BURST® Oral Care is sonic-shaking things up yet again, this time with their launch in 1210+ Walmart locations and on Walmart.com. Shoppers can now get their hands on the company's hygienist and dentist-designed products in much-adored colors like stylish matte lavender and glamorous rose gold.

Expect a range of BURST products to hit shelves, including their Sonic Toothbrush ($69.98) and Water Flosser ($69.98). And with their community of 35k+ hygienist and dentist Ambassadors eager to connect with patients in-store, the company is one step closer to making oral healthcare accessible to all.

"We're so thrilled to launch at Walmart," said BURST founders Brittany Stewart and Hamish Khayat. "Walmart brings value and convenience to their customers through their seamless, one-stop shopping experience. By working together and expanding our physical footprint, we'll be able to further BURST's mission of making the best oral care products available to everyone at an accessible price point."

This accessibility is especially welcomed in communities where access to healthcare, let alone affordable healthcare, is hard to come by. That's why BURST's formidable dental professional community will play a hands-on role as oral health educators and allies in their new Walmart ecosystem. They're also just a fun bunch to be around!

To celebrate their launch at Walmart, BURST has partnered with Baby2Baby, an organization that provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. The brand will be donating 1,000 tubes of BURSTkids toothpaste and a generous monetary donation, which will help Baby2Baby provide half a million diapers to families in need across the country.

At Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Veterans use their expertise in the service to communicate, treat and serve their patients

Angela C. Chi, DMD, is the only oral pathologist within a radius of more than 400 miles of the El Paso, Texas, region. She is an oral and maxillofacial pathology specialist at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Hunt School of Dental Medicine who brings 20 years of experience. She is board certified in oral and maxillofacial pathology, a specialty of dentistry that focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases in the teeth, mucosa, soft tissue, bones, joints, glands, and skin around the mouth.

To better serve urgent needs within the border community, she has established an oral pathology biopsy service and patient consulting service at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, the clinical practice of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine. The Hunt School of Dental Medicine is the only dental school on the U.S.-Mexico border and the first to open in Texas in over 50 years. Patients at the school’s public clinic receive discounted rates for oral health care from faculty and students working to reduce disparities in access to oral health care.

Before going into oral and maxillofacial pathology, Chi served in the United States Navy Dental Corps while completing an advanced education in the general dentistry program. She then practiced as a general dentist for two years in Yokosuka, Japan, where she cared for sailors aboard the USS Kitty Hawk.

Jeremy L. Masten is a student at the Hunt School of Dental Medicine. While in the Marine Corps, Masten had an assignment in the Philippines providing security to Navy officers offering medical and dental care. During his assignment, he saw how much people on the island of Palawan wanted to see a dentist, even more than a physician. He thought it was wonderful how the residents of the island responded to the opportunities his unit offered, and how amazing it was to offer something so crucial in such a remote place. His life experiences often support his dentistry efforts. As a condolence officer in the Marine Corps, his job was to notify families of their loved one’s loss. That experience of offering comfort during peoples’ darkest days enhanced the compassionate care that he provides to his patients.

Today, Masten provides care for underserved patients in the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic while receiving his education at the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, which is part of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.

Read more here: https://www.ttuhscepimpact.com/blog/2016/1/20/jeremymasten

Penn Dental Medicine has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022-2025 – the second time receiving this designation for its innovative use of learning technologies, having also been an Apple Distinguished School for 2019-2022. Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence that use Apple technology to inspire creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. They showcase innovative uses of technology in learning, teaching, and the school environment and have documented results of academic accomplishment.

“This designation recognizes our School’s ongoing commitment to using innovation and technology to support and enhance teaching and learning,” says Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Mark S. Wolff.

It was in 2014 that School first established the Learning Technologies Team (LTT) – now the Center for Educational Technology and Innovation (CETI) — to support the incorporation of new learning technologies into the curriculum. Since then, the use of educational technologies has only continued to grow and evolve.

