John Flucke's Blog - Ramblings from Dentistry's Technology Evangelist

Patient Prism Publishes Executive Cast Study with Heartland Dental

2026-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Even with all the technology available today, one of the still primary ways that offices stay in contact with patients is through phone calls. Of course, for many offices, the phone is a bit of a black hole. Things such as who is the caller, what did they need, or was the phone even answered, are difficult for many practice owners to know.

However, technology does exist that can help with monitoring office phone lines 24/7. Often a phone call can be the difference between a scheduled appointment and a lost opportunity. Systems like Patient Prism can monitor phone calls and provide some vital answers as well as solid insights.

To try and help answer those questions, and many others, Heartland Dental turned to Patient Prism. Here's a quote from a recent executive summary.

For years, Heartland Dental had visibility into the top of the funnel and almost nothing past it. Ring Central gave the Patient Service Center team good data on which calls came in and which went unanswered — that visibility was the original reason the Patient Service Center existed. But the path from a marketed phone number to a booked appointment was largely invisible.
Supported practices outside the Patient Service Center were answering only 60 to 70 percent of inbound calls. That is a structural problem at any scale, and a serious one when those practices are paying for local marketing that drives the phone to ring in the first place. Even when calls were answered, practice leadership had no reliable read on what was happening on them. Why were patients calling? What were team members saying? Where were bookings breaking down? At the office level, Heartland was effectively blind to providing data to and assisting its supported practices’ booking rate.
Marketing attribution was a separate fight. Calls could be tied to campaigns at the phone-number level, but matching a caller’s number back to a patient record to confirm the call became an appointment required manual data entry that was, in Pat Bauer’s words, a guessing game. Marketing dollars were scaling. The visibility was not.

The executive summary is now online and provides some pretty interesting info. If you are interested in seeing what Heartland Dental learned, here is the link. Even solo practitioners can gain some great insights from systems like this, so I recommend giving it a read. Fair warning, it will take you a few mintues, but it's worth it. You may determine having an AI. phone system can be a real boost to your practice.

Happy Labor Day!

2026-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day everyone! It's a holiday here in the US. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable day off. Here in the US, Labor Day normally signals the end of the summer season and the very beginning of autumn. Neighborhood pools close and those children not yet back in school will head there this week. Here in the KC area in the middle of the country, the weather isn't aware of the official summer ending declaration. We're under an intense heat wave. Yesterday my beloved Kansas City Royals announced that every game of their recent 10 game home stand was played with first pitch temperatures exceeding 95F at *every* game.

Hopefully things cool off soon. I'm taking the day off today, but will return to normal posting tomorrow. Enjoy your time off!

Could Rodin Chroma Flash Change Curing for 3D Printing?

2026-09-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

A longer post today, because I'm going to do a bit of a deeper dive on the chemistry of 3D printing here. Suffice it to say that the resins used in 3D printing are light cured liquid resins that are photopolymerized by high intensity light. In basic terms a 3D printer uses very intense tiny, precise beams of light to strike the liquid resin in exactly the right spot to polymerize it.

The basic understanding of this is pretty easy for dentists to comprehend because we photopolymerize composites every day. The wavelengths of printers are different, but the science is very close and I've always been grateful for that because it makes teaching about 3D printing easier.

One of the things about light curing resins that all dentists are aware of is the presence of an "oxygen inhibition layer" (OIL) which happens during photopolymerization. This happens because:

Oxygen reacts with free radicals.
This leaves a thin oxygen-inhibited layer on the surface.
The result can be a tacky surface, lower surface hardness, and slightly reduced mechanical properties.

The same thing happens with resins in 3D printing. The OIL makes the printed project feel a bit tacky even after final cure. That layer can be removed during polishing, but it requires a bit of extra time because even smooth areas of the 3D printed project need to be polished. Also, with clear projects like occlusal guards or clear ortho retainers it can lead to some discoloration over time.

Until now, there have been two ways to remove the OIL. Complete polishing of the completed project to remove the OIL *or* complete the post-cure process in a unit that provides a "nitrogen only" environment.

Nitrogen curing units flood the post-curing chamber with pure nitrogen before curing. The nitrogen is forced into the chamber, driving out all of the room air that contains oxygen. By curing without the presence of oxygen, the OIL does not form.

The biggest complaints about nitrogen curing have always been:

Buying nitrogen tanks
Maintaining regulators
Replacing cylinders
Or purchasing a nitrogen generator

While nitrogen post-cure units definitely work (and work well), most require a tank of nitrogen to be connected to them. The tank of nitrogen needs to be purchased and connected. There is also a need for a regulator to decrease the pressure from the nitrogen tank to the curing unit. It's not a huge deal to handle and assemble, but it does make nitrogen post-curing a bit more of a hassle. However, you can purchase a new system that can eliminate the need for nitrogen *and eliminate the OIL* using only light.

That new device is the Rodin Chroma Flash. The Chroma Flash handles things differently. Traditional post-curing devices use high powered LEDs to bathe the project in light to complete the post-cure process. The Chroma Flash uses high energy xenon flash lamps instead of conventional LEDs. Those flashes produce an extremely intense, broad spectrum pulse of approximately 280-950nm. Those flashes deliver tremendous light intensity which drives polymerization very rapidly and very deeply, producing excellent conversion without requiring a nitrogen purge. The easiest way to think about it is that LEDs deliver a lower intensity & longer exposure cure while the xenon flashlamps deliver extremely high intensity for milliseconds repeated many times. That is one of the reasons that flash curing is very common in industrial photopolymerization applications.

The other way Rodin has approached this is with their resin chemistry. Pac-Dent has also developed its materials and surface chemistry to work with this curing method. That means that using Rodin resins with the Chroma Flash unit provides optimized resin chemistry, optimized photo initiators, extremely high-intensity xenon flashes, and carefully controlled cure cycles. Putting all of these factors together makes the Chroma Flash the perfect post-cure unit for Pac-Dent's complete line of Rodin resins.

I'm pretty excited about this new device and I’m on the list to receive a unit as soon as the first ones are here in the US. However, the proof is always going to be in the results. Because of that I'm going to be doing a lot of tinkering and testing with this unit. I'll report back here with my findings and let you know what my take is. 3D printing is making tremendous strides in a lot of areas. Design, resin chemistry, and hardware are all seeing incredible progress. In a few short years we've seen the concept go from "pretty cool" to "clinically relevant" and it only continues to grow.

My prediction is that in less than 5 years, delivery of a large percentage of clinical treatment will be done using things created by 3D printing. In the adoption curve this tech has moved out of "Early Adopter" and has now moved into "Early Majority" and it is only going to keep growing.

Dyson CameraJet: The first toothbrush with a camera and a jet, to target the gaps and remove plaque between your teeth

2026-09-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing rumors of the Dyson company launching a toothbrush for a while now... and it's finally here! I've got to give the company credit, they know how to write a press release as you'll see below. It's very detailed and tells you everything you need to know about this product. The oral care market is a financially significant one and it's seen a lot of growth in the last few years. If you walk down the oral care aisle of a store today you'll see lots of powered toothbrushes. However, most of the growth in the powered toothbrush market has been at the lower cost range. Dyson is a brand known for premium products at premium prices.

I'd love to get my hands on the the new Dyson CamerJet to give you my personal opinion from usage, however at this point I don't have any hands-on experience with it. After reading the press release I can say for sure that the device sure sounds impressive. The company is attempting to solve a problem that has existed since the toothbrush was invented... and that is the fact the toothbrush bristles don't reach between the teeth. That's the reason for floss or a water flosser. Dyson has combined those two things into one and it's a great idea. Most people don't floss on a regular basis and that leads to problems. By creating a device that cleans between the teeth and everywhere else, they may have a real home run product here.

While the price may seem expensive, if you are already using a top of the line powered brush and a top of the line water flosser, those two devices combined can be in the price range of the Dyson. It looks like Dyson has done a lot of research and development on the device so I'm optimistic about its performance. Of course only use by the public will tell for sure. As of now, I'm impressed. If you know anyone at Dyson, let them know I'd love to get one to try!

It's a camera viewing, gap finding, jet washing, liquid flossing, mouthwash dispensing, technique teaching, live streaming, plaque blasting, precision cleaning toothbrush. That's all.

Today, in Paris, James Dyson revealed an entirely new way to clean your teeth. The Dyson CameraJet™ is the only toothbrush with a camera powered by Gap Optical Targeting™ to identify gaps between teeth and precision-floss while you brush. Gap Optical Targeting™ analyzes 28 live images per second to identify and target gaps between teeth in real time, triggering a precision jet burst of mouthrinse where it is needed.

It is the result of six years of research, development, and engineering, challenging every aspect of conventional oral care. While others cannot find the gaps between teeth, CameraJet™ can4. While conventional sonic toothbrush bristles can stall against the tooth surface, Dyson's variable sonic oscillation is engineered to keep bristles moving during brushing. While traditional needle-type jets can puncture through plaque, Dyson's conical jet is designed to remove more plaque while being gentler on gums and enamel.

"Flossing is an awkward and time-consuming chore. Few of us do it even though we know we should. Dyson engineers and scientists have spent well over a decade understanding oral care regimes and how nasties build up in the mouth. Our research has shown that people consistently miss the areas where plaque forms: the gaps between teeth.
We wanted to solve three fundamental problems: how to see those gaps, remove plaque, and how to improve cleaning performance while brushing.
By combining a camera, machine learning, precision fluid dynamics, advanced brushing technologies, connectivity and WiFi, Dyson CameraJet™ introduces an entirely new way to keep your mouth healthy."
James Dyson, Founder and Chief Engineer

For decades, oral care routines have relied on multiple separate steps: brushing, flossing, and mouth-washing. Yet very few people do what dentists recommend: twice a day, every day. 9 in 10 people do not floss as regularly as they should and, on average, people spend just 45 seconds brushing which is well below the two-minute guideline.

Most consistently miss the interdental spaces: the gaps between teeth, where the problems start and plaque first forms then hardens. Left behind over time, plaque can contribute to everyday oral health problems, from bad breath and tartar to gum irritation and tooth decay, making the missed spaces between teeth one of the most important areas to target.

