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. 

3M’s Health Care Business Solventum Completes Spin-Off. Image credit: © Solventum


3M has successfully completed the planned spin-off of its health care business, giving rise to Solventum Corporation as an independent entity. Solventum, with the ticker symbol SOLV, is now listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mike Roman, the Chairman and CEO of 3M, expressed his enthusiasm in a press release, stating, "This is an important day for 3M and Solventum, and I extend my sincere congratulations to members of both teams who have made this possible." He highlighted the strategic positioning of both companies to pursue tailored growth and capital allocation plans, emphasizing their commitment to innovation and value creation for stakeholders.

Under the terms of the spin-off, holders of 3M common stock received 1 share of Solventum common stock for every 4 shares of 3M common stock held at the close of business on March 18, 2024, which served as the record date for the distribution. Notably, for United States federal income tax purposes, the distribution is generally intended to be tax-free to 3M shareholders, according to the press release.

Additionally, 3M has retained 19.9% of the outstanding shares of Solventum common stock, with plans to monetize this stake within 5 years following the spin-off. To learn more, visit the 

Articles

3M has successfully completed the spin-off of its healthcare business, officially launching Solventum Corporation as an independent entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

3M’s Health Care Business Solventum Completes Spin-Off

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

Product Bites – April 5, 2024

Product Bites April 5, 2024 podcast 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 8 new products with launches from Young Specialties, Spectrum Solutions, Opalescence, Mango Voice, Monaghan Tooling Group, Desktop Health, Pac-Dent, and Intiveo.

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

Young Specialties introduces Young PerioDT™, a new debridement material utilizing Dessication Technology (DT) to swiftly remove microbial and necrotic materials around the tooth and prosthetic surfaces. Available in both liquid and gel forms, PerioDT ensures efficient treatment with minimal contact time, making it a versatile option for various procedures, including caries restorations, periodontitis, and gingivitis interventions. Its safety on dentin and diverse metals makes it a reliable choice for practitioners across specialties.

SimplyPERIO™ introduces an innovative saliva diagnostic testing solution powered by SimplyTest®, offering dental professionals a comprehensive tool to measure periodontal bacteria, caries, fungal, and viral targets. With a focus on the mouth-body connection, this technology equips clinicians with 16 oral targets from a single patient sample, facilitating more informed treatment decisions. The patented blue buffer solution ensures sample stability and streamlined processing, enabling quick and easy testing with results available within 48 hours.

Opal by Opalescence unveils a convenient teeth whitening solution designed for home use, providing patients with professional-grade results without the need for a dental visit. With prefilled trays available in Classic and Gentle formulas, Opal promises up to 4–5 shades whiter teeth with visible results. Backed by over 30 years of expertise, Opalescence delivers a safe and effective whitening experience, complemented by whitening toothpaste options for enhanced maintenance.

Mango Contact Sync introduces a new platform feature aimed at streamlining patient communications by integrating client data across practice management software and Mango's platform. With automatic synchronization, caller identification, and enhanced security measures, Mango Contact Sync ensures efficient customer service delivery, eliminating delays in recognizing incoming communications and enhancing overall customer experience.

Monaghan Tooling Group presents Axis High Precision Micro Tools, a new solution tailored for digital dentistry. Featuring NextGen coatings and superfinishing technology, Axis micro tools offer superior performance in tackling various dental machining challenges. With controlled edge honing and enhanced chip evacuation, these tools provide consistent and reproducible outcomes, catering to the needs of dental professionals seeking precision and reliability.

Desktop Health introduces the ScanUp™ program, offering dental practices a lab services subscription to facilitate the adoption of digital dentistry. Equipped with an iTero™ Element Flex certified pre-owned scanner, ScanUp enables clinicians to capture clear digital images for both digital and analog cases. With certified training and education programs, ScanUp empowers practices to leverage 3D printing technology, enhancing patient care and treatment outcomes.

Pac-Dent presents iMatrix Clear™, a sectional matrix system designed specifically for class II restorations. Featuring clear matrices and Nickel-Titanium rings, iMatrix Clear offers enhanced visibility and stability for esthetic restorations. With a comprehensive kit including clear interproximal wedges and composite polishing tools, iMatrix Clear ensures optimal performance and ease of use for clinicians.

