Photocentric, Inc., inventors of LCD printing, has debuted its newest 3D printer, Light Crystal (LC) Opus. It is designed to deliver highly accurate prints suitable for a range of industries and applications.

With its rugged construction, the LC Opus has been designed to provide reliable and repeatable performances for beginner or experienced users alike. It features a build volume of 310 x 174 x 220 mm; XY resolution of 81μm, which provides scanned data accuracy ≥95% at <100μm and

≥70% at <50 μm; and an incredibly fast cure speed of 2 seconds per layer at 50μm layer thickness. The LC Opus also features a double-sealed vat construction with carrying handles and pouring spout.

The unit offers even light distribution with the tight tolerance LEDs used, which are chosen for both intensity and wavelength, ensuring a uniform cure. Ultra-quiet PWM fans provide efficient

cooling for the high-powered LED array enabling the LC Opus to run at high temperatures for sustained periods. Its trinamic motor drivers enable smooth and quiet operation, while its precision-engineered mechanical components support reliable and consistent performance.

The LC Opus’ simple plug-and-play setup is complimented by Photocentric’s intuitive STUDIO software, which means that LC Opus is suitable for both experienced and novice users. The unit includes interchangeable platforms that can be switched without the need to recalibrate; a large 7” touch screen display; and Photocentric’s patented peel release technology, ‘Vat-Lift’, which ensures reliability over large surface area printing.

Articles

The perfect size for a desktop or workbench, the LC Opus is ideally suited for a variety of applications and environments.

LC Opus is the Latest 3D Printer from Photocentric

Valleywise Health Announces Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program


Arizona Hospital and community health center Valleywise Health has announced an initiative to launch an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program. This program, which will be developed with funding awarded from the Health Resources and Services Administration, is designed to train dental residents to provide oral health care for ethnically and racially diverse patients.

The program will also train residents in practice management, while supplementing this training with further education on serving these communities in the oral health care space, according to dental director at Valleywise Health Christopher Brendemuhl, DMD.

“The AEGD program is a natural extension of the Valleywise Health mission to improve community health,” Dr Brendemuhl said in a press release from the company. “Not only will the grant help us expand the availability of dental services for some our most vulnerable populations across the Valley but will also help us train the next generation of residents that are inclusive providers, public-health minded and lifelong learners.”

The program aims to meet 4 specific goals: to deliver patient focused multidisciplinary care, to act as a team-based care model, to apply community service principles, and to apply critical decision making for best clinical outcomes.

Recruitment for the AEGD program begins in the Fall of 2022.

This new program from Valleywise Health hospital will focus on advanced education in general dentistry to offer oral health care to a diverse, underserved patient base. 

Valleywise Health Announces Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program

SoftSmile Secures FDA Clearance for Artificial Intelligence Powered Software VISION


Orthodontic software solutions company SoftSmile has announced that its VISION software has received 510(k) US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. This clearance is indicated for pre-market notification.

VISION touts itself as a treatment planning software powered by artificial intelligence (AI). It is said to feature a user-friendly interface that allows clinicians to design clear aligner treatment plans which can then be 3D printed in the practice. SoftSmile hopes to increase efficiency by way of cutting out the middleman by allowing dental professionals to directly treatment plan and manufacture in the practice, according to Founder and CEO of SoftSmile Khamzat Asabaev.

"FDA clearance is a huge step for SoftSmile because it establishes VISION's position as a leading software service that complies with all requirements imposed by FDA and is safe for use in the medical practice. There are just a few orthodontic treatment planners that have obtained FDA clearance. SoftSmile's new status is a groundbreaking assurance for the market because the FDA is the best quality check for doctors and patients,” Asabaev said in a press release from SoftSmile. “This achievement opens new opportunities for the company and proves that our team can solve any type of challenge. It took nearly 18 months, enormous resources, and the coordinated efforts of our engineers and lawyers to be granted FDA clearance. Fortunately, we have only the best at SoftSmile which has now been given the FDA's stamp of approval.”

SoftSmile hopes that VISION will pave the way for automated segmentation and comprehensive staging for treatment planning in the future. VISION is available now for any practice.

