Each year, a select panel of dental technology experts gather to discuss the state of dental technology and debate which products deserve to be recognized as the best.

The panel consists of the editors of leading dental publications and recognized speakers and experts in the many areas of technology in dentistry.

Instead of trying to determine which products are the tops of their individual categories, this panel seeks to identify the products that are breaking new ground and expanding the possibilities within the world of dentistry. There is no minimum nor maximum number of awards to hand out, but after a lengthy dialogue, the products with the biggest potential to enhance both dental patient care and dental practice operations are named recipients of the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Award.

AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master

Amplify

ChairsideCAD

CS 9600

DentalMonitoring / ScanBox pro

DTX Studio™ Suite

Excelsior

EyeSpecial

FirstPlug®

i700

Infinix™

MiniBio Auto Reader

Nova

Pro S

RE-GEN™ Universal Adhesive

Remote Monitoring / The Grin Scope®

Second Opinion

TRIOS 4

YAPI

YOMI®

The Panel

2022 Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards

Articles

Presenting the Dental Product Innovations Named Winners of the 2022 Cellerant Best of Class Technology Award.

The Standout Dental Technologies Of 2022

Warming composite to assist clinicians in seating restorations, placing, and manipulating composites has been in regular use since the 1980s.

 AdDent, Inc, has a long history in developing warming technology to improve clinical outcomes and provide a predictable way of effortlessly placing composite restorations.

As composite resin technology has improved with increased strength, higher filler content, lower volumetric shrinkage, and better polishability, composite handling has become more challenging. The improvements made in composite resin technology have produced products that are far stiffer than previous generations, which has created a conundrum for clinicians.

Should they continue to use inferior, older technology with easier handling or move to a new composite with dramatically improved characteristics but with significant challenges when placing the restoration because of significantly higher stiffness? Fortunately, the answer does not have to be either one or the other. Clinicians can incorporate composite warming technology and pair that with a modern, nano-filled composite of their choice, which will dramatically lower the viscosity of the composite with higher filler loading, making it easy to place and manipulate.

Composite warming was first discussed in literature in the early 1980s.

 These articles discuss the physical properties and changes that occurred with warming composites. From these articles, many clinical techniques were developed using the concept of warming composite.

 Warmed composites have an increase in kinetic energy and great movement compared with room-temperature composites. This phenomenon leads to heated composites experiencing greater monomer conversion and increased depth of cure.

Examination of margin adaptation has demonstrated that heated composites lead to better marginal adaptation than those restorations placed at room temperature.

 Muñoz et al demonstrated that both hybrid and nanohybrids had significantly increased surface hardness and depth of cure when 

 Heated composites provide several advantages to clinicians and have the potential to dramatically improve clinical outcomes.

Indication and Uses of Compex HD Composite Warming Technology

Warming conventional composites for all anterior and posterior direct restorations

Warming flowable composites for use as a liner in various situations

Warming flowable and conventional composites for injection molding techniques

Warming composite resin to be used as a resin cement when placing indirect restorations

Traditional Composite Warming Technology Compared With Compex HD


AdDent has a long history of producing composite warming technology, with many substantial improvements over the past several decades, including the Calset Composite Warmer (

). Traditionally, all composite warmers were stand-alone technologies that utilized a warming device to heat composites to 155 °F. These systems heated composite by warming a traditional composite gun preloaded with the selected composite. Although quite effective, once the gun leaves the warming device, the composite begins to lose heat immediately.

Between each incremental layer of composite, the gun should be returned to the warmer to maintain its temperature at 155 °F. This problem has been eliminated with the creation of AdDent’s Compex HD composite warming gun (

). This wireless, rechargeable composite gun warms composite in 1 to 2 minutes and can dispense approximately 100 compules before the unit needs to be recharged. The unit is extremely lightweight and possesses an ergonomic design, making composite placement easy and efficient.

In a recent evaluation of Compex HD with Catapult Education, Compex HD was evaluated by 8 clinical evaluators, 7 of which had extensive experience with composite warming technology and techniques. A total of 100 patients were treated using the Compex HD, with more than 150 restorations being placed. All evaluators (100%) said they would use the Compex HD composite warming device in all restorative and composite procedures, 87% were “very satisfied” with the performance and construction of the warmer, and the remaining 13% were “satisfied” with its performance and construction. The evaluators felt the Compex HD greatly assisted in the placement of composite, making the material far easier to manipulate. AdDent’s Compex HD was awarded the Catapult Education Vote of Confidence, which is a demarcation reserved for only those products that receive overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback.

