Danielle Toth

	Political party and issue stance aren't the only factors voters consider when evaluating presidential candidates. 

	It turns out a dazzling smile affects a candidates likability, as well, according to a new survey from 

, which shows factors such as a candidate's smile affect how much voters like them.

Survey: 31% of U.S. parents say kids missed school due to dental problems

Seventeen percent of voting-age Americans said a candidate's smile makes him or her more likable. Women (19 percent) agreed slightly more than men (16 percent). In addition, smile matters most to the West (23 percent) followed by the Midwest (18 percent), Northeast (17 percent) and South (14 percent). More parents (23 percent) vs. nonparents (15 percent) said smile impacts a candidate's likability. 

	Other likability concerns included voice, which 36 percent of Americans said makes candidates more likable, followed by wardrobe with 6 percent and haircut with just 4 percent. Interestingly, when it comes to Millennials ages 18-24, haircut mattered 13 percent, which is nearly triple and quadruple other age groups. 

 conducted the survey Oct. 26-29 among 1,013 nationally representative Americans 18 years of age and older. 

More from Delta Dental: Tooth Fairy pays record $255 million for lost teeth in 2014

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Political party and issue stance aren't the only factors voters consider when evaluating presidential candidates.

Presidential candidates' smiles affect likability, survey says

Practice management software can help dental offices with everything from billing to scheduling.

The best practice management software for your office

	Practice management software can help dental offices with everything from billing to scheduling.

Each has a different appearance and functions. The product that's best for you depends on your practice's individual wants and needs.

	We've assembled 14 different practice management software products with various capabilities. We hope this list helps you find one that keeps your office runnning smoothly.

	Click through the following pages to view the products.

 is designed to include all of the features of the top dental programs but in a much more user-friendly interface. 

 chose it as the best dental software for three years in a row as it is said to help practices grow and become more profitable. ACE’s eReminder service automates patient appointment reminders, and an hour-ahead text message is said to eliminate no-shows and save up to $30,000 a year in losses.

“Ace Dental Software is excellent. Our office has used the software for years. It is great software to keep track of patients and also make sure they don't miss appointments. We receive great feedback about the text and email reminders from our patients. We get a fast response anytime we call with a question or concern.”  - Dr. Brian Yoshida

 is a said to be a powerful practice management solution designed for practices that want to avoid making difficult and costly decisions about maintaining servers and upgrading computer hardware. Taking your practice to the cloud creates a centralized platform for your practice management software, whether CS PracticeWorks or CS SoftDent. That means you’ll have access to the same file system and database from almost any device or location. CS Cloud also allows you to protect and back up important data and financial information.

“When you switch to the cloud, you’ll always be on the most recent version. This is good as it’s so important. I know lots of offices that don’t do their updates regularly so they don’t get to utilize the wonderful new additions to the software.” - Sue Smith, practice administrator, Levine, Lipnick & Giglio, Albany, N.Y.

 reportedly provides a bright, innovative solution to managing your practice. The cloud-based software is designed with a super-clean look and is said to deliver a refreshing amount of lifestyle flexibility. Curve leads the profession with eight years of cloud development experience, reportedly providing a comprehensive solution, including native digital imaging, innovative charting capabilities, powerful scheduling tools, super-tight billing controls and more.

“What I like most about Curve Dental is how easy it is to use. The software has a clean, simple look that makes navigation and finding information pretty easy. I like that I can access patient information from wherever, and that I don’t have to worry about backups and upgrades like I used to. They’re a great company to do business with.” - Mark Hyman, DDS

 is said to be a technology leader with the knack for making software that is extremely easy to use. The software tightly integrates with digital X-rays, allowing you to easily view X-rays and treatment plans from the same screen. And DentiMax is designed to flow just like your dental office. From checking in a new patient to electronically prescribing medication to scheduling additional patient visits, DentiMax reportedly mirrors your practice’s actual workflow. These and other easy-to-use but powerful features are said to make DentiMax an easy choice. Available on the cloud or on your own computers, you choose which version makes the most sense for your practice.  

