Dentsply Sirona announces further functions of DS Core offering smooth communication with patients and a unified ordering service. As a cloud-based solution, updates are available directly with the users’ next login.

DS Core is an innovative platform that enables users in practices and labs to take full advantage of digital dentistry, supporting dental professionals throughout the entire treatment continuum. DS Core connects devices and services and facilitates seamless collaboration with specialists, partners and labs, while incorporating tools for personalized patient communication.

Enhanced functions for DS Core

Enhanced "Communication Canvas": This tool makes patient communication illustrative and user-friendly. Various patient images can be arranged and displayed side by side on a digital canvas in 2D and 3D, such as X-ray images, photos, or intraoral scans. Annotations in the form of text or freehand drawings can now also be inserted into the canvas. In addition, dentists can share these images with patients, making it easy to communicate and enabling them to make informed decisions about their proposed treatment plan while adhering to GDPR and HIPAA guidelines for privacy-compliant data sharing.

Viewer update: The viewer function in DS Core has been enhanced to support additional data formats such as STL and PLY, making the cloud platform a powerful tool for communication and collaboration also for users employing third-party intraoral scanners.

Unified ordering system: DS Core introduces a function that links dental practices with labs and other service providers. Dentists can either collaborate with their preferred lab via DS Core by inviting them to the platform or discover new specialists offering services tailored to their needs. The ordering system simplifies the process of placing and managing orders. An update to the chat function makes communication very simple while increasing the accessibility of the platform via smartphone. In addition, labs now have the option to export their worksheets as a PDF.

Smart workflows in a cloud-based system

DS Core offers dentists an innovative platform for growth and efficiency, empowering them so they can advance with confidence. Images taken with intraoral scanners and 2D/3D X-ray systems from Dentsply Sirona are automatically uploaded, while third-party data can easily be uploaded manually. In addition, patient data and design files can be managed in a centralized location. For instance, design files for a restoration or a surgical guide can be directly opened from DS Core and transferred to the manufacturing unit (Primemill or Primeprint Solution).

Added value for practices and labs

Users of DS Core have an array of options to choose from to integrate into their daily workflows. Dr. Eugene Lee, a dentist from Sydney, Australia, appreciates this as well: “With DS Core, having my milling machine at one practice and a scanner in the other is no longer a problem. DS Core allows me to send data almost instantaneously between the two, and the ease of use allows either me or my staff to scan and then mill or print, which helps me save time and effort.”

Dentists benefit from spending less time organizing the treatment process, allowing them to spend more time with the patient. Labs can save time by having all order data, files and messages efficiently managed on one platform. DS Core is open to data from all intraoral scanners and supports most relevant file formats (e.g., STL, DICOM), allowing labs to work with nearly all customers on a single platform. Dentists and dental technicians do not have to worry about licenses, maintenance or required updates. DS Core software updates run automatically, so users always have access to the latest version and features.*

"With DS Core, Dentsply Sirona offers a cloud solution that is device-independent. Users can access and use the functions from anywhere," explains Max Milz, Group Vice President Connected Technology Solutions at Dentsply Sirona. "It's all in one place, can be controlled intuitively like a smartphone, and can provide great simplification to the IT infrastructure of practices and labs."

For further information, please check the website: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en/discover/discover-by-brand/ds-core.html

* Requires a monthly paid subscription

Dr. Diaz, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and director of UB’s Microbiome Centre named as chair

Patricia Diaz, DDS, MS, PhD professor of empire innovation at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and director of UB’s Microbiome Center, has been appointed to the Sunstar Robert Genco Endowed Chair.

Marcelo Araujo, DDS, MS, PhD, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, will officially name Diaz to the chair during the Buffalo-Niagara Dental Meeting on November 2 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

Robert Genco, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Oral Biology, Periodontics and Microbiology and founder of the Microbiome Center, was a prolific researcher who forged a 40-year collaboration between Sunstar, a multinational health care company, and UB. He passed away in March 2019.

In 2020, Sunstar, the international oral healthcare company, donated $1 million to establish a new endowed fund to honor Genco. The new five-year position recognizes and supports UB faculty who are not only gifted teachers but also scholars, researchers and applied learning innovators who facilitate medical and dental collaboration in oral biology and periodontal medicine in its dental school. The holder of the chair will also serve as a liaison between UB and Sunstar to continue Genco’s research legacy.

