They say you are what you eat. And as a dental hygienist, Travis D. Tramel knows why. Throughout his career, he has seen the ill effects of a poor diet on the condition of one’s teeth. And through his work as a Christian counselor, he has seen how physical health affects mental health. Seeking to raise awareness on the mind body connection, Tramel presents a new children’s book to illustrate the importance of a healthy diet. “I want to help children understand the benefits of a healthy diet, healthy teeth, and a clear mind,” he said. “They are all linked.”

In Sam Saves His Smile, Sam the dolphin has not been making good food choices, and his teeth and mood are suffering. After discovering the connection between physical health and mental health, Sam resolves to change his diet. “Sam’s food choices affected his attitude and how he treated others, which is highly relatable but not always obvious to children,” Tramel said. “Making children aware of how food affects our mood is essential.” Spotlighting nutrition habits, dental hygiene, and mental health, Tramel seeks to change how children view themselves and treat their bodies in the hopes of bolstering self-esteem and fostering a lifelong commitment to healthy living.

Sam Saves His Smile is available for purchase online at Amazon.com. 

Sam Saves His Smile by Travis D. Tramel, Ph. D., MS. RDHAP

ISBN: 979-8-82290-607-5

Publication Date: Available now on Amazon

Dentsply Sirona today announced that Tony Johnson has been appointed Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO), effective November 28, 2022. He succeeds Andy Johnson, who served as Interim Supply Chain Leader and will now fully focus again on his role as VP of Formulated Products.

Mr. Johnson is a seasoned operations executive with 30 years of global experience across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and procurement in the medical device business. He joins the Company from Cardinal Health, where he led upstream product marketing, research and development, medical affairs, and the medical global supply chain as President of Global Products and Supply Chain. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Operations at Becton Dickinson (BD) / CR Bard where he was responsible for their Interventional Segment, and spent 25 years with Baxter International where he held positions leading operations both in the United States and internationally.

Simon Campion, Chief Executive Officer of Dentsply Sirona, said, “We are pleased to have Tony as a seasoned operations executive with 30 years of global experience join us. Tony’s strong history of delivering results at international medical device businesses matches very well with Dentsply Sirona’s global footprint, our broad portfolio in the dental space and our future ambitions. His international leadership and supply chain expertise will be instrumental to deliver on our strategic goals, realize our full potential and create value for our stakeholders.”

Mr. Johnson said, “It’s an honor to join the global leader in dental products and technologies. I am convinced that my experience will be of value for Dentsply Sirona to build a robust platform that enables the Company to capitalize on the market opportunities and reliably serve the needs of the customers around the globe. I look forward to working with this great team on its important purpose to empower customers by creating innovative solutions for healthy smiles.”

About Tony Johnson

Mr. Johnson previously served as President of Global Products and Supply Chain at Cardinal Health, where he led upstream product marketing, research and development, medical affairs, and the medical global supply chain. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Operations at Becton Dickinson (BD) / CR Bard where he was responsible for their Interventional Segment, and spent 25 years with Baxter International where he held positions leading operations both in the United States and internationally. Tony received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas. Outside of work, Tony and his family volunteer with Safe Families for Children, a nonprofit organization that provides hope and support to children in families going through a crisis situation.

Interactive, Two-Way Vetting Process Ensures Better Match-Ups Between Dental Team Candidates and Hiring Dental Practices

Cloud Dentistry, the company that is perfecting the process of hiring in the dental industry, is making its Greater New York Dental Meeting debut at booth #728.

The company will be demonstrating its powerful one-of-a-kind dental marketplace software and expanding its rapidly growing network of dental professionals seeking permanent and temporary positions as well as private practices and DSOs who need to fill vacancies. Watch a quick video.

According to the company’s CEO Trey Tepichin, “Cloud Dentistry can help minimize the volatility of today’s dental job market. It was specifically designed to connect dental professionals with the highly rated practices they want to work for. In addition, it also connects dental practices with the verified team members that they need. Cloud Dentistry is quicker, and much more reliable than standard job postings, while being a fraction of the cost of using a staffing agency or recruiter.”

Cloud Dentistry’s peer review system keeps both sides of the marketplace accountable, creating the most reliable platform available. This process enables the office to see the number of bookings a professional had through the platform along with the number of times they may have been late or a no-show. Conversely, dental professionals can see dental practice reviews by their peers, to help them select the best potential employers.

This two-way vetting system is made possible by a detailed and interactive registration process that creates the dental industry’s most sophisticated applicant and employer filters. “Traditional job boards are not very effective at ensuring a good hiring fit, which only adds to the current state of high dental team turnover,” adds Tepichin. 

