New Program Inspires Dentists to Maximize Their Dental Practice’s Value

Productive Dentist Academy (PDA), the leading dental consulting and marketing firm in the nation, is excited to announce the launch of Seller Readiness, the newest program under the PDA suite of services. Designed to empower dental practice owners looking to maximize the value of their businesses during the time of transition, Seller Readiness offers an unrivaled opportunity to enhance profitability and boost business valuation.

Many dentists overlook the critical importance of the Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) metric during business valuation, which significantly impacts the final sale value of their practice. Understanding the significance of the EBITDA indicator, PDA developed the Investment Grade Practice™ Seller Readiness Program to help dental professionals achieve the highest return on their lifetime of dedication to patients, community, and their practice.

“At PDA, we are committed to helping dental practice owners realize their true potential and make the most of their hard work and investment,” says PDA Co-founder & CEO Dr. Victoria Peterson. “The Seller Readiness program identifies and addresses key areas of growth, optimizes cash flow, and implements effective marketing strategies, all while ensuring optimal patient care remains a top priority.”

The Investment Grade Practice™ Seller Readiness Program focuses on three core areas vital for generating healthy growth and maximizing business value:

1. Cash Flow Optimization: By meticulously reviewing the financials of the previous three years, PDA helps dental professionals identify their financial-freedom timeline and develop a profitability incentive point, thereby creating a balanced budget. This enables practice owners to optimize the sale value, generate EBITDA greater than 15 percent, eliminate cash flow leaks, and achieve a balanced labor cost structure.

2. Marketing Excellence: PDA works with dental practice owners to optimize both internal marketing and external advertising strategies. This provides a seamless communication of the doctor’s philosophy of care and helps its continuation even after the practice transitions. The program assists in attracting new employees and patients who align with the core values of the practice. This includes marketing audits, employer brand marketing, collateral design, and internal marketing activation.

3. Practice Growth Enhancement: The program provides dental professionals with proven methodologies to accelerate robust top-line growth and improve patient health. By engaging the dental team in strengthening four key areas - productive scheduling, comprehensive treatment diagnosis, financial & case acceptance, and master patient journey - PDA enables practice owners to achieve sustainable growth and success.

With PDA’s Investment Grade Practice™ Seller Readiness Program, dental practice owners gain the confidence and expertise required to transact their practice(s) with confidence, securing the maximum value from the sale.

To guide dentists in their journey towards maximizing the value of their dental practice and ensuring a successful transition, the ideal initiation into the Investment Grade Practice™ Seller Readiness Program is at the PDA Productivity Workshop & IGP Summit, March 14-16, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. Attendees will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the program's core areas, engage with industry experts, and take the first step towards enhancing profitability and boosting business valuation.

For more details and to reserve your spot at the March Workshop, visit https://productivedentist.com/sellerreadinesssummit.

For more information about Productive Dentist Academy and the Investment Grade Practice™ Seller Readiness Program, please visit http://www.productivedentist.com.

Dentsply Sirona has proudly been recognized by Newsweek’s Ranking as one of “America's Greenest Companies 2024.” The ranking identified the leading 300 U.S. companies based on their environmental sustainability efforts.

Dentsply Sirona, the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, was recognized as one of America’s Greenest Companies 2024 by American news magazine Newsweek and market data research firm Plant-A Insights Group. The award recognizes Dentsply Sirona’s impact and commitment to driving sustainability as a fundamental part of its strategy to transform dentistry and improve oral health globally.

Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group selected the top 300 companies in collaboration with GIST Impact, a leading impact data and analytics provider, by conducting research and analysis of public sustainability data from organizations with a minimum market capitalization of 5 billion dollars in the US.

Criteria for the evaluation and scoring of America’s Greenest Companies included over 25 parameters in four main categories: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water usage, waste generation, and commitment and disclosures. The criteria aimed to reflect the multidimensional nature of environmental impacts on the planet.

