Planmeca has announced the option of a total of 10 years of warranty on all Planmeca 3D CBCT units. The ability to extend the product warranty reinforces the trusted pledge to stand by its customers, the Hoffman Estates, Illinois company says.

Planmeca has earned a reputation for high product quality benchmarks from its strict manufacturing and testing that meets or exceeds worldwide compliance standards. The extensive range of Planmeca 3D imaging products meet all clinical needs of general and specialty dentistry, and now include the added benefit of long-term protection and return on investment.

“Planmeca has set the industry bar for product innovation to meet the needs of dentistry today and with a vision of the future,” states Vice-President of Marketing and Education Lou Vodopivec. “It’s a natural elevation of our commitment to our customers–both clinicians and our dealers–to provide peace of mind and assurance in their choice of Planmeca products. Selecting a 3D imaging unit is a major capital investment for many practices. Unfortunately, many manufacturers do not include reliable ongoing support. With Planmeca, there are no transactional relationships; we are here to help transform dentistry. Our 10-year warranty reaffirms our commitment to enduring partnerships.”

The Planmeca warranty includes coverage of all parts including the unit’s sensor, remote technical support, and updates to Planmeca Romexis® software. Planmeca Romexis is the only comprehensive software solution that operates with the full range of Planmeca 3D and 2D imaging and CAD/CAM dentistry. In addition, the open architecture allows for integration with third-party systems, including cloud based and PACS servers, and practice management systems, including Epic Wisdom.

The company develops product features that focus on safety, including Planmeca Ultra Low Dose™ for an average of 77% reduction* in radiation dose, Planmeca CALM® for patient movement correction, and AutoFocus™ for image consistency. Planmeca 3D imaging technology is designed to be a model for quality patient care.

*According to “Dosimetry of Orthodontic Diagnostic FOVs Using Low Dose CBCT Protocol” by JB Ludlow and J Koivisto

Articles

Warranty includes coverage of all parts including the unit’s sensor, remote technical support, and updates to Planmeca Romexis® software. 

Planmeca Offers 10-year Warranty on All 3D CBCT Units

Zest Dental Solutions, the only manufacturer of the Zest LOCATOR® Family of Abutment Systems, including the LOCATOR Implant System, has released a comprehensive Guided Surgical Kit and protocol. The intuitive kit is designed to work exclusively with the LOCATOR Implant System, now delivering optimum versatility with both implant-supported FIXED full-arch and implant-retained overdenture solutions.

The Guided Surgical Kit is designed to deliver for performance, efficiency, precision, and peace of mind, giving clinicians the tools they need to drill confidently and exceed patient expectations when using the LOCATOR Implant System. LOCATOR Implants are now approved for both FIXED and removable treatment plans with the recent launch of LOCATOR FIXED™.

This all-in-one kit features a modern keyless design, thereby maximizing efficiency, and includes the necessary instruments to support multiple surgical access options. In addition, a single guide sleeve is used for straightforward surgical guide creation and workflow.

Efficiency and treatment flexibility are vastly improved with 3 total drill lengths per size, which are supported by a color-coded, easy-to-navigate drill protocol. A compact, well organized setup helps to instill confidence and deliver an exceptional surgical experience.

“We created this new kit with the clinician in mind,” says Lindsay Huddle, Sr. Product Manager, Zest Dental Solutions. “Design simplicity, combined with an easy-to-follow, color-coded drill protocol and a compact footprint make this kit a must-have for the operatory. And, versatility is key as it works wonderfully when placing LOCATOR Implants for use with both our LOCATOR FIXED or removable treatment plans.”

To learn more about the LOCATOR Guided Surgical Kit call 800-262-2310 or visit 

Intuitive surgical kit designed to streamline full-arch and overdenture procedures.

Zest Dental Solutions Unveils New Comprehensive Guided Surgical Kit

How do you compare dental products? Handpiece to handpiece makes sense, but what wins out when a composite goes up against a laser, or loupes are matched against artificial intelligence? Well, 

® is asking just those questions with the debut of the 

Featuring 64 dental products that debuted in 2022, the Spring Selection bracket seeds are based on response to the publication of news about each new product launch. That set up a very interesting field that showcases a wide range of industry innovations.

Is this the ultimate dental product showdown? Likely not. Instead, it’s a light-hearted way to showcase dental products, and maybe have some fun trying to decide whether to back the implant or the impression tray.

