U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) – a specialty management services company that exclusively serves premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons – welcomes back its surgeon partner Clement Qaqish, MD, DDS, as he returns from Africa, where he spent a week providing patients in need with life-changing oral and maxillofacial treatments.

“We're excited to welcome Dr. Qaqish back from Africa," said USOSM President and CEO Richard Hall. “USOSM deeply appreciates the passion Dr. Qaqish has for helping those in need."

This year, Qaqish was part of a team of RESTORE surgeons that went to Yaoundé, Cameroon. As a group, the surgeons performed more than 300 procedures, including correcting congenital deformities of the head and neck, maxillofacial tumor excision and pathology services, cleft lip and palate repair, and more. RESTORE is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit medical service organization. It stands for “restoring emotional stability through outstanding reconstructive efforts.”

Qaqish has been involved with RESTORE for several years, traveling with them to help people in need in Senegal and Cameroon. In addition, Qaqish has partnered with several other nonprofit organizations, such as Smile Train and Mercy Ships, for medical mission work. He has been actively involved in surgical philanthropy for the past decade, helping those in need in his community, as well as abroad.

“Being able to help people in need, particularly through life-changing procedures like the ones we were doing in Cameroon, is so rewarding. It’s so moving to see the difference that we’re making in people’s lives,” noted Qaqish. “Early on in my career, I knew that I wanted to be of service to those in need. Often the surgery that is most interesting and life-changing in our specialty, is more abundantly needed in developing nations, where access to care is a real challenge.”

A diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, Qaqish has earned and maintains board certifications in oral and maxillofacial surgery, facial cosmetic surgery and cosmetic surgery. Dr. Qaqish is the founder and medical director of San Diego Surgical Arts, a USOSM partner practice located in San Diego, California. He offers a full scope of oral and maxillofacial procedures and cosmetic surgery treatments, where personalized and comprehensive patient care is his number one priority.

Qaqish earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from The University of Western Ontario, where he finished at the top of his class, receiving the university’s prestigious gold medal. In addition, he earned his Doctor of Medicine from and completed his general surgery internship and oral and maxillofacial surgery training through the University of Maryland, graduating with high honors. Taking his education even further, he completed an accredited fellowship in cosmetic surgery under the tutelage of Dr. Angelo Cuzalina, who was president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery at that time.

An engaging speaker, Qaqish has lectured both nationally and internationally on various topics ranging from dental implant reconstruction and rehabilitation to cosmetic facial surgery. He also has served as faculty at multiple live surgery workshops in cosmetic facial surgery and has authored numerous publications on a wide variety of cosmetic and oral and maxillofacial surgery topics.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM has partner practices spanning 26 states. A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all. For more information, visit https://www.usosm.com/.

Flexcera family resin validated for Carbon systems is Desktop Health’s Flexcera Smile Ultra+, an FDA 510(k) cleared Class II material for permanent, 3D printable dental restorations, followed closely by Flexcera Base

Desktop Health™, a brand of Desktop Metal (NYSE:DM), and Carbon®, two leaders in the oral health additive manufacturing space, have validated Flexcera™ Smile Ultra+ for use on the Carbon platform, expanding access to the innovative nanoceramic resin to hundreds of high-volume dental labs around the globe. 

Flexcera Smile Ultra+ delivers exceptional strength, life-like aesthetics, and long-term performance that is revolutionizing digital dentistry with permanent 3D-printed restorations, including dentures, crowns, bridges, veneers, and more. This breakthrough material represents more than three years of research and development and leverages proprietary long-chain chemistry to deliver exceptional performance in dental prosthetics. The highly-versatile material, one of several Flexcera brand resins available today, can be used to quickly produce customized permanent or temporary solutions.

“Demand for our superior Flexcera family of resins has been overwhelming in the marketplace,” said Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of Desktop Metal. “This is the first time we’re making our proprietary resin available to another 3D hardware provider.”

“Our customers continue to lead the charge in converting the industry from analog to digital dentures. Collectively, they have produced hundreds of thousands of dentures on our platform, but this represents only a small percentage of all dentures made, as we are still in the early innings of 3D printed dentures,” said Phil DeSimone, Co-Founder and CEO of Carbon. “We remain dedicated to helping labs meet the growing needs of the industry and are thrilled to be able to offer Flexera Smile Ultra+ to our customers. The materials are highly regarded in the market and are a natural fit within our portfolio.”

Lou Azzara, President of Desktop Health, added, “We are excited to provide the dental community access to the outstanding aesthetic and strength benefits of Flexcera through our partners at Carbon”

Flexcera™ Smile Ultra+ is for permanent, printable smiles. It's a next-generation hybrid nanoceramic resin FDA 510(k) Class II cleared for a wide range of permanent and temporary dental restorations including teeth for dentures, crowns, inlays, onlays, bridges, veneers, and monolithic full and partial dentures. Flexcera Smile Ultra+ is currently available in the US, and will soon be available in the EU. 

