One-shade posterior composite delivers long-term color stability

DMG launched Ecosite One, its revolutionary one-shade layering composite at the recent 2023 Greater New York Dental Meeting.

The innovative Ecosite One is the newest member of the complete family of Ecosite restorative composite materials that includes Ecosite Bulk Fill – the original item in the line – and the newly-launched anterior/posterior nanohybrid composite, Ecosite Elements.

Ecosite One is already blazing its own trail, setting new standards in the field of posterior restorations with just a single shade. A curing depth of 3 mm and a rapid polymerization within 10 seconds will thrill clinicians seeking the outstanding esthetics of composite layering technology while saving significant time in the process.

Present in all Ecosite composites is the eye-catching “Push-and-Flow effect.” Noticeably firm at the onset, the material quickly becomes significantly softer for ideal sculptability, enabling optimal adaptation and eliminating cracks and bubbles in the critical contact surfaces between the individual layers. Unique DMG-NC-1 (non-clustering) technology, also present across the entire Ecosite family, enables a homogenous distribution of particles to deliver optimum working characteristics and effortless polishability for a high-gloss finish, and outstanding esthetic results.

Other key benefits delivered by Ecosite One include:

• Low shrinkage stress

• Exceptional stain resistance for long-term color stability (data on file)

• Indicated for:

o Class I and II posterior fillings, including individual cusps

o Class V fillings

o Core build-up

o Extended fissure sealing

o Restorations in deciduous teeth

To order a sample today, dental professionals may visit https://dmgconnect.com/samples/ecosite-elements-and-ecosite-one-sample-offers/

For more information about DMG, please visit https://www.dmg-america.com/.

The retractor that’s so simple and comfortable to use your patient could insert it themselves in just seconds

The creators of Isolite, Zyris, are launching an innovative new dental retractor this year at Chicago Midwinter. The unique design of the Zyris dental retractor allows patients to close their mouths when needed while gentle tension makes it easy and comfortable to keep their mouth open and accessible during procedures.

Testing with a wide range of clinicians has proven the retractor increases patient tolerance and compliance in a way they’ve never experienced before with any other dental retractor.

“We saw a need for a dental retractor that was not just functionally excellent but comfortable for both patients and clinicians — and can be inserted in seconds,” said Sandra Hirsch, President and CEO of Zyris. “At Zyris we’re committed to developing exceptional tools that address the real problems clinicians face everyday.”

Zyris believes clinicians deserve dental tools that are carefully and intentionally designed and tested to support the exceptional work they do in a way that focuses on their experience and comfort just as much as the patient.

“You don’t need another version of the same retractor everyone else provides — that’s why our innovative designs focus on creating the best tool for the clinicians who trust us with their patients' safety and comfort,” Hirsch said. “It’s our first priority, always.”

Zyris will be at Chicago Midwinter where you can experience the new cutting edge retractor for yourselves and see the difference it can make for you and your patients. Location: Booth 3838.  

Spear Enterprise, a leading provider of comprehensive dental education and support services, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Gen4 Dental Partners, a rapidly growing and innovative Dental Service Organization.

As part of this collaboration, Gen4 Dental Partners' dentists will gain access to Spear Enterprise's tailored curriculum, specifically designed to support company goals. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to tap into Spear's extensive library of over 1,500 hours of continuing education materials developed by Spear’s world-renowned faculty.

Dr. Mitch Ellingson, CCO of Gen4 Dental Partners, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, "This is one of those pivotal moments for our great profession. All our doctors and their teams are committed to performing the highest quality dentistry possible. With Gen4 joining forces with Spear, we are able to provide world-class training opportunities to all our dentists and their teams. The best part is that it's the patients who truly benefit from this partnership. A big thank you to Matthew Coggins and Dr. Steve Ratcliff for working to make this a reality."

Gen4 Dental Partners was founded with a mission to challenge the status quo in the dental consolidation space. Led by a team committed to providing world-class support to leading providers of dental services, Gen4 empowers dentists and their teams to practice dentistry in their own unique way while benefiting from unparalleled financial and operational support.