The voting process is simple, each Monday starting March 27, dental professionals can visit the Spring Selection page on dentalproductsreport.com to find the latest results and the next matchups. Simply check out the article and cast your vote. Voting will close each Sunday, and the products receiving the most votes advance to the next round with voting starting up again on Tuesday. The matchups will continue until there is one product left standing, and that winner is named 2023 

The 64-product bracket is featured below. It’s divided into four quadrants of 16 products, and each quadrant will produce one winner to send to the semi-final round. The voting rounds will include details on each of the featured products, making this an excellent opportunity to learn about new products and technologies that can benefit your practice and patients. 

We’ll be taking a deeper look at each of the advancing products throughout the event as well, so if for no other reason, vote for the products you want to learn more about. Of course, this could all be about having some fun, so check out the bracket below and come back on Monday as voting begins in the 2023 

Introducing the Dental Products Report 2023 Spring Selection, a bracket featuring 64 new dental products with the chance to vote on which product advances to the next round.

The Dental Products Report 2023 Spring Selection – Bracket Reveal

 What are your impressions of the dental industry since coming over from medical businesses last year?

 I think there are a lot of similarities. First and foremost, it's very much about helping people, both customers and their patients, and we can do so in a number of ways. We can do so by developing products, but one of the interesting things I've discovered about dental is that the processes are as important as products, and so we can help customers with the processes too.

So we've got product and process, and the third way we help is with clinical education. And we're a leader in this field. I think the transformative piece here, the evolving piece, is the digitalization of dentistry, and how that's making a meaningful difference to the efficiency within a customer's practice. It is going to make a meaningful difference to the transportability of a patient and their data between dental offices, between different regions and between whatever it may be. We're happy we're at the forefront of that, realizing that we are only scratching the surface.

 What were some of the priorities you set when you came on board last year?

 Well, we were, or rather still are, in the COVID-19 pandemic, or endemic, and so that comes with a number of challenges. Number one, supply chain issues accelerated last year but I'm pleased to say that they've stabilized now. At this point, patient demand has certainly begun to approach pre-COVID levels, but it’s not quite there yet. I would say it’s stable. And then there’s obviously the lingering possibility of a recession and the inflationary impact on patient demand. So those are a couple of the first things that I have been focused on.

 What is the mood and focus like at Dentsply Sirona heading into the second quarter of 2023?

 We have introduced a new operating model. ’We will realign ourselves to allow us to focus very specifically on areas that we think are critically important. Typically, these are the faster growing, higher impact spaces such as digitalization, implants, and aligners. That's not to say all the other areas are not important. But where we see the biggest potential impacts are where we need to ensure that we continue to invest in at an appropriate level, when it comes to R&D and clinical education.

 How does Dentsply Sirona approach innovation and how does it cover such a broad range of dental solutions?

 I would classify this as a high-quality problem to have, that we have such a comprehensive portfolio where we can work with our distributors and customers to facilitate all the demands from a straightforward consumable product all the way up to a 3D x-ray or printer. It’s important that we are investing at proper levels to drive innovation in all areas, and we have to be extraordinarily diligent with respect to doing that. The way we do that is by driving an unapologetic focus on accuracy. Accuracy in how we value projects, accuracy in how we deliver projects on time to our customers.

 What connects all of Dentsply Sirona together?

 Digitalization is the thread that comes through all of our products, and we are focusing intensely on that space. It is the thread that integrates everything, and it is a capability that we are pretty good at.

 What are your impressions of the 2023 International Dental Show?

 The scale of this show is spectacular. I don't know that I've ever seen anything quite as large, and I've been at large medtech shows. So, the scale of the event is significant, and the scale of our presence here is immense. And I want to give a shout out to the team that's worked on this for years to put on a footprint like this while still focusing on sustainability. Over 80% of our booth is made using reusable and recyclable materials. Our actions are speaking as loud as our words. And we've got over 40 hours of clinical education going on here. So again, back to my earlier comment about product, process, and clinical education, we are driving clinical education at this event.

 What is the Dentsply Sirona approach to live events, and how has the growth of Dentsply Sirona World transformed that approach?

