Pearl Granted a Patent for its Dental Practice Data Analysis AI Technology | Image Credit: © Pearl

Dental artificial intelligence (AI) solutions company Pearl has been granted a patent for its dental practice data analysis AI technology.

The company recently announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Oﬃce has issued U.S. Patent No. 11,776,677 entitled “Computer Vision-Based Analysis Of Provider Data” for the exclusive rights to the computer vision system at the core of Pearl’s pioneering clinical performance software, Practice Intelligence®.

This patent covers the machine learning techniques used to analyze data associated with 1 or more dental practices to identify missed treatment opportunities, future treatment opportunities, or provider performance metrics. Practice Intelligence analyzes AI-detected evidence in patient radiographs in conjunction with patient treatment data to identify oﬃce and practitioner-speciﬁc patterns, according to Pearl. The company’s patented system then synthesizes its ﬁndings into actionable patient health and clinical performance insights designed to help to facilitate optimal oral healthcare outcomes for patients, strong ﬁnancial outcomes for practices, and a more productive dental care workﬂow.

“Practice Intelligence equips dental practices around the world with clinical performance insights essential for increasing operational eﬃciency and boosting practice growth,” Ophir Tanz, founder and CEO of Pearl says in a press release. “With this patent, Pearl is expanding its portfolio of exclusive intellectual property, reinforcing the technological advantages and eﬀectiveness of our dental AI solutions.”

This latest patent increases the company’s total number of U.S. patents to 12. Previously, Pearl was issued a patent for its “Systems and Methods for Automated Medical Image Analysis,” which grants it the exclusive rights to the computer system technology supporting the application programming interface (API) of its chairside AI disease detection software, Second Opinion®. Other recent patents include “Computer Vision-Based Claims Processing,” “Systems and Methods for Insurance Fraud Detection (2021)”, “Systems and Methods For Insurance Fraud Detection (2020)" and “Systems and Methods for Automated Medical Image Annotation.”

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The announcement means the company has exclusive rights to the AI systems behind its Practice Intelligence clinical performance platform.


Pearl Granted a Patent for its Dental Practice Data Analysis AI Technology

Ivoclar Files Patent and Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Upcera Dental America | mage Credit: © Ivoclar

Ivoclar has filed a patent and trademark infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York against Upcera Dental America, Inc. The manufacturers of the IPS e.max® lithium silicate products recently announced the action, asserting that Upcera's UP.CAD products infringe several patents issued in the United States covering Ivoclar's lithium-silicate inventions, and a trademark related to its millable dental ceramics.

Ivoclar has invested substantial resources in the research and development of its IPS e.max CAD technology, products and its intellectual property rights over the years, and the company will remain active and resolute in enforcing those rights, according to the company, which has a U.S. facility in Buffalo, New York. Global headquarters for the Ivoclar Group are located in Schaan, Liechtenstein.

“This suit against Upcera is just the latest patent enforcement action by Ivoclar where it asserted its patents covering glass ceramics,“ Thad McMurray, General Counsel for Ivoclar North America, says in a press release. “In the past several years, Ivoclar has successfully stopped the sale of infringing glass ceramics in United States and Germany, and it remains resolute in enforcing its glass ceramics patents throughout the world.”

In 2023, Ivoclar celebrated its 100-year anniversary under the theme of “A Century of Innovation”. The group of companies, which sells its products to around 130 countries, has 56 subsidiaries and branch offices and employs roughly 3,700 people worldwide.

The manufacturer asserts that Upcera's UP.CAD products infringe multiple patents issued in the U.S. covering its lithium-silicate inventions, and a trademark related to its millable dental ceramics.

Ivoclar Files Patent and Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Upcera Dental America

Ron Ellenbogen is the Head of Product and Business Development, Dental, for Stratasys. The company develops industrial grade additive solutions to help solve critical design and manufacturing challenges, right along its customers' production cycle.

Dental Labs Can Enhance 3D Printing Capabilities with Multi-Material 3D Printing Technology |

The adoption of 3D printing technology within dental labs is maturing rapidly, with an 

 96% of dental labs with more than 5 employees using 3D printers in their facilities.

 to maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.1 percent from 2023 to 2030.

 The evidence is clear: dental labs have embraced 3D printing as a preferred technology as materials improve.

