October 2022 New Products

Articles

A look at the newest product releases in the dental industry.

 composites and bonding agents are designed to optimize restorative outcomes while providing an excellent value for the dental practice. We look at the benefits of Henry Schein’s Natural Elegance line, the pain points it addresses in a busy dental practice, and why Henry Schein Brand Products help clinicians meet their practice goals.

The Benefits of the Natural Elegance Line

Natural Elegance line bears the tagline “The Ultimate in Restoration Quality.” However, quality means different things to different people. We spoke to two Henry Schein product experts to determine what quality means to them.

Felicitas Rätzke, Product Category Manager with Henry Schein, says the benefits of different composites in the Natural Elegance line address different daily clinical situations. “In other words, a complete solution for everyday use,” Rätzke says.

The Natural Elegance Premium Flow Nano Composite was designed for smaller, harder-to-reach preps, among other dental restorations. When used as a base, its fluoride-releasing formulation helps prevent secondary caries. In addition, it has nanoparticles, making it strong, polishable, and resistant to wear. Plus, it has a high radiopacity to make it visible on x-ray scans.

Natural Elegance Premium Flow Nano Composite contains nanoparticles and a unique combination of photoinitiators to provide total shade predictability and a long-lasting, smooth, high-gloss surface, Rätzke says. It is indicated for use in anterior and posterior restorations.

There are other features clinicians will appreciate as well. Enhanced polymerization means the Premium Flow Nano Composite provides improved mechanical properties. Spheroidal zircon silicate fillers are designed to provide brightness and wear resistance. Also, it is easy to polish and has a high shine longevity. Plus, the bisphenol A–free formula features nonsticky handling. “It is considered an all-rounder for universal use, with great wear resistance,” Gerard Metselaar, Vice President, Corporate Brands for Henry Schein, says.

Rounding out the line are the Natural Elegance Bulk Fill Composites that come in flowable and packable versions. With a depth of cure of 4 mm, they are highly radiopaque and have universal light curing with an exposure of 10 seconds, with minimal shrinkage.

In addition to providing different viscous options for the composites, Henry Schein also upgraded bonding to the latest generation. The Natural Elegance Bonding Agents offer multiple options for customers’ adhesive systems, including Total Etch Bond, Self Etch Bond, or Universal Bond. Metselaar says Universal Bond is suitable for priming zirconia restorations prior to cementation, saving time compared with classical primer and bonding products. All bottles have drop control dispensing for efficient and economical use, he adds.

In addition, the bonding agents have more useful features for clinicians. They are compatible with all resin materials, universally light cured, and stable at room temperature.

Of course, none of these things matter if the bond doesn’t hold. The bond strength (in MPa) for each bonding agent is as follows:

Bond Strength

Addressing Your Pain Points With a Brand Name You Can Trust

One significant benefit of Henry Schein’s Natural Elegance line is that they offer the latest material technology to provide top-quality restorations. There is a focus on ease of use but also highly esthetic results. “We are aiming to simplify restorative procedures, save time, and ensure predictable and beautiful results for happy patients and long-lasting restorations,” Rätzke says.

Inflation affects everyone. Henry Schein recognizes inflation also affects dental practices’ bottom lines. “In the world of…high inflation for many products, the Henry Schein Brand Products provide excellent, quality products for your clinical care at a great value for the practice,” Metselaar explains.

The Power of Brand Is Strong With Henry Schein

Every materials manufacturer has a story, although some tell it better than others. These stories, combined with personal experience and consistent results, create the brand loyalty that dental restorative materials companies dream about: habitual use that has clinicians reaching for the manufacturer’s brand unconsciously and repeatedly.

Moreover, brand loyalty opens doors when another product or service is available. In the behavioral sciences, this phenomenon is called the halo effect. It describes how a brand and its reputation become part and parcel of a brand’s new offering before the consumer even tries it. In other words, brand-loyal customers assume the new product will have the same level of excellence as the brand’s prior offerings.

Henry Schein has quite a halo in the dental industry. It is one of 

’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2022 and a Fortune 500 company since 2004. The company’s 90th anniversary was September 13, 2022, and with over $12 billion in annual sales and more than 1 million customers across 32 countries, Henry Schein is a brand dental practices know. With their recent acquisition of Midway Dental Supply, their impact on the dental market will become even more pronounced.

Both Metselaar and Rätzke say Henry Schein is proud to have served the dental community for close to a century. The Natural Elegance line is an extension of that pride and a brand built on consistent and predictable results. “We look forward to continuing to serve for many more years to come,” Metselaar says.