In 2015, Penn Dental Medicine rolled out its one-to-one iPad initiative, which provides each first-year DMD student with iPad, along with the digital learning content and comprehensive support to use it as an educational tool. Now, the one-to-one iPad initiative has expanded to include all incoming students in the School’s PASS Program, foreign-trained dentists who join the second-year DMD class each January to earn their DMD.

“With iPad for everyone, we are optimizing the teaching and learning experience,” says Chia-Wei Wu, Executive Director of the Center for Educational Technology and Innovation, who leads the CETI. With support from the School’s Information Technology Department, each iPad is distributed with relevant applications and settings pre-installed.

As iPad has become a fixture in Penn Dental Medicine classrooms, faculty members have continued to adapt lecture materials to digital formats. To date, 97 Apple Books, or digital textbooks, have been developed with the support of the School’s CETI, becoming primary classroom resources. They can be continually updated and offer a variety of high-tech features, including interactive components, HTML5 widgets, instructional videos, 3D renderings, online quizzes, and animation, which bring complex topics to life.

“The Apple Books allow students to have a multi-tasking set up with all the content on one platform,” says Hannah Derrick, Instructional Designer with the CETI. “Student feedback is positive. In one of our surveys, 99% of students said they found Apple Books helpful.”

Along with supporting teaching and learning, the CETI has expanded into the development of instructional training resources for faculty and staff, producing Apple Books and online training modules.

In addition, during the height of the pandemic, the CETI employed augmented reality to enhance the virtual commencement for the Class of 2020. When students took a photograph of themselves in their commencement regalia, their iPad cameras recognized the shape of the students’ hands as they raised them and a digital overlay of a diploma allowed the students to “receive” their diplomas as their names were called during the live stream of the virtual commencement ceremony.

“It was exciting to use augmented reality in this way to bring students and faculty closer on this special day of celebration during this COVID era,” says Wu. “In addition, when we were forced to move to the teach- and learn-from-home environment, we were able to support the successful switch to all remote learning without purchasing any new software or hardware during that time. We just carried on with what we had already developed for the School.”

Since its implementation, the incorporation of digital technology has been transforming the learning process at Penn Dental Medicine. In the majority of courses, the passive lecture hall model has been replaced by “blended learning” and “flipped-classroom” models, which supplement traditional content with online resources and small group discussion. Students use their iPad to access material ahead of time through videos and interactive lessons, opening up more classroom time for discussion, analysis, and mentoring. In addition, many exams and quizzes are done on iPad, using the ExamSoft software app Examplify, which allows students to make notes on the screen, highlight material, and cross off answers they had ruled out. Quick and accurate grading makes the exam process more efficient and secure; faculty are also using data generated from each students’ iPad to evaluate learning.

For Wu, this second designation as an Apple Distinguished School reinforces the efforts by faculty, staff, and administrators to take learning to a new level through a digital environment.

“As educators, it is our responsibility to adapt our educational methods to the learning styles of today’s students, and current technologies allow us to do so,” says Dr. Markus Blatz, Assistant Dean for Digital Innovation and Professional Development. “This is not to be “fancy” but to apply proven techniques and sound technologies that can truly enhance the learning experience, and ultimately, outcomes of our student education to graduate competent dentists. To see our program being recognized gives us great motivation to continue and further expand our efforts to integrate technologies in dental education.”

Announcing the 2023 Continuing Education Lectures and Hands-on Workshops

The Center for Esthetic Excellence, (CEE) has scheduled a lecture and hands-on workshop, entitled, “Direct Resin in the Anterior Dentition: Approaching the Complex Case,” Thursday – Friday, January 19-20, 2023, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., presented by Dr. Jason Smithson.

Treat a discolored lateral, a peg lateral, a Class IV and close a diastema all in one arch. Approach and create a treatment plan with direct resin, using a combination of opaquers, tints and advanced matrixing techniques. Dr. Smithson will carry out each exercise in a stage-by-stage fashion. For more information regarding this course, please contact Erika Heier at 800-837-2321 or cee@cosmedent.com.