 At the end of my first week with Dentsply Sirona, I was at Dentsply Sirona World in Las Vegas, which was an incredible event where we had over 4500 dental practitioners. That was actually the first of more DS World shows that we've had around the world. Between September 2022 and February 2023, we also had DS Worlds in Madrid, Turkey, and Dubai. I think we've engaged with in excess of 7000 dental professionals as a result. We see it as a cornerstone for our engagement strategy with customers, with DSOs, with KOLs, and it’s been a good part of expanding our reach. I think we have transformed the way companies interact with customers in the dental space. And I think it’s fair to say that we still lead that particular angle of customer engagement and interaction.

 What makes Dentsply Sirona a company that customers want to connect with in this way?

 The willingness of 7000 dental professionals to attend Dentsply Sirona events taking place around the world is an incredible testament to the value that they place on what we’ve created with DS World. It is a barometer of why we should continue to invest in interactions like that.

 Dentsply Sirona held talks at IDS on digital dentistry and sustainability. You’ve touched on Dentsply Sirona’s position as a leader in digitalization, but can you share how Dentsply Sirona hopes to also be a leader when it comes to sustainability in the dental industry?

Our sustainability strategy is fundamental to our mission of transforming dentistry and improving oral health globally. Our commitment begins at the top, with the Board of Directors overseeing its deployment, and is embedded throughout our Company, permeating all our business. We call our sustainability journey BEYOND: Taking action for a brighter world. Our strategy is aligned to the United Nation’s SDGs and based on three pillars of action — Healthy Planet, Healthy Smiles and Healthy Business which reflect how we engage with our employees, customers, partners and communities.

Sustainability in dentistry is now a key challenge for the oral healthcare sector, with a large majority of dentists – 7 out of 10 participants – expressing that the dental industry is lagging when it comes to sustainability, while 80% say that it is important that our industry reduces its environmental impact. These are key findings of the Global Sustainability in Dentistry Study, which was commissioned by Dentsply Sirona in 2022. We undertook this study to understand how dentists around the world view sustainability and where they look to us and the industry for support. 

To address the existing knowledge gap among dentists and to support them in their journey towards becoming more sustainable, Dentsply Sirona has now launched the first course of its comprehensive Sustainability Educational Curriculum. Delivered online and for free through the Dentsply Sirona Academy, each of the five interactive courses is led by experienced experts and will focus on a different aspect of sustainability.

As we educate both customers and patients, they will demand other companies to begin to engage in a more meaningful way in sustainability. It's good for us. It's good for practitioners. It's good for patients. And it's good for the world.

 Thank you so much for making the time to speak with us.

During the 2023 International Dental Show in Cologne, Germany, Dental Products Report® Editorial Director Noah Levine sat down with Dentsply Sirona CEO Simon Campion about the company’s place in the industry, the trends its focused on, and how he plans to continue the company’s legacy as an industry leader.

Keeping a Focus on Accuracy and Engagement: A Conversation with Dentsply Sirona CEO Simon Campion

Premier Dental Celebrates 110 Years in the Industry


Premier Dental Products Company celebrates 110 years of being in the dental industry this year. Premier was founded in 1913 by Julius Charlestein, and it has expanded over the years and now has a corporate office in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania with manufacturing facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. CEO Julie Charlestein says that Premier’s passion is the reason for its longevity.

“The achievement of Premier’s 110th anniversary is absolutely monumental. 110 years is actually difficult to fathom–to put that into perspective in terms of other businesses, Premier Dental is older than Boeing, Kikoman, and Lincoln,” Charlestein says in a press release from the company. “This milestone has been reached through 4 generations of the Charlestein Family, and the countless Premier members whose vision, dedication, and passion drove the business forward through many evolutionary phases. It continues to be our mission and honor to serve the dental community with integrity, through Inspired Solutions for Daily Dentistry. We thank you all for your partnership, trust, and success.”

Premier encourages customers to trust in its business based on more than a century of service. To learn more about its “Premier Promise,” visit Premier’s 

Premier Dental Products will celebrate more than a century in the dental industry this year. 

Premier Dental Celebrates 110 Years in the Industry

International speaker and mentor Ankur Gupta, DDS, a general dentist in private practice in North Ridgeville, Ohio, constantly strives to provide the best possible solutions for his patients. As a result, he enjoys fierce loyalty from his patients. His Be Better Seminars help other dentists learn how to avoid failures and achieve success with step-by-step strategies to attain the goals dentists want for their practice. However, even Dr Gupta has cases that haunt him, including this one from 5 years ago.

