MB2 Dental, the first and largest dental partnership organization (DPO) nationwide, announced today results for 2023, which reached record levels across all key business growth metrics.

MB2 Dental’s achievements during 2023 spanned various areas of the business. The most notable results throughout the year include adding a total of 163 practices to its network, bringing the total at year-end to 663 within the MB2 Dental network. Of these, 150 represent new partnerships forged, and 13 were de novo locations developed from the ground up with doctor partners.

The Company’s composition of affiliated practices now includes 451 general dentistry, 117 orthodontic, 47 pediatric, 16 endodontic, 12 periodontic, and 20 multispecialty.

At year-end, the MB2 Dental network spanned 1,300+ doctors who completed more than three million patient visits total.

De Novo Openings and Expansions

In addition to the newly established aforementioned de novo locations, the growing facilities team completed 17 practice remodels, adding a total of 20 new operatories across 11 practice locations. The team also completed several expansions, adding more than 8,000 additional square feet across seven practice locations.

Support Team and Headquarters Growth

Central services headcount increased with the addition of 115 employees serving in a range of support team positions.

The company saw significant growth in its payor strategy and procurement departments. These teams’ efforts included expanding the Company’s payor relationships as well as the successful execution of various cost-control measures, based on the purchasing power stemming from the overall size of MB2 Dental network. These initiatives resulted in same-store growth enterprise wide.

Total support service employees at year-end reached 500.

Additionally, to support continued, rapid operational and headcount growth, the support service office was expanded by 9,000-square feet, which is currently under renovation. The Company also will add 16,000 square feet of space in a separate building adjacent to its headquarters, which will begin renovation in Q1.

Multispecialty Penetration

In 2023, MB2 Dental focused on building out a footprint in key markets to better serve the patients in those geographies. One area of focus, Phoenix, Arizona, has shown early signs of success for its doctor partners to leverage their referral relationships, resulting in even better care for their patients. The Company has identified additional markets it expects to continue this growth in for the year ahead.

Technology Advancements

MB2 Dental unveiled its innovative intranet platform, Cerebro, streamlining Company communications between doctors and employees. Cerebro ensures connectivity amongst doctors and employees by ensuring they keep abreast about Company news/events and have access to a plethora of resources as well as vital information and much more. Cerebro also doubles as a social network for MB2 Dental’s doctor partners to share conversations on both professional and personal levels, fostering great communications network-wide.

Additionally, MB2 Dental successfully rolled out Inside Desk’s cutting-edge revenue cycle management platform at scale. Inside Desk is a product that simplifies the process of collecting on insurance claims by automatically providing claim statuses and downloading Explanations o of Benefits (EOBs) without the need for manual intervention. The tool also provides robust workflow management and enterprise-level reporting that has been valuable from both an efficiency and effectiveness standpoint. The feedback from the MB2 Dental team has been overwhelmingly positive, expressing satisfaction with the user-friendly interface and enhanced capabilities. As a result, the Company is witnessing positive outcomes in its operations.

Furthermore, the Company engaged with three of the leading dental AI companies. Working with these companies allows MB2 Dental’s doctor partners to have access to the best technology to provide excellent patient care.

Making a Difference

In May MB2 Dental conducted its annual mission trip Jamaica, during which time, 20 doctor owners provided dental services to hundreds of patients in need.

Furthermore, through the MB2 Family Foundation, the Company’s 501(c)(3) charitable organization which provides financial assistance to employees experiencing financial stress from unforeseen life-altering events, gave a total of more than to $127,560 in relief funds to employees.

“Since our inception in 2007, MB2 Dental has continually reported significant year-over-year growth through our pioneering DPO model. We attribute our outstanding performance to the loyalty of our doctor partners as well as the dedication of our team. This past year proved to be another year of record-breaking growth of which we are extremely proud. We are continuing to expand and evolve our support services as we scale our business to meet the needs of our doctor partners,” stated Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, founder and chief executive officer at MB2 Dental.

