ADA SmileCon 2021 - Interview with PlanetDDS Vice President of Sales Mike Huffaker


Videos

In this video, PlanetDDS Vice President of Sales, Mike Huffaker, discusses how PlanetDDS serves as a could-based dental software suited for any practice at ADA SmileCon 2021. 

ADA SmileCon 2021 - Interview with PlanetDDS Vice President of Sales Mike Huffaker

Steril-Air Today, a division of SHOWCASE Companies, Inc., offers a number of proven germicidal ultraviolet light products, including the new CK300H solution.

CK300H, which can easily be installed in your central air system, is a safe, economical and effective way to significantly reduce airborne contaminants. HVAC systems are typically inaccessible and a reservoir for mold, bacteria and slime that can circulate throughout any dwelling. These contaminants can cause allergies, asthma, colds, flu and sinus infections. Featuring a 300W high-power UVC lamp, CK300H is said to be the most powerful HVAC disinfection system on the market. UV disinfection is a function of UV intensity and exposure time.

CK300H not only has high UV intensity, but also comes with 4 parallel tubes to increase exposure time, which guarantees 99.9% of pathogens is killed once air passes the CK300H. Unlike normal UV ducting systems which work all the time, the airflow sensors with this solution turn CK300H on only when the HVAC system is operating. This provides energy saving and helps prolong the lifespan of the tubes. The CK300H solution comes with 2 LED indicator lights and each light indicates the operation of 2 tubes. If one tube doesn’t work normally, the corresponding LED light will stop working.

Many businesses need our help, but some of our first and most urgent calls during COVID-19 have come from the medical facilities such as dental offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and medical doctor offices who face the dire economic challenges to service their patients, says Steril-Air Today.

Articles

Steril-Air Today offers a number of products to safely and economically protect dental offices and other medical facilities by significantly reducing airborne contaminants.

CK300H HVAC UVC System Designed to Reduce Airborne Contaminants

Podcasts

In this episode, we’ll cover Ivoclar Vivadent’s IPS e.max Prime Esthetic zirconia ceramic; a perio app that lets patients track periodontitis and communicate with their dental professionals; a new electric flosser; Imagine OPEN digital dental treatment ecosystem; Straumann’s TLX Implant System; and the ENCOMPASS Overdenture solution from Zest Dental.

ProductBites Episode 3

Featuring a high capacity inside and ideal dimensions outside, the new Lexa sterilizer from W&H is designed to fit perfectly into your reprocessing room. The efficient sterilizer was built to offer different cycles to fulfill the individual needs of clinicians: fastest programs according to the load with incredible hygiene standards, guaranteed by the closed-door drying process with HEPA filters and the use of fresh water for each cycle.

Additional features to enhance the user’s daily workflow include:

With a large chamber capacity of 7.4 gallons, short cycle times and excellent load drying, Lexa provides a high throughput for your reprocessing needs.

No matter how many treatments a day – Lexa comes equipped with 4 large trays and a unique rack that provides a larger surface for more loading options.

Lexa offers versatile programs for different types of loads, reducing your overall cycle duration. Lexa’s fast cycle is specific for all types of instruments and sterilizes up to 18 lbs. or over 100 handpieces in just 30 minutes.

Automatic water filling and drain valves (optional) can speed up your daily reprocessing activities. A user-friendly interface and a high-end 4.3” color touchscreen provide simple navigation to all sterilization options. Thanks to an Ethernet port (LAN) or Wi-Fi kit (optional), the W&H Steri App users can control up to 4 sterilizers.

With user authentication and load release options, Lexa offers a customized traceability system. The integrated built-in USB data logger guarantees complete cycle documentation. An optional barcode label printer provides the “load – cycle – patient” link.



The Lexa unit from W&H is designed to offer more of what counts in everyday dental infection control: incredible capacity, efficiency and protection.

The new sterilizer provides professional sterilization for peace of mind reprocessing and infection prevention. With the Lexa sterilizer you can respond flexibly to upcoming challenges and increase safety for your patients and your practice team all within the 

(Advanced Infection prevention Management Solutions) workflow.

