Noah Levine

Top 5 New Dental Laboratory Materials for 2020

Articles

The top new dental laboratory material products of 2020 as chosen by the Dental Lab Products® editorial team.

Top 5 New Dental Lab Technology Products of 2020

The top new dental laboratory technology products of 2020 as chosen by the Dental Lab Products® editorial team.

On March 16, 2020 the American Dental Association issued its recommendation that dental practices across the country cease all elective and nonessential patient care due to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As these shutdowns hit practices, the lack of patients being treated meant a corresponding reduction in the number of cases being sent to dental labs.

The ranking of dental lab technicians in a report from Business Insider on the jobs at the greatest risk for contracting infectious diseases.1

of US dental offices were closed to all but emergency appointments for at least part of April, according to the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute. Although some labs followed suit, most reduced staff and pivoted to 3D printing personal protective equipment or finding other ways to help their local communities.2

dental jobs were lost during the month of April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This represented the hardest-hit segment of the health care sector of the economy, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.3 Many of these jobs did eventually return over the summer as practices reopened.

of dental labs with employees laid off or furloughed employees as a result of the pandemic, and although 

 of those employees were back to work by August, that leaves almost a fifth of that cohort of technicians out of work.4

of dental practices reported seeing 85% or less of their pre-COVID-19 patient volume during the week of November 2.5 This shows that while the industry is recovering, most practices remain far from returning to normal.

Kiersz A, Gillett R, Hoff M. 47 jobs that will always be bad for your health, and how much they pay. Business Insider. July 14, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020 

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-unhealthy-jobs-in-america-2017-4

COVID-19: economic impact on dental practices, week of April 20 results. Health Policy Institute. Accessed November 11, 2020 

https://surveys.ada.org/reports/RC/public/YWRhc3VydmV5cy01ZTlkYjFlMTRlZDkxOTAwMTU4NTU4ZmItVVJfNWlJWDFFU01IdmNDUlVO

The employment situation—April 2020. News release. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 8, 2020. 

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_05082020.pdf

Fessel Carr, K. Strategic recovery: uncertainty, solidarity continue. 

. September 16, 2020. Accessed November 23, 2020. 

https://lmtmag.com/articles/strategic-recovery-uncertainty-solidarity-continue

COVID-19: economic impact on dental practices, week of November 2 results. Health Policy Institute. Accessed November 11, 2020. 

https://surveys.ada.org/reports/RC/public/YWRhc3VydmV5cy01ZmEyYzBjMmNhZThkNzAwMGViZTExNTMtVVJfM3BaeGhzWm12TnNMdjB4

This year brought more than its share of surprises to the dental industry, and as dental practices shut down and saw fewer patients, dental labs experienced a drop in business, as well.

DLP 2020 By the Numbers

Information provided by Axsys Dental Solutions

Versamill 5X450 precision dental machining center

Axsys Dental Solutions – 855-687 7941 

Dental labs and milling centers of all sizes, and even dental clinics with open-architecture chairside CAD systems.

All the time, because this durable mill is designed for reliable high-precision production.

Versatile and open source, the Versamill 5X450 provides 5-axis machining of crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, copings, models, abutments, bars, dentures, and more from almost dental milling material, including wax, zirconia, acrylic, composites, glass ceramics, and titanium. Capable of producing complex geometries including undercuts, the machine is engineered for accuracy and fast production, and produces optimal surfaces. It is also designed for ideal stability, which improves milling quality and can extend the life span of the tools used in the system.

A powerful 1.28-kW spindle with integrated coolant delivery ensures fast and accurate production while the machine’s heavy-gauge cast aluminum-alloy frame keeps the system stable and absorbs vibrations while machining, further enhancing precision and speed. It is designed with precision ball screws with anti-backlash ball nuts, linear guides, and servo drives to assure accurate positioning within the mill. These features eliminate the need for frequent calibration. Quick-change blank holders allow the mill to quickly switch from machining material discs to blocks and abutment blanks.