According to the World Health Organization's 2025 Global Oral Health Status Report, nearly 3.7bn people are estimated to be affected by oral diseases globally. Poor oral health is also increasingly recognized as being linked to wider health conditions, including heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Gap Optical Targeting™

The 100k pixel macro lens camera is powered by Gap Optical Targeting™, Dyson's AI machine learning algorithm. Gap Optical Targeting™ analyzes 28 live images per second to identify and target gaps between teeth in real time. Within 100ms of the camera seeing a gap, the device detects and jets the gap, triggering a conical burst of mouthrinse to floss while you brush.

Only Dyson has a camera powered by Gap Optical Targeting™ to precision-floss between teeth while you brush.

Dyson CameraJet™ runs on 16 million lines of code, and a machine learning system trained on 470,000 dental images collected during development

Conical Jet

Dyson fluid dynamicists spent years optimizing the profile of the jet to remove plaque more effectively. To test plaque removal accurately, Dyson developed its own proxy plaque through a five-year collaboration with the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Dentistry. This enabled engineers to iterate quickly and optimize for plaque removal, without requiring a clinical trial every time a change was made.

Traditional water flossers often use a "needle-type" jet, a sharp piercing profile of laminar fluid flow. When tested on Dyson's proxy plaque, this type of jet pierced a hole through the plaque but failed to overcome its stickiness and remove it all. In contrast, Dyson's conical jet uses a unique broad conical shaped spray. Its wider coverage sweeps and removes plaque at once, while being optimised at a lower pressure to be gentler on gums and enamel.

Anti-Gravity Tank

Its compact 12.5ml mouthrinse tank dispenses the recommended amount of mouthrinse, optimized to clean the gaps in one session without flooding the mouth. This brings mouth-rinsing into the brushing routine, removing the need for a separate step during use.

The Dyson CameraJet™ uses an anti-gravity tank with a diaphragm pump and pressure chamber that adapt during use to deliver controlled jets in any orientation. Unlike conventional systems that rely on a "straw in a cup" design, which can draw in air and lose performance when tilted, Dyson's anti-gravity tank is engineered to minimize air pockets and help prevent the device from firing blanks.

This is especially important when cleaning the back of the teeth, where the device is often horizontal. The anti-gravity tank helps ensure mouthrinse is delivered consistently each time the precision jet is triggered, whether the device is upright, angled, or horizontal.

Charging dock

To make refilling and charging seamless, Dyson has engineered a docking station that refills the toothbrush at the touch of a button in just three seconds.

The docking station also charges the device between cleans and provides a dedicated place to store it upright, hygienically, and ready for daily use. A travel case is included so you can use the Dyson CameraJet™ at home or on the go.

Dual Bristle Brush Head

Teeth aren't flat – so our brush head isn't either.

The topography of Dyson's brush head is unique and engineered to reach a greater proportion of the tooth's surface. Its dual-bristle design is precisely contoured to clean along the gumline and lift surface stains for whiter teeth, while helping to remove plaque others leave behind. The brush head uses two bristle types: slightly firmer inner bristles work to remove surface stains, while softer outer bristles clean gently along the gumline.

The brush head is also designed with a sonic dampener for optimal acoustics and comfort. Each brush head is equipped with its own RFID tag, identifying when it is connected, how many cleans it has completed, and alerting users when it is time to replace. When a new brush head is attached, the cycle starts again. The range also includes a sensitive variant of the brush head, designed to be even gentler for those with sensitive teeth and gums.

Variable Sonic Oscillation

Dyson's unique variable sonic oscillation varies the angle of oscillation while you brush, keeping the bristles in constant motion and helping to prevent stalling, especially in hard-to-reach areas. External testing has shown that the Dyson CameraJet™ removes up to 69% more plaque than market-leading premium electric toothbrushes in hard-to-reach areas.

Connectivity

The Dyson CameraJet™ is Wi-Fi connected at 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connected. Its integrated camera is a high-quality endoscope, allowing users to see what their dentist sees through the live-viewing feature in the MyDyson™ app.

The camera is only active during live viewing or auto-jetting. No images are recorded or stored on the product or in the cloud, and images remain private to the user.

Through the MyDyson™ app, users can access guided cleaning, how-to films, brushing and flossing insights, coverage mapping, and personalized feedback. The app helps users understand where they are cleaning effectively, where they may be missing, and how to improve their technique over time.

Users can also customize their experience, choosing between auto-detect and manual jetting modes, and adjusting brushing intensity to their comfort level.

Dyson Toothpaste and Mouthrinse

Coming soon, Dyson has engineered a complete dental system to optimize the performance of Dyson CameraJet™. This includes a proprietary non-foaming toothpaste, formulated without SLS (a common foaming agent) to help keep foam out of the way so the camera can see clearly and support Gap Optical Targeting™, alongside a low-foaming mouthrinse formulated for use with the precision jet.

Availability

The Dyson CameraJet™ launches on September 1, 2026, priced at $499 and offered in two colorways: Ceramic Ultra Blue and Ceramic Pink. The Dyson CameraJet ™ includes a refill dock, two regular brush heads, and a charging cable, all engineered to work together for a complete brushing, precision-flossing and mouth-rinsing routine. Pair with an SLS-free, clear mouth rinse and SLS-free toothpaste for optimal performance.

To buy and learn more and experience The Dyson CameraJet™ visit a Dyson Demo Store near you or https://www.dyson.com/oral-care.

SprintRay Introduces Midas Restore™, a New Definitive Restorative Material Engineered for Midas Digital Press

2026-09-01T09:15:00.000-05:00

The evolution of 3D printing continues at the speed of tech. Not only are we seeing rapid evolution in the ease of design, but we're also seeing continuing progress and evolution in the material science that dentistry depends on. The last couple of years have seen several announcements of improved materials for fixed prosthetics. Today it's a major announcement from SprintRay.

Today the company has announced SprintRay Midas Restore™. Filler rates keep increasing and SprintRay Midas Restore™boasts 75% filler by weight, which is impressive. Read on for all the detials announced by SprintRay...

Glass ceramic and zirconia-filled restorative material combines advanced material science with SprintRay's Midas Digital Press technology for same-visit crowns, inlays, onlays and veneers
SprintRay, a dental technology company advancing dental 3D printing and digital manufacturing, today announced the commercial launch of SprintRay Midas Restore™, a new FDA-cleared ceramic and zirconia-filled definitive restorative resin engineered specifically for the Midas Digital Press.
With over 75% filler by weight, Midas Restore brings glass ceramic and zirconia together in a formulation designed around what matters in definitive restorative dentistry: strength where it counts, resistance to occlusal wear, lasting polish and natural aesthetics. The material enables dentists to produce definitive crowns, inlays, onlays and veneers through a streamlined same-visit digital workflow.
Unlike restorative materials engineered primarily around maximum strength, Midas Restore was designed around how a definitive restoration polishes, wears, flexes and functions once adhesively bonded to remaining tooth structure, while maintaining the required clinical strength.
"If we could 3D print enamel, this is it."
The statement captures the design philosophy behind Midas Restore: creating a restorative material that balances polish retention, wear resistance, strength, surface hardness, stiffness, and optical performance while working in concert with the natural tooth.
"Traditional dental 3D printing forces a compromise: the material has to be fluid enough to print, which limits how highly filled it can be," said Amir Mansouri, CEO and Founder of SprintRay. "Midas Restore was designed in our material science lab to address that limitation. By pairing a highly filled glass ceramic and zirconia formulation with Midas Digital Press, we can give clinicians access to a new class of definitive restorative materials and bring them into an efficient same-visit workflow."
Designed Around the Bonded Tooth
For decades, restorative materials have been engineered around bulk strength. Glass ceramics and zirconia are brittle, so their primary defense against crack propagation is shear strength — which in turn means more tooth reduction and stiffness well beyond what function requires.
Midas Restore takes a different approach. Its resin matrix is designed to arrest cracks rather than simply resist them, and its flexural modulus sits closer to dentin than to a glass ceramic. Once adhesively bonded to remaining tooth structure, the restoration becomes part of a system in which material and tooth distribute function together, rather than concentrating stress at the interface.
SprintRay laboratory testing demonstrated that Midas Restore retained 98% of its initial gloss after 5,000 simulated toothbrush abrasion cycles, and delivered five times the wear resistance of SprintRay Ceramic Crown over 200,000 cycles — wear performance comparable to a milled hybrid ceramic. In biaxial flexural testing, Midas Restore reached a maximum strength of 215 MPa, the highest of any SprintRay definitive restorative material.¹ The surface hardness was measured to be greater than 80 HV, statistically equivalent to a leading nanofilled direct composite and roughly double that of previous-generation printed restorative resins. Its translucency parameter of 13.5 places it in the same range as milled lithium disilicate HT.²
"We engineered Midas Restore around how a restoration actually behaves once it is bonded to a tooth, not around a single strength number," said Hossein Bassir, Chief Product Officer at SprintRay. "Filler content, polish retention, wear resistance, modulus and optics are not separate features. They are one system, and the tooth is part of it."
Made to Be Pressed
Achieving this combination of properties requires a filler loading that conventional dental 3D printing cannot process. Highly filled formulations are highly viscous, and viscous material does not flow into a print zone on its own.
SprintRay's Digital Press Stereolithography (DPS) technology actively pushes highly viscous material into the print zone from sealed capsules. That is what allows Midas to work with filler loads over 75% by weight — and it is why Midas Restore is engineered exclusively for the Midas Digital Press.
Built for Same-Visit Dentistry
Midas Restore brings definitive restorative material into a streamlined digital workflow spanning scanning and design through pressing, post-curing, polishing and bonding.
Clinicians can press multiple units from a single capsule, post-cure in four minutes, and polish restorations to final with two wheels in under two minutes — with no glaze or oven required. Midas Restore can also be adjusted, added to and repaired intraorally before adhesive cementation, supporting definitive delivery without a provisional, second appointment or lab bill.
Midas Restore builds on the Midas Digital Press platform, introduced in 2024. Since its launch, clinicians across 33 countries have produced more than 100,000 restorations with Midas. Early clinical evaluation of Midas Restore has also demonstrated straightforward finishing and polishability.
"With Midas Restore, I can achieve a beautiful, lasting surface gloss in just two or three quick polishing steps with a standard polishing system," said Andrew C. Johnson, DDS, MDS, CDT, FACP, Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and prosthodontist at OmniSmile Digital Dental Solutions, who participated in the early clinical evaluation of Midas Restore. "That combination of durability, aesthetics and straightforward finishing is what I expect as a clinician from a definitive restorative material. This is an exciting time for digital dentistry."
Availability
Midas Restore will be available beginning September 1, 2026, in the United States in shades A1, A2, A3, B1 and C2. A three-pack of Single-Unit Capsules is $135 and will be available through the SprintRay Store and authorized SprintRay distribution partners.
Midas Restore is validated for use with the SprintRay Midas Digital Press and SprintRay NanoCure. In the United States, it is FDA 510(k) cleared (K260661), Class II, Rx only.
¹ Maximum value. ISO 6872, piston-on-three-balls. Mean 180 MPa. ² Shade A1; other shades may vary.
About SprintRay
SprintRay is a dental technology company specializing in dental 3D printing and digital manufacturing solutions for dental professionals. The SprintRay ecosystem combines dental 3D printers, Digital Press technology, biocompatible dental materials, AI-powered design software and post-processing solutions to help clinicians deliver restorative, prosthetic and appliance-based care in the dental practice.
By developing hardware, software and materials as connected systems, SprintRay is working to make advanced digital dentistry and chairside manufacturing more accessible, efficient and clinically practical at the point of care.

