Dentsply Sirona has been promoting women in dentistry for years with a range of successful measures and initiatives. The Company has also made diversity, equity and inclusion a key focus of its sustainability strategy “Beyond. Taking action for a brighter world.”

On International Women’s Day, Dentsply Sirona has reaffirmed its commitment to driving cultural change and empowering women in dentistry. In line with the day’s 2022 motto, “Break the bias,” Dentsply Sirona advocates for more measures in the dental industry to ensure that women have the same opportunities as men, while having their voices heard, their expertise recognized, and their achievements celebrated.

“We are dedicated to driving long-term, cultural change to empower women within the company and throughout the industry,” says Erania Brackett, Chief Marketing Officer of Dentsply Sirona. “We have made this ambition a central element of our sustainability strategy ‘Beyond. Taking action for a brighter world’. I am immensely proud to be part of Company that has a board in which 50% of board members are women respectively members of ethnically diverse groups and where 60% of board committees are chaired by women.”

Company-wide programs drive diversity, equity and inclusion

Internal initiatives at Dentsply Sirona to promote women include DS Women, an Employee Resource Group that works to help female employees reach their fullest potentials and ensure that more women reach senior roles, lead practices and take center stage in the company. Dentsply Sirona also hosts training and awareness sessions for all employees around the world on how to identify and eliminate unconscious bias, while building inclusivity inside and outside the workplace. In addition to this, the Company is a signatory to the Paradigm for Parity commitment. The pledge is part of wider efforts to give women and men equal power, status and opportunity, with the ultimate goal of achieving full gender parity by 2030. Dentsply Sirona is ahead of this pledge and aiming to fulfil gender parity and gender pay parity by 2025.

“Driving cultural change from the inside is an incredibly important component of our sustainability strategy when it comes to equity and inclusion,” says Lisa Yankie, Chief Human Resources Officer of Dentsply Sirona. “From employees to students to dental professionals and technicians, we go beyond to fight against bias, stereotypes and discrimination.”

Driving change in the industry

Dentsply Sirona also looks beyond its own employees to bring about change in the dental community through several initiatives and actions. The most notable program is Dentsply Sirona’s Smart Integration Award that honors innovative ideas and successful treatment concepts by female dental professionals. The award is open to women around the world, who work as dentists or dental technicians, with participants gaining access to the award’s international women’s networking platform. Smart Integration Award 2021 winner Dr. Shivi Gupta (USA) said: “It’s a great reminder that there are clinicians out there just like me, wanting to constantly raise the bar and offer the very best to our patients. I look forward to connecting with and expanding this intelligent and dynamic group of female dentists.“ The next chance to enter will be in 2023. More information on the award can be found on the company website: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en-us/lp/smart-integration-award.html

Additionally, Dentsply Sirona sponsors a global personal development program called First to 50 which promotes female dentists, specialists and dental assistants as speakers at industry events and provides structured speaker training for all levels of experience. The program was launched to ensure that the number of male and female speakers is balanced and represents the make-up of the dental community. Three classes of women have graduated from the First to 50 program and four new classes of women are taking part in this training in 2022.

In addition, Dentsply Sirona is a partner of Women in DSO, an association that provides mentoring, learning and development programs to women in dental service organizations. To promote diversity in those who enter the dental profession, Dentsply Sirona supported BrownGirl RDH, a US non-profit which aims to shift the mindset about who can work in the dental industry, remove cultural and economic barriers and build pathways to dental careers by paying tuition fees for Dental Hygiene students.

Dentsply Sirona Sustainability Report is available for on our Sustainability Hub: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en-ae/company/our-sustainability.html

The Dentrix Community Gets a Seamless Modern Upgrade to Patient Engagement

Flex Dental, the emerging leader in patient engagement solutions for dental practices, took another major leap forward today by announcing a new release offering full and seamless integration with Dentrix G6 and G7.

“Over the last three years Flex Dental has been among the fastest-growing patient engagement solutions in dentistry,” said company founder and CEO Brennan Dean. Until now, Flex’s growth has been fueled exclusively by its integration with the Open Dental practice management platform and has been widely embraced by the Open Dental user community. Dean continues, “Integration with Dentrix allows tens of thousands of additional dental practices to experience a more modern, intuitive, and cost-efficient approach to patient engagement.”

Dentrix customers can use Flex’s innovative and highly automated communication tools to engage with customers and increase revenue opportunities. Benefits for Dentrix users include:

● Seamless patient communication including two-way, real-time texts and email.

● Automated patient reminders, which have been proven to reduce no-shows.

● Digital patient forms that instantly update in Dentrix, eliminating paper and manual data entry for staff.

● Compelling treatment plan presentations that increase acceptance and patient recall.

● A streamlined and simplified process for requesting patient feedback and positive reviews that link directly to popular social media platforms.

Dean founded Flex in 2018, to support his wife Jen, who struggled with the limitations of existing patient engagement offerings when starting her own practice shortly after graduating from dental school. “We started Flex with creating the ideal staff and patient experience in mind. Practices have embraced the Flex patient engagement platform for its comprehensive features, ease of use, and same-day onboarding. Flex’s streamlined workflows and efficient patient communications are proving more valuable than ever for dental offices challenged by staffing shortages created by The Great Resignation,” said Dean

While solving critical staff needs for efficiency and automation, Flex is also built to provide the modern customer experience that patients expect. “Today’s patients want to be part of their care plan and value open communication with their healthcare providers,” said Dean. “Flex enables that level and depth of engagement with fast, convenient, and intuitive user interfaces that look, feel, and act like best practice e-commerce or social media platforms. We’re excited about introducing the Flex patient engagement system and approach to the many practices within the Dentrix user community.”

For more information on Flex’s integration with Dentrix, click here.

The AID Esthetic Implant Symposium will take place April 8-9, 2022 in Delray Beach, Florida

The AID Esthetic Implant Symposium will consist of a didactic and hands-on workshop that will focus on achieving ideal implant esthetics and avoiding complications. The course will be given by a periodontist, a general dentist, and a master dental technician/lab owner. In addition to didactic lecture, cases will be presented that demonstrate the correct steps involved in treatment planning for the ideal esthetic implant result. Results of improper implant treatment planning will be discussed, and treatments of implant complications will be shown.

Symposium attendees will:

● Discuss proper 3-dimensional implant placement

● Discuss the compromise made when ideal placement is not an option

● Discuss how to surgically replace compromised implants in the esthetic zone

● Learn techniques to carefully remove teeth

● Learn the available non-invasive surgical hard and soft tissue techniques

● Review prosthetically driven treatment planning guidelines that facilitate esthetic

● Understand digital smile creation workflows

● Learn digital methods for esthetic implant restoration

● Identify obstacles in the compromised case and treatment plan for success

● Determine which material will give best strength and optimal esthetics to repair compromised cases

● Learn which implant restorative options are available in compromised cases

● Identify implants based on radiographs and clinical photos

Register Now

Investors back the company as it accelerates growth and continues technological advancements to improve orthodontic education and care globally

● An Ohio-based orthodontic growth company, orthobrain®, closed a $9 million in Series A funding led by CareCapital, one of the largest investors in the dental care industry. Additional co-investors include the JumpStart NEXT II Fund and the JobsOhio Growth Capital Fund.

● With the backing of investors, the capital will be used to advance and scale orthobrain’s clinical and education services, invest in software and technology solutions, and expand its reach in North America and global markets.

● orthobrain® was founded by Dr. Dan German in 2016.

orthobrain®, an Ohio-based, orthodontic growth system that helps dentists and dental service organizations integrate orthodontics into their practices, today announced that it has completed a $9 million in Series A funding with a group of investors, led by CareCapital, one of the largest investors in the dental care industry. Additional co-investors include JumpStart NEXT II Fund, JobsOhio, among others.

Capital from this financing will be used to accelerate the momentum orthobrain has brought to the dental industry, further advancing its mission to drive orthodontic growth and expand access to quality orthodontic care globally. orthobrain will scale clinical and education support services, innovate, invest in technological solutions, and expand its global footprint.

“orthobrain offers an invaluable service of clinical mentoring, treatment planning and on demand support to dentists providing pediatric dentistry, braces and aligner treatments. The services significantly boost dentist confidence, enhance patient experience and improve outcomes. This aligns with the mission of CareCapital Group, which is to strengthen the heritage, access and community of dentistry while supporting technology innovation. We look forward to working alongside them as they empower dentists and improve patient care," says A P A Bindusaran, Executive Director of CareCapital.

JumpStart’s Senior Investing Partner, Hardik Desai, adds, “orthobrain provides a revolutionary solution, empowering general dentists with the confidence and resources they need to build orthodontics into their practice. We are excited to partner with Dr. Dan German and his team as they navigate the company’s rapid growth.”

JumpStart also invested from its NEXT II Fund, a $50 million venture fund focused on early-stage technology startups in Ohio and the Midwest.

“orthobrain is a home-grown company that is driving innovation and job creation in Ohio," said J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio. "orthobrain’s continued advancement of digital technology and AI learning systems makes it an outstanding example of the kind of company that thrives in Ohio.”

Founded in 2016 by Dr. Dan German, orthobrain is a proven dental practice growth system that makes integrating orthodontics easy and profitable by combining digital technology, proprietary AI and learning systems with the expertise of orthodontists. With a focus on providing the highest level of care to patients, orthobrain delivers a total solution – from patient acquisition to treatment – to grow practice capabilities and clinical confidence.

“We are grateful for this group of premier investors to be supporting orthobrain’s next phase of growth. As patient demand for orthodontic treatment increases, we envision orthobrain becoming the go-to solution for delivering beautiful smiles worldwide,” says Dr. Dan German, Founder, CEO and Chief Orthodontist, orthobrain.

Announces Material Partnership with Planmeca and the Release of Grandio blocs PlanMill

VOCO announces a material partnership with Planmeca and the release of the fire-free Nano-Ceramic hybrid Grandio blocs PlanMill.

Grandio blocs has proven its high quality with many other milling systems and has excelled due to its toothlike physical properties, esthetics and time-saving attributes.

As a nano-ceramic hybrid block, firing is obsolete, saving time and money while simplifying optional characterization and intraoral repair.

The high filler degree of 86% allows for excellent wear resistance and long-term color stability. Additionally, its toothlike elasticity and thermal expansion behavior enhances marginal integrity compared to ceramic/zirconia. Grandio blocs’ formulation allows for precision-milled, thin, tapered edges (as low as 0.8mm for crowns) without the concern for chipping or breakage. Easy to polish, Grandio blocs PlanMill is available in multiple sizes, translucencies and shades.

Grandio blocs PlanMill is indicated for crowns, inlays, onlays, veneers and implant-supported crowns. Planmeca’s latest software update allows PlanMill users to easily select the perfect milling strategy for Grandio blocs PlanMill.

The integration of the VOCO materials into the Planmeca system will help service a growing segment of CAD/CAM users, enabling them to enjoy VOCO’s high-quality materials and offer their patients elevated and expanded treatment options.

For more information, visit vocoamerica.com or planmeca.com.

The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) will host its 2022 Southern District Meeting, "Emerging Trends in Implant Dentistry," at the Marriott Warehouse Arts District in New Orleans, Louisiana from April 29 to April 30.

Expert speakers from around the world – including Dr. Dan Holtzclaw from Austin, Texas and Dr. Chris Hart from Melbourne, Australia – will present sessions from 8am to 5pm on April 29 and from 8am to 5:30pm on April 30, giving attendees the opportunity to earn up to 14.5 CE credits. Participants can network with colleagues and receive trendsetting, technologically advanced, practical implant dentistry education from talented lecturers and clinicians.

Sessions will cover a variety of topics including surgical guide executions, reconstruction/salvaging of failed full arch, guided zygomatic surgery, milling in-office conversions, ICAM 3D print conversions, and more. For additional information including full speaker lineup, program schedule, presentation abstracts, and to register, please visit eventscribe.net/2022/AAIDSouthern2022/.

Primeprint Solution by Dentsply Sirona is a highly automated, end-to-end, medical-grade 3D printing system for dentists and dental technicians who want to expand their treatment and service offerings. It is a smart hardware and software solution that is optimized for dental applications and can run the entire printing process including post processing. The high level of automation helps reduce handling times, allows delegation, and enables maximized productivity. Primeprint Solution enables the user to print biocompatible applications with reproducible and accurate results*. The printing process meets strict regulatory requirements for medical products. Beta testers have called Primeprint the easiest way to get into 3D printing in dentistry.

Dentsply Sirona has announced Primeprint Solution for dental practices and laboratories, and the first of a new generation of Dentsply Sirona devices that will transform digital dentistry. With a printing process that is simplified and automated, this new 3D printing solution makes it easy to manufacture patient-specific and biocompatible appliances.

The printer uses digital light processing (DLP) technology, where resins are polymerized using UV light. The light projector hardens the resin layer by layer. Primeprint as a 3D printing solution also automates the post-processing of printed objects, which previously would have required complex, messy and time-consuming manual work.

Primeprint Solution will be the first new device by Dentsply Sirona specifically built to integrate into the digital universe that Dentsply Sirona is creating with its digital technology partner Google Cloud to connect many parts of the dental practice and dental lab across a vast array of procedures. The collaboration, announced at the end of February, will generate new digital solutions for dentistry, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms at scale and supported by an integrated cloud solution. It will have a consistent user interface and user experience across its devices and services that will be as simple to use as a smartphone app.

A medical-grade 3D printing end-to-end solution

The combination of Dentsply Sirona’s Cloud and Design Services will form an open, collaborative platform where dentists and dental technicians can work together to elevate patient care. Through this platform, dentists can request high-quality CAD designs as ready-to-print files for 3D printing with Primeprint, created by expert lab technicians.

Primeprint Solution is equipped with dental intelligence through the entire process: from software to 3D printing and post processing. Regulated parameters ensure the high quality of printed appliances for excellent treatment outcomes. Primeprint´s process protocol, involving automated process times, supports a high level of safety based on medical device compliance and automatic case documentation.

"For us dentists, Primeprint Solution turns 3D printing into an efficient application for everyday use, and that’s also great for my patients," said Dr. Mike Skramstad, dentist from Orono (Minnesota, USA). "The workflow is simplified, end-to-end, so I can get the best possible results." For dental technician Christian Schuchmann (Darmstadt, Germany), the efficiency of the system is an important aspect: “I am more than enthusiastic about Primeprint, as it means 3D printing on a completely new level for our dental lab. The printer speed allows me to run multiple print jobs even during the day.”

All in one: safe, automated, accurate and reliable

The new Primeprint Solution—with its software, printer, post processing unit and validated material concept – offers a wide range of applications allowing opportunities for business growth. It also streamlines the manufacturing process allowing for increased delegation and improved productivity.

"Primeprint Solution is the first of a new generation of Dentsply Sirona devices that will transform digital dentistry – as an integral part of a new digital environment for dentistry, " said Cord Staehler, Chief Technology Officer at Dentsply Sirona. "This system now enables 3D printing to be the professional solution of choice for dental practices and labs. Working with it, you will be surprised how easy it is to use. And of course, this is just the start. As materials continue to evolve, so will the treatment opportunities that can be solved with 3D printing. Some of our beta testers have called Primeprint the easiest way to get into 3D printing in dentistry”

* Reich S, Berndt S, Kühne C, Herstell H. Accuracy of 3D-Printed Occlusal Devices of Different Volumes Using a Digital Light Processing Printer. Applied Sciences. 2022; 12(3):1576. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031576

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to Drive Strategic Initiatives

As part of its strategic planning ahead of its 100th anniversary as an association representing the nation’s dental hygiene profession, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is apologizing to communities of color for its role in perpetuating a culture of discrimination.

ADHA President Sharlee Burch, RDH, MPH, EdD said, “We cannot celebrate the accomplishments of a century of our progress in oral health without also reflecting on, and reckoning with, the wrongdoing and harm that was caused by discrimination against dental hygienists of color on our watch.”

In a letter issued to the National Dental Hygienists’ Association (NDHA), ADHA acknowledges that the founding of NDHA by African American dental hygienists was necessary in part due to opportunities that were denied to them by ADHA. “We sincerely and deeply apologize to dental hygienists of color for our failure to confront discriminatory membership practices that expressly excluded them. We are ashamed that we were no different from many national associations of the past century that permitted the exclusion of practitioners and professionals of color. Despite ADHA’s reaffirmation of its policy on open membership in 1965, we recognize our failure to advocate for African American hygienists and the effects our complicity had on this community, some of which are felt to this day,” the apology states.

The 2020-2023 ADHA Strategic Plan includes Diversity & Inclusion as one of four core values. “Our strategic plan is a blueprint that is guiding us on our mission-driven journey to unite and empower the dental hygiene community, and to enhance the public’s oral and overall health,” said ADHA CEO Ann Battrell, MSDH. “As leaders in oral health we must be willing to be accountable, and to actively work to eliminate inequities that exist for both dental hygienists and the patients we serve.”

Initiatives that prioritize Diversity & Inclusion are being integrated across the domains of the organization that include Community, Continuing Education, Governance and Advocacy. This includes ongoing staff and Board of Trustees training to ensure future operational and leader readiness to advance anti-racism efforts as well as the expansion of educational programming to include cultural humility, implicit bias and other equity-centered courses. ADHA’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Committee has also been formed to identify areas for engaging the dental hygiene community as well as assessing organizational policies.

“There’s no question that striving for equity requires a collective effort,” added Dr. Burch. “It also requires a willingness to examine and dismantle systems and practices we have accepted for too long. The work is overdue, and the time is now to accelerate anti-racism and foster a sense of belonging for all dental hygienists.” 

The organization will host activities March 6-12 to celebrate dental assistants nationwide.

Leading dental support organization Pacific Dental Services^® (PDS) is joining the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) in celebrating the 45th annual Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW), March 6-12. Dental assistants are instrumental in strengthening the entire practice and ensuring the health and happiness of their patients and dental teams. PDS and its supported dental practices are embracing this year’s theme, “Dental Assistants: Passionate About Our Patients, Dedicated to Our Profession,” with a week of celebration and events to honor its dental assistants and those training to become DAs.

“As Pacific Dental Services continues to grow our network of supported practices and advance dentistry through innovation and proven technology, we recognize that our nearly 5,000 dental assistants are key to the success of our supported dentists and organization as a whole,” said Stephen E. Thorne IV, Founder and CEO of Pacific Dental Services. “The extraordinary work dental assistants provide is essential to creating lasting relationships with patients and ensuring their optimal health. We extend our sincere thanks to all DAs for their dedication and commitment to facilitating patient-centric dentistry.”

Starting Sun., March 6 and continuing throughout the week, PDS and its supported dental practices will take time each day to recognize their dental assistants. Pacific Dental Services is also celebrating the event through partnerships with Concorde Career College, Central Georgia Technical College, Dentsply Sirona and the PDS^® Foundation:

• Mon., March 7: PDS is partnering with Concorde Career College in Portland, Oregon to create nearly 200 hygiene kits including snacks for homeless shelters with the help of dozens of dental assistants.

• Tues., March 8: Dental assisting students from Concorde Career College in San Bernardino, California will visit the PDS National Support Center in Irvine, CA for an educational computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) boot camp. The event consists of hands-on training focusing on the techniques of restorative crown imaging, design, same-day milling and glazing through CAD/CAM technology. Materials for this event were generously donated by Dentsply Sirona, a strategic partner of PDS and the world’s largest manufacturer of dental consumables and technologies.

• Wed., March 9: PDS is committed to advancing the professional skillset of dental assistants and will be providing mock interview and resume formatting training to students from Central Georgia Technical College. Additionally, Dan Burke, Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer at PDS, will be speaking with future lead dental assistants on the topic of leadership.

• Thurs., March 10: Dental assisting students from Concorde Career College in Dallas, Texas will visit the PDS Dallas Support Center in Dallas, TX to attend a PDS CAD/CAM boot camp. Materials for this event were also generously donated by Dentsply Sirona.

• Fri., March 11: The PDS® Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to improving overall health by improving oral health through opportunities to serve locally, nationally, and internationally, will be awarding the first set of Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarships for the year. Awarded quarterly, this educational scholarship provides DA students with need-based financial aid, mentorship, and on-the-job training, and aims to mold the next generation of passionate, servant-hearted DA leaders.

In addition to the 2022 DARW event schedule, PDS remains committed to elevating the dental assistant profession through opportunities for DA growth, development and education. PDS is investing a total of $5 million over three years in DA team member compensation and advanced training. Along with this, PDS recently donated $10,000 to The College of Health Care Professions in support of the Texas-based institution’s dental assistant program.

PDS recently championed dental assistants with the launch of its College Advancement Program, making it the first dental organization to offer DAs 100% college tuition coverage toward an undergraduate degree of their choice from Arizona State University’s online program. The program has allowed team members – including dental assistants – the flexibility and satisfaction of advancing their careers while earning their education debt-free – all while remaining employed full-time.

For information about joining the PDS dental assistant team, visit the Pacific Dental Services Careers web page.  

Benco Dental, the nation's largest independent distributor of oral healthcare technology and supplies, is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place to Work® in 2022.

The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Benco Dental. This year, 88 percent of employees said it’s a great place to work, compared to 59 percent at a typical U.S.-based company.

"At Benco Dental, we're committed to driving dentistry forward through innovation, and our associates are at the heart of each and every success," said George Rable, Chief Culture and People Officer. "Our family-owned, customer-focused culture thrives thanks to their hard work and dedication. We couldn't be prouder or more thankful for their contributions."

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

Want a join a Great Place to Work? Benco Dental is hiring for positions nationwide, both onsite and remote. Visit benco.com/careers to find an exciting new opportunity to grow your career.