As demand for dental applications from dental practices continues to grow, labs are considering their options to scale operations to meet the growing demand. They need to ask themselves, what technologies are available? What materials are available? What are the additional use cases for 3D printing? Do they need to grow their headcount?

For labs to scale and grow their 3D print business, they need to also think beyond just single-material dental 3D printers. When these printers were first introduced into the market, labs invested in them to accelerate their production time, increase workflow, and advance their production capabilities. Single-material 3D printers made sense at the time as they met the needs of the dental lab market and enabled them to print numerous parts, such as models, surgical guides, and gingiva masks.

But by continuing to solely rely on single-material 3D printers, over time, more technical labor and maintenance is needed. As market demand continues to increase, so too does the need for additional solutions to complement existing fleets of single-material printers. That is where multi-material 3D printing capabilities come into play.

Dental labs strive to scale part production by optimizing lab resources and consistently maintaining quality and accuracy. Multi-material 3D printing can provide an effective and efficient solution with the simultaneous production of diverse applications, such as: crown & bridge/implant/orthodontic models, surgical guides, gingiva masks and indirect bonding trays. The platform boasts a high-capacity print tray that can fit 16 full implant cases including a model, a surgical guide and the gingiva mask. Multi-material, mixed application printing means there is no need to change materials between runs or post cure the parts when they come off the printer.

Multi-material printing can also be implemented to print full-color parts such as diagnostic dental models or monolithic, highly esthetic dentures. This technology significantly minimizes the need for extensive post-processing by technicians, resulting in a streamlined workflow that effectively boosts production capacity. Additionally, the implementation of multi-material 3D printers contributes to a safer work environment. The printers' enclosed design allows for loading resin cartridges directly into the machine, eliminating the need for operators to handle uncured or hazardous materials during the printing process.

Dental labs have the opportunity to take advantage of new technologies and increase their 3D printing capabilities. They can accelerate their growth potential by going beyond single-material printers (which still have their place in today’s dental labs) and embracing technology that can be used 24 hours a day to create numerous dental applications without increasing overhead. The technologies in today’s multi-material printers increase accuracy, streamline workflow, and increase technicians’ and labs’ productivity, as well as product output and overall quality. Because of these reasons, now is a better time than ever for labs to enhance their existing 3D printing capabilities with multi-material printers for the future production needs that the market demands.

The utilization of multi-material 3D printers brings advantages to both dental labs and their customers. Faster output means faster smiles. And faster smiles means more time to take on new customers and create new smiles.

Fessel Carr, K. 3D Printing: Changing the Way Labs Work | LMT. Available at 

https://lmtmag.com/articles/3d-printing-changing-the-way-labs-work-8763 

2. Dental 3D Printing Market Size & Trends | Grand View Research. Available at 

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/dental-3d-printing-market 

Here’s why now is a better time than ever for labs to enhance their existing 3D printing capabilities with multi-material printers for the future production needs that the market demands.

Dental Labs Can Enhance 3D Printing Capabilities with Multi-Material 3D Printing Technology

EasyRx and Nexa3D Collaborate to Elevate Digital Dentistry Workflow Through Integration. Image credits: © EasyRx © Nexa3D

EasyRx, a universal lab prescription, digital workflow, and 3D software group, has announced a strategic collaboration with 3D printing and digital dentistry leader Nexa3D, according to a press release from the companies. The collaboration aims to integrate Nexa3D's additive manufacturing technology into EasyRx's digital workflow, revolutionizing the experience for dental labs and practices.

Todd Blankenbecler, General Manager of EasyRx, expressed his excitement about the collaboration in the press release, stating, "We are thrilled to partner with Nexa3D, a company committed to advancing digital dentistry. This collaboration not only fulfills the demands of our users for an integrated and high-tech workflow but also establishes a new standard for patient care by combining our platform with Nexa3D's 3D printing solutions."

Nexa3D's Vice President of Dental Sales of North America, Peter Wilkinson, also shared his enthusiasm in the press release, emphasizing the impact of the partnership on digital dentistry. "At Nexa3D, we are extremely excited about the collaboration with EasyRx. The innovation and ease of use blend efficiency with an elite experience to empower more users with boundless opportunities for production using the digital ecosystem at EasyRx and the 3D printing platform at Nexa3D."

