A 20-year veteran dental hygienist and founder, Melissa K. Turner is a sought-after fractional executive, consultant, dynamic speaker and top millennial content creator. Behind some of the most innovative brands in the industry, she partners with companies of all sizes – from pre-seed startups to billion-dollar international brands – on brand strategy and product growth. Turner’s combined experience behind the scenes in the boardroom, on the frontlines as clinician, and as a public-facing influencer allows her unique insight into future industry trends. She is the founder and founding board member of multiple companies and is referred to as a “fresh force of change”– representing a new generation in dentistry with a focus on transforming the future through innovative technology, inclusion and practitioner wellbeing.

A fractional executive for Cellerant Consulting Group and DSO Tech Solutions, Turner leads the Cellerant Best of Class Hygiene Awards. She is a founding board member for the American Mobile & Teledentistry Alliance and cofounder of The Denobi Awards and the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference. Affectionately known by her influencer handle @thetoothgirl, she is creator of the I Heart Dentistry Network.

Turner’s newest launches include Smile Proud, an advocacy organization built to support current and future LGBTQIA+ dental professionals, as well as I,Woman, a podcast for women founders, executives and entrepreneurs focusing on what it takes to unleash their inner roar in the boardroom, the bedroom and beyond. Turner can be reached at 

Melissa Turner, BASDH, RDHEP, EFDA, Chief Hygiene Officer Cellerant Consulting Group

Featuring a laser light to guide intraoral x-ray positioning, LunaLite is designed to make dental x-rays more accurate and efficient. | Credit: © LunaLite

With the recent spike of innovation in dentistry, clinical dental professionals can now practice more efficiently and effectively as we help our patients continue on the road to oral health. In my role as brand consultant with dental product, service and technology companies, I work behind the scenes with innovative companies who are shaping the future of the industry and am privileged to see behind the curtain with what is coming down the line.

Since the pandemic, we've begun to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) can help in the diagnosing of pathologies present on radiographs. The great news is AI isn’t the only innovation happening in the dental radiography space! For the last several years Suzanne Cano, dental assistant, CEO and Founder of LunaLite Dental, worked tirelessly to design, patent and build a device that will help us take the guesswork out of taking radiographs. It was my pleasure to sit down with Suzanne to learn more about the why behind LunaLite.

It’s great to sit down with you today, Suzanne. When we first met and you pitched the idea of LunaLite to me, I was blown away. Can you tell us more about the device?

 LunaLite was literally born from a dream! The story goes like this: I dreamt I was drawing a device and, no lie, I actually woke up drawing it. The dream had such an energy behind it that I felt I had to execute on it immediately. I realized I needed to learn more about development, so I bought a $40 Arduino kit and started educating myself about sensors. From there, I began to design a prototype, moved on to a CAD drawing, and then was super excited when I was finally able to hold and test the very first LunaLite product. That process of initial design to creation took many months to carry out and I am proud to have that officially behind me.

 I believe it! In my 20 years in dentistry, I’ve used various manual x-ray holders and the bisecting technique, but the problem is taking x-rays still relies on guesswork and estimation–along with a compliant patient. How does LunaLite help with all of this?

 LunaLite is user-friendly, designed to fit around any x-ray cone head, ultimately saves dental practices time and money (and saves the clinician stress). The device automates accurate angles and is simple to use–all you need to do is attach LunaLite to the x-ray head, make sure the patient is positioned properly in the chair, line up the laser light, and take the shot. Using LunaLite eliminates the need for XCPs which are cumbersome, need to be assembled and autoclaved, and often get lost or warped. For clinicians who rely on the bisecting technique, the LunaLite device takes the guesswork out of opening the contacts and positioning.

 To me, this is a game changer as we take countless x-rays each day. If we’re being real, how many of those x-rays are perfect? We regularly have to deal with closed contacts, cone cuts, and patients who move. Outside of the recent innovation with AI for radiographs, there’s been very little innovation happening in dental radiology, so kudos to you for seeing a need and using your clinical expertise to help make our lives easier in the op. Moving on, it’s time for a #nofilter question: How hard – or easy – has it been to be a medical device inventor? I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not always butterflies and roses?