Grant M. Halo effect. Investopedia. 2021. Accessed September 1, 2022. 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/halo-effect.asp

[SPONSORED ADVERTORIAL] A look at the benefits of the Natural Elegance line of products from Henry Schein.

Natural Elegance® by Henry Schein: A Natural Fit for Your Busy Practice

Kristin Hohman has served as Associate Editor of Dental Products report since 2019. She has a background in journalism and digital content. Kristin can be reached at khohman@mjhlifesciences.com.

When searching for quick answers on instructions for use (IFUs), clinical applications, and more.

vTail is a mobile application that allows health care professionals to connect with their vendors for product information, education, and support. The mobile app is free and designed to give instant access to the product information you need when you need it. Clinicians can choose how and when to connect with companies, and all communication is done through the app, so there is no sharing of personal information.

Clinicians can manage the companies they have contact with, eliminating the “sales pitch.” On vTail, they can see a digital Rolodex of their assigned reps from all participating companies. They can reach out for immediate information or advice using built-in HIPAA–enabled video calls, audio, chat, and file sharing.

The app is designed as a portal that offers information on thousands of products, including IFUs, product specifications, reimbursement information, educational information, and instructional videos. It also features a news feed, which keeps users up to date on industry news, journal articles, and association posts, all curated to match your interests or specialty.

This new mobile app gives clinicians immediate access to product information, education, and support.


5Ws* vTail app 

Lorne Lavine, DMD, founder and president of The Digital Dentist, has more than 30 years invested in the dental and dental technology fields. A graduate of USC, he earned his DMD from Boston University and completed his residency at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, N.Y. He received his specialty training at the University of Washington and went into private practice in Vermont until moving to California in 2002 to establish TDD, a company that focuses on the specialized technological and HIPAA needs of the dental community. He can be reached at drlavine@thedigitaldentists.com or 866-204-3398.

Secure Your Dental Practice With Data Backup Knowledge. Image courtesy of Deemerwha studio/stock.adobe.com.

Of all the topics my clients and potential clients ask about, the issue of data backup is far and away the most common one. I’ve mentioned data backup several times in the more than 5 years I’ve written this column. But because there have been some updates, I thought it would be good to review my recommendations.

Just like when it comes to choosing your impression materials or implant system, there’s no right, wrong, or necessarily best choice; it’s what works best for you. It all boils down to making sure you back up your data on a regular basis and that the backup is secure and meets HIPAA guidelines. The question is, how do you accomplish that? I always recommend a 2-pronged approach to backup: a local backup and an offsite backup.

There are many ways to do a local backup, and the method you use may be limited by your budget. If cost isn’t an issue, I highly recommend doing what’s called a server image and putting it on a Windows computer. A server image is a copy of the entire server, not just the data but the program files and network settings; it’s basically an exact copy of the entire server. We put that image on another computer and virtualize it. If your server goes down, we fire up the virtual copy, and within minutes, you are up and running again. As far as other computers on the network are concerned, the main server is back and running normally.

I recommend purchasing a souped-up computer with at least 3 to 4 TB of storage for the local server image. Why? Well, if the image sits on a Windows computer, that computer can function as the replacement server temporarily; you can boot from it and have it act as a server. And I prefer 3 to 4 TB so we can put multiple days or weeks of backups on there. If your budget is limited, you can use an inexpensive external hard drive. But in many cases, we’d need to copy those files to the replacement server before it can function, which can significantly slow down the restore process.

Of course, having the best local backup won’t protect you from flood, fire, theft, etc, so you need to make sure the data leave the office every day. In the past, individuals took external hard drives home, but this wasn’t the easiest option for many practices. What I suggest instead is a cloud backup. It can be done automatically, with no input required from you or your team. It’s quick and easy to track and document.

Finally, you need to make sure your backup meets HIPAA requirements. By having a cloud backup, you meet the requirement that backups must be retrievable. You need to use software that will encrypt the local backup as well as encrypt the data are it travels to the cloud location. HIPAA rules require you to verify the backup and do test restores on a regular basis. We do them weekly for our clients; you should test monthly at the very least.

A properly designed and monitored backup will give you peace of mind. You’ll sleep well at night knowing your data is safe and secure. In most cases, you should consider working with an information technology provider who is exclusive to health care to ensure your backups meet all privacy and security rules.

Keep your data safe by knowing exactly what type of backup your systems need and how often to do it.