"DentiMax is simple. For a fair price, you get an amazing program that is easy to use and customizable features to help your work day go smoothly. It also has all the features you will need to run your office. Such an easy program makes training your staff or future staff simple." - Marie Mick, office manager, Office of Brad L. Cottle, DMD, Mesa, Ariz.  

	More than 35,000 dental practices rely on 

 because it provides solutions for both sides of your practice: the business side and the clinical side. Plus, Dentrix is said to help you build your practice with integrated eServices, innovative software that adds new capabilities to your system and “Dentrix Connected” products from top dental technology companies. You can equip your practice with Dentrix now and reportedly enrich it for years to come with a growing network of partner products all guaranteed to work smoothly with Dentrix.

"I can't say enough about what Dentrix has done for my practice. It has truly given me the freedom to do dentistry and has given my office manager the best tools available to manage my business. I would recommend Dentrix for every practice." - Dr. Stephanie L. Huddleston, Lexington, Ky.

is a new cloud-based practice management system that reportedly dares to think differently and dream big. With Dentrix Ascend, you are said to get a fresh new interface that packs the most advanced clinical, front-office and business management capabilities into a surprisingly easy and intuitive new user experience. You reportedly gain the freedom to use whatever devices make sense for your practice. From PCs to iPads, you are said to get instant access from any location, and you’re freed from buying and maintaining your own hardware all for an easy-to-manage monthly subscription.

“We went from absolutely nothing to the most efficient practice I’ve ever worked in because of Dentrix Ascend.” - Kristina Large, office manager

	Dentrix Ascend  |  855-232-9493  |  

 is said to be an industry-leading dental software that enables multilocation practices to centralize all provider and patient data and maximize business efficiency, setting the stage for growth and improved profitability. By streamlining organizational, administrative and financial aspects of the practice, managers reportedly can improve economies of scale and maintain consistency at multiple sites. Trusted by providers since 1999, Dentrix Enterprise is said to include award-winning clinical tools and integration with leading dental equipment to enable high quality patient care. Backed by the strength of Henry Schein, Dentrix Enterprise reportedly is the right choice to ensure the success of your business.

	Dentrix Enterprise  |  800-459-8067  |  

 is a software paging system running in offices of all sizes. Click on a provider’s card to page them to your chair/location. Communicate that a patient has arrived, a procedure is ready to move on to the next phase or that you need a doctor. Deliver custom public and private messages. Page providers via your intercom system, SMS, pagers, email and the Pebble™ smart watch. Discover practice dynamics with the included reporting module that exposes analytics such as provider and chair utilization.

“We have been using DoctorMeow for a couple of years now. It is a great product with fantastic support. All of our clinical staff use it to know who is here, when they arrived and in what order to seat them. It is a very useful program.” - Ryan M., Moses Orthodontics

 is said to be the easiest, most affordable dental practice management system to own and use. It is designed to give budget-conscious practices powerful features to automate their dental office without the cost and complexity of expanded feature sets. Easy Dental is said to provide a complete set of management and clinical tools but is designed to give dentists the ability to add new functionality, such as digital imaging integration, credit card billing and eClaims verification, when their practice grows. And because Henry Schein backs it, practices can trust Easy Dental to provide quality customer service and technical support to ensure success.

“We looked at competing products, but Easy Dental fit our needs the best. It’s a great system and probably one of the best decisions we ever made.” - William Burnett, office manager, Belmont Dental Care, Long Beach, Calif.

The dental industry is continually coming out with new products to improve everything from technique to diagnostics.

Top products of December

	The dental industry is continually coming out with new products to improve everything from technique to diagnostics.

So far, in December, we've seen a digital orthodontics records package, a cordless headlight, a soft tissue laser, an artistic composite kit, an attachment removal kit for clear aligners, dry mouth spray, a cordless hygiene prophy handpiece, a new bottle size for varnish, an orthodontic cart, a direct restorative material, a troubleshooting guide, a gingival protection device and a removable bridge.

	Continue to the next page to view our slideshow on these can't-miss products.

	Said to be accurate, organized, easy to understand and cost-effective, the 

Digital Orthodontics Records Package from Space Maintainers

 reportedly transforms your orthodontic models and records into a wealth of valuable online diagnostic information.