Diaz is the first faculty member to be named to the chair.

Comments Marcelo Araujo, dean of the School of Dental Medicine: “Our longstanding relationship with the Sunstar Foundation and Sunstar’s founding family will continue under the leadership of Dr. Diaz,” Araujo said. “I look forward to the continued growth in important periodontal research under Dr Diaz’s guidance.”

Hiroo Kaneda, CEO of Sunstar and long-term friend with Dr. Genco says: “The Sunstar Robert J. Genco Endowed Chair honors the work and legacy of Dr. Genco at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, our long-standing relationship during his 40 years at the university and his key role in identifying the connection between periodontal disease and general health.

“Sunstar has been working to improve oral health worldwide for over 35 years, as well as funding further research and promoting awareness of the mouth-body connection. I know with Dr. Diaz as the new chair will strive to continue his legacy and build on his groundbreaking research.”

Genco’s lab was responsible for numerous findings, including the identification of bacteria responsible for gum disease and determining that smoking, osteoporosis and stress are risk factors for periodontal infections. Genco’s research on gum disease led to the commercialization of ten oral healthcare products. The formation of the GUM brand of oral health products in 1989 was largely influenced by Genco’s partnership with the Sunstar Group.

“I am extremely honored to be named to the endowed chair of my beloved mentor,” said Professor Diaz, who came to UB in 2020 from the University of Connecticut where she served as Associate Professor of oral health and diagnostic sciences. “I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Genco at a conference prior to my coming to UB. He was a pioneer who explored the relationship between periodontal disease and systematic disease. I plan to continue in his footsteps over the coming years.”

Diaz is a leader in the study of microbiomes, which are the communities of microorganisms that live on and in human and animal hosts. She aims to understand community dynamics and develop tools to manipulate the microbiome to stop the development of periodontal disease.

In just a few years at UB, Diaz has amassed significant accomplishments. She served as co-principal investigator last fall for two projects funded by $7.8 million in grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. In conjunction with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she has been exploring the influence of the oral microbiome on both the risk of developing oral thrush during cancer treatment and the risk of infection with cancer-linked human papillomavirus (HPV) among people with HIV.

In May, she published findings in JDR Clinical and Translational Research that she and other UB researchers conducted on the benefits of an antimicrobial mouth rinse for individuals with Type 2 diabetes being treated for periodontitis.

Earlier this Autumn Diaz received a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant designed to develop a training program at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus in Jamaica. It is aimed at studying the determinants of periodontitis and associated non-communicable chronic diseases in the Caribbean.

“I feel privileged to continue Dr. Genco’s legacy and take his research to the next level,” Diaz added. “All of this will be possible from support of the endowment, and I look forward to further developing a relationship with Sunstar. They have been very supportive of research at UB.”

Yasuhiro Katsuragi, Managing Director, Sunstar Foundation says: “We’re very pleased to continue our partnership with the University of Buffalo with this new Chair part of our endowed $1 million fund to honor Dr. Genco’s lifetime of work and innovative research on the mouth and body connection. Now, with this latest research focus on the exciting area of oral microbiome, Professor Diaz will help develop new initiatives and knowledge on how to balance the oral microbiome and prevent periodontal disease.”

Diaz earned her doctor of dental science (DDS) from CES University in Colombia, her PhD from the University of Adelaide and her master of science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she also completed her residency in periodontology. 

MB2 Dental, the first and largest dental partnership organization (DPO), announced today the rollout of a groundbreaking intranet platform across its organization of more than 650 affiliated practices nationwide.

The modernized intranet platform, Cerebro, has streamlined communications for the growing Company. Cerebro offers a solution for doctors and employees to stay connected about Company news and events; gain access to resources and information; personalize user profiles and more. Cerebro also doubles as a social network for its doctor partners to share conversations on both professional and personal levels.