The patient presented to the office initially to achieve improved esthetics after years of nocturnal and daytime bruxism had caused severe occlusal attrition. At that time, because of financial limitations, the practice agreed to only restore her upper teeth by using posterior porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns to increase occlusal vertical dimension (OVD). This was followed by lithium disilicate anterior crowns. The practice provided the patient with daytime and nighttime occlusal guards, but she had a difficult time with regular adherence.



A long-time patient, aged 37 years, presented with a complaint that her teeth didn’t show enough when she smiled. A self-described bruxer, she asked whether Dr Gupta could fix it.


The Solution:
Dr Gupta thought he could put crowns on the back teeth to open the bite and regain some of the lost vertical from the grinding. He then planned to put zirconia crowns on the front teeth to improve esthetics but no crowns on the bottom front teeth because they didn’t show when she smiled (and to make the treatment more affordable). Finally, he would prescribe a night guard for maintenance to prevent any damage to the crowns.


A mere 2 years later, the upper restorations had decimated the lower teeth. The occlusal wear on teeth 23 to 26 was so severe that it had extended to the pulp and resulted in periapical pathology.



Not long after the completion of treatment, the patient returned with a new problem. The bottom teeth that hadn’t received zirconia crowns were ground down to what Dr Gupta described as pancakes. In addition, teeth 24 and 25 had developed pulp pathology.

The Next Solution:
Dr Gupta crowned the lower incisors (23 to 26) with zirconia and made a bridge, again intending to increase the vertical lost to grinding.


Although the new lower restorations looked nice, it didn’t take long to determine that they would decimate the upper crowns. “Rather than determining the etiology of her severe bruxism, made the unwise decision to simply increase her OVD with posterior lower crowns and thereby provide the room for a lower bridge,” Dr Gupta says.



The patient returned later with significant wear on the original upper crowns from grinding against the lower crowns. Dr Gupta describes the whole case as a disaster. “Imagine this patient. She has dumped so much money into this treatment and put so much trust in me, and I haven’t delivered for her. That’s what haunts me,” Dr Gupta says.


What He Would Have Done Differently:
Looking back, Dr Gupta thinks he oversimplified the solution to the bruxing problem and related esthetic concerns. The first thing he would have done differently was to determine why the patient ground her teeth, a discussion they never had.

“I had a 37-year-old [patient] who had ground her teeth down into tiny nubs, and I wanted to fix her problem,” Dr Gupta says. “I’m guilty of what a lot of dentists are guilty of. It will occur when we fix problems without assessing why that person had that problem.”

The second thing he would have done differently was not relying so much on an occlusal guard. Some patients might receive an occlusal guard, wear it as directed, and have it for the rest of their lives. However, some patients might not be this adherent. Still others might try to wear it but remove it (consciously or unconsciously) in the middle of the night if it isn’t comfortable for them.

In this case, the night guard wasn’t enough, he said. “That’s a big problem I never took the time to solve,” Dr Gupta says, adding that he might have given her an easily replaceable clear plastic retainer that would have been more comfortable. “It’s important for us to realize that they won’t follow all the rules. So, it’s up to us to give them as many tools as possible.”

Additionally, Dr Gupta would have altered his occlusal design so that the brunt of occlusal forces would have focused on the posterior teeth, which would have meant either base metal or gold occlusal surfaces. That way, if the patient had worn through the metal or gold crowns, he could have replaced the posterior crowns rather than remake them in the esthetic zone.

Perhaps most importantly, Dr Gupta would have referred the patient to a prosthodontist. He thinks a prosthodontist would have had a better understanding of occlusion than he does as a general dentist.


Where Is the Case Now?
Dr Gupta says he sent the patient for a sleep study after her top crowns suffered loss from grinding. His patient was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and began using continuous positive airway pressure to improve her breathing, which was the cause of her grinding.

Is she suing him? Thankfully, no. “She still totally loves me, and I don’t deserve it,” Dr Gupta says.

Case #1—Ankur Gupta, DDS

Speaker and educator Jeffrey Lineberry, DDS, AAACD,FAGD, FICOI, owner of the Carolina Center for Comprehensive Dentistry in Mooresville, North Carolina, focuses on complex cosmetic and restorative dentistry. It’s not unusual for him to work on full-mouth restorative cases for his patients. So when a patient wanted Dr Lineberry to fix her smile, he was sure he could help. However, the way he helped her wasn’t his first choice of treatment plan.

