The AACD Charitable Foundation’s Give Back a Smile (GBAS) program connects adult survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence with dental injuries to volunteer cosmetic dentists who restore their smiles free of charge. AACD Orlando 2022, April 27-30, held at the Rosen Shingle Creek, is a key fundraising event for the program.

Topgolf Event

Don’t miss a golf experience like no other in support of GBAS at Topgolf Orlando on Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 pm. Attendees are welcomed to food and unlimited golf in climate-controlled hitting bays while rubbing elbows with colleagues and the AACD Charitable Foundation’s Give Back a Smile program’s top supporters.

Come out to TopGolf to celebrate the program’s accomplishments and to ensure GBAS can continue to rebuild the smiles and lives of adults who have suffered dental injuries from domestic violence.

Steps for Smiles

Even while AACD Orlando 2022 offers an amazing array of education and networking all under one roof, it will still be a great way to get your steps in as you move from session to session throughout the day. Why not track your steps and help survivors of domestic violence? Steps for Smiles Participants will track their steps from Thursday, April 28 through Friday, April 29 and the person with the most steps wins! Register early to receive an official Steps for Smile beach bag. All proceeds of Steps for Smiles will go to survivors through the GBAS program.

Give Back a Smile Charity Auction

AACD Orlando 2022 attendees are welcomed to the exhibit area for the Give Back a Smile Charity Auction. Get great deals on dental products and services all while supporting GBAS.

Not registered for AACD Orlando 2022 yet? Register at www.aacdconference.com. 

About the AACD

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) today announced that Practice Booster®, Dr. Charles Blair & Associates, and American Dental Support, LLC, the publisher of Coding with Confidence, were recently acquired by eAssist Dental Solutions. eAssist is the nation’s largest dental insurance and billing service platform, providing remote and patient billing services to over 2,000 dental practices.

“We are very excited about joining the eAssist family,” said Dr. Charles Blair. “Working with eAssist will allow Practice Booster® to grow, both in audience and in capabilities. For example, we are excited to create a smartphone app for Practice Booster®, and with eAssist’s help we can now turn that idea into a valuable technology for our subscribers.”

Dr. Blair, the founder of Practice Booster®, will continue his work helping dentists to receive 100% of what is rightfully owed to them by insurance companies. His Coding with Confidence, Administration with Confidence, and Medical Dental Cross Coding with Confidence books and digital tools, which are considered to be the premier resources on dental coding information, will continue to be updated and published annually. The Practice Booster® website will be updated and improved to include new tools, and the Code Advisor, Resource Center, Call Support Center, and Insurance Solutions Newsletter will all continue to be available to Practice Booster® subscribers.

“Every dental office should have copies of Dr. Blair’s coding books and digital tools available to their team to appropriately code and bill for the procedures they have performed,” said Dr. James Anderson, eAssist CEO and founder. “Practice Booster® is the number one resource for dental insurance coding, and we are the number one solution for insurance and patient billing. It just makes sense for our companies to work together to provide a comprehensive solution for dentists in the US.”

“Moving forward, we are developing new and innovative Coding and Practice Booster® tools, further expanding the line of resources. eAssist is committed to being THE definitive source for billing, coding, and administrative support for dentists and their teams,” says Dr. Anderson. “Having the ability to continue to provide and expand upon Dr. Blair’s knowledge and tools is another way eAssist can bring peace of mind to dentists.”

In June 2021, Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners, acquired a 70% ownership position in eAssist, which will help advance Henry Schein’s mission to offer best-of-breed solutions to help dental practices operate more efficiently and profitably, freeing up practice resources to focus on patient care.

To learn more, visit www.practicebooster.com, www.dentalbilling.com, and https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210610005228/en/. 

ITENA Clinical launched the first glass fiber block for post and core milling in the USA called NUMERYS GF. This new patented innovation will allow doctors to mill a glass fiber post and core, with all universal milling machines, to create a perfect fit for the patient. This is the first of its kind on the market and is created from 80% unidirectional radiopaque glass fibers embedded in 20% epoxy-resin. This patented innovation is the first full metal-free post-and-core system. FDA approved, Numerys GF has excellent mechanical strength and a modulus of elasticity similar to that of dentin, which minimizes the risk of fracture. The anatomical shape of the post-and-core allows a better adhesion between the canal, the post-and-core and the crown.

Founded in 2003, Itena Clinical is a French company proudly dedicated to the development, manufacturing and distribution of Prosthetic, Restorative and Aesthetic products designed to help dental professionals. ITENA is focused on innovation and quality - and is a known actor in the dental products market. Itena Clinical is distributed worldwide through a broad network of Distributors and in North America through Itena North America.

The strength of Itena lies in its ability to deliver outstanding quality products at very competitive prices. ITENA is constantly listening and anticipating the needs of dentists with one single purpose: to bring them satisfaction and performance in their everyday lives. Itena Clinical is proud to represent France and the excellence of its products outside its borders.

ITENA products are available at the following distributors in the USA: Henry Schein, DC Dental, Benco, Pearson, Prime Dental, DHPI, Dental City.

Study to determine new connections between oral health and overall human health

Verily, an Alphabet company, and Colgate-Palmolive, the global leader in oral care, today announced a strategic collaboration to advance oral health research. Under the agreement, Colgate's Dental Clinical Team will partner with Verily to conduct an innovative oral health study as part of Verily’s ongoing Baseline Health Study that will aim to improve understanding of connections between oral health and overall human health.

The study’s goal is to see how oral health practices, including intensive non-surgical periodontal therapy, as well as a robust Colgate home oral hygiene regimen monitored through its hum smart toothbrush connected technologies, affect health more broadly. Periodontal treatment focuses on addressing issues with gums and oral health before they become more serious and potentially lead to tooth loss.

“We are pleased to partner with Colgate, the world’s premier oral care brand, to elucidate the impact of oral health on overall human health,” said Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD, president of Verily's clinical research platforms. “This effort underscores the versatility of Verily’s Baseline Platform as well as our commitment to accelerating and improving clinical research through the smart use of data, creative collaboration and unrivaled technical capabilities.”

“Colgate is at the forefront of oral health research, and this innovative partnership with Verily will advance our understanding of and quantify the link between improved oral health and control of systemic conditions,” said Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD., Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Colgate-Palmolive. “Oral health is a window to overall health. It can provide signals of new or worsening disease as exemplified by the connection between periodontal disease and elevated C-reactive protein, a marker of systemic inflammation, complicating diabetes control and increasing risk of cardiovascular disease. We look forward to conducting this study with Verily and incorporating the learnings to advance oral and overall healthcare.”

The study will enroll current participants in Verily’s ongoing Baseline Health Study, ages 18 and older, with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease for up to 18 months. The non-surgical periodontal therapy will be administered by co-investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry. The “Baseline Oral Health Study: UNCoVer the Connections to General Health” and has been posted to clinicaltrials.gov.

“We’ve known for some time that oral health, cardiovascular disease and diabetes were interrelated. The depth of biological measurement in the Baseline Health Study combined with the dental expertise of the UNC Adams School of Dentistry and Colgate will enable us to expand our knowledge base dramatically,” said Rob Califf, MD, Head of Clinical Policy at Verily and Google Health.

For more information about the study, please visit https://www.projectbaseline.com/.

RE-GEN™ Bio-Regenerative Dental Adhesive was named the winner of both a Bronze Stevie® Award in Health & Pharmaceutical Products and A Silver Stevie® Award for Achievement in Product innovation in the 1 8thAnnual International Business Awards®.

More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Vista Apex submitted entries for two of the available categories and was incredibly pleased to receive an award in both.

RE-GEN™ Universal Adhesive was recognized for the value it provides patients as the only of its kind, regenerative dental adhesive. In response, Judges said, “ This is an incredible advancement in the dental adhesive category! Game changer ...Congratulations on creating something so compelling Another judge said, “Highly Innovative... Praiseworthy”

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small - can submit nominations. The 2021 IBAs received entries from organizations in 63 nations and territories. As the ongoing COVID-19 crisis will prevent winners from receiving their awards on stage during a traditional gala IBA banquet, winners will be celebrated instead during a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, December 8th.

Dentsply Sirona and the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) congratulate the winners of the 2021 Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application Awards (SCADA) program. Dental students participated in the virtual competition and awards ceremony as part of this year’s IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition.

The 62nd annual SCADA student research competition and awards program was held virtually and provided an opportunity for dental students to present their research to a distinguished panel of judges.

All US dental schools were invited to nominate a student to participate in the research competition in one of two categories – Clinical Science and Public Health Research and Basic and Translational Science. Each student submitted an abstract for review to the 2021 IADR/AADR/CADR General Session & Exhibition. Upon acceptance of the abstract, participants submitted a complete portfolio for review to an international panel of judges, including an electronic copy of his/her research poster, a slide presentation, and a video of the oral presentation. Research projects were submitted by 46 outstanding student clinicians and six award winners were selected. Each of the 46 student clinicians also presented their research virtually to meeting attendees of the General Session & Exhibition.

In addition, Dentsply Sirona sponsored 12 student research competitions in 12 countries, and five of these student winners were honored during the awards program. These students were from Hokkaido University in Japan, Kyung Hee University in South Korea, the University of Hong Kong, Taipei Medical University, and Chiang Mai University in Thailand.

A program dedicated to research and international networking

SCADA was initiated in 1959, and Dentsply Sirona and the American Association for Dental Research have continued this tradition as co-sponsors of this leading dental student research competition. The SCADA program includes a Global and a US Student Clinician Research competition and an annual Awards Program. The competition and award program have gained widespread recognition, and it has engaged more than 10,000 dental students from 28 countries since its inception.

SCADA is dedicated to two main goals. First, the program aims to strengthen the field of dental research by supporting young professionals in early stages of their research careers. Moreover, it offers a unique opportunity for students to network with clinicians and scientists from all over the world as they develop their skills and advance their careers. While the networking opportunity was curtailed, students interacted virtually and had the opportunity to showcase their work and gain valuable skills as they virtually presented their research.

SCADA advances science and improves global oral health

“Dentsply Sirona’s commitment to innovation and education is part of the company’s DNA. The SCADA program and our collaboration with the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research provides an opportunity to explore dental research and develop the young professional’s skills related to scientific inquiry, project development, management and presentation to colleagues and peers. Whether embarking on a career in academia or in their own practices, the research experience will benefit these young professionals throughout their professional lives,” said Dr. Teresa A. Dolan, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer with Dentsply Sirona. “I am so impressed by the level of research demonstrated by this year’s group of SCADA program participants. The diversity and depth of their research was truly inspiring, and their enthusiasm came across clearly, even using a virtual format, as they presented their work.”

Dr. Mark Herzberg, President of the American Association for Dental Research (2020-2021), announced the winners of the student competition. “Today we recognize that, like scientists, intellectually engaged practitioners are going to be the lifeforce of the future of dentistry and oral health care,” commented Dr. Herzberg. He continued to announce the winners in Category 1, Clinical Science and Public Health Research. The first place was awarded to Eleni Langas, Marquette University, for her research on Influence of Scanning Speed, Tip Size and Pattern on Intraoral Scan Accuracy. Second place was awarded to Corey Winkler, East Carolina University, for his research on Accelerated Aging Effects on Color Stability of Potentially Color Adjusting Composite Resins. Third place was awarded to Joyce Lee, University of Tennessee, for research on Strength and Stiffness of Three Temporary Crown and Bridge Materials.

In Category 2 – Basic and Translational Science – first place was awarded to Alexandra Rogers-DeCotes, Medical University of South Carolina, for her research on The TMJ Fibrocartilage-Bone Interface Requires ADAMTS5 and Mechanical Load. In second place, Kazune Pax, The Ohio State University, was awarded for her research on Sources of the Placental Microbiome in Pre-Term Birth & Pre-Eclampsia. Third place was awarded to James Seung Jin Jang, for his research on Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Viral Interferon Regulatory Factor 1.

The student participants were grateful for the opportunity to continue with the competition using a virtual format. “This experience taught me so much about the dental research process and how research can have such a positive impact on the delivery of dental care,” said Eleni Langas from Marquette University. And Alexandra Rogers-DeCotes commented that the program allowed her “an excellent opportunity to share my research and will serve as a steppingstone for my career in academia.”

Additional awards beyond the SCADA competition

The SCADA Board of Directors also announced two fellowship recipients and presented awards recognizing leaders in dental research. SCADA provides fellowship funding to promote continued scholarship and help support graduate education. Two post-doctoral students were awarded Henry M. Thornton SCADA Fellowships: Dr. An Nguyen, University of California, San Francisco and Dr. Deepti Karhade, The Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In collaboration with the American Dental Association, SCADA also awarded ADA Foundation/Dentsply Sirona Research Award for Dual Degree Candidates to Dr. Lauren Katz, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The SCADA Board of Directors recognizes leaders for their commitment to the advancement of dentistry with two additional awards. Dr. Francesca Gori from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine received the Burton C. Borgelt / SCADA Faculty Advisor Award.

The Alan J. Davis / SCADA Achievement Award recognizing a clinician scientist for outstanding service to the dental profession was awarded to Dr. Martha Somerman. As an internationally known scholar and educator, Dr. Somerman’ s research focuses on defining key regulators controlling the development, maintenance, and regeneration of dental, oral, and craniofacial tissues. Somerman was dental dean at the University of Washington and is the immediate past-director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

More information about SCADA and other awards granted: http://www.scadaresearch.org

The awards program is available for viewing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlkzJX80_g4

Solmetex, LLC a leading global provider of amalgam separation technology and dental waste management solutions, is pleased to announce that Amy Gagne, RDH, has been named Director, Special Markets, a newly created position, reporting directly to President, Kevin Danahy.

Amy joins the Solmetex Team with over 25 years in the dental market. Early in her clinical hygiene career she recognized how important it was to bring quality, safe, and user-friendly technology to the dental team. Her career includes positions of growing responsibility at Envista (formerly Kerr), Henry Schein, and most recently Zest Dental Solutions, and has created a path of high-growth organizations where her focus has been on expansion efforts in emerging markets.

“Now more than ever, the future of our environment is so important," Ms. Gagne states. "Solmetex is a leader in environmental compliance and developing products that meet EPA Standards. I’m excited to be working with this growing organization and a team that recognizes the importance of simplifying the technology required to keep our dental partners in compliance with our newly launched Maintenance Program.”

Effective immediately, she will lead the overall strategy for Solmetex focusing on the Dental Services Organization space. Ms. Gagne will be responsible for developing and executing innovative programs with Solmetex DSO-partners and will be instrumental in leading and supporting the growth of these relationships.

“I couldn’t be more excited to add another “A” quality player to Team Solmetex," says Kevin Danahy, President. "Leadership is a difficult attribute to find when searching for a new piece to add to a highly accelerated growth company. After meeting Amy, just once, I knew she was the leader we needed! She is the right person to lead our new DSO strategy and develop the team needed to meet all customer needs. Her intelligence, passion, and strategic thought process is exactly what Solmetex needs to hit our future goals. I couldn’t be more excited to see what Amy accomplishes in this next chapter in her successful career.”

Solmetex has been the industry leader in the manufacturing of amalgam separators for over 25 years within the dental industry, with a primary focus on keeping dental practices compliant with the ever-changing regulatory environment. The Hg5 series of products are ISO 11143 certified, accompanied with a simple recycling and compliance program that meet all existing and new EPA dental regulation requirements on the handling and disposing of amalgam waste within the dental practice.

For more information, please contact Solmetex 800-216-5505 or visit www.solmetex.com.

Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, has appointed Erania Brackett Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) as of August 16, 2021. She is based at the Company’s headquarters in Charlotte, NC.

"On behalf of the entire management team, I am excited to welcome Erania to the Dentsply Sirona team. She will be responsible for developing the business plan for how we elevate and invigorate the Dentsply Sirona brand, leverage our procedural approach and build a more comprehensive global online presence”, says Don Casey, CEO of Dentsply Sirona. “I am convinced that Erania will have a strong impact on our brand perception and how we communicate and position our procedure-based product portfolio.”

"I’m excited to join this fantastic company. I thank Don and the management team for their confidence and trust,” Ms. Brackett explains. “Dentsply Sirona makes a difference in people’s lives and empowers millions of customers by proudly creating innovative solutions for healthy smiles. We will develop a comprehensive approach to how we market the Dentsply Sirona brand in the future, and make this important purpose and mission even more visible in the market.”

With more than 20 years of experience leading global operations and marketing in the healthcare and consumer products industries, Erania Brackett has extensive depth of global expertise, launching and integrating new and repaired medical device businesses, hardware and software solutions.

Most recently, she served as Vice President, Commercial Marketing, Patient Management, Cardiac Rhythm and Heart Failure at Medtronic, where she was leading a team of marketers and product managers and was orchestrating the overall global downstream product commercialization and patient management portfolio. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Director, Patient Management, Global Commercial Marketing, and as Senior Director, Global Hardware and Software Operations. Before joining Medtronic, Erania worked at GE Healthcare for 15 years and held commercial and operational leadership roles in California, Georgia, and Colorado. Prior to GE Healthcare, Erania worked for Procter and Gamble, in Kansas City, KS and held several engineering, operations management, and continuous improvement positions.

Erania holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Tuskegee University and is pursuing an Executive MBA at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business.

System delivers advanced features and intuitive interface to connect voice, text, email, fax and video, all tied to the existing practice phone number

RevenueWell announced the release of RevenueWell Phone, a proprietary new VoIP phone and text messaging system designed for dental practices. A powerful addition to the company’s existing suite of advanced patient relationship management (PRM) solutions, RevenueWell Phone offers a new way for office managers and front desk staff to drive appointment scheduling and productivity while minimizing time spent on the phone and improving practice ROI.

RevenueWell Phone is an all-in-one communication hub that integrates with the practice’s practice management system (PMS) and delivers coordinated voice, two-way text messaging, email, fax and video conferencing—all tied to the practice’s existing practice number. The available mobile app lets dental teams manage the practice phone from anywhere, so doctors and office staff can make and receive calls on the go and update settings on the fly.

Together, the system’s 100+ features help eliminate missed opportunities and communication roadblocks and facilitate deeper patient connections, while also simplifying phone management, streamlining workflows and delivering solid ROI.

“Phones are a critical component of any dental practice’s daily operations,” said Serge Longin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of RevenueWell. “But until today, business phone systems have offered little intelligence, customization and content to facilitate meaningful patient conversations. With RevenueWell Phone, practices have an easy-to-use, all-in-one communication platform that helps drive personalized patient experiences, appointment scheduling and overall growth.”

The feature-rich phone system is cloud-based and integrates with RevenueWell’s existing Marketing Platform, Messenger and Forms product, delivering a single comprehensive solution for patient relationship and automated practice management. Additionally, RevenueWell Phone offers:

• Robust caller ID delivers patient data via desktop pop-up when a call is received

• Integration with practice management software (PMS) drives seamless interactions

• IP-enabled voice calls and two-way text messaging are tied to the practice number

• Mobile application allows staff to make and receive calls remotely

• Voicemail to text and visual fax prevent communication roadblocks

“Industry wide, it’s reported that one in three calls received by a dental practice goes unanswered, and up to 87 percent of prospective patients fail to call back if they’re sent to voicemail,” Longin said. “RevenueWell Phone helps practices eliminate these missed opportunities. The system automatically provides detailed information on every patient who calls, giving front desk staff immediate access to the information they need to facilitate deeper patient interactions and turn every call into an opportunity.”

RevenueWell Phone provides hardware options to fit any practice, white glove setup, and RevenueWell’s legendary customer support. RevenueWell Phone is available now. For pricing information or to request a live demo of RevenueWell Phone, visit https://www2.revenuewell.com/rwphone.

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and MouthWatch, LLC, a leader in innovative teledentistry solutions, digital case presentation tools, and intraoral imaging devices, recently announced the creation of the “ADEA/MouthWatch Patti DiGangi Scholarship for Dental Hygiene Innovation.”

Specifically, the ADEA/MouthWatch Patti DiGangi Scholarship for Dental Hygiene Innovation provides financial assistance to dental hygiene students to help them achieve their academic and professional goals.

ADEA, MouthWatch and countless others in the dental industry recognize Ms. DiGangi as a trailblazer, mentor and oral health advocate who is dedicated to expanding and advancing career opportunities for dental hygienists.

According to ADEA spokesperson Eric Lund, “Patti’s passion for dental hygiene and her commitment to excellence have led her to mentor countless others to help them reach their full potential. This scholarship was named in her honor to recognize dental hygiene students who share and express Patti’s desire to transform oral health through leadership and innovative care delivery.”

“Patti was at the forefront of dental hygiene years before we first met,” added MouthWatch Founder and CEO, Brant Herman. “She not only understood the current state of dental hygiene and dentistry, but also saw the bigger picture of improved patient care across every step of the patient journey. We wanted to honor her vision and support the next generation of hygiene leaders who want to play an active part in shaping the future.”

Upon learning about the scholarship created in her name, Ms. DiGangi said, “I’m deeply moved by this recognition because innovation has been my life’s mission. I believe that out of the box thinking and action can change the world. I hope this scholarship will be a catalyst for progressive ideas that will chart the future of oral health in a positive way."

The $1,000.00 ADEA/MouthWatch Patti DiGangi Scholarship will be awarded to an individual who is pursuing dental hygiene at the associate, baccalaureate or master’s degree level. To be eligible, dental hygiene students must be an ADEA member, have completed at least one year of an accredited dental hygiene program and be in good academic standing. The deadline for applying is November 1st, 2021, and the winner will be announced during the ADEA Annual Session and Exhibition, March 19-22, 2022. For full details on scholarship requirements and how to apply, visit https://www.adea.org/studentawards/MouthWatch-Patti-DiGangi-Scholarship-Hygiene-Innovation/