Intiveo introduces Intiveo Connect, a patient engagement software feature designed to enhance communication between dental practices and non-patients. With direct texting capabilities and streamlined communication channels, Intiveo Connect enables easier patient acquisition, reduced administrative workload, and improved post-operative care, fostering stronger relationships between practices and their community.

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. This week's episode features products from Young Specialties, Spectrum Solutions, Opalescence, Mango Voice, Monaghan Tooling Group, Desktop Health, Pac-Dent, and Intiveo. 


Ashley Herman, DDS, founder of Firstgrin, is working to educate and provide resources to parents and pediatricians to enhance early childhood dental health.

Addressing Unmet Needs in Early Childhood Oral Care

 Hello, I'm Noah Levine Editorial Director with Dental Products Report. Today I'm joined by Dr. Ashley Lerman. She's the founder of Firstgrin and a pediatric dentist. Dr. Lerman. Thanks so much for joining us.

Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to talk to you about my story. A little bit of background tell everyone about first grand. Wonderful.

Well, to start right off, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What led you to becoming a dentist?

Absolutely. So I'm currently a board certified pediatric dentist. Both of my parents are in the dental field. My dad is a general dentist, my mom's a periodontist. So, grew up being around the office helping out. I remember being a kid and my dad blowing up the gloves and playing with a balloon in the back while he was working. So I've been around the field for a very long time.

Wonderful. And can you tell us a little bit about your everyday practice? So what do you do day in day out as a pediatric dentist?

Absolutely. So after residency, I was working in a really, really busy practice I was seeing between 60 and 80 patients a day, very high need, low access to care location. That's what bred the idea of Firstgrin, because I just kept hearing the pain point of parents not knowing what to do, how to do it, and when for their children's teeth, and basically going to the dentist once a problem arose. So I wanted to mitigate that and create a solution early on. But in terms of clinical care, I'm still seeing patients a few times a week still in a lower access to care location to make sure I'm still solving the pain point that I set out to.

You mentioned, you are seeing lots of problems with the patients coming into this clinic. And are you feeling that people just are not getting the right start to oral health as children, and so that sets them up for problems down the line.

I think we're not talking about it early enough. Between ages 0 and 12 months is a really, really important time for anticipatory guidance, or basically setting the stage for parents for what to do and what to expect in terms of oral and dental care. For a long time, the guidelines were for kids to go to the dentist around age three for the first visit, though those were changed and the first visit is recommended actually, within 6 months of the first tooth erupting or by age 1. So we really want to set out to educate and prevent disease rather than fix it, because dentistry is very reactive as a field.

Currently, do you think new parents are aware of these guidelines? Are they getting good information about how to take care of the oral health of their newborns and their kids as they're growing?

You know, I think it's a really good question. As a new parent myself of a 10-month old, there are so many things we're preoccupied with, like sleep, nutrition that I often find oral and dental health falls to the wayside. And my goal isn't to overwhelm parents in any way. It's to just invite dentistry to the conversation because it's often left out until there's a problem established. And I see day in and day out with parents how stressful, you know, emotionally and financially dentistry can be so I want a solution that's tangible for them.

You know, for early childhood care, lots of people are at their pediatrician all the time. They're able to get advice and general things but are pediatricians providing any advice these days on oral care? Are they informed of the recommendations and what their patients should be doing?

You know, I think it was runs a wide gamut. I've spoken to a lot of colleagues who are pediatricians that admittedly say they aren't trained in oral and dental health. They will discuss fluoride drops in terms of supplementation brushing teeth, I'm not sure how in depth it goes. And also I feel for them because they have a lot of things to cover. Again, weight, sleep, nutrition milestones, developmental. So oral health may fall to the wayside, and there are pediatric dentist specialists. However, I do think the conversation between dentistry and medicine is long overdue. There needs to be an interconnection early on so we can prevent disease because cavities are kids' number one1chronic disease.

Tell me a little bit about Firstgrin. You mentioned it before, what is Firstgrin and why did you start it?

So Firstgrin is a company I started. It's a preventive oral health tech company. My goal is to send out intro oral care kits to new and expecting parents with what to use how to use it. And we basically send out little tools like a new toothbrush, a gum brush or wipes, a teether, some flossers, as well as a little info card on when to use each thing. The goal is to overcome any friction that going to a dentist may introduce as well as equip parents with the tools and information of how to take care of their children's teeth confidently.