“Heading into the new year, we will continue to grow through both de novo practices as well as the acquisition of new partnerships. In fact, we are kicking off 2024 with over 30 new growth opportunities expected to close in the first quarter. The success of our model speaks directly to partnerships we forge with our doctor partners by providing them the necessary resources to seamlessly operate their practices and focus on patient care,” Dr. Villanueva concluded.

For more information, visit www.mb2dental.com

SilverSense SDF is a blue-tinted 38% silver diamine fluoride solution that is FDA cleared as a professional-use tooth desensitizer. Silver diamine fluoride has been used internationally for decades due to its antimicrobial and desensitizing properties. As a desensitizer, SilverSense SDF forms insoluble precipitates with calcium or phosphate in the dentinal tubules to block nerve impulses. SilverSense SDF will become a standard part of your preventive-restorative armamentarium as it alleviates hypersensitivity and allows your patient to comfortably wait for restorative treatment.

SilverSense SDF comes in an easy-to-use, 5 mL dropper bottle that dispenses one 30 μL drop at a time and is available in two package sizes: a single-bottle Standard Kit and a three-bottle Clinic Kit. SilverSense SDF is fast and easy to use! The application is simple, fast and painless for the patient. You only need 1-2 drops of the solution to treat up to five teeth, meaning SilverSense SDF is efficient and cost-effective, as well!

Clinical Applications/Benefits:

• Ideal for patients suffering from dentinal hypersensitivity as the desensitizing agent blocks exposed dentinal tubules.

• Hardens softened dentin and a restoration may be placed on top.

• Contains 38% silver diamine fluoride, which has long been used worldwide for its antimicrobial and remineralizing properties.

• Painless, fast, and simple procedure. Great for all patients!

• Ideal when used as an interim step in the restorative procedure to alleviate hypersensitivity, especially when the final restoration will not be placed immediately.

• Blue-tinted to increase visibility during application.

To order or to learn more about SilverSense SDF, visit: centrixdental.com/silversense-sdf

Solutionreach, a leading patient engagement and communication platform, is proud to announce the launch of its advanced dental insurance management capabilities, including Insurance Verification. This innovative addition to the Solutionreach platform aims to empower dental practices to automate a manual insurance-related process with efficiency and accuracy, resulting in faster collections and an enhanced patient experience.

Insurance verification is one of the most critical yet time-consuming and costly priorities in a dental provider's revenue cycle. The average manual verification transaction takes 13 minutes - time often spent by staff on calls with insurance payers or scouring their portals trying to verify patient insurance coverage and decode data. These inefficiencies can often contribute to costly errors resulting in claim denials and resubmissions, high administrative costs and uncollected payments.

"We recognize the current challenges that dental practices face in managing insurance information, and we are thrilled to introduce our dental Insurance Verification product as a solution to simplify these processes," said Ken Ernsting, CEO of Solutionreach. "By incorporating an automated verification process, we aim to empower dental teams to focus on what matters most – delivering exceptional patient care."

With the new dental insurance management features, Solutionreach provides dental practices with a comprehensive solution to optimize their revenue cycle and improve operational efficiency at every step. The key highlights of this release include:

Automated Verification Processes: Streamline administrative tasks with automated insurance verification workflows that reduce manual effort, minimize errors, and speed up the insurance verification process.

Enhanced Patient Communication: The solution includes patient communication features that enable practices to request insurance information as well as communicate with patients regarding their eligibility status, reducing confusion and enhancing transparency.

Seamless Integration: Insurance Verification is seamlessly integrated into the Solutionreach platform, allowing dental practitioners and staff to view, request, and verify patient insurance coverage and status in seconds, ensuring a user-friendly experience.

This innovation aligns with Solutionreach's commitment to enabling practices with tools that enhance patient engagement, improve operational efficiency, and contribute to their overall financial success.

To learn more about Solutionreach, visit www.solutionreach.com.

Investment will establish a coordinated strategy to encourage and prepare more dental students to practice in rural parishes

DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S. and the nation's second-largest dental benefits provider by membership, today announced a $20,000 contribution to Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center to support solutions designed to bring oral care to rural areas of the state. DentaQuest currently provides dental benefits to more than 1.3 million people enrolled in the state's Medicaid and CHIP programs and has served the state through Medicare, Marketplace and Medicaid adult value-add programs for more than 11 years.

