Revolutionary Bioactive Filling Material Keeps Dentists Coming Back

Pulpdent Corporation, a Boston-area dental research and manufacturing company, celebrates six years since the launch of ACTIVA BioACTIVE-RESTORATIVE. The bioactive dental filling material has been used in millions of restorations across the globe.

To celebrate ACTIVA's six years on the market, Pulpdent is launching #ACTIVAWORKS, a social media campaign showcasing before and after pictures of ACTIVA restorations. ACTIVA BioACTIVE users are encouraged to submit their clinical images (radiographs and photography).

ACTIVA BioACTIVE mimics the chemical and physical properties of teeth. This bioactive dental filling material releases and recharges fluoride, calcium and phosphate, the same minerals that are found in natural dentition. ACTIVA participates in a dynamic ionic exchange with the tooth, forming a protective seal against acid attack. The material also contains a patented rubberized component that is shock absorbent like dentin.

Email feedback@pulpdent.com to submit #ACTIVAWORKS images.

ACTIVA BioACTIVE mimics the chemical and physical properties of teeth. This bioactive dental filling material releases and recharges fluoride, calcium and phosphate, the same minerals that are found in natural dentition. ACTIVA participates in a dynamic ionic exchange with the tooth, forming a protective seal against acid attack. The material also contains a patented rubberized component that is shock absorbent like dentin.  

ACTIVA has received many awards and accolades during its six years on the market. The bioactive filling material won the Top Bioactive Restorative Product Award from The Dental Advisor for five years running, along with multiple awards from DrBicuspid, Dentistry Today and Dental Products Report. Well-known dentist and educator Dr. Howard Glazer called ACTIVA a "revolutionary" product that "is working and exceeding expectations."  

Dentists from around the globe have reported using this versatile restorative material for a wide variety of procedures, including:

--Anterior Restorations

--Bulk Filling

--Core Build-Ups

--Repairs to Failed Crown Margins

--Multi-Unit Restorations

--Restorations Using Injection Molding Technique

Learn more about ACTIVA BioACTIVE from Pulpdent.

About PULPDENT® Corporation 

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

The American Dental Association (ADA) remains committed to fluoridation of public water supplies as the single most effective public health measure to help prevent tooth decay. This commitment is shared by many national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, US Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  

Public health policy is based on a collective weight of scientific evidence. The ADA is aware of a new study conducted in Canada in which its authors reviewed maternal exposure to fluoride in pregnancy. We welcome this and further scientific study of the issue to see if the findings can be replicated with methods that demonstrate more conclusive evidence.

Throughout more than 70 years of research and practical experience, the overwhelming weight of credible scientific evidence has consistently indicated that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe. The evidence-based research shows the recommended concentrations of fluoride (0.7 mg/L) used in community water fluoridation is beneficial and safe for the public.

Since the introduction of community water fluoridation in 1945, and the addition of fluoride in toothpaste, tooth decay rates in the U.S. have dropped significantly. Today, even with wide-spread availability of fluoride toothpaste, studies show community water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing tooth decay by more than 25 percent in children and adults.

The ADA remains focused on how and if emerging evidence might impact public health recommendations and policies. We will continue to evaluate the validity of emerging evidence and research to support the advancement of the health of the public.

To learn more about the benefits of fluoride, please visit MouthHealthy.org/fluoride.

Launch of Western States Hygiene Convention and Collaborative

It is with great excitement that we announce the launch of the West Coast Dental Hygiene Convention & Collaborative. The Nevada Dental Hygienists’ Association (NDHA) will now partner with the Western Society of Periodontology (WSP) in this unique and special annual event which will take place in late July or early August 2020.

This dental event will be like no other in the industry. While it will be the Nevada Dental Hygienists’ Association Annual Session, it will welcome hygienists from all over America to this unique collaborative experience with Hygienists, Restorative Dentists and Periodontists. Speakers will be from many disciplines of dentistry and focus on better collaboration for better patient outcomes. The WSP has been the leader in collaboration and is a unique organization that has launched very popular hygiene events over the past three years. These events have seen over 1500 attendees at these events annually. Bringing this meeting to Las Vegas will make it a very special and affordable event for hygienists.