Dentists unfortunately don't always have the best reputation in the public mind. You know, going to the dentist is often the thing people compared to a bad experience. So does the work you're doing with first grin and Setting up both parents and young children to think about their oral health. Do you think that can help kind of turn some of that around and make those experiences less of an ordeal for children?

Definitely. And I hear you about the reputation. I hear about the drill, fill, bill model, and I really want to fight against that. There are dentists and oral care providers who care. My goal is to give parents this information early. So they feel empowered to take care of their kids teeth to set that early foundation into adulthood, and desensitize them even for their first dental visit, because a lot of us as adults have had poor dental experiences, and we may unintentionally and unknowingly project that on our children. So it's really working with the parent and adult, I'm sorry, the parent and the child.

In terms of, you know, you mentioned earlier, that it would be good to get history and, you know, major medical talking to each other. Are there ways that, you know, pediatric practices can be helping their patients and the parents of these children better? Or should they be connecting with the pediatric dental practice? Should they have sort of, you know, an idea of warning signs to look out for for things that they might see that parents wouldn't know about? And, you know, basically, you would need a dental professional to take care of, definitely.

So we created a free Firstgrin oral care digital app that we recommend to all pediatricians, and anyone who are working with children—even for parents—to use as a digital trauma guide, as well as FAQs and pictures of what to look out for. If a provider or even parent were to look in the mouth and see super white staining, brown spots, yellow spots, dark spots, then I probably recommend seeing a professional. But again, rather than being so reactive, we want to get in early. So even, like I said, 6 months within that first tooth coming in setting that early, healthy stage to prevent rather than fix is the goal.

And in terms of some of that prevention, what are some of the things that parents should be doing and, pediatric healthcare professionals like yourself and the pediatricians should be advising patients or parents to do to take care of their their children before that first tooth eruption before they hit the one year milestone when they should be seeing a dentist.

So I think it's really important to desensitize the mouth, so even as early as 10 to 12 weeks, you can introduce a teether, start using a gum brush to have the babies are getting used to the feeling of being clean. This makes it easier for them to tolerate tooth brushing once they get older. We find that once parents if they try to introduce tooth brushing with a toddler, it can be a meltdown. toddlers can be a challenging, you know mental and emotional stage to begin with, and changing up the routine that is really hard. So starting early on, within that first year to brush the teeth is really important. So once that first tooth comes in, you want to introduce a rice or smear size amount of fluoride toothpaste. Don't be concerned about the swallowing. The toxicity level for fluoride is very, very, very high, it won't be a problem at that stage. And then especially once we introduce foods and other liquids other than water or milk, want to make sure nothing sits on the teeth for too long, basically. So even if we're going to bed at night, not sleeping with a bottle is really important not having sugar for a long period of time on the teeth. Those things like that are important.

Well wonderful for people, whether they're parents or medical professionals looking for more information on the resources you described in first grade and where can they go.

. And on social media, our handle is @firstgrin. Everything's evidence based, parsed down so it's tangible, easy for busy parents. I know how it is. And I don't want this to take up a lot of bandwidth. But I do want it to be a consideration to make your and your child's life easier.

Well, Dr. Lerman thank you so much for sharing your story and for all the work you're doing to help new parents and their children start off their lives with a great oral health routine.

Videos

An interview with Ashley Lerman, DDS, pediatric dentist and founder of Firstgrin, a company working to educate and provide resources to parents and pediatricians to enhance early childhood dental health.

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.  

Image Credit: © U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

With routine dental benefits now covered, new policies for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces are designed to make dental care more accessible in the United States.

The Biden-Harris Administration on April 2, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced policies for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces that make it easier for low-income people to enroll in coverage, provide states the ability to increase access to routine adult dental services, and set network adequacy standards for the time and distance people travel for appointments with in-network providers.

Additionally, HHS states the rule will finally standardize certain operations across the Marketplaces to increase reliability and consistency for consumers. The 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule is said to build on the Administration’s previous work expanding access to quality, affordable health care and raising standards for Marketplace plans throughout the country.

“More than 21 million Americans signed up for high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage through the ACA Marketplaces in 2024. We want to build on this success to make Marketplace plans even better,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra says in a press release earlier this week. “This rule will allow coverage of routine dental benefits for the first time, expand requirements to ensure reliable access to health care providers, and ensure consumers with lower incomes can sign up for coverage when they need it.”

CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure agrees with the importance of providing dental care to adults as well as addressing other obstacles such as the travel limitations by some consumers seeking health care services.