Features and benefits of Cerebro include:

• Social feed – Post and comment to engage with other doctor partners on a range of topics

• Newsfeed and events – Stay in the know on the latest Company news and announcements

• Mobile Friendly App – Access data on-the-go with the fully functional mobile app

• Continuing Education – Browse and register for courses at the click of a button, including MB2 Dental exclusive CE

• Directory – Become acquainted with colleagues and forge working relationships through customized profiles, featuring hobbies, skills, accomplishments and more information

• Resources – Review financial documents, key performance indicators, vendor guides and exclusive pricing on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform

• Analytics – Measure and track platform engagement and performance

"We envisioned Cerebro as more than a typical intranet," said CEO and Founder Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, "It's designed to not only meet our DPO model's diverse needs but also to better connect our organization with its social media features. While serving as an intranet for secure information sharing, what sets Cerebro apart is its social media feature and mobile access. Similar to other social platforms, it offers newsfeed-style posts tailored to specific doctor partner groups. Private chat groups enable doctors to discuss equipment preferences, upcoming conferences, vacation plans and more. Cerebro enhances our culture by connecting our doctor partners like never before. Now, our doctors can engage with each other by sharing ideas and best practices via Cerebro, improving communication companywide."

The launch of Cerebro comes just as the Company surpassed the milestone of 600 practices. MB2 Dental partners with general dentists and specialists in 39 states. The DPO foresees steady, continued growth, with projections to add more than 10 new affiliated practices monthly.

Cerebro was developed in collaboration with Haystack, a modern intranet platform. Through this collaborative partnership, Haystack leveraged MB2 Dental’s deep industry knowledge to craft a solution tailored to the distinct needs and specializations of MB2 Dental and its growing DPO network. Haystack achieved HIPAA compliance in addition to other stringent security standards to securely power systems like Cerebro.

Cameron Lindsay, CEO and founder of Haystack was thrilled to see MB2 Dental's successful adoption of the innovative intranet tool, “Haystack empowers organizations like MB2 Dental to connect, collaborate and share information seamlessly. We are excited about the growing DPO space. Working with a highly successful organization like MB2 Dental has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Bak succeeds Richard Parr, who will become Senior Advisor

The Aspen Group (TAG) announces the appointment of Hyung Bak as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer. In his new role, Bak will split his time between the TAG Practice Support Centers in Chicago and Syracuse to lead the Legal Center of Excellence (COE) and oversee Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, Employee Relations, and Industry and Governmental Affairs across TAG.

“Since joining TAG as General Counsel in December 2022, Hyung has rapidly emerged as a trusted counselor and an effective advocate inside and outside the organization,” said Bob Fontana, Chairman and CEO of TAG. “We’re excited to see the impact he makes as he takes on this important role.”

Bak succeeds Richard Parr, who joined the company in 2018 and will be transitioning to TAG Senior Adviser. Parr will support business and policy initiatives with TAG's leadership team and brand presidents in his new role.

Bak brings a wealth of experience from his previous positions, having most recently served as General Counsel at Warby Parker. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel at AmerisourceBergen and held positions of increasing responsibility in legal and procurement at Campbell Soup Company. Bak’s legal career began with a clerkship for the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, followed by private practice at leading international law firms Covington & Burling and Sullivan & Cromwell. Bak is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University and received his J.D. from Columbia Law School where he distinguished himself as the Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review.

"This strategic transition marks the successful culmination of our succession plan that has been in development for nearly two years,” said Parr. “After five years in the Chief Legal Officer role, I am confident that I am leaving the Legal Center of Excellence in extremely capable hands.”

Garrett Goldberg Joins Wellplaece, Bolstering Operational Capabilities as They Scale.

Wellplaece, a leading innovator in applying artificial intelligence to procurement, is thrilled to announce that Garrett Goldberg, a seasoned entrepreneur and early investor in the company, has officially joined the team as COO. Garrett brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in tech-based marketplaces, further solidifying Wellplaece’s opportunity for scale.

“Garrett’s deep understanding of marketplaces and his proven track record in the tech industry make him an incredible asset to our team,” said Caen Contee, CEO and co-founder of Wellplaece. “We are confident that with Garrett on board, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in AI-driven procurement and deliver unparalleled value to our customers.”

Goldberg’s decision to transition from an early investor to an active member of the Wellplaece team underscores his belief in the company’s potential and the transformative impact of AI on procurement, particularly within the dental industry. His expertise in scaling tech-based marketplaces will be invaluable as Wellplaece continues to innovate and expand its offerings.