The Lexa unit from W&H is designed to offer more of what counts in everyday dental infection control: incredible capacity, efficiency and protection. 


New Lexa Sterilizer Features More Capacity and Greater Efficiency

ADA SmileCon 2021 - Interview with Denteractive Founder & CEO Reza Izadi, DDS


In this video, Denteractive Founder and CEO, Reza Izadi, DDS, discusses how Denteractive helps practices become successful in obtaining new patients, at ADA SmileCon 2021. 

ADA SmileCon 2021 - Interview with Denteractive Founder & CEO Reza Izadi, DDS

Tonya Lanthier is a registered dental hygienist and the DentalPost Founder & CEO. DentalPost.net, one of the fastest growing dental-related career service providers in the country, was created by Tonya, a successful dental hygienist who has been working in the dental field for over 20 years.

It’s no secret that hiring is the greatest challenge facing our industry today. Along with dental hiring managers nationwide, we hoped to see an increase in jobseeker activity and more applicants when federal unemployment benefits ended in early September. While we’ve been happy to see an uptick in activity for dental assistant and front office positions, dental hygienists are still largely inactive.

Industry-wide, attracting more dental hygiene applicants is a mystery that everyone is seeking to solve––but its root causes run deep and are the equivalent of a perfect storm for talent scarcity:

 It’s real. Hygiene work is highly physical and the new PPO and safety measures, new production schedules and the “make up for lost production and revenue” game is making it harder.

 Even before COVID,dental schools weren’t producing enough candidates to meet the growing patient demand of an aging population.

 Many RDHs who worked part-time or who were a few years away from retiring have left the industry.

We’re not out of COVID yet and it shows. Our surveys are showing that some dental professionals are being more cautious, and waiting it out to see what happens before leaving what they know and are used to. Even if their current employer isn’t meeting their standards, it feels safer to stay where they are until things feel more settled.

Some clinicians don’t see a lateral move as worth it, believing the grass won’t be greener on the other side. If they get a pay bump, many don’t believe much would change for their career.

As for the hygienists and other job seekers who are looking at job postings, we are seeing a lot who are passively browsing to see what is happening out there and where they might find a closer job or career growth opportunity. Some aren’t yet ready to leave the patients and co-workers they care about. Some worry the grassmay not be greener. All-in-all, when they make a move, they want to be strategic about it.

Despite these challenges, there are ways to win in this very competitive market.

5 Things You Can Do Today to Attract & Keep Talent in Today’s Market

So how do you get enough quality candidates, keep them engaged throughout the interview process and, ultimately, have them accept and stick around?


Engage in both active and passive recruiting

. When hiring, employers often default to slapping up a job posting in as many places as we can afford, which is basically a “spray and pray” method. But to be successful, we also need to actively recruit through proactive resume searches and candidate outreach. Doing proactive outreach to a candidate often means you need to have something competitive to offer. If there was ever a time to invest in combination resume subscription and posting packages, it’s now. Successful practices are doing both and it saves time and money in the long run.

Exceptional people are looking for an exceptional job to get them to leave. What’s a great job? Well, it’s not a laundry list of responsibilities, skills or even must-have personality traits. A great job is one that challenges the person and offers satisfaction and growth beyond just financial compensation. Is there any opportunity in the role for leadership and growth? If not, find some. What aspects of your employee/employer relationship will allow and support both the candidate and the practice growing together?

Make your office better. Cultivate an attractive and sticky culture.

This is one of the top things cited by candidates as reasons for quitting–toxic workplaces. Is your office rooted in respect? Does every supervisor treat team members with respect? Doing so, means team members feel valued and when that happens they tend to stick around longer. Can you improve operations that improve quality of work life and patient experience? Do it! Can you implement core value-driven activities that make working at your practice more purpose-driven? Can you better communicate and give employees buy-in to the business health and growth and not just the practice production?

Expand your hiring mindset and your candidate pool. 