This AI-powered software device from SoftSmile hopes to make treatment planning and manufacturing of clear aligners more efficient in the practice. 

SoftSmile Secures FDA Clearance for Artificial Intelligence Powered Software VISION

Robert Elsenpeter is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Dental Products Report and Dental Lab Products. He is also the author of 18 technology books, including the award-winning Green IT: Reduce Your Information System's Environmental Impact While Adding to the Bottom Line. As such, he’s particularly interested in the technological side of dentistry.

According to motivational posters and social media memes, the Chinese word for “crisis” is the same as the word for “opportunity.” This is all well and good when you’re at the gym trying to power through a difficult set or when you need inspiration during a long meeting, but the Chinese words for “crisis” and “opportunity” are not the same. However, there is a lesson to be learned: Use dark moments as an opportunity to search for a silver lining. As tough as the pandemic has been, there have been unexpected opportunities, and infection control is one place where a silver lining can be found.

Practices received ample guidance from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the America Dental Association (ADA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The intention of that guidance was, of course, to keep practices open and maintain the safety of patients and team members, but was all of it helpful?

“Initially, they were constant,” said Lisa Kane, DMD, with a laugh. Dr Kane is a speaker and infection control consultant at Dental Office Compliance of New England. “The ADA had a ton of updates. CDC and OSHA also had things that I constantly paid attention to. The CDC is still changing things every day. What people learned is that you have to pay attention because the guidelines are constantly changing. Before, I feel like everything was status quo, and now you can’t really rely on that.”

Perhaps one of the most inescapable pieces of advice was to be mindful of airborne droplets.

“Practices in dentistry have benefited from the pandemic in that people are more aware of the need to capture sprays and droplets as they’re created during a dental procedure,” Jonathan Rudin, DDS, MS, MPH, observes. Dr Rudin is a safety and infection control consultant at San Diego Healthcare Compliance. “To me, that’s one of the great take-home lessons. I recommend using engineering controls like rubber dam and high-volume evacuation (HVE) to eliminate the airborne pathogens as close to the source as possible, and then using other barriers to prevent pathogens not captured near the source. These barriers include face shields, eye protection, and masks—all used in combination.”

If one picture were to capture the essence of the pandemic, it would be of someone wearing a mask—patient or clinician.
“Virus sizes can range from about 0.02 to 0.5 µm,” Dr Rudin observes. “Those sizes are generally too small to be filtered by conventional masks. Assuming that free viral particles are suspended in the air we breathe, then wearing a mask is like throwing sand at a chain-link fence and expecting the bulk of grains…will not pass through. We’ve got to do as much as we can but within reason. Wearing a tight-fitting N95 mask, for example, imposes a challenge [on breathing].”

Is there a solution for those who may find N95 masks restrictive?

“There are definitely some challenges associated with wearing respiratory protection. These include the physical demands of pulling air in and expelling it. It also includes the hazards of rebreathing expelled carbon dioxide and the pathogens we ordinarily rid ourselves of each time we exhale,” Dr Rudin says. “And these pathogens can be concentrated and deposited on the inner surface of the mask throughout the day, especially if people are not discarding the mask after a single patient. With shortages of masks, primarily early on in the pandemic, reuse was a way to extend the life of the masks. Such reuse is not recommended and actually a violation of the FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-approved instructions for use for the mask. So masking is a real controversial point.”

For those who have a difficult time wearing a mask, a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) can be a good option.

“To protect dental care personnel from pathogens that do make it past the HVE system, I recommend the PAPR system, which looks kind of like a hazmat suit,” Dr Rudin says. “There are 2 varieties: loose-fitting and tight-fitting. The loose-fitting type does not require fit-testing and is the only type of respiratory protection that allows someone with a mustache and beard to be protected in any way. Trying to get a good seal when there’s facial hair is virtually impossible.”

PAPRs come with downsides, of course. First, they are expensive. And second, they can interfere with communicating with your patients.