This integration allows dental practices and labs to minimize manual tasks through a streamlined digital workflow, enabling providers to focus more on delivering quality patient care, per the press release. To learn more about the new integration, visit EasyRx’s 

EasyRx will integrate directly with Nexa3D’s digital dental workflow, streamlining additive manufacturing for dental labs and practices. 

EasyRx and Nexa3D Collaborate to Elevate Digital Dentistry Workflow Through Integration

Any practice using the DTX Studio Clinic software platform.

Whenever 2D periapical or bitewing intraoral radiographs are being captured or reviewed.

Seamlessly integrated into the DTX Studio Clinic platform, the assisted intelligence (AI) features provide additional insight and information for clinicians without changing any part of the imaging workflow. Additionally, the AI-reviewed images can be shared with patients to help highlight the issues a clinician confirms in a radiograph.

Using AI, DTX Studio Clinic analyzes x-ray images and highlights up to 6 potential pathologies for clinicians to scrutinize. With FDA clearance for detection of potential caries, marginal discrepancies, root canal defects, periapical radiolucencies, bone loss, and calculus, DTX Studio Clinic is designed to help clinicians detect and treat a wide range of oral conditions.

This advanced dental imaging application is now FDA cleared for assisted intelligence highlighting of 6 pathologies in 2D radiographs.

5Ws* DTX Studio™ Clinic

Join the Sanders sisters and Dr Andrew Merrill as they discuss all things thyroid, including what to watch out for for both dental and medical professionals with this tricky part of the human body.

Andrea Merrill, MD is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and a Surgical Oncologist at Boston Medical Center. She is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery. She has particular interests and advanced training in the care of patients with breast cancer and endocrine diseases and cancer. Dr Merrill earned her undergraduate and medical degrees at Tufts University. She completed residency training in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. While there, she performed research on breast cancer outcomes and completed an editorial fellowship at the New England Journal of Medicine. She then completed an advanced clinical fellowship in Complex Surgical Oncology at The Ohio State University. Dr Merrill has published research in numerous journals and presented her findings at nationally recognized conferences. 

Her research interests include breast cancer, gender bias in medicine, and surgical ergonomics. She is the faculty advisor for the BU association of women surgeons medical student chapter and enjoys mentoring and advising aspiring women surgeons. Dr Merrill also enjoys narrative writing and has published several narrative essays in JAMA, Annals of Surgery, and Annals of Internal Medicine. She believes we need to appreciate our creative sides outside of the OR and started a website called Scrubbed Out which highlights surgeons and their creative hobbies and passions. Outside of the OR, Dr Merrill enjoys food, wine, travel, reading, and photography.

You can find Dr Merrill on Instagram @anjlm (personal) and @scrubbedoutsurgeon or on her website –  

The study mentioned by Katrina:
Wallis, C. J., Ravi, B., Coburn, N., Nam, R. K., Detsky, A. S., & Satkunasivam, R. (2017). Comparison of postoperative outcomes among patients treated by male and female surgeons: a population based matched cohort study. 

.

Floss and Flip-Flops with the Sanders sisters features hosts dental hygienist and speaker Katrina M. Sanders, RDH, and podiatrist Dr Elizabeth Sanders, DPM. Together, the sisters discuss the oral-systemic link and its impact—from your teeth down to your toes. The podcast is produced monthly by Dental Products Report® and Modern Hygienist®, in partnership with The Sanders sisters.

For additional content for dental professionals visit DPR and MH at 

.

Katrina Sanders, RDH, can be reached at:

Podcasts

Join the Sanders sisters and Dr Andrea Merrill as they discuss all things thyroid, including what to watch out for for both dental and medical professionals with this tricky part of the human body. 

Floss & Flip Flops – Episode 25 – Thyroid Awareness Month with Dr Andrea Merrill

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Mastermind - Episode 29 - Addressing Racial Disparities in Hiring at Dental Practices

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Whether shot on site at a conference, recorded over Zoom, or captured in some other setting, video was a big part of the content published by Dental Products Report in 2023. The most popular videos of the year include a mix of product evaluations, roundtable discussions and weekly new product roundups. Check out the 10 most viewed videos of the year right here.

Top 10 Dental Products Report News Items of 2023

With the rise of artificial intelligence everywhere, major data breaches, and the continued march of innovation, 2023 proved to be a notable year when it comes to dental news. Here's a look at the 10 most popular news items from the past year.

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. 