This donation is DentaQuest's most recent investment to support efforts to diversify and expand the dental workforce in this and other states. "We know that oral health is essential to overall health, so ensuring that every Medicaid member has access to a dental provider is crucial," said Steve Pollock, president of DentaQuest. "To do that, we need to expand opportunities and create a more inclusive pathway for people to enter the dental profession, as well as expose Louisiana students to practicing in rural parishes and meeting the needs of a variety of communities."

Dr. Janet Southerland, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and chief academic officer at LSU Health Sciences Center, agrees. "We need to get more students from rural areas into the LSU dental program and encourage them to return to their home communities and practice," she said. "We need to provide opportunities for advanced training because our state is in desperate need of more pediatric dentists and oral surgeons."

In her current role as Interim Dean for the School of Dentistry, Dr. Southerland will establish a public-private planning committee to develop action plans for strategies including a scholarship program specific to rural care delivery, partnerships with community colleges in high-need regions to enable increased LSU enrollment and evaluating curriculum to ensure all dental graduates have competency in pediatric dentistry and basic oral surgery. Dr. Southerland is also on the board of Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit that hosts free health clinics, and is working to bring at least one of these comprehensive care clinics to counties with the highest unmet dental needs.

DentaQuest previously supported an interprofessional learning project at LSU Health that involved 10 students from various dental and medical degree programs. The two-year program focused on strengthening team coordination and oral cancer screenings.

"As a dental student, I learned that it is essential for dental professionals to communicate the importance of oral health as it relates to systemic health to other members of the health care team," dental student participant Ragan Delrie said when the program concluded. "It was encouraging to witness the eagerness of non-dental students to learn more about how to perform an oral cancer screening and the importance of oral health. It was also very helpful to learn from my team members how different health professions assess and approach the oral health of their patients."

In line with its commitment to improve the oral health of all, DentaQuest will continue investing in the future of Louisiana's dental workforce and specifically plans to provide additional support in 2024 as the program focused on rural parishes develops.

The Former Division Director of Hygiene Support Takes Charge as Jan LeBeau Retires

Today, Aspen Dental® announced the promotion of Kimberly (Cameron) Jones to Vice President of Hygiene Operations. Jones will be succeeding the retiring Jan LeBeau, who served in the Vice President role for four years.

Jones has been with Aspen Dental for 13 of her 15 years in dental hygiene. After beginning her career as a chairside hygienist, Jones continued to rise through the ranks at Aspen Dental, holding positions including Hygiene Manager, Director of Hygiene Support, and her recent position of Vice President of Hygiene Operations. Her wealth of experience positions her as a valuable asset in advancing Aspen Dental's mission to bring better care to more people.

"Having served in multiple capacities throughout the company, I deeply understand the day-to-day efforts of our team," stated Jones. "I find inspiration from each of our fantastic territory managers. I have a genuine passion for what I do and look forward to contributing to the Hygiene team's development and growth in various capacities."

Alongside Jones's promotion comes the retirement announcement from Jan LeBeau, who remarked, "After four decades of fulfilling service, it's time to pass the baton. My advice to my colleagues is to embrace lifelong learning, as it is the key to enduring success."

To learn more about careers at Aspen Dental, visit https://www.aspendental.com/.

New partnership provides patients with flexible financial options to meet their individual needs

Sunbit, the company building financial technology for everyday expenses, and the American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA), today announced that the AACA has chosen Sunbit as its preferred patient financing partner for use in its members' practices across the U.S. in 2024. As the selected financing partner, Sunbit will be in the position to provide aligner patients with payment services to give them access to this important life-enhancing medical technology.

"The AACA brings together the most accomplished and knowledgeable clear aligner experts in the industry," said Robert Nunziato, Head of Strategic Alliances for Sunbit. "We are honored to be chosen as a preferred financing solution and look forward to bringing our technology to more practices and providing patients with access to the smile they deserve."