“Patient interaction can be inhibited by the PAPR,” Dr Rudin explains. “They provide a lot of protection, but when you’re talking to your patients and they see you essentially dressed in a hazmat suit, [they] might wonder, ‘Well, if the practitioners are protecting themselves to the extent that I see right here, what am I getting exposed to while having my filling replaced?’”

Perhaps the best thing to come of the pandemic is not that anything new was learned, but that attention was refocused on the infection control efforts that practices should have been making all along.

“It made everyone aware of infection control policies,” Dr Kane says. “I think it…brought everything to the forefront. A big thing, initially, was [that] everyone kind of cleared out their operatories. There were no open things on the counter. A lot of people, in the past, used to have single-use items like cotton rolls or gauze…out where they could get contaminated. And that seems to have stopped, significantly, which is really good. Another thing is that people focused on handwashing a little bit more and making sure they do it before they put their gloves on and after they take their gloves off. Also, not coming to work when you’re sick. That was something you always were supposed to do. But I think that’s become more the norm now, whereas before I think people just tried to suck it up.”

The pandemic has provided teachable moments for Dr Kane and her clients.

“When I do infection control lectures, the first thing I say is, ‘This is all pre–COVID-19,’” Dr Kane notes. “None of this stuff is COVID-19–related, except now we’ve upped the PPE [personal protective equipment] a little bit with N95s, but everything else is stuff that everyone is supposed to be doing.

“A big thing too is that people didn’t have written plans and protocols before,” she continues. “What made people aware is if someone had COVID-19 or had a symptom of something, you’d look at the policy and…say, ‘What do we do, according to this?’ Before, no one really had written documentation or updated documentation as far as OSHA books and policies and that sort of thing. Now, I think it’s been good for the infection control world because it’s getting people to do the things…they should’ve been doing before.”

For all the lessons learned and best practices underscored, Dr Rudin reminds us that there are other habits to keep team members healthy, as we head into the third year of the pandemic.

“Good exercise can boost your immune system,” he says. “That can include cardio exercise and weight lifting. I hope that exercise will tie in with people’s New Year’s resolutions. I would add that getting plenty of sleep and good nutrition can also contribute to a vibrant immune system.”

Dr Kane advises having an outside person assess the practice.

“It would do every practice well to have someone do a walkthrough of their office, or a virtual walkthrough because even though there are so many things that people are doing, there are still so many things that even good offices are missing,” she observes. “So I think that having someone come in with a new set of eyes is a really good idea. They can evaluate and see what you’re doing. Maybe you’re doing a fantastic job and everything’s perfect and you’re good, but maybe there are a couple things that you can tweak and make it a little safer for the patients and the staff.”

That inspirational chestnut about the Chinese words for “crisis” and “opportunity” may be false, but the pandemic has still provided good motivation to find a silver lining in the dark cloud.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been full of hard lessons for healthcare providers. But improved infection control has been a silver lining. 

Pandemic Impact: The Infection Control Lessons We Learned

Which Automatic Processes make Infection Control More Efficient for Dental Practices. Photo courtesy of Kseniia/stock.adobe.com. 


There is a negative connotation when one talks about doing something being “on autopilot”. The implication is that the task is performed mindlessly and without attention to detail. However, that is not always the case. Automating a process can also be a means to assure that something is performed regularly, consistently, and efficiently. Certain infection control processes and equipment can – and should – be automated, assuring the best outcomes.

At a personnel level, scheduling specific tasks on the calendar ensures that they are part of the team’s routine.

“It’s more automatic for the staff and for the practice,” Douglas Risk, DDS, says. Dr Risk is the Compliance Manager and private practitioner at Tidewater Dental in Southern Maryland, serves on the Executive Board of Directors for OSAP, is a Diplomate of the American Board of General Dentistry, and is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. “When you put those processes is in place, you don't have to get something out and put it on the counter, or you you don't have a workflow that works for you.”

He also recommends automatically staggering the use of operatories. Doing so eliminates the need to rush to turn a room around before the next patient.

“We have time to clean that patient room up while I'm working in a different room,” Dr Risk says. “The assistants and everyone has time to turn that room around without a lot of pressure that somebody else has to get in there in the next couple of minutes.”