“It is very rewarding to see our sustainability efforts recognized by placing us among the top sustainable business organizations in the U.S.,” said Erania Brackett, Dentsply Sirona’s Senior Vice President, Orthodontic Aligner Solutions & Customer Experience, and Head of Sustainability. “For the past three years, we have made great strides toward our environmental goals. This latest ranking achievement acknowledges our significant efforts and progress in going BEYOND to enable the industry to advance with confidence towards a more sustainable future.”

Committed to its BEYOND sustainability strategy

Dentsply Sirona launched its sustainability strategy “BEYOND: Taking action for a brighter world” in 2021 to positively contribute to environmental, social and governance goals. Its “Healthy Planet” strategic pillar focuses on the actions taken to mitigate the environmental impact of the Company’s operations. The other two pillars “Healthy Smiles” and “Healthy Business” focus respectively on improving oral health globally and building trusted and responsible relationships in business. The Company published the latest edition of its Sustainability Report in September 2023.

Sustainability highlights: Healthy Planet progress

The Company met its initial 2025 environmental goals in 2021 – reducing by 15% its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emission intensity and water withdrawal intensity – and conducted energy and waste audits across several sites worldwide in 2022. These allowed Dentsply Sirona to identify new opportunities to reduce energy consumption and waste production, and to put measures in place accordingly. This information is also being used to set the next layer of environmental targets for 2030.

Actions taken to promote sustainability

Measures have been taken across the Company to reduce GHG emissions, water usage and waste generation. Actions taken in 2022 in these areas include:

• At its Elz, Germany manufacturing site, the sites solar panel installation generates up to 36,000 kWH of electricity per year equating to a saving of up to 13.6 tons of CO2e per year.

• At its Johnson City, Tennessee (U.S.) manufacturing site, investment in closed-loop chillers recirculates water instead of it going into the city septic system, thereby reducing overall water consumption by more than 1.5 million liters.

• Developing digital tools and solutions using 100% renewable energy such as its cloud-based digital platform DS Core.

• Reducing packaging waste by shifting to more sustainable packaging for its endodontic solution kits.

Dentsply Sirona has previously been recognized for its holistic sustainability approach encompassing Environmental, Social, and Governance aspects. In 2023, Dentsply Sirona was named as one of America's Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, which recognized the Company’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

Staffing Shortages, Hybrid Work, Cyber Threats and AI Drive a 50% YOY Increase in Healthcare Administration Costs and Complexities

Despite Avoiding $193 Billion in Costs Annually Through Automation, Escalating Challenges in Workforce and Data Security Fuel Rising Expenditures

CAQH today released its eleventh annual Index report measuring the progress healthcare providers and health plans have made automating electronic business processes. The 2023 CAQH Index found that, while adoption of automated workflows increased for the majority of processes, staffing shortages, security challenges and increased time required to conduct transactions contributed to higher spending – 50% for medical and 18% for dental – on transactions tracked by the report.

“The Index has identified tremendous savings opportunities. Of those, about 90% directly benefit healthcare providers,” said Sarah Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer at CAQH. “At a time when physician burnout is reaching crisis levels, the industry needs to work together to reduce administrative inefficiency, freeing providers to spend more time with patients and, ultimately, impacting the quality of care. We look forward to working with plans, providers and other stakeholders to drive these improvements forward.”

Every year, the CAQH Index tracks automation, spending and savings opportunities for administrative transactions related to verifying insurance coverage and cost-sharing, obtaining authorization for care, submitting claims and supplemental information, and sending and receiving payments. The report categorizes transactions by whether they are fully automated, partially electronic, or manual.

The latest report found that, of the roughly $400 billion estimated cost of administrative complexity in our healthcare system, nine transactions covered by the Index account for $89 billion, or 22%, of the total. Although reducing these costs will be complicated by staffing shortages, cybercrime and other factors, the medical and dental industries still can save a combined $18.3 billion annually through additional automation and process improvements.

“Provider time spent on administrative processes increased by 14% on average last year, costing the American healthcare system roughly $21 billion,” said Erin Weber, Chief Policy and Research Officer at CAQH. “With the data and technologies available to us today, we have the power to transform the way we conduct the business of healthcare. However, as an industry, we must align around consistent processes that enable providers to minimize the time spent learning new workflows. This is particularly important given the current labor shortage.”

