP is a practice management solution that is designed to increase cosmetic business in the practice. SDP benefits include savings on DenMat’s innovative, proven products, continuing education courses and lab services.

Visit https://www.denmat.com/memberships to learn more about LumiSmile and the Smile Discovery Program.

About DenMat:

Since 1974, DenMat is a leader in high-quality dental products for dental professionals around the world. DenMat makes and assembles most of its products at its world headquarters on the Central Coast of California. DenMat offers three main product categories: Consumables, Small Equipment, and a Dental Laboratory. DenMat's consumables include brands that are known and trusted, including Fluoridex®, Geristore®, Core Paste®, Tenure®, Ultra-Bond®, Infinity® Splash Max®, 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 and a full line of high-quality Hartzell® hand instruments. DenMat is also home to Lumineers®, the world's #1 patient-requested thin veneer, and Snap-On Smile®, the life-changing removable appliance.

The Pacific Dental Services® Foundation Dentists for Special Needs recognizes World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) and National Autism Awareness Month following the opening of its brand new dental practice just for patients with special needs. The new clinic provides high quality oral health care for children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Since its launch in 2007, World Autism Awareness Day has brought increased awareness about the challenges people with autism face every day. In addition, National Autism Awareness Month is an opportunity to promote acceptance for those living with autism.

“We understand the challenges that individuals on the autism spectrum face when it comes to seeing the dentist,” said Kyle Guerin, Director, Foundation and Corporate Responsibility. “Dental offices tend to cause sensory overload for patients on the spectrum, with the lights, sounds, and people in the room. We’ve created a warm, calming, patient-centered environment to put both our patients and their caregivers at ease. Our goal is to not only take care of our patients’ needs in the practice, but also give them the behavioral skills to continue to improve oral health outside the office.” To schedule an appointment for the PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs clinic, click HERE.

The Centers for Disease Control states that autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States. Overall, more than 52 million people in the U.S. have special needs. Unfortunately, less than 10% of dentists treat patients with disabilities because of their lack of training and the patients’ negative reactions to common dental procedures.

The new clinic offers patients sensory-integrated operatories and state-of-the-art technology, as well as specially-trained dentists equipped with behavioral and environmental techniques to ensure successful patient visits. Patients receive comprehensive oral health care including crowns, fillings, hygiene, implants, root canals, and oral surgery, and will also be provided with emergency care if needed. In addition, the not-for-profit clinic, which was founded by the PDS Foundation, will provide patients and their caregivers with education to help them with their oral health in between visits. The Foundation has been leading the charge to make dentistry more accessible to people with special needs through training and advocacy. The Foundation’s leadership understands that caring for patients with special needs takes not only special training, but also compassion.

The PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs clinic is part of the PDS Foundation’s mission to improve oral healthcare for all patients, one person at a time.

Contact the PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs clinic today:

(602) 344-9530│DentistsforSpecialNeeds.com

4550 E Bell Rd, Suite 106; Phoenix, AZ 85032 │ care@dentistsforspecialneeds.com

About Pacific Dental Services® Foundation

The Pacific Dental Services Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to create opportunities to serve through improving oral healthcare locally, nationally and internationally. By creating opportunities to serve, the PDS Foundation positively enhances the lives of those in need, and in turn, those who serve. The Foundation provides access and advocacy to disadvantaged and underserved communities in four key areas: PDS Foundation Mobile Dental Clinic, Special Needs Advocacy and Training, Oral Health Scholarships, and International Trips. For more information, visit www.pdsfoundation.org.

Aspen Dental, the largest branded network of dental practices in the U.S., has a new state-of-the-art Scheduling Center in one of the fastest-growing suburbs of Phoenix – bringing hundreds of new jobs to the Chandler, Arizona, community.

Coming on the heels of the opening of a new learning and development center in Chicago earlier this year, the expansion is designed to better support Aspen Dental’s industry-leading new patient demand and continued growth across the U.S., which will include 80 new office locations in 2019 alone.

“The opening of the new Scheduling Center is just the latest example of how we’re investing in business support services and operations on behalf of the dentists whose practices we support,” said Tim North, senior vice president of practice support operations at Aspen Dental Management, Inc. “We’re excited about the new facility and what it represents to the millions of patients who call the Scheduling Center every year: A commitment to breaking down barriers and creating access to care.”

In 2018 alone, Aspen Dental Scheduling Center agents handled 1.97 million calls, and expect a 15 percent increase in call volume in 2019.

The new Aspen Dental Scheduling Center was built by Willmeng Construction and designed by Evolution Design Inc. Once fully operational, it will employ more than 400 scheduling center agents and team members. While it will initially serve as the new hub for scheduling center operations, operations in Chandler will be eventually expand to include added practice support functions.