"In 2024, we expect increased patient demand for clear aligners. Helping AACA practitioners remove financial barriers for their patients is a key strategic goal of the Academy," said AACA founder and president Dr. David Galler. "In Sunbit, we have found a simple, easy, and fast platform to achieve those goals."

More than 10,000 dental practices of all sizes rely on Sunbit's industry-leading financial technology to access fast and simple financing. The transparent and flexible payment options ease the administrative burden for practices while providing transparency to the consumer and eliminating unexpected fees and lengthy applications. By powering and managing the application and collection processes, Sunbit removes a significant headache from these practices.

Grand Avenue Software, a leader in eQMS systems, announces it has entered into a strategic relationship with SafeLink Consulting, Inc., a premier provider of OSHA and FDA regulatory compliance services, to help medical and dental device companies navigate the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process, achieve compliance, and bring their devices to market.

“We are pleased to team with SafeLink to bring value to dental and medical device companies navigating the challenging regulatory and quality management environment,” says Ron Schmitz, President and CEO of Grand Avenue Software. “SafeLink’s expertise in helping medical and dental device companies achieve regulatory compliance combined with our 20+ years of delivering best-in-class, affordable and scalable electronic quality management solutions (eQMS) is an ideal combination.”

As part of this strategic relationship, Grand Avenue Software and SafeLink will collaborate on projects for clients in the medical, dental, and life sciences space to streamline and automate their quality systems and workflows. The combination of SafeLink’s quality, safety, and compliance expertise and Grand Avenue’s software solution results in a best-in-class combination for clients.

“At SafeLink, we know how challenging the FDA process can be for medical and dental device companies, which is why we are committed to helping our customers enhance their compliance processes, improve document control and maintain a quality culture,” says Mary A. Bartlett, President, SafeLink Consulting, Inc.

“We are confident that our deep risk management expertise, combined with Grand Avenue Software’s quality management software and support, will help companies achieve compliance quickly, standardize processes, increase productivity, control overhead expense and ultimately increase profit.”

Win a sponsorship package worth more than $50,000 to launch your oral health idea into reality! Join us at the Chicago Mid-Winter Meeting on February 24, 2024.

The Great Oral Health Pitch: Innovate, Elevate and Generate Your Idea to Advance Oral Health! is a “Shark Tank” style event designed to help oral health entrepreneurs elevate their innovative ideas into a successful business pitch, with the ultimate goal of winning a grand prize worth more than $50,000 in launch marketing materials, cash, networking opportunities and more!

Through a series of educational webinars and in-person “practice pitch” nationwide events, The Great Oral Health Pitch program provides an educational environment to help entrepreneurs elevate their innovative ideas into a successful business pitch, with the goal of winning more than $50,000 in launch marketing materials, cash, networking opportunities and more!

The educational webinars are designed to educate students/entrepreneurs on all levels with best practices learned from top leaders in the oral healthcare space. The webinars will cover current topics in oral health innovation/entrepreneurship and address the dynamic changing needs of the oral health industry.

The in-person pitch at Chicago Midwinter will feature a panel of industry leaders in various fields who will share their expertise and provide constructive feedback to help each presenter “perfect their pitch” into a viable business plan.

Once presenters have finalized their pitch it will be submitted into one of the four Shils Partnership Awards Categories listed here: Shils Partnership Awards. Each winner of a Shils Partnership Award will receive $5,000 cash in addition to a dedicated mentor from the Shils Fund’s talented board members. Of the four winners, one grand prize winner will be selected to win a sponsorship package worth over $50,000 in business launch marketing, cash, networking opportunities to launch their idea into reality!

Winners will be presented at the Shils Annual Awards Ceremony in October 2024.

Attendees of the Shils Oral Health Pitch Event will be granted complimentary access to the Dental Trader Alliance (DTA) reception where they have the opportunity to network with top level oral health organizations and companies.

The Great Oral Health Pitch: Innovate, Elevate and Generate Your Idea to Advance Oral Health! expands upon the Shils Fund Partnership Awards Program, which was launched in 2022 to continue Ed Shils legacy of his enthusiasm for learning and pursuit of innovation by encouraging young entrepreneurs and students to compete and foster innovation in the field of oral health.