To read the full report, click here, or to learn more, register for our webinar discussing the findings on February 6 at 2 pm.

About CAQH

CAQH is a leading organization focused on aligning the healthcare ecosystem around essential solutions, creating a more connected and less costly experience for all. For more than 20 years, CAQH has partnered with millions of providers, thousands of health plans, state Medicaid agencies, and leading healthcare stakeholders who leverage the organization's solutions, operating rules, and insights to connect and exchange data every day as a part of the business of healthcare. Learn more at CAQH.org. 

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recently recognized nine dental professionals who have demonstrated their dedication to continuing education and responsible patient care by becoming credentialed by the AACD. This year, the AACD will honor eight newly Accredited Members and one newly Accredited Fellow Member during the 40th Annual AACD Scientific Session in National Harbor, MD.

AACD Accreditation is an honor and can only be achieved by completing a rigorous credentialing process including a written examination, submitting clinical cases for peer-reviewed examination, and an oral examination. The Accreditation process, developed by the AACD and is the world’s most recognized advanced credentialing program, encourages further education, interaction with like-minded colleagues, and the opportunity for professional growth. Accreditation requires dedication to continuing education and responsible patient care.

The newly Accredited Members include:

Richard I. Coates, BDS, AAACD

Marek Vlna, MD, AAACD

In addition to the eight Accredited Members, AACD recently announced its newest Accredited Fellow, Salvatore Lotardo, DDS, FAACD. Fellowship is the highest level of achievement available to members, in accordance with AACD’s mission.

For more information about AACD’s credentialing programs, visit www.aacd.com/accreditationfellowship.

About the AACD

The AACD is the world’s largest non-profit member organization dedicated to advancing excellence in comprehensive oral care, combining art and science to optimally improve dental health, esthetics, and function. Comprised of more than 3,700 cosmetic dental professionals in 70 countries worldwide, the AACD fulfills its mission by offering superior educational opportunities, promoting and supporting a respected Accreditation credential, serving as a user-friendly and inviting forum for the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas, and providing accurate and useful information to the public and the profession.

Medical-Grade Weighted Blankets Designed to Fit Dental Chairs Help Elevate Patient Comfort, Satisfaction, and Loyalty

Dental anxiety is a common challenge in providing quality dental care. Routine visits, treatments, and procedures can be stressful for patients. CapeAble Weighted Products is proud to introduce CapeAble Care Medical-Grade Blankets, a non-pharmaceutical option designed to fit dental chairs to enhance the patient experience, elevate comfort, and help contribute to overall patient satisfaction and loyalty in dental settings.

The innovative CapeAble Care Medical-Grade Blankets are infused with SmartWeight Technology, a patented advancement in weighted therapy. This ground-breaking technology meticulously infuses medical-grade glass beads into the fabric at 2-inch intervals, helping to ensure that the blanket fulfills the three essential criteria for effective Deep Touch Pressure (DTP) — conformity, compression, and constant contact with nerves. The DTP provided by

SmartWeight Technology may help activate the patients’ nerves; thus, it may help to regulate their nervous system response and help contribute to overall comfort and relaxation during dental procedures.

CapeAble produces a range of Medical-Grade Blankets as well as, Lap Pads, and Focus Fidgets, providing dental practitioners with several tools to improve the overall quality of dental care. They seamlessly integrate into any dental chair, helping to guarantee an efficient workflow for both providers and their equipment. These dental-sized Medical-Grade Blankets offer a far more convenient option for patients who ask to keep the lead apron on after X-rays. CapeAble Care products are easy to maintain and sanitize with medical-grade wipes, ensuring a clean and safe environment. Alternatively, if looking for something so patients can enjoy added warmth and comfort, CapeAble Weighted Products are also available in soft plush fabric options, creating an even more pleasant, spa-like experience. Plus, they are machine wash and tumble dry.

Marna Pacheco, Founder of CapeAble Weighted Products and Inventor of SmartWeight Technology, explained the company's mission, saying, "Because of my daughter Millie's medical trauma and fear of doctors and dentists, we knew we wanted to take our SmartWeight products into medical and dental facilities. Anxiety often keeps patients from getting the care they need. We want to help ease that fear for everyone."