, a leader in superior vision solutions for dental and medical professionals, introduced 

, a cordless headlight that reportedly integrates with virtually any loupe or eyewear frame model.

 introduced the Gemini™ 810 + 980 soft tissue laser, which is said to be dentistry’s first dual-wavelength soft tissue diode laser with 20 watts of peak super-pulsed power and a stunning, fully transparent electroluminescent display.

	Shofu Dental Corporation, a leading manufacturer of award-winning dental materials and equipment, has unveiled a new finishing system, 

. Designed for artisan’s finishing of anterior composite restorations, The Artistic Composite Kit features a selection of 

’s finest diamonds, carbides and stones.

	Attachment Removal Kit for Clear Aligners

	Shofu Dental Corporation, a leading manufacturer of award-winning dental materials and equipment, has launched 

a new system for the removal of orthodontic attachments

. The Attachment Removal Kit for Clear Aligners is designed to offer proper tools and provide choices for safe and effective removal of orthodontic attachments created with direct composite.

. The patent-pending, extended-release formula reportedly holds 25 percent more moisture than 

. It contains 44 percent xylitol and is said to provide continuous xylitol exposure throughout the day.

	StarDental® iStar Cordless Hygiene Prophy Handpiece

, a supplier of integrated products and services for dental health professionals worldwide, introduced the StarDental

 iStar Cordless Prophy Handpiece. Designed to make dental hygiene procedures fast and easy, the 

 reportedly is the first true cordless prophy handpiece that allows full freedom of movement and freedom for each dental professional to choose his or her preferred disposable angle.

, the only 2.5 percent NaF varnish available in the United States. Its patented technology is said to provide better fluoride uptake than 

, a supplier of integrated products and services for dental health professionals worldwide, recently unveiled its new Ortho Cart at this year’s Greater New York Dental Meeting. Designed to make orthodontic procedures fast and easy, the 

 is the latest addition to the company’s growing line of 

	In the modern world of cosmetic and restorative dentistry, the all-ceramic crown restoration is said to be considered the pinnacle of quality as an indirect restoration for strength, esthetics and longevity. 

 reportedly presents an evolutionary step forward in the realm of direct restorative dental materials with the introduction of 

, said to be the world’s first all ceramic-based universal, direct restorative material. After almost two decades of intensive research and development, VOCO reportedly created the first-ever nano-ORMOCER

through the innovative fusion of VOCO’s proven nano-hybrid and ORMOCER

 (ORganic MOdified CERamic) technologies. 

More from VOCO: Easy-to-use VOCO materials allow for natural-looking esthetics

	Nano-hybrid technology reportedly was first introduced to the dental industry in 2003 when VOCO successfully launched 

, said to be the world’s first nano-hybrid composite. ORMOCER technology, developed by the 

German-based Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC

, reportedly has been embraced and implemented by many other industries with much success for its beneficial optical properties, scratch resistance, antistatic and antimicrobial behaviors.  hese benefits have created new levels of quality for industries utilizing medical technologies, electronics, optics, sensors and surface refinements. Today, VOCO has brought these two successful technologies together as a nano-ORMOCER in Admira Fusion designed to create new levels of quality within the dental industry.

	As a nano-ORMOCER, Admira Fusion’s chemical base is formed by silicon oxide, making up both the glass fillers as well as the ceramic resin matrix, reportedly a first of its kind. This unique pure silicate technology is said to offer several remarkable advantages that include up to 50 percent lower polymerization shrinkage (1.25 percent by volume) than today’s conventional composites, as well as up to 50 percent lower shrinkage stress. Further physical properties enhanced by VOCO’s nano-ORMOCER technology are said to include extremely high color stability, elevated esthetics in translucency and opacity that allow it to adapt and blend well to surrounding tooth structure and high surface hardness and edge strength.

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	The ORMOCERs used in the manufacturing of Admira Fusion reportedly make it highly biocompatible, as it contains none of today’s classic monomers (BisGMA [BPA], TEGDMA, UDMA, etc).The light-curing, radiopaque Admira

 Fusion has an 84 percent (by weight) inorganic filler content said to give it excellent wear resistance. When combined with Admira

 Fusion’s particularly high color stability, it is said to allow for universal use, meeting the highest demands in both the anterior and posterior regions. This very homogeneous material reportedly offers outstanding non-sticky handling and is compatible with all conventional bonding materials.