Personify Group Names Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, to Advisory Board

2026-08-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've known Michelle for a number of years and I really enjoy her hard work and dedication to the profession. As a member of the Personify Advisory Board myself, I'm excited that Michelle is joining. I know she's going to bring great insights and energy to Personify Group and I'm looking forward to working with her. Read on for info on Michelle and Personify...

Dental Hygiene and Infection Control Expert will Provide Clinical insight to Support Client Strategy, Innovation and Commercialization

Personify Group, Inc., a commercialization, branding, public relations, and demand generation firm serving the dental industry, today announced that Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, has joined its Advisory Board as an independent dental hygiene and infection prevention advisor.

Strange brings more than 25 years of experience spanning clinical dental hygiene, infection control, education, public health, mobile dentistry, long-term care and independent practice ownership.

Her advisory board appointment expands Personify Group’s access to independent clinical perspectives as the firm advises dental manufacturers, technology companies and innovators on product development, positioning, commercialization, market adoption and revenue generation.

“Michelle provides Personify Group with something particularly valuable: the perspective of a clinician, educator and entrepreneur who understands what actually happens when a new product, technology or protocol reaches the operatory,” said Michael Ventriello, Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer of Personify Group. “She can help us challenge assumptions, identify potential barriers to adoption and better understand how innovations will be received and implemented by dental hygienists and other members of the clinical team.”

As an independent advisor, Strange will provide Personify Group with strategic insight on dental hygiene, infection control, clinical workflow, professional education and emerging trends affecting the hygiene profession. She may also advise on select client initiatives where her expertise can help inform market strategy, messaging, clinician engagement and commercialization planning.

Strange is a practicing dental hygienist, educator and entrepreneur. She is the owner of SmileLogic, an independent dental hygiene practice in Colorado. She is also the founder of MichelleStrangeRDH.com and Level Up Infection Prevention, platforms focused on education, practical resources, clinical care and compliance.

“Dental hygienists are often among the first people expected to integrate new technologies, products and protocols into everyday patient care,” said Strange. “I’m looking forward to bringing that clinical perspective to Group and helping companies better understand what dental professionals need for an innovation to make sense not just in theory, but in real-world practice.”

Strange earned a bachelor’s degree in health science from the Medical University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in dental hygiene education from the University of Bridgeport. Her continuing professional development includes a Certificate in Dental Infection Prevention and Control as well as training in myofunctional therapy, interim restorative therapies and neuromodulators.

“In our opinion, an advisory board should do more than lend names to an organization’s web site,” said Mark Ross, Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Personify Group. “We carefully select advisors who will bring distinct expertise, ask difficult questions and give us perspectives that strengthen the strategies we develop on behalf of our clients. Michelle adds an important clinical and professional dimension to this elite group.”

Strange recently published Independent by Design: A Dental Hygienist’s Journey to Practice Ownership, which explores evolving career opportunities for dental hygienists and draws upon her own progression from clinical practice and education to entrepreneurship and independent practice ownership.

About Personify Group

Personify Group, Inc. is a commercialization and strategic communications firm serving the dental and medical industries. The company helps manufacturers, technology companies, service providers, and innovators accelerate growth through brand strategy, public relations, market positioning, demand generation, thought leadership, and commercialization planning. By integrating communications with measurable business objectives, Personify Group helps clients build awareness, credibility and commercial momentum.

A Big Advancement in Decreasing Sensitivity and Increasing Remineralization: VOCO Profluorid Varnish + BioMin®

2026-08-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of products from VOCO. I've used them for years and I rely on them to help me get the best outcomes possible. In June of this year I was lucky enough to be able to travel to the VOCO headquarters in Cuxhaven, Germany for a meeting. I can tell you from personal experience that not only does VOCO make products I depend on, they also have incredible people on their team. While I was in Cuxhaven, I got a chance to actually try the new varnish formula, by tasting some of the different varieties while some of the VOCO team watched my reaction. It was actually a lot of fun.

What sets Profluorid +BioMin apart for the pack when it comes to fluoride varnish products is the addition of BioMin. The chemical is a form of bioglass which is pretty incredible. Bioglass was discovered in the 60s to help solve problems with orthopedic surgery. It was discovered that bioglass has incredible bioactivity and actually helps stimulate growth of bone as well as enamel.

As a geeky guy, who likes chemistry, I've followed the news about bioglass for years due to its applications in dentistry and I was excited when I learned that VOCO was incorporating it into their fluoride varnish. The great new is that Profluorid® Varnish + BioMin is avaaiable in Canada right now and will be available in the US, next week, Tuesday September 1. Knowing what I know about bioglass, I'm excited about this product. A great explanation of the science is in the VOCO info below...

America's #1 5% Sodium Fluoride Varnish Now Enhanced with BioMin Technology

VOCO announces the launch of Profluorid® Varnish + BioMin, an enhanced version of America's No. 1 5% sodium fluoride varnish that combines the proven benefits of ADA-recommended* 5% sodium fluoride with innovative BioMin bioglass technology. The advanced dual-action formula releases additional calcium and phosphate ions that work synergistically with fluoride to provide enhanced protection against dentin hypersensitivity while strengthening enamel.

BioMin bioglass, developed at Queen Mary University of London, has been successfully used in bioactive oral care products for years. When exposed to saliva, the invisible, flavorless bioglass dissolves, releasing calcium and phosphate ions that enhance the efficiency of the fluoride varnish. These ions contribute to fluorapatite formation on the enamel surface while also supporting long-term protection of tooth structure.

Compared with conventional fluoride varnishes, Profluorid Varnish + BioMin offers enhanced protection against dentin hypersensitivity. BioMin releases ultra-fine crystals that penetrate deep into dentin tubules, where fluorapatite forms to seal the tubules. Combined with fluorapatite formation on enamel surfaces, this process increases enamel hardness, improves resistance to acid attacks, and provides a long-term desensitizing effect.

The formulation is based on VOCO's Advanced Pro-Colophony technology, allowing the varnish to be applied in a thin, clear layer with superior adhesion to the tooth surface for long-lasting fluoride release. Rapid ion release begins within the first 15 minutes, with efficacy nearly doubling within 60 minutes. Its excellent taste, neutral smell, and smooth feel promote outstanding patient acceptance while making application easy and comfortable for dental hygienists.

Profluorid Varnish + BioMin is available in four patient-friendly flavors: mint, caramel, bubble gum, and cherry. It is offered in both tubes and convenient SingleDose delivery systems to accommodate a variety of clinical workflows.

For more information, visit vocoamerica.com. * Maguire A. ADA clinical recommendations on topical fluoride for caries prevention. Evid Based Dent. 2014 Jun;15(2). 38-9.

Drone News: Mara raises $7M to stop ongoing FPV-drone nightmare with low-cost autonomy

2026-08-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

As a drone pilot and a tech lover I've got a real love of drone tech. I've followed the happenings in Ukraine for several years and the evolution of this tech is amazing. Drones are doing lots of things outside the defense section such as delivering medicines to remote villages and looking for lost hikers. However, a lot of those abilities come from the defense industry.

I've also love stories of young people with a dream that see it take shape. Mara was started by two friends who met in high school in 2013 and have been working together since. So read what these two young men have accomplished. It's pretty impressive and it may save lives on the battlefield. Not bad for an idea that started in a dorm room...

Mara has raised a $7 million pre-seed round led by Khosla Ventures to build Spike, an automated counter-UAS system designed for the small, inexpensive FPV drones reshaping modern conflict.

The deadliest weapon in modern warfare, the small and ubiquitous FPV drone, costs a few hundred dollars and can disable a vehicle worth millions or knock out power for millions of people. Yet much of the counter-drone (counter-UAS) industry was built for a different target: large drones flying high overhead on a predictable course.

Small FPV drones launch from anywhere, attack in groups from several angles at once and increasingly use fiber-optic control links or onboard guidance to bypass traditional electronic jamming. Despite billions in counter-drone investment, these drones remain the leading cause of combat casualties globally. After Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb in June 2025, the world realized that FPV drones can destroy strategic and civilian targets thousands of kilometers from active combat.

Mara was founded to neutralize this threat. Today, the company announced a $7 million pre-seed round to bring Spike, its integrated counter-UAS platform, from field testing to broad combat deployment.

The round was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from a16z Speedrun, Night Capital, Palmdrive, Protagonist, Freedom Fund and Indicator Fund, alongside angel investors.

Why this matters now

FPV’s use pincer, swarm, and ambush tactics to circumvent defenses.

Traditional counter-UAS systems rely on a gun, laser, or semi-piloted interceptor focused on one sensor and effector cone. That can work against larger high-flying threats, or against one FPV drone at a time. It stops working when several small drones arrive along different vectors in rapid succession. Over the Ukrainian front line’s infamous “gray zone”, hundreds of FPVs are in the air per square kilometer doing just that.

Mara’s answer is distributed, autonomous, omnidirectional defense. “Small drones changed the battlefield because they distributed the cost and capability of precise attack,” said Daniel Kofman, Co-Founder and CEO of Mara. “Most defenses still concentrate both replacement cost and line of fire. Spike instead creates a distributed mesh of small, cheap nodes that can each aim and shoot in multiple directions at once.”

Spike uses stationary targeting sensors alongside a magazine of tiny interceptors, giving the system 360-degree hemispherical coverage in a portable package. Designed to be fully attritable from the sensors to the interceptors, Spike can fire on dozens of threats simultaneously at a system cost below the cost of the asset being protected.