The CapeAble Care product line offers a drug-free and valuable solution for dental providers who aim to optimize comfort care. They align seamlessly with best practices, emphasizing patient-centered care and practice efficiency. These remarkable therapeutic weighted products are a safe and effective tool for fostering patient satisfaction and loyalty while ensuring exceptional dental care.

For more information, please visit www.capeable.com/collections/capeablecare-medical-grade.

DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA or FTC. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.

Nurses, Artists, and Construction Workers Projected to See Highest Increases in Pay by 2033

New research has ranked the U.S.’ most populated industries and estimated what their pay could look like in 10 years (2033) in line with inflation, and the results are surprising.

The research by TollFreeForwarding.com found registered nurses are expected to make $12.82 more per hour in 2033 than they do today, the highest increase of the 16 professions included in the study.

Interestingly, artists, writers, and performers are expected to see the second highest increase in hourly earnings, with an adjusted $8 rise in 2033 from 2023. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a continued demand for live music and digital media opportunities will continue to drive growth in the arts. The BLS projects entertainers and performers to see a 6% growth over the next decade, while artists and writers will see a 4% growth. The increases for lower-wage workers can somewhat be attributed to states raising their minimum wage requirements and a competitive labor market.

Dentists are expected to see the sharpest decrease in earnings, making $13.72 less per hour by 2033, followed by lawyers, who are estimated to earn $5.00 less per hour, and doctors, who are estimated to make $2.89 less per hour. Despite the decrease in hourly wages, all three professions project to be among the highest earners in 2033, with doctors expected to earn $150 per hour, dentists $93.95 per hour and lawyers $90.34 per hour, the three highest of all included professions.

The complete findings are as follows:

Career	2013 Hourly Earnings	2013 (adjusted)	2023 Hourly Earnings	2033 Projected Earnings	2033 (adjusted)
Doctor	$92.25	$121.03	$121.51	$150.72	$118.62
Dentist	$81.19	$106.52	$87.66	$93.95	$73.94
Lawyer	$63.46	$83.26	$76.70	$90.34	$71.70
Artists/Writers/Performers	$28.77	$37.75	$51.14	$75.14	$59.13
Registered Nurses	$33.13	$43.47	$45.49	$74.09	$58.31
IT	$41.51	$54.36	$53.96	$66.59	$52.41
Telecoms	$30.45	$39.95	$41.46	$53.97	$42.47
Journalists/Reporters	$23.26	$30.52	$37.90	$53.72	$42.27
Teachers	$35.08	$46.02	$42.88	$51.02	$40.16
Construction	$25.59	$33.57	$33.89	$48.94	$38.52
Graphic Designers	$27.70	$36.34	$37.54	$47.37	$37.28
Electricians	$25.75	$33.78	$32.33	$41.70	$32.82
Passenger Drivers	$15.59	$20.45	$20.49	$25.56	$20.12
Janitors	$12.09	$15.86	$16.83	$23.69	$18.64
Cashiers	$9.82	$12.88	$14.55	$22.78	$17.93
Bartenders	$10.46	$13.72	$16.29	$22.11	$17.40

TollFreeForwarding.com spoke to recruiter and Head of People Renae Shaw to understand some of the factors that could be impacting the estimated increases and decreases.

“In recent years we’ve seen a lot of pressure on salaries as inflation and the cost of living continues to rise. This can be seen in industries like Digital Marketing, where a skills shortage is keenly felt. This will be compounded further as AI become more prevalent, and we can expect to see the gap widen further in other industries also. Demand for certain roles will drop dramatically, and subsequently the salaries, and we can expect to see new trends emerging,” says Shaw.

More on the research and methodology can be found on the TollFreeForwarding.com blog.

Methodology

Earning Forecasting

The annual mean hourly earnings were gathered for each job from 2013 to 2022 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Using this historical data, we forecasted what each job would make every year from 2023 until 2033 using the Excel function FORECAST.ETS(target_date, values, timeline).