The patient, aged mid- to late 50s, presented with missing teeth from the canines to the premolars on the upper left. She already had a removable partial denture but wanted a new solution.


The Solution:
Dr Lineberry told his patient she was a candidate for dental implants, but she refused this option. With a partial denture and implants off the table, Dr Lineberry would do a multiunit bridge abutted to the lateral on the central, replacing the canine and 2 premolars. The entire treatment, which would involve removing existing crowns and placing the bridge, would be complete in 1 day.


The patient suffered from dental anxiety, so she took Valium to help her relax for the treatment. She drove herself to the office, which was not something Dr Lineberry had advised. This situation tipped him off that the day wasn’t going to go as smoothly as he had hoped. “When your patient drives themselves to the visit—which was against our advice and not following our direction—and they seem unaffected by several milligrams of Valium, that’s a bad thing, especially when they’re already an anxious patient,” Dr Lineberry says.



Once he began the treatment, Dr Lineberry saw that the patient had poor gum health and was experiencing heavy bleeding. Moreover, his patient was moving in the chair, adding to the challenge, and there were still hours to go before completion.

Eventually, the bridge was placed along with all the other restorations, and everything worked out. Despite testing the limitations of the bridge and force load on the adjacent teeth, the outcome was satisfactory for Dr Lineberry and the patient. But the process? Not so much. “It was one of those 8-to-5 days of torturing yourself and the patient,” Dr Lineberry says. “It’s about the best way of describing it.”


What He Would Have Done Differently:
This case occurred early in Dr Lineberry’s career, almost 20 years ago. Dr Lineberry says he would have changed a few things about how he delivered that treatment. First, he would have offered more medication before attempting to alleviate the patient’s discomfort. Second, he would have ensured her gums were healthier and encouraged the patient to improve her oral health before initiating treatment. Finally, he might have convinced her to go with a different solution. “Each time she came in, I kept looking at the case wondering when it was going to fail, because everything you read in the prosthodontic books says it will fail,” Dr Lineberry says.

Dr Lineberry also learned that with extensive case management, communication is critical. Not only will it make clear whether the patient’s desired option is not ideal, but it will also allow them to be part of the solution. With many cases (not just this one), Dr Lineberry sees that patients do not take enough ownership of their role in their oral health.

“They show up in our office, and they want us to fix things, but then they don’t want to change anything that got them there,” Dr Lineberry says. “I tell them upfront, ‘If we do this, then this is how we need to manage it.’ If they don’t want to manage it and do things the right way and it breaks, I tell them they get to pay me to fix that crown again because I told them what would happen.

“It’s the most frustrating thing I have when it comes to complex cases,” Dr Lineberry continues. “They don’t do what they’re supposed to, follow through, and take ownership in their own oral health, [which] directly affects the outcome.

These up-front conversations often help when something breaks, Dr Lineberry says. When he reminds patients of their earlier conversation, they understand how their role played a part in the outcome.

Even the best intentions can result in a less-than-optimal outcome. Two clinicians share restorative cases that still haunt them and what they learned from their experiences.

The Restorative Case That Still Haunts Me

The Dental Trade Alliance (DTA) has officially released its 2022 Oral Healthcare Can't Wait® study highlighting the significant connection between oral healthcare and the overall health of Americans, and some of the results are quite substantial. The new study is a refreshed look at an earlier study commissioned by the DTA and focuses specifically on populations of the country that are under-insured or completely without dental insurance.

Key findings of the study, performed by Uma Kelekar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Care Management and Legal Studies at the Marymount University School of Business Administration, include:

$7.4 billion in diabetes-related healthcare costs could be subverted by improved andregular periodontal care.

126 million hours of work and school absencein the country annually can beattributed to unplanned or emergency dental care.

$22.8 billion in US healthcare costs could be saved annually with increased access tocare and awareness of the importance of oral health.

"This study is an important one for the oral healthcare community, but also for the healthcare community at large," says Greg Chavez, CEO of the Dental Trade Alliance. "Research increasingly shows the connection between oral health and overall health, and these numbers illustrate that we can both save lives and save money as a country by committing to oral health advocacy."

Detailed information about the study and downloadable fact sheets for patients, businessowners and government officials can all be downloaded at 

. These materials have been created in response to the findings of the study, and are being used to help bring awareness to various audiences throughout the United States. For more information about the study, please contact Amy Moorman, Vice President of Operations of the DTA, at amymoorman@dentaltradealliance.org.