Later this year, Carbon and Desktop Health also plan to release Flexcera Base™, adding an additional denture material with exceptional fracture resistance to Carbon's material portfolio.

To learn more about Flexcera Smile Ultra+ and the Flexcera family of resins, visit TeamDM.com/Flexcera

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners, today announced the publication of its 2022 Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, titled “Delivering Solutions for a Healthier Tomorrow.”

As part of the Company’s work to enhance its disclosures, Henry Schein reported on its sustainability efforts in 2022 in accordance with Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and Global Reporting Initiative Standards. The CSR Report highlights Henry Schein's efforts to promote responsible business practices and make a positive impact on society.

“Throughout Henry Schein’s more than 90 year history, we have remained committed to our five constituents: customers, supplier partners, investors, Team Schein Members, and society at large,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein, Inc. “Guided by our purpose-driven mission and higher ambition model, we continue to operate as a socially responsible and sustainable organization dedicated to ‘Delivering Solutions for a Healthier Tomorrow.’ This year’s Report reflects these commitments, and we look forward to continuing to build on this activity in the years to come.”

To learn more about Henry Schein’s corporate citizenship efforts and to view the full 2022 Sustainability and CSR Report, along with our Reporting Index and second Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures report, please visit www.henryschein.com/corporatecitizenship.

Ivoclar Academy has announced a discount for dental laboratory organizations on its upcoming CE workshop on zirconia workflows. The course, "Prime Zirconia: White and Pink Esthetics," will be presented by Jürgen Seger on September 7-8, 2023 at Ivoclar Academy Mississauga in Mississauga, Ontario and on September 11-12, 2023 at Ivoclar Academy Amherst in Amherst, New York. It will cover the entire workflow of an implant-supported zirconia bridge completion with micro-layering of white and pink esthetics and a monolithic 3-unit anterior bridge for efficient white esthetics.

The offered discounts are 30% off of registration for individuals or 50% off when you refer a friend. To receive the individual discount enter Jurgen30 at time of check out at registration. To receive the refer a friend discount, please contact Nicola Kowal at Nicola.kowal@ivoclar.com for a special discount code. The discount applies to both the US and Canadian programs.

To register in Mississauga, click here.

To register in Amherst, click here.

Leader in dental marketing software enters resale agreement with nation’s largest independent dental distributor to offer practices better options for consolidating and streamlining digital marketing, lowering the cost of new patient acquisitions.

Benco Dental, the nation’s largest independent distributor of oral healthcare technology and supplies, announced today they have entered into an agreement with market leading patient acquisition platform Lasso MD. Under the agreement, Benco will resell Lasso’s patient acquisition software and services as part of its comprehensive suite of added-value practice growth and development tools.

Lasso’s innovative products leverage video to help dentists create engaging online experiences, and quickly evaluate the financial return on their marketing investments. Because Lasso's research indicates that approximately 93% of practices split their budgets—and time—between three or more marketing vendors, consolidating with one provider creates significant opportunities for cost savings, improved productivity, more focused efforts and cohesive results tracking. Plus, unlike some other marketing arrangements, users own 100% of the assets created for them by Lasso MD with no licensing fees or copyright transfers.

Lasso expects significant increases in market penetration to result from the new relationship with Benco. Benco adds yet another valuable resource for dentists seeking to enhance their online footprint and increase new patient production.

“Benco is the largest distributor in this sector and is trusted by dental practices across the nation,” said Pete Johnson, a cofounder at Lasso MD. “We are excited that they have chosen to offer our platform to their customers. It confirms the value Lasso’s products and services deliver to the dental industry.”

Sarah Dean, Benco Dental’s software solutions product manager added, “At Benco, we are constantly looking for innovative new products that will help our customers thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. Lasso’s suite of services, especially their Integrated ROI software and use of cutting-edge video technology, offers clear advantages in dental marketing.”

Lasso MD pioneered the use of video in dental marketing, where it has proven invaluable in creating intimacy and engagement for new and existing patients. Their suite of services include:

- Website development

- Branding

- In-office video and photo production

- Search engine optimization

- Pay-per-click advertising

- Custom curated social media content

- Integrated ROI software

- Automated online review generation software

- Patient communication and engagement software

To schedule a demo, call 800-462-3626, select option 4, then option 4 again, or email software@benco.com.

America’s ToothFairy and MGE: Management Experts work together to provide oral health education and grants for restorative dental care.