Unlike recruiters and staffing agencies, the Cloud Dentistry platform does not require a contract, which eliminates buy-outs or cancelation fees. It’s 100% free for professionals, and they keep their full compensation, thus avoiding a middle-man inflation fee that staffing agencies commonly charge. What’s more, Cloud Dentistry provides three ways for candidates and employers to connect; 1) Job postings 2) Bilateral messaging 3) On-demand booking requests. Other features of Cloud Dentistry include:

● 24/7 access on desktop or mobile devices

● Interactive two-way messaging between candidates and employers in real-time

● Dental team candidates include RDHs, DAs, Front Office Staff, Dentists, and Specialists

● Permanent and temporary hygienists and DA positions are widely booked

● Very affordable for offices at less than $100 per month on average for annual packages

● Optional subscription packages includes several billing options ranging from monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual plans

● Problematic candidates and employers with low ratings are removed from the system to ensure the best candidate/employer matches.

● World-class customer service, and reliable reps assigned by state.

● Freemium model allows you to search everything you would with a paid account, to message, on-demand book, or post a job upgrade to a paid account.

For more information, watch a quick video, visit www.CloudDentistry.com, send an email to Service@CloudDentistry.com, or call (844) 643-3128.    

Smile Generation® and its nationwide network of trusted dental practices recently completed a two-month fundraising campaign in support of the Pacific Dental Services® (PDS) Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to impact overall health by improving oral health through service opportunities locally, nationally and around the world. The organizations partnered to raise money to increase access to dental care for patients with special needs and to provide specialized training for clinicians focused on special needs dentistry.

The fundraising efforts consisted of two parts; the first was the 60-day “Smile for Special Needs” campaign that ran from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. During that timeframe, patients at Smile Generation-trusted dental practices received discounts off their dental services with a suggested donation to the campaign. In total, over 8,000 donors contributed to the campaign to raise over $370,000.

The second component was a weeklong “Stroll for Special Needs 5K” event that brought supporters together in different communities across the nation to stroll, run, walk, or roll to raise funds for the cause. Over 1,000 participants in 27 states joined the efforts and “strolled” a combined total of over 3,000 miles to raise more than $203,000.

“Smile Generation and the PDS Foundation have created a partnership and culture of serving the underserved in our communities,” said Michael Le, Executive Director of the PDS Foundation. “People with disabilities have the same oral healthcare needs as everyone else, but with the Smile for Special Needs campaign and Stroll for Special Needs 5K, we’re committed to increasing access to the exceptional care, compassion and understanding that they deserve.”

For a person with special needs, typical daily tasks such as brushing your teeth, eating breakfast, or driving to an appointment can be hard. Visiting the dentist is even harder. In fact, one of the biggest challenges facing the 61 million people with disabilities in the U.S. is simply access to competent oral healthcare.

The PDS Foundation has been providing specialized dental care to patients with all abilities through a one-of-a-kind dental office in Phoenix, Arizona since 2019. The PDS Foundation Dentists for Special Needs office features specially trained clinicians and team members who are equipped with behavioral and environmental care techniques to support each patient’s unique needs. Dentists for Special Needs also offers a family-friendly, sensory-integrated dental experience including sensory rooms and lights that offer patients a calm and relaxing environment, an office and parking lot that is wheelchair accessible, and teledentistry for emergency consultations from home using a smartphone or tablet.

One donor cited their grandson with disabilities as the reason for donating to the Smile for Special Needs campaign.

“I am making this donation to honor my 18-year-old grandson who has profound quadriplegic cerebral palsy. I'd like to express my gratitude for all dentists who recognize the unique issues of special-needs children and adults, and who treat them with loving care and compassion.”

“We are extremely grateful for the support from our communities across the nation,” said Le. “100% of all campaign proceeds go to the Special Needs Dentistry program, which truly changes lives. Each supporter makes a difference, and we commend you.”

To learn more or donate to the PDS Foundation, click here.  

Digital Smile Design (DSD) has recently announced its official partnership with Formlabs Dental.

A global player in the field of 3D printing, Formlabs aims to expand access to digital fabrication so that anyone can make anything. This new collaboration underlines DSD’s continued commitment to joining forces with key organizations who share the same values, a vision for the future of dentistry and a dedication to advancing the profession.

“Only great things will happen when we combine the teams from both sides to continue developing the future of dentistry. Among many other things, we share the same key value with Formlabs of inventing solutions to make the life of dental professionals easier,” says Christian Coachman, DSD Founder and CEO, of this new alliance.

Prior to this official partnership, DSD has been a firm supporter of Formlabs Dental for many years and has been using its 3D printers since the Form 2 with significant success in the DSD Lab which manufactures products to a client base around the world.