: Inventing is such an amazing journey and not an easy path – with trials and tribulations along the way. As a minority woman inventor and business owner, I’ve realized strength comes with focusing on being in the moment and learning to enjoy each step in the designing and development process. One of the best things entrepreneurs can do is to form strategic partnerships with other industry leaders in the community and then form benchmarks and objective goals, constantly reevaluating results and needs. When I first began this journey, I worked with 2 independent companies to help develop the product who, unfortunately, did not deliver. How I wish I would have known ahead of time to form benchmarks and goals and to speak up. Also, it’s important that you continue to have faith and believe in yourself as innovation can be lonely in that not everyone will understand what you are doing – but surely they will understand after it’s successful. Your faith and belief in yourself will guide you through.

 So true. I’m privileged to work internally with startups and new product launches and can tell you that innovation isn’t for everyone. What are the things that you rely on each day to advance as a business owner?

 The biggest thing is to know your weaknesses and delegate out those tasks you know fall under your weaknesses. I’m currently working with Cellerant Consulting to help grow awareness of how LunaLite can create positive change in the workday. I’ve found the networking at trade shows to be invaluable, social media to be very helpful, and that a good website can take you far. I also have partnerships with universities and schools to help the next generation of clinicians understand the need for better and more accurate x-rays.

: I’ll second that. Going from clinician to business owner is not an easy task. I know you’ve also come from a sales background, so what led you to pursue your own business?

 Going from working clinically as a dental assistant to medical device sales was pivotal for me and subsequently led me to where I am today. Sales cultivates the way you think about business and helps you learn the psychology, patterns and behavior of how people make buying decisions. For dentists and doctors specifically, I’ve found it crucial to cultivate relationships with them prior to selling as good sales reps will know their audience very well. Sales has always been in my blood and now I’m excited to be able to sell my own products – products that I’m even more passionate about.

Passion is a huge driver in today’s industry, and I’m always a sucker for a good founder story. Pulling all of this together, where do you think dentistry is headed in regard to dental innovation?

Good question! In answer to your question, I need to give a shout out to the other x-ray innovators who are revolutionizing the industry with artificial intelligence. Since the FDA recently began approving AI programs to help read radiographs, I think now clinicians realize the lack of innovation in this particular niche and in the art of taking x-rays. I’m excited for clinicians to be able to use AI to help educate their patients and diagnose and treat disease; however, AI is only as good as the x-ray itself. What if we could take more accurate radiographs and do so on the first try? Our patients deserve a more efficient appointment with the latest technology so we can together achieve better health outcomes. It’s my honor to help make that happen with LunaLite. If you would like to learn more, you can visit the website at 

Additionally, we’re happy to provide a special discount to 

Articles

See how one entrepreneurial clinician decided to improve the art of taking dental x-rays.

LunaLite Designed to Eliminate X-ray Retakes

Are you struggling to find staff? Take it from me, one bright-eyed millennial who’s held positions in many dental practices across the country: you’re probably doing it all wrong. At a time when the pandemic shifted our ecosystem and quality team members —or even warm bodies—are very difficult to find, it’s more important than ever to understand that the methods you use to fill vacancies on your team can quite literally make or break your business.

How do you ensure the team members you’re interviewing are quality, committed, and will build trusting relationships with your patients? How do you know they will stick around long enough to make the hire worthwhile? Can you accurately predict how the addition of new team members will affect the group dynamic?

know for sure how 1 person will affect the team or your bottom line, but what you 

do is set yourself up for success by building an environment that plays to your team’s strengths, and emphasizes culture, transparency, and systems and processes.