LEARN MORE AND RSVP HERE: The Great Oral Health Pitch Program – Shils Entrepreneurial Fund (shilsfund.org)

As part of its commitment to advancing implant dentistry, The Misch Implant Institute offers a series of surgical courses designed to elevate the standard of care in implant dentistry. World-renowned Misch Educators teach our courses and cover a range of topics to meet the diverse needs of dental professionals. Each session offers valuable knowledge and techniques for both experienced implant professionals and those new to the field, sessions can be taken individually or in order.

Surgical Session 1: Extract, Preserve & Place - This two-day intensive course explores techniques such as atraumatic extractions, socket preservation, implant placement, and restoration. It provides clinicians with essential skills and knowledge to excel in implant dentistry.

Surgical Session 2: Multi-Implant Strategies - This session focuses on surgical techniques, prosthetic solutions, and hands-on practice for partial and fully edentulous cases. It is ideal for practitioners looking to expand their skills and master predictable outcomes with multi-implant strategies.

Surgical Session 3: Overcoming Deficiencies - This session delves into the core principles of guided bone regeneration (GBR) and sinus lift techniques. Dental professionals will learn to handle various osseous deficiencies and optimize implant placement success.

Surgical Session 4: Fresh Sockets - This session focuses on immediate implant placement, including special considerations in the esthetic zone, premolar, and molar areas. Attendees will gain insights into prosthodontic aspects and the use of provisional restorations for perfecting the peri-implant soft tissue profile.

Surgical Session 5: Navigating Complications - This session equips clinicians with the skills to address complications that can arise in implant dentistry. Participants will learn how to manage patients in these circumstances and improve their understanding of avoiding complications.

Furthermore, The Misch Implant Institute stands out with the implementation of the Misch Method, where ensuring the excellence of training is the top priority. Distinguished leaders from the nation's top universities have curated a highly didactic 5-course mini-residency in implantology. This approach provides flexibility, allowing participants to embark on their implantology journey sequentially or choose specific sessions that precisely match their needs.

The emphasis is on practical, hands-on training with realistic models, ensuring participants are well-prepared for real-world scenarios. The second step of the Misch Method includes a Personalized Live Surgery Experience, tailoring a clinical path based on the participant's current knowledge level. Before the clinical course, educators meet with participants to create a personalized surgical journey aligned with their specific needs. The Misch Mentorship Program further solidifies the institute's commitment, offering continuous support in day-to-day practice through weekly one-on-one Zoom meetings with distinguished Misch educators.

About Misch Implant Institute

Since its establishment in 1984 by the legendary Dr. Carl E. Misch, the Misch Implant Institute has been a trailblazer in implant dentistry education. With a mission to set and elevate the standard of care, the institute has dedicated nearly four decades to hands-on education, cutting-edge research, and unique clinical applications. As the first institute to introduce hands-on teaching of implant and surgical techniques, over 10,000 graduates worldwide have benefited from the institute's commitment to improving patient care. The Misch Implant Institute continues to honor its founder's legacy, maintaining a position at the forefront of innovation and education.

The institute's unique learning opportunities extend beyond traditional classrooms, offering the Misch Mentorship Program. This program allows clinicians to refine their skills with expert guidance long after completing courses. The institute stands proud in shaping the future of implant dentistry through continuous innovation and education.

Register for session 1 today: https://misch.com/course-session1/

Learn more about the Misch Mentorship Program with this video.

CANDULOR has been offering high-quality materials for dental technology needs since 1936. In particular, the Swiss manufacturer is known for its esthetically sophisticated tooth lines and high-quality resins, especially in shade 34. The product system can be used to fabricate restorations that resemble a natural dentition very closely, thus giving patients back a high quality of life. CANDULOR also regards itself as a prosthetics specialist committed to the transfer of knowledge in partnership with laboratories and practices. The Swiss School of Prosthetics by CANDULOR (SSOP) was founded on this fundamental value, with which the Swiss company aims to bring sound specialist knowledge and practical know-how to dental laboratories and practices worldwide to increase quality and efficiency.

