by Aspen Dental to help more veterans access dental care
Aspen Dental- (Syracuse, NY) branded practices launched “A Smile for Your Service,” a limited-time 25 percent discount offer on dentures and general dentistry for those serving in the military, veterans, and their spouses, designed to help expand access to dental care. Additionally, each time the offer is shared via Facebook (SmileForService.com/Share), Twitter, or Instagram, using the hashtag #HealthyMouthMovement, Aspen Dental will donate $1 to Got Your 6, a veterans’ organization that helps strengthen communities and empower veterans nationwide. This new program is part of Aspen Dental’s larger commitment to veterans, which has included more than $2 million in donated dental care to nearly 4,000 veterans in 2015 through a volunteer effort called the Healthy Mouth Movement.
Heartland Dental opens new offices in FL, SC, and IN
Heartland Dental (Effingham, IL) announced a new affiliation with existing dental offices in: Lehigh Acres, Florida; Sarasota, Florida; Camden, South Carolina; and Plantation, Florida. The company also announced newly opened offices in: Davenport, Florida and Greencastle, Indiana. Heartland Dental provides support services, including education, staffing, procurement, marketing, and IT services, to more than 1,000 dentists who operate out of 675 dental offices in 31 states
ADAA foundation changes name to Dental Assistants Foundation (DAF)
The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) (Bloomingdale, IL) changed its name to the Dental Assistants Foundation (DAF). The announcement from foundation chair Ellen Landis, director of operations, training, and development for Affordable Care Inc (Raleigh, NC), clarifies the intention to re-focus and re-brand its support to all constituents of DAF. Dental assistants with expanded functions, as well as clinical and administrative assistants, will benefit from the fundraising efforts of the organization. The DAF will continue its commitment which began in 1993 as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit to enhance the standards and skills within the dental assisting profession. Beginning in 2016, new initiatives will include a robust social media campaign with a new website (DAFoundation.net), and research to determine the needs of the foundation’s members, both professional and personal.
ACTEON North America announces the release of the PSPIX phosphor plate scanner; initiative to add clinical trainers to assist sales force
ACTEON North America has announced the release of its next generation phosphor plate scanner, the PSPIX. The PSPIX features a very small footprint, high quality and contrasted images, incredibly fast acquisition times and removable parts for easy sterilization. Tightly integrated with Sopro Imaging software, the PSPIX is available for both the Windows and OS X operating systems and can be shared across a local area network. “The PSPIX provides exclusive advantages to our practitioners,” said Tim Long, VP and COO of ACTEON. “The reduced footprint is 3 times smaller than any other plate scanner and the PSPIX can be placed chair side providing a marked increase in productivity and improved patient experience…” continued Long. “By providing offices with a small and affordable scanner that has ‘Click and Scan’ functionality, practices can now be dedicated to patient care and comfort” said Long.
ACTEON North America has also announced an initiative to add clinical trainers to assist their existing sales force. Clinical trainers are dental professionals who will provide product training, product in-service, continuing education, and clinical expertise in the dental offices, conferences, and trade shows. These clinical trainers will be available at no additional cost to any new, existing, or potential ACTEON customer. “ACTEON products help provide superior clinical results, and we will be offering value added services that assure each existing or potential customer receives proper training and education from one of their peers.” said Tim Long, VP and COO of ACTEON. “For example, our clinical trainers can help educate an office that is transitioning from analog film to one of our digital radiography solutions like the PSPIX imaging plate scanner.”
ACTEON clinical trainers are available for immediate scheduling through your ACTEON Manufacturer Representative. For contact information visit http://www.acteonusa.com/find-a-rep
Ivoclar Vivadent announces executive team promotions
Ivoclar Vivadent’s (Amherst, NY) CEO, Robert Ganley, announced the promotions of several members of the company’s North American executive team. Sarah Anders, who joined the company in 2003, was promoted to the newly established position of chief operating officer. George Tysowsky DDS, who joined the company in 1985, was promoted to SVP technology and professional relations. Michael Gaglio, who has been with
Ivoclar Vivadent since 1999, will become SVP marketing and digital communications. And Pierre Lamoure, with the company since 1985, will be SVP clinical sales.
Midmark announces corporate leadership changes, expands Emerge Stronger® Advanced Education Series for dental customers
Midmark Corporation (Dayton, OH) appointed Anne Eiting Klamar MD as its chair of the board (COB) of directors. Klamar has served as the company’s president since 2000 and added the role of chief executive officer in 2003, making her the fourth generation of the Eiting family to hold a leadership position. John Q Baumann was appointed to the position of president and chief executive officer. Baumann is currently serving as chair of the board of directors for Midmark. As COB, Klamar, along with other board members, will work with Baumann to set the overall direction for the company’s continued growth and long-term health. She also will provide leadership for the company’s governance structure as well as the company’s regional and industry commitments. Klamar and Baumann will assume their new roles by January 4, 2016
Midmark Corporation also announced the expansion of its advanced education series, Emerge Stronger®, to meet the increased demands of dentists who wish to design an office that will take their business to the next level. To accommodate dentists from various locations, Midmark has increased the number of Emerge Stronger seminars at its Versailles, Ohio location, and in cities throughout the U.S. To address the growing trend of dentists who want to deliver an inviting and captivating overall patient experience, the Emerge Stronger Educational Series program was designed to help them understand what it takes to enhance their office space for optimal economic benefits and an improved patient experience. Starting in 2011, Emerge Stronger two-day seminars were crafted to assist dental professionals in the renovating, expanding or building of a new dental practice. The seminar focuses on design, zoning, construction and several other key topics led by notable speakers, Pat and Dr. Jeff Carter of Practice Design Group. The Carters, a licensed interior designer and registered dentist duo, formed Practice Design Group in response to dentists seeking a more collaborative and innovative design resource than was available through the dental supply houses and other formula-driven dental office design companies. For more information regarding the Emerge Stronger Educational Series, please visit midmark.com/emergestronger or call 1-800-MIDMARK, ext. 8923.
UMKC awarded HHS grant to examine oral health disparities among children in KS
University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) (Kansas City, MO) School of Nursing and Health Studies and School of Dentistry were awarded up to a $4.38 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Bethesda, MD) grant to study disparities in oral health among Kansas schoolchildren. UMKC said in a news release that the funds will be used to examine the oral health of pre-kindergarten- through high school-aged children in mainly rural communities who get school-based care from dental hygienists. UMKC investigators will collaborate with the Kansas Bureau of Oral Health School Sealant Program (Topeka, KS). Since 2003, Kansas has allowed dental hygienists who meet certain criteria and have a sponsoring dentist to deliver care directly to children.
News of the Weird: Astronauts use toothbrush to fix stubborn bolt during spacewalk
In 2012, when a problem cut the amount of electrical power available to the International Space Station, spacewalking astronauts triumphed over a stubborn bolt and installed a critical power switching box with the use of a blue toothbrush. Thanks to out-of-the-box thinking, electrical systems were restored. Engineers on the ground and the astronauts in orbit scrambled to devise makeshift tools to clean metal shavings from the socket of the troublesome bolt