How Spike works

Spike combines the full counter-UAS chain in one system consisting of two modular parts that work alone or together.

Its Spotter targeting system combines visual, acoustic, and optional radar sensors with advanced in-house AI for day, night and all-weather detection. Its Seeker kinetic interceptor is small (250g), fast (200kmh), and tube-launched, with onboard intelligence. Spike can pass launch orders autonomously from Spotter to Seeker, but a human remains on the loop to set rules of engagement and safely abort launches if necessary.

Spike is designed to scale with the mission. A rucksack-portable configuration can protect a dismounted squad. Vehicle-mounted Spikes can cover a convoy. Larger deployments can create multi-kilometer perimeters at military bases, front lines, sporting events, or power plants.

From dorm-room prototypes to field use

Mara was founded in October 2024 by Daniel Kofman and Sriram Raghu, who met in high school in 2013 and have been building together ever since.

Their work in drones began with tactical FPV prototypes for a DHS program, assembled from their college dorm rooms. The pair later co-founded, alongside its current CEO, Optivolt, which shipped smart solar panels to Anduril, the U.S. Air Force and Ukraine. Mara grew from their conviction that the industry had left the most important and lethal defense gap wide open.

Over the past several months, Spike’s components have moved into live field exercises. Seeker completed intercepts cued through U.S. Army software at an exercise in Texas. Spotter operated hands-free on an armored vehicle during another Army exercise in Europe, feeding detection data into Army command software. Mara demonstrated end-to-end engagement in field testing with a U.S. special operations unit, where Spotter detected the target and cued Seeker to launch without operator input.

Most recently, in July, Ukrainian forces operated Spotter 40km from the front line, where it tracked multiple FPV drones.

Beyond military applications, Mara is deploying Spike in a civilian pilot at a South Korean port. The company has cooperative research and testing agreements with three U.S. defense organizations, was selected for NATO’s DIANA innovation accelerator and is in early-stage engagement with international military partners in the UK, Czech Republic, and Ukraine.

“Mara has moved rapidly from proof-of-concept to user testing for an autonomous system,” said Nicole Fraenkel, Partner at Khosla Ventures. “what caught my eye is that they’re building counter-drone autonomy with a system cost that’s orders of magnitude lower than anything else we’ve seen.”

What’s next

Mara is currently focused on deploying Spike to key customers for ground-mounted use by the end of 2026. Vehicle-mounted and man-portable capabilities will launch alongside production scale-up in 2027.

Once Spike is deployed at scale, Mara plans to continue its mission – using machine autonomy to defend human autonomy – by mass-producing an arsenal of cheap, tiny robots that dominate the line of contact in any battle: land, air, or sea.

Weave Announces Acquisition by Francisco Partners

2026-08-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Transaction Accelerates Investment in Weave’s AI-Powered Platform for Healthcare Practices

Weave Stockholders to Receive $7.40 Per Share in Cash, Representing a 34% Premium

Weave Communications, Inc. (“Weave”) (NYSE: WEAV), a leading AI-powered patient engagement and payments platform purpose-built for healthcare practices, and Francisco Partners (“FP”), a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology companies and technology-enabled businesses, today announced that FP has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Weave, at an aggregate equity valuation of approximately $650 Million.

Under the terms of the agreement, Weave stockholders will receive $7.40 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 34% to Weave’s unaffected closing stock price on August 17, 2026, the last full trading day prior to the transaction announcement. Upon completion of the transaction, Weave will cease to trade on the NYSE and become a private company.

Founded in 2008, Weave is a leading all-in-one customer experience and payments software platform for small and medium-sized healthcare businesses. Weave’s software solutions transform how healthcare practices attract, communicate with, and engage patients and clients to grow their business. Following the completion of the transaction Weave will continue to operate under the Weave name and maintain its headquarters in Lehi, Utah.

“Since our founding in 2008, we have built Weave for a customer most software companies overlook — the independent practices that care for patients in communities across the country. More than 40,000 locations rely on us today,” said Brett White, Chief Executive Officer of Weave. “Together with Francisco Partners, we will be able to enhance our ability to invest in our AI platform, deepen our payments and revenue cycle management capabilities, and further our vision of a better healthcare experience at every practice. Today’s announcement represents a compelling outcome for our stockholders, and we look forward to partnering with Francisco Partners, who have an extensive track record in successfully scaling companies at the intersection of vertical software and healthcare, in the next phase of Weave’s journey.”

Stuart C. Harvey Jr., Chair of the Weave Board of Directors added, “The Weave Board conducted a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives and spoke with a number of strategic and financial parties. The transaction with Francisco Partners delivers a substantial premium and compelling, certain cash value to our stockholders. The Board unanimously determined that this transaction represents the best path forward for Weave and recommends that stockholders vote in favor of the transaction. On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank Brett and the Weave team for building a business that has achieved this outcome and is positioned for continued growth.”

“Weave is ideally positioned to capitalize on the healthcare industry’s large and growing demand for AI to help optimize their practices and services,” said Ezra Perlman, Co-President at Francisco Partners. “Its vertical platform sits at the center of how tens of thousands of practices communicate with their patients and collect revenue, a position that is difficult to build and harder still to replicate.” Nick Nelson, Principal at Francisco Partners, added, “Weave has built a differentiated platform, and we see significant opportunity to build on that position through continued product innovation and by expanding the value Weave delivers to its customers. We are excited to partner with the entire team for the next chapter of Weave’s growth.”

Henry Schein and Special Olympics Renew Partnership Through 2030

2026-08-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

One of the most important things I've learned in my career and my life is the importance of giving back. For those of us blessed enough to have success, it's important to use our resources to help others. Today's post is to let all of you know about the commitment to others shown recently by Henry Schein.

 Henry Schein’s Long-Term Commitment Helps to Advance Health Screenings, Education, and Wellness Support for People with Intellectual Disabilities Around the Globe

Access to quality healthcare can make a profound difference in a person’s life. Yet for many people with intellectual disabilities (ID), barriers to care remain a daily reality. According to Special Olympics, despite severe need and higher health risks, individuals with ID are often denied health services and have a life expectancy that is, on average, 16 years shorter than the general population.

Henry Schein, Inc., the world’s largest provider of healthcare solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners, and Special Olympics have extended their collaboration through 2030, reinforcing a shared commitment to expanding access to health screenings, education, and wellness resources for athletes at select Special Olympics events globally.

Through this partnership, which began in 2018, Henry Schein donates essential oral health and medical care products for the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® program. Since 1997, Healthy Athletes has delivered over two million free health screenings to Special Olympics athletes worldwide and trained more than 300,000 healthcare professionals and students to treat people with ID. It supports the physical and social-emotional well-being of people with ID, the reduction of health disparities, and can help to increase life expectancy. The partnership also empowers and encourages healthcare providers to volunteer their time and services while increasing their knowledge of best practices in caring for and communicating with people with ID.

“Creating healthier communities requires collaboration and sustained commitment, principles that have been central to Henry Schein since our founding in 1932,” said Kyle Guerin, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Henry Schein Cares, at Henry Schein. “Extending our partnership with Special Olympics reflects our shared belief that every individual deserves the opportunity to achieve better health and well-being. We are proud to continue supporting programs that help expand access to care, foster inclusion, and equip healthcare professionals with the resources and experience to better serve people with intellectual disabilities.”

Henry Schein’s donations are used during screenings in nine Healthy Athletes disciplines: Special Olympics Fit Feet (podiatry); Special Olympics FUNfitness (physical therapy); Special Olympics Health Promotion (preventative medicine); Special Olympics Healthy Hearing (audiology); Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® (vision/eye health); Special Olympics MedFest® (sports physical exam); Special Olympics Special Smiles® (dentistry); and Special Olympics Strong Minds (mental health), in several countries including Germany and the United States. Beyond these disciplines, Henry Schein’s donations also support Special Olympics Healthy Young Athletes, the pediatric discipline of Healthy Athletes.

Recently, the company donated a range of essential healthcare products for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games that took place from 20 to 26 June 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event united around 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, 10,000 volunteers, and 75,000 fans from 50 U.S. states.

“Long-term partnerships are essential to creating lasting change in health outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities,” said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Special Olympics Chief Health Officer. “Henry Schein has been a valued partner in helping us reach athletes with critical health services, education, and support. Together, we are working toward a future where quality healthcare is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of every individual.”

The donations to Healthy Athletes are an initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate citizenship program, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

About Henry Schein Cares

Founded in 1932 by Henry and Esther Schein, our Company has a rich history rooted in corporate citizenship. Their values inspired our commitment to innovation, leadership, and strong partnerships and serve as a driving force behind our ability to adapt to changing industry needs. Today, Henry Schein Cares, our global corporate citizenship program, aims to drive change through our five pillars: catalyzing healthcare access; advancing policies, solutions, and innovation; relationship building for change; empowering Team Schein; and sustaining the planet. Our purpose is to drive this positive change through the engagement of our constituents to help make the world healthier. By adhering to these pillars, we are committed to “doing well, by doing good” and recognize the importance of being accountable to the five constituents that make up the Company's Mosaic of Success — customers, suppliers, Team Schein Members, shareholders, and society at large.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a products, services, and technology platforms company for healthcare customers. With more than 25,000 Team Schein Members worldwide, the Company’s network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that help improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively. These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional healthcare clinics, as well as other alternate care sites. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 300,000 branded products and Henry Schein corporate brand products in our main distribution centers. A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 34 countries and territories. The Company’s sales reached $13.2 billion in 2025, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 11.0 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com.

About Special Olympics International

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global sports movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership. With more than 4.6 million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and over one million coaches and volunteers in more than 200 countries and territories, Special Olympics offers over 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 60,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.

Justice Department Files Complaint to Stop Nevada Firm from Manufacturing and Selling Adulterated and Misbranded Dental Products

2026-08-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is something that I definitely want to make you aware of. I also want to thank ADA News for covering this story. This is another example of the value that comes from the American Dental Association. I learned about this story from their Morning Huddle e-newsletter. News like this story are important for the profession. The next time you hear someone say, "What does the ADA really do for me?", be sure to tell them about this.

Of course, here in the US a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty. However, since this story applies to products used in implant cases, it's something that has the potential to affect the care delivered to patients. If a doctor is using any of these products they need to be aware of it. That's the purpose of this post.

