Clinicians can take a positive step for the environment today with Premier Dental Product Co’s new BioGREEN™ biodegradable micro-applicators. With strength and durability, BioGREEN micro-applicators are described as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic micro-applicators.

Made from a food production straw-byproduct, they are biodegradable and compostable.

Available in regular, fine and super-fine sizes

Recyclable packaging made from sustainable materials

Requires less energy to produce vs. petroleum plastics

Source plants reduce CO2 (greenhouse gasses) through photosynthesis

Their bendable shape makes them flexible for easy use and the brush tips are gluten-free and lint-free.

Articles

Applicators are compostable, come in recyclable packaging made from sustainable materials, and require less energy to produce than petroleum plastics.

Premier Dental Products Co. Releases BioGREEN Biodegradable Micro-Applicators 

Designed to be used with DGSHAPE’s DWX-42W wet dental mill, the DESS Material Attachment Adapter is the latest addition to the AK-1 Abutment Kit which allows the mill to be used for the production of custom titanium implant abutments.

The new adapter allows dental laboratories and practices to use DESS titanium abutment blanks, according to a press release. Available as an add-on to the DWX-42W mill, the AK-1 Abutment Kit includes a set of milling tools designed for use with titanium blanks, a special purpose filter tray, a torque screwdriver, a hexagonal wrench, and a receptacle tray. The new DESS adapter joins previously released adapters for materials from NT Trading, Medentika, and GeoMedi.

“The added DESS compatibility for the AK-1 Abutment Kit makes it simple and cost-effective to mill custom titanium pre-milled blanks from DESS,” said Roland DGA’s Dental Solutions Product Manager, Lisa Aguirre in a press release. “Now, whether you want to work with materials from NT-Trading, Medentika, or DESS, we can provide a manufacturer-specific attachment that’s perfect for the job.”

The DESS Material Attachment Adapter and DGHAPE’s AK-1 Abutment Kit can be used with MillBox software version 2021 and newer.

The new expansion to the AK-1 Kit for fabricating custom titanium abutments adds compatibility with blanks from DESS.

DGSHAPE Expands DWX-42W Mill Capabilities With DESS Material Attachment Adapter 

American Association of Orthodontics Unveils State Advocacy Toolkit

The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) has announced the development of a toolkit designed to report concerns about direct-to-consumer (DTC) orthodontic treatment. These communications will assess risk to patient health and wellbeing.

The AAO’s DTC resources centerpiece is a position paper that highlights various concerns with certain DTC treatment. These concerns include failing to perform in-person exams as well as failing to take X-rays, among others. The AAO assures that these concerns are not new, but the paper is meant to support these concerns through credible peer-reviewed evidence, according to a press release from the company. AAO President Dr Kevin Dillehay said that this message was vital for orthodontics patients and clinicians.

“We are excited to combine the AAO’s advocacy messaging with the strength of the AAO’s scientific and academic resources,” Dr Dillehay said in the press release. “For the first time, we have a resource that clearly shows that the AAO’s advocacy positions on teledentistry and DTC are supported by strong scientific evidence, which demonstrates why the law should include these patient protections.”

This toolkit also includes one-page summaries of the AAO’s position on in-person exams and radiographic exams, a testimony by a former DTC-treating doctor, concerns related to informed consent, and public policy arguments made by the American Teledentistry Association.

Each of these resources have been collated to communicate to both boards and state legislatures on ways to best protect orthodontic patients. The webpage containing the toolkit will be accessible to the general public for informative purposes.

The American Association of Orthodontics has compiled resources to report and monitor concerns about direct-to-consumer orthodontic treatment. 

Lisa Newburger, a master's level social worker supervisor, helps audiences find humor in talking about tough topics. Her "in-your-face" style of presentations and writing will make you smile or just shock you into taking some action. Either way, she is very effective at empowering others to reach their goals and feel better about themselves. Her entertaining workshops are available for national and international audiences. Writing for the dental industry since 2010, she uses an alterego (Diana Directive) to illustrate her points in a sarcastic but effective way. Presentations can be scheduled by contacting Lisa at www.discussdirectives.com/dental.html.