This 24-year-old patient presented with fractured incisal edges of #8 and #9, which occurred during a traumatic accident as an adolescent (

). His desire was to have the incisal edges of his front teeth restored as conservatively as possible without sacrificing an esthetic outcome. With this in mind, the decision was made to utilize a diagnostic wax-up and corresponding incisal edge putty matrix to aid in the placement of Class VI composite resin restorations (

Prior to anesthesia and tooth preparation, the putty matrix was tried in to confirm proper seating and fit, and composite shades were selected. Teeth #8 and #9 were prepared using a pointed diamond bur, establishing an irregular bevel along the incisal ¹/3 of each incisor (

). A Mylar strip was placed in the putty between #8 and #9 to prevent bonding the teeth together. Using the Compex HD, the lingual incisal portion of the putty was loaded with A1 composite (Mosaic; Ultradent Products, Inc) and placed under an orange protective shield. The incisal edges of both incisors were etched with 37% phosphoric acid (Ultra-Etch; Ultradent Products, Inc) (

A bonding agent was applied to all etched surfaces and cured with a LED curing light (

). The preloaded putty matrix was carried to the mouth and placed to deliver the lingual portion of the composite to the prepared teeth. Excess material was cleared from the facial aspect of the restorations to provide room for the enamel veneering composite (

). This lingual layer of composite was cured using an LED curing light. The lingual matrix was removed, leaving the Mylar strip in place between #8 and #9.

Using the Compex HD, Enamel Neutral composite (Mosaic; Ultradent Products, Inc) was placed on the facial aspect of #8 and #9 (

). The composite was quickly manipulated into place using a composite placement instrument (

). The restorations were then finished using interproximal finishing strips (

) and polished using the A.S.A.P. polishing system (Clinician’s Choice Dental Products, Inc). The completed restorations (

) created a beautiful result and were made simple to place by using the Compex HD by AdDent.

1.Lopes LCP, Terada RSS, Tsuzuki FM, Giannini M, Hirata R. Heating and preheating of dental restorative materials-a systematic review. 

. 2020;24(12):4225-4235. doi:10.1007/s00784-020-03637-2

2.Bausch JR, de Lange C, Davidson CL. The influence of temperature on some physical properties of dental composites.

. 1981;8(4):309-317. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2842.1981.tb00505.x

3.Daronch M, Rueggeberg FA, De Goes MF, Giudici R. Polymerization kinetics of pre-heated composite. 

 2006;85(1):38-43. doi:10.1177/154405910608500106

4.Trujillo M, Newman SM, Stansbury JW. Use of near-IR to monitor the influence of external heating on dental composite photopolymerization. 

 2004;20(8):766-777. doi:10.1016/j.dental.2004.02.003

5.Wagner WC, Asku MN, Neme AM, Linger JB, Pink FE, Walker S. Effects of pre-heating resin composite on restoration microleakage. 

6.Muñoz CA, Bond PR, Sy-Muñoz J, Tan D, Peterson J. Effect of pre-heating on depth of cure and surface hardness of light-polymerized resin composites. 

7.Daronch M, Rueggeberg FA, Moss L, de Goes MF. Clinically relevant issues related to preheating composites. 

. 2006;18(6):340-351. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8240.2006.00046.x

Compex HD by AdDent, Inc, is awarded Catapult Education’s
Vote of Confidence after evaluators test it on 100 patients. 

The Next Generation in Composite Warming Technology

Information provided by Cavex Holland BV.

Cavex Cream Alginate, the newest Cavex alginate after Cavex ColorChange, Cavex Orthotrace, Cavex Impressional and Cavex CA37

Any dental practice that uses impression materials

For dental impressions that require high accuracy, like crown or bridgework.

Does a procedure require more accuracy? Cavex Cream is an optimal choice. Due to the combination of excellent elastic properties and extremely accurate 5-µm detail reproduction, equal to VPS materials, this alginate impression material is said to be unrivaled when it comes to precision.

Cavex has been at the forefront of the development of high-quality dental alginates since the 1950s. When developing Cavex Cream, the most important properties of a good alginate have been combined: high tensile strength and elasticity and the perfect viscosity. The name actually says it all: Cream. When mixed, the alginate powder is quickly absorbed by the water, after which an easy-to-mix, creamlike alginate mix is created that allows a perfect application on the impression tray. Because of the pleasant bubblegum smell and the controlled viscosity that prevents the alginate from running, an impression taken with Cavex Cream is also pleasant for the patient.