“The Nevada Dental Hygienists' Association could not be more proud or excited to announce that we will be partnering with the Western Society of Periodontology to bring an annual dental hygiene event to Las Vegas in 2020. This event will be a fabulous opportunity to make connections with colleagues and other professionals who share an interest in periodontology, as well as learn the most up to date and cutting-edge information in the industry. We are honored to be working closely with the WSP to provide attendants with presentations by the top speakers from across the country. We could not think of a better place to host this annual event than the entertainment capital of the world. Registration will be open to any and all dental professionals, as well as a discounted registration rate will be provided to all NDHA members.” – Sara Mercier, Nevada Dental Hygienist’ Association President.

“We are pleased to announce that the Nevada Dental Hygienists’ Association will be hosting their 2020 Annual Summer Session in Conjunction with the Western Society of Periodontology in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are delighted the NDHA has collaborated with us and trust that the benefits of the WSP meet their expectations. The Western Society of Periodontology strives to provide educational opportunities which are interdisciplinary in nature. Our officers are receptive to new ideas and as President, I am here to support your needs and serve as your advocate. We look forward to many years of this rewarding partnership.” – Dr. Dean Ahmad, Western Society of Periodontology President.

“We are excited to welcome the NDHA to our management firm.  We look forward to many years of a rewarding association. Any individual interested in learning about the events offered through the Nevada Dental Hygienists’ Association or Western Society of Periodontology are invited to contact Goldman Association Management. We expect to be announcing an exclusive media partnership in the coming week. With the success of our hygiene events all over the West Coast, we are confident this will be a success from day one.”- Todd Goldman, Western Society of Periodontology Executive Director.

UTHealth’s Jerry Bouquot, DDS, MSD, gave a talk on mouth ulcers in the Texas Medical Center that was watched by Alaa Al-Saffar, DDS, in Kuwait.

Kuwaiti dentist Alaa Al-Saffar, DDS, may be 7,000 miles from the Texas Medical Center but that did not keep her from catching a lecture on mouth ulcers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Al-Saffar and dozens of others worldwide learned about aspects of these common lesions during the first online lecture offered through the new ‘telementoring’ program at School of Dentistry at UTHealth. The July 1 talk was given by Jerry Bouquot, DDS, MSD, a world-renowned oral pathologist and former department chair at the school.

“We’re making it easy for dentists throughout the world to keep up with the latest developments in our fast-changing field,” said Sudarat Kiat-amnuay, DDS, MS, professor and director of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency program at the school.

The idea is to make the school’s clinicians and researchers available to dentists and other health care providers in remote parts of the world with two-way voice and visual communication.

“We’ll be providing continuing education (CE) opportunities such as the recent free CE ulcer lecture by Dr. Bouquot. We’re also making our faculty members available for consultation on hard-to-treat cases,” Kiat-amnuay said.

The initiative is part of a worldwide movement to foster greater cooperation among caregivers called Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes). It started in 2003 at the University of New Mexico.

Project ECHO at UTHealth School of Dentistry will initially be focused on the dental care of seniors.

There are lots of baby boomers and many need help with their teeth,” said Kiat-amnuay, who directs the first Project ECHO initiative at UTHealth.

“Oral health is a gateway to our overall health. Yet, many Texans live in areas where dental services are in short supply,” she said.

UTHealth School of Dentistry Dean John Valenza, DDS, said, “Community outreach is a big part of our mission at the dental school. We treat patients of all ages but we are particularly interested in helping children and the elderly.” Valenza is The William N. Finnegan III Distinguished Professor in the Dental Sciences at UTHealth.

Ellen Baker, MD, MPH, director of Project ECHO at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said, “Much of the expertise that lives in academic health centers is not being shared with colleagues in rural and underserved areas. You could say it is being stored in silos and Project ECHO is a way to share and disseminate this knowledge.”