Adjusting for Inflation

Historical earnings were then adjusted for inflation in 2023 using the US inflation calculator. Future projections were also adjusted for an estimated ten-year inflation rate of 2.13% (21.3% cumulative) based on projections by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Future earnings adjusted for projected inflation were calculated using the formula (X – (X*0.213)) and checked against the future inflation calculator.

Earnings Differences (Actual Values)

The actual difference in earnings from 2013 to 2023, and 2023 to 2033, were calculated using the unadjusted historical and projected earnings for each job.

Earnings Differences (Adjusted Values)

The adjusted difference in earnings from 2013 to 2023, and 2023 to 2033, were calculated using the adjusted-for-inflation historical and projected earnings for each job.

Additional Sources:

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-6 

About TollFreeForwarding.com    

Founded in 2002, TollFreeForwarding.com is an international telecommunications provider based in Los Angeles, California. A privately held company, TollFreeForwarding.com provides businesses around the world instant access to new and existing customers via their immense inventory of international phone numbers.  

Curaprox Wooden Toothbrush with beautiful, earthy warmth of the biodegradable, compostable handle and the joyful color of the brush head filaments is now available. After developing no less than 48 prototypes, Curaden presents a wooden toothbrush that meets demanding expectations. For this new toothbrush, Curaprox uses Swiss beech wood from sustainable forest management.

The Curaprox wood ultra soft has 4440 densely packed filaments. This results in a cleaning surface that is second to none, and which can work particularly well on an ultra-compact, slightly angled brush head. Therefore, all areas of the mouth are easy to reach. This is the toughest opponent of plaque: the gentleness of the Curaprox wooden toothbrush.

The Curaprox wood ultra soft differs from other wooden or bamboo toothbrushes available by its effective and gentle cleaning properties and its iconic Curaprox design.

To learn more, visit curaden.us

The organization today supports more than 2,900 dentists in nearly 1,000 offices across 24 states and anticipates high strategic growth in 2024.

Pacific Dental Services® (PDS), a leading dental and medical support organization in the U.S., announced today that the company achieved yet another outstanding year in 2023. In addition to expanding market share in several states, implementing clinical innovations that enhance patient care, and increasing efforts to advance medical-dental integration through multiple strategic partnerships and technologies, other notable achievements in the past year served as the foundation to position the organization for continued growth in 2024.

“Reflecting on our collective accomplishments in 2023, I'm grateful for the dedication of our clinicians and team members who continue to drive our organization forward,” said PDS Founder and CEO Stephen E. Thorne IV. “As we enter 2024, we keep our eyes on the horizon. We’re committed to partnering with like-minded clinicians and organizations, enabling closer collaboration between dental and medical professionals, and prioritizing oral health to improve the overall health of patients on a broader scale.”

Highlights from Pacific Dental Services’ substantial list of achievements in 2023 include:

Company Growth

• Delivered record-breaking financial results in 2023, with double-digit growth.

• Onboarded more than 800 dentists, 700 dental hygienists, and 180 specialty dentists, resulting in a current combined total of more than 4,500 clinicians (dentists, dental hygienists, physicians, and nurse practitioners). Collectively, the organization has a workforce of over 14,800 team members across the nation.

• Expanded market share in 18 states by opening 72 new practices, expanding 26 existing practices, and adding six medical practices.

• Opened its 950th supported practice, Cottage Grove Smiles Dentistry, in Cottage Grove, Minn.

Dental-Medical Integration and Partnerships

• Opened the first co-located dental-medical practice with MemorialCare which leverages integrated patient health records on Epic, offering dental and medical providers comprehensive insights into patients’ overall health.

• Opened two dental-medical integrated practices in Las Vegas, Nev.

• Continued participation in a consortium that successfully advocated for the expansion of Medicare to cover certain medically necessary dental procedures.

• Continued to serve on the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors’ steering committee that guides a national framework for expanding dental and medical integration programs.

• Partnered with High Point University to extend its instance of Epic for use in the college’s dental school and dental practices affiliated with the school through the HPU Oral Health Network. PDS was the first dental support organization to partner with an academic institution through the Epic Community Connect program.

• Invested in RevBio to support the clinical development of its bone adhesive biomaterial for implant dentistry.