On August 6, 2026 the US Department of Justice filed an injunction against dental manufacturer SteinerBio. The company manufactures and sells several products, some used for bone grafting.

The DOJ is seeking a "permanent injunction" against the company. The company and the DOJ have been in a regulatory standoff for nearly 7 years. I want to again emphasize "innocent until proven guilty", but this is definitely something doctors need to be aware of so they can make their own decision on whether to use the products or not.

The article from ADA News can be found here.

The DOJ press release can be found here.

The pdf of the Complaint for Permanent Injection can be found here.

An analysis on the case from MedPath can be found here.

Nate Lawson On The Technology Evangelist Podcast

2026-08-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I recently got a chance to sit down and talk about the profession and dental materials with the one and only Dr. Nate Lawson. If you'd like to watch the episode, you can find all the links to your favorite podcast locations here.

In the ever-evolving world of dentistry, the stories of professionals and their journeys can be just as fascinating as the advancements in technology and materials. One such captivating tale is that of my friend, Dr. Nate Lawson, a distinguished faculty member at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Dentistry. This post delves into Dr. Lawson's unique path from aspiring engineer to dentist and educator, shedding light on his passion for material science and the lessons he learned along the way.

Understanding the Origins: From Childhood Aspirations to Professional Realities

Dr. Lawson’s journey began at a surprisingly young age (which I love). Influenced by a family of dental professionals, he knew as early as six years old that he wanted to become a dentist. His aunt, a pediatric dentist, played a pivotal role in shaping his childhood dreams, providing him a glimpse into the dental world that many children never see.

Despite his early determination, Dr. Lawson faced challenges along the way. He initially pursued engineering in college, motivated by a desire to avoid college foreign language requirements and inspired by his father, an engineer. However, after working as a dental assistant in his aunt’s office, he realized that his true calling lay within dentistry, particularly in the realm of material science.

The Path to Dentistry: Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Opportunities

Dr. Lawson’s academic journey was not without its hurdles. He faced significant challenges during dental school, often feeling like an underachiever compared to his peers. This experience led him to develop a profound empathy for students, prompting him to later become an educator who strives to make the dental school experience better for future generations.

Following his graduation, Dr. Lawson found himself at a crossroads. After dropping out of a prosthodontics residency, he accepted a position with a Dental Service Organization (DSO) in Chicago. It was during this time that he received a call from his mentor, Dr. John Burgess, who invited him to return to Alabama to teach at the dental school. Although initially hesitant, Dr. Lawson seized the opportunity, which ultimately led to his pretty incredible career in academia.

The Intersection of Technology and Material Science

Dr. Lawson's work is a perfect blend of technology and material science, focusing on how these elements can enhance dental practices. His research has contributed to advancements in dental materials, allowing practitioners to provide better and more predictable care to patients. He has a great way of translating complex scientific concepts into practical applications, which influences both dental students and practicing professionals.

The integration of material science into dentistry has been a game changer. As Dr. Lawson emphasizes, understanding the properties and behaviors of dental materials is crucial for effective treatment planning and execution. His passion for this field is evident in his teaching, where he encourages students to think critically and apply their knowledge creatively.

Key Takeaways from Dr. Lawson's Journey

1. Follow Your Passions: Dr. Lawson’s story illustrates the importance of pursuing what you love. Despite detours and challenges, his commitment to dentistry ultimately led him to a an amazing career.

2. Take Chances: Throughout his journey, Dr. Lawson took every chance to learn and grow, whether it was through hands-on experience as a dental assistant or engaging in research. This adaptability is crucial in any profession.

3. Value of Mentorship: The support and guidance of mentors can profoundly impact one’s career trajectory. Dr. Lawson’s relationship with Dr. Burgess not only opened doors for him but also inspired him to give back by mentoring others.

4. Contribute to the Field: As a researcher and educator, Dr. Lawson exemplifies how professionals can influence their fields positively. By sharing knowledge and advancing dental materials, he enhances doctor’s knowledge and ultimately benefits patients.

Wrapping Up

Dr. Nate Lawson's journey is a testament to the importance of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of knowledge in the field of dentistry. His story encourages aspiring dental professionals to embrace their unique paths and emphasizes the value of mentorship and collaboration in advancing the profession. As technology continues to evolve, the role of educators like Dr. Lawson will be vital in shaping the future of dentistry.

Premier Dental® Announces Exclusive Distribution Partnership for PerioStōm®

2026-08-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Premier Dental® Announces Exclusive Distribution Partnership for PerioStōm® to Expand Advanced Periodontal Care Solutions

Premier to broaden clinician access to Forward Science’s FDA-cleared, non-drug oral wound dressing for post-procedural periodontal care

Premier® Dental Products Company, a global leader in innovative dental consumables and clinical solutions, today announced an exclusive distribution partnership with Forward Science to bring PerioStōm®, an FDA-cleared, non-drug oral wound dressing, to dental professionals throughout the United States. Through this partnership, Premier will serve as the exclusive distributor of PerioStōm®, expanding access to a science-driven solution designed to support healing and patient comfort following periodontal procedures.

The addition of PerioStōm® reinforces Premier’s commitment to delivering innovative technologies that improve clinical outcomes and enhance everyday dental practice. By leveraging Premier’s professional dental network, clinicians will have greater access to a novel post-procedural care solution that integrates into existing periodontal treatment protocols.

PerioStōm® is powered by chitosan microspheres, a biocompatible polymer. Applied directly into the periodontal pocket, PerioStōm® forms a protective, bio-adhesive barrier intended to help protect vulnerable tissue from irritation and trauma while supporting gingival healing and patient comfort while fitting seamlessly into existing periodontal treatment protocols, such as scaling and root planing (SRP). The delivery system is designed for consistent placement and integration into standard clinical workflows.

“Premier is committed to identifying and delivering clinically meaningful innovations that help dental professionals improve patient care. PerioStōm® represents a unique advancement in post-procedural periodontal care, offering clinicians an FDA-cleared, non-drug solution that supports healing while fitting naturally into existing treatment protocols. We are excited to partner with Forward Science to make this innovative technology more broadly available to dental professionals across the country.”

— Perry Lowe, CEO, Premier Dental Products Company

Developed over several years of research and innovation, PerioStōm® represents a significant advancement in periodontal therapy. As exclusive distributor, Premier will work closely with Forward Science to support product commercialization and clinician education while expanding awareness and adoption nationwide.

“This collaboration with Premier strengthens the pathway for PerioStōm® through a trusted partner in the dental industry,” said Robert J. Whitman, CEO of Forward Science. “Together, we are focused on bringing what we believe is one of the most impactful advancements the periodontal therapy field has seen in decades to clinicians nationwide, helping improve patient care and change more lives.”

The partnership is expected to broaden availability of PerioStōm® to a wider audience of dental professionals, supporting a more proactive approach to post-procedural periodontal care through an effective, non-drug solution designed for everyday clinical use.

For more information about PerioStōm®, visit PerioStom.com.

2026 Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit is Now Open for Registration

2026-08-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Registration Opens for 2026 Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit

Five-day October event unites regulators, educators, and examiners from across the country

Annual meetings of ADEX, AADB, and AADA converge at the Summit
Mission of Mercy MD/PA named charitable partner for the third annual giving campaign
Educators can earn up to 4.5 CE credits through the ADEX Educators Conference

Registration is now open for the 2026 Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit and Educators Conference, a five-day event that convenes dental regulators, educators, and examiners from across the country to address the future of dental licensure. The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX), the American Association of Dental Boards (AADB), and the American Association of Dental Administrators (AADA) host the event Oct. 14-18, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

What to Expect at the 2026 Summit

The Summit unites state regulators, program directors, faculty leadership, and examiners for focused sessions on licensure policy, examination standards, and dental education. It stands as one of the few venues where regulators and educators work side-by-side to address the profession's most pressing challenges, creating a collaborative space where stakeholders advance the goals of dental licensure and uphold the highest standards of professional practice.

The 2026 Educators Conference introduces a hands-on dental hygiene session where faculty can experience the ADEX exam and SimProDH typodont scaling firsthand. Educators can earn up to 4.5 CE credits in clinical dentistry and exam preparedness.

"The connections made at this Summit between boards, educators, and examiners are what make real progress possible, and I am confident this year will be our most impactful yet," said Stephanie Beeler, Director of Communications, Board Affairs & Events, ADEX. "From new hands-on sessions for dental hygiene educators to expanded programming on licensure and examination standards, this gathering showcases a shared commitment to advancing the profession and the communities we serve."

Giving Back to the Community

ADEX selected Mission of Mercy Maryland/Pennsylvania (MD/PA) as the charitable partner for the 2026 Summit. Donations collected during registration will benefit Mission of Mercy's Mobile Dental Clinic, a three-operatory dental office on wheels that serves six communities in Maryland and recently expanded its reach to include veterans through two new community partnerships. Since 1994, Mission of Mercy MD/PA has provided free healthcare to nearly 50,000 patients, logging more than 221,100 visits and dispensing over 440,900 medications.

The Summit continues a giving tradition that has raised more than $50,000 for charities in host cities since 2024, following donations to Mission of Mercy Texas in 2025 and Kosair for Kids, a Kentucky-based charity, in 2024.

Registration is open now at www.dental-summit.org/2026.

About the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX)

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting dental boards in their mission to protect the public through the licensure of qualified oral health professionals. Established in 1969, ADEX administers independent competency examinations developed and approved by representatives of state dental boards. ADEX examinations are accepted or required by law in 51 U.S. jurisdictions and serve as the initial licensure pathway for 98% of dental and 85% of dental hygiene candidates nationwide. Through ongoing collaboration with dental boards and educators, ADEX continues to advance innovative, evidence-based assessment methods that uphold the highest standards of fairness, clinical competence, and public protection. Learn more at adextesting.org.

Ramblings From Dentistry's Technology Evangelist - Breaks 4,000,000 Page Views!!!

2026-08-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

A big announcement today... "Ramblings From Dentistry's Technology Evangelist" has now surpassed 4,000,000 page views! I could type for hours and not be able to adequately describe how grateful I am to all of you. If it wasn't for people like you who are reading this post, there would not be a blog or anything else I'm involved with. So my deepest thanks to all of you... I am truly humbled by the support.