EPDENT America has announced it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Good Doctors, USA (GdDr’s USA) to distribute it’s line of innovative Endo devices as well as other dental products through the nationwide group of Good Dr’s USA/ Polaroid HealthCare authorized dealers. GdDr’s USA, an industry leading manufacturer, distributes some of the world’s most advanced dental imaging and diagnostic devices, Wireless Diode lasers, handheld X-ray Generators, as well as other innovative dental equipment.

“We are thrilled to partner with Good Dr’s USA to bring our latest Endo products to the market,” said Phil Jung, General Manager of EPDENT America. “It’s important now, more than ever, that we provide the highest quality products within the healthcare industry. The health and safety of patients and doctors is of the utmost priority.”

Good Dr’s USA will market the innovative Endo products into the dental and veterinary markets and will be distributing its products through the dealer distribution networks. It will be supporting the dealers and their professional dental customers with a nationwide team of experienced manufacturer representatives who can demonstrate products, train staff, and provide local on-site support as needed. lThe products will be available in through most major dental dealers in the U.S.

For more information or to set-up a demo with an authorized dealer near you, please contact us at: info@gooddrs.us or, by phone at (844) 789-5050, or visit us at: www.gooddrs.us

Dental practices of all sizes to benefit from alignment

Kleer, the leading dental membership platform, today announced a new partnership with Sunbit, the company building financial technology for everyday expenses. Dental practices that offer both Kleer and Sunbit enable dentists to remove many of the traditional financial barriers to care, and improve access to care while increasing case acceptance.

"When we launched Kleer we had one goal in mind: to create a solution that would simplify coverage and provide benefits to patients and providers. The impact of Kleer plus Sunbit extends that goal,” said Dave Monahan, CEO, Kleer. He added, "Together, we are delivering a technology-powered solution that increases access to care for more patients while delivering bottom line benefits for dental practices."

Sunbit’s technology offers nearly instant access to personalized financing options with minimal data entry. The technology has become the industry’s preferred choice for practices that want to offer more payment convenience to their patients, as it appeals to a broad spectrum of patients. Approved consumers are given fair, transparent, and fee-free choices with just a few clicks, and there are never any hidden costs or origination fees.

Sunbit powers the application process and manages the collections process, and takes the burden of management out of the hands of the practices.

Sunbit offers access to financing for dental procedures with 6 to 72 month payment plan options, and 85% of patients who apply using Sunbit technology are approved. All well-qualified patients get access to true no-interest payment plans at participating merchants.

“Working with Kleer’s leadership team has been a pleasure, as we’re mutually focused on resolving many of the issues experienced by patients across the country, from financing to access to treatment and beyond. As technology-first companies, we both see the massive advantage we can collectively deliver on for participating dental practices,” said Robert Nunziato, Head of Strategic Alliances for Sunbit.

To learn how to implement a high-performing membership plan through Kleer visit kleer.com/partner/sunbit. To learn more regarding Sunbit’s patient financing solution, visit dental.sunbit.com/kleer.

Global Education Center focuses on removable and FIXED full-arch restoration training

Zest Dental Solutions, the only manufacturer of the Zest LOCATOR® Family of FIXED and Removable Abutment Systems, including the Zest LOCATOR Implant System, and provider of clinician-trusted dental materials and small equipment, is proud to announce the official opening of its state-of-the-art hand-on training center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 10,000-square foot Zest Dental Solutions Global Education Center is poised to carry-on and elevate the tradition of comprehensive, relevant didactic and hands-on training that has become a staple for clinicians across the globe.

“Zest Dental Solutions is launching what we consider the ‘Premiere Full-Arch, Digital Dentistry, and Dental Materials Training Center in the World,’” said Dr. Michael Scherer, Zest’s Chief Clinical Officer and board-certified implant specialist. “We are inviting doctors from around the globe to Las Vegas to train in clinically-focused dentistry and laboratory techniques, many of which will center around our LOCATOR FIXED™ solution, from wet-fingered clinicians and technicians. Attendees will walk away with a solid foundation to easily incorporate both a removable and FIXED offering into their practices, thereby expanding their patient universe and sparking practice growth.”