An interesting niche for dental laboratories

Full dentures are a very demanding discipline within the dental world, which is often underestimated due to a lack of knowledge or a mainstream orientation. Nonetheless, this field promises to be an interesting niche with great potential, provided the relevant expertise is available.

On this topic, CANDULOR offers dental laboratories and denturists a comprehensive prosthetic system for partial, full and implant-supported patient restorations: from tooth lines, denture resins and auxiliary materials to dental equipment for registration and articulation. The portfolio also includes discs for digital processing, ensuring that dental laboratories can always be offered the right material, no matter at which level of digitization they are.

Understanding customer needs and processes

Close customer relationships have always been the focus of business partnerships at CANDULOR, as Thibaut Van den bossche (Country Development Manager Europe & North America at CANDULOR) emphasizes: "The most important thing is that I know the customer's processes and requirements in detail so that I can give them the best possible advice. Here, it is very important to us that we approach things in the laboratory with a high level of empathy - I myself am a dental technician and can therefore speak to our customers on an equal footing."

Designing individual dentures

With its PhysioSet TCR tooth line, CANDULOR offers 48 tooth molds including 18 special X-molds, with which highly individual prosthetic solutions can be realized. The PhysioSelect TCR tooth line stands for tooth shapes in a fresh, youthful design. Both are made of highly resistant TwinCrossedResin material (modified PMMA variant) for very high plaque and abrasion resistance* requirements. The two tooth lines are available in 16 A-D shades and 2 Bleach shades, whereas the PhysioSet TCR is additionally available in 9 CANDULOR shades.

For the digital and analog workflow

A range of disks is available for CAD/CAM-supported fabrication:

• For the fabrication of denture bases, the high-impact XPLEX material is available as disks in three shades (1, 5 and 34), which correspond to the XPLEX denture materials.

• The range is complemented by tooth-colored disks from the TCR family. The combination of TCR Mono or TCR Multi disks with the denture base material XPLEX Base enables completely individualized dental arches and segments as well as denture bases to be milled. The special XPLEX Bond was developed to ensure an optimum bond between the two segments.

This gives the laboratory the opportunity to choose the material that best suits its own workflow. In parallel or in addition, the dual-application high-impact polymer and the respective hot or cold monomer components can be used in analog processing.

Thibaut Van den bossche on the advantages of the milling disks: "Our materials for digital CAD/CAM machining offer three major advantages:

1. They can be used with any machine.

2. Everything in the system always matches so that the laboratory can work both conventionally as well as digitally.

3. All products come from a single source: from analog teeth and CAD/CAM materials to articulators and auxiliary materials. All materials - be it analog or digital - are compatible with each other and thus enable a consistent solution."

Knowledge for greater success in prosthetics

In times of digitization, different levels of know-how among employees pose particular challenges for dental laboratories, especially in the demanding discipline of full dentures. This is where the Swiss School of Prosthetics (SSOP) fills an important gap in the continuing education program and offers fundamental, comprehensive knowledge transfer. The broad spectrum ranges from theoretical courses to practical hands-on training, through to complete modules. There are offers for dental technicians as well as for dentists and for all levels of knowledge: from beginners to experts. The SSOP concept thus provides both dental technicians and dentists with a high level of excellence for the individualization of dentures. Whereby it does not matter whether the laboratory works in an analog or increasingly digital manner.

"The market for removable dentures certainly offers interesting potential. In this field, we are the specialists with unrivaled expertise: not only in terms of our products, which we have adapted to the North American market with 18 additional tooth shapes. But above all through our knowledge of how to create prosthetic solutions that are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth in terms of esthetics and function. We pass this know-how on to our SSOP partner Edmonds Dental Prosthetics Inc. in Springfield MO in the USA, so that laboratories can achieve prosthetic solutions that give patients back true quality of life," summarizes Thibaut Van den bossche.

For more information about CANDULOR visit www.candulor.com

* Abrasion resistance, clinical study over 2 years; plaque resistance measured in the laboratory