“Access to affordable, quality healthcare options remain a concern across the country and a top priority for CMS,” she adds in the press release. “This rule includes groundbreaking ways to access health care services such as addressing barriers for routine adult dental coverage for the first time and including considerations for how far people travel to see a health care provider. At CMS, we continue to explore ways to help Americans access high-quality coverage through the ACA Marketplaces.”

CMS has expanded access to dental benefits by finalizing measures to allow states the option to add routine adult dental services as an essential health benefit (EHB). For the first time, and starting on January 1, 2027, every state will be able to update its EHB  benchmark plans to include routine non-pediatric dental services, such as cleanings, diagnostic x-rays, and restorative services like fillings and root canals, through the EHB-benchmark application process beginning in 2025.

The final rule creates more consistent, nationwide standards on how far and how long a consumer must travel to see various types of providers in State Marketplaces and State-based Marketplaces on the Federal Platform (SBM- FPs). State Marketplaces and State-based Marketplaces must review a plan’s network information prior to certifying any plan as a qualified health plan (QHP), consistent with the reviews conducted by the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs), the HHS states.

The rule extends the special enrollment period (SEP) for consumers with household incomes at or below 150%of the FPL (for the 2025 plan year, $38,730 for a family of 3) to enroll in coverage in any month rather than only during OpenEnrollment. In the past, this SEP was only available when enhanced subsidies under the IRA were available.

The rule also adds additional consistency for consumers by aligning the dates of Open Enrollment periods across almost all Marketplaces to generally begin on November 1 and end no earlier than January 15. There will be the option to extend the Open Enrollment period beyond January 15.

The rule also aims to prevent coverage gaps for those transitioning between different Marketplaces or from other insurance coverage by allowing those selecting coverage during certain SEPs to receive coverage beginning the first day of the month after the QHP is selected. Previously, coverage would begin at a later date if the consumer enrolls between the 15th and the end of the month.

The HHS says this rule includes multiple policies to standardize operations among the federally-facilitated and state-based Marketplaces to ensure a more streamlined consumer experience, such as requiring Marketplaces to have live call center representatives available during call center hours of operation to assist consumers with QHP application submission and enrollment, generally holding Open Enrollment from November1-January 15 (with the option for Marketplaces to extend Open Enrollment to a later date as mentioned above), and automatically re-enrolling people who are enrolled in a catastrophic plan for the next year, in order to prevent gaps in coverage.

Additional information on the final rule is available in the CMS.gov fact sheet

This rule will allow coverage of routine adult dental benefits for the first time, assist in ensuring reliable access to health care providers, and help with the enrollment processes.

New HHS Policies for the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces Include Expanded Dental Coverages

Featuring 2 general sessions with prominent business and clinical leaders, more than 80 presentations, and 12 workshops, Henry Schein, Inc’s THRIVELIVE™ 2024 returns to Las Vegas, Nevada next month.

The company’s annual dental event-at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, from May 2-4, 2024- offers a comprehensive program designed to empower all dental professionals, and will also include a lineup of entertainment that is highlighted by actor, comedian, and screenwriter Ray Romano.

THRIVELIVE, now in its fourth year, will provide great education, hands-on showcases, networking opportunities, and Henry Schein promises to introduce new products and services designed to enable clinicians to work more efficiently and have their practices thrive.

Next month’s event will provide plenty of access to:

Attendees can gain insights and practical knowledge through a wide range of courses and workshops relevant to all aspects of dentistry, including software training, team development, health and wellness, hygiene protocols, business, and practice management

The latest dental technologies and equipment from leading manufacturers will be on display at the event. Interactive demonstrations will allow you to discover how these advancements can optimize practice workﬂows

Discover the unique suite of services, solutions, and products oﬀered by Henry Schein, speciﬁcally designed to support a dental practice's success

THRIVELIVE attendees can connect and collaborate with peers from across the dental ﬁeld and build valuable relationships, exchange knowledge, and foster a sense of community

All attendees will be offered the General Sessions, presentations, and workshops. With a focus on thriving practices, these curated courses provide dental teams an opportunity to enhance their skills, knowledge, and capabilities to help deliver better patient care and improved proﬁts.

