Encinitas, California, 7/31/2019: Tokuyama Empowers, Tokuyama Dental America’s corporate social responsibility program, is proud to partner with Homeless Not Toothless to make dental care more accessible to underserved children. Homeless Not Toothless is a nonprofit dedicated to providing free, quality dental care to veterans, homeless people, foster youth, low-income children, and underserved populations in Los Angeles.

Since the nonprofit’s inception 27 years ago, Homeless Not Toothless has treated more than 60,000 patients and provided more than $5 million in free care to those in need. Homeless Not Toothless works with “The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools” that is currently in charge of the education of 14,000 children in the South Los Angeles area. Many children are unable to focus at school and show symptoms of malnutrition due to dental pain and the sequelae of the various stages of their dental disease.

With dental issues being the number one reason for absenteeism, Homeless Not Toothless is providing students in the South Los Angeles area much-needed screenings, cleanings, education, and dental care. With your purchase, Tokuyama Dental will donate to Homeless Not Toothless, empowering more students to achieve their full potential.

For more information and how you can help, please visit https://offers.tokuyama-us.com/hntor email Anna Mai at anna.mai@tokuyama-us.com.

Zero to 4 mm in 3 seconds

Esthetic, high-quality and efficient composites

The incremental layering technique is very time-consuming, especially when dealing with large cavities. Dentists can now reduce their treatment time by more than half while achieving the same esthetics and function of traditional 2mm layered composites. The new 3s (three second) PowerCure System from Ivoclar Vivadent is key to this improvement in efficiency.

The 3s PowerCure System is comprised of products that are optimally coordinated for direct restorative procedures enabling esthetic, high-quality posterior restorations to be produced with extreme efficiency.  The system includes Adhese® Universal (single-component adhesive), Bluephase® PowerCure (intelligent, high-performance LED curing light), and Tetric® PowerFill and Tetric PowerFlow (sculptable and flowable composites which can be placed in increments up to 4 mm).  When light-cured from the occlusal surface with Bluephase PowerCure, the adhesive will polymerize in 3 seconds and each 4 mm layer of composite can be cured in just 3 seconds.  The extended layer thickness of up to 4 mm significantly reduces the number of treatment steps required.

This is an open system because the adhesive and composites are compatible with other curing lights when cured according to their instructions for use, while the Bluephase PowerCure LED light has a choice of four different levels of light intensity, making it compatible with all other materials.

Same esthetic results as conventional composites

The highly reactive light initiator Ivocerin has paved the way for the development of Tetric PowerFill and Tetric PowerFlow for esthetic posterior restorations. These composites offer enamel- and dentin-like translucency levels due to Aessencio technology. This enables the same esthetic results in the posterior region as with conventional composites. A patented chain transfer agent provides low shrinkage and increased strength.  These proprietary technologies provide efficiency, quality and esthetics like no other.

Intelligent high-power curing light

Bluephase PowerCure is an intelligent curing light that detects unintentional movement of the handpiece during the light-curing procedure. It alerts the user of improper operation by vibrating and automatically extends the exposure time to ensure that the material receives adequate amount of light energy needed for proper polymerization. If the accidental movement prevents the material from curing properly, the light will automatically interrupt the exposure cycle so it can then be repeated correctly.

Experience the difference

Fewer layers. Extremely short curing times. The 3s PowerCure System for esthetic posterior restorations reduces the risk of application errors and insufficient curing. Dentists will notice the difference right away.

Bluephase, Tetric, Adhese and PowerCure are trademarks of Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc.

The above image, the new 3s PowerCure product system from Ivoclar Vivadent allows you to achieve esthetic posterior restorations with high efficiency.

About Ivoclar Vivadent

Ivoclar Vivadent is a global leader in innovative materials and processes for quality, esthetic dentistry. The company employs over 3600 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.

Zimmer Biomet has released a clinical compendium demonstrating evidence of the BioBoost Effect™, a novel reproducible biological effect following placement of Trabecular Metal dental implants that evidences the acceleration of bone growth, vascularization and wound healing. Several clinical publications demonstrate a multiplication of naturally occurring growth factors that deliver faster healing and earlier bone formation than traditional implants.¹ The discovery of the BioBoost Effect has expanded treatment options for dental patients who, until recently, may not have been viable candidates for dental implant therapy. 