This durable mill from Axsys Dental Solutions delivers reliable high-precision production well suited for labs and milling centers of all sizes.

5Ws* Versamill 5X450

Top 5 Editor's Choice Products of 2020

The editors of Dental Products Report share another look at 5 of the most innovative products launched in the past year.

On March 16, 2020, the American Dental Association (ADA) issued its recommendation that dental practices across the country cease all elective and nonessential patient care due to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This was followed by recommendations and shutdown orders from state dental authorities across the country.

are the rankings of hygienists, general dentists, dental lab technicians, dental assistants, and prosthodontists, respectively, in a report from 

 on the jobs at greatest risk for contracting infectious diseases.

of dental offices in the United States were closed to all but emergency
appointments for at least part of April, according to the ADA’s Health Policy Institute.

dental jobs were lost during April due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This represented the hardest-hit segment of the health care sector of the economy, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 Many of these jobs eventually returned during the summer as practices reopened.

of dentists contracted COVID-19 in the first 2 months after reopening their practices, according to a study published in the November issue of the 

Journal of the American Dental Association

 The study’s authors said this shows dental practices took the risks of COVID-19 seriously.

foreign manufacturers of KN95 masks were pulled from the United States Food and Drug Administration’s list of companies granted emergency use authorization due to failed tests showing the masks offered protection at levels often far below the 95% threshold for filtering out particles 0.3 µm or larger. These masks were removed from the list in May, several weeks after the testing was conducted.

 study said they implemented enhanced infection control procedures due to the pandemic.

 These measures likely helped protect both clinicians and patients throughout the rest of the year.

of practices reported seeing 85% or less of their pre–COVID-19 patient volume during the week of November 2.

 This shows that although the industry is recovering, most practices are still not back to normal.

new dental products appeared in the pages of 

® during 2020. This is a drop from the number of new products in 2019, but it shows innovation in dentistry continues, even as the industry faces adversity.

Kiersz A, Gillett R, Hoff M. 47 jobs that will always be bad for your health, and how much they pay. Business Insider. July 14, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020, 

2. COVID-19: economic impact on dental practices, week of April 20 results. Health Policy Institute. Accessed November 11, 2020, 

https://surveys.ada.org/reports/RC/public/YWRhc3VydmV5cy01ZTlkYjFlMTRlZDkxOTAwM

3. The employment situation—April 2020. News release. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 8, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020, 

4. Estrich CG, Mikkelsen M; Morrissey R, et al. Estimating COVID-19 prevalence and infection control practices among US dentists.

. 2020:151(11):815-824. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2020.09.005

5. Nicas J, Kaplan S. F.D.A. bans faulty masks, 3 weeks after failed tests. 

. May 7, 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020, 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/health/masks-banned-n95-coronavirus.html

6. COVID-19: economic impact on dental practices, week of November 2 results. Health Policy Institute. Accessed November 11, 2020, 

The dental industry was hit by multiple surprises in 2020. This numerical look back highlights their impact.

2020 By The Numbers

8 Times Artists Created Works Featuring Teeth

Smiles feature prominently in plenty of artwork, but sometimes artists go beyond the grin and make teeth the focus of their work in novel ways.

Digital x-ray sensors are constantly in use, moved between operatories, and in and out of patients’ mouths, providing ample opportunities for them to break

Sensor warranties often provide limited coverage when sensors are damaged during regular use, leaving practices with the expense of purchasing a brand new replacement sensor.

In 2011, Sodium Dental invented and made available to dentists the ability to have any model of sensor repaired

Sensor repair requests start with a simple form, and sensors can be sent in for free estimates

Sodium Dental repairs sensors using custom manufactured components to replace failed parts, which can actually improve the sensor’s durability

Sodium Dental offers a 70% repair success rate, and customers only pay for successful repairs

The post-repair quality control process includes capturing 18 x-rays with the sensor and reviewing the images for quality and consistency

The average repair turnaround is just 4 days

Sodium Dental follows up on all repairs to ensure ongoing success and offers ongoing unlimited warranty options

When digital intraoral sensors break and product warranties don’t cover the damage, Sodium Dental sensor repair services can get them working again.