I try not to get too hung up or focused on numbers for projects I'm involved with, but sometimes a milestone is passed and you'd have to be in a fog to not have it motivate you. About fifteen years ago I noticed something about myself. Maybe it's the mindset of being a dentist, or maybe it's just me, but when things went right I wouldn't think much about it. I'd just move onto the next thing. I *expected* things to go right. Yet... when something went less than *perfect* I'd dwell on it and sometimes I'd beat myself up mentally... sometimes for days.

It's funny, but think about this for a second. If someone gives you a compliment... maybe they say "your hair looks really good today". I think most of us don't give it a second thought, often we don't even believe it. Yet, if someone says "your hair doesn't look really good today", we immediately run to a mirror and try to fix it. I'm not sure why humans are like that, but I've talked about this to a lot of people and it seems to be a pretty common thing.

I decided to try and make a change. I made a concerted effort to celebrate my successes. I wouldn't throw a party, but I *would* allow myself to think "that wasn't easy, but I did pretty well there." My logic was, if I'm going to be hard on myself when things didn't go perfectly, I'd pat myself on the back when they did.

Because of that, I frequently tell others to celebrate their successes. There is obviously a line between being happy with success and being egotistical, but there is nothing wrong of being proud of your achievements.

I have always felt if you do the right things for the right reasons, success will follow. However, with that being said, sometimes things don't always go according to plan. My advice? Celebrate your successes. There's nothing wrong with that feeling of satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

Hanyang University ERICA Researchers Develop Electronic Skin That Brings Human-Like Touch to Robots and Prosthetics

2026-08-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Below is some pretty fascinating information from Hanyang University in South Korea. For years we've been seeing the development of lifelike prosthetics to help injured humans become more independent. They use robotics to actually recreate much of the movement from an amputated limb. Researchers have now developed a sensor type system that could someday actually bring the sense of touch to mechanical devices such as artificial limbs. These sensors could also provide robots with a sense of touch. Read on for the details.

Researchers developed a vertically integrated dual-gate transistor design, enabling reliable touch sensing and high density, large-area integration

Conventional tribotronic devices, that convert mechanical stimuli like touch into electrical signals, offer fixed sensitivity and pose challenges in large-area integration. In a new study, researchers have developed a new vertically integrated dual-gated tribotronic transistor architecture, that offers tuneable sensitivity, reliable contact and proximity detection, as well as minimal pixel footprint for high-density array integration. This technology can pave the way for electronic skin systems that allow robots and prosthetics to reliably perceive human touch.

The recent advancement of miniaturized and portable electronics, particularly wearable and flexible devices, has increased the demand for self-powered sensing technologies. Among these, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received increased attention for developing highly sensitive tactile sensors. TENGs convert external mechanical stimuli into electrical signals through redistribution of electric charges. They are particularly attractive for the development of advanced electronic skin and intelligent robotics. However, conventional tribotronic devices suffer from non-tuneable sensitivity and pose challenges in integration into large-area architectures, limiting practical applications.

To address these limitations, a research team led by Associate Professor Jaekyun Kim from the Department of Photonics and Nanoelectronics at Hanyang University in South Korea has developed a novel vertically integrated dual-gated tribotronic transistor. “Our vertical dual-gate architecture not only offers gate-tunable amplification of the triboelectronic responses, but also minimizes pixel footprint, enabling high-density, large-area integration,” explains Dr. Kim. Their study was made available online on April 9, 2026, and published in Volume 153 of Nano Energy on June 15, 2026.

The proposed dual-gated tribotronic transistor features a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) triboelectric sensing layer as the top gate, stacked on top of a dedicated gate insulator, which in turn is positioned above an indium-tin-zinc-oxide (ITZO) thin-film transistor (TFT). This innovative configuration provides synergistic control of sensitivity.

In its default state, the bottom gate sets the baseline current flowing through the ITZO transistor. To enable contact and proximity sensing, the device first undergoes a charging phase, in which a stainless-steel plate comes into contact with the PDMS surface. This causes triboelectric charges to form at the interface. As the plate separates from the PDMS layer, these accumulated charges create a triboelectric potential that acts as the top-gate voltage, which suppresses the current flow through the ITZO transistor.

As the charged plate or another object approaches the PDMS surface again, the triboelectric potential gradually decreases, causing the transistor current to recover, based on the proximity of the plate or surface. This change in current serves as the tribotronic response, indicating contact or proximity. Meanwhile, the bottom-gate voltage sets the baseline current, allowing the sensitivity to be electrically tuned. Specifically, the researchers found that the sensitivity increased with increasing bottom-gate voltage.

The researchers also showed that increasing the contact pressure enlarges the effective contact area between the PDMS layer and the contacting object, generating more triboelectric charge and producing a stronger response.

Additionally, the device exhibited stable response and recovery times of 127 and 212 milliseconds, respectively, during each contact-separation cycle. It also maintained stable performance without noticeable degradation after 1,000 operating cycles.

To demonstrate active tactile sensing, the researchers fabricated a 10 × 10 transistor array using the proposed architecture. After initially charging the sensing layer with a stainless-steel plate, they demonstrated pixel-level responses to finger touches as well as reliable proximity sensing at distances of up to 500 micrometers using a stainless-steel probe.

“Our research could contribute to the development of electronic skin systems that allow robots, prosthetic devices, and wearable electronics to perceive touch, pressure, and proximity more precisely,” remarks Dr. Kim. “This will lead to safer and more reliable human–machine interaction, with applications in healthcare robots, health monitoring and autonomous systems.”

Overall, this innovative architecture provides a scalable platform for programmable, mechanically robust tribotronic sensor arrays, paving the way for advanced human–machine interfaces.

Reference

Title of original paper: Vertically integrated dual-gated tribotronic transistor for active-matrix tactile and proximity sensing

Journal: Nano Energy

About Hanyang University ERICA

Hanyang University ERICA (Education Research Industry Cluster at Ansan) is a prominent research-focused campus established in 1979 in Ansan, South Korea. ERICA offers undergraduate and graduate programs. ERICA is renowned for its active industry-university cooperation, offering students hands-on experience through partnerships with various industries. This ensures that graduates are well-prepared to meet societal needs and excel in their respective fields. With state-of-the-art facilities and a supportive learning environment, Hanyang University ERICA empowers students to pursue their passions and contribute meaningfully to society, staying true to the university's founding philosophy of "Love in Deed and Truth."

Website: https://www.hanyang.ac.kr/web/eng/erica-campus1

About the author

Dr. Jaekyun Kim is an Associate Professor and researcher in the Department of Photonics and Nanoelectronics at Hanyang University. His group focuses on oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors, tribotronic sensors, electronic skin, and active-matrix sensing systems. The group develops device platforms that integrate semiconductor electronics with functional sensing materials for tactile, proximity, and wearable applications.

VCom Interoffice Messaging System - You Can Download and Try for Free

2026-08-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

One of the fun things about being "The Technology Evangelist" is that a lot of people reach out to me with new ideas, both in dentistry and the consumer market. I love seeing and learning about these products and it allows me to see some pretty cool things. Recently I was contacted by Dr. James Webb about an interoffice communication system.

In a busy office, communication and distractions can be a major problem. Staff will frequently be busy with patients clinically as well as at the front desk. Also, clinical staff will often float between different treatment areas which can make them hard to find, depending on the office layout. It's so much easier to have some type of digital communication system in the office that discreetly sends a message to the proper person. In ttoday's dental offices there are computers in every operatory as well as multiple locations throughout the office. That makes a communication system on the office network something that a lot of offices use or are in need of.

There are a lot of chat clients on the market, but most of them run in a separate window on your computer which means you have to click to see the message. That's usually not a big deal, but if you are in the middle of a procedure with gloves on it can be a hassle. In the admin area, it requires staff to leave whatever window they are working in to open the chat window underneath.

VCom is an interoffice communication system that runs on every computer in the office. However, instead of running in a window, VCom runs as a "banner" across the top of the screen. That means it's never hidden behind another window that will require a click to bring the info to the front. Instead, the VCom message will simply appear in the banner at the top of the screen, which brings it to the immediate attention of the user. You can also assign a unique 'tone' so a busy user can know they have a message in the banner. The system allows a user to check a message with just a glance without a patient noticing the distraction.

If you have any interest in checking this out, you can find pricing info here.

I don't have personal experience with VCom, however the company offers a free trial. You can download, install, and then see if the system is right for you and your workflows. You can use this link to download.

Hygiene KOL Michelle Strange Publishes New Book: Independent by Design

2026-08-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

New Book Presents Dental Hygienists a Roadmap to Career Growth and Independent Practice Ownership

Dental hygienist, educator, entrepreneur, and podcast host Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, recently published Independent by Design: A Dental Hygienist's Journey to Practice Ownership, a new book that explores the evolving career opportunities available to today's dental hygienists, including independent practice ownership.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in clinical care, education, public health, mobile dentistry, long-term care, and business ownership, Strange shares the professional lessons, challenges, and decisions that shaped her career.

The book is intended to help dental hygienists evaluate new career possibilities while providing practical insights for those interested in expanding beyond traditional clinical roles.

Rather than presenting a single formula for success, Independent by Design examines the many paths available within the profession and encourages readers to define careers that align with their personal and professional goals.

"Many dental hygienists reach a point where they begin to question what comes next," said Strange. "My goal was to write the book I wish I'd had earlier in my Career; one that honestly discusses both the opportunities and the obstacles while demonstrating that there are more options available than many clinicians realize."

The book chronicles Strange's unconventional professional journey, including her decision to leave a traditional career path, spend several years working throughout the United States as a traveling dental hygienist, and ultimately become the owner of Smile Logic, an independent dental hygiene practice in Colorado.

In addition to sharing personal experiences, the book offers guidance designed to help readers avoid common business and career development pitfalls while navigating the transition from clinician to entrepreneur.

Independent by Design: A Dental Hygienist's Journey to Practice Ownership is available in print and Kindle editions through Amazon.

About Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH

Michelle Strange is a practicing dental hygienist, educator, and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the dental field. She began her career as a dental assistant and then a dental hygienist earning a bachelor’s degree in health science from the Medical University of South Carolina, followed by a master’s degree in dental hygiene education from the University of Bridgeport. Her commitment to excellence is demonstrated by ongoing professional development, including earning a Certificate in Dental Infection Prevention and Control, Myofunctional Therapy, Interim Restorative Therapies, and Neuromodulators.

