Kellie Nock is the assistant editor for Dental Products Report. She graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a Bachelor's in Journalism. Kellie enjoys multimedia content creation with a focus on audio and video storytelling. 

PDA and Glidewell Form Strategic Alliance to Enhance Dental Care. Image credit: © Productive Dentist Academy

Dental consulting and marketing firm Productive Dentist Academy (PDA) has partnered with Glidewell with the goal of improving dental care by providing high-quality restorations and innovative solutions to dentists across the country, according to a press release from PDA.

PDA Co-founder Dr Bruce B. Baird said in the press release, "Our alliance with Glidewell underscores our dedication to offering the best resources and technologies to our clients, ensuring they deliver exceptional care to their patients.”

Glidewell will collaborate with PDA to support dentists in enhancing patient outcomes and practice efficiency. Glidewell’s Chief Growth Officer Rob Brenneise emphasized the goal of setting new standards in the dental profession through this collaboration in the press release. PDA clients will have access to Glidewell’s extensive range of products, including crowns, bridges, implants, and digital dentistry tools. The partnership will also support educational programs to keep dental professionals updated on industry advancements.

Dr Victoria Peterson, PDA Co-founder and CEO, stated in the press release, "Partnering with Glidewell allows us to bring unparalleled value to our clients. Together, we are dedicated to fostering innovation and excellence in dental practices, ultimately benefiting both dentists and their patients.”

Articles

Through this strategic alliance, Glidewell will offer its restorative and technologies solutions portfolio to Productive Dentist Academy clients. 

PDA and Glidewell Form Strategic Alliance to Enhance Dental Care

Stan Goff is a Managing Editor with MJH Life Sciences, which includes Dental Products Report, Dental Practice Management, Dental Lab Products, Modern Hygienist, and Dentist's Money Digest. He has covered the dental industry since 1999 and can be reached at sgoff@mjhlifesciences.com.  

Henry Schein hosted its “Back to School” event at the company’s worldwide headquarters in Melville, N.Y. on August 7. | Image Credit: © Henry Schein, Inc

While helping clinicians across the globe provide better oral care is one way to spread smiles, Henry Schein, Inc. also has brought smiles to children for almost 3 decades with its “Back to School” program that helps equip kids with backpacks full of much-needed school supplies and dental kits.

For the 27th consecutive year, Henry Schein is helping students worldwide start the academic year off right through the program, a flagship initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate citizenship program. Team Schein Members (TSMs) at 40 locations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Ireland are helping 5,300 students gain confidence and excitement for the school year, with more events planned later this year in Italy and Spain.

The Back to School program—first introduced in 1998, reflects Henry Schein’s commitment to communities by empowering its TSMs with volunteer opportunities to support underserved children in partnership with local not-for-profit social service organizations. Team Schein Members join forces to give back, packing backpacks filled with school supplies and dental kits that prepare children with essentials for the upcoming school year. Since its inception, the program has expanded globally, serving more than 65,000 children across various sites where Henry Schein operates, the company states.

Last week Henry Schein hosted its “Back to School” event at its worldwide headquarters in Melville, N.Y. About 400 pre-identified children and their families received their packed backpacks along with a gift card to purchase first day-of-school outfits. The event included a barbeque, crafts, games, and other activities for family members to enjoy.

To reinforce the importance of education, the event featured a S.T.E.M. presentation and a tent with a variety of free books donated by TSMs and KPMG LLP–a U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm–through its Family for Literacy program and its partnership with the nonprofit social enterprise, First Book. The fun-filled evening was just one of the many “Back to School” events held by Henry Schein around the world this season.

Click here see the company’s press release and to watch a video 

featuring volunteers and Stanley M. Bergman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Henry Schein. 

“Team Schein remains dedicated to ensuring children start the school year with confidence and excitement. By empowering these young minds with essential tools and resources, we are helping to nurture a brighter future for our communities,” Bergman states in the press release. “At Henry Schein, we are honored to continue supporting educational equity and inspiring children to reach their full potential.”

Henry Schein partnered with 10 Long Island-based social service organizations for the Melville event to pre-identify participating children and their families: Bethany House; Espoir Youth Program, Inc.; Family and Children’s Association; Hispanic Counseling Center; Iovino South Shore Family Center (Family Service League); SCO Madonna Heights; Social Service Volunteers of Nassau; The Raymar Children’s Association; WellLife Network; and YES Community Counseling Center.