He also recommends using checklists to automate the procedures associated with specific tasks.

“We have used checklists in infection control in a variety of settings: Instrument processing, operatory turnover, and waterline testing, to name a few,” Dr Risk says. “In instrument processing, the 10 steps of disinfection and sterilization have been posted in the instrument processing center on sheets where the tasks are to be completed, ‘What to do and why?’ are part of the posters, and it has been shown to improve compliance with each step in the process.

“Operatory turnaround should be accomplished the same way for each patient visit,” he continues. “Sharps disposal, precleaning surfaces, disinfection, and instrument transport all should be completed in the proper sequence so that the operatory is ready and clean for the next patient. Waterline testing must be accomplished in a sequence that discourages contamination of the sample and provides good reliability of results. A checklist for the procedure ensures aseptic waterline test sampling.”

Machines can be used to guarantee consistent results resulting in overall team member and patient safety.

“The number one opportunity for automation is instrument cleaning,” Shannon Mills, DDS, says. Dr Mills is a private healthcare consultant and Chair of the American Dental Association Standards Committee For Dental Products (SCDP) Subcommittee on Dental Infection Control Products. “The majority are still cleaning their instruments with a mixture of ultrasonics and by-hand, which I think leaves a lot to be desired. It's kind of like at home – most people don't wash the majority of their dishes by hand anymore. They use dishwashers. I think instrument washers are the clearest opportunity to automate, with a number of advantages in doing so. The biggest advantage is that you have a consistent and replicable process. There's so much more opportunity for human error anytime you do things manually. Someone gets in a hurry; they skip a step. The machine never skips a step.

“It always does the right steps, as long as it's operating properly.” he continues. “Instrument washers, to me, are the biggest opportunity we currently have.”

Dental unit water lines can be another potential source of contamination. The task of water line treatment can also be automated, again, making the process more consistent.

“Dental water line treatment can be automated,” Dr Mills says. “You can always drop a tablet with each change of water into the water bottle of the chemical that you're using to treat water lines. We've seen data that suggests that this is actually the most effective way as long as human error does not occur. Human error can be eliminated by automating the process.”

As useful as those machines are, things can still go wrong, and they need to be inspected and tested.

“Something else that you can do to improve your compliance is actually put your water line testing and your sterilizer testing on the clinic schedule,” Dr Risk says. “So, instead of seeing a patient in that room or in that timeframe, your assistants are doing your water testing, so that each room gets its water tested, or the assistant doesn't have any responsibilities other than water testing or sterilizer testing at that particular time.

“Obviously it doesn't take very long to throw a biologic in the sterilizer,” he continues, “but if it's on the schedule, then you don't have an opportunity to say, ‘Well, you know, do it when you can’ or ‘We normally do it on Tuesdays, whenever we have a break,’ or something like that. And then, Tuesday afternoon rolls around and everybody's saying, ‘Did anyone run this?’ You have that on the schedule, you have a specific person that's doing it at a specific time, and you don't have anything else to do because you've generated your schedule for that. So that's another opportunity to automate if you will, a a process or make the process more foolproof.”

Although washers do the best job as far as instrument cleaning is concerned, it’s always wise to double check the instruments to make sure that they are, in fact, clean before sterilization.

“One of the things we have problems with is instrument processing: Debris, dental materials and cement get stuck on an instrument,” Dr Risk says. “And sometimes you don't see that until you get right down close to it when you are working on the next patient. Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) recommends lighted illumination to inspect instruments between the steps of decontamination and sterilization, so that you're packaging clean instruments to go into the sterilizer after you've done your decontamination. And if you had that magnifier with a light between the 2 places in instrument processing, it's an automatic process. Every instrument goes under the lighted magnifier and is looked at.”

While that notion of “autopilot” can be a positive, it’s important to remember that there are still risks involved when team members don’t act mindfully. For instance, failing to pay attention to the instructions on a disinfectant renders the process almost useless. Perhaps team members have fallen into bad habits. Perhaps the practice is using a new disinfectant, but is still using it the way the prior product was used.