This premium alginate from Cavex Holland BV combines 5-μm accuracy, high tear strength, and excellent elasticity—unique properties for an alginate, challenging those of VPS materials.

5Ws* Cavex Cream Alginate

 fans will remember Bones and his tricorder, a device he could wave over a damaged site and repair it almost right before your eyes. Well, photobiomodulation (PBM) may not be as dramatic as the tricorder, but it does use light energy to repair damaged areas for a patient.

As dentists, we treat the oral cavity, and with the aid of PBM, we can make the patient heal faster and repair a damaged site like a tricorder.

PBM is used by certain professional sports teams, colleges, Olympic athletes, chiropractors, veterinarians, and dentists. PBM can be used in the dental profession to decrease pain, pretreat for orthodontics, treat erosive lichen planus, paresthesia, angular cheilitis, aphthous ulcers, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), and prevent infections—just to name a few.

 It is also used in postsurgical applications, endodontics, and periodontics. This article will go over some of the uses of PBM.

PBM is like photosynthesis in plants but is the use of certain wavelengths of light in the red and near-infrared spectrum (ideal range is 660-980 nm). PBM causes intracellular photochemical changes that lead to a cascade of downstream intracellular, extracellular, and physiological changes.

 The mitochondria (within the cell wall) are particularly receptive to this process. At the cellular level, visible red and near-infrared light energy are absorbed by mitochondria, which perform the function of producing cellular energy called adenosine triphosphate.

The key to this entire process is a mitochondrial enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase, which is a chromophore that accepts photonic energy of specific wavelengths when functioning.1 Cell physiologists have determined that optimal use of PBM is in the range of 4 to 6 J/cm2 of energy, although the therapeutic window appears to be significantly larger than that range.

 This allows the mitochondria to reenergize the cell. Lesser amounts have no effect, and greater amounts have been found to stimulate endorphins.

Each cell and everyone may react differently to energy, thus it is important to find what works for the patient so you can then continue to treat at that level. One study has shown that every person produces endorphins after surgical procedures—some produce more than others, some produce less than others. The interesting portion of this study is that narcotics inhibit our natural production of endorphins.

Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers, and they are released in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the response to pain or stress. Long-distance runners are notorious for pushing their bodies to release endorphins to run faster and go longer distances. The Federal Drug Administration recognizes the use of PBM only for pain management.

 This could include treatment for postoperative pain on surgical areas, TMDs, erosive lichen planus treatments for oral mucositis, and other areas that are associated with pain management (

One of the most dramatic cases I’ve treated with PBM to date centered on a patient who presented to my office with a numb tongue. She felt as though it was swollen, and she could not talk correctly. She went to numerous physicians, and none gave her any encouragement to regain feeling back in her tongue. One physician told the patient to carry an EpiPen and to use it if her tongue got extremely swollen. The patient had a biopsy done on the lingual of #29 several months ago. I decided to apply PBM on the dorsum and ventral side of the tongue.

After 1 treatment of PBM, the patient could feel a “tension being removed from her tongue.” She had a total of 5 treatments, recovered all feeling back in her tongue, and her speech was normal again.

A second example of a use of PBM is for patients who have a TMD. The patient will likely have pain in a specific site on the masseter. Treatment is to overstimulate the site with over 12 J of energy at the specific site that has the most pain. Next, treat acupuncture points around the ear, then treat the lymph nodes in the head and neck on each side of the face (submandibular and clavicular sites) with 6 J of energy. Treatment for TMD is not a 1-and-done, like most cases of PBM are. These treatments can take over 6 sessions that take place 4 to 5 days from one another.

We’ve only touched the surface of the number of uses for PBM. Some may consider this voodoo dentistry, but it does work, and there are numerous sources in literature and in-person education including the Academy of Laser Dentistry (laserdentistry.org). PBM is a game changer, as it is easy to do and can easily help change your patient’s health.

1. Dompe C, Moncrieff L, Matys J, et al. Photobiomodulation-underlying mechanism and clinical applications. 

2. Hoisang S, Kampa N, Seesupa S, Jitpean S. Assessment of wound area reduction on chronic wounds in dogs with photobiomodulation therapy: a randomized controlled clinical trial. 