Spear Enterprise, a part of Spear Education, is a leading provider of dental education and support services to Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), committed to empowering dental professionals with the knowledge and skills to enhance patient care. With a focus on customized curricula and a vast library of continuing education materials, Spear Enterprise is dedicated to driving excellence in the field of dentistry.

To learn more about how your organization can partner with Spear Enterprise, visit https://content.speareducation.com/spear-enterprise.

Salvatore Lotardo, DDS, FAACD, has earned Accredited Fellow status in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). The purpose of Fellowship is to recognize the highest level of achievement for members in accordance with the AACD's mission of education and excellence.

Dr. Lotardo is a past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. After obtaining his degree at The Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine he founded Bella Smiles of Long Island, a multi-location group practice focused on comprehensive cosmetic and implant dentistry. He is the current Accreditation chair of the American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry, has published multiple articles, and lectures internationally on smile design, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative-driven orthodontics.

To learn more about the AACD’s Fellowship Program, visit www.aacd.com/fellowship.

About the AACD

The AACD is the world’s largest non-profit member organization dedicated to advancing excellence in comprehensive oral care that combines art and science to optimally improve dental health, esthetics, and function. Comprised of more than 3,700 cosmetic dental professionals in 80 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.

Exclusive distribution partnership will accelerate the broad-based adoption of Solea.

Convergent Dental, the power behind the Solea® All-Tissue Dental Laser, announced today that the company has entered into an agreement with Patterson Dental, a subsidiary of Patterson Companies (Nasdaq: PDCO), that will make Patterson the exclusive North American distributor of the Solea laser.

“Convergent and Patterson have successfully partnered since 2016, and we are thrilled to take our business relationship to a new level,” said Robert L. Gershon, CEO of Convergent Dental. “This exclusive distribution agreement will help focus our go-to-market strategy and further optimize our partnership as we collectively drive the broad-based adoption of Solea.”

“Patterson has a proven track record of driving widespread adoption of leading technologies like Solea,” said Tim Rogan, President of Patterson Dental. “We are committed to bringing our customers the best possible practice solutions, and Solea undoubtedly aligns with that goal by empowering dentists to achieve better clinical and business outcomes.”

Solea is a novel 9.3-micron CO2 laser that allows for anesthesia-free, blood-free, and pain-free procedures in hard and soft tissue.¹ It enables dentists to elevate and grow their practices through improved efficiency, patient experience, clinical effectiveness, and procedural expansion.²

To learn more about Convergent Dental, visit www.convergentdental.com.

1. Based on report of 1000 procedures performed by Solea users. Documentation on file.

2. Based on 2022 Annual Survey of Solea users. Documentation on file.

Clinician's Choice, a leading provider of advanced dental products and educational resources, is excited to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024. This significant milestone was achieved through three decades of focusing on solving everyday clinical challenges that dentists commonly experience. With the intention to improve clinical outcomes, Clinician’s Choice has developed dozens of advanced dental products and provided world-class education throughout North America for three decades.

The Founder, Peter Jordan and the entire Clinician’s Choice team understand the importance of dental education, learned from Peter’s late father Dr. Ronald Jordan, a world-renowned dental researcher and professor who pioneered many dental techniques and traveled the world, lecturing to dentists about how research fosters better clinical outcomes. Today, teaching better dentistry is what Clinician’s Choice is all about.

At Clinician’s Choice, understanding dentistry in depth is key to product development. This, coupled with following the dental research, allows Clinician’s Choice to design products that solve clinical challenges while ensuring clinical efficiency is improved or maintained.

“This milestone is an important time to reflect on where we have come from and where we are heading,” said Brian Allen, President, at their Annual Sales Meeting last week. “Our continuous R&D investments have provided a strong product development pipeline. We will start this next decade with several innovations to continue to help solve clinical challenges that our clients face daily.”

Recent advancements in the Clinician’s Choice product offering include A.S.A.P.® All Surface Access Polishers that provide an extremely high gloss in just seconds, Template® Ultra Quick Matrix Material for fast and accurate provisional fabrication, DualForce™ Sectional Matrix System that creates tight, properly contoured posterior contacts with less flash and finishing time, and True™ Dental Dam which allows for effortless placement and isolation while maximizing patient comfort.