	Further value is said to be realized with VOCO’s ISO-pak packaging of Admira Fusion capsules that offers airtight, individually sealed foils to maximize infection and humidity control. Available in 18 VITA shades in unit-dose capsules and syringes, Admira

 technology truly represents the next generation in the world of universal direct restorative materials. 

Related reading: How to complete a direct restoration with VOCO's Futurabond U [VIDEO]

In the modern world of cosmetic and restorative dentistry, the all-ceramic crown restoration is said to be considered the pinnacle of quality as an indirect restoration for strength, esthetics and longevity.

VOCO introduces Admira® Fusion biocompatible nano-ORMOCER® direct universal restorative

	Elevate Oral Care recently introduced Allday

	The patent-pending, extended-release formula reportedly holds 25 percent more moisture than 

 reportedly is alcohol-free and does not contain any artificial sweeteners. It is designed to soothe oral tissue and help keep the mouth healthy. Allday Spray has a proprietary mild mint taste that is designed for dry mouth patients.

Elevate Oral Care recently introduced Allday™ Dry Mouth Spray.

Elevate Oral Care introduces Allday™ Dry Mouth Spray

	Elevate Oral Care recently introduced 12 mL bottles of FluoriMax, the only 2.5 percent NaF varnish available in the United States.

	Its patented technology is said to provide better fluoride uptake than 

	Dental professionals reportedly will appreciate the excellent flow characteristics that give 

 the ability to reach beyond the bristles to hard to reach surfaces. Patients are said to appreciate the thin, non-tacky coating.

	FluoriMax is available in the original unit dose ampules or new economy-size bottles designed to give maximum flexibility in delivery method and dosage amount.

Hot read: How air-driven handpieces are catching up with their electric counterparts

Elevate Oral Care recently introduced 12 mL bottles of FluoriMax, the only 2.5 percent NaF varnish available in the United States.

FluoriMax now available in 12 mL bottles

	A Florida man was arrested recently after reportedly stealing $450 in teeth whitening strips and toothbrushes from his local CVS pharmacy and selling them to a pawn shop, according to a Sun Sentinel article.

	Ryan Bruner, 28, reportedly was talking on his cell phone while in the dental hygiene aisle. He allegedly removed a bag from his pocket and filled it with the products then exited the store where he got into a waiting vehicle, 

From 1 to 50: The top dental crimes in every state

	Bruner was being held by a neighboring town's police on unrelated charges, according to the Sun Sentinel. Charges for the dental theft include grand theft, dealing in stolen property and false ownership of pawned items.

	Bruner was identified after the Broward County Sheriff's Office viewed surveillance video from the store, the article said. No word on whether he flashed a pearly white smile for the camera.

A Florida man was arrested recently after reportedly stealing $450 in teeth whitening strips and toothbrushes from his local CVS pharmacy and selling them to a pawn shop, according to a Sun Sentinel article.

Dental crime: Thief steals whitening strips, toothbrushes, sells them to pawn shop

	A new study published in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials illustrated the possibility of 3D-printable teeth with antimicrobial properties, according to a recent New Scientist article.

the University of Groningen in the Netherlands

 embedded positively charged quaternary ammonium salts in dental resin polymers, which react with negatively charged bacteria, causing them to die, 

 said. The salts do not damage other cells.

More research: New study finds blueberries could reduce antibiotic use for treating gum disease

	The researchers then placed the test material in a 3D printer and hardened it with ultraviolet light on dental products such as teeth and braces, according to the article. They then exposed the material to both saliva and streptoccocus mutans, the bacterium that causes tooth decay. They discovered the material killed more than 99 percent of the bacteria, the article said. The control group, which did not include the new material, killed less than 1 percent.

	The testing period only lasted six days so further tests for longer periods of time are needed, according to the article. Researchers also want to examine how the material reacts with toothpaste and if the 3D-printed plastic is strong enough to function as a tooth. Currently, 3D printing produces dental products such as crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances.

A new study published in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials illustrated the possibility of 3D-printable teeth with antimicrobial properties, according to a recent New Scientist article.