Michelle is the founder of MichelleStrangeRDH.com and Level Up Infection Prevention, two platforms dedicated to empowering dental professionals through education, hands-on resources, and practical strategies for success in clinical care and compliance. Most recently, she became the proud owner of SmileLogic, an independent dental hygiene practice in Colorado that delivers value-based, patient-centered care.

With a unique blend of clinical expertise and entrepreneurial drive, Michelle continues to elevate the profession by bridging education, innovation, entrepreneurism, and real-world application.

Trial of Davids Hydroxi Toothpaste

2026-08-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I posted about Davids Hydroxi Toothpaste. They had just launched a new version of their product to market.

We've seen some really interesting consumer products come to the market the last two or so years and one of things I'm always interested in is toothpastes. You don't have to be a dentist to know that of all the consumer products on the market, the one product dental product that is used the most between professional appointments is toothpaste. That's one of the reasons I'm always interested in these. Patients are often looking for a recommendation and I like to keep myself up with as many products as possible.

A lot of things need to be considered when it comes to toothpastes, not only from the doctor's side, but also the perspective and decision making of the manufacturer.

For my entire career patients have always asked me, "What's the best toothpaste to use?" I always tell them "it depends"... because it does. The one thing I know for sure is that a patient has to actually *like* their toothpaste. What I mean by that is that if they don't like the taste or even the texture, that will affect how well they brush. If something tastes bad, most people won't spend as much time with it and brushing for two minutes is highly advised.

The texture is incredibly important to a lot of people. There are a lot of patients that don't like certain foods simply due to the way they *feel* in their mouth. I know a lot patients that simply don't like the feeling of gel toothpastes so for them a traditional 'paste' type is the better choice.

The good folks at Davids were kind of enough to send me a full sized tube of their new Davids Hydroxi - Whitening+enamel health toothpaste to try, so here's my take after two weeks of using it exclusively

Unflavored - the tube actually says "unflavored" which should appeal to a lot of people. I would call it pleasant to use. I actually like the fact that they didn't try to use some type of overpowering flavor agent
Texture - it has a very creamy texture. It has a thinner consistency than 'normal' toothpastes, but it is NOT runny. It's very easy to apply to the brush and spreads across the teeth easily
Hydroxi - the toothpaste contains hydroxyapatite which is the mineral that is truly the 'building block' of healthy enamel. Having this in the paste should help reinforce small areas of breakdown on teeth and also help with areas of sensitivity
Fluoride Free - for some patients this will be important. Professionally I prefer a toothpaste with fluoride, but many patients have concerns about it. The hydroxyapatite in the product should help prevent cavities
Sulfate free - many people have an allergy to sodium laurel sulfate which is the foaming agent in a lot of toothpastes. It is NOT in this product. However, I still got a great clean feeling after rinsing.

My overall take is a good one. I try a lot of toothpastes and this one is a winner in my book. It's available online at Amazon and the Davids website.

MIR (Miniature Intraoral Robot) may Change Crown Prepartion in the Future

2026-08-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo: University of Basel, Catherine Weyer

Sometimes I come across things in my online wanderings that are pretty amazing. Lots of ideas for dental advancements don't ever make it to market, but that can be for a variety of reasons. I had heard from a few industry contacts that a robot was being developed that could prepare a tooth for a crown, but I had only heard a few brief comments. This may not be the same one I heard those whispers about, but I think the odds of that are pretty slim. Researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Basel in Switzerland are exploring the possibility of using a robot to prepare teeth for crowns.

Here's the concept and potential workflow:

An intraoral scan is performed during the appointment when the diagnosis for a crown is made.
The scan is used to create a special splint that attaches to the teeth and also attaches the robot to the splint.
The crown prep is digitally planned and the final crown is fabricated prior to the prep appointment.
The patient returns for the crown appointment.
The splint with robot is attached to the patient's teeth.
The robot preps the tooth following the digital prep plan. It removes the necessary tooth structure to create an exact duplicate of the planned prep.
The splint is removed.
The final crown is cemented.

Of course, any dentist reading this can see a lot of potential drawbacks. What about anesthesia? What about decay in the tooth? How is the decay removed? What about a buildup? These questions and many others will need to be answered.

However, after saying all of that I'll also say that the overall concept of this is intriguing. Robots mill things in many industries every day. Robots are precise and lots of things we use every day are the result of digital mills. So I'm interested to see where this idea goes and how they work to overcome the problems. Obviously this idea is in its very earliest stages, but the system has actually been used to prep teeth in the lab.

If you'd like to know more, you can read the article about this on a page at the University of Basel. There has also been a pretty detailed paper written about this robot that can be read on the IEEE Xplore website. the title of the paper is Miniature Intraoral Robot (MIR) for Minimally Invasive Tooth Preparation.

The Costs of Hospital Care due to Periapical Abscess

2026-08-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'll keep this short because the info you really want is in the link. Usually a periapical abscess is easy to diagnose in a dental office. However, if a patient can't be seen by a dentist they often end up in the emergency room and then often in a hospital room.

As all of us know, hospital care is expensive, especially when compared to the costs in a dental office.

Today's post is from a study titled "Hospital charges and length of stay due to periapical abscess, United States 2020-2022" from the Journal of the American Dental Association. It contains some pretty interesting info. Over the time of the study an average of 300 patients died in a hospital from periapical abscesses. While that's a small number in the grand scheme of how many people live in the US, that's 300 people lost to their families and our world. In my opinion that's tragic.

Then there is the cost associated with hospital stays. The mean charges were $35,042 for the primary diagnosis and $86,600 for a secondary diagnosis.

There is some sad and fascinating data in this article. I believe it is available for anyone to read, not just ADA members. Here is the link. I'd love for some of you to give it a read and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Podcast Episode #48 with my Great Friend Dr. Paul Feuerstein

2026-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've known Paul since the days of dial-up Internet. We talk pretty often, but I've been wanting to get him on the podcast for quite a while. We finally got our schedules to line up and at long last, Episode 48 was recorded and is now available! A summary is below.

In the ever-evolving world of dentistry, one question keeps coming up: How has the field transformed from its traditional roots to embrace technology? In this episode, we explore the captivating journey of dentistry, highlighting key insights from Dr. Paul Feuerstein, who shares his personal experiences and the significant changes he's witnessed over decades in the field.

About Dr. Paul Feuerstein

Dr. Paul Feuerstein is one of my best friends and is Editor in Chief of Dentistry Today magazine. He’s a highly respected figure in the dental community, known for his expertise in dental technology and its everyday impact on practices. With over 40 years of experience, he has been at the forefront of evaluating and integrating technology into dental practices. His journey is not only inspiring but also gives us a unique perspective on the evolution of dentistry. He has been at the forefront of dental technology for decades. It began with installing one of the first computers in his office in 1978.

The Journey Begins: Early Influences

Dr. Feuerstein's journey began in New York City, where he was identified as a gifted student during the late 50s and early 60s Sputnik era. Schools were testing students to find the brightest minds to help in the race for space exploration. This early identification led him to advanced studies in math and science, setting the stage for his eventual career in dentistry. However, it also resulted in putting him two grades ahead in school, making him significantly younger than the other students in his classes.

The Role of Technology in Dentistry

As Dr. Feuerstein transitioned from student to professional musician, and then dentistry, he witnessed significant technological advancements. From the introduction of computers into dental offices in the 1970s to the rise of digital radiography, digital imaging, CAD/CAM, 3D printing, and everything in between. He has seen how technology has reshaped how dental professionals work.

Overcoming Challenges: A Personal Perspective

Dr. Feuerstein faced challenges during his educational journey, including age-related social hurdles in high school and a unique path through dental school. His ability to adapt and thrive has been a cornerstone of his success. He recalls his rebellious spirit during dental school, where he questioned strict regulations and advocated for a focus on clinical skills and patients over appearance.

The Future of Dentistry: Insights from a Pioneer

With the ongoing advancements in dental technology, Dr. Feuerstein emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and adaptation. As new tools and techniques emerge, dental professionals must stay informed and be willing to embrace change.

His message is that dentists must stay updated on the latest dental technologies and consider integrating them into practice to enhance patient care, operational efficiency, and profitablilty

Conclusion

Dr. Paul’s journey in the profession is a testament to the power of innovation and adaptability. From Dr. Feuerstein's early experiences, to the modern digital landscape, it is clear that the future of dentistry lies in embracing technology and fostering a culture of continuous knowledge and improvement. For dental professionals, the key takeaway is to remain curious and open to change, ensuring that doctors provide the best care possible for their patients.

He helps answer questions like:

What are the biggest technological advancements in dentistry today?
How can dentists keep up with the latest technology?
Why is technology important in dental practices?

**Want to go deeper? Listen to the complete episode

A Request to Manufacturers - Why Recycling Should be Part of 3D Printing - NOW

2026-07-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I saw a dental 3D printer. It was at the ADA meeting in Washington, D.C. The year was 2015. Back then as a die hard technology lover I knew that 3D printing existed and I understood the concept, but I understood very little else.

I was wandering the exhibit hall of the meeting, which is one of the things I try to do at dental conventions, when I happened to see a booth that was displaying a 3D printer. Like a moth to a flame, this super cool tech drew me into the booth and before long I was engaged in a conversation with one of the company's representatives.

I was shown dentures, transitional partials, and (I think) maybe even a surgical guide. I was fascinated and mightily impressed. The things I saw looked incredible and they fit on their corresponding models perfectly. I learned the overall process and asked questions about resins.

This led me to the big question I had. “How do you come up with a design for these things?” I asked. The representative opened a laptop and showed me the design software the company had used. Back in 2015, 3D printing was just starting to creep into the dental industry and there was no dental specific design system. Instead I was shown software that was used for engineering design. The screen looked like the cockpit of a 747. I walked out of the booth and I knew that, while amazing, this tech would never make much progress in the industry unless the design process was fast and easy. Dentists don’t have the time to spend 45 minutes designing something, they need to devote that time to treating patients.

Fast forward to 2026 and I’m happy to say things have changed a lot since that day in 2015. In the 11 years since that meeting, 3D printing has seen considerable growth in offices. I think the principal reason for that growth is in how much the design process has changed. As AI continues to make rapid inroads into the dental industry, one of the areas that has been impacted the most is 3D design.

The design process has gone from a detailed and time consuming task that required a degree in engineering, to a process that frequently only requires the user to upload an intraoral scan and then click “next” until the project is ready to print. The design process has always been the bottleneck in the use of 3D printing in the dental office and those design barriers are falling fast.