• Partnered with CareQuest Innovation Partners and MATTER to support SMILE Health, empowering startups in the oral health industry to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of oral health.

Advanced, Proven Technologies

• Operationalized and optimized the integration of Epic in all supported practices. Since launch, over 87.8 million patient records have been exchanged between PDS-supported clinicians and other healthcare organizations.

• Surpassed lifetime milestone of 3.75 million dental restorations using CEREC CAD/CAM technology, and over 427,000 dental restorations (crowns, inlays/onlays, and veneers) in 2023 alone.

• Implemented Envista’s DTX Studio™ assisted intelligence technology into approximately half of all supported dental practices.

• Installed the latest cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology in 221 supported practices. This advanced, proven imaging technology is available in 79 percent of PDS-supported practices.

• Administered over 36,000 salivary diagnostic tests in partnership with OralDNA Labs®, a 34 percent increase over last year’s total.

• Conducted over 1,100 blood sugar (HbA1c) tests during a pilot program in 28 supported dental practices.

• Expanded chairside aMMP-8 biomarker screening pilot program to include additional dental practices.

Supporting Lifelong Learning

• Supported three team members in achieving their dream of earning a bachelor’s degree through the PDS College Advancement Program, with over 100 team members currently pursuing their degree.

• Awarded a total of over 1,900 continuing education (CE) credits collectively to 500 supported clinicians in attendance at its annual XP event.

• Launched the inaugural Mouth-Body Connection® Symposium for PDS-supported clinicians and collectively awarded over 1,000 CE credits to the attendees.

• PDS University® – Institute of Dentistry provided clinicians with comprehensive education through state-of-the-art training facilities, including simulation laboratories and immersive courses.

Community Impact and Service

• Over 94,000 hours of volunteer time provided to local communities and charities by PDS team members in 2023.

• Over $10.6 million of donated dental care provided to underserved patients during Smile Generation Serve Day.

• Raised and contributed over $1.2 million for charity: water, funding clean water sources for an estimated 31,200 people in need.

• Raised and contributed over $946,000 to the Pacific Dental Services Foundation to increase access to dental care for patients with special needs, provide specialized training for clinicians focused on special needs dentistry, fund additional dental assisting scholarships, and support the PDS Foundation Clínica Dental in Xenacoj, Guatemala.

• Sponsored and constructed its 18th playground in partnership with KABOOM!.

• Completed four week-long volunteer trips to provide donated dental care at the PDS Foundation Clínica Dental in Guatemala.

• Marked 40th international service trip and over $11 million in donated dentistry around the world.

Awards and Recognition

• Named as an honoree of “The Civic 50 Orange County” by OneOC and Points of Light. This is the fifth time PDS has received this recognition.

• Recognized for the fourth time by the Orange County Business Journal as one of Orange County’s “Companies That Care.”

• Received the inaugural “ADSO Service Award” from the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO).

• Named the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) “2023 Employer of the Year.”

For more information about Pacific Dental Services, visit pacificdentalservices.com.

Completion of the audit reaffirms the company’s commitment to protecting the security and privacy of customer data.

Planet DDS, the leading provider of cloud-based dental software, today announced its achievement of the System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type 2 attestation. This marks a significant industry first, positioning Planet DDS as the only dental and orthodontic practice management solutions provider to meet such stringent standards for all its products including Denticon practice management, Cloud 9 orthodontic practice management, Apteryx imaging, and Legwork solutions.

The third-party SOC 2 Type 2 certification attests to the continuously effective enterprise-level data security, availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, and privacy controls that Planet DDS has in place. The completion of the in-depth audit comes at a time in the industry where dental service organizations (DSOs), state and federally funded public health clinics, and other enterprise organizations are seeking greater confidence in vendors to reduce risk, especially for those providing mission-critical software like practice management solutions.

Eric Giesecke, CEO of Planet DDS, commented, “Achieving SOC 2 Type 2 compliance is more than a badge of honor for us. It underscores our dedication to ensuring the highest level of data security and trust for our customers. As the leader in the cloud-based dental solutions space, we believe that this achievement not only reinforces our leadership but also sets a new benchmark for the entire industry. This is especially crucial in the healthcare sector where data security and privacy are of paramount importance.”