“As we celebrate the fourth year of delivering the THRIVELIVE experience, we are excited once again to bring together the best and brightest dental professionals and thought leaders to create a truly unique event for the entire dental team,” Mark Hillebrandt, chief digital revenue ofﬁcer of Henry Schein says in a press release. “At Henry Schein, our commitment remains unwavering, providing dental professionals with an unparalleled educational experience that equips each attendee with the latest knowledge and technologies, empowering every individual to make informed decisions about their practices.”

The entertainment events-such as the “THRIVELIVE Bash” at Drai’s Night Club, and “LIVE! @THRIVELIVE,” headlined by Romano-are included in the attendee’s ticket price.

 THRIVELIVE will partner with TeamSmile, 

a non-proﬁt organization that provides children in need an impactful dental experience through thepower of sports, to bring awareness to and engage dental professionals in this mission

In 2007, Henry Schein was on the ground floor of the evolution of TeamSmile. Bill Busch, DDS, came up with the concept of helping area children receive free dental care utilizing local professional sports teams. TeamSmile oversees several programs each year while working with professional and college sports programs. Already in 2024, the organization has provided free dental care to kids through programs working with the Minnesota Twins, New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Royals, Dr. Busch’s local team.

Annual dental event oﬀers interactive booth experiences, plenty of education and networking, leading dental technology, and an entertainment lineup featuring Ray Romano.

Henry Schein’s THRIVELIVE 2024 Returns to Las Vegas in May

Image Credit: © Waseem Ali Khan - stock.adobe.com

Because dentists and early detection can save lives, it is imperative that we know what is available, which patients should be screened more regularly, and to consider having oral cancer screening be a regular part of everyday routine oral exams.

Here, during, National Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we are revisiting 5 previously published articles on the topic. Also, be sure to listen to this month's Floss & Flip Flops – Episode 28 – Oral Cancer Awareness Month with Susan Cotten 

April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month

With April being National Oral Cancer Awareness Month, let’s revisit some key content previously published by Dental Products Report. 


A Look Back at Some Important Oral Cancer Awareness Articles

A student receives a dental screening at her school from an Augusta Regional Dental Clinic staff member. The safety-net dental clinic, located in Fishersville, Virginia, reported a 60% increase in new patients after receiving donated resources from America’s ToothFairy. | Image Credit: © America’s ToothFairy

In the United States, millions of children encounter challenges in accessing essential dental services, leading to missed school days, lower academic performance, and limited career prospects in adulthood. But there is good news to report.

This year, nearly 1.3 million children living in communities with restricted access to care nationwide received dental treatment and/or oral health guidance through America’s ToothFairy programs and the affiliated safety-net dental clinics, the resource provider states. The nonprofit organization recently released its 2023 Impact Report, commemorating a landmark year for the value of product donations provided to safety-net dental clinics via their Dental Resource Program (DRP), facilitating a 27% increase in clinical treatment services for children compared to 2022.

"The financial grants and product donations from America's ToothFairy impact our mission by ensuring children have the preventive products they need to prevent decay,” says Sharon Harrell, DDS, Dental Director at FirstHealth Dental Care in Southern Pines, North Carolina, in a press release. “Because our practice consists primarily of children with Medicaid as well as uninsured low-income children, expenses outweigh revenue. America's ToothFairy helps keep us afloat," adds Dr Harrell, one of the 46 DRP members that received donated products in 2023.

“For the nonprofit clinics that depend on our programs, every penny counts,” Jill Malmgren, executive director at America’s ToothFairy, states in the press release. “When they receive donated toothbrushes, toothpaste, preventive products, and supplies to provide restorative treatment, that frees up more resources to expand staffing and clinical hours for kids who often must wait a year or more for a dental appointment. When our members have the resources they need they don’t just repair the damage of poor dental hygiene habits. They provide the dental home kids need to maintain good oral health in the future.”

The challenges hindering children's access to dental care are multifaceted, including a shortage of dental care providers, especially those accepting Medicaid, transportation barriers, and limited oral health awareness. In addition to supplying dental materials, America’s ToothFairy offers complimentary educational resources to enhance outreach efforts by program members. By instilling the importance of oral health in children, these initiatives encourage participation in dental care programs at schools and promote preventive measures against tooth decay through proper home care.

After receiving a superhero-themed education resource kit from America’s ToothFairy, Sophie Parsons, executive director of Augusta Regional Dental Clinic in Fishersville, Virginia reported on the impact the resources had on their outreach efforts.

“They helped us engage the conversation with young patients and their parents during our community events," she says. "As a result, we have welcomed 454 new patients. That represents a 60% increase compared to the same period the year before!”