America’s ToothFairy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to oral health care for children in underserved communities, knows first-hand the challenges that safety-net clinics face to provide quality dental care and preventive services for low-income families and children living in areas where services are often out of reach.

Since its founding in 2006, America’s ToothFairy has helped its program members dramatically increase access to dental services and provide oral health education for more than 13 million kids and caregivers across the country, including *Naomi, a 15-year-old from Maplewood, Minnesota. When she visited Community Dental Care (CDC), a member of the Dental Resource Program of America’s ToothFairy, the dental team immediately noticed subpar dental restorations on her four front teeth. Upon further examination they found decay on four of her molars. To make matters worse, Naomi’s existing crowns had large overhangs that were impacting the health of her gums, and recurring decay was forming. They feared she might lose her front teeth.

Believing that Naomi deserved a higher standard of care despite her family’s significant financial barriers, the team at CDC reached out to America’s ToothFairy for financial assistance to help Naomi receive the best care possible.

“Our program members have the systems in place to provide services for families that lack equitable access to dental care. What they often lack are the resources,” said Jill Malmgren, executive director of America’s ToothFairy. “Our organization was founded with the idea that dental professionals can work together to improve the oral health of children who do not get the dental services they need to be healthy and whose oral health literacy is limited.”

One organization that partners with America’s ToothFairy to help kids in need is MGE: Management Experts, an education and coaching program that aims to help dentists be more successful business owners. MGE has held a charity auction to benefit America’s ToothFairy at its annual conference every year since 2019, raising a total of more than $326,000.

Last year, the auction funding provided life-changing dental services for 12 children in need of restorative care—including Naomi—as well as superhero-themed oral health education kits that were used to teach 10,000 kids and their parents how to prevent dental disease.

Most recently, MGE members raised more than $116,000 to support the mission of America’s ToothFairy for the fifth year in a row.

“We were very pleased with the results from last year’s contribution,” said Jeffrey Blumberg, MGE’s COO. “Our members are moved by this worthwhile cause and looking forward to what we will accomplish together with America’s ToothFairy this year.”

“Prevention and education programming is one of the main pillars of our mission,” Malmgren added. “Our superhero-themed kits were so popular that we are excited to offer them again this year for our members’ back-to-school outreach in addition to supporting the provision of restorative care for patients who would otherwise fall through the cracks.”

“We are grateful to America’s ToothFairy for their continued support in providing grants for patients in need,” CDC’s Director of Development, Crystal Yang said. “Their charitable support helps our team provide oral health education and preventive services to many children who would otherwise not have received it.”

*Patient’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.

Gerard “Gerry” Kugel, DMD, PhD, has been selected as the next dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry. Pending University of Nebraska Board of Regents approval of his appointment, Dr. Kugel will begin at UNMC on Sept. 18.

“Amid all of the highly qualified candidates, Dr. Kugel stood out for his vision and passion,” said Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC. “His research and educational experience, as well as his clinical experience, is impressive. We expect him to provide the leadership that the faculty, students and staff of the UNMC College of Dentistry need to build the future of the college alongside our faculty, staff, and students.”

Kugel has served as associate dean for research and professor of comprehensive care at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, maintains a private dental practice and has helped develop a curriculum for a new dental school. He has extensive expertise in clinical research and esthetic dentistry.

“Dr. Kugel brings a wealth of academic and clinical experience to this important role at UNMC,” said Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNMC. “We are excited to watch the UNMC College of Dentistry flourish under his leadership.”

“I’m excited about working with a school with such an outstanding student body, faculty, staff and alumni,” Kugel said. “I was extremely impressed when I visited UNMC College of Dentistry with the passion and motivation of the faculty and administration. I look forward to working with everyone and making the school even better.”

Among his professional activities, Kugel serves as a reviewer for The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Dental Materials, the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, and the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry. He also is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry and the Academy of Dental Materials.

Kugel received his doctorate of dental medicine from Tufts University in 1985 and his PhD in dental materials in 2004 from the University of Siena, Italy. He also has a master’s degree in anatomy and cellular biology from Tufts, and an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. Kugel has published more than 200 articles and more than 300 abstracts in the field of restorative materials and techniques. He also has given more than 400 lectures both nationally and internationally.

Gold and Davies thanked search committee chair Brad Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, and the other members of the search committee, as well as Rowen Zetterman, MD, who will continue to lead the college as interim dean until Kugel’s arrival in September.

Neoss Group, a pioneer in dental implant solutions, is delighted to announce our partnership with Osstell AB, a global organization from Gothenburg, Sweden.

This dynamic collaboration marks a significant milestone in the dental industry, uniting the strengths of the two organizations to develop innovative products that will improve patient care worldwide.