 2021;14(8):2251-2259. doi:10.14202/vetworld.2021.2251-2259

3. Hosseinpour S, Tunér J, Fekrazad R. Photobiomodulation in oral surgery: a review. 

 2019;37(12):814-825. doi:10.1089/photob.2019.4712

4. Azeemi STY, Rafiq HM, Ismail I, Kazmi SR, Azeemi A. The mechanistic basis of chromotherapy: current knowledge and future perspectives. 

. 2019;46:217-222. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.025

5. Tripodi N, Corcoran D, Antonello P., et al. The effects of photobiomodulation on human dermal fibroblasts in vitro: a systematic review. 

. 2021;214:112100. doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112100

6. Webb C, Dyson M. The effect of 880 nm low level laser energy on human fibroblast cell numbers: a possible role in hypertrophic wound healing. 

. 2003;70(1):39-44. doi:10.1016/s1011-1344(03)00053-8

7. Dyson M. Advances in wound healing physiology: the comparative perspective. 

 1997;8(4):227-233. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3164.1997.tb00268.x

8. Bronstein D, Przewlocki R, Akil H. Effects of morphine treatment on pro-opiomelanocortin systems in rat brain. 

 1990;519(1-2):102-111. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(90)90066-k

9. Cotler HB, Chow RT, Hamblin MR, Carroll J. The use of low level laser therapy (LLLT) for musculoskeletal pain. 

 2015;2(5):00068. doi:10.15406/mojor.2015.02.00068

10. Bardellini E, Amadori F, Conti G, Majorana A. Efficacy of the photobiomodulation therapy in the treatment of the burning mouth syndrome. 

 2019;24(6):e787-e791. doi:10.4317/medoral.23143

11. deOliveira MP. Buchaim D. Kawano N. Furlanette G. Pomini K. Buchaim R. Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) in peripheral nerve regeneration: a systematic review.

12. Chellappa D., Thirupathy M. Comparative efficacy of low level laser and TENS in the symptomatic relief of temporomandibular joint disorders: a randomized clinical trial. 

. 2020; 3(1):42-47. doi:10.4103/ijdr.IJDR_735_18

PBM can be a game changer in your practice. It is easy to perform and can easily help change your patient’s health.

Different Uses of Photobiomodulation in Your Practice

We now live in a world where data is king. A long time ago—1597, to be exact—Francis Bacon, in his 

, stated “knowledge is power,” and I can hardly think of a more profound statement. Today we are swimming in data, and there is no way the amount of data will not continue to increase.

Along those same lines, I firmly believe that “he who understands the numbers controls the world.” I say that for the simple fact that almost anything can be understood if there is a way to break it into numerical values.

The most successful companies are those that measure and comprehend the numbers of their business and industry. Most of these successful entities are managed by the numbers, because you simply cannot run a successful enterprise on a whim. What gets measured gets improved. Numbers provide a guide to the journey of a business, and you cannot reach a goal—even one that is easily attainable—if you have no way of measuring your progress.

This can be summed up nicely with a quote from Lewis Carroll’s famous work, 

, where Alice meets the Cheshire Cat at a fork in the road and asks him which way to go, noting she doesn’t care where she winds up:

Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.”

Cheshire Cat: “Oh, you’re sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.”

The funny part about that quote is most dentists I know are great walkers! We tend to sort of wing it when it comes to business decisions, then we get frustrated when things don’t work out like we hoped they would.

Having current, reliable data is the best way to make informed business decisions. Bigger companies employ people to crunch their numbers. However, most dental offices do not have the luxury of a metrics department. Our offices generate an incredible amount of data but lack the capacity to properly use that information.

What can a dental practice do to be able to properly run itself as a small business? The challenge is finding a way to optimize use of your practice data. That solution is called Jarvis Analytics.

Jarvis Analytics is an incredibly powerful tool to help unlock the power behind the numbers of your practice. It’s true that you must understand the numbers, but it is just as important to know which numbers are important to understand. One of the great things about Jarvis Analytics is it was designed by people who truly understand what needs to be measured in dentistry, both from the clinical and the operational perspective in the forms of key performance indicators.

Jarvis Analytics was originally designed for the demanding vertical of dental service organizations and as such, the system has a good handle on the important categories to measure and what to measure them against. This means your office, or small number of offices, can use the same type of measuring metrics that power the largest dental enterprises. With Jarvis Analytics for Private Practices, the team has essentially designed a simpler and incredibly effective system solely for use within private practices.