Dentistry is poised at the edge of a dramatic technological shift and the market is about to reflect that. I predict in the next five years we will see a large change in how a great deal of dentistry is delivered. What we’ll see is that the simple, everyday things are going to move to being fabricated in-office. Things such as splints, occlusal guards, retainers, and surgical guides can now be easily printed, but more importantly they can also be easily designed.

That means that as dental offices seek to deliver care faster and with lower costs, more and more offices will begin utilizing 3D printers. This will allow offices to lower their lab costs on “bread and butter” cases while still delivering the precision the profession demands.

Many dental labs have already embraced 3D printing for a variety of applications. That means that many doctors are already delivering 3D printed things to their patients so they already have confidence in the technology. It’s only a small step to bring this into the dental office.

However, there’s one area that needs to be addressed. Our world is dealing with an excess amount of plastics in our environment and as offices move into this realm, we need to do our part to help ensure the health of the planet we call home.

I’ll use my experience with my coffee maker as an example. I’ve been a diehard coffee lover since my college days and that, of course, means I own a coffee maker for my home. I’m not sure who invented the coffee pod, but whoever it was should have been awarded the Nobel prize for convenience. I don’t think twice about dropping a pod into my machine and cranking out a steaming cup of dark roast. Well, I should say I didn’t think twice about it… until one day when I did.

One morning as I was placing an empty milk jug into the recycle bin it suddenly occurred to me that every coffee pod I was using was headed straight to the landfill. I’m embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of it before that day, but when I realized how much plastic I was personally putting into the trash, I made the effort to search Amazon for a coffee pod I could buy that could be recycled. That led me to a company that makes compostable pods and I’ve been using them ever since. In a similar way that dentistry has moved to using amalgam separators to keep mercury out of the environment, we need to make a similar approach to recycling 3D scrap.

For those of you unfamiliar with the 3D printing process let me explain. The resins used in 3D printing are liquid. These resins are photopolymerized by the printer in a manner that is similar to how doctors place composite resins. The printing resins are cured in layers. Because they are liquid and polymerized in layers, the printer software creates little bars of plastic under the printed project as it is created to keep it in the correct shape. These bars are called “supports” and they are a necessary part of the 3D printing process.

When the project is completed and fully cured, a human then removes the supports and polishes the completed printed project. This process of removing the supports and polishing is easy and doesn’t take much time. However the cured resin supports now need to be disposed of. That means that every printed project is creating a certain amount of waste.

Now add to that the idea of “pods”. We’re now seeing printers for dentistry that create small projects like crowns and veneers through the Keurig concept of single use, resin filled pods. These pods make printing incredibly easy, but in addition to the supports, the pods themselves are also made of plastic and need to be disposed of properly.

As more and more offices move into 3D printing, the amount of waste that will be generated from this amazing technology is going to be significant. So what can dentistry do to properly and ethically deal with this problem that is looming on the horizon?

Just like my empty gallon bottle of milk, dentistry needs to recycle these leftovers. Of course if you want to recycle plastics you’ll come across a problem. Not all plastics are the same. My gallon milk bottle is recycled by my local trash collector. My plastic grocery bags need to be returned to the grocery store for proper recycling. Printed 3D resins also require a specific recycling process and they cannot be disposed of in just any recycling bin.

Fortunately there is a simple answer. For over 25 years DRNA (Dental Recycling North America) has been in the business of helping dentistry properly dispose of waste. The company provides amalgam separators, sharps disposal, and disposal of pharmaceuticals as some of its services. This year DRNA has launched a new effort that allows dentistry to recycle the waste from 3D printers.

It’s an incredibly easy solution, so allow me to explain how it works. DRNA sends the dental office a shipping container. Inside is a 2.5 gallon bucket with a liner and a return shipping label. The liner is placed inside the bucket. Any 3D printer waste, whether it is cured supports, resin pods, or empty resin bottles, is simply placed in the bucket. When the bucket is full, the office places the bucket into the shipping container, attaches the label, and notifies DRNA. The company ships a new 2.5 gallon bucket kit to the office while the office ships the full bucket back to DRNA. The DRNA solution meets federal, state, and local hazard waste regulations, is an easy one-step process, and provides full documentation. The entire process is so easy, even I can follow the instructions!

Failing to implement recycling is a looming potential problem, but we already have the solution. Here’s my request to manufacturers. Let’s begin to address this issue now. By partnering with a reputable company like DRNA, manufacturers can make the process of recycling part of the normal workflow as offices purchase printing systems and begin using them.

I have implemented many workflow changing technologies over my career, so I say this with experience. It is much easier to change a major workflow once than trying to implement small changes to that same workflow over time. Establishing the recycling process from the beginning and implementing it during training will teach offices that recycling is as critical to the process as post-curing.

Once a process has been ingrained into a system, it becomes simply ‘one more part’ of the process. In order to establish ‘best practices’ and to prevent 3D printing waste from ending up in our landfills a concerted effort needs to be made to incorporate recycling into the process *now*. Any other option is simply “kicking the can down the road.”

Dandy Partners with Yeshiva University's New College of Dental Medicine to Power the Future of Digital Dentistry Education

2026-07-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm continually impressed with Dandy, the digital dental lab. They have provided some amazing services to the profession. Now the company is helping to provide education to the next generation of dentists. Here's the news:

The first new dental school in NYC in over a century will run exclusively on Dandy's technology

Dandy, the fully digital dental lab, today announced a partnership with Yeshiva University's new College of Dental Medicine, the first new dental school to open in New York City in over 100 years. Dandy will serve as Yeshiva University’s exclusive dental lab partner, equipping the school's simulation lab and clinical facility with its scanning and digital workflow technology, and giving students hands-on training on the tools they'll use throughout their careers.

Yeshiva University's new College of Dental Medicine welcomed its inaugural class of 150 students in June 2026. The new school introduces an advanced three-year program, with a patient-focused model for clinical training and dental education. The school's 130-chair clinical facility will fully utilize Dandy’s scanning and digital workflow technologies as it scales to serve over 400 patients per day.

"Yeshiva’s College of Dental Medicine was designed to teach dentistry the way it will be practiced in the future, with modern dental technology at its forefront," said Edward Farkas, Dean of Yeshiva University. "Partnering with Dandy gives our students hands-on experience with the most advanced digital workflows in the field."

Dandy will provide $1M in products and services — Dandy's largest investment in dental education to date — giving Dandy the opportunity to help build the new school's technology infrastructure from the ground up.

“Yeshiva University's College of Dental Medicine is doing something rare by creating a dental school from scratch with digital-first workflows at its core,” shared Daniel Hanover, CEO of Dandy. “We believe dental education should reflect the way the industry is moving, and this partnership puts Dandy at the center of that shift. We're proud to partner with Yeshiva University to shape the future of dental education.”

As the first phase of this partnership, Dandy is providing Yeshiva's 135-chair clinical facility and simulation lab with Dandy scanners, computers, and Chairside software. Future deployment will continue over time, as patient volume, operations, and training ramp up.

About Dandy

Dandy, the first fully digital dental lab, is building the modern operating system for dentistry. Dandy partners with dental practices to transform their business with state-of-the-art intraoral scanners, always-on expert guidance, and precision manufacturing accelerated by AI, 3D printing, and other state-of-the-art technologies seamlessly orchestrated by Dandy's proprietary software. Dandy empowers dentists with technology, innovation, and world-class support to achieve more for their practice, their people, and their patients. With unparalleled quality, efficiency, and experience, Dandy makes the business of dentistry pain-free. To learn more, visit meetdandy.com or our LinkedIn page, www.linkedin.com/company/dandyofficial/.

About Yeshiva University

As the flagship Jewish university, Yeshiva University is animated by its five core Torah values: Seek Truth (Torat Emet), Live Your Values (Torat Chaim), Discover Your Potential (Torat Adam), Act With Compassion (Torat Chesed) and Bring Redemption (Torat Tzion). Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University brings together the ancient traditions of Jewish law and life, and the heritage of Western civilization. More than 7,400 undergraduate and graduate students study at YU's four New York City campuses: the Wilf Campus, Israel Henry Beren Campus, Brookdale Center, and Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus. YU's three undergraduate schools – Yeshiva College, Stern College for Women, and Sy Syms School of Business – offer a unique dual program comprised of Jewish studies and liberal arts courses. Its graduate and affiliate schools include Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, the Katz School of Science and Health and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. YU is ranked among the nation's leading academic institutions. For more information about Yeshiva University, please visit www.yu.edu.

Measles Cases Hit New Record in U.S., as Vaccination Rates Wane

2026-07-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Back in April I wrote a post discussing the spike in measles cases in the US. The infection had been considered eradicated in this country since the year 2000, but since the influx of the "Anti-vax movement", cases have begun to rise.

Measles is *highly contagious* and a bit of a 'sneaky' virus as sypmtoms don't begin to appear until 7-14 days past exposure. This makes it much harder to track from an epidemiology standpoint since so much time passes before infection. Obviously trying to locate everyone a patient has been in contact in the last 1-2 weeks is difficult.

The disease is especially dangerous for young children and babies. Infants should receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine at 12-15 months of age. Before then they are *highly* at risk since they have no immunity. The disease is also extremely dangerous. 1-3 out of every 1000 children who contract measles dies from either respiratory or neurologic complications.

About 5% of children who are infected get pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death from the disease. However, about 1 child out of every 1000 who are infected develop encephalitis which is a swelling of the brain. It can cause seizures, deafness, or intellectual disability.

About 1 in 5, or 20%, of unvaccinated people in the US who contract measles are hospitalized.

Needless to say, this is a very serious disease. For the last 15-20 years, there were few cases due to the vaccination rate being at 95%. However, vaccination rates have declined significantly. This is due to unfounded and unscientific fears of the vaccine. If you are interested in current data on the outbreaks that are occurring, the CDC has a webpage that lists Measles Cases and Outbreaks. There have been no reported deaths yet in 2026, but in 2025 measles killed three in the US.

On July 24, 2026 The New York Times published a good article on the recent outbreak, which I highly recommend reading.

While I'm a big supporter of personal freedom and giving citizens choices, there are limits on those things. Your freedom should not impact the lives... and especially the health of children. The choice to not vaccinate can have tremendous impact on the health of others. Sentencing an infant to death is not something to take lightly. Vaccination is the only way to currently prevent this situation. This situation is already bad and it's going to get worse unless vaccination rates increase immediately.