MD Anderson has been designated as an ECHO super hub for oncology by the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center (UNMHSC). MD Anderson is one of just nine ECHO super hub sites in the world and the first focused on oncology.

Participants can log into presentations from computers, tablets, or smartphones. “These are virtual professional communities. There are hundreds of ECHO groups but very few are focused on dental care,” Baker said.

Al-Saffar, who earned her doctor of dental surgery at the University of Kuwait, was not the only international participant who logged into the mouth ulcer presentation. There were also dentists from Oman, Brazil, China, and Saudi Arabia. In keeping with the spirit of ECHO, there were online pre- and post-tests to identify improvements in the knowledge of participants.

To learn more about Project ECHO, visit the main Project ECHO website (https://echo.unm.edu/), and the MD Anderson super hub (https://www.mdanderson.org/education-training/global-outreach/project-echo.html.

American Academy American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) Accredited Member, Dennis B. Hartlieb, DDS, AAACD, was recently awarded the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry (jCD) Evy Award during the 35thAnnual AACD Annual Scientific Session’s Celebration of Excellence on April 27, 2019 in San Diego.

The AACD honors its most accomplished and dedicated professionals with Celebration of Excellence awards, also known as Evy awards. Evy recipients are first nominated for the award by their colleagues and then are selected by the Awards and Recognition Committee. Evy award winners represent the most exemplary and talented individuals within the AACD who are dedicated to advancing excellence in the art and science of cosmetic dentistry and to the highest standards of ethical patient care.

The jCD Award is given to the author or authors of an original Journal of Cosmetic Dentistryarticle published within the established year that is determined the best of that year.  This is an industry-wide award.

Dennis B. Hartlieb, DDS, AAACD, has been an AACD member since1999, and currently maintains a private practice in Glenview, IL. Dr. Hartlieb earned her DDS degree at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and earned his AACD Accreditation in 2017. The article of his being recognized is titled, “CPR for the Worn Detention”: From Concept to Prototype to Restoration”, an excellent resource for cosmetic dentists to learn from and utilize in their practices.

The Journal of Cosmetic Dentistryis AACD’s official peer-reviewed publication. It is offered as a member benefit to AACD members. The article can be viewed at www.aacd.com/JCDArchive in the Summer 2018 edition of thejCD.

For more information about AACD Celebration of Excellence awards, visit https://www.aacd.com/evy-awards.

About the AACD

The AACD is the world’s largest non-profit member organization dedicated to advancing excellence in comprehensive oral care, combining art and science to optimally improve dental health, esthetics, and function. Comprised of more than 5,000 cosmetic dental professionals in 70 countries worldwide, the AACD fulfills its mission by offering superior educational opportunities, promoting and supporting the respected Accreditation and Fellowship credentials, serving as a user-friendly and inviting forum for the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas, and providing accurate and useful information to the public and the profession.

Ten-year associate at nation’s largest family-owned dental distributor delivers smiles – and oral health care insight -- to students at Building Blocks Learning Center in Dallas, Pennsylvania.

Unless it’s during a visit to the dentist, people rarely volunteer details on their toothbrushing and flossing habits. Not the case with the five and under crowd at Building Blocks Learning Center in Dallas, Pennsylvania. This summer, 26 students were more than willing to express their enthusiasm for dental hygiene, as well as love and admiration for the Benco Dental Tooth Fairy.

Resplendent in white attire with a glittering crown and wings, Pat Motyka, a Tooth Customer Service Specialist at the dental distributor’s home office in Pittston, entered a classroom at Building Blocks Learning Center on July 19.

While students were rushing to impress her with the frequency of their brushing and flossing routines, a particularly excited young girl raised her hand to tell the Tooth Fairy that she loved her.Two others, Delilah and Vijay showered their special guest with compliments about her “sparkly wings” and the gifts she presented them before she took flight: a take-home package for each student complete with a dental kit, stickers and other surprises.