The system gives you access to all your practice data and includes 8 workflow-driven modules. These modules are the big categories that then allow you to move from the top down, deeper into the practice metrics, and they include workflows that build accountability. They consist of Calendar, Dashboard, End-of-Day Form, Front Office, Morning Huddle, Patient Portal, Practice Potential, and Treatment Miner. Each section covers big-picture aspects of your business and makes finding more detailed numbers and information easy, and the layout is well thought out.

Although all these modules are important to understanding your business, my personal favorite is the Morning Huddle, which is probably because I’m a huge fan of the morning meeting concept in general. A well-planned day generally goes much better than one that is not. Utilizing Jarvis Analytics as part of your daily morning huddle will keep you and your team well informed on the numbers for your practice that day.

I won’t list every bit of information the Morning Huddle module provides—that would take way too long. However, here is just a sample of what is provided: yesterday’s production gross, yesterday’s production net, yesterday’s collection total, yesterday’s collection net, production percentage, treatment acceptance percentage, today’s scheduled production, today’s scheduled production (total and per provider), hygiene unscheduled family members, and a whole lot more! As you can see, there is a ton of information you have access to. It also provides a section for yesterday, today, and tomorrow, which allows you to get a big-picture view of your immediate financials.

Another module that can help smaller practices is Front Office, which is designed to streamline the office manager’s responsibilities by highlighting important, real-time metrics. This module provides office staff with the ability to switch among 2-, 7- and 30-day views of everything from month-to-date financials broken down by business line, to daily tasks, and even measurements of the guest experience, and staff performance.

Jarvis Analytics connects to your practice management software of choice with more than a dozen software platform integrations, and it interfaces with your software to extract and sync data multiple times per day. This ensures the numbers you get are always current to help you make the best business and clinical and operational decisions. It is always analyzing the data, always measuring your key performance indicators, and always available to you through your browser on any device, even when you are on the move.

Keeping up with the changing landscape of clinical dentistry can be a daunting challenge. Trying to evaluate the tremendous amount of business data your practice generates is an even bigger challenge. The problem is that there is no way enough time exists to do both. Thanks to Jarvis Analytics, the number crunching and evaluation is done for you. It is delivered right to you in easy-to-understand formats. Jarvis Analytics is like your very own business analytics department that works 24/7 to provide you with critical business information. More importantly the workflow modules within Jarvis Analytics help you effectuate change. If you are looking for a way to take your business to the next level, Jarvis Analytics is ready to help.

After trying out the company's analytics software, here are the impressions for the Jarvis Analytics Test Drive conducted by John Flucke, DDS.

Test Drive: Software Simplifies the Business Side of Dentistry

When engineers at Bien-Air Dental set out to design the Nova handpiece, they started from scratch, without using a single component from previous iterations. They wanted to develop an electric contra-angle handpiece that every dentist would feel comfortable using, putting to rest any lingering concerns clinicians had about switching from air driven to electric.

Four years later, the team launched a lightweight, yet powerful and durable, electric handpiece that has the positive attributes of an air-driven tool, such as a small head size, giving dentists everything they need in a handpiece. To top it off, they did it using technologies that aren’t typically leveraged in the dental industry.

These technologies answered the opposing engineering requirements that made developing such a handpiece so challenging, leading to a tool that allows clinicians to work faster, providing the power they’re after without an increase in the size of the head or overall weight of the handpiece.

In fact, the Nova features what Daniel Call, Bien-Air director of sales, North America, describes as the smallest head for a 4-port water spray on the market that still supports a standard-length bur, which is a critical component of the design. The larger heads that electric handpieces are known for are bulky, making them awkward to maneuver and difficult to see beyond. Engineers knew they had to design a smaller head and a slim handle for better access and enhanced visibility without losing functionality in the process.

Looking beyond the dental industry for answers just made sense. Bien-Air manufactures handpieces in the heart of Switzerland’s Watch Valley, an area Call says is rich with some of the most prestigious technical colleges in the world, which is a benefit when it comes to product development. The companies that produce the machines Bien-Air uses to make its handpieces are also nearby, providing another source of technical inspiration.