Secure Your Dental Practice With Data Backup Knowledge

I have relied on the power of visual communication. I purchased an intraoral cameral system in the early 1990s when the price was $15,000. The reason for that was simple: My undergraduate degree in psychology taught me that over 80% of what humans perceive about their environment comes from their eyes. Patients understand their conditions better when they can see them, and informed patients make better decisions regarding their overall health. All these years later, we still use intraoral cameras in my office every day.

Let’s turn this issue around. Patients make better decisions when they see better, so do doctors make better decisions when they see better? Of course they do. I started using magnification around 1995, and I have continued to improve my clinical vision ever since. I remember an instructor once telling me, “Flucke, in order to do well, one must see well.” This person wasn’t wearing magnification, but back then, no one did. However, that advice rings truer when you consider how superior magnification affects your dentistry.

Of course, magnification goes hand in hand with lighting. As you increase your level of magnification, the amount of light entering the telescope decreases. This is simple physics. As you increase magnification, you must also increase light, or you will lose clarity and detail. That is one reason I am a huge fan of having a bright light-emitting diode (LED) attached to my scopes. (By the way, I realize everyone calls them loupes, but I prefer to call them surgical telescopes. I think that term is more accurate.)

Having a bright light attached to your scopes provides amazing visualization. The operatories I designated as my preferred workspaces do not even have track lights. The amount of illumination I get from my scope-mounted LED is so good, I find track lights of no use. If you are still using track lights, pay attention to how often you move or adjust them during each appointment. You will be surprised when you pay attention to how frequently you stop to move the light. Having a light that is bright and readily available wherever you look becomes a necessity rather quickly.

That brings us to the reason for this discussion. I have recently been doing a test-drive of the new DragonFly system from Orascoptic. I’ve always been a fan of Orascoptic as a company. Their products are well made, hold up to the rigors of daily use (and occasional abuse), and provide phenomenal visualization of the field. That visualization is especially amazing when combined with one of their Endeavour XL lights. I love the Endeavour XL, but the drawback for me is the battery. The system requires a hefty battery connected with a wire.

A few years ago, the company came out with a radical new design that turned the magnification space on its proverbial ear. The new design, called XV1, was a huge leap forward in the world of dental magnification. It combined a sporty frame with the clinician’s choice of magnification, but the radical aspect was its built-in light. The design was such that the batteries were in pods at the end of the arms of the frame. This meant no battery pack on your waist or in your pocket and no dangling wire getting caught on things. The XV1 was the first all-in-one design of telescopes and light. I put an order in immediately.

Now we are seeing the next step forward in this concept with DragonFly. The smart people at Orascoptic took time to analyze their previous system and improve upon it significantly, considering different categories of end user and planning for them accordingly. Allow me to explain.

DragonFly is still a single-unit magnification and built-in light device. However, it comes in different sizes and models. The DragonFly Pro is designed for dentists and surgeons. It is completely customizable, meaning it can be ordered with any magnification setup that Orascoptic offers. The variable-level EyeZoom telescopes are compatible with the unit. It also comes with extra batteries and multiple light intensity settings and has a durable ceramic paint finish. There are 4 frame colors available: amethyst, charcoal, neptune, and olive. These colors make use of a ceramic polymer coating that is not only esthetically pleasing but also resistant to corrosion from disinfectants.

Then there is the DragonFly RDH. This model is designed for hygienists, featuring the RDH line of scopes made for the dental hygiene profession. There are 3 colors available: champagne, lilac, and midnight.

The third model is the DragonFly Neo. This model is intended for users on a budget and students. It supports the 4 most popular magnification levels preferred by first-time purchasers (×2.5 micro, ×2.5 macro, ×3, and ×3.5). I am impressed by this model. Magnification is no longer nice to have in our profession; it is a must-have feature. But for users on a budget, purchasing clinical telescopes can be a serious financial drain. By offering this model, Orascoptic provides a great product at a great price point.

All 3 models are available in small, medium, and large sizes, which is a big improvement over the XV1’s one-size-fits-all concept. In addition, every model comes with Orascoptic’s TruColor LED headlights. This makes shade matching while working with the light much easier. The company offers square or round lens shapes. This allows the user to customize the shape of the scope to the user’s facial features. It’s a nice benefit to have, and Orascoptic is currently the only company offering this.

I have been using a preproduction model for my test-drive, and I am impressed. One of the great things about being an established customer is the company has my measurements stored in my customer file. In normal circumstances, a sales representative would come by the office, take measurements, and custom-build the system for the user. For my test-drive, they took the measurements in my record and created a Pro setup based on those numbers. They were spot-on right out of the case!