“They know she’s real, rather than just their imagination. Seeing the Tooth Fairy in their class makes them think, ‘Oh, I have to brush my teeth, I have to make sure they’re healthy.’ They know that when they lose a tooth it’ll be OK; she’ll visit and keep their teeth safe,” said Brittany Palma, a teacher at Building Blocks.

Students intently listened and watched as the Larksville-based Tooth Fairy spoke to the importance of brushing and flossing, read two stories about dental hygiene, and distributed tooth-themed coloring sheets. Motyka offered students a hands-on experience by allowing them to brush the teeth of Finn, a plush shark puppet used for dental hygiene demos. Students were able to practice proper technique with an oversized toothbrush.

Though new to the Tooth Fairy role, with just three classroom visits under her wings, Motyka brings 10 years of dental industry experience to her position at Benco Dental.

“Later that day, my coworker Dave Tosh (Benco Fleet and Logistics Manager) emailed me. His daughter was one of the Building Blocks students, and he said she couldn’t wait to come home to tell him about my visit. That made me feel really good,” said Motyka.

Aside from adding a little sparkle to their day, she feels her visits make a difference to the students’ oral health.

“A lot of parents don’t tell their kids about dental health -- I know mine didn’t. I think it’s important, because that’s the first thing you see when you talk to someone: their teeth. Benco was kind enough to donate tooth gel, toothbrushes, and brushing charts for the dental kit,” she added.

For details, visit benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO.

CAPTIONS:

1. Benco_ToothFairy_Building Blocks_4270.jpg:Building Blocks student Lilly M. “brushes” teeth of of Finn, a plush shark puppet used for dental hygiene demos, brought to her classroom in Dallas, Pennsylvania by Benco Dental Tooth Fairy Pat Motyka. (Benco Dental/Jimmy Musto)

2. Benco_ToothFairy_Building Blocks_4427.jpg:Benco Dental Tooth Fairy Pat Motyka recently visited Building Blocks Learning Center in Dallas, Pennsylvania and spoke to students about the importance of brushing and flossing.Shown is Tooth Fairy Pat, center, with students in the classrooms of teachers (clockwise, from bottom left) Brittany Palma, Kaitlyn Ayers and Jill Skurkis. (Benco Dental/Jimmy Musto)

About Benco Dental

Benco Dental, headquartered in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is the largest family-owned dental distributor in the United States, offering a full array of supplies, equipment and services to dentists across the nation.  Founded in 1930 by Benjamin Cohen, the company has remained family-owned and focused on its unique mission to “deliver success, smile after smile.” Within the past 88 years, the company has grown from a single downtown location to a national network that includes five distribution centers, and three design showrooms, one at the company’s Pa. headquarters, one in Southern California, and one in Texas. Benco, which has been named one of Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care and Biopharma for the past three years, one of the NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women for the second consecutive year, and Pennsylvania’s Best Places to Work^®for 12 of the past 14 years, is proud to feature a highly skilled team of more than 400 professionally trained sales representatives and over 300 factory-trained service technicians. For more information, visit benco.com or call 1.800.GO.BENCO.

Leading dental support organization (DSO) recognized as one of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Pacific Dental Services (PDS®) announces it has once again earned a spot on the Inc. 5000, Inc. Magazine’s exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Pacific Dental Services, a leading DSO that provides business and administrative support for over 750 dental practices in 21 states, has now been named on the Inc. 5000 an impressive 14 times. Most notably, PDS is one of only four companies that has placed on the Inc. 5000 14 times, joining Pinnacle Group, WMK, and Jarret Logistics Systems. Click here for the full list.

“We’re honored to have earned a place on the Inc. 5000 14 times,” said Stephen E. Thorne IV, Founder & CEO of Pacific Dental Services. “Our primary purpose is to help our supported owner dentists keep their patients healthier and happier. We appreciate this recognition as we strive to be the provider of choice in all the markets we serve. Although PDS is national in scope, we remain committed to each one of our supported dentists and their individual dental practices so they can continue to create the Perfect Patient Experience®, one patient at a time.”

