Gift will be used to establish scholarship for local students

For Trellis Company, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization focused on connecting people to education-to-employment pathways, it’s sometimes easier to bring the mountain to the student than the other way around. Solving the issue of bringing more dentists to El Paso is merely a case of training more El Pasoans to be dentists.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso recently announced a $10,000 donation from Trellis Company to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine for exactly that purpose. The gift will establish a scholarship to support the education of future dental professionals residing in the Paso del Norte region of West Texas and New Mexico.

"We’re grateful for Trellis Company’s generosity and support of our mission to educate and train the next generation of dental professionals," said Richard C. Black, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine. "This scholarship will make a significant impact on the lives of local students and the patients they serve, as well as help to further our commitment to build a healthy community by providing high-quality dental care access for our Borderplex region."

Trellis Company’s gift will support local students pursuing a career in dentistry who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to working in underserved communities. Many of these future dental professionals are expected to provide care for residents of El Paso and surrounding areas.

"Trellis believes in investing in the future of our community and supporting education initiatives that make a lasting impact," said Renard U. Johnson, vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the Trellis Company. "Trellis is proud to partner with the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and provide this scholarship to help local students achieve their dreams of becoming dental professionals and serving the region they call home."

For over 40 years, Trellis Company has aided students and graduates by placing them on paths to success. This includes helping underserved students, institutions and communities transform themselves, their cultures and the societies in which they reside. Trellis Company provides research and consulting services to higher education institutions, while their Trellis Foundation provides institutional grants to foster social mobility.

Both Trellis Company and Trellis Foundation have long been involved helping our Borderplex region through generous financial contributions. In 2020, the Trellis Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Hunt School of Nursing to provide stipends for students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The funds, matched dollar-for-dollar by the Texas Workforce Commission’s Texas Industry Partnership program and administered through Workforce Solutions Borderplex, came at a critical time during the pandemic when nursing students needed help to alleviate financial hardships.

Johnson, who also serves as president and CEO of Management and Engineering Technologies International Inc., played a lead role in advocating for the Trellis donation to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine.

The Trellis scholarship to the Hunt School of Dental Medicine will address a critical need for the region. Currently, El Paso has one-third fewer dentists per capita than other regions of the U.S. Having a dental school goes a long way toward bridging the gap; studies show that upward of 75% of dental school graduates remain in the area where they attended dental school.

The Hunt School of Dental Medicine is on track to graduate 40 dentists in 2025. However, these dental students are not waiting to use their skills. Under the mentoring eye of their professors, they are providing low-cost dental care to underserved communities in the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, a 38,000-square-foot public dental clinic. When these students graduate, they will begin practicing with confidence and capability. The students have already experienced over 5,000 patient visits for screening and treatment, totaling more than 7,100 hours of clinical care.

Individuals and organizations wishing to contribute to the success of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine and its mission of training the next generation of dental care professionals can visit www.give2tech.com/elpaso/contact, or call 915-215-5943.  

CIMsystem, a leading provider of dental CAD/CAM solutions, has announced that it will be offering LIVE comprehensive training courses for its dental CAM software MillBox.

MillBox Academy is designed to provide dental professionals with a thorough understanding of MillBox, including its features and functionalities, in order to optimize the user workflow and increase productivity. The training sessions will be conducted by highly experienced MillBox Experts with extensive knowledge of dental CAD/CAM technology. Participants also receive the unique opportunity to gain official MillBox certification upon successful completion of the course. "We are excited to offer this training program for MillBox Dental CAM," says Michael Webb, CIMsystem USA’s President. "MillBox is the most powerful and versatile dental CAM solution on the market that can run any machine out there. We believe that this training program will provide the knowledge necessary for dental professionals to set themselves apart from other outsource centers and the means to unlock their milling machine’s full potential.”

Courses will be held at CIMsystem USA in Louisville, KY and will be open to dental professionals of all levels of experience. Registration is now open, and interested individuals can learn more and register by visiting https://bit.ly/MillBox-training.

The American Association of Endodontists is proud to announce that our Association has been awarded three 2023 TRENDY Award wins – all at the Gold level – for best:

• Product Launch– FindMyEndodontist.com

• Promotional Items– I Heart Root Canals Face Mask 

• Video– AAE22 I’m Excited For… (Pass the Pen)

The TRENDY Awards honors the best and most unique communications and marketing pieces.

AAE Marketing and Communications staff members Kim FitzSimmons (chief marketing and communications officer), Natalie Hughes (integrated marketing manager) and Elisabeth Lisican (integrated communications manager) represented the AAE at the 2023 Salute to Association Excellence on March 17, 2023, in Washington DC, presented by Association TRENDS and CEO Update.