The Dental Resource Program, made possible by support from Title Sponsor TSC EcoSolutions (TSC), witnessed a surge in participation despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some program members closed their doors permanently after the pandemic, the non-profit organization states.

“Each year since the shutdown we have seen a steady increase in the number of children that have received clinical treatment services, but those numbers are still lower than they were before the pandemic,” Malmgren says. “2023 showed the most improvement since the pandemic but is still less than half the number that received clinical services in 2019.”

Clinic closures, staffing shortages and rising operational costs all factor into to the slow recovery to reach pre-pandemic levels. Amidst these challenges, America’s ToothFairy remains committed to education and prevention initiatives, aiming to equip members with the necessary resources to expand dental care access for children.

“It is absolutely our pleasure to support America’s ToothFairy and their Dental Resource Program,” says TSC’s CEO Matt Sanders, who recently replaced his father and TSC’s founder, Dick Sanders on the organization’s Board of Directors. “At TSC we believe in doing well by doing good. I am excited about the good we will do together in the coming year.”

Malmgren says the younger Sanders has already had an impact on the organization’s success. “We are grateful for the longstanding support of TSC,” she says. “We are thrilled to have Matt on our Board. He hit the ground running and introduced a new way to involve their customers in our mission with Scrap-4-Smiles. Through this special campaign, dental offices can still receive top dollar with their mail-in dental scrap and feel good knowing that a portion of the resale value will be donated to help our mission, over and above TSC’s annual underwriter contribution.”

In addition to TSC, America’s ToothFairy recognized the contributions of SHOFU Dental Corporation, Septodont, SS White, Cosmedent, SmileMakers, Crest, and Colgate, whose collective donations of over 2 million dollars’ worth of dental supplies and equipment significantly enhanced the capacity of DRP members to provide quality dental care to underserved children.

You can find more information on America’s ToothFairy's impact in 2023, at 

The clinics experienced an unprecedented surge in support from America’s ToothFairy.

 Nonprofit, Safety-Net Dental Clinics Witness 27% Surge in Clinical Services for Children

The latest integration of Imagoworks, Inc’s Dentbird Crown with RAYTeams means artificial intelligence-designed crown prostheses can now be directly and seamlessly processed by chairside milling machines.

As of March 28, 2024, the Dentbird Crown AI-powered dental design solution is connected with RAY Co.'s cloud platform, RAYTeams, enabling the fast production dental prosthetics.

Dentbird Crown cloud-based AI Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software automates the design of crown prosthetics, and eliminates the need for software installation on personal computers. The software offers access through a web browser from any location with an internet connection.

By leveraging AI technology, Dentbird Crown can rapidly generate optimized designs for crown prosthetics based on patients' 3D scan data. This workflow simplifies the process to just a few clicks, according to Imagoworks, Inc. This innovative solution at the forefront of AI automation in dentistry reportedly can complete the scan-design-machining workflow within an hour.

The newly announced collaboration enables the direct transfer of crown design files from Dentbird Crown to Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software. This facilitates an intuitive and efficient machining process with RAY's advanced chairside milling machine, the RAYMill C. This integration is part of a growing trend of integrating cloud-based platforms with various solutions, including hardware, to enhance digital dental treatment and improve clinical efficiency.

The process is straightforward, Imagoworks states. Dental professionals can design the crown using Dentbird Crown accessed through a PC with RAYTeams installed. Then, users simply click the "D+CAM" button under the "Send to CAM" option during the export of the crown STL file, and the design is automatically prepared for machining. The crown is ready in as little as 18 minutes, the South Korean company says. This integration is designed to enhance dental care processes, allowing for a complete workflow—from oral scanning to AI design, milling, and post-processing—in under an hour. So, the crown production becomes more efficient, and treatment time is reduced.

The partnership with RAYTeams enables seamless connectivity with milling machines, offering dental professionals a faster and more streamlined workflow for digital prosthesis production, Imagoworks adds in a press release.

As the company continues its global expansion of Dentbird Crown's integration—from MEDIT Link to Shining 3D—this latest update with RAYTeams is said to establish a comprehensive, integrated scan-AI design-milling system.

In February, Imagoworks announced that its flagship AI CAD solution, Dentbird Crown, had been updated to integrate with Shining 3D Dental Cloud. That integration enables dental clinics and dental laboratories using products from both companies to carry out prosthetic manufacturing tasks more quickly, simply, and intuitively than before, according to the 2 companies. Shining 3D Dental Cloud is a digital dentistry-specific platform provided by Shining 3D, China's leading 3D digital solutions company.