“Often, practices are not using the proper contact time for a disinfectant,” Dr Risk says. “They are just spraying something and wiping it down and not allowing the the spray to contact the surface for the required time for actual disinfection. That's kind of a common pitfall. I have seen people not realizing what the contact time is for the disinfectants that they're using; using a wipe that dries more quickly than the contact time required. So, say you're using a wipe: You use 1 wipe, you wipe down the entire counter, you leave it.

“You know, a lot of wipes say you should pre-clean, which means you do 1 wipe, you clean it, you throw that wipe away,” he continues. “And then you wipe again, because the first wipe cleans, and the second wipe disinfects. That second wipe sometimes is not used. We always have to remember that you pre-clean, and then you disinfect. That's in the instructions of most of the the disinfectants that we use: ‘Clean then disinfect’”

Sterilizers are the hub of the instrument processing center, and it’s important to make sure that device is working properly.

“Use an integrator in instrument packages, so that you're assuring your sterilization loads between spore tests,” Dr Risk says. “We use an integrator, a Type 5, that measures your temperature, your pressure, and so forth. We use an integrator, a Type 5, that measures temperature, pressure, and time. Then we do our spore tests once a week, so that we always know that our sterilizer is working to parameters, and we do our spore tests once a week, so that we always know that our sterilizer is working to parameters.”

Automation can be applied to both equipment as well as Infection control processes to ensure the practices safety compliance as well as the protection of patients and staff.

Infection control practices can be made more efficient by way of automation. Here we gain insight on best practices for automating infection control protocol.  

Which Automatic Processes make Infection Control More Efficient for Dental Practices 

Happy New Year and welcome back to Product Bites! I’m your host Kristin Hohamn. With a new year comes plenty of new product news, including exciting announcements from Oral-B, Dentsply Sirona, Midmark, & WooBamboo. So, with that said, let’s jump in!

First up, we have sustainable brush heads from WooBamboo. The company, already known for its eco-friendly oral care line, has expanded its offerings with its bamboo electric toothbrush replacement heads. The replacement heads are compatible with Philips Sonicare electric brushes, with plans to expand to more brands in the future. WooBamboo’s brush heads are made from sustainably harvested bamboo and coated in vegan soy wax to ensure longevity and keep the parts smooth. 

While more traditional blunt-tipped bristles are said to struggle to clean between teeth, WooBamboo uses Dental-grade, tapered bristles, which are designed to perform similarly to floss.

The brush heads use 86% less plastic than other leading brands, and the company uses 100% biodegradable packaging for all of its products, so consumers can compost easily at home.

WooBamboo is said to be the first plastic negative oral care brand, and these brush heads—along with all of the company’s products—are Certified Plastic Negative.

Next, we have new options for the Synthesis cabinet collection from Midmark. This cabinetry line is designed to incorporate ergonomic principles to reduce wasted space and the repeated strain for team members constantly reaching for supplies. The new options better position storage to require less reach.

wall-hung configurations designed to improve reach while decreasing hard-to-use, non-ergonomic storage in the same amount of space;

gravity-fed, angled flow shelving for improved visibility and accessibility to supplies, even for items stored at the back;

and bins and dividers for the next level of organization and a better workflow.

The full Synthesis Cabinetry collection includes base storage cabinets, overhead cabinets, mobile treatment cabinets, and specialty cabinets available in multiple styling options.

New from Dentsply Sirona is the  Thermaprep® Obturator Oven for root canal therapy. This GuttaCore obturator oven includes 3-dimensional heat, slow-release obturator holders, indicator lights and audible alerts, a cleaning mode, and a 2-year warranty.

The 3-dimensional heat allows for the Obturators to be heated in seconds in both single and dual heating modes. It is maintained in the heating chamber until the obturator is ready to use.

The obturator holders are designed for stable vertical entry and exit of the heating chamber, making it easier and more efficient to use. The oven uses both light and sound alerts to alert the user when the status of the oven has changed.


Lastly, we have 3 new toothbrushes from Oral-B, all built on the company’s iO technology, which is said to offer a deeper cleaning of teeth and gums compared to manual toothbrushes.