The unit I’ve been testing is the Pro model, with a charcoal finish and adjustable (×3, ×4, ×5) EyeZoom telescopes. These scopes allow me to change levels by simply twisting the scope until it clicks into the correct setting. I have always been a fan of bright lighting, which is why I put up with the hassle of an external battery pack. My DragonFly Pro setup has the TruColor LED with a high output of 78 lumens and low output of 49 lumens. I have found the 78-lumen setting to be adequate for almost all my procedures. The DragonFly is extremely comfortable to wear. With the battery pods being at the end of the arms, the weight on your nose is reduced because of the counterbalance of the batteries. The batteries last longer than a single workday and are recharged at night.

This advance in telescope design and customization can be a true game changer for clinicians who are looking to enhance their working magnification and ability to bring sufficient light to the working area. The more you see, the better you can diagnose issues and treat your patients. The Orascoptic DragonFly can be set up to help any clinician do both.

[SPONSORED] John Flucke, DDS, shares his experience trying out the latest loupe innovation from Orascoptic.

Test Drive: Reach a New Standard in Clinical Visibility With these Telescopes With Integrated, Wireless Headlight

Endodontist Emmanuel Ngoh, DMD, has been practicing in Augusta, Georgia for more than 20 years. The Augusta area is very dental savvy, Dr Ngoh says, mainly due to the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, which is located in the city.

“Because we’re [near] the dental school, people here have a strong knowledge of what it means to take care of their teeth more,” Dr Ngoh says.

As an endodontist, Dr Ngoh says patients are referred to him because they’re in need of immediate care.

“Most of these patients don’t carry cash all the time,” he explains. “And when [a] patient...needs help, that is when CareCredit comes in very handy.”

CareCredit is a credit card designed for health care needs that offers patients a way to pay for the costs of many treatments and procedures by stretching payments out. This has been a game-changer for Dr Ngoh’s patients and his practice, he says.

“I would say about 80% of our patients are [those] who [need immediate care],” Dr Ngoh says. “The challenge that we had initially is that you have a patient who comes in and they need [acute dental] care.”

CareCredit is a health care credit card designed for patients’ health and wellness needs. It’s a way to pay for the costs of many treatments and procedures by allowing patients to make convenient monthly payments. CareCredit is accepted at more than 250,000 providers nationwide for dentistry, vision care, veterinary care, hearing care, and other specialties. CareCredit is now also accepted at select retail locations, including Walgreens, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.

Before adding CareCredit to his practice about 18 years ago, Dr Ngoh would treat these types of cases. The issue that arose was that, once the patient was no longer dealing with a dental issue, they would see no need to come back to the practice for a follow-up.

“Once that motivation...is gone, they don’t come back,” he explains. “It’s not a need anymore. And then the last thing is for them to pay me. So I constantly used to send patients to collections, and the collection agency was hoping that [would] pay me. That was not a good practice module.”

The next patient financing solution Dr Ngoh tried was offered through a local bank. The problem with this option was that the applicant approval rate was low, as was the approval amount, significantly narrowing the pool of patients who were able to pay this way, he says.

“Those are the kinds of challenges that we’d have, and this patient has now been left with the only alternative—either to pull the tooth or find some way to come up with the money to pay for this treatment. And some of them…had to go back and take a second mortgage just to pay for treatment because they needed immediate care,” Dr Ngoh explains. “These are some of the challenges that we had in our practice.”

Whether they do not have coverage or have maxed out their benefits for the year, many patients can fall through the cracks of dental insurance coverage, pressing them to pay for treatment out of pocket. CareCredit, however, is an effective stopgap.

CareCredit can be used for the majority of dental treatments, including 6-month checkups; preventative dentistry, such as endodontics, periodontics, and ceramic fillings; and restorative procedures, such as implants, crowns, and veneers. The company offers shorter-term financing options of 6, 12, 18, or 24 months with promotional financing on purchases of $200 or more when the minimum monthly payments are made and the amount is paid in full by the end of the promotional period. Patients can also use CareCredit in conjunction with their dental insurance.

“With those options now, they can reach out and [accept] the needed treatment. Then I don’t have a cancellation because now I have patients in my chair, and I can provide treatment,” Dr Ngoh says. “It’s a win-win.”

Within a few months of implementing CareCredit, the practice’s accounts receivable have significantly improved, something Dr Ngoh attributes to CareCredit. It’s also provided a morale boost for his staff, who can now offer patients other payment options when discussing treatments.

