Grant Will Increase Access to Dental Care for People who are Elderly, Medically Fragile or Living with Disabilities

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian Life) today announced a $400,000 grant to Dental Lifeline Network (DLN). The grant renews Guardian Life's commitment to help expand dental care access across the country for individuals who are elderly, medically fragile or living with disabilities. Most patients DLN's volunteer dentists treat suffer from seriously neglected diseases and are unable to access dental care due to the cost or lack of dental coverage.

The latest grant will further help DLN extend volunteer dentist recruitment efforts, expand coordinated care and support the Will You See One Vet campaign, a recruitment initiative aimed to engage volunteer dentists to help veterans with special needs. Most veterans do not qualify for dental benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs[1].

"We are so grateful for Guardian's ongoing partnership and support of our programs," said Fred Leviton, CEO, Dental Lifeline Network. "To date, its support has contributed to over 1,300 patients receiving more than $5 million in donated dental care that they wouldn't otherwise receive."

Through the flagship program Donated Dental Services (DDS), DLN provides complimentary, comprehensive dental care through a national network of nearly 16,000 volunteer dentists and 3,500 volunteer laboratories.

"We're very proud of our partnership with Dental Lifeline Network, and the progress we've made to increase access to quality dental care for the most vulnerable individuals across the U.S.," said Chris Swanker, CEO, Avēsis, a Guardian Company. "At Guardian, we understand that barriers to quality dental care still persist, so it's partnerships like these that enable us to reach those who are underserved and uninsured."

Since partnering with DLN in 2018, Guardian Life has contributed nearly $1 million and helped increase dental care access both nationally and with targeted statewide programs in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

To learn more about DLN or to donate, visit www.DentalLifeline.org. If you are a dentist and interested in volunteering to see a Vet, please visit WillYouSeeOneVet.org

About Dental Lifeline Network

Dental Lifeline Network (DLN) is a national charitable organization and strategic partner of the American Dental Association. DLN's mission is to improve the oral health of people with disabilities or who are elderly or medically fragile and have no other way to get help. DLN accomplishes its mission by developing and coordinating collaborative relationships that help provide essential resources for direct-service programs, especially charitable care.

About Guardian

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of over 9,000 employees and our network of over 2,500 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2018 included $8.4 billion in capital and $1.4 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Zephyr Sleep Technologies (Zephyr) is partnering with ProSomnus® Sleep Technologies (ProSomnus) in a non-exclusive co-marketing arrangement that gives ProSomnus the ability to sell Zephyr’s MATRx plus™ to ProSomnus customers and prospects, and in turn, Zephyr will market ProSomnus sleep and snore devices to Zephyr customers.

“We have been working closely with ProSomnus over a number of years and are pleased that they are becoming a channel to sell MATRx plus directly,” says Paul Cataford, Chief Executive Officer, Zephyr. “ProSomnus provides innovative, comfortable and clinically-validated oral appliances, and we share a common vision - to offer the best care and most efficient workflow for dental clinics to treat their patients suffering from sleep apnea.”

“ProSomnus and Zephyr have a history of successfully collaborating to advance dental sleep medicine for patients who fail or refuse CPAP and to leading Dental Sleep Medicine providers," stated Len Liptak, CEO. "This agreement facilitates our future market development activities.”

The proprietary MATRx plus is an easy-to-use, FDA cleared tablet that gathers and communicates sleep and airway data securely over the internet. It is used by the patient in their home and the data is communicated to health professionals to:

     • Identify whether the patient has sleep apnea

     • Determine if the patient will respond to oral appliance therapy

     • Identify target protrusive position for effective oral appliance treatment in advance of appliance fabrication

The MATRx plus provides the dental team and their patients the most accurate and efficient means of testing and fitting of an oral appliance in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. It offers a simpler, faster and easier path to treatment. Traditional methods of providing oral appliances are time-consuming and inconsistent, with a failure rate in the range of 40%. The MATRx plus™ system provides a positive predictive value of 100% when identifying patients who will be successfully treated with an oral appliance.

The MATRx plus is now offered in over 300 dental clinics across the US.