Latest Oral Healthcare Can't Wait® study highlights major potential for US healthcare savings; numbers illustrate that we can both save lives and save money as a country by committing to oral health advocacy.

DTA Study Shows Healthcare Cost Savings Could Top $22B Annually with Better Oral Healthcare Protocols

Lynne Slim is an award-winning dental author who has published extensively in dental/dental hygiene journals including 

Journal of the Western Society of Periodontology

. She was the periodontal columnist for RDH magazine for about 17 years and is now a columnist for 

 and is a member of their advisory board. In 2003, Lynne founded Perio C Dent, a dental practice management company that specializes in the incorporation of non-surgical periodontal therapy into the hygiene department of the general dental practice.

As a key opinion leader in the dental industry, Lynne is frequently asked to review new products and write product reviews. She participates in product development and is consulted about consumer/RDH product awareness. Lynne received the Philips Oral Healthcare “Mentor of Distinction” award at the 2012 ADHA Annual Session.

I’m not sure I understand the meaning of “woke.”In 2018, David Brooks, a political commentator, was quoted as saying, “To be woke is to be radically aware and justifiably paranoid.” It doesn’t mean “cool,” and it appears to derive from Jamaican philosopher and social activist Marcus Garvey, who, in 1923, encouraged all of Africa to wake up and connect individuals of African descent worldwide.

The woke movement appears to be a renaissance of sorts that coincided with the Black Lives Matter movement following the tragic fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. Social media posts often include the hashtag, #staywoke, to remind Americans about police brutality and systemic racism, which is all too familiar to many of us who live in the United States, including me.

Wokeis a term to describe an evolving awareness of the needs and concerns of others, and I would like to suggest that we further develop this awareness in the field of health care, specifically dentistry and dental hygiene. For me, being woke in dentistry is a much-needed wake-up call that I’d like to scream at the top of my lungs to those who may be disinclined to listen. To reach clinicians who are becoming increasingly frustrated by corporate interference in the delivery of dental care, I direct my suggestions to the dental and dental hygiene care providers whose work is negatively affected when efficiency trumps clinical excellence.

Being Woke in the Delivery of Dental and Dental Hygiene Care

Becoming aware of the systemic nature of woke in today’s American culture reminds me that we must also be vigilant in our critical consciousness in our professional lives. This means not allowing our professional standards to fall to unacceptable levels as reimbursement rates continue to fall.

It seems to me that many health care providers are now at the mercy of managed care and corporate dentistry.

 We may want to deliver the highest quality of patient-focused care while the corporate interests try to rachet down costs. It is true that for many years, many providers were giving away services and resisted becoming more efficient. However, finding the right formula for becoming more efficient without negatively affecting dental care is key to service excellence.

An aha writing moment for me occurred on the day I accompanied my boyfriend Greg to the dentist. Greg is new to Georgia, and it’s been a few years since his last recare appointment. Having moved to Georgia from California, he was used to high-end care in a quality dental practice that included the placement of a dental implant where tooth #19 used to be. This general dentist was rated No. 1 by patients in the surrounding area, so he made an appointment as a new patient. Being the nosey parker I am, I decided to accompany him and sit quietly in the corner of the dental hygiene operatory.

I didn’t let on that I was a dental hygienist or a seasoned dental hygiene journalist; the written medical history was thorough but not reviewed by anyone. We were ushered into 1 of 6 dental hygiene operatories and greeted by a dental hygienist who was a recent graduate of a Georgia dental hygiene technical college. The visit started out well; the dental hygienist took a full-mouth series of digital radiographs, and I was able to view them from my seat in the corner of the room.

I immediately noticed the dental implant in tooth #19, but I also noticed peri-implant bone loss around it. I didn’t say a word, but I did ask whether I could look more closely at the radiographs. The dental hygienist didn’t perform a comprehensive oral cancer screening, which made my heart drop to the floor. Next, I was expecting a periodontal exam of some sort and as she picked up the periodontal probe from the tray, I was feeling somewhat hopeful. However, my hope was dashed as I watched her take the probe, spot probe in a few spots, then put it back on the tray again. She didn’t even go anywhere near the dental implant.