Hiring is a whole new game in 2021.We can’t keep doing the same things and expecting a different outcome. Recognizing and being aware of our unconscious bias when it comes to candidate screening is a good place to start. As humans, we make thousands of judgements and decisions a day. Most of it is not anything we’re conscious of. When it comes to people we are far more likely to favor and trust people who are similar or familiar to us. So, it stands to reason that we would have a bias towards hiring them. This goes back to our tribal nature, where familiarity with people and places was critical to our personal safety. We use this same thinking when evaluating candidates to place in our practices to care for patients. And we do it to our detriment because we aren’t focusing on the things that matter—like skills, training, experience and aptitude. To reduce hiring bias in the screening process, DentalPost recently launched Smartview, a new blind screening feature that temporarily hides candidate names and photos so hiring managers can focus first on what matters most–experience, special training and personal details.

Improve the overall compensation to include benefits. 

While a toxic work environment is the most cited reason people want to leave their jobs, this one is a close second. It’s more common than not that dental professionals are not provided benefits when working with private dental practices, even when they have been employed for several years with the practice. Combine this with the additional work, more intense work conditions and risks associated with COVID-19 and it stands to reason that dental team members feel they deserve a raise. Given compensation is driving some of the lateral moves in dental hygiene teams, it behooves dental hiring managers to understand current market rates (which have increased due to COVID-19 since the last DentalPost Salary Survey).

Hiring should be the number one priority for dental practices today. It’s the greatest challenge facing our industry and the research shows it will continue to be an issue for the next decade. The great news is that if we take these steps outlined above, we will not only fill team gaps, but we can begin to address some of the more systemic issues plaguing the dental practice today by creating a better practice culture by articulating and living out our core values. If, as dental leaders, we can get these things right, we can keep our industry attracting the best and brightest providing dental professionals a better place to work, a better quality of life so they can provide and a better patient experience.

Hiring is the greatest challenge facing our industry and it should be the number one priority for dental practices today. 

Thriving In a Scarce Dental Talent Market

Well-known for its dental implant offerings as well as trusted dental materials, Zest Dental Solutions has just announced its entry into teeth whitening.

Zest—the manufacturer of the Zest LOCATOR® Family of Abutment Systems, including the Zest LOCATOR Overdenture Implant System, and provider of clinician-trusted dental materials and small equipment—has partnered with Smile Source, L.P. to develop ClariSmile whitening products, available exclusively to Smile Source® members. Available now, ClariSmile products began shipping on October 22, 2021.

The exclusive ClariSmile suite of whitening products includes an all-in-one take home Whitening Speed Kit, Syringe Refills, and Whitening Pens for on-the-go. Together, these professional-grade whitening offerings help to create patient confidence and are cost-effective solutions to help generate practice growth.

Because the ClariSmile products are designed for use outside of the dental office, they are said to be an outstanding way to grow revenue without giving up valuable chair time. The ClariSmile line stems from an ongoing partnership between Zest Dental Solutions and Smile Source®, a family of over 1,000 dentists and 600 private dental practices working together to provide world-class patient care. Sold exclusively by Zest and available only to Smile Source® members, a portion of the ClariSmile proceeds benefits the Smile Source Foundation. The Foundation’s charter allows for contributions received by the Foundation to be disbursed, as determined by the Board of Directors, to dentists and their family members who have been impacted by catastrophic events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires or from health-related events such as death, cancer, and stroke.

“ClariSmile is a great way to catalyze practice growth with virtually zero chairtime investment,” says Tom Stratton, Zest Dental Solutions CEO. “The ClariSmile products are highly effective and designed to be used by patients outside the dental office to create confident, bright smiles. Zest is particularly pleased to be partnering with Smile Source® to launch a product that will help to give back through the Smile Source Foundation.”

Smile Source COO Dan Walker adds, “Smile Source is proud to partner with Zest Dental to bring our members a top of the line experience in teeth whitening at a fraction of the price. We’re looking forward to changing the game in whitening speed kits with ClariSmile and Zest.”

ClariSmile portable whitening products for home use designed to deliver cost-effective solutions to help
generate practice growth. 