About ProSomnus® Sleep Technologies

ProSomnus® Sleep Technologies designs, manufactures and markets FDA Cleared Class II Medical Devices dentists use to treat patients diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. ProSomnus® Devices are the first, precision oral appliance therapy devices designed to enhance compliance, mitigate side effects and, enable dentists to achieve excellent patient experiences and outcomes. They have been used to treat thousands of patients, with clinical performance that has been validated in randomize controlled trials, retrospective cohort studies, and numerous clinical case reports.

About Zephyr Sleep Technologies

Zephyr Sleep Technologies helps people live healthier, more productive lives by sleeping better. The company provides medical professionals with a progressive, precise and easy-to-use at-home testing and fitting device that enables a dentist to effectively tailor an oral appliance to treat the patient’s sleep apnea with confidence and precision. Our mission is to empower health professionals to enhance patient care by providing a simple solution to sleeping better – simply, better sleep care. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and was founded in 2010.

Panthera Dental is proud to unveil its official schedule for the first edition of Panthera Days, which will take place on June 19 and 20, 2020. On June 19, participants will have the chance to participate in several advanced training sessions in prosthetic characterization, sleep medicine, and customized implants. For the official inauguration of Panthera's new headquarters on June 20th, participants will have the opportunity to enjoy an exclusive tour of the new premises, booths offering cocktails and appetizers, as well as many surprises throughout the entire event.

During the prosthetic characterization training sessions, several current topics will be addressed by such renowned experts as Arian Deutsch, Mark Chan, Mark Williamson, and Marc Desjardins. Lectures on sleep medicine will be presented by Dr. John Viviano, Jason Tierney, Sonnie Bocalla, and Dr. John Carollo. To round out the program, Panthera will offer customized implant training with Dr. Michael Scherer, Marc-Antoine Archambault, and more. A number of other international speakers will be announced in the coming days. The complete list of speakers will be posted on pantheradays.com.

In total, approximately 20 advanced training sessions will be offered. Participants are entirely free to attend the conferences of their choice for the one and only price of $595.

In addition to attending this day of training, this package also includes our official launch on June 20. During this event, participants will be given an exclusive guided tour of the plant and offices, where they can discover the company as a whole. In an effort to promote Québec City products, wine, beer, cocktails, and appetizers from local businesses will be served throughout the event at no additional charge.

“It is the perfect occasion for our clients to discover our new headquarters, as well as one of the largest CAD/CAM facilities in the world, and especially to participate in the advanced trainings hosted by international experts! It’s also the ideal moment to enjoy the wonders of Québec City with your significant other,” says Béatrice Robichaud, VP of Marketing & the Panthera Dental client experience.

Find the complete list of speakers, the official schedule, and all other relevant information on the Panthera Days 2020 website at pantheradays.com.

Today, the Delta Dental Institute published a white paper examining the state of health literacy in America and its impact on oral and overall health outcomes. "Improving America's Oral Health Literacy" draws on an existing body of literature to assess health literacy gaps and evaluate how improvements can enable Americans to make more informed decisions about their oral health.

"Knowledge is power when it comes to good oral health," said Vivian Vasallo, Executive Director of the Delta Dental Institute. "This paper affirms the link between high health literacy and good health outcomes and provides an important roadmap for how dental health professionals, insurers, employers, and brokers can better empower Americans with the information they need to make more informed oral health decisions."

The white paper documents that while most Americans recognize the connection between oral health and overall health, a discrepancy in outcomes remains, due in part to low levels of health literacy and inadequate consideration of social determinants of health. The paper details how low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes and lower-than-average use of health care services. Conversely, high levels of oral health literacy facilitate effective dentist-patient communication, which has a direct positive impact on preventive, diagnostic, and restorative oral health services.

The paper identifies three actionable recommendations for improving America's oral health literacy, including: developing dental health literacy training modules; adapting the after-visit summary for use in dentistry; and providing plain-language clinical and dental insurance educational information to all patients. It also explores the current state of medical-dental integration and emerging solutions that would benefit patients, especially those with chronic diseases.

The white paper was commissioned by the Delta Dental Institute and is co-authored by Kathryn A. Atchison, DDS, MPH (UCLA School of Dentistry), Alice M. Horowitz, PhD (University of Maryland School of Public Health), and Nicole D. Holland, DDS, MS (Tufts School of Dental Medicine).