Oral-B’s soon-to-be-released iO10 rechargeable electric toothbrush is the first to use iOSense technology. The iO10 offers live coaching directly on its charger for guidance on time, pressure, and coverage without the need to bring a smartphone into the bathroom.

Its clock and timer help users brush for the recommended 2 minutes. All user data syncs to the Oral-B app for deeper insights into brushing habits.

The iO10 also features 7 different cleaning modes for a more personalized experience.

The company will also be launching the iO4 and iO5 brushes at a more affordable price point. Each brush features multiple brushing modes to personalize the brushing experience. Rainbow celebration lights go off on the completion of the 2-minute brushing cycle and refill LED reminders are indicated on the handle.

The iO5 can also provide users with real-time coverage tracking and coaching via the Oral-B app. 

The iO4 and iO5 come in an array of color options, including white, matte black, blush, pink, icy blue, and lavender.

All 3 of these brushes are said to be released in 2022.

Podcasts

Happy New Year and welcome back to Product Bites! With a new year comes plenty of new product news, including exciting announcements from Oral-B, Dentsply Sirona, Midmark, & WooBamboo.

Product Bites Episode 5

Utilizing the advantages of well proven patented technology, Forum Tec has released the Wirele-X, described as a state-of-the-art, innovative apex locator incorporating advanced wireless technology to eliminate the need for long cables.

The Wirele-X consists of a notably small apex locator unit and a 7" high-resolution touch display screen. Measurements are transmitted from the apex locator to the display unit using Bluetooth technology.

The apex locator together with the monitoring application display unit are designed to help achieve optimal performance and sustainable use during working length determination. According to the manufacturer, it is the first and only wireless apex locator available in the market today.

Forum Tec’s range of proven and reliable implant and apex locator solutions are designed to support faster, more accurate dental procedures that are more convenient for the professional to perform, and more comfortable for the patient to undergo.

This innovative solution incorporates advanced wireless Bluetooth technology to eliminate the need for long cables and features an advanced display screen.

Wirele-X Smart Wireless Apex Locator is Latest Offering from Forum Tec

The way we do things in my office is I cut the prep, and then the assistant does the scan. So we wheel the iTero in, and we put the iTero, if the assistant is right handed, the iTero goes on the left hand side of the chair, I get up, the assistant walks around if she's right handed, she sits where I was sitting. And we have the device positioned so the patient can clearly see the screen, and then the assistant starts to do the scanning process after they talk a little bit to the patient about what we're going to do and what are the benefits of digital impressions.

And then the patient can see the screen and they actually watch the process as it unfolds. And patients love the technology. Number one, there's no impression material and patients love that. But they also love the fact that this is a technology that interacts with them. They know that that's their mouth on the screen, and they know that what is going into that system is going to be used to make their final restorations, and so it's really incredible for them to see it done. And then when they come back for the seat visit to be taken back by how easy that seat visit it is. We normally in my office will book 30 minutes to seat a single unit crown, and I think most of us probably operate on that particular timeframe. It is very unusual in our office now to spend more than 10 minutes on that process, and that 10 minutes includes seating the patient, removing the temporary trying the permanent prosthesis in, and then cementing it. And it's a rare day when we have to make adjustments. A lot of these restorations go in, just whoosh, you slide them in, you check your contacts the contacts are great, the margins are spot on. You tell the patient to, "bite down, how does that feel?" and they can't tell it's there. You check the occlusion, everything is hitting exactly how it should you cement and they go, and oftentimes they'll comment on my gosh if I had crowns done the old way with the goop and you know we ground on them for half hour to get everything right. It's phenomenal that this is just basically put it in and go.

Videos

Chief clinical editor and technology editor John Flucke, DDS, explains how his practice employs digital impressions to achieve clinical efficiencies and enhanced patient care while impressing and educating patients. [3 Minutes]

Tips From the Technology Evangelist: How Patients & Practices Benefit From Digital Impressions

An executive coach with Fortune Management, Dr. Hema Patel sold her accomplished dental practice in 2014 to be able to balance her devotion for clinical and business of dentistry with family life and her passion for adventure travel. She is an avid trekker with deep respect for nature and mountains and a special affection towards Himalaya. She can be reached at drhemapatel@fortunemgmt.com.

