Industry Insider
CIGNA TO LAUNCH ORAL HEALTH MATERNITY PROGRAM
CIGNA Employee Benefits launched a groundbreaking new Oral Health Maternity Program on January 1. For members with both CIGNA medical and fully insured dental coverage, the benefit enhancement will cover periodontal scaling and root planning at 100% when performed during pregnancy. In addition, for pregnant women not requiring scaling and root planing, CIGNA will cover an additional cleaning during pregnancy because of the potential risk of “pregnancy gingivitis,” as well as 100% coverage for treatment of inflamed gums around wisdom teeth during pregnancy.
In conjunction with the benefit enhancement, CIGNA’s web site now features research-based information about the importance of oral health to overall prenatal health, targeted to prospective parents and pregnant women. To view these materials, go to https://www.cigna.com/health/consumer/dental/dental_health_index.html?rdcnt=1.
SULTAN CHEMISTS ACQUIRES SULTAN DENTAL PRODUCTS
Sultan Chemists, Inc. has acquired Sultan Dental Products Ltd., a New Jersey-based manufacturer of professional preventive products.
Sultan Chemists will combine all sales, marketing, operations, and supply chain functions with their existing operations in Englewood, New Jersey. Paul Seid, president of Sultan Chemists commented, “This acquisition will deliver to our customers faster delivery, expanded field support, single contact for purchasing and shipping, and more focused marketing and sales activities.” “Herb Wolfe’s pioneering efforts with Sultan Dental have positioned the company for considerable growth and future success. Our friendship has been a hallmark of my years in the dental industry,” Seid continued.
“For 28 years, Paul Seid and I have enjoyed an extraordinary partnership. I wish him well as we both pursue our interests in the dental industry,” said Herb Wolfe.
The focus on 3 businesses (Dental, Medical, and International) and 4 product groups (Dental, Medical, Infection Control and Preventives, and Oral Pharmaceuticals) will allow Sultan to become a more valued supplier to healthcare professionals and to its distribution partners.
Sultan Chemists, founded in 1872, will now be home to GENIE® Impression Material, PUREVAC® Evacuation System Cleaner, PROSONIC® Ultrasonics, COMFIT® Face Masks, ASSURE® Plus Sterilization Pouches, SENSITEMP® Temporary Cement, VERSATEMP® Crown and Bridge Material, HYDROCAST® Functional Impression Material, TOPEX® Topical Anesthetic, TOPEX® Fluorides, TOPEX® ProphyPaste, and UPGRADE® Disposable Prophy Angles.
DentalEZ Group has announced the inclusion of Columbia Dentoform as its newest product brand. Previously a stand-alone division, Columbia Dentoform is being welcomed under the DentalEZ Group umbrella. Under the new corporate structure, the DentalEZ Group of companies will meet a wider set of customer needs and offer a wider breadth of product to the dental market.
For over 80 years, Columbia Dentoform has been providing dental simulation products to dental teaching institutions worldwide. In addition, the company supplies practicing dentists with models for patient education. “Columbia Dentoform has set the standard of excellence for innovative and accurate educational models for dental students and dental patients worldwide,” said DentalEZ Group President Gordon Hagler.
The DentalEZ Group is committed to advancing the practice of dentistry through innovative products and services. Encompassing 5 distinct product brands—StarDental®, DentalEZ, CustomAir®, RAMVAC®, and Columbia Dentoform—The DentalEZ Group manufactures everything in the operatory, from handpieces to chairs to vacuum systems to dental simulation models, creating a complete line of products to elevate the health, comfort, and efficiency of the dental operatory.
The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) has introduced a new member benefit: The OSAP Report Online. The report allows members to easily stay current on important issues affecting dental professionals by accessing a members-only resource on the www.OSAP.org web site.
The OSAP Report Online features an easy-click format that allows members to scan the headlines, click ona topic, and instantly access news of interest. The report will be issued monthly and will contain sections for Headlines, In the News (sorted by major infection control and safety issue), Agency and Association Update, Board and Committee Items, International, and Editorial.
In addition to the new online report, other OSAP member benefits include full 24-hour access to OSAP.org and all OSAP publications, including current and past issues of the Infection Control In Practice newsletter (with the opportunity to earn CE credits); hard-copy mailingsof Infection Control in Practice; the ability to ask experts infection control and safety questions and receive answers in writing within 24 hours; and the Monthly News Summary (an executive summary of the top news stories at a glance).
SUNSTAR BUTLER INTRODUCES PATIENT EDUCATION MATERIALS
Sunstar Butler has developed 3 new patient education aids to assist dental professionals in elevating patient awareness and understanding of complete oral home care. Two separate Sunstar Butler GUM® 3-Step™System posters for healthier teeth and gums are now available to help facilitate better oral health through education and customization.
One poster features the 3-Step (brush-floss-interdental) approach to home oral care. The other, called “Stay Fit,” focuses on the oral health�systemic health link, followed by a less-detailed 3-step reminder. For optimal gum health, Sunstar Butler recommends that patients brush, floss, and consult their dental professional to customize personal oral care routines.
In addition, Sunstar Butler also announced a new Patient Flip Chart, a maintenance guide for healthy teeth and gums. Intended for upright counter display, the flip chart is assembled in an easy-to-use three-ring binder and includes a base. It contains glossy detailed images (ie, healthy vs unhealthy gums, healthy vs unhealthy bone, periodontal measurements); proper brushing and flossing techniques; proper bridge and orthodontic care; implant care; and special aid appliances. The pages are laminated and can be cleaned with a disinfectant.
SIRONA DENTAL SYSTEMS CELEBRATES20 YEARS OF CAD/CAM TECHNOLOGY
Sirona Dental Systems, LLC, is celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its CEREC chairside CAD/CAM system, which marked the introduction of CAD/CAM technology to the dental profession and ultimately revolutionized the practice of restorative dentistry. Still going strong at the double-decade mark, CEREC is not only the world’s first chairside CAD/CAM restorative device, it remains the only product of its kind currently sold in the dental market. “The CEREC name has grown to define the CAD/CAM category in dentistry,” said Stefan Hehn, PhD, Sirona’s Vice President of CAD/CAM for North America.
CEREC, which stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, was created at the University of Zurich in 1980, with the first patient being treated in 1985. Since then, Sirona has manufactured and sold more than 17,000 systems worldwide. The CEREC System has been continuously improved and upgraded, with its latest version, CEREC 3D, providing reduced design and production time as well as significant improvements in restoration fit and esthetics.
“This has been an exciting 20 years of technological innovation and growth for CEREC,” said Hehn. Sirona plans to celebrate this milestone in 2006 with 2 special celebratory events.