The full white paper is available on the Delta Dental Institute's website and can be downloaded directly here.

About the Delta Dental Institute

The Delta Dental Institute is putting a new spotlight on oral health. We are dedicated to advancing America's oral health in partnership with Delta Dental member companies and other leading partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental's rich history of oral health leadership, the Delta Dental Institute engages in and supports oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure all Americans can have the healthy smile they deserve and live their healthiest lives.

Mr. Kess Will Guide Nonprofit Think Tank’s Efforts to Improve Oral Health

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) today announced that Steven W. Kess, the Company’s Vice President of Global Professional Relations, has been named the President of the Santa Fe Group (SFG), a nonprofit think tank dedicated to improving oral health for the public. Mr. Kess’s first step as President was to form a new Executive Management Committee comprised of leaders in the oral health community who will advance the SFG’s mission.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005147/en/.

Mr. Kess excels in forging public-private partnerships to address complex global health issues, such as advancing access to care through wellness, prevention, and treatment programs; strengthening emergency preparedness and relief; and building health care capacity. In this catalyst role, Mr. Kess conceives and advances innovative solutions that provide benefits to multiple stakeholders, shepherding these solutions from conceptualization to effective implementation. Mr. Kess also is co-founder of Henry Schein Cares, the Company’s global corporate social responsibility program, and he serves as the Founding President of the Henry Schein Cares Foundation.

“There is no one better suited to this role than my longtime colleague, Steve Kess, and I am confident that his leadership will benefit not just the Santa Fe Group, but the oral health of people everywhere,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, and a member of SFG’s Strategic Advisory Council. “Steve’s vision and skill at bringing stakeholders together is second to none, and his passion for improving oral health is inspiring. On behalf of approximately 19,000 Team Schein Members, I congratulate Steve on his new role and look forward to our continued collaboration with the Santa Fe Group.”

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With approximately 19,000 Team Schein Members worldwide, the Company's network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively. These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional healthcare clinics, as well as other alternate care sites.

Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 120,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 180,000 additional products available as special-order items.

A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 31 countries. The Company's sales from continuing operations reached $9.4 billion in 2018, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 13 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.

For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005147/en/.

Gingi-Pak is pleased to announce that GINGICaine Plus is now available in 20-syringe kits and GINGICaine One in unit dose swab kits. The newly developed topical anesthetic gel extends the anesthesia duration up to one hour by including two additional anesthetic ingredients to the formulation.

GINGICaine’s upgraded version is formulated with 14% Benzocaine, 2% Butamben, and 2% Tetracaine Hydrochloride to deliver fast and effective pain relief when applied precisely to where it is needed. It provides up to 30-60 minutes of anesthesia to allow clinicians sufficient time to finish any job. With an artificial banana flavor, patients can enjoy a pleasant taste without any bitterness.  It is ideal for a variety of procedures including but not limited to denture pain relief, rubber dam clamp placement, intrapulpal anesthesia, periodontal pockets, odontopaediatrics, injection, root planning, subgingival scaling, and gingival retractions.

GINGICaine Plus comes in a syringe format with a unique microneedle tip that features a rounded end to eliminate sulcus poking or tearing during delivery and a 7mm gauge mark when applied directly within the periodontal pocket. Each syringe contains 1.2 mL of the improved GINGICaine gel, and its transparent tubing allows you to measure accurately and use only what you require.

GINGICaine One is available in a convenient unit dose format that features a one-step, no-mess delivery system. The disposable and vacuum-sealed packaging is designed to avoid cross-contamination and eliminate the need for cleanup. Each unit dose contains 0.4 mL of the new GINGICaine gel and one applicator swab for a single application. Simply peel back the cover, dip the swap in the topical gel and apply. Use wherever topical anesthesia is desired.

Features

·       Provides 30-60 minute duration of action

·       Approximately 15-20 second onset of action

·       Pleasant artificial banana flavor without any bitterness

·       Two delivery systems

·       Unique microneedle tip with 7mm gauge mark

·       Convenient single-use packaging with minimal waste

For more information, to place an order, and request sample for GINGICaine Plus and GINGICaine One, please email info@gingi-pak.com or visit www.gingi-pak.com.

About Gingi-Pak

Founded in 1976, Gingi-Pak is a leader in soft tissue management and topical anesthetic products manufacturing. Its main product lines include retraction materials, topical anesthetics, and hemostatic agents. It is also the sole US manufacturer that produces professional hydrocolloid impression materials. For more information please visit www.gingi-pak.com.

HoEtch, a new 37% phosphoric acid dental etching gel by Ho Dental Company, provides an affordable new option for surface preparation. HoEtchroughens the surface of the tooth to ensure maximum adhesion for bonding agents. At $0.88 (bulk) to $1.27 per cc (3-pack), HoEtch is one of the lowest-cost etchant gels on the market. It also features a unique 5 ml applicator tip for easier handling and application.

It is ideal for dental procedures including:

   • Composite restorations

   • Inlays

   • Crowns

   • Bridges

   • Veneers

   • Root canal posts

   • Splints

   • Orthodontic brackets

   • Pit and fissure sealing

Optimal Viscosity

HoEtch etching gel has optimal viscosity, so it’s easy to apply and easy to rinse. It remains in place even on vertical surfaces. Its blue pigmentation aids with precise application. And, it effectively removes the smear layer, to facilitate successful bonding.

The 5cc Syringe Offers an Ergonomic Advantage

HoEtch 37% phosphoric acid etch gel comes pre-loaded in 5cc syringes. The 5cc size makes our syringe easier to handle than smaller 1-2cc syringes, which aids in the precise application of the gel.

Application Time:

   • Enamel: approximately 20-30 seconds

   • Dentin: maximum of 15 seconds

Two Size Options:

   • 3-Pack: 3 x 5ml syringes with 8 tips

   • Bulk case: 30 x 5ml syringes with 80 tips

HoEtch expands Ho Dental’s product line, complementing the company’s highly-rated line-up of dental impression materials and products. Created by a dentist, for dentists, the company’s products are formulated and designed to help dentists work smarter and save money.

About Ho Dental Company

Ho Dental Company is a premier dental supply company located in Las Vegas, NV. Founder Dr. Phillip Ho, DMD, has more than 30 years of product development experience. He also operates a full-time dental practice in Santa Barbara, CA, where he averages more than 400 impressions per year. His goal is to help dentists like himself save time and money while improving results and client satisfaction. Visit: https://www.hodentalcompany.com

During this year’s LMT Lab Day in Chicago, from February 20 to 22, vhf will present two brand new milling and grinding machines. Additionally, Daniel Alter, MSc, MDT, CDT and professor for restorative dentistry will give an exclusive lecture on the advantages of vhf products. At the CDS Midwinter Meeting, which takes place at the same time in Chicago, vhf will present their flagship machines Z4 and R5.

Mill dental restorations quickly, precisely, and comfortably: vhf is proud to introduce two new models as world premieres to the market at the 36th LMT Lab Day at booth E-40 (East Tower Riverside in the Hyatt Hotel in Chicago).

In his lecture “vhf’s Milling: A Class Above the Rest!” on Thursday, February 20, from 1 pm to 2 pm, Daniel Alter offers Lab-Day visitors help in making a purchase decision for the laboratory. He will explain the advantages of the various vhf machines based on investment costs, increased productivity, and the minimal amount of work for cleaning, calibrating, or changing blanks. Interested visitors can register online for this lecture in the Grand Ballroom EF. Daniel Alter has more than 25 years of experience in dentistry and has been running a successful dental laboratory for ten years. He is also Professor of Restorative Dentistry at the City University of New York. During the 92nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Prosthodontic Society, visitors will hear the latest on digital practice workflows with the R5; on February 20, the internationally renowned dentist Dr. Miguel Stanley will speak about “Analog to Digital in Implant and Restorative Dentistry”.

“vhf was an eye-catcher” – this is how the organizers of the Midwinter Meeting of the Chicago Dental Society praised the vhf booth last year. This year, the two award-winning dental mills Z4 and R5 will be presented during the dental meeting from February 20 to 22. Visitors can experience the wet and dry milling machines at the CDS Midwinter Meeting at vhf booth 4839.

vhf machines will also be showcased during the Chicago shows at the Dentcore, Esthetic Professionals, Jensen, Patterson, Talladium, and Zahn booths, as well as at the booths of their partners 3Shape, exocad, and Keystone.

3DISC has recently released the new software platform HeronClinic, which improves the overall scanner performance and HeronCloud, which enables easy exchange of cases between dentist and lab. The debut of an entirely new case management user interface has been extremely well received, and the increasing interest in the scan solution is the reason we are attending two venues during this 2020 Chicago Dental Week. At Chicago Midwinter and LMT Labday, we are demonstrating the Heron™ IOS solution with all the new features.

Our development team has outdone themselves and delivered a new software release with smart improvements to the scan experience for both dentist and patient, giving a more complete user experience.

“Providing dentists with a high quality and smart digital impression taking solution is a never-ending journey and commitment. The competitive landscape is constantly evolving, keeping the 3DISC development team on edge, to deliver a futureproof and smart solution that our users can easily integrate in their clinic workflows now and into a future that is running on software. I am proud to say that our team of developers has once again delivered new smart functionalities to the Heron IOS solution,” says Mathieu Aubailly, CTO of 3DISC

New software improvements for better inspection and visualization of the scan

At Chicago Dental week 3DISC is presenting even more news to this innovative intraoral scan solution.

Manual Bite Alignment

This new function is introducing the ability to manually adjust the bite to ensure that a perfect alignment will be delivered to the lab, improving the CAD/CAM process.

Ability to Open Jaws

A new functionality that allows the upper and lower jaw to be opened in the bite step for better visual inspection of the scans by dentist as well as dental lab.

Colored Distance Map

The new Heron IOS software platform has now also included a color distance map for optimal visualization of distances between upper and lower jaws, especially helpful for estimating the distance of prepared teeth with antagonist.

New Tip with Improved Durability

3DISC is also including a redesigned tip with improved material, now allowing higher autoclave cycles. Wider opening ensures easy cleaning and improvement in scan speed

HeronIOS – the Best Value for Money

The Heron IOS solution offers dentists a straightforward path into digital dentistry. It is ready to use right out of the box, has a low learning curve, requires little training and implements easily into a dentist’s practice and daily business. Dentists can purchase the Heron IOS solution for a one-time, affordable payment, with no additional ongoing costs and free updates. This latter point is quite significant in terms of dentists’ return on investment.

“The 3DISC development team is constantly working to improve Heron IOS solution. A fundamental part our solution’s value proposition is that we are able to offer dentists a complete intraoral scanning solution that does more over time. With the Heron IOS solution, dentists get a return on investment within a year, and one of the lowest total cost of ownership on the market. The Heron IOS is simply the best value for their money,” comments Thomas Weldingh, CEO of 3DISC.

3DISC will present the latest version of the Heron IOS solution at Chicago Midwinter 2020, booth #4943 and at LMT Labday, booth #A6. For more information or to book a meeting, please visit www.3DISC.com.

Clon3D, an oral care solution provider based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will distribute the full range of Nemotec digital dental software solutions in North America. Nemotec is a leading digital dentistry solution-provider based in Madrid, Spain. Its products are distributed in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. Nemotec is a member of the Biotech Dental group of companies.

The availability of Nemotec software in the North American dental market follows the introduction to the North American dental market of WOW intraoral scanners by Clon3D in January this year.

E. Gary Fichtner, President of Clon3D stated: “Nemotec offers a variety of software modules for dental practitioners in a number of dental specialties. These applications provide advanced downstream solutions and functionality for 3D digital imaging, including scanning data collected by the innovative WOW intraoral scanner recently introduced by us.”

“With the increasing availability and use of 3D digital dental data for use in a broader digital workflow, easy-to-use applications that process digital imaging are becoming an essential tool in the dental practice,” said Eli Ganon, CTO of Clon3D. “Nemotec offers important functionality for general practitioners, orthodontists, oral surgeons, periodontists, and prosthodontists. NemoStudio offers their practices advanced solutions that enhances dentistry for both the dental professional and the patient.”