Clear aligner innovator CandidPro has partnered with Women in DSO® to help empower women leaders in dental service organizations. Founded in 2019, and officially launched in 2021 at the 8th Annual Dykema Definitive Conference for DSOs, Women in DSO aims to connect and support women leaders in high-performing dental groups throughout the country.

As a lifetime founding partner, CandidPro will work with Women in DSO to support mentorship, networking, and education initiatives that will enhance Women in DSO's platform. CandidPro Sr. Business Development Manager Brandy Merritt sees this partnership as a great way to spark more female leadership in the dental industry. "I think Women in DSO is perfectly positioned to support the progress I've seen women make in my 25 years in dentistry," says Meritt. "There's still much work to be done, and I think our organizations can do a lot to continue pushing the needle."

According to the ADA, women accounted for over 34% of practicing dentists in 2020—up from 24% in 2010—and over 50% of dental school graduates. "When it comes to DSO leadership, women are the future," says Brian Ganey, CandidPro's VP of Sales. "I'm honored to align with Women in DSO in supporting the next generation of women leaders in dental service organizations and beyond."

The partnership between Women in DSO and CandidPro also speaks to the organizations' shared values. Candid's President, Cathrin Bowtell, says, "Serving an increasingly diverse patient population means it's critical for us to promote representation both in our organization and among our partners. I'm proud to prioritize diversity at Candid, and I'm proud to help Women in DSO galvanize female thought-leadership in the dental industry."

Sonendo®, Inc., a leading dental technology company has announced that its GentleWave® System has been nominated as a 2021 Prix Galien USA Award finalist for this year's "Best Medical Technology" award.

This year's ceremony is Prix Galien's 50th, marking half a century of recognizing excellence in biopharmaceutical and medical technology innovations that improve the human condition. Winners will be announced during the Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony on October 28, 2021 in New York City.

The GentleWave System by Sonendo ushers in the next evolution in endodontic technology that is transforming a rapidly growing number of practices across North America. The GentleWave System uses patented, novel technology designed to deliver more thorough cleaning and disinfection to the entire root canal system - even in the microscopic places where bacteria can hide- and leave more of the tooth structure intact^1,2.

Most GentleWave Procedures can be performed in one visit and patients have found the procedure to be comfortable and have reported minimal to no post procedure pain³. Additionally, the System is designed to generate virtually no aerosolized material into the air during normal use⁴, which has become an important issue for clinicians and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the heightened sensitivity to the concerns associated with cross-contamination via aerosol. Procedure Instruments for the GentleWave System also come pre-sterilized and are single use, hence minimize the risk of exposure from one patient to the next.

"It's a tremendous honor to be nominated for this prestigious award," said Michael Smith, Sonendo's Chief Commercial Officer. "Being recognized as a groundbreaking and impactful technology by some of the greatest science and medical thought leaders further underscores our belief that our system is fast becoming the new standard for cleanliness and clinical ease of use in root canal therapy. We are grateful to the Prix Gailen Awards selection committee for the recognition."

"The Awards Committee is excited to introduce this year's nominees for the Prix Galien USA Awards. These products have been created by scientists who have dedicated their lives to discovering, developing and distributing life-saving answers for patients," said Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Chair of the Prix Galien USA and Prix Galien International Award Committees and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We appreciate the opportunity to honor these researchers and their tireless efforts."

The Prix Galien USA Awards Committee is composed of twelve renowned leaders from the biomedical industry and academia, including five Nobel Laureates, responsible for evaluating nominees.

References

¹Sigurdsson A et al. (2016) J Endod. 42:1040-48. ²Molina B et al. (2015) J Endod. 41:1701-05. ³Sigurdsson et al. J Endod 2018; 44(3):510-517. 4Data on file at Sonendo; TR20-0027. 

Peer-reviewed research from Harvard School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, and University of Iowa will explore oral health disparities and access to oral health care

Yesterday, the Delta Dental Institute announced three new research awards to leading health research institutions. This funding is part of the Delta Dental Institute's continued efforts to invest in research that leads to actionable solutions for improved oral and overall health. Harvard School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, and University of Iowa researchers have received awards to pursue the following oral health care topics:

Harvard School of Dental Medicine: Lead researcher Sung Eun Choi, SM, PhD, will evaluate the feasibility of policies to reduce disparities in oral health.

University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine: Lead researcher Tamanna Tiwari, MPH, MDS, BDS, will conduct a critical review of the success and barriers in dental-medical collaboration models to inform future dental-medical collaboration strategies.

University of Iowa: Lead researcher Leonardo Marchini, DDS, MSD, PhD, will assess the use of a mobile application (app) to improve oral health literacy and care provisions among caregivers of older adults.

"We are thrilled to award this trio of renowned research institutions with funding to address critical oral health research," said Vivian Vasallo, Executive Director, Delta Dental Institute. "Addressing disparities, identifying solutions for access to care, and creating inclusive approaches to care are of utmost importance. The Delta Dental Institute is proud to advance research that can make meaningful improvements in the oral health field, thereby improving overall health."

The research topics selected reflect Delta Dental's mission to advance the oral health of all Americans. All three studies will assess opportunities to create more equitable access to care and reduce health disparities—areas that are always important but became even more evident and immediate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's an honor to work with three leading researchers to further collect knowledge on some of the most pressing oral health issues communities are facing," said Dr. Joseph Dill, Head of Dental Science at the Delta Dental Institute. "The scientific rigor, ambition, and high quality of these proposals impressed us, and we look forward to working in partnership with these investigators."

These research investments build on prior research funded by the Delta Dental Institute, including a 2020 white paper on oral health literacy.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROJECTS

Harvard School of Dental Medicine: The study aims to conduct an economic evaluation of health care workforce-related policies that have promise for advancing access to care and thereby, oral health among vulnerable populations. Dr. Choi will develop a cost-effectiveness-based framework to estimate the impact of policies related to expanding National Health Service Corps loan repayment and scholarship programs on oral health care utilization and outcomes in underserved areas.

University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine: This research focuses on the relationship between overall health and oral health. Dr. Tiwari will evaluate patient-care delivery models that have integrated medical and dental care in a single model of care over the past 10 years. This project will assess the successes and barriers in using these types of care delivery models.

University of Iowa: Older adults, especially those in nursing homes, often lack access to high-quality dental care and rely on nurses and other caregivers to brush and care for their teeth. Many of these caregivers feel unequipped to help older adults care for their oral health. Dr. Marchini's research will explore the use of a mobile app, GeriaDental, as a tool to inform and teach care providers how to help older adults with their oral health.

ABOUT THE DELTA DENTAL INSTITUTE

The Delta Dental Institute is dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans in partnership with the Delta Dental companies and dedicated partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental's rich history of oral health leadership, we engage in and support oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure everyone understands the importance of oral health to overall health and has access to the care that they need. 

Overjet (www.overjet.ai), the global leader in dental artificial intelligence (AI), today announced it has raised $27 million in Series A financing led by General Catalyst and New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners with participation from existing investors that include Crosslink Capital and the MIT-affiliated E14 Fund.

"Overjet is on a mission to improve oral healthcare for all," said Dr. Wardah Inam, CEO and Co-founder of Overjet. "This ambitious vision pushed us to find world-class investors with a depth of experience supporting the scaling of high-growth technology companies."

Overjet's dental AI products are designed to help dentists deliver the best patient care and enable dental insurers to operate more accurately and efficiently. Today's financing follows the FDA's recent clearance of Overjet's Dental Assist^TM product designed for dental practices, the first dental AI company to receive such a clearance.

"Overjet improves patient care by automating much of the clinical review process with AI and by helping clinicians increase diagnostic quality, consistency, and speed," said Chris Bischoff, Managing Director of General Catalyst. "At General Catalyst, we are excited to partner with Wardah Inam and the entire Overjet team as they deliver on the vision of health assurance in dentistry - creating a win for patients, as well as insurers and clinicians."

In the dental benefits space, Overjet has emerged as the leading AI company with dental insurers, inking 15 major carriers as customers for coverage of over 53 million Americans. The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian Life), a leading dental provider, was the first national carrier to integrate Overjet's dental AI into its claims processing. The two companies started their commercial partnership in late 2019 with a focus on supporting consistency in dental claims review and improving operating efficiency.

"Guardian Life continues to be committed to facilitating the best oral health care possible for our members," said Dr Randi S. Tillman, Chief Dental Officer, at Guardian Life. "By partnering with Overjet, we are able to leverage AI technology to improve the consistency of our dental claim review process while ensuring that we are able to make decisions based on the most precise clinical data."

"The rapid pace of customer adoption for Overjet's software is a testament to its product differentiation and the market pull for powerful, rapidly improving AI technology in dentistry," said Lonne Jaffe, Managing Director of Insight Partners. "As Overjet scales up, more and more dental payers and providers will get the chance to appreciate the predictive accuracy of its software and the caliber of its team. Overjet is on a mission to solve the most challenging problems in dentistry, which can positively impact millions of patients."

With a rapidly growing customer roster, Overjet expects the new funding to only accelerate market adoption, new product launches, and impact on dentistry. "Tens of millions of Americans already have their dental claims processing streamlined and accelerated by Overjet today," said Shaju Puthussery, Chief Operating Officer of Overjet. "With the recent FDA clearance and new funding, more Americans will see Overjet's dental AI technology assisting their dentists at the next check-up. We're committed to helping clinicians deliver the best patient care."

New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement its new initiative, Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE), as part of VA’s VETSmile pilot program.

VETSmile/VOCARE began July 1 in partnership with the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, and seeks to provide comprehensive dental services to Veterans in the New York City area who are not eligible to receive those services through the VA.

“We are very excited and incredibly fortunate to collaborate with dental care providers who are passionate about comprehensive dental services and quality care for Veterans,” said Roshni Ghosh, Veterans Health Administration Center for Care and Payment Innovation Acting Executive Director. “VETSmile is an opportunity for us to bridge the gap in Veterans’ access to continuous, accessible, and affordable oral care, which is crucial for their overall well-being.”

Through this program, the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System — which includes campuses in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island — will refer eligible Veterans to NYU for dental services. NYU Dentistry expects to provide 5,000 Veteran patient visits in the first year of VOCARE, with a goal of providing between 6,000 and 7,500 patient visits in future years. Veteran enrollment in the program will be based on referrals received from the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System.

“Increasing access to comprehensive, timely, holistic dental care is critical for achieving health equity, especially for populations like our Veterans that face barriers to receiving care,” said Charles N. Bertolami, the Herman Robert Fox Dean of NYU Dentistry.

Michael O’Connor, executive vice dean of NYU Dentistry and director of the VETSmile/VOCARE project, added, “Our aim with VETSmile/VOCARE is to provide Veterans with a ‘dental home’ in an effort to improve their overall health and quality of life and reduce the need for emergency dental care in hospitals.”

“VA New York Harbor’s mission is to provide world-class care to our nation’s heroes,” said Martina Parauda, the director of VA New York Harbor Healthcare System. “We are proud to partner with the New York University College of Dentistry to expand that mandate by ensuring all Veterans have access to quality dental care.”

The Federal Register Notice of Intent for the Community Provider Collaborations for Veterans Pilot Program notes that VA provides dental services on an annual basis to about eight percent of the Veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. The VETSmile/VOCARE pilot program will address this gap by enhancing Veterans’ access to comprehensive quality treatment at NYU College of Dentistry in Manhattan and at NYU Dentistry Brooklyn Patient Care.

VETSmile/VOCARE will accommodate Veteran patients with disabilities or a history of post-traumatic stress disorder at its specialized clinic, the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities, where the staff are trained with special skillsets to ensure quality treatment and holistic care. Additionally, VETSmile/VOCARE will focus on integrating an oral health educational component for Veterans to encourage adoption of oral hygiene practices into their daily lives.

About NYU College of Dentistry

Founded in 1865, New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating nearly 10 percent of all dentists. NYU Dentistry has a significant global reach with a highly diverse student body. Visit dental.nyu.edu for more. 

 Anatomage, a market leader in medical visualization technology, announced that the company has spun out its 3D dental business as a wholly owned subsidiary called Osteoid. Calvin Hur, an over 20-year veteran of the 3D design and printing industry, will lead Osteoid as its CEO, where he will oversee strategic direction and product roadmap. Anatomage founder and CEO Jack Choi will continue to serve Osteoid as an advisor.

The move will allow each company to focus on expanded innovation in its core specialty. Anatomage will focus on its medical and educational solutions. Osteoid will focus solely on 3D dentistry solutions, including the award-winning Invivo 3D dental imaging solutions, as well as its Invivo Workspace cloud-based platform, and solutions for precision surgical guide fabrication.

Backed by resources from its Anatomage parent, Osteoid will make significant investments in R&D and Go-To-Market initiatives that deliver even more precision and efficiency in visualizing unique anatomy for implant planning, orthodontic, endodontic and prosthodontic applications, and more. Recognizing the pivotal role of key opinion leaders in the dental and supplier ecosystem, Osteoid also will incorporate customer-driven innovation by developing Osteoid’s solutions cooperatively with strategic partners.

With the dental imaging market projected to grow to $4.1 billion by 2025 (Markets and Markets, March 2020), Osteoid is positioned to capture growing demand for digital dental solutions. For over 10 years Osteoid’s Invivo 3D imaging products have served the broad needs of thousands of dental professionals who give these solutions high marks for high quality 3D rendering and design capabilities for restorations, using an intuitive interface and simple workflow. Invivo solutions help visualize anatomy, diagnose, share cases with other professionals and perform fast and intuitive implant planning.

Forthcoming new offerings including Invivo6 Plus for 3D Design, added features for Invivo Workspace, and added capabilities for precision surgical guide production will help dental professionals to become more connected, for even greater precision and efficiency across their businesses.

“Dental practices need technology partners with a total commitment to innovation, so we can continually improve care to patients. As an Invivo software user I’ve found the product to be extremely precise, but more importantly the people behind the company have been incredibly knowledgeable, with a genuine passion for making sure my cases go well,” said Nima S. Massoomi, DMD, MEd, MD, a maxillofacial surgeon and fellowship-trained facial cosmetic surgeon. “Whether as Anatomage or Osteoid, I have appreciated their commitment to our industry, and look forward to following the company,” Dr. Massoomi said.

“Our team is proud to have earned the trust of dental experts for delivering products that streamline the dental workflow,” said Jack Choi, founder and CEO of Anatomage. “As the separate dental-focused entity, Osteoid can remain on the leading edge of 3D visualization technology for the dental industry.”

“Osteoid is on a mission to deliver the future of modern dentistry, and I’m honored to lead such a customer-driven team,” said Calvin Hur, CEO of Osteoid. “We are more focused and committed than ever to helping accelerate the move to digital dentistry.”

For more information on Osteoid’s family of 3D dental imaging solutions visit www.osteoidinc.com.

About Anatomage

Founded in 2004, Anatomage is a market leader in medical virtualization technology whose 3D anatomy hardware and software products allow users to visualize anatomy and physiology at the highest level of accuracy. With solutions including Table®, a 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection tool, and Anatomage eBook, a virtual learning platform, Anatomage is transforming standard anatomy learning, medical diagnosis and treatment planning through innovative technology. www.anatomage.com.

About Osteoid

Osteoid is creating the next generation of seamless and connected 3D dental imaging software and solutions that help accelerate the path to digital dentistry. Proven in over ten years of use by thousands of labs and dental practices, Osteoid’s software and hardware tools keep dental practices and labs ahead of the curve and allow dentists to competently diagnose any patient scan in 3D. An osteoid is a soft organic element that forms bones in human body. Just like osteoids in the human body, Osteoid is providing the essential software to dental practice success. Osteoid is a wholly owned dental-focused subsidiary of Anatomage. www.osteoidinc.com.

Dentsply Sirona is announcing its latest upgrade for both Connect and CEREC Software giving users both new and improved functionalities, and even better performance. Patient communication is also improved with a new visualization step in the model phase. New firmware makes the intraoral scanner twice as fast, provides a higher-performing scanning experience and gives users access to new workflows and even better usability*.

The latest upgrade of the Connect and CEREC Software, 5.2, and an improved firmware provide Primescan and CEREC users with additional options for making treatment more efficient, faster, and more convenient with digital workflows. Primescan intraoral scanner’s latest enhancements optimize performance and improve usability as described as follows; Through its enhanced firmware, Primescan captures up to 1.5 million 3D data points per second. With these enhancements, Primescan is significantly smoother and twice as fast, making it again easier to scan successfully even for relatively inexperienced users*.

CEREC Software 5.2: New features and benefits

Important, user-friendly changes and enhancements have been introduced in CEREC Software 5.2. In addition to general quality improvements, CEREC Primemill users can benefit from the availability of Fast Milling mode for crowns made of IPS e.max® CAD (Ivoclar Vivadent). Additionally, posterior and anterior crowns, direct screw-retained crowns, inlays and veneers can now regularly be produced using the Extra Fine grinding mode to create very smooth and very detailed restorations.

On top of viewing the model directly without restoration selected to facilitate communication with patients, the entire CEREC Guide workflow has also undergone improvements. The mode "Full Range Dynamic Occlusion" was introduced for the articulation calculation. This includes a wider range of lower jaw movement in the calculations and thus helps to detect more functional occlusal interferences*. Chairside dentistry therefore takes another step forward with the CEREC Software 5.2.

Primescan: validated for Atlantis Suprastructures

The software enhancement also opens new possibilities for users around edentulous scanning. Based on the validation of the Atlantis IO FLO-S scanbody, Primescan is now the first and only intraoral scanner validated for a full digital workflow for full arch fixed implant restorations with Atlantis suprastructures– a workflow for implant-supported restorations that requires a high level of accuracy.

The suprastructures are ordered by the dental technician from Dentsply Sirona's Atlantis design and manufacturing sites around the globe. “Usually, Primescan for Atlantis Suprastructures not only reduces chair time and simplifies collaboration with my laboratory, but also increases the level of esthetic predictability and a very good fit,” said Dr. Carlos Repullo, a beta tester practicing in Spain.

Additionally, primary impression taking within the Digital Denture workflow to create an individual, customized impression tray can now be performed with Primescan. This regularly offers the patient a more comfortable start into the manufacturing process of their prosthesis.

Connect SW 5.2 now supports bridges on implants

This Connect software update brings new possibilities to the implant workflows. Due to Primescan’s very high level of accuracy, dentists can now perform long span implant supported bridges, for example “all on 4” or “all on 6” cases, depending on the individual case. This means a new indication for practitioners working with Connect Software.

“Primescan firmware enhancements make the digital workflow even faster and easier than before*,” explained Dr. Alexander Voelcker, Group Vice President of Global Digital Solutions Marketing at Dentsply Sirona. “In addition to significantly increased speed, the smoothness of the scan has also been improved*. For clinicians working with Primescan in their practice, these improvements regularly mean more efficient workflows, even greater reliability, and, at the same time, a very comfortable patient experience.”

Learn more about Primescan and connect with dental industry professionals at Dentsply Sirona World 2021

This year’s Dentsply Sirona World will be a three-day event in Las Vegas from September 23-25. The event comprises General Sessions, a live surgery, Breakout Sessions within 12 educational tracks, an exhibit hall, celebrity entertainment, health and wellness sessions, and numerous networking opportunities for the dental community. This year will also have a virtual registration option to access the event virtually, as well as an option to live stream the daily general sessions and live surgery for free to maximize the opportunities to reconnect.

Onsite participants will have the exciting opportunity to hear from inspirational speakers live, including Mel Robbins, whose popular TEDx talk has been viewed more than 25 million times, and be treated to three evenings of unforgettable entertainment, including a concert from this year’s headliners, the DJ duo The Chainsmokers, a Grammy-winning electronic music and production duo.

Clinical education is paramount to empowering dental professionals to provide the best possible care to their patients, and our extended program will combine product demonstrations and experiences from experts from all over the world. Dentsply Sirona World 2021 is the ultimate dental experience, offering engaging and dynamic speakers, educational sessions, networking opportunities, health and wellness sessions and educational webinars and more. Participants can even learn more about the various enhancements available with CEREC Software 5.2 by attending Dr. Mike Skramstad’s course at Dentsply Sirona World 2021.

More information on our groundbreaking program and registration can be found here: www.dentsplysironaworld.com .

More information about Primescan can be found here: www.dentsplysirona.com/primescan

*Unless stated otherwise, all comparative statements in this press release refer to a comparison between Dentsply Sirona products.

Due to the different approval and registration times, not all technologies and products are immediately available in all countries. 

Axeos, Dentsply Sirona’s award-winning 3D/2D extraoral imaging product, will soon celebrate one year of offering its customer solutions that stand for high clinical safety, patient comfort, and efficient digital workflows. Axeos will also be available to be experienced by clinicians for the first time ever at Dentsply Sirona World in Las Vegas on September 23-25.

Axeos is a hybrid system that covers a wide range of dental indications and meets modern imaging requirements. It produces sharp images with the lowest possible dose, various selectable volumes, and intuitive operability with excellent image quality in 2D and 3D, flexible volumes.

Axeos has been lauded for its outstanding product design—notably for its form, functionality, and utility. In 2020, it was awarded the Red Dot Award and just a few weeks back it was designated the international If Design Award. Moreover, several features focus on maximum patient comfort. Positioning aids such as its unique auto-positioner with patented occlusal bite block, automatic temple width measurement, and smart height adjustment, help in achieving the optimum image alignment.

Part of the Vivos System Treatment, the mmRNA Device represents a highly effective non-surgical, non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical alternative for patients suffering from OSA. Approval expands insurance reimbursement potential, including the opportunity for Medicare coverage for mmRNA.

Vivos Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company” or “Vivos”) (NASDAQ: VVOS), a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative diagnostic and treatment modalities for patients suffering from sleep-disordered breathing, including mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) market clearance to Vivos’ mmRNA (modified mandibular Repositioning Nighttime Appliance) device for treating mild to moderate OSA, sleep-disordered breathing and snoring in adults. This FDA clearance paves the way for expanded insurance reimbursement coverage for the mmRNA device, including Medicare, as well as for potential future government contracts and reimbursement from commercial payers that follow Medicare guidelines.

More than 1 billion people globally and 54 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, 80 percent of whom remain undiagnosed. A serious chronic illness, sleep apnea increases the risk of comorbidities, including high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, dementia and other life-threatening diseases. Vivos’ oral appliances address the dental tissue anomalies and malformations known to be associated with OSA. Unlike current standard-of-care interventions, patients treated with the Vivos System typically complete their therapy in 12 to 24 months and, in most cases, do not require lifetime intervention.

“The FDA’s market clearance of Vivos’ newest device, the mmRNA appliance, represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to provide the best possible treatment for people who continue to suffer needlessly from OSA, a debilitating condition that causes or contributes to a wide range of chronic health issues,” said Kirk Huntsman, Vivos Chairman and CEO. “Next-generation products like the mmRNA are vital for allowing medical doctors and dentists to continue pushing forward in their joint mission to give patients a better alternative for effectively treating their OSA. Further, this FDA clearance for the mmRNA enables us to expand commercial insurance reimbursement, soon to include Medicare, making this a more cost-effective solution for patients suffering from OSA.”

In a separate and unrelated development, the FDA has denied Vivos’ previously submitted, additional 510(k) application for its DNA appliance. The DNA appliance is already registered with the FDA as a Class I device for palatal expansion and is currently being used by Vivos-trained clinicians accordingly. Vivos expects to appeal the FDA’s decision or resubmit the 510(k) application to the FDA in the coming weeks. This denial does not impact the existing use of the DNA appliance by licensed, trained dentists, and the Company does not believe that this development will have a near- or long-term impact on its operational results or future prospects.

Delta Dental celebrates 23 years of tracking the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual giving in the Original Tooth Fairy Poll®

This National Tooth Fairy Day, Delta Dental reminds families and caregivers of the role the Tooth Fairy can play in teaching children about oral health. While 72% of parents surveyed said they struggle with getting their child to brush their teeth, one in three parents agreed that Tooth Fairy visits are a positive way to instill good oral health habits in their children. In addition to helping create good oral health habits, Tooth Fairy visits are special, fun, and exciting. Nearly half of parents welcome the Tooth Fairy into their homes because they want to:

Give their child something to be excited about (53%)

Make their child feel special (46%)

Celebrate something fun (48%)

"The Tooth Fairy tradition invites oral health conversations into households in an exciting and fun way, which is why Delta Dental continues to create materials centered on the Tooth Fairy for parents, families, and communities to educate children about the importance of good oral health," said Emily O'Brien, Director of Strategic Communications, Delta Dental Plans Association.

To learn more about Delta Dental's Tooth Fairy resources for families and kids, please visit our Original Tooth Fairy Poll website.

Tooth Fairy payouts reach all-time high

New findings from Delta Dental's Original Tooth Fairy Poll® show the Tooth Fairy's average cash gift reached its highest point in the 23-year history of the poll for a total of $4.70 per tooth.

Delta Dental has been analyzing the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual giving trends since 1998. The newly disclosed value of a lost tooth has more than tripled since its inception when the value of a lost tooth was $1.30. 2020's giving marks the highest all-time average gift of $4.70 per tooth, four-cents higher than the previous peak in 2017 at $4.66.

The value of lost tooth and the economy

Delta Dental's Original Tooth Fairy Poll® has typically mirrored the economy's overall direction, tracking with the trends of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) for 16 of the past 19 years. In 2019, a single lost tooth was valued at $4.03, and the 2020 survey shows upward growth to $4.70, a 17% increase. Over the same time, the S&P 500 also experienced growth, with a 19% increase, reaching its highest average since its inception.

About the survey

The Original Tooth Fairy Poll® was conducted between December 28, 2020, and January 8, 2021, among a nationally representative sample of 1,000+ parents of children ages 6-12. The margin of error is +/- 3%.

For more information about the Delta Dental-sponsored survey and oral health tips for infants to pre-teen, visit The Original Tooth Fairy Poll®.