The Global Education Center features a unique immersive experience that is designed for real-world clinical educators to teach real-world dentistry in an incredible space dedicated to Zest and their partners. The center includes a private classroom for traditional presentations and hands-on training facility that together can seat large class sizes. The center also features the latest in audio-visual equipment, a dental treatment room to broadcast for clinically-focused training programs, and a large banquet room for meals, parties, and interaction. Additionally, Zest implant and distribution partners, DSO and GPO customers, and laboratory partners have access to an exclusive space to host meetings and training courses on Zest related projects.

The Zest Global Education Center will be home to the ZestMasters CE curriculum, the crown jewel of the company’s education portfolio, focused on training doctors on the tried-and-true LOCATOR attachment and implant system as well as various other restorative techniques. LOCATOR FIXED™, the newest member of the LOCATOR family, which gives doctors the ability to seamlessly go from a removable overdenture and a FIXED full-arch solution with the same abutments and workflow, will be front and center in Las Vegas.

Driven by flexibility and the goal of making an affordable, permanent teeth solution more accessible, clinicians can now utilize patients’ existing or newly placed LOCATOR abutments to provide a FIXED full-arch solution. LOCATOR FIXED empowers them to offer staged treatment planning—removable overdentures today followed by FIXED full-arch tomorrow, simply by switching out the LOCATOR inserts and housings in the existing prosthesis followed by fabricating a new prosthesis later.

To learn more about the Zest Global Education Center and the courses offered, call 800.262.2310 or go to www.zestdent.com. To learn more about LOCATOR FIXED, visit www.zestdent.com/locator-fixed.

Geistlich Pharma North America Inc. is setting the pace for expanded treatment options with the introduction of vallos™, its first demineralized allograft. 

With two formulations for treatment flexibility, vallos™ granules are ideally suited for smaller routine defects while vallos™f fibers are designed for larger more complex defects. This Geistlich Select product line brings an added confidence to regenerative procedures, with:

·       Verified osteoinductive potential in every lot¹

·       Consistent product quality¹

·       Proven regenerative capacity by exhibiting all five elements of bone formation¹

·       Vital bone after 18-20 weeks²

Geistlich Select: Geistlich is proud of the quality and safety of its products and consistently employs rigorous scientific validation and strict manufacturing processes. Extensive research and collaboration have created a partnership to bring you select allograft materials designed for clinical versatility and success. Demineralized vallos™ and vallos™f offer clinicians more options to enhance their ability to manage a variety of clinical indications and are the first products to become part of the Geistlich Select family.

“We are excited to bring these first allograft innovations to clinicians, which provides them with new options for their regenerative procedures. We will be expanding our allograft product line with additional solutions in the near future, as part of our Geistlich Select family,” said Les Burrows, General Manager of Geistlich Pharma North America.

About Geistlich Pharma North America Inc. – With more than 170 years of regenerative expertise, Geistlich continues to lead oral regeneration with an expanding portfolio of intentionally designed and clinically proven products. This begins with its world-class bone substitute Geistlich Bio-Oss® and its full line of sizes and formulations. Resorbable collagen membrane Geistlich Bio-Gide® extends its reach with two new products: Geistlich Bio-Gide® Compressed for an alternative handling experience; and uniquely pre-cut Geistlich Bio-Gide® Shape designed for the treatment of non-intact extraction sockets. Finally, our collagen matrix Geistlich Mucograft® is ideal for soft-tissue regeneration, and our volume-stable collagen matrix breakthrough Geistlich Fibro-Gide® providing an alternative to connective tissue grafts. 

Our dedication to scientific collaboration and commitment to successful treatment outcomes are what makes Geistlich Exactly Like No Other. To learn more about Geistlich, visit https://dental.geistlich-na.com.

The collaboration between NSU College of Dental Medicine and Dentsply Sirona International Special Clinic Solutions was born out of two years of comprehensive planning and an investment in Dentsply Sirona’s cutting-edge digital technologies to incorporate into the teaching center. NSU students will be able to train under practice-like conditions, benefit from interactive teaching methods, and become familiar with digital dentistry workflows for a seamless transition into real-world practice.

The facility features a number of innovative solutions from Dentsply Sirona, including 64 Intego Pro treatment centers, 38 simulation workstations including the EBS multimedia system for enhanced communication in the classroom, 37 Heliodent Plus intraoral X-Ray units, one fully loaded Axeos, Dentsply Sirona’s newest 2D/3D X-Ray system, an Orthophos E 2D, CEREC Primescan and Primemill units, inLab MC X5s, inLab Profire machines, a Speedfire, Midwest handpieces and motors, endodontic attachments and files, and preventative ultrasonics.

“This state-of-the-art, fully digitalized facility is a testament to the shared vision and goals of NSU College of Dental Medicine and Dentsply Sirona,” said Dr. Steven Kaltman, Dean of NSU College of Dental Medicine. “Through our ongoing commitment to innovation, we can continue to advance oral healthcare and dental education for years to come. We are honored to have Dentsply Sirona as a loyal partner and appreciate its tremendous support of our academic mission and students over the years.”

Dentsply Sirona International Special Clinic Solutions – the premium partner for clinic planning

The entire planning and outfitting process for this new training facility was done by Dentsply Sirona International Special Clinic Solutions. The comprehensive project included 2D and 3D design assistance to help bring the project to life during early planning stages and tailor-made educational solutions from Dentsply Sirona’s extensive product portfolio.

With more than 60 years of experience providing educational solutions, Dentsply Sirona partners with universities and clinics around the world to ensure future dentists have access to learning environments and digital tools that reflect the conditions of modern dentistry practices.

“Supporting the next generation of dental professionals means ensuring they have access to the highest quality tools and equipment during their training,” says Joerg Vogel, VP of Dentsply International Special Sirona Clinic Solutions. “We are proud to partner with leading educational institutions like NSU College of Dentistry to bring that vision to life. With reliable simulation units and treatment centers, as well as modern digital dentistry solutions, students from NSU will be well prepared to provide the best care for their future patients.”

For more information on Dentsply Sirona International Special Clinic Solutions, visit www.dentsplysirona.com/hr-hr/explore/universities-and-large-clinics.html.  

Leading 3D printing company Formlabs announced how premium aligner manufacturer Modern Clear used dental 3D printing solutions to increase production throughput, making personalized aligners more affordable and accessible.

Personalized clear aligners were historically unaffordable, requiring intensive work and fittings during multiple appointments. With the mission to deliver the best quality, best aesthetic aligner at a low-cost for patients, Modern Clear chose Formlabs Low Force Stereolithography (LFS) 3D printers as the solution to revolutionize advanced, clear aligners production in-house. The company has 40 Formlabs Form 3 3D printers, a model designed with digital dentistry and orthodontics in mind, with the PreForm software to keep production running 24/7 from a single workstation.

With the Form 3, Modern Clear fabricated aligners with the smooth surface finish and no visible layer lines needed. This was possible due to the high-resolution printing it provides, as well as materials Formlabs created to enable dentistry and orthodontic companies to digitize while decreasing costs for the business and end-use products while printing at large scale. See below how Modern Clear’s Formlabs 3D printing fleet has enabled it to increase production to make aligners more accessible:

● Modern Clear has partnered with 16,000+ dentists and orthodontists to deliver personalized medical devices at an affordable rate

● They have served more than 150,000 patients worldwide

● The company has produced 3+ million 3D fabricated aligners thus far

● Modern Clear’s production throughput increased by up to four times

● The fleet operates with a 96% print success over more than 10,000 print jobs, providing reassurance that production is completed correctly and quickly.