“Digital transformation in dentistry is spreading rapidly and Digital Smile Design company is leading the way with their use of Formlabs 3D printing. To continue industry adoption, education is critical and we’re thrilled to collaborate with Christian Coachman and the DSD to develop robust digital workflow solutions and curricula that will bolster efficiency and patient treatment outcomes that 3D printing provides in dentistry,” states Guillaume Bailliard, President of the Healthcare division of Formlabs.

OraVu, the leading manufacture of dental endoscopes, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is announcing an additional advancement in oral care with the introduction of its 160,000 pixel 1.15 dia CMOS camera endoscope. This is a first for the industry and is in addition to its 40,000 pixel 1.15 dia CMOS camera scope. This new hi resolution camera scope is used exclusively on OraVu’s DeVA-1® Dental Vision Assistant, endoscope system.

Why is this important? Everyone “knows” when they see a good image, however, that is subjective, not objective. In dentistry a “Good” Image, especially an endoscope image, is one that allows the dental clinician to see more with greater clarity. When using an endoscope in the small confined area of the periodontal pocket, you see what you can see, but have no way of knowing just how “good” it is. OraVu’s 40,000 pixel camera scope provided significant advances over the 10,000 fiber optic scopes that have been used. OraVu’s 40k has revealed cracks and caries not seen in the radiographs.

How much better, subjectively, is the 160,000 over the 40,000?

The above images are to an endoscope what an eye chart is to your ophthalmologist. The higher the Group and Element the finer the lines are: 

At 5mm 40k best is Group 2 Element 4. These lines are 0.08839mm (0.0034 inches) 

At 5mm 160k best is Group 3 Element 5. These lines are 0.03937mm (0.0015 inches) 

This 225% improvement in resolution and clarity will provide dental clinicians to see more and with greater clarity. It is objectively and subjectively “better”. OraVu, continues to lead the industry in dental endoscope vision.

Specifically designed to directly integrate with all the major imaging software applications, the Open Sensor is the perfect replacement sensor. This is a true open sensor that works with your existing software just like your current sensor. Chad Camac, Senior Vice President, explains, “It’s so easy with the Open Sensor because it operates natively with your current system. There is no need to learn new software or retrain your staff – it just works!”

The Open Sensor is distributed as part of a subscription club with a low monthly price of $99/month/sensor with a onetime $499/sensor signup fee. The Open Sensor Club comes with everything you need, including installation, training, technical support, a lifetime warranty and accident forgiveness. The low price and open nature of the sensor makes it the perfect economical solution for dentists looking to replace or add a new sensor to their existing imaging system. Additionally, as part of the initial product launch, the company is offering a free two-week trial.

About Open Sensor

The Open Sensor represents the latest in CMOS radiography technology, producing exceptional x-rays with an image quality and diagnostic capability that is comparable to or better than the current market leaders. The Open Sensor Club is a revolutionary low-cost way for dental offices to easily add a sensor to their current imaging systems. This is a disruptive product designed to provide exceptional performance to dental offices at a fraction of the cost of current market offerings.

The certification makes Overjet one of the only dental AI companies in the country to achieve the "gold standard" of healthcare data security.

Overjet, the leader in dental AI solutions for providers and payers, has achieved HITRUST Certification for key implemented systems on its Practice Intelligence and Claim Intelligence platforms. Overjet is one of the only dental AI companies in the country to achieve the "gold standard" of healthcare data security.

HITRUST's Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certified status recognizes Overjet's compliance with rigorous, comprehensive security and privacy protection requirements with the federal and state regulatory standards for handling personally identifiable patient information dictated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This achievement places Overjet in an elite group of organizations worldwide that have earned this certification.

"As we serve the leading providers and payers, the importance of data security cannot be overstated," said Wardah Inam, CEO of Overjet. "This certification demonstrates that our information risk management and compliance policies are at the forefront of the industry. It also demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with the greatest security standards."

"HITRUST is the industry-recognized gold standard for providing the highest level of information protection and compliance assurance and we're honored to be one of the first dental AI companies to earn this elite certification," said Justin Paglierani, Director of Cloud Security of Overjet. "This certification further demonstrates our customers can trust us to help secure and protect their data."

Overjet is the dental industry leader in AI radiograph analysis. Earlier this year, Overjet received its second FDA clearance, making it the only dental AI company with technology cleared by the FDA to quantify bone level measurements to aid in the detection of periodontal disease and to detect and outline caries (cavities).

The additional layer of data security and privacy certified by HITRUST is available to all current and future Overjet customers.

Smile-Changing AI Technology Offers View of New Smiles Through Mobile Devices

SmileDirectClub, Inc. (Nasdaq: SDC), the next generation oral care company with the first medtech platform for teeth straightening, today announced the launch of its innovative SmileMaker Platform, making it easier than ever for consumers to get a smile they’ll love.