“I am excited to be joining Wellplaece, a company and team I have believed in since its early days,” said Goldberg. “The opportunity to apply AI to procurement is vast, and Wellplaece is at the forefront of this innovation. I am eager to contribute my operational experience and help drive the company forward into scale, not just in the dental industry but across numerous sectors.”

“Garrett’s involvement from the early stages of Wellplaece has been instrumental in our growth,” said Contee. “Having him on our team is a natural progression and a testament to our shared vision for the future of AI in procurement. We are excited for the operational expertise and passion he brings, and we look forward to achieving great things together.”

Goldberg’s appointment is effective immediately. He will be working closely with the leadership team to strategize and implement innovative solutions that harness the power of AI for procurement.

About Wellplaece

Wellplaece is a pioneering company dedicated to transforming procurement through artificial intelligence. With a focus on the dental industry and a vision to expand across various sectors, Wellplaece is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that drive efficiency, reduce costs and empower businesses to thrive. Learn more at www.wellplaece.com. 

• Third-generation material for printing removable dentures offers high break resistance, accurate printing, and repeatable results

• Company’s additive manufacturing technologies enabling advances in 3D-printed denture market — anticipated to reach more than $2 billion by 2028

3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided 510(k) clearance for its NextDent Base material that is intended for the manufacturing of denture bases to support artificial teeth to form full or partial removable dentures. This material is approved by Health Canada and also received CE marking 1639. NextDent Base is the third generation of the company’s denture base material for 3D printing and has excellent mechanical properties including high break resistance, and accurate and repeatable printability. NextDent Base is truly comparable to conventional denture materials and provides patients with long-lasting, impact-resistant dentures. Additionally, the material is available in four colors to match the most popular gingiva shades for improved aesthetics. Using NextDent Base as part of 3D Systems’ digital dental workflow is helping drive new levels of speed, productivity, efficiency, and precision while also providing opportunities to improve the patient experience.

NextDent Base is already receiving positive feedback in the market. Steven Campbell, RDT FCGDent, with Nexus Dental Laboratory (Harrogate, United Kingdom) has been running trial tests with the material and stated, “This new material is truly amazing! No support bar across the heels, lovely delicate supports which are easy to remove, and the fit of the teeth to denture and denture to bar show just how stable this is. We have just started trials with it, but already I can see the strength of this is going to make it an incredible material to keep an eye on. We are so confident in the strength we see on early prints that we are going to run some test partials with it.”

Additionally, Dr. Kunal Lal, DDS, MS, Board Certified Prosthodontist, at LAL Dental (New York, New York) said, “I really enjoyed testing the NextDent Base material. It is pink, flexible in thinner sections, and can be used for same-day interim RPD fabrication. Some of the other properties worth noting are minimal mixing, cleaning of residual material on the surface is easier, and improved strength.”

The adoption of 3D printing to produce prosthodontics continues to accelerate, yet there is still significant opportunity. According to 360 Research Reports, the global 3D Printed Dentures market size was estimated to be more than $1 billion in 2021 and is forecast to reach more than $2 billion by 2028. The use of digital workflows such as 3D Systems’ digital dentistry solution comprising its NextDent Base material, along with its NextDent 3D printing technology with a trusted connection with industry-leading software packages, results in a complete workflow including post-processing to ensure the best possible product. With 3D Systems’ NextDent solution, dental laboratories and clinics are now able to produce dental devices at dramatically increased speed while reducing material waste and capital equipment expenditure as well as reliance upon milling centers. Benefits also extend to the patient by reducing the time it takes to produce prosthodontics, as well as the number of required office visits.

“Our goal is to ensure we are addressing our customers’ needs with our solutions, and this is yet another step in achieving that goal,” said Chuck Stapleton, vice president and general manager, dental, 3D Systems. “With the clearance of NextDent Base, we continue to add to our portfolio of dental 3D printing materials that are enabling dental laboratories and clinics to address a wide range of applications. These offerings are helping our customers accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing as part of their workflows and drive new levels of speed, productivity, efficiency, and precision while also providing opportunities to improve the patient experience.”

NextDent Base is the latest addition to 3D Systems’ portfolio of 30 unique NextDent resins – the largest number available from any dental 3D printing material supplier. The material is available in four colors to match a variety of aesthetics and is available for immediate ordering.