“The AAE is certainly trending this year, winning award after significant award for outstanding marketing and communications pieces,” said Executive Director Ken Widelka. “This is also a win for the public, as more and more people are realizing the benefits of endodontic treatment everyday thanks to our highly effective communications strategies.”

Association TRENDS is an organization that provides association executives and industry partners training, data and insights to help serve their organizations. Celebrating its 43rd anniversary, this annual awards show honors the brightest stars of the association community and their commitment to excellence.

These latest award wins arrive on the heels of 15 other award wins, announced recently.

“The AAE’s continuous awards speak to the incredible talent of our Marketing and Communications staff, who do award-winning work every day and ensure we live on the cutting edge with modern, mobile- and user-friendly websites; conversation-starting promotional pieces and memorable videos,” Widelka concluded. 

Second location allows more Southern Nevadans to benefit from the practice’s unique, state-of-the-art digital dentistry services

Dee for Dentist, a state-of-the-art dental practice embracing groundbreaking technological innovations and techniques to treat and manage oral care, has acquired Las Vegas Dentistry located at 2421 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102, marking the second brick-and-mortar practice owned by Dr. Dee Dee Meevasin.

“With our original practice located in the Silverado Ranch area of Las Vegas, we are excited to acquire a second office that is centrally located to better serve patients across the valley,” said Dr. Dee Dee Meevasin, owner and primary clinician at Dee for Dentist. “Patients can expect the same level of advanced technology and elevated patient care that we are recognized for throughout Southern Nevada.”

The former Las Vegas Dentistry practice features 2,800 square feet of space and six patient rooms. Dee for Dentist is expanding treatment options at this location to include its signature line of cutting-edge dental technology services such as the Solea Laser for anesthesia-free cavity fillings and snoring therapy, digitally guided dental implantology, and 3D printed appliances. The practice has two dentists and a dental hygienist on staff and is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Having personally known Dr. Meevasin and her team for many years, I could not be more excited to join the Dee for Dentist family,” said Dr. Dhesi, primary clinician at Las Vegas Dentistry. “Dr. Meevasin and her team bring with them the latest dental technology which provides patients the most advanced treatment options available in the dental industry.”

As the first and often only in Las Vegas to use many of the groundbreaking innovations and techniques developed for the dental industry to treat and manage oral health, Dee for Dentist offers the most progressive treatments available, including: laser dentistry for anesthesia-free cavity fillings, myofunctional therapy appliances for children, digital nitrous, oral sleep appliances, oral cancer detection, 3D printing, CEREC same-day crown restorations, and 3D screening for advanced airway analysis to address sleep apnea and other oral health related issues. Earlier this year they were the first dental practice in the Western U.S. to utilize the first-ever medical grade 3D printer for dentistry – the Primeprint 3D Printing System by Dentsply Sirona.

Dee for Dentist’s Silverado Ranch practice is located at 8772 South Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89123. For more information, visit www.deefordentist.com.

CANDULOR hosted an exclusive customer event at the "Bauwerk Köln" for the presentation of the 13th International KunstZahnWerk Award.

The Challenge

The 13th international KunstZahnWerk (KZW) competition set its participants a more than challenging task. The objective was to create a mucosa-supported maxillary and mandibular full denture, based on a detailed model analysis together with a meaningful documentation. The special feature was the development of an age-appropriate, natural-looking solution, adapted to the pronounced atrophy in the lower jaw. The participants could choose between the dynamic tooth-to-tooth or tooth-to-two-tooth occlusion concepts.

The Expert Jury

The entries were judged through the professional eyes of the international jury:

• Peter Lerch, prosthodontist and author, Switzerland

• Steffen Rohrbach, dental technician/SSOP Teacher, USA

• Steven de Maesschalck, dental technician, Belgium

The team of experts examined, screened and evaluated the individual pieces of work. The criteria for evaluation included model assembly, model analysis, anterior and posterior tooth set-up, static and dynamic occlusion, esthetics and workmanship, as well as the documentation.

"It is a very special honor for me to be part of this competition and the KZW tradition. And I must admit that the analog approach to high quality prosthetics still makes the heart beat faster," says Steffen Rohrbach.

The Winners

The winners were announced during the CANDULOR event, at the "Bauwerk Köln" on March 15, 2023. The 25 best entries were exhibited that evening and prizes were awarded to the first 15 Kunstzahnwerk creations . The non-cash and cash prizes, in the form of annual subscriptions, shopping vouchers and books, were sponsored by the trade publishers Quintessenz Publishing, Verlag Neuer Merkur, Spitta, Oemus Media, mgo fachverlage, DentAvantgArt and, of course, by CANDULOR.

Sebastian Guttenberger from Pirk (DE) won first place. The dental technician from Zahntechnik Hierold was particularly convincing with regard to denture design and finishing and was able to outperform the other 52 entries. He received EUR 1,500 prize money and the Gold CANDULOR Award. In fact, Sebastian achieved a double victory, as he also took first place for his documentation. He was overwhelmed by the ranking and appreciation of his work, especially since this was the first time he had participated in this competition.

Second place and with it the Silver CANDULOR Award went to Skender Ramadani from Altstetten (CH). He received a check over EUR 1,000. Additionally, he achieved third place with his documentation.

The Bronze Award went to Jakobus Pieter Johannes du Toit of Riverview (CA). Dr. Joanne Choi of the University of Otago accepted the Award on his behalf. His documentation even made second place.

All the work pieces will be published shortly on the company's website https://www.candulor.com/en/kzw-winners-2023 where they can be viewed.

The Event - a reunion among CANDULOR friends

CANDULOR partners and customers were invited to the event and provided an appropriate setting for the KZW Award ceremony and its participants. A platform for a personal meeting after four years of abstinence from Cologne and the IDS.

"It was important for us to meet KZW participants and customers in person again after the 2021 Online Award. The emotions of the participants and the many direct exchanges are simply unbeatable 'analog'," says Alexander Ewert, Director Marketing & Education.

Artist Sarah Barelly, well-known from "The Voice of Germany" TV show welcomed the customers and took them through the program in her sparkling, humorous style. After a spectacular unveiling of the best three KZW entries, Sarah Barelly closed the Award ceremony with her song "Ein Hoch auf uns." The program continued with music and the four-member a cappella band ODY•C, which encouraged guests to dance to songs from the 80s.

In Addition to Showcasing Laser Companies, ALD 2023 is Including a Variety of Complementary Products and Services That Can Enhance Today’s Laser Practice

The Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), an international, professional membership association, recently announced that its upcoming annual conference is showcasing a diverse group of sponsors and exhibitors during its 30th anniversary meeting. ALD 2023 is taking place from April 21st to April 22nd in Dallas.

According to ALD Executive Director Gail Siminovsky, CAE, “ALD 2023 not only marks our exciting return to a live event, it also has the distinction of having more sponsor and exhibitor diversity compared to previous years. That’s because dental lasers play well with other modalities, which is part of what keeps them at the forefront of advanced patient care.”

Diode and CO2 Lasers

Of course, ALD 2023 will be highlighting the dental industry’s leading diode and CO2 laser manufacturers such as Biolase, Convergent Dental (Solea), Ultradent, DEKA Dental Lasers and CAO Group, but other types of lasers will also be included.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) and Cosmetic Lasers

For example, low-level laser devices with healing, pain-relieving properties are also well-represented thanks to sponsors and exhibitors such as Thor Photomedicine, Oral IQ, and Summus Medical Laser. Another laser application being featured for the first time, is cosmetic skin treatment, which is the specialty of Zero Gravity Skin.

“We’re very excited to welcome several innovative non-laser companies to ALD 2023,” added Siminovsky. “All of them can add value to practice and patients alike, which is in full-alignment with this year’s conference theme Lasers for Practice Success.”

Oral Health Products and Technology

For example, ALD2023 will include homeopathic oral care products from StellaLife, periodontal disease treatment trays from PerioProtect, Guided Biofilm Therapy technology from EMS and voice-activated perio-charting from Florida Probe’s Voiceworks.

Eyewear: Protection Magnification & Illumination

The importance of proper eyewear for laser practitioners cannot be overstated. While you are on the exhibit floor, you’ll be able to try laser safety glasses from Innovative Optics and loupes and headlights from DentLight.

Practice Management

ALD 2023 attendees who want to achieve laser practice success by becoming more productive and profitable, can meet with representatives from Fortune Management.

“Thanks to all of our sponsors and exhibitors,” said Siminovsky. “The diverse list continues to grow and reflects the progressive mindset and dedication to optimal patient care shared by ALD members across the globe.”

For full conference program details and registration information, visit https://bit.ly/ALD2023.

Manufacturers and DSOs interested in becoming an ALD exhibitor or sponsor should contact Margaret Angarolo at margaret@LaserDentistry.org.

In the 2022 business year, the Ivoclar Group achieved a turnover of 872 million Swiss francs, surpassing its previous record set in 2021. The Liechtenstein-based dental and medical device company, which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2023, attributes this success to the introduction of innovative new products and the company’s expansion into growth markets around the globe. Nevertheless, a change in leadership has been announced: Markus Heinz will replace Diego Gabathuler as CEO of the Ivoclar Group.

After having achieved excellent operating results in the 2019 and 2021 fiscal years, the Ivoclar Group further improved its performance over the past financial year to attain the highest total revenues in the company’s history, amounting to 872 million Swiss francs. The currency-adjusted turnover was 4.9 per cent higher than in the previous year and therefore above the average market growth rate.

Change at the helm of the company

Under the leadership of Diego Gabathuler, the company has developed very successfully in recent years. Numerous initiatives focusing on creating a more modern, digital and customer-centric organization underpin the strategic direction. After eight years with the company and for almost four years in the role of CEO, Diego Gabathuler has decided to leave the company. He will take some time out from corporate life to explore career options outside the dental industry with particular interest in the world of start-ups. “We would like to thank Diego for his achievements over the years and wish him good luck for the next chapter in his life,” says Helmut Schuster, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ivoclar Group.

Markus Heinz appointed new CEO

The successor of Diego Gabathuler will be Markus Heinz. He started his career at the company in 1985 and most recently held the position of Chief Operating Officer. Markus Heinz has a proven track record in the fields of production, supply chain management, organizational development, people management and customer care, a skillset the Ivoclar Group wants to draw on in order to continue its story of success.

“My remit is to continue successfully implementing the existing strategy and to further develop the organization. This includes fine-tuning and optimization by increasing the focus on our growth markets and on our core products while investing in innovative solutions for the future. We will continue to sharpen our focus on our customers, our people and partners,” says the new CEO Markus Heinz.

Mastering challenges together

The Ivoclar Group did not remain unaffected by the geopolitical and economic tensions in the world in recent years. Nevertheless, the company successfully navigated through these tough circumstances: “Even though we had to deal with issues related to logistics, delivery capabilities and energy supplies, we were able to anticipate the challenges in advance and plan accordingly,” explains Markus Heinz, the new CEO of the Ivoclar Group. “The geographical diversification strategy of the company allows us to spread our business activities over different types of economic regions, thereby reducing currency and supply chain risks. This gives us a competitive edge in uncertain times.”

Markus Heinz will be supported in his many tasks by the existing members of the Corporate Management. In his role as Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Brutzer will be responsible for the sales organization of all markets in the future. “Our organization is thus in good and safe hands as we open a new chapter in the history of our company,” says Helmut Schuster.

Outlook on 2023

In 2023, Ivoclar is celebrating its 100-year anniversary under the theme of “A Century of Innovation”. At trade fairs and conferences around the world, the company is sharing its rich history of innovative achievements and celebrating its success story with its customers. The insights provided by the “Ivoclar Innovation Room” at the International Dental Show (IDS) already gave an outlook on how the company founded in 1923 intends to continue its success story. In June, Ivoclar will be inaugurating its new administration, visitor and training centre at the company headquarters in Liechtenstein. The building houses 300 attractive, state-of-the-art workspaces and allows visitors to immerse themselves in a unique dental world of experience, the Ivoclar Experience, which brings to life the company’s mission of “Making People Smile”.

More information about Ivoclar and the 100-year anniversary celebrations “A Century of Innovation”: ivoclar.com/100years

Program to Feature a Panel Discussion with Company CEO Stanley Bergman and Jeannie Diefenderfer, CEO of the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance

In collaboration with the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) today announced that it will present a pre-conference program on Tuesday, March 28 from 2:30 – 5:30 pm at the 2023 ADSO Annual Summit.

Open to all registered attendees for ADSO’s Annual Summit, Henry Schein’s program is titled “Innovative Solutions for Unprecedented Times: How to Harness the Power of People, Community, and Technology Products and Services to Supercharge Your Practice.” It will feature impactful presentations and panel discussions from key leaders from across the Company, including Stanley Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. Mr. Bergman will be joined by Jeannie Diefenderfer, Chief Executive Officer of the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance, to discuss how group practices can harness the power of a purpose-driven business to foster strong team culture, connect with patients, and maximize overall practice performance.

In addition to elevating discussions about aligning business with purpose, the program will address how DSOs can leverage technology to help improve practice performance through a panel discussion titled “Emerging Product and Technology Solutions to Improve your Practice’s Workflow, Performance, and Patient Outcomes.” The panel will be moderated by Crystal Kunzler, Strategic Accounts Manager for Henry Schein Orthodontics, who will be joined by colleagues from across the Company, including:

● Alan Rencher, Chief Technology Officer, Henry Schein One;

● Ali Hyatt, Chief Marketing Officer, Henry Schein One;

● Chikako Amendola, Senior Director, North America Henry Schein Brands Commercial Team; and

● Cory Mack Cooper, Senior Director, Henry Schein Orthodontics Special Markets.

“We at Henry Schein have always believed in the power of aligning business with purpose, and we’re excited to offer programming prior to this year’s ADSO Annual Summit to discuss how group practices can utilize tools and tactics that engage patients and partners while driving business success,” said Nancy Lanni, Vice President and General Manager, Strategic Accounts, Henry Schein, Inc. “We look forward to connecting with entrepreneurial group practice leaders who are at the forefront of implementing innovative technology solutions to drive practice efficiency and enhanced patient care.”

The program will also feature a keynote presentation from Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, author of “The Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage,” which details her journey as she completed climbing the seven tallest mountains in each continent, and how that experience helped her push through adversity.

Henry Schein’s pre-conference programming is only open to attendees of the ADSO Annual Summit but there is no additional charge to attend. To register for ADSO’s Annual Summit, please click here.

Premier Dental Products Company is excited to announce its 110th Anniversary! Dental professionals have turned to Premier as a leader in bringing innovative products to market that improve their daily procedures, practices and patient outcomes.

“The achievement of Premier’s 110th anniversary is absolutely monumental. 110 years is actually difficult to fathom- to put that into perspective in terms of other businesses, Premier Dental is older than Boeing, Kikoman, and Lincoln,” said CEO Julie Charlestein. “This milestone has been reached through four generations of the Charlestein Family, and the countless Premier members whose vision, dedication, and passion drove the business forward through many evolutionary phases. It continues to be our mission and honor to serve the dental community with integrity, through Inspired Solutions for Daily Dentistry. We thank you all for your partnership, trust, and success.”

With 4 generations of family-guided leadership in the worldwide dental market, Premier was founded by Julius Charlestein in 1913 and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Premier’s corporate office is currently located in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania and its manufacturing facilities reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with continued support from a network of global partners. Premier’s commitment to excellence and integrity continues to be exhibited by providing the products and customer service health professionals appreciate to offer better, more efficient care to their patients.

Everyone who has played a role in making Premier a leading brand can be proud and attribute that position to the trust that stems from each of us. The Premier Promise continues our long-standing commitment to deliver a superior end-to-end customer experience by making it easy to do business with us, provide standard-setting solutions, be your product concierge for knowledge & service, and make it right if we fall short. To learn more, visit: www.premierdentalco.com/promise

AI-Based X-Ray Analysis Software and Speech-to-Text Technology Help Enhance Practice Efficiency and Improve Case Acceptance

Henry Schein One, a joint venture of Henry Schein Inc. and Internet Brands, has reinforced their commitment to helping dental practices harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by fully integrating AI solutions into Dentrix Ascend, the Company’s cloud-based practice management software. These solutions include Dentrix® Ascend Detect AI powered and manufactured by VideaHealth, and Dentrix Ascend Voice, powered by Bola AI.

Both Dentrix Ascend Detect AI and Dentrix Ascend Voice offer powerful tools to help dental professionals improve case acceptance and elevate patient care through accurate diagnoses. Dentrix Ascend Detect AI is an AI-enabled X-ray analysis tool that provides real-time chairside insights to dentists and hygienists, and is powered by VideaHealth’s FDA-cleared computer-assisted detection (CADe) device. With this tool embedded directly into Dentrix, and now Dentrix Ascend, oral health professionals can seamlessly use AI in dental practices within their existing workflows. The software automatically analyzes and annotates images, enabling dental professionals to more quickly evaluate x-rays and provide more effective treatment recommendations to patients. As a result, dentists and hygienists can provide greater transparency to patients, improve trust and case acceptance, and elevate patient care.

Dentrix Ascend Voice has advanced AI technology that improves speed and efficiency for dentists and hygienists when completing Perio exams and clinical notes. By letting hygienists easily record results verbally, it can improve Perio exam productivity, treatment acceptance, and patient referrals, helping to improve profitability. For dentists and hygienists, Dentrix Ascend Voice saves valuable time by simplifying their data entry.

“We at Henry Schein One are committed to bringing AI solutions to dental practices that work naturally within their current workflow, so practitioners receive the powerful benefits without adding extra steps,” said Paul Hao, Chief Product Officer, Henry Schein One. “We’re excited to now bring our AI enabled X-ray analysis and voice recognition solutions to our Dentrix Ascend customers, and we’ll continue to invest in AI solutions that can help dentists provide the best possible patient care.”

To learn more about Dentrix Ascend Detect AI and Dentrix Ascend Voice, please visit https://www.dentrixascend.com/apps/ascend-detect-ai and https://www.dentrixascend.com/apps/voice.