Newbie in the Dental Office. Photo courtesy of bnenin / stock.adobe.com. 

It was my first day of work in dentist office. I thought "What have I gotten myself into?" I was hired to be the front office staff person and recruiter to fill a couple positions. I thought, “Sure. No problem. The staff is awesome!” You see, I am a patient of the practice and there was a need for someone to answer the phones and schedule appointments. So, I offered to help for 2 months.

What a nightmare! I realized on day 1 that I had bitten off more than I could chew. When I was in high school, I worked the front desk for an ophthalmologist. I thought this would be an easy job with me just answering phones and reading a book in between. I was so wrong. Everything is computerized now, and while I am fluent with the workings of computers and programs, this was something I never expected. I was expected to know the computer programs without any onboarding. To schedule an appointment, I needed to know what the purpose of the appointment was and the fee that would be charged. Somehow, I was supposed to go to the treatment plan and figure out what these codes meant with no training and no cheat sheet. It was impossible. Here is a perfect example, I didn’t even know that I wasn’t signing in correctly for the time sheets. It wasn’t until the 3rd pay period that I was shown a screen I had never seen before and taught how to log in for my time. All I could do is laugh. In a nutshell, that was the crystal-clear example of how chaotic everything was. Yep, they didn’t even show me how to get paid correctly.

Don’t get me wrong. There was just no time for them to train me. I saw a lot of the dentist’s frustrations and to be honest, this changed how I felt about him. I knew that because I was there only as a temporary hire for 2 months, I would not be going back to him as my dentist. How could I? His stress was off the charts. He somehow saw me as a cross between his office manager and a therapist. I can’t tell you how much I disliked working there. The people were great, but the stress was keeping me up at night. I worried whether this practice would go under.

I made mistakes. Who doesn’t? It got to a point that I would take notes by hand and then have the dentist sit down with me at the end of every day to go over and make sure I was scheduling people correctly. He was showing me things on the treatment plan, telling me to delete things that weren’t current. How was I supposed to do that? He somehow was confused that because I write for the dental industry, I should know everything about everything. It doesn’t quite work that way.

This experience made me think about other dental professionals just starting out. The first day they are excited and nervous like I was. Hopefully, they had someone take them under their wing and show them the ropes. If not, they might leave and not come back. Did I contemplate that? No, but my mother did for me. She didn’t understand why I would work in this difficult situation.

What made it tolerable was 1 of the dental hygienists. She helped me with the computer whenever I had a problem. She didn’t always teach me the correct way to do something, but she truly tried. I think that the other thing that kept me working there was knowing that I couldn’t be fired. He needed me more than I needed him. It was a great day when I hired my replacement and gave notice.

Think about the new person in your practice. With this staff shortage, it is a huge deal to find someone to bring on, but, once they show up, you need to work even harder to keep them. That means not throwing them into the fire with inadequate training and onboarding. It means taking them out to eat and getting to know them. That includes helping them to learn how to do the job and being supportive when they are struggling with their stress and frustration. If I hadn’t had that dental hygienist work with me, I can guarantee I would have quit sooner. After all, retention is critical once you find that employee. Make sure you don’t blow it.

 if you have ever had challenges as a new employee. I would like to hear how you handled it.

Starting a job in a new dental office can come with a unique set of challenges. What are the best ways to handle these challenges?

Newbie in the Dental Office

American Dental Association Announces 2022 CDT Code Books


The American Dental Association (ADA) has announced its 2022 CDT Code Books bundled as the 

. These books are designed to keep dental teams in the know about when and why codes change.

The 2022 edition changes include 16 new codes, 14 revisions, and 6 deletions. These new codes cover patient screenings, sleep apnea appliance fabrication and repair, immediate partial dentures, intra- and extra-coronal splints, rebasing hybrid protheses, and removal of temporary anchorage devices.

The bundle includes two books and a mobile app that will inform practices on up-to-date codes and descriptors. It is said to improve accurate insurance claims by reducing the rate of rejected claims.