“There’s a lot of new technology being researched and tested, and our company being embedded in this area gives our engineers access to a lot of different engineers from other industries,” Call says. “We’re an innovative, privately owned company, so we have the resources and focus needed to take on a project like implementing these technologies, [as well as] the visionaries to know how they might apply to our products.”

Here’s a look at those technologies, as well as others, and how they set the new Nova handpiece apart in the market.

Cylkro gears are common in many industries and are often found in helicopter avionics and high-end race cars, but Call says the Nova is the first in dentistry to take advantage of the technology. What’s the benefit? Double the service life of the gears. The specific geometry of the gear face minimizes the contact surface needed to transfer the maximum energy. This protects against friction, eliminating vibration. Separate from the gears, the monobloc handle is another design feature that reduces the vibration and sound level coming from the handpiece.

When you factor in the stainless-steel construction, the durable handpiece becomes more resistant to shock. The combined features essentially double its service life when compared with previous generations. It’s also more lightweight, making it ergonomic. Miniaturizing and machining the geometry of Cylkro gears into small scale—small enough to fit inside the smallest dental handpiece—requires technical aptitude only found in Switzerland.

Physical vapor deposition is deployed across various industries, including aerospace, to decrease temperature fatigue on metals. Dentistry is now among those industries, with the technology applied to the chuck inside the Nova handpiece.

“We fuse carbon that’s scratch and heat resistant and use it to coat the little mechanical pieces in our product that have to withstand high operating temperatures,” Call says. “This helps us insulate those tiny components from heat. Temperature fatigue is the culprit of normal wear and tear. This technology adds 30% to the life of the chuck.”

One of the biggest safety concerns posed by electric handpieces is patient burns, which is a problem when they’re not maintained properly and when the soft tissue is retracted during operation. The Nova addresses this issue via its CoolTouch+ technology. The chuck is protected by a ceramic insulated push button, so no heat is transferred and the handpiece never goes beyond human body temperature.

A second safety feature added to the Nova is a sterilizable antiretraction valve, which is another industry first. When the operator steps off the foot pedal, the water pressure in the lines decrease, leading to water being sucked into the lines and potentially transferred to the next patient, Call says.

“The valve is acting as a gate. Everything is still in the handpiece swirling around and the contaminants are attaching to the valve,” he says. “If you don’t sterilize the valve, and let’s say it’s in the motor or the tubing, you’re now swapping spit between patients. It’s important for the antiretraction valve to be sterilized, but they’re spring loaded, so we had to engineer and develop something rugged and sturdy enough to withstand autoclaving.”

Electric handpieces in general also produce approximately 40% fewer aerosol spray patterns than air-driven handpieces, Call says, which is an even more important safety consideration for dentists since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project manager who headed up the Nova design team was trained as a watch mechanic and completed a residency with one of the companies that produce the CAD/CAM machines that build Bien-Air handpieces. He was able to bring insights from another industry and see firsthand the new performance and capabilities the machine offered, as well as how he could apply it to design a new electric handpiece that’s different from anything else on the market.

“We were able to build Nova from the ground up, and that’s because we have these new machines with new capabilities,” Call says. “They can drill more dense material, [such as] stainless steel, so the handpieces are more lightweight and can more precisely reduce the number of components in the handpiece to reduce the noise level and vibration tolerances we want. We could completely rethink and redesign everything.”

The Nova electric handpiece has achieved a long list of firsts, borrowing technologies from other industries to deliver a product that truly meets dentists’ needs. Along with a slim neck and lightweight stainless steel, it features the smallest head for 4-port water spray while still supporting a full-length bur. It offers safety features, including the sterilizable antiretraction valve, that other handpieces don’t, as well as technologies that keep components cool to reduce temperature fatigue and that eliminate the risk of third-degree burns for patients.

The ergonomic handpiece is also designed to reduce noise and vibration, leading to a more pleasant experience for clinicians and patients. The Nova design team thought outside the dental box to address the concerns clinicians have about electric handpieces, giving them access to a tool that has the power they want but with a smaller head size.

“If you’re an air-driven user switching to the Nova, it’s going to completely change [how] you approach dentistry,” Call says. “It’s going to improve the patient experience. It’s going to improve your quality of life, and it’s going to decrease your frustration and the noise in your office. If you’re an electric user switching to Nova, you’re going to notice much better performance with less vibration, more power, less noise, and a small enough head to accomplish any procedure without any limitations of access.”

The new Nova handpiece from Bien-Air leverages technologies from outside the dental industry to help address the challenges associated with electric handpieces.