“When you’re looking at a patient…and say, “Your treatment is this number of thousands of dollars,’ and the patient is like, ‘How am I going to afford this?’, now we can turn around, look at them, and say, “I have good news for you. Within 5 minutes, you can apply for this and if you get approved, [there’s promotional financing] for 12 months.’ And this patient moved from a person who was so dejected, to now one who is so excited. And then to see also how Ashley [Morris], my financial coordinator, how she [is]so happy because she’s able to help this person, Dr Ngoh explains. “With CareCredit, everyone wins.”

How CareCredit helped one practice expand its community reach while improving its accounts receivable.

A Game-changing Patient Financing Solution 

Any office looking to add their very own practice ambassador.

On high-volume days or when looking to create efficiencies around patient education, customer service, stocking, and other small routine tasks.

Zeeno Robot features a suite of behaviors designed to assist in the day-to-day operations of a practice. The unit can interact with patients by showing them the way to the operatory, playing educational videos, and even asking for a review. The robot can assist practice staff with tasks such as carrying instruments that need to be sterilized, retrieving retainers from in-house labs, and more.

Standing just over 3 ft high, Zeeno Robot features a ROBOX™ navigation system with Temi’s human-robot interaction and autonomous navigation. Its operating system is designed to come, hear, speak, see, and understand you while learning to improve its interactions. The unit uses artificial intelligence to connect users to services and to understand and navigate its surroundings. The robot features a multitouch 10-in LCD display that tilts –15º to +55º. It’s designed to last up to 8 hours on a single charge and will autonomously charge its battery when low.

Zeeno is a practice robot that can interact with patients and staff, saving you time and creating a unique experience for patients.

5Ws* Zeeno Robot

Designed for professional-grade at-home whitening.

Results after just 15 minutes of wear time.

The system is designed to deliver advanced brightening results with a formula that is tough on stains, but gentle on enamel. According to clinical data from BURST, participants saw 3.5-plus shades whiter after 7 days and 85% of participants did not experience any tooth sensitivity. Each prefilled, custom-fit feel tray seamlessly molds to teeth for an effective experience that tailors to all smiles, without any guesswork, molding, or impressions.

The trays contain 12.5% hydrogen peroxide plus pH-balancing potassium hydroxide and soothing xylitol for comfortable whitening that delivers professional-grade results in 1 week. The consciously clean, vegan formula was crafted alongside BURST hygienists and dentists and does not contain parabens, phthalates, sulfates, major allergens, artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors.

BURST’s newest whitening product features custom fit trays that mold to teeth for an effective experience that tailors to all smiles. 

5Ws* Teeth Whitening Trays

Dr. John Flucke is in private practice in Lee’s Summit, Mo. He also serves as technology editor for Dental Products Report magazine and keeps an active blog filled with thoughts and tidbits on the world of technology at blog.denticle.com.

As a technology lover and former psychology major, I have always been fascinated by what technology can do for us but also why we accept or reject things with the potential to change our world. History is full of examples of individuals who rejected new ideas and discoveries. One of my favorites is a quote from Alfred Loomis, MD, an accomplished clinician and luminary in medical education who served as president of the New York Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians in the late 1800s.

The story goes that in 1882, Dr Loomis was told about Robert Koch’s discovery of tubercle bacillus as the cause of tuberculosis. A few days later, Dr Loomis was giving a lecture when he stated, to the delight and laughter of the students present, “People say there are bacteria in the air, but I cannot see them.”

Dr Loomis’ belief system was too strong to allow him to see the truth. This happens often in business, too. In the early days of computing, Ken Olsen, the CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), told colleagues, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” DEC made mainframe computers that were, at their smallest, the size of a refrigerator. A couple decades later, his company was bought by home computer manufacturer Compaq. Olsen was so entrenched in his world of giant computers that he was blind to the concept of smaller ones.

My point is even experts make mistakes regarding the future. If that mistake is made by a business, it can be the end of the business. This is especially true for a company comfortably entrenched in an industry, which brings me to the point of this column.

Whip Mix Corporation began back in 1919. The name comes from a machine they licensed from a dentist that easily and consistently mixed water and gypsum investment powder into the perfect consistency to pour around a wax pattern. That means Whip Mix has been involved in making cutting-edge products to make the creation of fixed dental prosthetics easier since 1919. That is an amazing and admirable mission!