Solve My Problem: Repair Service Reduces the Need for Digital Sensor Replacement

There is only so much that can be done while a dental patient is in the operatory. A patient’s dental health and success of treatment often rely on a home care routine and adherence to follow-up instructions.

Enforcing this remains a challenge, and making sure the patient is using the right home care products is often difficult. Some practices keep an inventory of these products to sell (or sometimes give) to patients, but this model is not a fit for every practice, either due to a lack of inventory space, reluctance to sell products from the practice, or other reasons.

In response to such issues, Colgate recently launched Colgate Professional Direct (CPD), an online resource for clinicians and patients. The service allows dental professionals to recommend Colgate products to patients. The patients are notified of the recommendation by email and text, and may purchase the product from the CPD website at a discount. The practice then collects 10% of that sales price.

“It’s super-convenient for both professionals and patients,” says Colgate Professional Direct Brand Manager Flávia Palone Aldarvis Bacarin. “Our goal was to expand and really become the No. 1 partner of professionals to recommend oral care products.”

The CPD site was created based on research Colgate conducted with dental professionals. The research identified key issues related to product recommendations, including lack of accountability from patients, the challenges of selling products from a practice, and the difficulty some patients experience in finding recommended products in a store, Bacarin says.

Every part of the new service was designed for convenience, Bacarin says. The site features simple navigation. Clinicians, including dentists, hygienists and dental assistants, may set up a free account and begin sending recommendations to patients in minutes. Practices may choose how they want to receive the sales commissions, and if the dental professional doesn’t want to receive the commission in their bank account, Colgate will direct the funds to Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures program, Bacarin adds.

Helping improve communication regarding product recommendations is another goal of the site. The site includes information that can help improve patient understanding of how home care products work and why they are important. Additionally, the CPD site tracks when patients purchase a recommended product through a clinician dashboard.

“Home care products are super-important as part of the patient’s treatment,” Bacarin says. “It’s very important as a complement to the professional in-office treatment. It’s proven that good oral care not only helps to avoid oral health problems, but also prevents systemic problems. This is also a good way for (professionals) to make sure the patient gets what they recommend.”

Patients have responded positively to the CPD service, Bacarin says. When they receive a recommendation, clicking through to the website automatically places the recommended product in their shopping cart with the discount applied. Bacarin says the discounts average 20%, and although anyone may access the site to browse and even to purchase products directly from Colgate, the discounts are only available through a recommendation from a dental professional.

“If a patient wants (to) go to our site, they can buy anything they want, but they will pay the full price,” Bacarin says. “The discounted price is just through the professional recommendation.”

Purchases made through the site are shipped directly to patients, which makes it even more convenient for patients to follow clinical recommendations. According to Bacarin, feedback from early adopters shows that patients like this convenience because it saves them time shopping for the products. Combined with the discounts, she says, that is a big advantage.

The site currently features most Colgate products available through direct-to-consumer sales. Bacarin says Colgate is working to make prescription-strength home care products available through the site as well.

Bacarin adds that current offerings are likely just the beginning, with Colgate listening to feedback from site users. The site allows one discounted purchase and one commission based on a recommendation, but users are asking for standing recommendations for products patients likely will need to order more than once. Bacarin says Colgate is working to allow recommendations that will not expire, which will expand patient access to discounted products and commission opportunities for the practices recommending the products.

“We are looking for feedback from early adopters to make improvements in the platform,” Bacarin says.

Dental professionals interested in recommending products via the CPD website may register at 

Colgate Professional Direct is a new online service that allows clinicians to recommend dental products to patients, who receive discounts.