It's easy to thank COVID-19 for the staffing changes and shortages dentistry is experiencing, but the truth is dentistry was already in line to experience several other significant shifts. Most notably, a generational shift now places transparency, convenience, and flexibility as high priorities for both our patients and team members. A change in practice ownership has been predicted for quite some time due to an increase in women graduating from dental school as well as increasing DSO, corporate, and private equity ownership. Lastly, innovations in technology have taken dentistry to new frontiers with virtual care, mobile delivery, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and more!

As business owners, we face risk in every decision we make, especially during periods of industry-wide change. Regarding sustainable dental practices, we now understand that it is the dental organizations embracing these industry-wide paradigm shifts who will find the most success in attracting—and retaining—quality team members.

Throughout my own career, I’ve worked clinically for many dental practices throughout the country, and I’ve also had the privilege of working with dental practices to improve their search for their next team member. With the current paradigm shift taking place, we must adapt our methods of finding and retaining staff. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

. Gone are the days of listing one cookie-cutter post on social media or—let’s face it—Indeed.com. As with many things in a mobile society, you must 

 the team members are. While the majority of younger generations prefer virtual networking, you will still find a select group of them who understand the value of in-person networking. Find out where these dental professionals are spending time and plan accordingly. Perhaps this means regularly purchasing an exhibitor booth at your local dental conference or spending time giving back at the local volunteer community event. Wherever you go in your community, use those opportunities as potential recruitment tools for both immediate and future needs. The bottom line? Always be searching for your next team member, whether or not the position is available.

When it comes to social media, you don’t always get what you pay for. In fact, with a few strategic moves your staffing needs can land right where you want them. First, narrow down where you will be advertising your vacancy. My advice? Use it all—find several reputable social media groups and use your practice’s social media accounts to spread the word. Next, focus on your messaging. Grab a great informal photo of your team, a catchy heading, and a few team member reviews, and have your team get to work posting, pushing, sharing, tagging, and reposting.

 In a world where you have 2-4 seconds to catch someone’s eye, a single photo of your team can make more impact than a hundred catchy titles. Why use words when you can cut straight to the point and do so in under 2 seconds? Schedule a fun outing with your team, hire a professional photographer who understands the message, vibe, and company culture you wish to portray… and go make it happen! When you’re forming your social media strategy, remember it isn’t just patients who you are targeting—it is future team members as well. You may be surprised how much of a positive reputation you can build among dental professionals with just a few strategic posts.

Lastly, you don’t have to carry the burden of finding staff on your own. There are reputable nationwide, real-time staffing platforms that will help you carry the burden of finding permanent and temporary staff.

In a time where industry-wide paradigm shifts are taking place and staffing shortages have the potential to decrease your bottom line, it’s time to prioritize new staffing strategies. These strategies will help you set your practice up for success by building an environment that plays to your team’s strengths, and emphasizes culture, transparency, and systems and processes.

It is more important than ever to understand that the methods you use to fill vacancies on your team can make or break your business.

Staffing Problems? Here are 3 tips and tricks to help you find quality team members

Just as technology has changed the clinical practice of dentistry, the day-to-day minutiae of running a dental practice have evolved as well. (Mostly) Gone are the days of rifling through paper charts and files, sending appointment reminder postcards, and having patients fill out printed forms.

Those tasks have been replaced with efficient computers and cloud-based systems that can pull up a patient's chart with the click of a button, automatically send patients a reminder text message for their upcoming appointments, and allow patients to fill out forms electronically. 

Not only are these technologies more efficient for the front office staff, but these conveniences have become something patients expect, just like they've come to expect first-class technology in the operatory. And just as the case with clinical technology, not offering these options for your patients may come at the practice's expense.

We're giving these outdated systems the chance to shine 1 last time, the final bow before the curtains close. Then we'll turn our attention to the practice management technologies that replaced them and, in the process, have moved dentistry forward.

Did You Get My Fax?

Computer Storage is Better in the Cloud

We Went Online With Referrals After 20 Years of Paper

Server-Based to Cloud-Based Software

The Practice Management Products We've Left Behind (And What's Replaced Them)

Computers and cloud-based systems have replaced many front office tasks, making dental practices more efficient and convenient for patients.