Back when Whip Mix was founded, the lost-wax technique was the common fabrication method for gold prosthetics. The technique still works and is used today, but the profession has evolved. The use of nonesthetic materials such as gold has decreased significantly, and the need to mix investment material decreased with it.

I mentioned resistance to change because it is a common occurrence. A company develops something amazing and new, and the once tiny company has amazing success. However, instead of scanning the horizon for new and better things, the now large company, spends huge amounts of energy and capital to maintain the status quo.

Whip Mix did not do that. They embraced the future and kept on the cutting edge. As Technology Evangelist, I salute them! The company saw the market and profession changing and changed right along with it.

In the past 10 years, dentistry has made an evolutionary jump into the world of 3D. We are now seeing the incorporation of 3D impression/acquisition units (which some call scanners) and the pairing of those devices with 3D printers. This allows offices to print models, surgical guides, occlusal guards, dentures, orthodontic aligners, and even permanent crowns. This market is exploding with potential.

Doctors in today’s high-tech practices are working on ways to develop the best digital workflows. The snag is they only have a deep understanding of half the process. They know dental impressions, and this familiarity helps in choosing the 3D impression system that best fits an office. However, 3D printing is unknown to many doctors. Left to find their own answers, doctors must often work with new and unfamiliar companies because many 3D printer manufacturers are newer brands in the dental industry.

The other piece of expanding an office’s hardware footprint is the concept of compatibility. As a diehard technology lover, I am passionate about the concept of open architecture software and the interoperability that comes with it. Basically, it means every scanner will output to a file type that can be used by every 3D printer. It’s a great concept for mixing and matching hardware, but it also means a doctor has to be absolutely sure of their purchasing decisions.

There are many snags that can pop up that you don’t think about until you use a piece of hardware. As my grandfather used to say, “Son, experience is what you get 5 minutes after you needed it in the first place.”

Enter Whip Mix with their VeriONE line of digital workflow products. Combined they present a turnkey 3D concept I truly love. The company offers the full range of 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanners, VeriEKO 3D printer, VeriLUX 3D model-curing station, and the VeriWHIRL 3D model-washing/processing station, which can all be purchased together.

3D in dentistry is moving past the early adopter phase. Doctors do not want to spend valuable time figuring out technology. They want to buy it and use it. That is what Whip Mix delivers.

The company allows the doctor to purchase with confidence. Whip Mix has looked at its product line from every angle. Not only does the doctor get state-of-the-art hardware but also state-of-the-art software as well. As an authorized dealer for 3Shape, Whip Mix gives the doctor access to this incredible design platform. But it goes 1 step further than that. If the office sees the benefits of 3D printing but doesn’t want to do their own design?, 3Shape offers their own offsite design services that create necessary files and email them to be printed with office hardware. Problem solved!

The mind trust at Whip Mix analyzed the industry, saw the changes coming, and looked at the solutions for how offices could integrate these amazing technologies. They then took it 1 step further and said, “Where are the potential problems?” They identified those problems and built solutions into their turnkey system.

An established company could have easily pointed out the risks of change and encouraged doctors to stay with the status quo. That is what many companies do. Instead, Whip Mix saw the future, saw the benefits, and embraced them. They went the extra step to make their customers’ experience less stressful.

I am impressed with Whip Mix and the system they designed for predictable digital dentistry. Doctors can now buy digital solutions from a company with more than 100 years of experience. Whip Mix began as a company of 4 brothers who worked together and saw the future. Today the company still maintains a culture of seeing and embracing the future.

If you want to reap the benefits of digital workflows, bring Whip Mix into your practice. They have done the hard work for you, and this means you can enjoy digital workflows while knowing you have a partner who has done everything to ensure your success. My time and experience working with their products has made me a strong believer in Whip Mix. I am confident you can benefit from their efforts as much as I have.

[SPONSORED] John Flucke, DDS, shares his impression of the new turnkey chairside 3D printing solution from Whip Mix.

Test Drive: Embracing a Changing Industry, Whip Mix’s VeriONE Turnkey Digital Solution Makes 3D Printing Accessible to Any Dental Practice

Renee Knight is a freelance writer and editor who's been covering the dental industry for 15 years. 

Going Back in Time: Implant Origin Stories. Photo courtesy of labden/stock.adobe.com.

Advances in implant dentistry have made this treatment more predictable and the process more pleasant for patients, which means more of them are seeking it. For dentists, it is easier than ever to get started with implant dentistry. Adding the service allows you to provide patients with another treatment option and it is a great revenue booster.