CDT is the only HIPAA-recognized code set for dentistry, therefore making it essential for practices. The 2022 CDT codes go into effect on January 1st, 2022.

The CDT Code Book bundle will keep practices ahead of the game when it comes to code changes and improving claims accuracy. 

American Dental Association Announces 2022 CDT Code Books

vVARDIS Announces Partnership with CareQuest Innovation Partners


vVARDIS has announced a partnership with CareQuest Innovation Partners. This partnership is said to expand access of vVARDIS’s technologies to the Medicaid population, according to a press release from both companies.

vVARDIS and CareQuest Innovation Partners will team up in order to develop low-cost treatments for state Medicaid programs. They will begin this partnership by researching professional quality treatment in dental practices affiliated with CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. On top of this study, there will also be the formation of a variety of educational and philanthropic programs for both patients and dental professionals. Founder of vVARDIS Haleh and Golnar Abivardi said this partnership came from a desire to providing higher quality oral care to those in need.

“The soul of vVARDIS is service and ensuring the world has access to the highest quality oral care. Good oral health is critical to overall health and wellbeing and far too many low-income families and children lack access to quality oral care, much less the cutting-edge technology to keep their mouths and bodies healthy,” they said in the press release. “We are proud to partner with CareQuest Innovation Partners to help improve oral health care and outcomes for the Medicaid population, which currently includes more than 37 million children.”

This partnership will use the same core technology used in vVARDIS Professional Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus treatment, which will be brought to patients in the Untied States. It is a mouth rinse that, when applied, is designed to be an anti-cavity treatment for initial tooth decay or white spots lesions. Fluoride and calcium in saliva will then penetrate the enamel and boost the mineralization process. This type of therapy is called Guided Enamel Remineralization.

In the future, vVARDIS and CareQuest Institute will be looking for more partners to care for underserved populations in the United States through preventative oral health care.

This partnership between vVARDIS and CareQuest aims to help bolster oral health care in the Medicaid population

vVARDIS Announces Partnership with CareQuest Innovation Partners

Align Technology Introduces Professional Whitening System

Manufacturer of Invisalign, Align, has announced an agreement with Ultradent to create a professional whitening system that can be utilized with Align’s Invisalign aligners and Vivera retainers. In this partnership, Invisalign-trained dentists will be offered a professional whitening system with Opalescence PF whitening formula from Ultradent.

This formula is optimized for Invisalign clear aligners and will be called the “Invisalign Professional Whitening System – powered by Opalescence.” It is said to have optimal whitening outcomes, according to a press release from Align. Align Technology chief product and marketing officer Raj Pudipeddi said that this innovation comes from the patients’ desire to whiten teeth during Invisalign treatment.

“We believe that by providing an all-in-one solution that combines a leading teeth-whitening system with the most advanced clear aligner system in the world, we enable Invisalign trained doctors to enhance their patients’ treatment experience with a seamless workflow that also enables practice efficiency and growth,” Pudipeddi said in the press release. “We’re very excited to partner with Ultradent to offer the first professional whitening system optimized for use with Invisalign clear aligners and Vivera retainers. Invisalign system trained doctors can use Opalescence PF for in-office teeth whitening treatment and for doctor supervised at-home whitening.”

This whitening formula can be used for both Invisalign clear aligners and Vivera retainers for patients who wish to whiten their teeth as they straighten their smile. The Invisalign Professional Whitening System is said to be easy to use whether in the office or at home supervised by a doctor. It will be commercially available starting in 2022.

Align will introduce the Invisalign Professional Whitening System through its agreement with Ultradent. 

Align Technology Introduces Invisalign Professional Whitening System

New Alternative to Dental Insurance PayDent Enters the Market

Said to be an innovative new alternative to dental insurance, PayDent is a new model for patients to cover treatment. PayDent was designed by Kevin Patterson, DDS, and engineer entrepreneur Steve Valentor.