I’ve spent almost my entire career mentoring dental hygienists in one way or another, and most of my mentoring has been in nonsurgical periodontal therapy. To say I was disappointed in this dental hygienist is an understatement. I can honestly say I almost teared up when she failed to perform a periodontal exam. Next, she used an ultrasonic scaler in several areas of the mouth, followed by a hand scaler of some kind. She looked at the radiographs and seemed to concentrate on subgingival calculus on a few posterior teeth, but I stopped watching altogether and decided my phone messages were more interesting. She polished with a rubber cup, but her technique was very unusual, although none of it surprised me.

She then announced that the dentist was coming in for an exam, and a young dentist (a recent graduate) entered the room. He zeroed in on the dental implant with peri-implantitis and asked the dental hygienist whether she noticed the exudate. She said she hadn’t noticed, which was not surprising because her probe didn’t go anywhere near the dental implant. The young dentist didn’t do much of an exam, either, and he decided to refer Greg to an oral surgeon for an evaluation. I then spoke up, asking whether he could be referred to a periodontist, knowing there was subgingival calculus and alveolar bone loss on the radiographs and peri-implantitis to be evaluated.

I can’t honestly state that dental practice standards were low in this practice because of poorly trained clinicians, the result of managed care that sometimes focuses on financial outcomes, or a combination of these 2 factors. It pains me greatly to think that in 2023, there are clinicians who are practicing this way. It also makes me cringe to think that Greg was totally in the dark about the poor quality of care he received. He’s a well-educated, professional man who trusted the clinicians to provide a certain standard of care, but instead he received substandard care that would have received a failing grade in dental/dental hygiene school. However, he did say to me that he was wondering why the dental hygienist wasn’t recording numbers around the teeth his hygienist in California had done.

Woke in Dentistry: Incompetence, Lack of Quality Care, or Both?

Are we redefining dentistry in Western society based on financial gain at the expense of standards of care? Why are some dental and dental hygiene providers ignoring standards of care while others are excelling in group practices and corporate entities? Today, we have more opportunities to excel in our careers, but it is also more complex and riskier.

Woke culture has evolved to mean that we must be aware of the menace of discrimination and political, social, racial, and gender oppression. In our dental culture, as solo private practices disappear and are replaced by group practices and dental service organizations, professionalism must win, and ethical challenges must be addressed.For example, dental professionals should not put themselves in a position of compromising care for patients. Professionals set their own high standards and show that they care about every aspect of the job. You must hold yourself accountable to your principles, words, and actions while your patient is in your care. Professionalism is not the job you do; it’s how you do the job. Be woke in these changing environments for dental and dental hygiene practice, and don’t ever let efficiency overtake clinical excellence.

Encyclopedia Britannica. Marcus Garvey. Encyclopediabritannica.com. Last updated August 13, 2022. Accessed. March 10, 2023. 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-Garvey

Markman T. The evolution of ‘woke.’ May 12, 2021. Accessed March 10, 2023. 

https://tiffanymarkman.medium.com/the-evolution-of-woke-865c4e826e7f

Investigative report on the corporate practice of dentistry. Academy of General Dentistry. 2013. Accessed March 10, 2023. 

https://www.agd.org/docs/default-source/advocacy-papers/agd-white-paper-investigate-report-on-corporate-dentistry.pdf

Being woke in the dental practice means never letting efficiency overtake clinical excellence.

Being Woke Dentistry and Dental Hygiene

Cindy Roark, DMD, took home the highest award at the Denobi Awards, an industry-wide dental awards program celebrating outstanding individuals and dental teams. The third annual red-carpet gala event was held earlier this month and named 14 individuals and 2 dental teams as recipients.

The Denobi Awards Gala recognizes and honors excellence in dentistry and is focused on honoring the “unsung heroes” from all roles in dentistry–those who’ve made outstanding contributions to the world-wide dental industry. With the 2023 gala exclusively sponsored by Crown Seating and DNTLWorks, hundreds of nominations were received from across various roles in the industry, with a shortlist released in January. In partnership with the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference, the prestigious gala took place on March 4, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.

The gala culminated with the presentation of the Dr. Lou Shuman Denobi Pinnacle Achievement Award, the program’s highest award honoring an individual whose leadership and ongoing contributions have dramatically impacted the profession. The recipient of this year’s award was Dr Roark, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Sage Dental.

Tickets are on sale now for the next Denobi Awards Gala on March 2, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. Nominations will run from October 1 to December 31, 2023.

Congratulations to the following 2023 Denobi Award winners:

Beverly Wilburn, DAADOM–Diplomat, American Association of Dental Office Managers

Cindy Roark, DMD–SVP & CCO, Sage Dental; Recipient of the Dr. Lou Shuman Denobi Pinnacle Achievement Award

Crystal Spring, BSDH, RDH, LAP–Executive Director, Smiles Across Montana

Fiona Perry, RDH–Founder, Flying Smiles (Scotland)

Jill Rethman, RDH, BA–Editor in Chief, Dimensions of Dental Hygiene; President-Elect, International Federation of Dental Hygienists

Katrina Sanders, RDH, BSDH, M.Ed, RF–Founder, Sanders Board Preparatory

Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH–CEO, Next Level Dental Hygiene

Ryan Vet, MBA, CVP–Owner, Speaking Consulting Network

Sampada Deshpande, DDS, FACD–Founder, New Dentist Club

Tija Hunter, CDA, CDIPC, EFDA, CDIA, CDSO, CDSH, MADAA–Past President, American Dental Assistants’ Association

Uche Odiatu, BA, DMD–International speaker

Sound Dental Care–Washington; Recipient of the Denobi Dental Team Award

Mainely Teeth–Maine; Recipient of the Denobi Dental Team Award

To learn more about The Denobi Awards and watch highlights, visit 

; for more information about the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference, visit 

Industry-wide dental awards program announces 2023 winners at third annual red carpet gala March 4.

Denobi Awards Event Honors Cindy Roark, Many Other ‘Unsung’ Dental Heroes

In recognition of World Oral Health Day, the Delta Dental Institute announced on March 20 that it has launched a new campaign, 

Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce

, to help increase the number of oral health professionals from historically underrepresented groups.

While racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals is linked to improved outcomes and greater health equity, the current oral health workforce does not reflect the changing demographics of the U.S. population, states Delta Dental.

The Delta Dental Institute's campaign will drive toward a more diverse oral health workforce by establishing the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund and by supporting initiatives in oral health education, research, and community investment.

"There is an urgent need to address the ongoing lack of minority representation in the oral health professions," James W. Hutchison, President & CEO of Delta Dental Plans Association, says in a press release. "As the nation's oral health leader, we have a responsibility to tackle this issue head-on and make progress toward improving outcomes and advancing oral health equity for all."

Driving Greater Diversity in the Oral Health Workforce 

Establish the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund: 

In its first year, the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund will make targeted investments of up to $1million in comprehensive solutions, innovative pilots, and scalable models that inspire school-aged children from historically underrepresented groups to pursue a career in oral health.

Delta Dental will continue its investment in the future of the oral health workforce through the funding of scholarships and infrastructure at minority serving institutions. Since 2018, Delta Dental has invested nearly $50 million in college and university programs. In addition, in 2021, Delta Dental supported scholarships, grants, and other workforce development opportunities that benefited more than 147,000 people, many from historically underrepresented groups.

The Delta Dental Institute has sponsored the Harvard School of Dental Medicine's new research on the oral health workforce. As published in the latest edition of JAMA Health Forum, lead researcher, Dr. Sung Eun Choi, SM, PhD, finds that expanding the dental workforce in oral health professional shortage areas through the National Health Service Corps would reduce the burden of dental caries among children in underserved areas and is cost-effective.

Nearly a quarter of Delta Dental community investments in 2021 were dedicated to oral health education and workforce development. Delta Dental will continue its focus on supporting historically underrepresented groups by conducting outreach to students of all ages to elevate the importance of oral health to overall health and to introduce the possibility of a career in the oral health professions.

"Taking a multifaceted approach to addressing the barriers historically underrepresented groups face in choosing careers in oral health is critical to creating sustainable change in the industry," says Vivian Vasallo, Executive Director of the Delta Dental Institute. "Through this campaign, we will elevate the need for a more diverse oral health workforce and support the advancement of actionable solutions. We are eager to see unique, innovative proposals brought forward for consideration by the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund."

For those interested in applying for the Delta Dental Oral Health Diversity Fund and learning more about this campaign, please visit 

. Eligible applicants must be based in the United States, and may include 501(c)(3)organizations, private businesses, or limited or general partnerships.

The Delta Dental Institute seeks to increase the number of oral health professionals from historically underrepresented groups.