Osstell AB is renowned for its unwavering commitment to empowering dentists and dental surgeons globally, aiming to enhance the safety, efficacy, and success rates of implant treatments. With this collaboration Neoss Group and Osstell AB solidify their positions as key players in the dental industry.

"Teaming up with Osstell, the world leader in Resonance Frequency Analysis, allows us to fuse our cutting-edge dental implant solutions with their extensive knowledge in the field of dental implant stability and osseointegration," says Dr. Robert Gottlander, President and CEO of Neoss Group.

"Collaborating with Neoss Group opens up new possibilities for advancing implant treatments and empowering dental professionals globally. We are excited about the potential it holds, and the positive outcomes this collaboration will bring to clinicians and patients worldwide," says Malin Gustavsson, CEO of Osstell AB.

Neoss Group and Osstell AB are excited about the transformative impact this partnership will have on the dental implant market, benefiting both clinicians and patients. Together, Neoss Group and Osstell AB will strive to deliver exceptional implant solutions and advance oral health.

exocad licensees can now book individual exoplan training sessions with exocad’s technical help desk staff via the exocad webshop: shop.exocad.com. Introductory training sessions are tailored for labs and clinics and offer in-depth knowledge around exocad's implant planning and surigical design software. Up to five employees can register and participate. The sessions are recorded and available afterward.Training sessions are offered in English and German.

Link to webshop: shop.exocad.com

The 2022-2023 Global Clinical Case Contest included 260 students from 90 dental schools around the world. They first presented their restorations to a local jury. The winners of the regional competitions then took part in the final in Konstanz in front of an international jury consisting of Dr. Ian Cline, dentist at King’s College (United Kingdom), Prof. Dr. Gaetano Paolone of the University of Milan (Italy) and Dr. Frank Pfefferkorn, Senior Clinical Research Manager at Dentsply Sirona. 

Each of the eleven finalists gave a brief presentation of their challenging cases in which they treated patients with restorative materials from Dentsply Sirona to give them a beautiful, radiant smile. 

Deserving winners among strong competition

Margherita Feliciotti of the University of Siena, Italy, won the competition. She presented a large anterior tooth restoration for which she used the universal adhesive Prime&Bond active and the composite Ceram.x Spectra ST with SphereTEC filler technology in various opacities and viscosities. 

Second place went to Catharina Glose of the University of Göttingen. She presented the case of a patient who requested improved esthetics with a composite restoration of the anterior teeth from 12 to 22 following orthodontic treatment. The materials used were the Etch&Rinse adhesive Prime&Bond XP, Ceram.x Spectra ST in CLOUD shades and the Ceram.x Spectra ST Effects materials D1 and E1.

Two finalists shared third place: Ahmed Kamal of the October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Egypt, was awarded a prize for an esthetically challenging restoration for a male patient in the region 14 to 17 using the universal adhesive Prime&Bond Universal, the Palodent V3 matrix system and Spectra ST. Yu-Fang Huang of the National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, China, received the award for a case in which a juvenile incisor was restored. She used Prime&Bond Universal and Spectrum TPH3 in the shades A1 and A3.5. 

The finalists and their tutors appreciated the invitation from Dentsply Sirona to meet in person in Konstanz. Everyone viewed the competition as an exciting opportunity to prove their skills, compare them with other students and present their case to a panel of experts. Margherita Feliciotti gratefully received the award and said, “It is really a privilege to be able to take part in a competition like this and to win is simply an incredible feeling. When I work with patients, I always make the effort to give them a high quality, esthetically pleasing outcome and using the excellent products from Dentsply Sirona with their great design options, enabled me to do exactly that for the patient in this case. Seeing the patient with a radiant smile made all the effort worth it. And then winning the prize – I couldn’t wish for more.” Her tutor Giulio Pavolucci, who took part in the competition once himself, was also delighted.

The finalists of the Global Clinical Case Contest were given attractive prizes in addition to the invitation to Konstanz. 

Promoting innovative training programs

“As organizers of the competition for future dentists, we are very pleased about the great interest and high quality of the entries submitted,” said Dr. Frank Pfefferkorn. “Through its extensive cooperation with universities throughout the world, Dentsply Sirona promotes the development of innovative training programs with state-of-the-art materials and technologies. The results are impressive. The goal remains to support future dentists in providing their patients with the best possible treatment. Congratulations to all winners!”

The Dentsply Sirona Global Clinical Case Contest has been taking place since 2004/2005. The competition is aimed at dental students with less than two years of clinical practice. The participants document their case using text and images and are supported by a tutor from their university.

Applications for the GCCC 2023–2024 can now be submitted. Further information on the Dentsply Sirona Global Clinical Case Contest is available here.