The Scheduling Center features the latest acoustic technology and a best-in-class training facility to ensure high-quality service for patients and a great working experience for team members.

To make an appointment, patients can visit www.aspendental.com and click on Schedule a New Patient Appointment; or call 800-ASPEN DENTAL (800-277-3633).

About Aspen Dental Offices

Aspen Dental-branded practices are committed to breaking down barriers so that patients can get the care they need today. With more than 750 offices in 39 states, Aspen Dental practices provide a wide range of general dentistry and denture-related services and offer patient-friendly programs and services, including convenient locations, onsite labs and extended hours. Together, Aspen Dental practices cared for nearly 1.8 million patients in 2018. For additional information about Aspen Dental or to find an Aspen Dental office, please visit www.aspendental.com.

About Aspen Dental Management, Inc.

With an innovative model that takes care of non-clinical business and administrative services so that providers are free to focus on patient care, the team at ADMI is driven by one overarching purpose: To care for the people who care for the patients. ADMI makes it easier for clinicians to have the careers they've always dreamed of, delivering care to their patients with the support of a team of experienced business professionals who are committed to making their practices a success. Support provided by ADMI includes services and recommendations related to finding the right locations, leasing, acquiring equipment, accounting and marketing.

Premier® Dental, a global privately-held developer, manufacturer and distributor of dental products with sales in over 75 countries, announced today the launch of ‘AeroPro™,’ a new cordless handpiece that’s poised to set a new standard in cordless prophy systems. Based on extensive input from consumers, Premier’s R&D team has developed a truly light-weight, wellbalanced, ergonomic cordless and pedal-less handpiece that finally addresses the most common concerns expressed by hygienists about other handpieces in the market.

“By engineering greater mobility, choice and control into AeroPro, we aim to help hygienists reduce many of the most frequently occurring symptoms of hand and wrist disorders and fatigue caused by repetitive movements and awkward positioning,” said Bill McHale, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Premier. Premier has leveraged valuable insights from dental professionals to add several other consumerfriendly features as well from longer battery life to the ability to accept most prophy angle brands to more convenient infection prevention protocol.

Greater Mobility

AeroPro’s innovative design helps reduce hand and wrist stress by allowing hygienists to rotate the prophy angle a full 360’ for improved intraoral access and comfort. Its cordless construction means good riddance to annoying cords and rheostats and is a welcome upgrade for coronal polishings—in both office and at mobile clinic settings.

AeroPro also excels in battery life. Through integration of ChargeSMART™ Battery Technology, Premier addresses a common complaint by ensuring the quick-charge unit powers AeroPro with a long-lasting charge that lasts through a busy workday.

Greater Choice

Unlike other handpiece brands, AeroPro delivers dental professionals greater choice by allowing them to use most types of disposable prophy angles. No longer will they be locked into one company’s brand.

Greater Control

AeroPro’s quick-touch button enables fingertip control and easy switching between low and high speeds. Its quiet yet powerful German-made motor maintains a consistent speed during polishing without the need to apply extra pressure. And finally, AeroPro is CDC-compliant with a convenient infection prevention protocol. The system helps ensure patient safety from cross-contamination by utilizing custom-fit disposable polyurethane barriers that slide easily over the motor component. Dental professionals can then simply autoclave the interchangeable outer sheaths and disinfect the motor component. The end result is both the hygienist and the patient are assured a more positive polishing experience.

Two AeroPro Packaging Options

The AeroPro Basic Kit includes an autoclavable outer sheath, a bag of 48 2pro Disposable Prophy Angles, a motor component, a charging station, and AC adaptor, a stand and a box of 500 Disposable Barriers. Premier’s suggested retail price is $799.

The AeroPro Complete Package includes three autoclavable outer sheaths, two bags of 144 2pro Disposable Prophy Angles, a motor component, a charging station, and AC adaptor, a stand and a box of 500 Disposable Barriers sheaths. Premier’s suggested retail price is $1,145.

Commenting on the new AeroPro launch, CEO Julie Charlestein stated, “We know that in an era of everrising consumer expectations, we must continuously listen to our customers, innovate and redefine what it means to deliver a great product and customer experience. We’re extremely proud of the team that developed AeroPro and we’re confident this innovative handpiece will be well-received by dental professionals as it satisfies many unmet needs. AeroPro is truly an inspired solution for daily dentistry.”

About Premier® Dental

Premier Dental is a global privately-held business with sales in over 75 countries. Dental professionals have turned to Premier for over 100 years to improve their daily procedures and practices. A leader in bringing innovative products to the worldwide market, Premier is dedicated to inspired solutions for daily dentistry.