One of the biggest challenges I hear from colleagues is that they’re unable to recruit and retain quality associates and specialists. If you’re expanding and hiring associates, what will your application pool look like? You will get many new dentists applying for a job, maybe a few seasoned dentists.

Seasoned dentists will come with their own skill set and most likely will need very little mentoring. The downside, however, may be that, by the time they begin to work with you, they already know their preferences and have their own treatment philosophies, which may or may not align with your own clinical vision.

Looking at it from a different angle, let’s realize that the new dentists are fresh out of dental school. Most of them want to perform quality dentistry and grow to become confident dentists. They just don’t have the speed and experience to tackle all of the clinical challenges.

No matter who you trust to take the very best care of your patients, the question is, how do you support them to get them to where they want to be?

So how do you lead a team of associates? How do you support and/or mentor them, no matter what their experience level might be? Let’s look at 6 things that are necessary to make that happen.

Remember, whatever you and your team do should support the vision of your practice. Vision is a vivid image of what you want your ideal practice to look like based on your goals and aspirations. Your vision statement should be a guiding light to everyone within your practice which should always be considered while making internal decisions. A practice without a clear vision is like climbing a mountain without knowing where the peak is and how to get there. So, the first step is clearly to define your vision if you don’t have one. Your Fortune Management coach can help you with that.

Just like practice vision, you should also have a clinical vision for your practice. This could be what type of services you would like to deliver to your patients based on your own treatment philosophies. Your clinical vision shouldn’t be based only on your own clinical skills, but rather be holistic in nature. This should be considered when you hire associates and specialists. While interviewing, one of the main themes should be that you make your practice and clinical vision clear to the interviewees and ask each candidate about his or her clinical vision and see if that aligns with yours. Look to onboard associates and specialists who possess a skill set that brings you closer to your vision.


Your job as a clinical leader doesn’t end when you hire that perfect candidate. The main challenge is to retain that ideal teammate. Make conscious efforts to establish rapport with your clinical team and get to know them, their goals, vision, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Listen to their ideas rather than shooting them down, and guide them to the right path if their ideas do not align with yours. Nurture their strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses. They will be more likely to work on improving their weaknesses and challenges if you recognize and support their strengths.


No matter how skillful your clinical team is, there should be a standard of care that everyone needs to follow. For example, this could be that every new patient that enrolls into your office gets a full mouth series of X-rays, clinical photos, CBCT and/or panoramic X-ray as necessary, and a full digital scan if that supports your vision. The standard of care could be divided into 4 or more main categories, such as diagnosis, treatment planning, enrollment, treatment delivery, and specialist referrals. These protocols should support your vision, be in writing, and shared with the entire clinical team.

I have been to many offices where leadership is never shown in meetings revolving around the clinical side of the practice. Remember, your teams thrive when they’re given feedback on their work. Just like office meetings, clinical meetings are just as important. Regularly scheduled meetings with your associates, specialists, and hygienists bring everyone together to work collaboratively. This is your chance to celebrate successes and to understand the challenges that each member of the team is facing. This is your chance to mentor your clinical team and lead them to their individual successes.


As an executive and CEO of your practice, your leadership should work towards creating more leaders. We often fall into management because that’s an easy thing to do, but we miss the idea of giving freedom to our people and watching them grow. An effective leader in your practice is one who works independently and effectively towards the vision of your practice while maintaining high-performance standards. These are the people others will follow because they support them and they pull them up. Your job, as a Level 5 leader is to grow more Level 4 leaders within your practice. Magic happens when your entire practice becomes team-driven.

Practices looking to recruit and retain quality dentists should take a close look at these necessary items designed to help lead their team of associates.

6 Steps to Becoming an Exceptional Clinical Leader

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. 

Dental Chairs

Slideshows

We take a look at the unique history of dental chairs and where the standard of today came from. 