We recently spoke with dentists involved in placing and restoring implants about the benefits of offering this treatment and the advances they have seen. There have been many changes, all designed to make procedures more streamlined, outcomes more familiar, and implant dentistry more accessible

About 10 years ago, John Flucke, DDS, decided it was time to start offering implants in his practice. Patients who needed implants often were disappointed upon realizing they would have to go to another office for the procedure—some would even opt for Dr Flucke to place a bridge rather than put their trust in another team. Patients have a strong connection to his practice, and he saw an opportunity to offer another service they needed.

Dr Flucke was just about to begin taking an implant placement course when he interviewed a young doctor to join his practice—a doctor who had placed about 200 implants during her residency. She was hired and took the lead on placing implants, with Dr Flucke involved with every other aspect, from planning to restoration.

“People develop a trust with their primary dental caregivers and don’t want to go to other places for treatment unless they really have to,” Dr Flucke says. “And most things we were sending out were kind of the bread-and-butter cases—they weren’t complicated. We’ve had a great response and have actually done more implant restorations since we started offering implants here, because more of our patients are going forward with the treatment.”

Over the years, Dr Flucke has seen implant dentistry evolve from a challenging procedure to one that digital technologies have made easier and more predictable.

Today’s workflow is software driven, he says. After taking a 3D scan, dentists can plan the entire procedure in the software, simply by dragging and dropping a digital version of the exact implant they will place into the 3D volume. The software also takes measurements to indicate how much bone is available, which is critical information before the procedure. Once ready, dentists can send the digital file to a lab to create a surgical guide, or they can mill or 3D-print it themselves.

“It used to be [that] the really nerve-racking part of the procedure was the placement,” Dr Flucke says. “Nowadays, the real skill is the software piece of it; the surgical part isn’t difficult at all because everything has already been worked out ahead of time in the software. When you’re done, you have a real-life copy of the digital image and treatment planning you completed on the screen.”

Even though Jennifer Sanders, DMD, learned how to place implants after dental school, she has chosen only to restore them in her practice. She would love to add implants to her list of services in the future, and may one day encourage her associates to get the required training and start taking on surgery cases.

Through her research and work restoring implants, Dr Sanders has learned a lot about the different systems—particularly what she likes and what she does not. “The more mature and established I become, the pickier I am about what system I want to work with,” she says. “I’m not afraid to tell my oral surgeon, ‘I don’t like that system, could you use this one instead?’”

The number of implant systems available continues to grow, she says, with each brand offering various styles and parts along with corresponding drivers and wrenches. Smaller companies are starting to emerge, offering cost-effective solutions that make it easier for dentists to offer implant dentistry.

Digital technologies like intraoral scanners and CBCT units have streamlined the entire process, Dr Sanders says. With these advances, placement has become more straightforward and familiar.

One of the biggest trends she has noticed in recent years is the move to a holistic approach, she says. For example, she is getting more requests from patients for ceramic implants because they do not like the idea of putting metal into their body or have discovered they are reactive to titanium. The larger implant companies are starting to offer reliable ceramic options, a trend Dr Sanders expects will continue.

“[Patients] are becoming more aware of the [biological] reactivity,” she says. “It’s not just the shape of the implant or the coating, but also digging more into how a person’s body reacts to it.”

As a dentist who started restoring implants about 20 years ago, Todd Snyder, DDS, FAACD, has seen numerous improvements that have led to enhanced predictability and better outcomes for implant patients.

The first is the healing aspect. Traditional stock healing caps cannot, for the most part, create anatomical tissue shapes, he says. Achieving tissue emergence that looks realistic requires the ability to create a custom healing abutment, which is now an option. “This allows the tissue to contour and heal so when it’s time to take an impression to fabricate the final restoration, the tissue has already healed and matured to the shape you want,” Dr Snyder says. “You also have an impression analog that’s custom and basically maintains the same shape of the tissue. You can pick that up in the impression and send it to the lab, so they don’t have to guess where to put it; it’s already been done. You get a better impression and a better final product.”

The impression parts come together easier now, Dr Snyder says, reducing the time it takes to get an accurate impression. For example, you now have scannable abutments that make the process faster. “The impression component has gotten quicker and easier,” he says, “whether you’re working with a custom, open, or closed tray.”

The restorative aspect is also more streamlined, he says. In the past, implants typically featured external connections. Now, most of them are internal, providing advantages including better seating and durability. New drivers also make it possible to gain access to areas where angled screw channels could not go before, another advancement.