PDS is focused on its commitment to competitive growth and clinical excellence, and has made significant investments to enhance the tools and resources for their supported practices. A key dental differentiator for PDS-supported dentists is their patient-centric approach in providing same-day dentistry for adult and pediatric patients.  PDS-supported dental practices offer patients modern dentistry with proven technology with the use of CEREC® CAD/CAM same-day dentistry, Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), digital x-rays, laser, online scheduling, and the VELscope® Enhanced Oral Assessment System, among other technologies at the forefront of oral and whole-body health care. In addition, patients are offered integrated specialties under one roof, such as Endodontics, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Hygiene, and Pediatric Dentistry.

Since its inception in 1994, PDS has been committed to fostering a culture of Clinicians Leading Clinicians in Clinical Excellence®. Their primary purpose is to provide support so that clinicians can focus on providing oral health care to their patients to keep them healthier and happier. This includes educating 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 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 650 supported dental offices across the United States and plans to expand into several new markets. PDS aims to be the provider of choice in all the markets they serve, helping supported dentists to develop Patients for Life™. 

For more information, visit us at https://www.pacificdentalservices.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PacificDentalServices/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/293541/life/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pacificdental  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PacificDentalTV

As recommended by the National Council on Disability (NCD), all U.S. dental schools must now revamp their curricula and training programs to be inclusive of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).

The Council on Dental Accreditation (CODA) recently passed votes requiring dental schools to now train their students in managing treatment of patients with ID/DD. Previously, patients with ID/DD were largely unable to obtain dental care treatment because dental students were simply not required to learn to manage their treatment.

"Every dental patient in America deserves the same care, whether or not they have a disability," said NCD Chairman Neil Romano. "NCD applauds this decision that we view as necessary for people with ID/DD to obtain critical access to dental treatment, which is critical to the total health of all people."

CODA held and passed four related votes regarding the predoctoral dental, orthodontics, dental hygiene, and dental assistant programs:

For predoctoral programs and orthodontics programs, dental students must be trained to assess and manage the treatment of patients with "special needs [sic]."

For dental hygiene programs, students must be competent in providing care to "special needs [sic]" patient populations.

For dental assistant programs, students must be familiarized with patients with "special needs [sic]" including patients whose medical, physical, psychological, or social conditions make it necessary to modify normal dental routines.

CODA generally defines people with "special needs (sic)" as people with developmental disabilities, cognitive impairment, complex medical problems, significant physical limitations, and the vulnerable elderly.

Changes for the predoctoral dental, dental hygiene, and dental assistant programs are required to take effect by July 1, 2020, with changes to the orthodontics programs required by Jan. 1.

NCD first made recommendations to CODA following its 2017 issue brief "Neglected for Too Long: Dental Care for Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities," in which NCD's findings included:

-Adults with developmental disabilities are at risk for multiple health problems including poor oral health.

-People with I/DD regularly face an uphill battle in finding clinicians properly trained to treat them because most dentists lack the proper training and exposure with respect to the health and psychosocial needs of this population.

-According to one study, more than 50 percent of dental and medical school deans have stated that their graduates are not competent to treat patients with I/DD; as a result, people with I/DD are more likely to have poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, and untreated dental caries than are members of the general population.

-People with I/DD have been more likely to not have had their teeth cleaned in the past five years, or never to have had their teeth cleaned, than those who are not disabled.

-Due to the lack of proper skills among dentists, dental care is often more difficult to find than any other type of service for people with I/DD.

Last year, NCD successfully worked with the American Dental Association to revise its Code of Professional Conduct to state that "dentists shall not refuse to accept patients into their practice or deny dental service to patients because of the patient's…disability." This code revision was adopted by many states as state law of professional conduct.

First established as an advisory council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since enactment of the ADA in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting disability policy, and advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices.