Ankur Gupta, DDS, after completing a 1-year GPR in Cleveland, Ohio, started a practice from scratch in 2005. Armed with what he considered adequate knowledge, hand skills, and a personable demeanor, he watched as his practice floundered, finances became unpredictable, and his lower back and spirit toward life became worrisome. Rather than continue the trend, he made a guinea pig out of his office, family, and self, attempting any and all personal and professional “experiments” in self-improvement. More than a decade later, he enjoys enviable new patient numbers and case acceptance, a solution- oriented dental team, and, most importantly, a meaningful and positive identity. He happily shares the failures and successes with dental and community groups throughout the country, always ending his presentations with practical, implementable, step-by-step ways to be better.

Reducing Incidences of Secondary Decay With Bioactivity. Image credit: © Shofu

In 2016, one of my patients—a frustrated mom who was about the same age as myself—humorlessly asked me, “Isn’t there, like, a magic coating you can put on my teeth so I don’t get any more cavities?”

Her husband, who never flossed, snacked on Twizzlers, and would only brush for a minute with a manual toothbrush, just received the good news: He had no cavities. In contrast, his wife, who was in the operatory room just next door to him, had 3 cavities. What’s worse, 1 of these 3 cavities was recurrent decay at the margins of a filling I had done only a few years prior. She has excellent at-home habits; she meticulously and properly uses all the tools when she wakes up and before she goes to sleep, yet she continues to receive bad news at her dental visits while her less-responsible husband is delighted to receive the news that he would be granted another 6-month reprieve from any visits to our office.

As any dentist who has practiced for any length of time would agree, sometimes meticulous home care is not enough. Some people just have unlucky oral environments. Some people, like the dear patient described above, have a less-than-optimal oral pH, or a poorly balanced diversity of oral microbiota, or even an inability to produce certain enzymes in their saliva.

Reducing Incidences of Secondary Decay with Bioactivity

I knew that my approach to her fillings had to be different. Without a doubt, I knew that however thorough and conscientious I intended to be when restoring her teeth with traditional class I, class II, and class V bonded restorations, she would inevitably return to my office with ugly discolorations at the margins, and I would inevitably question my own clinical expertise.

Fortunately, around that same time, I had attended a continuing education (CE) course in Chicago, Illinois, in which some of the most incredible minds in general dentistry shared innovative and not-so-well-known techniques and products with the audience. It was at that course where I learned about bioactivity. By now, you have probably heard the word, but I would like to describe bioactivity the way I understand it best.

Our enamel is a bunch of rods held together by a highly mineralized cement substance. This is like holding a bunch of Nerf bullets together in your hand, and then squirting superglue all over the bullets. Demineralization, which is caused by acid from bacteria, sugar, and bad luck, weakens the superglue. If the glue weakens enough, you lose some of the Nerf bullets, or you then have enamel cavitation. Dentin is made of similar hydroxyapatite crystals but is arranged in a much more porous grouping, such as a really hard block of Swiss cheese, allowing for branches of the pulp to occupy the tubes within the cheese.

Certain minerals act on the dentin, the enamel, and those branches of the pulp in a really convenient way. Fluoride is like superglue to the hydroxyapatite rods in the enamel and hydroxyapatite crystals in the dentin, holding them together and inhibiting demineralization and eventual cavitation. Additional ions, such as strontium, silicate, aluminum, borate, and sodium, all act either independently or in combination with one another to neutralize the demineralization of acid and inhibit plaque formation. Moreover, they work together to elicit the growth of new hydroxyapatite. They don’t allow bacteria to grow; instead, they remineralize enamel and dentin that have been subject to acid and elicit growth of new solid healthy tooth structure. If only there was a product that constantly released these ions.

It was at this same CE course that I had the opportunity to try Beautifil composites from Shofu in both packable and flowable options. These are restorative solutions that have bioactive Giomer as its filler particles. What was incredible for me, though, was the fact that this product behaves just like all the other packable and flowable restorative products that I was already using. It isn’t too hard, flaky, sticky, or any of the other negative characteristics that make me shy away from certain composites. Beautifil II is a pleasure to work with clinically, and the outcome after curing and polishing is almost always fabulous.

Inspired by the taste tests that I remember from my childhood—blindly pitting Coca-Cola vs Pepsi, or a Whopper vs a Big Mac—I decided to take all the composites I had in my office and ask an assistant to cover any identifying features. Every composite that I used in this test was highly rated and had been used with satisfaction at one time or another in my own office. I then ordered a bunch of typodont teeth and prepped simple class I’s in each tooth. Myself and 2 other dentists all were tasked with restoring the fake cavities, evaluating each composite on its handling. The unbiased winner was Beautifil II.

Recently, this product was given to several members of the Catapult Education product review board. This is a group of general dentists coming from a diversity of clinical environments. The group was asked to use the product during everyday clinical scenarios, including anterior and posterior restorations.

Most respondents said that they most appreciated Giomer bioactive products’ ability to reduce/eliminate the incidence of secondary decay, whereas several others cited its ability to reduce/eliminate postoperative sensitivity. They appreciated its natural-looking esthetic, ease of use and handleability, predictable shade stability, and, of course, its Giomer bioactive features. “This is a no-brainer,” one respondent said.

It is incredibly rare for a product that is tested among the Catapult Education board to acquire a 100% positive response rate when asked, “Do you intend to continue using this product?” and “Would you recommend this product to a colleague?” Beautifil II is just such a rare product.

So, now I have a composite product that is a pleasure to work with, and it happens to be bioactive. I think I found my magical restorative product

Articles

Beautifil II from Shofu is a composite material that harnesses biochemistry to reduce secondary decay without sacrificing esthetics. 

Reducing Incidences of Secondary Decay With Bioactivity

Michelle Roman, EdD, RDH, is chair of dental hygiene at Middlesex County College, along with Professor Nadine Thompson, EdM, RDH, BSDH.

 Faculty members, students, and clinic dentists collaborate to perform screenings for New Jersey children each semester.| Image Credit: © Middlesex College

In the past year, Middlesex College has made great strides with the incorporation of teledentistry into our dental hygiene curriculum. We have proudly graduated one class of teledentistry-trained hygienists in 2023 and will graduate our second class this year. They are the first to benefit from the implementation of teledentistry in our hygiene curriculum program. The classes consist of approximately 53 students well versed in virtual care made possible by the use of teledentistry.

We are proud to be pioneers in including teledentistry into our hygiene curriculum and are advocates for seeing more hygiene and dental schools take our lead—especially those in New Jersey.

For example, the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry authorizes health care providers to engage in telemedicine and telehealth. This includes licensed dental hygienists.

All New Jersey dental hygiene programs have a responsibility for implementing teledentistry. The challenge is to do so in a way that is seamless and does not require additional hours.

However, with our successful model as an established guide, I do foresee many more hygiene schools implementing teledentistry into their curricula. I also foresee the Commission on Dental Accreditation placing emphasis on this in the future.

As part of our advocacy for including teledentistry in the curricula of all New Jersey hygiene schools, in October 2025 Middlesex College will be presenting at the New Jersey Dental Hygienists’ Association meeting and discussing teledentistry during an educators’ workshop. I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the future of dental hygiene education in New Jersey and hopefully other states as well.

Taking Teledentistry From the Classroom and Into the Wild


Since we introduced teledentistry into our curriculum, we have been taking it from the classroom to the community. We began by conducting simple screenings, but today we are engaging in external community outreach rotations by utilizing asynchronous (store and forward) teledentistry. This form of teledentistry involves recording a patient’s clinical information and transferring the data to another dental professional at a separate location.

One example of our community outreach efforts occurs at the onset of each fall and spring semester, when faculty members, students, and clinic dentists collaborate to perform screenings for more than 200 children in the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ).

Following these screenings, a faculty member and 2 students are selected to rotate to ESCNJ locations (Piscataway, New Jersey, in the fall and Sayreville, New Jersey, in the spring) to administer preventive dental care.

During these rotations, MouthWatch intraoral photos and radiographs using a NOMAD handheld x-ray system are taken and shared asynchronously (stored and forwarded) via MouthWatch TeleDent software with our clinic dentists for review. Manufacturer MouthWatch is headquartered in the neighboring town of Metuchen, New Jersey. Subsequently, our clinic dentists formulate treatment referrals, which are then forwarded to ESCNJ and provided to the respective parents or guardians.

 The use of MouthWatch TeleDent software and intraoral cameras allows Middlesex College faculty members and hygiene students to provide more children with oral health screenings and clinical care.

Since we have expanded community outreach rotations, we now have 8 MouthWatch intraoral cameras and maintain 60 MouthWatch TeleDent software licenses. This investment has been very effective in providing more children with oral health screenings and clinical care.

In a 1-year span, we have been able to increase the number of children screened from 66 to over 200 and the number of children who receive preventive dental care to 70. (We did not provide clinical care in the past academic year. This is the first year we tracked it.)

Hygienists Bridging the Medical-Dental Gap


Teledentistry’s impact on the nation’s oral and systemic health can play a vital role in expanding access to preventive oral health care to underserved communities. It also will help bridge the gap between dentistry and medicine.

Currently, our hygiene students have multiple interactions with members of other health professions via participating in the Students’ Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education interprofessional collaboration session with Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. During these sessions, they work with students from Rutgers medical, dental, nursing, pharmacology, nutrition, and social work schools. Together, they review a case and discuss it with the assistance of a faculty facilitator.

One of the main things we have learned during the past year is that we always need to evaluate our process and look for room to improve it. We need input from all who participate to help us make these improvements.

The Middlesex College Hygiene program’s teledentistry program will always be a work in progress. The possibilities of teledentistry are endless and we are thankful for the support we receive from the college, faculty, external sites, and MouthWatch.

In May 2023, Dental Products Report featured Edison, New Jersey’s Middlesex College, and took a deep dive into how the college successfully incorporated teledentistry into its curriculum and community outreach efforts. One year later, Michelle Roman provides an update about the hygiene school’s progress in education and public health.

The Middlesex College Teledentistry Program: One Year Later

Dr Pearce is a dedicated dentist with a passion for creating beautiful, healthy smiles. After graduating from Tufts University Dental School in 1994, she completed her residency at UCSF Dental School the following year. Dr Pearce now maintains a full-time private practice, Bay Dental, in Santa Ana, California, and is committed to continuing education, traveling nationwide to learn the latest techniques and advancements in dentistry. Dr Pearce attends CDOCS/Spear education regularly to stay current in today’s modern dental technologies in prosthodontics and orthodontics.

How to Revitalize Smiles With Advanced Zirconia Veneers. Image credit: © Linda Pearce, DDS

In the realm of modern cosmetic dentistry, the pursuit of optimal esthetics and durability often requires meticulous planning and the integration of innovative materials and techniques. This case study highlights the successful restoration of multiple zirconia veneers using the innovative KATANA™ Zirconia ONE layered zirconia (Kuraray Noritake). By leveraging digital technology, advanced materials, and evidence-based protocols, the clinician is able to address the patient’s concerns while delivering a functional and esthetically pleasing outcome that exceeds expectations.

A woman with good overall oral health presented with concerns about the condition of her existing porcelain veneers on teeth #6 through #11. She reported a fracture on the lingual surfaces of veneers #8 and #9, as well as dissatisfaction with staining, black triangles, and lack of luster in the same area (

). The patient sought a comprehensive solution to restore the natural beauty and integrity of her smile.

A thorough clinical assessment was conducted, including periodontal probing, occlusal evaluation, and diagnostic radiographs (

). Her periodontal health was found to be within normal limits, but the occlusion revealed a tight bite relationship with some misalignment of the opposing mandibular incisors, contributing to the breakage on the lingual surfaces of veneers #8 and #9. Radiographic examination revealed porous porcelain veneers #6 through #11 with microfractures throughout.

Based on the findings, 2 primary treatment options were considered:

IPS e.max veneers (Ivoclar) made of lithium disilicate. While offering esthetic appeal, this option would require more extensive tooth reduction and provide less strength and longevity compared with the alternative.

KATANA Zirconia ONE veneers made of layered zirconia. This innovative material, known for its beauty, strength, and longevity, emerged as the preferred choice due to its ability to address the patient’s concerns while minimizing tooth reduction.

The treatment process began with a detailed digital impression using the CEREC Primescan (Dentsply Sirona) system’s BioCopy mode, which captured the existing porcelain veneers #6 through #11. This digital impression served as a blueprint for the new restorations, ensuring a seamless transition and maintaining the patient’s familiar smile esthetics.

Patient comfort and satisfaction were prioritized throughout treatment. Prior to the administration of local anesthesia, a cotton roll with lidocaine gel was applied for 5 minutes to enhance patient comfort. Buccal and interproximal infiltrations were performed using 2 carpules of lidocaine with 1:50,000 epinephrine. A putty impression was taken before the anesthetic administration to facilitate the fabrication of temporary veneers.

Next, the affected teeth were prepared for the new veneers. The existing porcelain veneers were carefully removed using a coarse diamond bur, and the teeth were prepared with a coarse chamfer bur, creating a wraparound “San Francisco–style” veneer preparation. A red fine diamond bur was used additionally to smooth the surfaces. This preparation design, with an upside-down smiley face on the lingual aspect, is preferred for its ability to conceal the margins in the anterior region, minimizing the risk of interproximal long-term staining. Opposing teeth #22 through #27 were also smoothed with a red fine diamond for optimal contours of teeth #6 through #11.

After the tooth preparations were completed, digital impressions were taken (

) and the margins for each veneer were outlined (

). A full-arch scan was performed using the CEREC Primescan, capturing both the upper and lower arches, along with an intraoral bite registration. This comprehensive digital scan provided the necessary data for the design phase. During the design phase, the CEREC Software’s proposal was meticulously adjusted to meet the case’s specific requirements. The BioCopy of the previous veneers was utilized as a starting point, with manual adjustments made to extend the incisal edges, narrow the interproximal black triangles using the shape tool, and set light contacts using the software’s form tool (

The material chosen for the restorations was the KATANA Zirconia ONE layered zirconia block in an A1 shade. Six blocks in size 14Z were used for teeth #6 through #11. This block size was selected for its ability to accommodate the dimensions of the anterior teeth effectively. The restorations were milled using the CEREC Primemill (Dentsply Sirona), with each block taking several minutes to mill at a fine speed setting. Subsequently, the milled restorations underwent sintering in the SpeedFire oven (Dentsply Sirona), following the recommended settings and firing cycles.

After sintering, the restorations were characterized and glazed. IPS e.max Glaze (Ivoclar) was applied using fine art brushes, with the inner portions of the veneers stuffed with a putty matrix and supported on a plastic stand. The glazing process was carried out in the CEREC SpeedFire oven, following the KATANA Zirconia ONE glazing mode parameters.

During the try-in phase, the fit and occlusion of the restorations were carefully assessed. The veneers were tried in pairs, and floss and articulation paper were used to ensure proper seating and occlusal harmony. For the final cementation, the intaglio surfaces of the veneers were sandblasted to enhance the adhesive bond, while the prepared tooth surfaces were etched and coated with CLEARFIL™ Universal Bond Quick (Kuraray) bonding agent. PANAVIA™ SA Cement Universal (Kuraray) in an A1 shade was applied to the veneers, which were then seated and spot-cured for initial stabilization. After removing excess cement and flossing, each veneer was cured for 40 seconds to ensure a secure bond. Occlusal adjustments were made as needed, ensuring a comfortable and balanced bite.

Challenges and Unique Aspects of the Case

One notable challenge during the treatment process was selecting the right shade for the restorations. With a considerably darker stump shade, a lighter block shade was chosen to offset the underlying darkness. Additionally, communicating with the dentist who performed the original veneer treatment proved beneficial in attaining the correct shade match. Achieving a seamless blend with adjacent porcelain restorations can be demanding, but the KATANA Zirconia ONE layered material excelled in this aspect, providing the best blend among available zirconia blocks for anterior restorations.

Treatment Outcome and Long-Term Follow-Up

Since completing the treatment, the patient’s oral health has remained excellent. A follow-up appointment was scheduled 1 week after the delivery appointment to assess occlusion and make any necessary adjustments or refinements to the incisal edges. The fabrication of a soft night guard may also be recommended at this appointment to protect the veneers from occlusal forces. Regular recall appointments with prophylaxis are recommended to maintain optimal oral health and prevent future issues. KATANA Zirconia ONE veneers provided a fresh, improved, and naturally beautiful appearance, restoring the patient’s confidence in her smile (

How to Revitalize Smiles with Advanced Zirconia Veneers

This case highlights several key takeaways and recommendations for dental professionals. The layered zirconia material, combined with a digital workflow, offers a streamlined and efficient solution for delivering high-quality anterior restorations in a single clinical setting.

Careful shade selection, communication with previous treating dentists, and the use of customized shade guides can facilitate achieving a seamless blend with adjacent restorations.

The San Francisco–style veneer preparation design, with an upside-down smiley face on the lingual aspect, effectively concealed the majority of the margins in the anterior region, minimizing the risk of long-term staining.

Implementing advanced materials and techniques can enhance patient satisfaction, treatment outcomes, and the long-term viability of dental practices. Continuous education and a willingness to embrace modern technologies and materials are essential for dental professionals to stay at the forefront of their field and provide their patients with the best possible care.

This clinical case study exemplifies the remarkable outcomes that can be achieved through the synergistic integration of digital technology, innovative materials, and evidence-based protocols in cosmetic dentistry. By leveraging the exceptional properties of layered zirconia material and following a meticulous treatment approach, the clinician successfully restored the patient’s porcelain veneers, achieving a beautiful, functional, and long-lasting solution that exceeded expectations.

Navigating the challenges of modern veneer restoration leads to enhanced esthetic outcomes.  

How to Revitalize Smiles With Advanced Zirconia Veneers

Dr. Lou Shuman is the CEO of Cellerant Consulting Group, dentistry’s leading corporate incubator and accelerator; a venturer-in-residence at Harvard’s i-Lab; the chairman of the technology advisory board at WEO Media; a long-time contributor to Dental Products Report; and the founder and creator of the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards.

Biomarker Reader Helps Catch Oral Cancers Earlier |

Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month occurred in April, and the facts show that oral cancers cannot be ignored. The American Society of Clinical Oncology estimated that in 2023 in the US, 39,290 men and 15,250 women received a diagnosis of oral or oropharyngeal cancer. The 5-year relative survival rate in the US is 68%, but if diagnosed at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival rate jumps to 86%.

Vigilant Biosciences® has developed an accurate method of detecting oral cancers by identifying biomarkers chairside in the dental office. The BeVigilant™ OraFusion™ System has been granted FDA breakthrough device designation and is expected to receive FDA approval in the coming months. I spoke with Bill Brodie, CEO of Vigilant Biosciences, to find out more.

How did you get involved with Vigilant Biosciences?

 I’ve been in the dental medical space for 34 years and ran my own dental supply equipment company that was subsequently bought by Benco Dental, which was a small regional company at the time. As vice president of sales, I helped grow the Southeast region for 7 years. After that, I shifted to the medical area, working with cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI)–driven technologies. The Vigilant Biosciences board saw me as uniquely qualified because of my experience in both medical and dental areas. I’ve been with the company for 5 years.

What is the company trying to accomplish?

 The company was originally founded by an attorney whose parents both died of oral cancer. He connected with a biomarker researcher, and they began exploring how salivary biomarkers can predict oral cancer. The first 6 years were spent researching and improving biomarker accuracy. In the past 4 years, after studying thousands of biomarkers, specific biomarkers that focused on the goal of early detection were chosen. In all our studies and trials, at least 50% of the cohort was early stage or precancer stage 0.

 We believe the most benefit is achieved if the dentist can move the decision of whether the patient needs a specialist to when that patient is still sitting in the dental chair. A good example is lichen planus. There is a less than 4% chance of lichen planus turning cancerous. But if it does, it is very aggressive, and the patient can be dead in 18 months.

 The lateral flow cassette looks similar to home COVID-19 tests. The dentist or hygienist puts 4 drops of saliva on each side. The cassette is then put in the little drawer of the reader, and the software produces a result and gives you a report. The reader has an onboard battery so it can be moved among operatories.

It takes about 10 minutes to get a result. The reader measures the exact concentration of 2 proteomic biomarkers and a control. These proteins become elevated as tissue becomes cancerous.

The control measures the amount of the saliva and the viability of the sample.

The first biomarker, a transmembrane biomarker, detects rapid reproduction of the cells, a hallmark of cancer. This biomarker is shed by the cell membrane as the cells reproduce.

The second biomarker becomes overexpressed as the body attempts to suppress that cellular activity. The relationship between these 2 biomarkers provides information that produces the accuracy.

Combine that with clinical risk factors, such as sex, age, and tobacco and alcohol use, in intelligent machine-learning software, and the ultimate result indicates whether the patient needs to be referred to a specialist. The report can then be emailed.	

 Testing is recommended if a dentist or hygienist sees some abnormality in the patient’s mouth—it could be leukoplakia, lichen planus, red spots, white spots, or anything out of the ordinary. Knowing whether to wait and monitor or refer to a specialist is very hard in the early stage. About 25% to 30% of patients have an oral abnormality. The report shows the relative concentration of the biomarkers, signifying whether the abnormality in the mouth is starting to exhibit cancerous behavior.

 Suggested retail for the machine is around $1000 and each cassette is $60 to $70 individually, but they are sold in packs of 12. We are working with reimbursement experts who have suggested an insurance code that is used by light-based devices—CDT 0431 (assessment of oral abnormality). When dentists start using the product in the US after final FDA approval, they can use this code.

In March 2023, we were awarded FDA breakthrough device designation, a program by the FDA that designates the product as truly unique under the current standard. As we speak, there is legislation pending that all breakthrough products will get reimbursed. We hope for this legislation to come to fruition and also to have FDA approval in the US by summer 2024. When we receive approval, Henry Schein and Benco are ready to be distributors.

The ability to improve is the beauty of a machine-learning algorithm. We hope to develop a future iteration that indicates how far along the cancer is on a scale.Interested clinicians go to vigilantbiosciences.com to learn more and be notified when available.

It’s a shame that basically about 73% of oral cancers get diagnosed late stage. And with those, there is a less than 50% 5-year survival rate.

 The signs should not be ignored until [the disease is] obvious. Vigilant Biosciences has given dentists the opportunity to save patients’ lives with early detection of oral cancer and make a big difference in healthcare.

to learn more and be notified when available.

1. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Oral and oropharyngeal cancer: statistics. Cancer.net. February 2023. Accessed April 8, 2024. 

https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/oral-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/statistics

2. Saka-Herrán C, Jané-Salas E, Mari-Roig A, Estrugo-Devesa A, López-López J. Time-to-treatment in oral cancer: causes and implications for survival. 

. 2021;13(6):1321. doi:10.3390/cancers13061321

Vigilant Biosciences has developed a method to help dental clinicians accurately detect oral cancers chairside, with the goal of early cancer diagnosis and better survival rates. 

Biomarker Reader Helps Catch Oral Cancers Earlier

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.

The Low Price of Office Data Security | Image Credit: ©  Valery Brozhinsky - stock.adobe.com

I hope the title of this article got your attention because that was my intent. We all expect a title like that to use the high price of something, but that is not always the case. Especially when you are thinking about your office information technology (IT) security.

A couple of decades ago I had just finished giving a lecture on taking your office totally digital. As the audience was packing up and leaving the room, a well-dressed and obviously successful doctor walked up to me. At the time, practice operating systems were undergoing many frequent changes. Digital charts were a new thing, and most of the larger software companies were working on ways to integrate digital radiographs directly into their platform.

“How easy is that to do?” the doctor asked. I told him it wasn’t really that difficult but that it depended on the software. I asked him what practice management software he was using. “Heck, I don’t know,” he replied. “That’s the gal at the front desk’s department.” I was a little taken aback by the answer, but honestly also a little irritated by the way he said it.

My response? “You know that beige box with the keyboard and the mouse that sit on your front desk? That’s where all of your money is,” I said. All these years later, that statement is thousands of orders of magnitude greater.

I mentioned this in my April 2024 column. Dentists, as business owners, are always walking a tightrope between money coming in and money going out. Profitability is how we continue to pay our bills. Also, if you cannot stay in business, you can’t help those who depend on you. Patients, as well as our teams, count on us to be there for them.

Every month, doctors are looking at their costs and trying to figure out a way to minimize them while still delivering the best care and best wages possible. Lowering costs and not overpaying are things we look at all the time…and you should.

However, I think that sometimes when we don’t really understand the importance of something, we tend to not understand why it’s valuable. It’s similar to a patient who asks, “Can’t you just do a filing?” when presented with the need for a crown. As doctors, we understand why a filling is not the right choice, but often as business owners, we hesitate to spend money on something when we don’t comprehend its value. IT security in the dental office isn’t a “want” or a “nice to have” item. It is now, more than ever, a 

There are a couple of points I want to make. The first is that security is absolutely critical. I once had a friend ask me, why would anyone want to know that “Mrs Brown had a crown done last March on tooth #30” and why it was critical? I agree that probably no criminals would want to know that. However, what they would like to know are things like Mrs Brown’s date of birth, her address, and her Social Security number…among lots of other demographic information. Once they have all of that, they can very easily perform identity theft and convert that stolen data into ill-gotten gains.

The second point is that your server has become that “box where all of your money is.” If your computer is hacked and your data encrypted, you are now completely dependent on restoring your system from backups. Good backups are critical to success, but even if you have pristine backups, your practice is going to be down until your systems are restored. That is going to mean closing the office for business until your network is back up and running.

That is why I’m such a big fan of DDS Rescue (ddsrescue.com)—they help you continue to operate with all your data accessible remotely and keep the doors open if a problem occurs. Yet, even if you have DDS Rescue service, you are still going to be out the money it will cost to restore your local system, and that can be expensive. And even if you are using a cloud-based system, odds are that you have lots of data that need to be protected on your local network.

Ransomware attacks are common. Tech security company NinjaOne estimates that ransomware attacks occur 19 times per second.¹ Plus, health care ransomware attacks have increased significantly in the past few years. You may have recently seen news of the Change Healthcare attack. That company (which is owned by UnitedHealth Group) paid a $22 million ransom to get their systems back up and running. We also saw a huge data breach at the American Dental Association in 2022, and in September 2023 supply company Henry Schein suffered a massive breach of their system.

I’m sure many of you are thinking that you are just a small fish in a big pond. Why would anyone want to bother with you when there are much bigger fish to go after? The answer to that is part of why I’m writing this column. Cybercriminals know that small health care offices are underprotected and easy targets. It’s much easier to break into systems that don’t have large IT departments tasked with protecting the network. If you are just buying some equipment from Amazon and hooking your office up to the internet, it’s akin to going on vacation, posting it on Facebook, and then leaving your doors unlocked.

If it is easier to get $100,000 from 10 offices than it is to get $1 million from a large company, odds are that the criminals will look for the low-hanging fruit.

If you are still having doubts, let’s talk about getting the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) involved. You are required by federal law to protect your patient data. If you have a data breach, you are required to notify the authorities. The HHS Office of Civil Rights is the enforcement arm of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and its fines are severe. To ensure that health information is truly protected, severe fines are meted out when breaches happen. In addition to lost income and the expense of restoring your system, you then have to factor in a very large fine.

The next step is to notify your patients, which is also required by HIPAA. At that point, the loss of goodwill and trust of your patients must be factored into this equation. You will also, of course, have to pay for the notification letters and postage, but that is a drop in the bucket compared with all the other problems and expenses you will face.

I feel the best way to look at IT security is through the lens of an insurance policy. We all have malpractice insurance. No practitioner should think, “I’m just a small office and a good doctor; no one will ever sue me.” You also don’t think, “I’m a good driver. I’ll never have an accident.” We have these insurance policies in place because we want to be protected if something bad happens. Of course, we’d save a lot of money if we didn’t pay for those policies, yet we all still have them.

So look at security as a business expense. Put it into your budget. Similar to a percentage of production being spent on wages, supplies, etc, your accounting firm can help you determine what percentage of production should be spent on IT security. Once you know that, you can then get bids and determine the best solution for your individual situation.

There are even health care–specific security companies such as Black Talon Security (blacktalonsecurity.com) that have solutions for dental offices.

This is a difficult subject, but theft and extortion have been around almost since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. There will always be a small percentage of the population that thrive on crime. Unfortunately, it’s a reality.

However, planning for the future and the long-term viability of your practice now requires vigilance in the IT security space. You don’t need to be an expert to deal with this. Instead, what you need to do is find the experts and let them do what they do best. In a similar way that patients don’t understand and perform their own dental procedures, you don’t need to understand and implement your own security profile. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need it. Part of my job as “Technology Evangelist” is to give you the straight scoop on how tech impacts dentistry, and security is having a major impact.

Implement what your experts recommend. You’ll be better off in the long run, trust me. See you next month!

1. Crowe J. Must-know ransomware statistics, trends and facts. NinjaOne. Published March 18, 2024. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.ninjaone.com/blog/must-know-ransomware-statistics/

With cybercrime flourishing, you need to protect your network and data. Try viewing it as a business expense.

The Low Price of  Office Data Security

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.

A discussion on the importance of different perspectives in the dental practice. 

Mastermind – Episode 35 – Finding Strength in Our Differences

Join Lisa Newburger, LISW-S, and Leena Bhatia, DMD, John Flucke, DDS, Spencer Hadbavny, Margree Foster, Sravanthi Vallampati, DTM, and Tony Green as they discuss the importance of different perspectives in the dental practice. [37 minutes]


Videos

Join Lisa Newburger, LISW-S, and Leena Bhatia, DMD, John Flucke, DDS, Spencer Hadbavny, Margree Foster, Sravanthi Vallampati, DTM, and Tony Green as they discuss the importance of different perspectives in the dental practice. [37 minutes]

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. 

A bite-sized look at all the latest dental product launches. 

Product Bites – May 3, 2024

Product Bites  – May 3, 2024 episode transcript

Welcome to Product Bites a weekly podcast from Dental Products Report providing you with a rundown of recently launched and updated dental technologies, materials, instruments, and everything else you might use with patients or while running your practice.

I’m your host for this week, DPR Editor Kellie Nock, and on this week’s podcast we’ve got 5 new products with launches from KLOwen Orthodontics, SprintRay, Zima Dental, Sagemax, and ARM & HAMMER.

So let’s get to it and learn about these newly launched dental products.

KLOwen Orthodontics has unveiled a new solution at the American Association of Orthodontists conference. Their custom metal self-ligating (SL) solution, honored with an OrthoInnovator Honorable Mention, combines traditional SL benefits with customized prescriptions. This innovation aims for enhanced control and efficiency in orthodontic care, promising significantly reduced ligation appointments and accelerated initial alignment. By harnessing advanced technology and customization, practitioners can achieve precise tooth positioning, optimizing control over orthodontic orders.

Next, SprintRay introduces the Midas Digital 3D Printer, featuring Digital Press Stereolithography (DPS) technology and a Resin Capsule System. This innovation enables chairside fabrication of various dental restorations in record time, with the first Midas resin boasting over 70% ceramic filler and printing in under 8 minutes. Coupled with SprintRay's AI Studio design software, Midas aims to streamline restoration delivery, eliminating the need for extensive CAD experience. Partnering with Ivoclar for material development sets the stage for future advancements, representing a significant leap in dental restoration manufacturing characterized by speed, simplicity, and collaborative innovation.

Our next spotlight falls on the Dental Pod, an advanced ultrasonic cleaning machine designed for disinfection and polishing of oral appliances. Utilizing high-frequency 42,000 Hz ultrasonic waves, this innovation eradicates harmful plaque build-up, bacteria, viruses, and pathogens in just 5 minutes with water. The Dental Pod's cavitation action, occurring 4000 times per second, ensures thorough cleaning without abrasive damage, promoting improved oral hygiene and appliance longevity. With a built-in dynamic feedback feature, the device adjusts to the optimal frequency for ultrasonic cavitation cleaning, disposing of stains and odors quickly and easily.

Sagemax unveils the NexxZr+ Multi 2.0 disc, a game-changer in dental restorations, boasting both esthetics and durability. Crafted from dental multilayer zirconium oxide, this disc delivers a natural color and translucency gradient, coupled with impressive flexural strength. With refined color formulations and expanded thickness options, clinicians can tailor lifelike, monolithic restorations across both anterior and posterior regions. The NexxZr+ Multi 2.0 ensures seamless blending with surrounding dentition for superior patient outcomes.

Finally, ARM & HAMMER™ Plus TheraBreath™ Toothpaste combines the teeth whitening power of baking soda with TheraBreath™ Breath Fresheners in a single product. Designed to remove up to 3 times more plaque in hard-to-reach areas, offer enamel-safe whitening, and freshen breath, this toothpaste may be a key addition to any oral care routine. Inspired by the top-selling TheraBreath oral rinse, its Invigorating Icy Mint flavor provides a refreshing experience. 

That does it for this week's Product Bites from Dental Products Report. Stay up to date on all the latest dental product news by visiting dentalproductsreport.com/newdentalproducts.

I'm Kellie Nock saying thanks for listening. And we'll be back next week with all the latest new dental products on Product Bites from Dental Products Report.

Podcasts

A bite-sized look at all the latest dental product launches from the past week. This week's episode features products from KLOwen Orthodontics, SprintRay, Zima Dental, Sagemax, and ARM & HAMMER.

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.  

Every 3 years the Sunstar World Perio Awards take place and Sunstar Oral Health has just announced the new 2025 editions of the World Perio Research Awards and Perio Link Award. The aim of these awards is to raise awareness of the groundbreaking work of scientific researchers on the link between oral health and systemic health.

Sponsored by the Sunstar Foundation since its inception in 2003, the Sunstar World Perio Research Awards are held in collaboration with 4 periodontal research journals—the Journal of Periodontal Research, the Journal of Periodontology, the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, and the Journal of Dental Research.

The Perio Link Award for researchers is a self-nominated award is open to all researchers and clinicians who published a research paper on the link between oral health and general health between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2023.

“We created the World Perio Research Awards to help shape the future of oral-systemic health, push the boundaries of periodontal research and redefine the relationship between periodontal and systemic health,”

comments Mayumi Kaneda, director of the Sunstar Foundation, in a press release.

For the eighth edition next year, each of the4 journal editors in chief will again select 5 papers from their own journal, published between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2023, that provide important new insights into the relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health, while the editors emeriti will also each nominate 2 impactful papers on the same topic but published outside the dental field.

The Screening Committee will then evaluate all the pre-selected papers to nominate 1 first-place winner and 2 runners-up in November 2024, according to Sunstar. The first-place honoree will receive $10,000, while each runner-up gets a $5,000 prize. All winners will also be invited to an all-expenses-paid trip to EuroPerio 11 Vienna 2025 when the awards will be presented.

First launched 5 years ago, the Sunstar Perio Link Award aims to champion the link between oral health and general health and allow researchers to share their latest discoveries that make an impact beyond the scientific community.

Sunstar Announces New Regional Awards of Distinction for Dental Hygienists

To apply for this third edition self-nominated award, entrants need to submit a 1-minute video in English to explain the findings of their paper in a way that is understandable to the general public, Sunstar states.