It functions through a mobile app on either the patient’s iPhone or Android. Patients deposit funds into their account that will allow them to pay for future treatment. These payments can either be contributed on a monthly basis, or as a lump sum all at once. Patients can also use PayDent to cover what their pre-existing insurance can’t. Cutting out the middleman of insurance was Dr Patterson’s main goal in co-creating PayDent, according to a press release from the company.

“Having cared for thousands of patients throughout my career, I saw firsthand that the existing model for paying for dental work just didn’t make sense anymore,” Dr Patterson said in the press release. “So, we set out to develop something that better serves consumers and dental practices alike. The result is PayDent, which replaces low-value dental insurance plans with a tool that helps patients build funds to pay for inevitable dental expenses and streamlines the process for dentists to get paid.”

Dental practices can utilize PayDent to accept payment from the patient for treatment. It is free to download. Post-treatment, dentists can request the payment transfer as soon as they are finished, making this a potential solution for practices looking to become more efficient. Payments can be received at 80% of the American Dental Association’s (ADA) fee survey, meaning specialized dental practices can bill their patients directly for the difference between their fee and the ADA pricing that PayDent pays.

PayDent has gone through a year of testing with the assistance of advisers and dentists and is said to be fully operational. It is available now for practices and patients.

PayDent is a brand new way for patients and practices to pay for treatments without the need for insurance. 

Freedom Technologies Group (FTG) will be the U.S. distributor for Athlos Oy’s DC-Air™ intraoral x-ray imaging sensor. Athlos Oy received 510(k) acceptance in July, which cleared the way for FTG to begin accepting pre-orders online for the new sensor.

The DC-Air is is a true wireless x-ray sensor that utilizes direct conversion technology for greater native sharpness. It’s said to be the only sensor on the market that to adopt the latest Bluetooth™ technology standards for rapid and reliable image transmission, eliminating the number one point of failure associated with other sensors: the wire.

DC-Air is constructed with homogenous internal components that make it significantly more durable. It has IP67 rating and will withstand the rigors of daily use.

In addition, DC-Air holders incorporate a patent-pending design that is said not to add any bulk to the sensor’s profile in the mouth. Coupled with the senor’s thin profile, it’s designed to offer patient comfort and easy positioning.


Wireless DC-Air X-Ray Sensor Available for Pre-Order

Mastermind - Episode 7 - Adjusting to a "New Normal" for Dental Conferences

Videos

Host Lisa Newburger is joined by John Flucke, DDS, Chad DuPlantis, DDS, Tina Clarke, RDA, MEd, Rick Adelstein, DDS, and Jeff Rohde, DDS, to discuss how we might approach this "new normal" at practices and beyond. 

Intraoral Repairs: Fixing PFMs Effectively and Efficiently. Photo Courtesy of Nestor / stock.adobe.com/


Intraoral repairs can be a cost-effective and fast alternative to replacement when a patient comes in with a chip. Knowing how to do one properly and efficiently can help the patient with their tooth esthetics and function and financially.

In a Dental Talk Viva Learning podcast, Rolando Nunez, DDS, MSc, and Manager of Clinical Affairs for BISCO, says that most of the intraoral repairs he encountered in his practice were porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) restorations.

A literature review confirms that these are frequent occurrences, with a calculated average incidence of 27 percent in fixed dental prostheses between 5 and 14 years old. Moreover, the most frequent problem is a chip in the porcelain, at a 34 percent rate by some estimates. When assessing the fracture, here are the 3 types you will likely see:

Static Fracture: the porcelain is broken but still in place

Cohesive Fracture: a chipping fracture in the body of the porcelain

Adhesive Fracture: bonding failure either between the veneer and the core porcelain or the porcelain and metal substrate

It is incumbent upon the dentist to determine how to move forward. Some fractures can be polished, while others need repair. The most severe need replacement occurs when the fracture extends into a function area, recontouring will change the anatomic form too much, there is a high risk of thermal damage to the pulp during recontouring, or it will not look good.

Jeff Lineberry, DDS, FAGD, AAACD, says he sees fewer PFMs in his practice, and when he does, many are failing, often because of their age. As a result, Dr Lineberry tends to default replacing a PFM restoration with a different, more modern material, usually lithium disilicate or zirconia, depending on the case and the location of the restoration.