The new compendium summarizes highlights from 30 clinical publications, documenting immediate and long-term success in rapid recovery, high risk and revision therapy cases. The BioBoost Effect is the result of a proprietary combination of cancellous-like porosity and highly biocompatible tantalum. Through enhanced gene expression, the BioBoost Effect prompts early bone healing and attachment with a 2-week final loading protocol in appropriate cases, which has been documented to have a 97 to 100 percent survival rate after up to five years’ follow-up. Clinical evidence also demonstrates the advantage of placing Trabecular Metal Implants in patients with risk factors such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, prior oral infection, the effects of cancer treatment and poor bone quality. Additionally, because the BioBoost Effect supports the healthy ingrowth of vascularized bone as well as the potential for enhanced bone healing compared to conventional titanium implants, Trabecular Metal Implants may have a clinical advantage when used in revision therapy.¹

“Although Trabecular Metal Technology has been used successfully in orthopedic applications for more than 20 years, its role in dentistry has been undervalued until now. Today, we have a wealth of clinical evidence supporting its growing role in dental implant therapy,” said Indraneel Kanaglekar, Vice President, Global Product Management and R&D. “Uncovering a scientific explanation for the body’s unique response to the Trabecular Metal Implant opens the door for our customers to treat a new subset of patients with a higher degree of confidence.

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About Zimmer Biomet

Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, Zimmer Biomet is a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare. We design, manufacture and market orthopaedic reconstructive products; sports medicine, biologics, extremities and trauma products; office based technologies; spine, craniomaxillofacial and thoracic products; dental implants; and related surgical products.

We collaborate with healthcare professionals around the globe to advance the pace of innovation. Our products and solutions help treat patients suffering from disorders of, or injuries to, bones, joints or supporting soft tissues. Together with healthcare professionals, we help millions of people live better lives. 

We have operations in more than 25 countries around the world and sell products in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.zimmerbiomet.com or follow Zimmer Biomet on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zimmerbiomet.  

Palmero Healthcare, a Hu-Friedy subsidiary, is pleased to introduce a tension relief band that works to enhance the physical and mental well-being of dental practitioners. CaRing Tension Relief Bands are a flexible and convenient way to soothe the sore, achy fingers that plague many professionals. The company hopes to eliminate finger fatigue and promote hand care maintenance, which can improve overall stress management and well-being.

CaRing Tension Relief Bands (Ref #3810) are designed to alleviate hand and finger pain that often results from repetitive work. Each band contains tiny triangular-shaped points that apply light pressure to the fingers. CaRing Bands were inspired from acupressure techniques that have been used on achy muscles for thousands of years. As the practitioner rolls the band from the tip of the finger to the metacarpophalangeal joint, the points on the band provide pressure that stimulates circulation and releases tension that has been building in the finger muscles throughout the day. The flexible and convenient design allows the band to be used within or outside of clinical settings.

To learn more about CaRing Tension Relief Bands, or other innovative Palmero products, please visit palmerohealth.com, email customerservice@palmerohealth.com, or call 800.344.6424. 

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. 

Dr. Nigel W. Bunnett, an internationally known expert on the mechanisms of pain, itch, and neurogenic inflammation, has been named chair of theDepartment of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology at the New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry), effective October 1, 2019.

Dr. Bunnett’s research focuses on primary sensory neurons, the first cells in the pathways to pain, itch, and neurogenic inflammation and the cells that they innervate. These include second order spinal neurons, which integrate information about pain and itch and transmit signals centrally, and cells in the periphery that mediate neurogenic inflammation.

Pain, itch, and neurogenic inflammation are evolutionarily-conserved and protective mechanisms that are essential for survival. Pain allows awareness and avoidance of danger, itch evokes scratching that removes noxious substances from the skin, and inflammation fights infection. Normally, pain, itch and neurogenic inflammation are tightly controlled and short-lived. However, during disease they can become dysregulated, chronic, and debilitating. Chronic pain afflicts 20 percent of the population at some point in their lives; chronic itch accompanies metabolic diseases and is often intractable; and chronic inflammation underlies diseases of global relevance, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, our understanding of acute and chronic pain, itch, and inflammation is incomplete, and current therapies are inadequate or have unacceptable side effects. Dr. Bunnett seeks to understand the normal mechanisms of pain, itch, and inflammation to determine why they can become dysregulated during disease and to discover new approaches for therapeutic intervention.

Dr. Bunnett studies two families of proteins at the surface of nerve cells that control pain, itch, and inflammation: G protein-coupled receptors and transient receptor potential ion channels. G-protein receptors are the largest class of signaling proteins, participate in all physiological and patho-physiological processes and are the target of one third of clinically used drugs. The small family of transient receptor potential ion channels also control important biological processes and are an emerging therapeutic target. G protein-coupled receptors and transient receptor potential ion channels allow nerves to sense noxious, irritating, and inflammatory stimuli. Their activation leads to the sensations of pain and itch, and controls the process of inflammation.

“I seek to understand the role of receptors and channels in the normal mechanisms of pain, itch, and inflammation, and to determine how their functions become dysregulated during disease,” says Dr. Bunnett. “By identifying the major mechanisms of chronic pain, itch, and inflammation, we aim to develop more effective and selective treatments for diseases that are a major cause of human suffering.”

At NYU, Dr. Bunnett will be joining his longtime research collaborator, Dr. Brian Schmidt, director of the NYU Oral Cancer Center, with whom he is currently collaborating on three grants that seek to develop strategies to improve the lives of patients suffering from chronic pain, including oral cancer pain: a $2.4 million, 3-year Department of Defense grant to determine how receptors inside nerve cells generate chronic pain; a $2.7 million, 3.5-year National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant to understand the role of Protease-Activated Receptor 2 in chronic pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease; and a $3.7 million, 5-year National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research grant to understand oral cancer pain, and ultimately develop new therapies. Dr. Bunnett and Dr. Schmidt collaboratively investigated the role of proteases in oral cancer pain in 2009 when they were both faculty members at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Dr. Bunnett has served since 2016 as the Gerald and Janet Carrus Professor of Surgical Sciences, vice chair of research in surgery; and professor of surgery and pharmacology at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Educated at Cambridge University, where he received his PhD degree in 1981, Dr. Bunnett went on to a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles, followed by an assistant professorship at the University of Washington Seattle. In 1987, he joined UCSF, where he became professor of surgery and physiology, vice chair of surgery, and director of the UCSF Center for the Neurobiology of Digestive Diseases. In 2011, Dr. Bunnett moved to Monash University, Melbourne, as NHMRC Australia Fellow, professor of pharmacology and medicine, and deputy director of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science.

Over the past decade, Dr. Bunnett has been awarded more than $20 million in federal and foundation support. He has published more than 350 research articles, reviews, and chapters, which have been cited over 31,000 times. His contributions have been recognized by numerous awards, including the Australia Fellowship, the NIH MERIT Award, the Novartis Neurogastroenterology Award, the Jansen Award for Basic Research in Gastroenterology, and the Victor Mutt Award for Research in Regulatory Peptides.

“Dr. Bunnett’s path-breaking work in uncovering the way in which chronic pain is transmitted through nerve cells, along with his consistent research funding, scholarship, and collaborative approach, make him uniquely well-qualified to lead the Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology in advancing the basic science enterprise as the foundation for innovative therapeutic applications,” said Dr. Charles N. Bertolami, Herman Robert Fox Dean of NYU Dentistry. “It is predictable,” he added, “that these talents will enable him to develop partnerships across departments and centers throughout the university as a whole, as well as at the College of Dentistry.”

About NYU College of Dentistry

Founded in 1865, NYU Dentistry is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating more than 9 percent of all dentists. NYU Dentistry has a significant global reach with a highly diverse student body. Visit https://dental.nyu.edu for more.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued guidelines in June for deep sedation and anesthesia of children undergoing dental procedures that now have the endorsement of four additional health organizations.

In a joint statement, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists, and the Society for Pediatric Sedation join the AAP in endorsing guidelines that recommend that at least two people with specific training and credentials should be present with a pediatric patient undergoing deep sedation or general anesthesia for dental treatment in a dental facility or hospital.

The recommendations can be found in the 2019 clinical report, “Guidelines for Monitoring and Management of Pediatric Patients Before, During, and After Sedation for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures,” which were co-written by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).  The guidelines also clarify that deep sedation or general anesthesia must be administered by a qualified anesthesia provider (a physician anesthesiologist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, dentist anesthesiologist or second oral surgeon).

The six health organizations recommend that pediatric patients requiring deep sedation or general anesthesia for dental procedures require a second, well-trained professional capable of monitoring the patient, managing the airway, establishing venous access for the administration of rescue medications, and resuscitation.

This approach, called the multi-provider team-based safe practice model, requires that the dental surgeon and the professional who is monitoring and sedating the patient are two distinct individuals with separate tasks.

“We are pleased with the support from these influential health organizations on dental sedation guidelines, which take into account the unique vulnerabilities of children,” said Kyle Yasuda, M.D., president of the AAP. “As health care providers, we share a desire for children to receive close supervised care led by a team of skilled professionals.”

“We’re excited to be working with these important health care groups to take an important step in furthering the safety of children who undergo deep sedation and general anesthesia for dental procedures,” said ASA President Linda J. Mason, M.D., FASA. “There are real risks associated with one dental provider doing both the procedure and monitoring the patient’s vitals.  Our collective endorsement of the guidelines illustrates the necessity of having a dedicated, qualified anesthesia provider monitor the child to reduce the risk of adverse events and to manage any complications.”

To view the endorsement, go to: https://www.asahq.org/advocacy-and-asapac/advocacy-topics/office-based-anesthesia-and-dental-anesthesia/joint-statement-pediatric-dental-sedation                                                                                                  

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 53,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care every patient deserves. For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount. Like ASA on Facebook and follow ASALifeline on Twitter.

ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA

The mission of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA), a non-profit medical specialty society founded in 1986, is to continually advance the safety and quality of anesthetic care, perioperative management, and alleviation of pain in children. The Society serves 3,350 members through continuing medical education activities, research opportunities and networking. For more information call 804-282-9780 or visit www.pedsanesthesia.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF DENTIST ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

The American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists (ASDA) is the official organization representing dentists who have received formal, 3-year accredited post-doctoral and hospital-based training in the management of dental patients with sedation and general anesthesia. Dental anesthesiology is a recognized specialty of dentistry encompassing the art and science of managing pain, anxiety, and overall patient health during dental, oral, maxillofacial and adjunctive surgical or diagnostic procedures throughout the entire perioperative period. The ASDA is dedicated to promoting patient safety as well as access to care for all dental patients, including the very young and patients with special health care needs. More information regarding the ASDA can be found at www.asdahq.org, or follow ASDA on Twitter: @asdahq.  

ABOUT THE SOCIETY FOR PEDIATRIC SEDATION

The Society for Pediatric Sedation (SPS) is an international multidisciplinary organization whose mission is the advancement of pediatric sedation by promoting safe, high quality care, innovative research and quality professional education. The Society’s multidisciplinary membership includes anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and hospitalist physicians as well as dentists, sedation nurses, nurse practitioners and child life specialists. For more information, visit www.pedsedation.org and follow SPS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Creates a comprehensive portfolio of infection prevention consumables, instrumentation and instrument management solutions to deliver protection, performance and productivity to dental practitioners

Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMD) (“Cantel”) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC (“Hu-Friedy”), a 111-year-old global leading manufacturer of instruments and instrument reprocessing workflow systems serving the dental industry. After closing, Cantel will combine Hu-Friedy with its dental division, Crosstex, a global leader in infection prevention, sterility assurance, dental water management and conscious sedation systems.

Hu-Friedy’s large sales and customer care team, supported by a strong marketing organization, will enhance Cantel’s commercial and customer engagement capabilities. The acquisition will also enhance the dental division’s supply chain efficiency and enable it to better support its distribution partners while also addressing the increased concern among healthcare professionals in the areas of clinical performance, compliance, technology, education and training. Finally, the acquisition will further help dental professionals eliminate risk and streamline operations to deliver best-in-class patient care.

“The combination of our two dental businesses provides a clear and immediate opportunity to become the leading provider of a ‘Complete Circle of Protection’ offering for instrument reprocessing workflow and infection prevention and compliance solutions in the dental industry,” said George Fotiades, president and chief executive officer of Cantel. “By bringing together our highly complementary dental portfolios, we will create a business that is uniquely positioned to address the most critical workflow needs of our customers while improving patient care. Hu-Friedy brings us the scale, commercial capabilities and portfolio breadth to enable our dental business to be a significant driver of long-term profitable growth for Cantel.”

“We are excited to join forces with Cantel and are looking forward to the opportunities this combination will bring for our customers, employees and other stakeholders,” said Ron Saslow, chairman and chief executive officer of Hu-Friedy. “As a leader in dental instrumentation and instrument management solutions, Hu-Friedy’s combination with the Cantel portfolio of leading infection prevention dental consumables is a perfect match to further enhance our ability to serve our dental customers.”

“Crosstex and Hu-Friedy are both originally family-owned businesses and share a common philosophy of helping dental professionals to create a high-performing, efficient, safe, compliant and well-educated practice,” said Gary Steinberg, president of Crosstex. “We are truly excited about the great opportunities ahead.”

Ron Saslow and Ken Serota, president of Hu-Friedy, will lead the combined dental business post-closing. Gary Steinberg, who has successfully built the Cantel dental division since the acquisition of Crosstex, will assist in the post-close transition and integration of these two businesses and will retire at the end of the calendar year.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by the fall of 2019.

About Cantel 

Cantel is a leading global company dedicated to delivering innovative infection prevention products and services for patients, caregivers, and other healthcare providers which improve outcomes, enhance safety and help save lives. The Company’s products include specialized medical device reprocessing systems for endoscopy and renal dialysis, advanced water purification equipment, sterilants, disinfectants and cleaners, sterility assurance monitoring products for hospitals and dental clinics, disposable infection control products primarily for dental and GI endoscopy markets, dialysate concentrates, hollow fiber membrane filtration and separation products. Additionally, Cantel provides technical service for its products.

For further information, visit www.cantelmedical.com. 

About Crosstex 

Crosstex International, Inc., the Dental division of Cantel Medical Corp., manufactures a wide array of unique and innovative infection prevention and compliance products for the global healthcare industry. Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, Crosstex is a recognized leader for its portfolio of dental water management and compliance solutions, biological monitoring, sterility assurance, and preventive products, nitrous oxide sedation, and personal protection equipment (PPE).

For further information, visit www.crosstex.com. 

About Hu-Friedy 

Founded in Chicago in 1908 by Hugo Friedman, Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC is a global leading manufacturer of dental instruments, and provider of instrument reprocessing workflow systems, that has served the dental industry for over 111 years. Acquired in 1959 by Dick Saslow and the Saslow family, and currently led by Chairman and CEO Ron Saslow, Hu-Friedy helps dental professionals perform at their best by producing dental instruments, infection prevention solutions and unique customer experiences designed to function as an extension of each practitioner's skill. Its instruments, hand-crafted by highly-skilled artisans, are known for their precision, performance, quality and for the essential role they play in the overall journey from student to practitioner. Headquartered in Chicago, Hu-Friedy products are distributed in more than 100 countries and the company maintains offices in Germany, Italy, China and Japan.

For further information, visit www.hu-friedy.com. 

Peter E. Dawson, D.D.S., founder of The Dawson Academy and dental industry pioneer, has died at the age of 89. Dr. Dawson is widely considered one of the most influential clinicians and teachers in dental history.

Dr. Dawson is internationally known for his contributions to the fields of occlusion and restorative dentistry as well as his concepts on the diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular disorders. Over his 60-year career, Dr. Dawson wrote five books, including the “Functional Occlusion: From TMJ to Smile Design” and “The Complete Dentist.” He achieved recognition for his work and earned many accolades, including the ADA Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given by the American Dental Association’s Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Dawson’s concepts and methodologies changed the dental industry,” said Joan Forrest, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Business Development at The Dawson Academy. “He was dedicated to helping dental professionals see beyond the tooth to address patients’ issues with functional, beautiful and long-lasting solutions. His clinical contribution is just as important as the impact he had on dentists’ lives by teaching them to lead a happy, balanced life.”

In 1961, Dr. Dawson began teaching his one-man lecture series, “Concepts of Complete Dentistry,” which became The Dawson Academy in 1979. Today, The Dawson Academy is a leading center for clinical mastery in dentistry with a full curriculum of lectures and hands-on courses taught by a team of experts.

Dr. Dawson’s first book, “Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Occlusal Problems,” outlined methods for dental professionals to provide treatments that predictably solve patients’ problems. These methods, first published in 1974, formed the foundation for The Dawson Academy’s courses.

More than 40,000 dental professionals have learned to solve complex dental problems using the timeless principles of occlusion, thanks to Dr. Dawson.

“Pete Dawson’s clinical knowledge of occlusion and all aspects of restorative dentistry has directly or indirectly touched every dentist on the planet,” said Dr. John Cranham, Clinical Director of The Dawson Academy. “But for the dentists that really studied and spent time with him, it was his concepts of family, faith, and life balance that changed our lives. He had the ability to inspire us to understand and spend time on the things that matter most. The concepts of clinical excellence, life balance, and faith and family will remain the core principles taught at The Dawson Academy.”

Dr. Cranham will continue to lead The Dawson Academy’s faculty and clinical direction as he has for the past 10 years. Dr. Cranham is a practicing dentist in Chesapeake, Virginia and an internationally recognized speaker and dental educator. He joined The Dawson Academy faculty in 2003 after accepting an invitation from Dr. Dawson.

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.

On Saturday, September 14, 2019, A Night for Smiles will host its second annual Black Tie Gala to benefit The Kenneth D. Owen North Carolina Missions of Mercy (NCMOM) – Charlotte Chapter (www.ncmom-charlotte.com). NCMOM is a grass roots effort, dependent entirely on volunteers, including dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and scores of general volunteers, who donate their time and talents. It also depends on funding from charitable organizations, civic organizations, and private, corporate, and personal donations, as well as grants.

Dentsply Sirona is pleased to support the Charlotte community by supporting this outstanding organization. While the donations collected help significantly, they are not sufficient to address the dental healthcare needs of the entire local community in Charlotte. The goal of the next clinic is to provide free dental treatment to at least 2,500 qualifying adults. The clinic will be staffed by volunteers from all parts of dentistry as well as other healthcare professionals and general volunteers from Charlotte and across the state and will showcase NCMOM’s portable outreach program of the North Carolina Dental Society. The next clinic will take place at the Bojangles Arena on October 18-19, 2019.

If you are interested in supporting this great initiative with Dentsply Sirona and others, you can obtain more information at: https://anightforsmiles.org/ and have the possibility to donate directly.

100% of contributions will go toward NCMOM-Charlotte.

Dignitaries and distinguished dental professionals from all over the United States came together on Friday, July 26, 2019, to celebrate the grand opening of GC America’s new home at 3737 127^th St. in Alsip, IL. The new building is now accommodating over 200 Associates and features a state-of-the-art education center, which consists of an all new seminar hall, training laboratory, and operatory.

The grand opening began with a traditional Shinto blessing and purifying ceremony, performed by Senior Shinto Priest Rev. Lawrence Koichi Barrish of the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. A handful of GC executives and distinguished guests also participated in the ceremony.

 After the blessing, speeches were given by Dr. Clark Stanford (Dean, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry), Dr. Kiyotaka Nakao (President and CEO, GC Corporation and GC International AG), Dr. Jeffery Cole (President, ADA), Erin Guthrie (Acting Director, IL Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity), Naoki Ito (Consul-General of Japan), Jeff Stiner (President, Kajima Building & Design Group), and Torsten Gilles (President, GC America). Other distinguished guests in attendance included FDI World Dental Federation President, Dr. Kathryn Kell; CDS Executive Director, Randall Grove; Chicago Dental Society (CDS) President, Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry; President-Elect of the IL State Dental Society, Dr. Alice Boghosian; President of the South Suburban Dental Society, Dr. Richard Bona; Mayor of Alsip, IL, Mr. John Ryan; and Executive Director of the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Ralph Biedermann.

 “This is really a partnership of friendship, and friendship is actually one part of what defines us in terms of the excellence of our partnerships, and the kindness of the way we work as a team together for the very best in patient care,” Dr. Stanford said in his welcoming remarks.

“Not only does our family of Nakama get to work in a beautiful new space, this facility was created to unify our Associates by bringing them under one roof,” Dr. Nakao said in his speech. “All of our Nakama’s great work has led us to the grand opening of this wonderful facility.”

“We are exceptionally proud of our new state-of-the-art education center, which is the centerpiece of this new facility,” Mr. Gilles added in his closing statements, “…we will be able to provide dental professionals with the most advanced tools to meet their continuing education needs.” Finally, the event came to a close with a champagne toast by Dr. Nakao and Mayor John Ryan (Alsip), followed by a lunch reception.

Construction on the new facility began in July 2017 with the grand breaking ceremony and was completed in June 2019. The expansion is largely made of reinforced concrete and consists of 53,374 square feet of state-of-the-art offices with 10 conference rooms on two levels, including a training laboratory, seminar rooms, and research and development spaces, as well as 64,940 square feet of warehousing. This has allowed for the transplant of manufacturing projects and, for the first time, the unification of GC America Associates at one consolidated Alsip location. GC America expects to gain tremendous value from improving communication and innovation among Associates that can help drive dental and orthodontic business and product breakthroughs that improve and extend the lives of patients across the Americas.