The Premier Promise is the company’s promise to make it easy to do business with them, provide innovative, standard-setting solutions, be your Product Concierge—for knowledge and service, and make it right if they fall short. To learn more, visit: www.premierdentalco.com/promise.

Every hour, a person dies from oral cancer. Pacific Dental Services (PDS®) joins the Oral Cancer Foundation in recognition of Oral Cancer Awareness Month with a campaign to increase awareness about the risks of oral cancer and to encourage patients to get screened for this disease, which is the 6th most common form of cancer. PDS-supported dental practices offer oral cancer screenings for their patients during regular dental visits. PDS-supported dentists can perform a standard oral soft tissue exam, as well as 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. With VELscope, dentists can detect abnormalities in just one or two minutes.

“I consider VELscope a standard of care,” said Komal Patel, DMD. “It’s like fluoride to me. We offer the VELscope exam to all patients over the age of 21, regardless of pre-existing conditions. What made me change my mindset about the exam was when I learned oral cancer is one of the top 10 cancers leading to death.”

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2019 it’s expected that approximately 53,000 people in the U.S. will get oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer; an estimated 10,860 will die of these cancers. Oral cancer can present on the cheeks, lips, tongue, hard and soft palate, floor of the mouth, sinuses, and pharynx. It’s more than twice as common in men as in women.

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.

Interested patients are encouraged to contact The Smile Generation, the referral service that connects prospective patients with trusted local dentists in their communities.

About Pacific Dental Services®

Founded in 1994, Pacific Dental Services (PDS) is one of the country’s leading dental support organizations, providing supported autonomy that enables dentists to concentrate on clinical excellence and the highest levels of cost-effective comprehensive patient care. PDS originated the Private Practice+® model to enable dentists to focus on their passion: serving patients. PDS also pioneered the concept of Modern Dentistry so that dentists are equipped to combine advances in the latest technology with the best operational practices and procedures, highly skilled support staff and a commitment to ongoing training and education. PDS continues to grow, with over 700 supported dental offices across the United States and plans to expand into several new markets. PDS has been on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America 13 times. PDS supported dentists aim to be the provider of choice in all the markets they serve and to develop Patients for Life™. 

3Shape, a global leader in 3D scanners and CAD/CAM software solutions, has received two Red Dot awards - the international distinction for high design quality. The two design awards were presented to the just-released 3Shape TRIOS 4 intraoral scanner and the TRIOS MOVE+.

The 3Shape solutions were selected by the Red Dot global jury from more than 5,500 entries. The distinction now marks the fifth and sixth 3Shape solutions given a Red Dot product design award over the past three years.

“We are very proud to receive the Red Dot awards and appreciate the jury’s recognition. The awards not only highlight the value of our solutions, they also celebrate our company’s design philosophy. 3Shape creates solutions to enable dental professionals to better care for their patients. But an important part of that is making sure that the form and function of our solutions is equally outstanding. The Red Dot awards acknowledge this,” says Nikolaj Deichmann, 3Shape Co-Founder and Co-CEO.

3Shape TRIOS 4 intraoral scanner: Red Dot product design winner

3Shape TRIOS 4 is the world’s first intraoral scanner with timely detection aid of both possible surface and interproximal caries in a single scanner. Now with the release of the brand-new TRIOS 4, intraoral scanners will no longer be used only for restorative and orthodontic applications. TRIOS 4 can aid in the early-detection of surface caries as well as including a transillumination smart tip that can identify possible interproximal caries: diagnostic applications that do not emit radiation.* The wireless TRIOS 4 delivers its groundbreaking caries innovation with no compromise to ergonomics or increase in the size and weight of the scanner.

3Shape TRIOS MOVE+: Red Dot product design winner

3Shape TRIOS MOVE+ is one of three hardware setup options for the TRIOS intraoral scanner. TRIOS MOVE+ now features a larger 15.6” touchscreen attached to an arm and elegant, easy-to-move stand with a mounted PC. Dentists can easily move and position the TRIOS MOVE+ as well as use its touchscreen as a canvas to design and discuss treatments with patients. TRIOS MOVE+ helps to drive patient involvement and case acceptance in conjunction with 3Shape Excitement Apps like TRIOS Treatment Simulator and TRIOS Smile Design.

About the Red Dot Award

Red Dot is seen as the award for high design quality. Only products which set themselves apart considerably through their excellent design receive the sought-after quality seal from the international Red Dot jury. The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest international product competitions. Founded in 1955, the Red Dot Award is organized by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany.

*Caries detection aid is pending CE-marked and expected available in the EU June 2019. Availability in Australia and Canada expected July - August. USA in October 2019. For other markets, please contact your reseller for availability.

The transillumination smart tip is pending CE-marked and expected available in the EU December 2019. Availability for the US market expected in Q2-2020. For other markets, please contact your reseller for availability.