Zest Dental Solutions Teams with Smile Source® on Whitening Products

SmileDirectClub Launches New Water Flossers


SmileDirectClub has announced the launch of 2 water flossers. The new Large Tank and Compact Water Flossers were designed to help patients have a healthier smile as they are designed to be more effective than traditional string floss, according to a press release from the company.

The Large Tank Water Flosser contains a reservoir to hold water for 90 seconds of flossing and has 3 pressure modes ranging from normal, soft, to pulse. This flosser is recommended for patients with braces or dental work that has more intensive cleaning procedures. The Compact Water Flosser is designed for travel, sliding open to a full-size water flosser. It contains built-in storage for the flossing tips. Both water flossers are said to be water-resistant. These water flossers remove 99% of plaque in between teeth and below the gumline, making for healthier teeth and gums, according to General Manager of Global Oral Care at SmileDirectClub, Amy Keith.

“The Large Tank and Compact Water Flossers are an extension of our expanding, premium oral care product line,” Keith said in the press release. “SmileDirectClub is committed to pushing boundaries and increasing access to affordable and convenient smile solutions, which is why we are excited to continue providing customers with the latest and greatest in the oral care industry. With the category growth of the water flosser segment, we look forward to reaching new customers with this expansion.”

Both the Large Tank Water Flosser and the Compact Water Flosser are available now for patients.

These 2 water flossers from SmileDirectClub clean teeth and gums better, while offering experiences suited to the patient. 

SmileDirectClub Launches New Water Flossers

Digital dentistry and 3D printing company SprintRay, Inc announced the release of 2 new products at its 3D Next Summit in Miami, Florida. The ProCure2 is the company’s more powerful and faster Speed to Care ecosystem solution, while the OnX is said to be the first radiopaque 3D printer resin for implant-supported hybrid dentures.

The new ProCure 2 can reportedly reduce post-curing times by 10x or more, which is designed to open the doors to chairside 3D printing in dentistry. With 25x more light power from a custom curing engine, dental professionals can cure a night guard in just 3 minutes—no preheating required. Mated to a user-friendly, cloud-connected touchscreen computer, chairside 3D printing is now as simple as pressing a button.

SprintRay’s OnX is designed to deliver best-in-class flexural strength and offer a balance of strength and modulus for full arch restorations. OnX is a nanoceramic hybrid Class II 3D printing resin used for the production of denture teeth and features an optimal combination of translucency and opacity to mimic realistic dentition. This resin is said to be exceptionally esthetic and easy to characterize.

The company announced the release of 2 new products at its 3D Next Summit in Miami, Florida. 

SprintRay Announces Release of ProCure2, OnX

Millions of Used Medical Gloves Imported to the US. Photo courtesy of Panupat/stock.adobe.com.


An investigation from CNN has found that tens of millions of both counterfeit and used nitrile gloves have been imported to the United States, according to both import records and distributors.

Health authorities in Thailand discovered a warehouse back in December that was dyeing used nitrile gloves to try and make them look new again. The gloves would then get shipped to the US. These operations were created to take advantage of the medical grade glove shortage that affected the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal protective equipment (PPE) expert Douglas Stein told CNN that these gloves are becoming a dangerous commodity.

"There's an enormous amount of bad product coming in," Stein said in the article. "An endless stream of filthy, second-hand and substandard gloves coming into the US of which federal authorities, it seems, are only now beginning to understand the enormous scale."

Because of certain import regulations suspensions, it has become increasingly difficult for the US authorities to get a handle on these illegal gloves. Customs and Border Protection as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have received warnings, but some glove shipments have still been arriving. Companies such as Paddy the Room have been implicated in these illicit exports.

The FDA has assured that it is taking the steps necessary, and there are a variety of investigations both in the US and by the Thai police. Stein believes it is likely that some gloves may have ended up in a medical or dental setting, but it is hard to tell if these gloves have harmed any US health care worker or patient.

This investigation from CNN showed that tens of millions of used and dirty nitrile gloves were imported to the US. 