NextDent 3D printing materials for medical devices are biocompatible and CE-certified in accordance with Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC, listed at the FDA, and registered in various other countries. The complete NextDent portfolio – for both medical and non-medical devices – is suitable for a wide range of 3D-printed dental applications. For more information, please visit the company’s website. 

Company Highlights Its Commitment to Supporting Community Health Centers and Hosts Oral Hygiene Packing Event Benefitting Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

Henry Schein presented a range of resources, products, and solutions that help community health centers (CHCs) continue to provide quality, cost-effective dental and medical care for underserved individuals at the 2023 National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) Annual Conference, held from November 5 – 8, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. The Company also hosted an oral hygiene kit packing event for attendees.

Throughout the NNOHA conference, Henry Schein featured equipment and technology to help dentists optimize practice workflow and enhance the patient experience, including the 3Shape TRIOS 5, DEXIS™ IS 3800 Wireless, Medit i700, and Planmeca Emerald™ S. Visitors also learned about Henry Schein One’s solutions such as its Dentrix Enterprise Practice Management Software, which is designed to address the unique needs of public health organizations by helping to improve organizational efficiency. Dentrix Enterprise is interoperable with more than 40 different medical systems, allowing users to share data easily, and features a robust database to facilitate required public health dentistry reports.

“NNOHA and Henry Schein have a shared value of helping communities increase access to oral health care, and we are pleased to yet again participate in its annual conference,” said Kathleen Titus, Director, Community Health Centers and Corporate Relations. “We are dedicated to helping CHCs continue to elevate and expand care throughout communities in the United States. As the paramount national voice for six million health center dental patients in the country, NNOHA is validating that a healthy smile is a fundamental right, not a privilege.”

Henry Schein Cares, the Company’s global corporate social responsibility program, also hosted an oral hygiene kit packing event on November 6, where conference attendees gathered to assemble 2,000 kits with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. The kits will be donated by Henry Schein Cares to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, an organization that strives to end homelessness in Denver, and offers services to help individuals and their families with housing, health care, substance use treatment, jobs, and childcare. The kit packing initiative reinforces the Company’s longstanding commitment to advancing health equity and raising awareness of the needs of underserved populations.

Henry Schein has supported NNOHA since 2002, and over the past two decades, the Company has provided advocacy, training, financial support, donations, and technical assistance to the organization. Henry Schein serves CHCs in a variety of ways, including quality dental and medical supplies and equipment, practice management solutions to help streamline data, purchasing plans, and distribution capabilities that support community health centers and health-care offices, amongst others. 

Provides Unprecedented Out-of-the-Box Efficiency for the Entire Life of the Insert

Parkell, a global leader in dental materials and devices, is excited to introduce its new DuraTip® ultrasonic insert at the Greater NY Dental Meeting (Booth# 2604).

“With the DuraTip ultrasonic insert, we have achieved an insert that performs like new for its entire life, despite tip wear,” says David Mott, President of Parkell. “This differs tremendously from all other ultrasonic inserts to date, which lose an astounding 50% of their scaling efficiency after only 2mm of tip wear (and 25% of their scaling efficiency after only 1mm of tip wear). With DuraTip, a quantum leap in dental scaling has been achieved: ultrasonic inserts that perform with consistent, peak scaling efficiency for their entire life (out to an unprecedented 3mm of tip wear).

“This was only possible because of Parkell’s strong belief that such a scaling experience was possible, and that the standard of care will be raised with such an insert in use. With this belief, Parkell spent thousands of engineering hours in close collaboration with active hygienists, and the results are truly phenomenal. For clinicians, this means no more need for excessive force as tips wear (which otherwise results in clinician and patient discomfort), as well as reduced chair times and lower long-term costs (as DuraTip inserts perform optimally for longer and don’t need replacement as early or often as conventional inserts).”

DuraTip’s excellence is achieved through novel patented internal geometries at the tip and connecting body, unsurpassed energy transfer and durability across an innovative W-stack design, and precision manufacturing in the USA by Parkell’s highly experienced product teams.

As is widely known in the industry, tip wear with conventional ultrasonic inserts can greatly affect the efficiency and performance of the insert. When the tips are worn on non-DuraTip inserts, clinicians are prone to apply more pressure on the insert and to increase pinch force, which lessens the vibration of the insert and can lead to an increase in scaling time. Moreover, tip wear with conventional inserts can cause discomfort to patients and to clinicians. For the clinician, more pressure on the insert dampens the amplitude and leads to hand strain, wrist fatigue and even carpel tunnel.