All videos for the Perio Link Award must be submitted before Sept. 30, 2024 and all eligible videos will be published on the 

The public can vote for this award beginning Oct. 1, 2024 and running through Jan. 15, 2025.

Anyone can vote online for their favorite video on Sunstar’s YouTube channel, and the submission with the most votes will be the winner. The first-place recipient of the Sunstar Perio Link Award will also receive an all-expenses trip to EuroPerio 11 Vienna 2025 along with a $1,000 prize.

“The Perio Link Award is dedicated to raising awareness of the connection between oral health and general health, by shining a light on the newest discoveries on this link,” adds Kaneda. “We’re proud to support both awards to further promote research and develop greater knowledge about this crucial 2-way connection, while celebrating the incredible work and achievements being made every day by clinicians worldwide to develop greater knowledge of this connection—as we’ve been doing for over 30 years.”

Scientific researchers can find further information along with the entry rules for both 2025 awards on the Sunstar Foundation Awards link. The Sunstar Foundation, whose mission is to promote health, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation through education and research, focused on the connection between oral and general health, oversees both Sunstar awards.

Awards promote the groundbreaking work of scientific researchers and the link between oral health and systemic health.

Sunstar Foundation’s 2025 World Perio Research and Perio Link Awards Announced

Software solutions company Yapi has announced the launch of a new feature for its patient experience and communications platform Yapi Leap. Users will now be able to leverage email marketing campaigns through the application, enabling a new avenue of communication with patients. Per a press release from Yapi, the email campaigns tool will enable dental practices to curate relevant information for its patients.

“The email campaigns feature in Yapi Leap directly addresses the challenges dental practice face with traditional communication tools,” Yapi’s Director of Product Marketing, Adam Bailey, said in the press release. “Effective email communication can often be cumbersome and lack seamless integration with practice management systems. Yapi Leap changes that narrative by providing a user-friendly platform that not only integrates effortlessly with major databases but also offers the flexibility to manage communications from anywhere.”

Yapi Leap’s new email capabilities come with a variety of features. For instance, users can take advantage of professionally designed, pre-made templates for their email campaigns. Smart filtering is also available to allow practices to send relevant campaigns to the right patients. This also eliminates the hassle of patients receiving irrelevant information and sending it to their spam folder.

Other features include a statistical engagement report that is said to provide actionable insights toward campaign performances. Because of its browser-based nature, Yapi Leap’s email campaigns can be accessed from anywhere, a notable feature that may be a particular boon for multi-office dental practices. Yapi Leap’s email campaigns also contain a user audit feature that allows users to track drafts and editors, which aims to make collaboration across the practice easier.

This tool is available now through Yapi Leap. To learn more, visit the 

Yapi Leap users can now harness the power of email marketing campaigns, allowing for a new form of patient communication and engagement. 

Yapi Leap Unveils Email Campaign Marketing Feature for Users

Designed to simplify digital indirect bonding for orthodontists, OrthoSelect’s new DIBS AI

 8.0 was just released and will be showcased at this weekend’s AAO Annual Session in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The leading orthodontics software company and digital orthodontics laboratory—located in American Fork, Utah—is an innovator in digital indirect bonding, but with the launch of DIBS AI, is looking to take treatment to the next level in providing orthodontists a powerful tool to speed up treatment times and improve case outcomes.

DIBS stands for digital indirect bonding system. OrthoSelect’s original DIBS legacy software was first released in 2016, with DIBS AI released in July 2020. An integrated software and hardware platform that automates the process for orthodontic case setups, DIBS AI is designed to create predictive outcomes based on any bracket prescription, and deliver accurate, 3D-printed bracket transfer appliances. The platform has changed orthodontics by introducing the first highly automated and simplified digitally assisted bracket placement, the company states.

DIBS AI Online: Approve orthodontic cases via the browser on virtually any computer platform, including Apple® devices. The online version of the software is clean, simple and easy to use without any need to download software to your computer.

Automated CBCT Integration: Create unprecedented 360 degree views of patients’ tooth, bone, nerve and airway structures for improved modeling of planned movements for the entire tooth. This can shorten treatment time, minimize repositions and avoid such clinical problems as fenestrations, dehiscence and root collisions.

Treatment Presets: Compare and contrast both default and custom treatment options to see and simulate different outcomes with a single click. Scroll through presets of smile arcs, severe overbites, open bites, etc. to quickly identify the right bracket positions to produce the desired outcome.

Improved Bite Turbos: Adjust one, some, or all of the teeth as needed for effective bracket placement and bite correction. This feature allows clinicians to create customized bite turbos quickly and easily right in the IDB tray.

DIBS AI software provides the flexibility to 3D print, either in- house or in their lab, extremely accurate bracket transfer appliances (commonly known as IDB trays). This frees up doctor, staff, and chair time by shortening bonding appointments by a third or more, as well as reducing overall treatment time through significant decreases in wire bending and bracket repositioning, according to OrthoSelect.

For additional information on DIBS AI 8.0, visit 

or call 801-763-5039. Also, attendees at the 2024 AAO Annual Session can visit OrthoSelect at booth #2219 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans from May 4-6.

New features designed to allow the integrated software and hardware platform to automate the process for orthodontic case setups and create predictive outcomes based on any bracket prescription.