The first-generation SmileMaker Platform is available through the free SmileDirectClub App and leverages advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to show consumers their potential smile transformation within minutes. Consumers can download the SmileDirectClub App, which is compatible with Apple devices and coming soon to Android devices, and capture a 3D scan of their teeth, bite and alignment using their phone’s camera. This technology is an industry first, upgrading current 2D remote scanning options and introducing real-time AI to capture a 3D view of the teeth.

Just minutes after the 3D scan, consumers receive their “Custom Smile Plan” showing their potential new smile, along with an estimated time frame to achieve results, leveraging the Company’s treatment planning data from creating more than 1.8 million smiles. The SmileMaker Platform is part of the Company’s growing AI capabilities within its innovation portfolio, helping SmileDirectClub transform the oral care industry by making teeth straightening more accessible, convenient, and affordable.

“SmileDirectClub’s new SmileMaker Platform is a big step toward fulfilling our vision of creating smiles using leading-edge technology,” said David Katzman, CEO and Chairman, SmileDirectClub. “This is the brand’s first big innovation to come from our AI/Machine Learning Team and we look forward to continuing to improve the customer experience, better assist doctors, and increase access to oral care for more customers while keeping the costs of that care within reach for everyone.”

Following receipt of a Custom Smile Plan, customers will be prompted to provide further high-definition scans through the doctor-prescribed at-home impression kit or at a local SmileShop or Partner Network location. This information is uploaded into SmileDirectClub’s virtual care platform, along with the other information collected from customers, for review by the customer’s state-licensed treating dentist or orthodontist to determine candidacy for clear aligner therapy. Once approved, customers will be provided with a final treatment plan, their “Smile Prescription” to start their official smile journey.

“SmileMaker Platform puts game-changing technology in the palm of consumers' hands, and this is just the beginning of what AI can do for the dental profession,” said Dr. Jeffrey Sulitzer, Chief Clinical Officer. "We revolutionized the industry with our virtual care model and will do so again with AI that improves the customer experience and better assists our affiliated network of dentists and orthodontists so they can focus on what they do best: providing quality care for their patients.”

The new platform is now available in Australia and will expand into the United States later this year or early 2023, followed by other international markets. Consumers in Australia can go to their Apple App Store today and begin their smile journey.

Since launching in the U.S. in 2014, SmileDirectClub has become one of the fastest-growing health technology companies, enabling care to more than 1.8 million customers around the world while saving them more than $5 billion collectively over the cost of traditional braces.*

*Source: Calculated using the SinglePay price for SmileDirectClub aligners as of 4/20/2022 vs. average fees (including diagnostics and in-person exams) for treatment of mild-to-moderate crowding and spacing with braces as reported in a survey of orthodontists.

Medit i700 Users Can Now Use Owandy’s 3D QuickVision Software as Their Digital Implant Workflow Hub

Owandy Radiology Inc., a global leader in the manufacture of dental radiology hardware and imaging software, will highlight the recent integration of its QuickVision 3D implant planning software with the Medit i700 intraoral scanner product line at booth #4015 during the Greater New York Dental Meeting.

Owandy’s QuickVision 3D Software is a comprehensive, open architecture implant planning solution that can serve as the heart of Owandy’s extensive product suite or as the digital workflow hub capable of integrating digital technologies from other manufacturers.

The Medit i700 intraoral scanner features plug and scan simplicity, super-fast scan speeds and an open architecture for the efficient sharing of patient records. The i700 wireless scanner delivers superior convenience and mobility

“Thanks to open architecture, QuickVision 3D Software and Medit scanners integrate seamlessly,” says Owandy’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Boris Loyez. “Medit i700 users can now take full advantage of QuickVision’s impressive capabilities including its extensive AI-powered auto-matching. QuickVision 3D software also includes comprehensive implant libraries from all major manufacturers.

About Owandy’s QuickVision 3D Software:

Owandy’s QuickVision 3D software creates a comprehensive planned treatment report and surgical guide in .STL format within minutes. The report can then be sent to a lab, shared with a colleague, or sent to a 3D printer.

QuickVision was designed to be the hub of a digital workflow system that features five steps and corresponding solutions. This includes: DICOM Data acquisition, which entails CBCT exploration by using Owandy’s I-Max 3D or I-Max Ceph 3D; .STL data acquisition; implant planning that comes with a complete cloud-based implant manufacturer library and bone density measurement guide; surgical guide design, with the software guiding users through the treatment planning and surgical guide process; and file export for manufacturing via CAD/CAM milling unit, lab or 3D printer.

During the Greater New York Dental Meeting, Owandy will be running several show specials, stop by booth #4015 or download the flyer at www.owandy.com/usa/offers

Learn more about the full line of Owandy products by visiting www.Owandy.com, calling 516-858-5695 or sending an e-mail at sales@owandyus.com. Distributor inquiries are always welcome.