DuraTip inserts define a new standard of care: consistent performance, use after use, patient after patient. Its unique design and fabrication decreases pinch force, hand fatigue, and supports comfortable ergonomics after a long day of scaling. Moreover, DuraTip inserts feature soft 12mm diameter grips having anti-slip tread patterns to help clinicians securely grasp the insert without the need of excessive pressure.

As with all Parkell inserts, DuraTip is designed and manufactured in the USA. It is time to raise the bar with Parkell’s new DuraTip insert – experience the same like new feeling again and again over 3mm of insert wear. DuraTip is currently available in 30K Universal Slim and 30K Perio Slim.

For more information about Parkell, please visit www.parkell.com or call (800) 243-7446. If you are attending the GNYDM, stop by booth# 2604 to learn more and speak with a sales representative.

K Line Europe, the number one manufacturer of OEM Clear Aligners in Europe, has recently received FDA registration to offer its top selling K Clear Aligners in the United States. K Line boasts a best-in-class refinement rate of only 15.8%. The low refinement rate means that the practitioner will have more predictable case outcomes, more satisfied patients, and be more productive since they will be spending less time reworking existing cases due to the higher refinement rates of other competitors.

K Line Europe’s industry leading process achieves its 15.8% rate by having every case created by an expert team of Orthodontists and Dentists, not an AI software program, or lab tech. K Line currently manufactures 7,000 aligners daily to exact specifications at its new, state-of-the- art facility in Germany. The aligners, made from K Line’s own K Flex, a multi layered material, which provides increased patient comfort, durability, and predictable movement.

K Line’s submission portal is free of charge, no monthly fees, and works with all 3D IO Scanners creating a universal STL file. All aligners are manufactured in 3-5 days after case submission, then overnighted to its newly opened distribution center in Florida, where they are boxed up, and shipped out to the clinic, free of charge. This entire process takes only 14-16 days on average.

K Line products will soon be available from most full service dental dealers. K Line also offers private label opportunities to Dealers, Groups, and DSO’s. To find out more information, contact your authorized K Line dealer, or visit our website at www.k-lineus.com.

Spear Education, a leading provider of dental education, is pleased to announce key organizational changes that align with the organization’s commitment to educational excellence and providing an outstanding customer experience to the dental community.

Dr. Gregg Kinzer, a distinguished dental professional and long-time Spear Resident Faculty member, has been appointed to the role of Faculty Chair and Chief Curriculum and Campus Education Officer. In this role, Kinzer will lead Spear’s curriculum development for Spear’s online, virtual and in-person courses, seminars and workshops.

In parallel, Spear is proud to appoint Dr. Steve Ratcliff as the Chief Dental Officer. He will lead the Faculty, Visiting Faculty, and an internal team, focusing on expanding Spear’s on-campus workshops and seminars and advancing the campus experience. This initiative aims to foster an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive, enabling our community to stay at the forefront of advancements in dentistry.

These developments not only reinforce the organization's commitment to education but also bring Spear closer to achieving its campus expansion goals. Spear Education remains steadfast in its dedication to providing the highest quality dental education, ensuring that all its members receive unparalleled support and expertise. These changes are a testament to Spear's commitment to evolving and adapting to the dynamic needs of the dental community, while maintaining its core values of excellence and innovation.

Dr. Kinzer taught with Frank Spear, DDS, MSD, at the Seattle Institute for Advanced Dental Education from 1998 to 2009 prior to joining Spear Resident Faculty. He received his DDS degree from the University of Washington in 1995, and an MSD and certificate in Prosthodontics in 1998. He is a highly respected nationally and internationally recognized dental educator.

Prior to taking this role, Dr. Ratcliff served as the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Spear Education and has been a Resident Faculty member since 2009. He has practiced general dentistry for 41 years, and for the past 25 years he has focused his work on comprehensive adult restorative care. He has lectured internationally on interdisciplinary care, esthetics, implant, and restorative dentistry and optimizing the patient experience. Dr. Ratcliff earned his DDS from Case Western Reserve University in 1978 and an MS in adult education at the University of Wyoming in 2008.