“We are grateful to Henry Schein for their dedication to the children and families we serve and for our continued partnership on the Back to School initiative,” adds Suzette Gordon, president and CEO of SCO Family of Services. “This remarkable act of generosity prepares students for the school year and empowers children to achieve academic success. The backpacks represent so much more than school supplies–they instill hope, pride, and confidence in our students and their families. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Team Schein for their continued support of SCO Family of Services.”

To learn more about the “Back to School” program, and to see photos from other events, 

Henry Schein Cares aims to drive change through their 5 pillars: 

Now in its 27th year, the event equips children in need with backpacks full of essential supplies for a strong start to the academic year.

Henry Schein’s “Back to School” Program Helping Students Around the Globe

Benco Dental (left to right) associates and vendors host a technology open house at one of the company’s 3 CenterPoint design and equipment showrooms; volunteers participate in one of Benco Dental’s community giveback events; and Halloween festivities at Benco Dental headquarters. | Image Credit: © Benco Dental

Benco Dental is not only the nation’s largest independent distributor of oral healthcare technology and supplies, but it’s a great place to work. For the ninth time in 10 years, the company has been certified by Great Place To Work.®

The prestigious award from the Great Place To Work global authority on workplace culture is based solely on what current employees say about their experience working at Benco Dental.

For this year, 85% of the dental distributor’s employees said it’s a great place to work—28 points higher than the average U.S. company, according to Benco.

“We know that a key driver of our continued success is the quality of our workplace and culture,” George Rable, Benco Dental’s chief culture and people officer, says in a press release announcing the honor. “Every day, making certain our associates know how much they’re valued is at the very top of our priorities. It’s about so much more than merely showing appreciation. Fostering a vibrant, healthy, engaging culture hinges on a relentless focus on respect and empowerment, and we’re humbled that our associates recognize our commitment.”

Rable adds it’s also gratifying to know that so many of the company associates enthusiastically take the time required to complete the detailed survey, which consists of more than 50 statements which employees rate across a 5-point consistency scale, plus 2 open-ended questions. It generally takes about 15 minutes to complete and the company carefully evaluates the resulting data for opportunities to improve the culture every year.

Joanne Stitzer, Benco Dental’s VP of customer and associate engagement, adds, “It’s very exciting to see how our results evolve from year to year…a great opportunity to get feedback on areas where we are winning and where we can improve.”

In addition to 85% of employees saying Benco Dental is a great place to work, other takeaways include:

93% said that when you join Benco Dental, you are made to feel welcome

90% agreed that they can take time off when they think it’s necessary

87% reported feeling a sense of pride in what they help to accomplish

Benco Dental has also appeared on several of Great Place To Work’s Great Workplaces Lists, including ranking #25 on the Fortune Best Workplaces in Health Care™ (Large) in both 2022 and 2023, the company states.

“Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the vice president of global recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that Certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Benco Dental stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.”

, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Also of note, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

Those interested in opportunities to work at Benco Dental, which is currently hiring, can visit the company’s careers page at

L-R: Benco Dental associates and vendors host a technology open house at one of the company’s three 

 design and equipment showrooms; volunteers participate in one of Benco Dental’s community giveback events; Halloween festivities at Benco Dental headquarters.

For the ninth time in 10 years, the company has been certified by the Great Place To Work®  global authority on workplace culture.

Benco Dental Associates Help Company Earn Another Great Place To Work Certification

Lisa Newburger, a master's level social worker supervisor, helps audiences find humor in talking about tough topics. Her "in-your-face" style of presentations and writing will make you smile or just shock you into taking some action. Either way, she is very effective at empowering others to reach their goals and feel better about themselves. Her entertaining workshops are available for national and international audiences. Writing for the dental industry since 2010, she uses an alterego (Diana Directive) to illustrate her points in a sarcastic but effective way. Presentations can be scheduled by contacting Lisa at www.discussdirectives.com/dental.html.

Roundtable discussion on conflict resolution in the dental practice.

Mastermind – Episode 39 – Resolving Conflicts in the Dental Practice

Videos

Join Lisa Newburger, LISW-S, Jean Ocasio, John Flucke, DDS, and Melia Lewis, MEd, RDH, as they discuss their methods on conflict resolution in the dental practice and how to navigate these tricky situations. [34 minutes]

UptimeHealth, Darby Partner to Launch Darby Dispatch | Image Credit: © UptimeHealth/Darby Dental Supply

UptimeHealth is partnering with prominent dental distributor Darby Dental Supply to launch Darby Dispatch, the newest installment in Darby’s growing suite of dental practice solutions.

This partnership marks a significant step forward in enhancing operational efficiencies and compliance management for dental practices nationwide and introduces customers to Darby Dispatch, Powered by UptimeHealth.

The new offering is designed to connect dental practices nationwide with cutting-edge software solutions and equipment repair services. Through this collaboration, UptimeHealth and Darby will help support practices in managing equipment lifecycles, tracking service requests through a streamlined work-order system, ensuring compliance, and optimizing operational workflow. This integration allows service technicians to be dispatched efficiently and ensures maintenance issues are resolved promptly, the companies state, which reduces downtime and increases the reliability of dental practice operations.

“UptimeHealth is dedicated to simplifying complex operations for healthcare providers with our technology," Jinesh Patel, CEO and co-founder at UptimeHealth, says in a press release. "Our partnership with Darby allows us to extend our reach and impact, bringing our advanced equipment management and compliance solutions to a wider audience. Together, we are setting new standards in the industry, empowering dental practices to focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks.”

Darby, which provides dental practices of all sizes with convenient access to more than 50,000 products as well as technology services, equipment repair, a full line of private label products, and dedicated glove, specialty, and capital equipment divisions, expects this new collaboration to further assist its ability to address a realm of customer needs.

“At Darby, we are committed to optimizing every aspect of our customers’ businesses through solutions that boost efficiency, enhance operations, and drive revenue,” adds Frank Massino, president, Darby Group Companies. “We’re thrilled to add UptimeHealth to our suite of offerings and, together, provide customers with exceptional dental equipment repair services and the opportunity to focus on preventative maintenance.”

Key Features and Benefits of the Partnership Include:

Access to highly skilled service technicians who provide efficient resolution of equipment issues, minimizing downtime for your practice

Automated tracking and management tools to streamline the maintenance and repair of dental equipment

Compliance solutions that keep dental practices ahead of regulatory requirements, reducing risks and penalties

Data-driven insights that help practices make informed decisions to improve operational efficiency and patient service

For more on UptimeHealth, a leader in healthcare technology that specializes in improving the efficiency and reliability of medical equipment management, watch this 

Through its comprehensive suite of solutions, UptimeHealth helps healthcare providers streamline compliance and maintenance, allowing them to focus on delivering the best patient care.

Darby Dental Supply began in 1947 as a single mail-order catalog in Brooklyn and has become one of the largest dental distributors in the United States, shipping over one million orders each year for 75 years and counting, according to the company. Darby works with practices of all sizes, as well as several specialties, and government institutions.

This new collaboration is designed to enhance operational efficiency, compliance, and manage equipment lifecycles for dental practices nationwide. 

UptimeHealth, Darby Partner to Launch Darby Dispatch

Pacific Dental Services Foundation Donates Mobile Dental Clinic to High Point University Dental School. Image credit: © Pacific Dental Services Foundation


The Pacific Dental Services® (PDS) Foundation has donated its Mobile Dental Clinic (MDC) to High Point University's (HPU) Workman School of Dental Medicine in North Carolina. This clinic, housed within a fully equipped RV featuring 2 dental chairs, is designed to help HPU dental students gain practical experience by offering essential dental care to underserved communities. This donation aligns with both organizations' shared commitment to expanding access to quality oral health care and integrating dental and medical services, according to a press release from PDS.

The MDC has a notable history of service. From 2013 to 2020, PDS Foundation volunteers used the clinic to provide free dental care to underserved populations across the United States. The clinic traveled to both urban and rural areas, reaching people who otherwise could not access or afford dental care. Over those years, the MDC reportedly participated in more than 155 events and served over 5700 patients, providing more than $4 million in donated dental treatments.

On July 23, PDS Foundation Executive Director Michael Le visited High Point University to officially hand over the clinic's keys to a group of faculty and staff members from the Workman School of Dental Medicine. During the handover, Le emphasized the significance of this donation, noting that the MDC will not only provide valuable hands-on learning opportunities for HPU students but also play a crucial role in expanding access to quality oral health care.

“This donation is an extension of our mission at the PDS Foundation,” Le stated. “The Mobile Dental Clinic will provide valuable hands-on learning opportunities while expanding access to quality oral health care. High Point University is the ideal partner, emphasizing the connection between oral health and overall health and focusing on community service. We believe the MDC at HPU will serve as a beacon for both future and current servant-hearted leaders dedicated to expanding access to care. We look forward to seeing the achievements of the students and the entire HPU team.”

The need for this type of service in North Carolina is significant. The state has a shortage of dentists per capita, particularly in rural areas. As the only private dental school in North Carolina, HPU is positioned to help fill this gap by increasing the pipeline of dental professionals and expanding access to oral health care for underserved populations. The MDC will give dental students another avenue to gain clinical experience, which is crucial for their career development, while simultaneously addressing a critical gap in care.

Beyond its educational impact, the MDC will be a vital resource for the community. HPU plans to partner with a medical provider in North Carolina to host community events where free dental and medical treatments will be offered to vulnerable populations. These events will also highlight the benefits of coordinated care, demonstrating how integrating dental and medical services can improve overall health outcomes.

“We’re proud to partner with the PDS Foundation to broaden our service to the community and to reach more people,” said Ali Shazib, DMD, Dean and Chief Clinical Officer for the HPU Workman School of Dental Medicine. “The Mobile Dental Clinic is a great opportunity to deliver integrated care to patients with complex needs who often cannot access oral health care. Veterans, the homeless, and other communities need and deserve quality dental care, and this clinic will help fill the gap while providing students with real-world experience to strengthen their careers as oral health providers.”

The Workman School of Dental Medicine is set to welcome its inaugural class of students Fall 2024, marking a significant step in HPU’s efforts to contribute to the dental profession and address health care disparities in the region.

This donation aims to help dental students provide better care to underserved patient populations in North Carolina. 

Pacific Dental Services Foundation Donates Mobile Dental Clinic to High Point University Dental School

John Flucke, DDS, is in private practice in Lee’s Summit, Mo. He also serves as chief clinical editor and technology editor for 

® and keeps an active blog filled with thoughts and tidbits on the world of technology at blog.denticle.com.

Video Test Drive: KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD from KaVo

Dental Products Report Chief Clinical Editor and Technology Editor John Flucke, DDS, gives a hands-on explanation of why the KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD imaging solution works efficiently and effectively. [6 minutes]

SprintRay, Align, and Ivoclar Collaborating on The Midas Restoration Tour

SprintRay’s The Midas Restoration Tour kicks off next week and the event series will showcase a fully connected SprintRay artificial intelligence-powered digital workflow designed specifically for chairside restorative dentistry, and will also include participation from fellow dental manufacturers Align Technology and Ivoclar.

This collaborative tour starts August 15 with a stop in Los Angeles, and is designed to provide dental professionals with a hands-on experience showcasing the latest advancements in digital technologies designed to enable chairside restorative workflows and improve the patient experience.

The 6-city US tour will feature presentations by experts in the field of digital and restorative dentistry who will each focus on a specific segment of the digital workflow: scan capture with iTero™ intraoral scanners from Align, restoration creation with SprintRay, and dental restoration completion and placement with Ivoclar. The experts will provide in-depth insights and practical demonstrations of the technologies and materials, followed by a live Q&A session and discussion about the future of digital dentistry. The cities on the Midas Restoration Tour include Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle, New York, Chicago and the tour wraps up in Fort Lauderdale on October 9.

The Future of Fully Connected Restorative Dentistry


The Midas Restoration Tour will introduce a seamless digital workflow that features cutting-edge innovations from SprintRay, Align Technology, and Ivoclar, that are collectively set to expand the field of restorative dentistry.

: Experience cutting-edge digital scanning performance with the iTero Element ™ 5D Plus and the new iTero Lumina™ intraoral scanner models. These advanced scanners enhance productivity and patient experiences. With these scanners, clinicians can easily design models, prosthetics, and bite splints using the new iTero™ Design Suite, the company states. This suite also features seamless connectivity with SprintRay, streamlining workflows and enhancing design capabilities.

SprintRay Midas Digital Restoration Press

: This 3D printer is designed to produce restorations from highly viscous ceramic-filled resins with exceptional speed, precision, and quality.

 Users can explore the final steps of printed restoration completion with the company's advanced bonding protocol for 3D printed restorations featuring Ivoclar's Adhese® Universal Vivapen® and Variolink® Esthetic.

: From scan, to design, to 3D print, the new direct-integration between iTero intraoral scanners and SprintRay leverages AI to seamlessly connect the digital workflow for a more efficient, accurate, and patient-centric approach to restorative dentistry.

Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in immersive, hands-on sessions with the latest digital tools and technologies. The settings will allow dental professionals to explore the endless possibilities of a fully connected, AI-powered digital workflow and discover how it can transform their practices with unparalleled speed, precision, and simplicity, according to SprintRay, which designs and manufactures user-friendly and cutting-edge dental equipment including 3D printers and post-processing ecosystems, 3D printing software featuring AI technology, and innovative 3D resins.

For more information on tour dates, locations, details about speakers and registration, visit

The 6-city US tour looks to advance restorative dentistry with AI-powered digital workflow and 3D printing featuring hands-on sessions and the latest technology advances.

Formlabs’ Premium Teeth Resin Garners FDA 510(k) Clearance for Temporary Crowns and Bridges

Formlabs Dental’s Premium Teeth Resin, which was unveiled earlier this year at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), has received FDA 510(k) Medical Device Clearance for 3D printing temporary single units of crowns, inlays, onlays, and veneers, and up to seven-unit temporary bridges, the company announced on Tuesday.

This clearance enables U.S. Formlabs Dental users to produce a variety of dental appliances, all with 1 material solution. These applications were previously cleared in the EU, the company states.

Premium Teeth Resin is a nano-ceramic filled biocompatible material with enhanced esthetics that mimics the translucency and opalescence of natural teeth. They are custom-designed for each patient’s intraoral anatomy, and parts made with Premium Teeth Resin are designed to feature optimal esthetics, enhanced intraoral mechanical properties, accuracy, and a simple workflow to enable affordable, patient-specific dental care for diverse patient needs.

, clinicians have turned to Premium Teeth Resin to 3D print denture teeth and temporary full-arch implant-supported restorations (All-on-X appliances), Formlabs Dental says. Available for the company’s Form 3B+, Form 3BL, and Form 4B 3D printers, the teeth resin’s newest indication of temporary restorations allows dental professionals to expand their applications to a range of patient-specific treatments with simplified workflows, life-like esthetics, and validated longevity for optimal clinical performance.

“Recently, we had a patient with a dental emergency. It was Friday afternoon, he’d lost an onlay we had placed years ago and was leaving on vacation early the next morning. Using Premium Teeth Resin and Formlabs Form 4B 3D printer, we were able to quickly 3D print a robust temporary restoration in just 16 minutes,” Christopher Baer, DMD, Baer Dental, states in a press release. “This quick turnaround wouldn't have been possible without the speed of Form 4B and the effectiveness of Premium Teeth Resin.”

The dental 3D printing company reports over 15 million dental parts have been printed with Formlabs Dental 3D printers. Economical and accessible 3D printing workflows and specialty materials are said to reduce the cost and labor barriers to dental 3D printing compared to traditional methods, sparking a rise in digital dentistry.

“At Formlabs, our goal is to develop the tools and materials that enable dentists to create patient-specific treatment plans for a range of dental applications,” adds Guillaume Bailliard, Formlabs President, Healthcare. “The FDA 510(k) Clearance of Premium Teeth Resin for temporary crowns and bridges furthers our mission by expanding the capabilities of our resins to simplify workflows for dental professionals and provide the best outcomes for patients.”

When the Premium Teeth Resin was unveiled at CES, the company also debuted an innovative Resin Pumping System, a plug-and-play replacement for standard one-liter cartridges. The system allows dental labs to reduce their cost-per-part, and the move to a larger resin supply also provides an 86% reduction in packaging waste, according to Formlabs.

In addition to its hardware products, Formlabs has a robust offering of dental materials that are available for use on Form 3B+, Form 3BL, and Form 4B 3D printers.

With this FDA 510(k) Medical Device Clearance, dental professionals in the U.S. can now use Premium Teeth Resin to 3D print temporary single units and up to seven-unit temporary bridges, as the company expands its dental 3D printing application.

Ideal for any dental practice seeking a versatile, high-viscosity flowable composite for both anterior and posterior restorations.

Use CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES Flow Universal whenever a direct restorative material is needed for cavity Classes I, II, III, IV, and V, as well as for cervical lesions and intraoral repairs.

CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES Flow Universal offers exceptional esthetics and outstanding physical properties. It features a unique light-diffusion filler matrix that allows a single universal shade to cover 16 VITA classical shades, blending seamlessly with a wide range of tooth shades. This technology mimics natural tooth structure, ensuring restorations integrate beautifully into surrounding dentition. With a 152 MPa flexural strength and easy handling, it provides predictable and strong results. The material’s high viscosity makes it suitable for building up molar cusps and ridges, and its low flowability retains the given shape, adapting to specific needs.

CLEARFIL MAJESTY ES Flow Universal utilizes advanced Light-Diffusion Technology (LDT) for natural blending and seamless integration with tooth structure. It is available in one universal shade for posterior restorations and two shades (U and UD) for anterior restorations. The material’s submicron and cluster fillers allow for easy polishing and a long-lasting gloss finish. The product’s design reduces air bubble formation and ensures superior handling characteristics.

Achieve superior esthetics and strength with this versatile flowable composite for all restorations.