Designing a Handpiece to Eliminate Old Challenges

The Best Intraoral Accuracy: Intraoral Scanner Product Roundup.

A product roundup of some of the best intraoral scanners on the dental market today. 

The Best Intraoral Accuracy: Intraoral Scanner Product Roundup

Dental technology has made great strides over the years. As times goes by and technology changes, we can benefit by looking back on how far we’ve come in the dental industry. From braces to artificial intelligence, dental technology has made many advancements over the past 200 years.

Invented by French dentist Christophe-Francois Delabarre, this rudimentary form of modern braces set the groundwork for what is arguably the most important orthodontic innovation.

 Delabarre’s invention was a woven crib of wire fitted over the upper and lower rows of teeth. These early braces would adjust the teeth over time.

Although the dental amalgam was first used in China in 600 AD, it wasn’t refined and popularized until 1830. Early amalgam consisted of metals like mercury and zinc that were not esthetic but were easily manipulated and relatively inexpensive.

 Now we have materials that are safer, more esthetic, and more biocompatible.

Fluoride has been under a critical microscope for a long time after Dr Frederick McKay noticed many of his patients in Colorado Springs, Colorado, had unpleasant stains on their teeth. This observation inspired studies and research that ultimately determined fluoride could prevent caries. Eventually in the 1940s and 1950s, fluoride was added to water supplies around the United States.

Vital tools in any practice, dental drills have been through a variety of changes. They remove decay and make way for cleaner, healthier teeth. Built on mechanical innovations over the course of 6500 years, a powerful, commercialized dental drill was introduced by Dr John Borden in the 1950s.

Although the first dental implants made of shells were seen in the Mayan civilization in Central America, it wasn’t until 1965 that Dr Per-Ingvar Brånemark created a successful implant system closer to what we do today.

Today, others have built upon Dr Brånemark’s achievements to create implants that achieve osseointegration.

Digital dentistry refers to the digital refinement of the dental workflow. Digital dentistry comprises cone beam computed tomography, CAD/CAM milling, digital imaging, and digital x-ray services.

 Digital dentistry has become the standard, paving the way for future technologies.

2010s - Dental Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Although it may seem like a concept from a science fiction story, AI is a useful tool in dental applications. AI like Overjet and Pearl can pinpoint caries, guide dental surgeries, and offer a second opinion when human eyes may fail. Although it is a relatively new technology, the work of machine learning in dentistry cannot be ignored when discussing the future of dental technology.

The history of orthodontics: from ancient braces to Invisalign. 

. February 18, 2021. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://orthodonticsaustralia.org.au/the-history-of-orthodontics-from-ancient-braces-to-invisalign

Soler JI, Ellacuria J, Triana R, Guinea E, Osborne JW. 

The story of fluoridation. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Updated July 2018. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/fluoride/the-story-of-fluoridation

History of dental instruments - dental drill. 

. Accessed June 6, 2022. http://www.historyofdentistry.net/dentistry-history/history-of-dental-instruments

Abraham CM. A brief historical perspective on dental implants, their surface coatings and treatments. Open Dent J. 2014;8:50-55. doi:10.2174/1874210601408010050

Technology in dentistry, through the ages

. NYU Dentistry. Accessed June 6, 2022. https://dental.nyu.edu/aboutus/history-of-nyucd/technology-in-dentistry-through-the-ages.html

A timeline of dental technology throughout the ages. 

The List: a Timeline of Dental Technology

When it comes to restorative materials, clinicians have no shortage of options. Material selection hinges on a variety of factors, including esthetics, durability, and function—all of which shift in priority based on the patient and clinical situation. Plus, restorative materials include representatives from a broad class of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites.

 With so many elements to consider, choosing the right restorative can present a challenge.

Permanent, esthetic restoratives have long been significant contributors to restorative dentistry and overall oral health.

 Consider how each element of the oral cavity (teeth and soft tissue) must function properly to allow for basic actions, such as chewing, swallowing, breathing, and speaking.

 It’s clear that material selection is critical.

Most restorative materials are characterized by physical, chemical, and mechanical features.

 Practicing dentistry depends not only on the knowledge of various clinical techniques but also on an understanding of the science behind those applications.

Here, we look at the “why” of restorative material selection.

The development and regular use of adhesive materials transformed many aspects of restorative dentistry.

Selecting the right materials for the right case can make or break your restorations. 

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