“Usually, when they are failing, I am replacing them,” Dr Lineberry says. “Lithium disilicates is one of the happy mediums where we have an excellent restoration that’s durable and esthetic. Zirconiais an option as well and it is durable, and they are more esthetic than PFMs. However, with more esthetic zirconia nowadays, the overall strength of it is reduced.”

Another significant consideration when choosing between repairing and replacing a failing PFM restoration is how the fracture happened. Dr Nunez explains that it is essential to determine what caused the fracture before you move forward with a repair. If it was a hockey puck to the mouth, then you can move forward with the repair. However, if the fracture occurred because of chronic habits, flaws with the restorative materials, or occlusion problems, dentists should address that problem first so the repair will last.

“Many times, when restorations are chipped or broken, that’s a functional issue, like too much pressure and so forth, which leads to premature failure of the restoration,” Dr Lineberry agrees.

Once you are ready to proceed with the intraoral repair and have isolated the area, fixing it depends on the fracture. Static Fractures often only need polishing. The polishing repair technique works best in the posterior when the chip is small and doesn’t affect esthetics or function. When the chip is more extensive, clinicians should protect the tooth pulp and remaining porcelain from heat.

However, Cohesive Fractures require a bit more technique. These can either demand the recementing of the chipped-off material or by building up composite resin. In either case, the restoration substrate requires surface modification and roughening.

Intraoral repairs require you to create either mechanical or chemical retention depending on the substrate. Per the 

, treating the ceramic surface starts by removing the glazed layer with a diamond bur or sandblast and acid-etch (or both) to expose the ceramic layer underneath, which reacts better and has a larger contact surface area. The authors recommend either a 37 percent phosphoric acid, a 5-10 percent hydrofluoric acid, or a 1.23 percent acidulate phosphate fluoride for the acid etch. However, it is essential to isolate to protect the soft tissues from damage when using hydrofluoric acid. For metal substrate, they recommend sandblasting and metal primer. Tin plating could enhance the bond strength for high-noble or noble metal surfaces.

Dr Nunez says that a silane coupling agent is essential after roughening the ceramic surface to achieve a good chemical bond to the porcelain. Moreover, he says that it should be pure silane, not a product that contains silane. Also, Dr Nunez cautions clinicians to be careful of sandblasting in intraoral repairs where both porcelain and metal are exposed because the sandblasting can create microcracks in the porcelain surface. Instead, he recommends roughening the surface of the metal with a diamond bur followed by primer containing MDP (Methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate), a popular monomer in many universal adhesive primers. However, if you have both surfaces that need treatment, it is indicated that you should apply the silane first to the ceramic surface and then the MDP to the metal surface.

If the clinician is going to reattach the porcelain chip, then it can be rebonded at this point. However, suppose the clinician uses composite to repair the restoration, and the restorative surface requires metal masking. In that case, it is essential to use an opaquer first before layering translucent resins on top of it. The authors in the Balkan Journal of Stomatology recommend a flowable resin in an opaque shade.

BISCO has an Intraoral Repair Kit indicated to repair PFM or Zirconia/Alumina restorations, porcelain & lithium disilicate restorations, and direct and indirect composite restorations. It comes with Z-Prime Plus, Porcelain Primer, Porcelain bonding Resin, Dual-Cured Opaquer, Porcelain Etchant (9.5% HF), and Barrier Gel. Then, you use the composite system you like to complete the restoration from there.

 Dr Nunez explains that the Dual-Cure opaquer is essential because it allows you to cure it with the light to keep in place, but the self-cure properties will continue to polymerize the material and assure a depth of cure. This curing continuation is essential for the material closest to the metal surface.

3M ESPE also has an intraoral repair system; the CoJet™ System is indicated for use with resin nano-ceramic, metal, ceramic and composite surfaces of indirect restoration. It includes CoJet™ Sand, 3M™ ESPE™ Sil, Visio™ Bond, Sinfony™ Opaquer Powder, Sinfony™ Opaquer Liquid, Brush Handles, and Disposable Brush Tips.

by The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics

 compared the 2 systems for bond strength using a diamond bur to roughen the surface and airborne particle abrasion. The authors suggested that the BISCO system performed well in Cohesive Fractures contained to porcelain substrate and that the 3M system did better when the fractures extended to metal surfaces.

In his North Carolina practice, Dr Lineberry doesn’t remember the last time he repaired a PFM. However, he does repair restorations with a zirconia substructure with porcelain on top of it. While there are specific bonding protocols for zirconia, Dr Lineberry says most of it is micromechanical.

“Things stick to rough surfaces better than smooth surfaces,” Dr Lineberry says, adding that he uses air abrasion on Zirconia substrates.

When he has done PFM restoration in the past, Dr Lineberry uses an air abrasion on the exposed metal substrate also. After thorough cleaning of the exposed metal, he uses bonding agent on the metal, followed by an opaquer or very white composite to keep the metal from showing through the restorations. Forgoing the use of an intraoral repair kit, Dr Lineberry uses an assortment of materials for his repairs, but notes that he tends to reach for Scotchbond™ Universal Plus Adhesive (3M) or G-Premio Bond™ (GC America) for his bonding agent.

“It depends on the situation,” Dr Lineberry says about the materials he uses for repairs.

Dr Lineberry says that many clinicians are steering clear of using hydrofluoric acid intraorally, even though it was commonly used in the past. While it creates a strong bond, it is toxic and can damage the oral cavity. He says there are a lot of great conditioning agents for porcelain that work well.

“I’m kind of old school, so a lot of times when I condition porcelain, I use silanizing agent.Will they hold up? That’s a great question,” Dr Lineberry says of the porcelain conditioning agents. “Overall, you have to address any functional issues that caused the failure, and, in my opinion, you still have to rely upon micro-mechanical retention rather than bonding.”
 

Klein, DDS P. The First Aid Kit for Intraoral Repairs. Dental Talk Viva Learning. Published 2021. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://vivalearning.com/member/podcast.asp?x_podcastId=169. 

Aslam A, Hassan S, Nayyer M, Ahmed B. Intraoral repair protocols for fractured metal-ceramic restorations - Literature review. Scielo.org.za. Published 2018. Accessed September 9, 2021.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-85162018000100008. 

Aslam A, Hassan S, Nayyer M, Ahmed B. Intraoral repair protocols for fractured metal-ceramic restorations - Literature review. Scielo.org.za. Published 2018. Accessed September 9, 2021http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-85162018000100008..

Aslam A, Hassan S, Nayyer M, Ahmed B. Intraoral repair protocols for fractured metal-ceramic restorations - Literature review. Scielo.org.za. Published 2018. Accessed September 9, 2021. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-85162018000100008. 

Aslam A, Hassan S, Nayyer M, Ahmed B. Intraoral repair protocols for fractured metal-ceramic restorations - Literature review. Scielo.org.za. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0011-85162018000100008. Published 2018. Accessed September 9, 2021.

Solid is, K., Gerasimou, P. and Boutsiouki, C., 2012. 

Intraoral Ceramic Restoration Repair Techniques: Report of 3 Cases

. [online] Researchgate.net. [Accessed 9 September 2021]. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268279790_Intraoral_Ceramic_Restoration_Repair_Techniques_Report_of_3_Cases>

Intraoral Repair Kit | BISCO Dental. Bisco.com. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://www.bisco.com/intraoral-repair-kit/. 

CoJet™ System: Intraoral Repair and Surface Pre-treatment. multimedia.3m.com. Accessed September 9, 2021. https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/814608O/3m-cojet-system-intraoral-repair-and-surface-pre-treatment-strong-bonds.pdf. 

Yoo JY, Yoon HI, Park JM, Park EJ. Porcelain repair - Influence of different systems and surface treatments on resin bond strength. 