Earlier, Dentbird Crown was integrated into Medit Link, a digital platform where various applications are available, which enables clinicians and dental technicians to complete crown design easily and quickly anytime, anywhere.

The new connection between AI CAD and milling machine is designed to deliver fast and precise machining.

Dentbird Crown and RAYTeams Now Integrated to Enhance Digital Dentistry

All dental practices can use this laser technology to enhance the care delivered to patients.

With over 80 FDA-cleared indications, this laser is designed to provide a versatile and patient-friendly solution tailored to every clinician’s unique needs. The new edition’s innovative approach provides clinicians with customized packages of procedures designed to ensure that practitioners invest in the capabilities they need today while allowing easily added features as the clinician expands their practice.

The Waterlase iPlus laser solution is capable of rapid, precise, and clean removal of target tissues—without heat damage, fractures, or any smear layer. The technology is described as minimally invasive, kinder to the tissue, and used with little to no anesthesia necessary for many dental procedures. Another benefit is 

access to new start-up and shut-down onboard wizards streamline upkeep, reducing learning curves and ensuring predictable results even among multiple team members.


Waterlase’s proprietary Er,Cr:YSGG 2780 nm wavelength has optimal absorption in both water and hydroxyapatite for cool and efficient cutting in both hard and soft tissue—the therapeutic Goldilocks zone.At the heart of the new laser lies its modular software design. The company expects this not only to optimize cost-effectiveness but to also facilitate seamless upgrades as practices evolve, empowering dental professionals to stay at the forefront of innovation without compromise.

This update to the company’s Waterlase iPlus laser features enhanced customization of clinical procedures, improved graphics for a better user experience, and remote diagnostics and support.

5Ws* Waterlase iPlus Premier Edition

Designed to offer a seamless experience that aligns financial and treatment planning for patients and dental practices alike, an innovation in dental payments solutions has been launched by Dental Intelligence, a provider of analytics and engagement software for the dental industry.

The new Dental Intelligence Payments offering from the Pleasant Grove, Utah, company integrates the payments platform directly with treatment plans. This innovative update is designed to transform the way dental practices approach revenue cycle management (RCM). By presenting payment information and options alongside detailed treatment plans, Dental Intelligence makes it easy for patients to understand their care options and associated costs. The company says this level of transparency and convenience will ease payment anxiety, enhance decision-making, and improve overall patient satisfaction.

"Integrating our Payments solution with Treatment Plans is a natural progression in our mission to help dentists practice smarter," Dan Larsen, VP of Product at Dental Intelligence, says in a press release. "Effective revenue cycle management is critical to their success. With this enhancement, we're simplifying the payment process for dental practices and simultaneously empowering patients to make informed decisions about their dental health."

The update aims to streamline operations, limit payment anxiety, improve patient satisfaction, and enhance the appointment experience for the dental team and the patients.

In addition to the integration with Treatment Plans, the company has also added the ability for practices to create and manage custom payment plans for patients directly from their Payments dashboard. This allows practices to utilize payment plans to work with patients who have past-due balances, manage payments for membership plans, and more. Patients can enroll in payment plans with monthly autopay for a convenient way to manage their balance. The latest update to Dental Intelligence Payments also includes the ability for patients to signin and pay their balance online or make partial payments in their Patient Portal.

"Dental Intelligence is committed to evolving the way dental practices manage their operations, from appointment scheduling to insurance claims, verification, collections, and now, an integrated payments and treatment planning system," Larsen adds."This update is a testament to our dedication to innovation and our continuous effort to support dental practices in providing exceptional care while also managing their business effectively."

The updated Payments solution is now available to all Dental Intelligence customers. Dental practices looking to leverage the new features are encouraged to contact the company for more information on how to integrate this update into their operations.

Dental Intelligence’s analytics show clinicians exactly where their practice stands, and their smart engagement tools are designed to help practices reach their unique goals quickly and efficiently, the company states. The all-in-one solution includes online scheduling and easy payments, and every step in between. The solution finds patients with outstanding balances for the practice and helps by sending them secure payment links through friendly, personalized texts or emails.

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The company’s seamless fusion of treatment planning and financial planning aims to improve patient experience and practice efficiency.