Unlike the SOC 2 Type 1 certification, which evaluates the design of controls at a specific point in time, the SOC 2 Type 2 extends over a period of months, providing a more robust and continuous assurance of Planet DDS’ commitment to the highest standards of data security and operational reliability.

Mike Gibson, CTO of Planet DDS, added, “This rigorous SOC2 Type 2 certification process involved meticulous assessment of our controls and operations. We were able to implement the required guidelines in an extremely short timeframe due to our company’s existing cloud-based infrastructure. Our customers can have even greater confidence in our comprehensive approach to protecting their sensitive data.”

Nearly 50% of cybersecurity attacks target small businesses like independent private dental practices and healthcare accounts for almost 80% of data breaches. To learn about protecting your organization and your patients’ data, watch this on-demand webinar: Cybersecurity Webinar.

Maximum precision and surface quality in a new design for outstanding results and enjoyable craftsmanship

With the Ceramill Matron, Amann Girrbach launches the first fifth-generation milling machine on the market with superior features compared to older generation machines: outstanding precision and excellent milling results at maximum intuitive handling. The Ceramill Matron can be used for a wide range of materials, particularly in the carbide sector, and is suitable for autonomous order processing with up to eight blanks owing to the integrated Performance Blank Changer and can be fully integrated into the digital workflow. At the same time, the high level of user-friendliness makes Ceramill Matron the ideal partner for all users who place highest demands on quality, economy and enjoying their craftsmanship.

The new Ceramill Matron milling machine from Amann Girrbach is optimally designed for the precise and fast processing of carbide and is equipped with the latest tool technology and a 3 mm or 6 mm milling shaft. "The Ceramill Matron offers a completely new digital experience and achieves results with a precision that is on a par with any milling center. It can even be used to effortlessly machine hard metals such as titanium or cobalt-chrome up to 16 mm in-house," explains Daniel Leitner, Product Manager at Amann Girrbach.

Maximum precision of detail

The 45° arrangement of the A/B axes ensures high rigidity and accuracy with vibration-damping properties in the milling process. "With the Ceramill Matron, we achieve unprecedented running smoothness, which has an extremely positive effect on the surface quality and the service life of the milling cutters," explains Leitner and continues: “The 5-axis plus technology allows operating at extreme angles, resulting in very high precision, even in pronounced undercuts. In combination with our RFID technology, the SnapMag, a magnetically interchangeable 11-position tool carrier, makes tool changes quick and convenient. An unlimited number of cutters can be easily introduced via Plug&Play. With intelligent preloading, many materials and indications can be processed without the need for changing.”

Autonomous working and intuitive control

The 8-fold blank changer of the Ceramill Matron enables fully automated work processes in the field of dental production, whereby the control of the processes is intuitive: a high-resolution 21.5-inch display guides the user extremely conveniently through all work steps and contributes to more fun in everyday working life. Integrating the milling machine into the digital workflow is also very simple. "The Ceramill Matron is the ideal product for dental practices and laboratories that wish to drive digitization of their workflows forward and have the highest demands in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness. It is precisely this combination of performance and joy in craftsmanship that we wish to convey with our campaign slogan 'Serious Fun'," emphasizes Leitner. First users are also enthusiastic about the new Ceramill Matron. MDT Florian Barthel from HAL-Dent Zahntechnik GmbH in Halle (Germany) says: "For me, the Ceramill Matron can be described in 4 words: intuitive, powerful, trend-setting and multifunctional. For me, it closes the gap between the Ceramill Motion 3 and the Ceramill Matik in terms of design and is also absolutely future-proof due to its openness to future developments." Zeller Zahntechnik in Ulm (Germany) is delighted with the smooth running of the new machine: "As a laboratory that has already worked extensively with cobalt-chrome, we are very impressed by the smoothness of the Ceramill Matron when milling this extremely hard material. This results in long milling cutter service lives and hence a plus in the efficient use of resources."

All information on the new products, machines and software systems can be found at www.amanngirrbach.com.