. 2015;7(5):343-348. doi:10.4047/jap.2015.7.5.343

When doing intraoral repairs, it is important to know the right methodology to offer the best patient outcomes.  

Intraoral Repairs: Fixing PFMs Effectively and Efficiently

GPAINNOVA Launches DLyte Desktop Dental Machine


GPAINNOVA has announced the launch of its second ultra-compact dry electropolishing machine the DLyte Desktop Dental. This compact machine is designed to be affordable and compact making it suitable for any dental lab, according to a press release from the company.

The DLyte Desktop Dental allows an automated polishing process for cobalt chrome pieces and other quality metal surface treatments. RPDS can be casted, sintered, and milled with traceable and predictable results. Lab technicians can utilize the homogenous finish with DLyte Desktop Dental to eliminate the need to a multi-step manual process. This is said to make things more effective and efficient overall in the lab. The machine has small dimensions and does not require any pre-existing or compressed air installation.

DLyte Desktop Dental works by first placing a 3-liter container filled of solid electrolyte in the machine. It then clamps the parts to be polished onto the holder and finger and places it into the equipment. After that, technicians are able to select whichever program best suits their current need. DLyte Desktop Dental is available to order now.

The DLyte Desktop Dental Machine will provide an effective, efficient solution for dental labs in need of an electropolishing machine. 

GPAINNOVA Launches DLyte Desktop Dental Machine

3D technology company Materialise has introduced its new Dental Module for Magics software, which is designed to allow dental labs to fully and automate their 3D printing preparation workflow for dental applications. With dentistry becoming more digitalized, Dental Module provides dental labs with the easy-to-use tools required to ensure a scalable 3D printing process.

Once dental CAD designs are uploaded, the Dental Module software automates all of the required printing preparation steps, such as labeling, nesting, and generating support structures. It is said to reduce task completion from hours to mere minutes. The module also provides advanced control over processing steps through customizable processing profiles. Users can take advantage of these capabilities to further refine automatically generated results or process applications not supported by the Dental Module in a tailored manner, if necessary.

As a leader in 3D printing software solutions, Materialise helps customers within a wide range of industries optimize their additive manufacturing activities. After this newest addition, there are now ten modules available for Magics users. Dental Module joins a line-up of solutions that offer automated printing preparation tasks such as support generation and 3D nesting.

Technology company Materialise's new software is designed to automate 3D printing preparation.

Materialise Launches Module for 3D Printing Preparation

To start your free trial with The Dream Sensor, 

Dental Products Report Editorial Director Noah Levine talks with DentiMax Director of Sales, Imaging Chad Camac about the advantages of the company's Dream Sensor intraoral x-ray sensor, and its free try-before-you-buy program.

Dreamers & Doers 2021: DentiMax – Chad Camac Discusses the Dream Sensor

Carestream Dental Partners with Local Start Dental to Deliver Care


Caresteam Dental has announced a partnership with Local Start Dental in North Carolina. Local Start Dental provides free or discounted care to vulnerable populations in the area. The clinic opened in late summer of 2021 with a need for dental equipment that would suit its needs.

That is when Carestream Dental came in with a donation of a CS 9600 CBCT system, a CS 3700 intraoral scanner and CS ScanFlow software, RVG 6200 sensors, and a CS 2400P portable generator. This technology can offer a robust workflow to cover oral healthcare needs, according to a press release from Carestream Dental. General manager of the Americas Region for Carestream Dental Jeremy Thomas said that the company’s missions aligned with Carestream’s.

“Part of Carestream Dental’s mission is ‘Changing Lives,’ so Local Start Dental’s mission really resonated with us,” Thomas said in the press release. “As they so rightly point out, society can be prejudiced against edentulous adults, so replacing a tooth isn’t just about giving someone their smile back—it’s giving them their lives back. And if it also means dental students are getting the experience they need, then all the better!”

Local Start Dental has 10 operatories and is staffed by both faculty-supervised students and volunteer dentists. Veterans, the elderly, low-income adults, and other vulnerable populations will be able to receive care at this clinic.

This partnership aims to provide oral health care to vulnerable or underserved populations. 