“The restorative aspect has gotten significantly better and easier,” Dr Snyder says. “We used to have to do a lot of cemented crowns onto implants. The ability for the lab to do more screw-retained implants makes the process easier and the implants more durable.”

When Jeff Rohde, DDS, began learning how to place implants about 13 years ago, it was during what he describes as the “era of just trying to get the implant in where there is bone.” He was restoring implants then, so this philosophy often made that task difficult. He found he was getting implants back with angulations that were so off, he knew they would eventually fail. He decided that if he was going to work with implants, he wanted the treatment planning to be prosthetically driven, and that he wanted to do the placing and the restoring.

“It was partially a need for that and partially a diversification,” Dr Rohde says. “I felt like if I really knew the process and really understood osteointegration and how to evaluate [whether] someone has good tissue and good bone, then I would be better as a clinician. I knew it would give me a better big-picture understanding of what clinical possibilities could meet my patients’ needs.”

The implant systems have evolved, with different types of screws and surface treatments among the advances. The biggest change, however, is how easy the process has become. To put in a regular platform on an average-sized implant, for example, only takes 3 drills. Guided surgery protocols also have improved, reducing surgery time to less than 10 minutes.

“We 3D-print a surgical guide in our office, so by the time I get to the implant I already know exactly where it’s going to go,” Dr Rohde says. “There’s no guesswork anymore.”

Navigation systems are available now, allowing dentists to place implants freehand, guided by GPS rather than a surgical guide, he says. That workflow, once laborious and expensive, is becoming more accessible.

Adding implant placement has brought many benefits to Dr Rohde’s practice, allowing him to keep more cases in-house to boost revenue and to alleviate anxiety by offering patients a service they need in an office they know and trust. It also gives him peace of mind to know that when patients return to the office for placement, their treatment has already been planned based on the final tooth.

“The restorative side is a piece of cake now,” he says. “If I can do a digital scan for the final impressions, the crowns just fall right into place and they look great. So, the restorative process is simplified by the fact that we have control every step of the way.”

In the 42 years since Joel Rosenlicht, DMD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, began placing implants, he has witnessed tremendous advances in the technology and a huge growth in the treatment’s popularity. With immediately loaded implants now back in favor, things have come full circle.

The first implant he is familiar with, he says, was placed in 1937. The orthopedic bone screw was immediately loaded and lasted for years. Many of the immediately loaded implants placed afterward failed, however, because there was no true understanding of the biology or physiology needed to achieve good bone integration. That has changed. “Because of those failures and the recognition in the late ’70s and early ’80s that titanium was an ideal material because of its compatibility with bone and because you could assure a greater degree of success and integration, there became a strong trend to placing implants in a 2-stage procedure,” says Dr Rosenlicht, a clinical adviser for implant company Ditron Dental. “Now that we really understand the factors that contribute to the success of dental implants, we’re able to go back and place those implants immediately and restore them immediately, as long as we don’t violate any principles [and] contribute to failure.”

New technologies, including surgical guides, virtual navigation, and robotic navigation, have made placement easier and success more achievable, Dr Rosenlicht says. The implants are manufactured with different surface treatments so they can achieve much higher stability in bone. Clinicians now can determine bone density in advance, so they know how to properly prepare the bone, meaning the implant achieves maximum stability. Predictable osteointegration is possible, and that is leading to better outcomes.

Another important advancement in implant dentistry is the recognition that implants, like teeth, can develop periodontal issues. Minimizing peri-implantitis has become a paramount concern, Dr Rosenlicht says, with new implant designs addressing the issue. Platform switching and maximizing bone contact are among the adjustments companies like Ditron are making.

“Having an implant that has very high tolerances and minimal microgaps to maintain an intimate stability with the implant are key factors in minimizing peri-implantitis,” he says. “Some of these newer designed implants with aggressive threads and surface textures that allow for better integration of bone into the implant surface [and] surface platform switching, and these very well adapted components of the implants are all part of the new evolution of implant design.”

Dr Rosenlicht says room remains for growth. As the products continue to improve, so will the success rate. More dentists will be comfortable offering implant dentistry, broadening access to the treatment. Patients who opt for implants will have a better overall experience.

“[Patients] are starting to look at implant dentistry as a mainstream type of treatment,” he says, “and are more likely to choose it over traditional, costly, time-consuming, and sometimes unpredictable restorative dentistry.”

Clinicians share stories of their early days working with implant cases and what’s changed since, and where they think the future of implants may be going. 