The value of dental education cannot be understated. Clinician’s Choice has been a force of innovation in dental education for decades. As one of the first companies to incorporate live demonstrations during dental lectures as well, being the first to bring online, hands-on education to the profession with the introduction of Hands-OnLine LIVE™, a nationally approved PACE Program Provider for FAGD/MAGD credit. This platform provides both live and on-demand programs offering CE credits taught by top industry instructors. To further their focus on education, early in 2020, they launched a quarterly publication, CLINICAL LIFE™magazine.

As Clinician’s Choice commemorates its 30th anniversary, the company expresses gratitude to its dedicated team, educators, and the dental community for contributing to the journey of advancing clinical excellence. To join in Clinician’s Choice 30th Anniversary celebration, follow us on Instagram @clinicianschoicedental, and to learn more about our products, visit clinicianschoice.com.

Building upon its reputation for innovation, Essential Dental Systems proudly announces the integration of the Enhanced Dental Solutions (EDS) formula into CEMPOWER Luting Cement, solidifying its position as a frontrunner in dental restoration technology. This integration ushers in a new era of excellence, combining the cutting-edge EDS formula with the unmatched performance of CEMPOWER, further revolutionizing dental restorations.

Elevating Performance through Enhanced Dental Solutions

The EDS formula brings a host of transformative enhancements to CEMPOWER, setting a new benchmark for dental restorative materials. Some of the remarkable features introduced through the EDS formula include:

• New Rheology: CEMPOWER now benefits from a novel rheological profile, ensuring smoother and more precise handling during application.

• Latest Generation of Adhesive Monomers: Incorporating state-of-the-art adhesive monomers, CEMPOWER establishes a superior bond to zirconia and other substrates.

• Advanced Fillers: Specially processed fillers are responsible for simplifying the mixing process while significantly enhancing bond strength across diverse substrates.

• Moisture Tolerance: CEMPOWER's high moisture tolerance guarantees exceptional adhesion even in moist environments, providing dental practitioners with reliable outcomes.

• Effortless Excess Removal: After curing, the excess material is easily removed, streamlining the final steps of the restoration process.

• Long-Term Hydrolytic Stability: The proprietary blend of Bis-GMA free monomers ensures superior long-term hydrolytic stability, a testament to CEMPOWER's commitment to reliable bonding for direct and indirect restorative materials.

• Enhanced Biocompatibility: CEMPOWER 's Bis-GMA free proprietary blend of monomers ensures superior biocompatibility, prioritizing patient well-being throughout the restoration journey.

"We are thrilled to introduce the integration of the Enhanced Dental Solutions formula into CEMPOWER, elevating the material to new heights of performance and reliability," declared Dr. Allan Deutsch. "This remarkable advancement represents our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that empower dental professionals and redefine patient care."

Experience the synergy of EDS formula enhancements and the unparalleled performance of CEMPOWER. For more information, visit https://edsdental.com/cempower/

Absolute Dental Services hosted the inaugural ART course “The MiYO Experience” on January 12 and 13 at its headquarters in Durham, North Carolina. The sold-out event had 25 attendees from across the US.

The hands-on course was taught by Absolute's Director of Signature Prosthetics, Jack Marrano, and his team. Attendees learned about tooth morphology, surface texture and anatomy, all-on-X, green-stage finishing of zirconia, and how to apply MiYO shades and MiYO pink from Jensen Dentqal.

Follow ART on Instagram or facebook at @artconsultingllc for information on the next course, which will be held on August 9 and 10.

4 in 10 Adults Living in Rural Environments Have Not Visited the Dentist in More Than a Year

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®, a leading national nonprofit focused on creating a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system, released a new report detailing the causes of worsening oral health access and outcomes for rural populations in comparison with their urban and suburban counterparts.

The report reveals that four in 10 adults living in rural environments (40%) have not visited the dentist in more than one year, compared with 35% of urban and 30% of suburban residents. Among the most significant challenges preventing people living in rural areas from receiving adequate oral health care are provider shortages, lack of insurance coverage, and transportation barriers.

“This new report underscores the importance of our mission to advance oral health access and equity for all people living and working in the US,” stated Kaz Rafia, Chief Health Equity Officer and Executive Vice President at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. “Oral health is more than just a health issue, it’s an equity issue impacting people of all backgrounds, economic statuses, and geographic locations. We must continue to collect data, share our findings, and advance policies and practices that guide these populations to adequate care and better health.”

Other key findings summarized in the “Still Searching: Meeting Oral Health Needs in Rural Settings” report include:

• 34% of individuals living in a rural environment rate their oral health as fair or poor, compared with 27% of urban residents and 24% of suburban residents.

• 67% of rural areas are Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

• Just over one-third of rural residents (34%) do not have dental insurance coverage, compared to 29% of urban and 24% of suburban residents. Employers in rural areas are less likely to offer dental insurance than employers in more populated areas.

In response to these challenges, the report recommends ways to mitigate barriers to access for approximately 46 million people who reside in rural areas. These strategies include teledentistry, expanding dental coverage and the dental workforce, and medical-dental integration.

The findings of this report are based on responses to the 2023 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey, the largest nationally representative, annual survey focused exclusively on adults’ knowledge, attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to oral health.

Read the full report.

The American Heart Association’s Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative, developed in collaboration with Delta Dental, will expand care settings that deliver equitable, high-quality and integrated care

A patient’s oral health can be an indicator of overall health and well-being. Research shows that chronic gum inflammation may be associated with other chronic diseases including coronary artery disease and diabetes.¹ In addition, certain bacteria that live in the mouth can travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, including the heart and lungs. Oral bacteria, including viridans group streptococcal (VGS), can cause infective endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart or heart valves^.2 The American Heart Association’s new Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative, developed in collaboration with Delta Dental, aims to improve the total health of patients nationwide by expanding access to equitable, integrated health care, and educating patients and clinicians on the connection between heart health and oral health.

According to the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, the prevention or early detection of heart disease can result in significantly better health outcomes. Through the Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative, the Association and Delta Dental will engage oral health clinicians to create and implement a new standard of care for heart health screening at the dentist’s office, by conducting blood pressure screenings and providing referrals to primary care if necessary. The initiative will also educate health care professionals and patients on the link between heart health and oral health, while emphasizing the importance of a patient’s integrated care team in improving total health and well-being.

“Oral health care professionals can play a pivotal role as part of a whole-body care team to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Joseph C. Wu, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer president, director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and Simon H. Stertzer Professor of Medicine & Radiology at the Stanford School of Medicine. “When dentists and primary care physicians work together, we can create many more access points for quality, integrated health care and educate our patients on the impact of good oral hygiene on total health and well-being.”

“Oral diseases can significantly impact systemic health, and preventive oral care routines are critical to reducing associated health risks, including cardiovascular conditions,” said Daniel W. Croley, DMD, Chief Dental Officer for Delta Dental. “Our collaboration with the American Heart Association marks a pivotal step towards strengthening access to quality, integrated care and emphasizes the role of dental visits as part of a holistic health check which can offer early detection of cardiovascular disease and other conditions.”

There are more than 134,000 dental practices in the United States, and approximately 27 million patients see their dentist each year but not necessarily another physician, like a primary care provider.³ Dentists can be an important resource to counsel and screen patients for many chronic diseases, including hypertension and oral cancer, creating a valuable opportunity to drive prevention and earlier detection in the oral health setting.

For more information on The American Heart Association’s new Healthy Smiles, Healthy Healthy Hearts™ initiative, developed in collaboration with Delta Dental, please visit: Oral Health | American Heart Association.

References

[1] Porphyromonas gingivalis is the most abundant species detected in coronary and femoral arteries - PMC (nih.gov)

Oral health and later coronary heart disease: Cohort study of one million people - PubMed (nih.gov)

Gum disease and the connection to heart disease - Harvard Health

[2] https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/heart-valve-problems-and-causes/heart-valves-and-infective-endocarditis

[3] Chronic Disease Counseling and Screening by Dental Professionals: Results From NHANES, 2011–2016 | CDC