American Board of Dental Examiners Donates $25,000 to Mission of Mercy Texas

Contribution demonstrates dental professionals' commitment to expanding access to quality care

• ADEX members and Summit attendees unite to fund essential dental services for underserved communities
• Donation directly advances ADEX's public protection mission through improved access to care
• Initiative builds on organization's two-year, $50,000 commitment to community health programs

The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX), a leading dental testing organization, has contributed $25,000 to Mission of Mercy Texas, a nonprofit providing free healthcare services to disadvantaged communities. This member-driven initiative expands access to essential dental care for uninsured individuals across South Texas who lack financial resources for treatment.

The $25,000 contribution combines individual donations from ADEX examiners and attendees of the Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit, which took place outside of Dallas, Texas, this year, with additional matching funds from ADEX. This collaborative effort will fund Mission of Mercy's dental clinic, equipment upgrades, and specialized care programs throughout South Texas communities where dental services remain inaccessible to many residents.

"ADEX's contribution arrives at a critical time when dental care remains out of reach for thousands of Texans. This funding will directly translate to pain relief, restored smiles, and improved health for patients who've gone years without seeing a dentist,” said Sherry Bowers, Executive Director of Mission of Mercy. “The dental professionals at ADEX are changing lives through their tangible support.”

Since 2007, Mission of Mercy has provided over 80,000 free patient visits, served more than 9,200 established patients, and dispensed over 52,000 free prescriptions. The organization's Dental Clinic provides preventive and restorative dental care to uninsured individuals who would otherwise lack access to dental care.

"Our members recognize that ensuring quality dental care reaches all communities is essential to public health and safety,” said Alex Vandiver, CEO of ADEX. “When we support organizations like Mission of Mercy, we're extending our commitment to public protection beyond licensure exams." 

The donation reflects the active participation of dental professionals who attended the Dental Testing & Regulatory Summit and Educators Conference, which brings together three major dental organizations annually: the American Association of Dental Administrators (AADA), ADEX, and the American Association of Dental Boards (AADB). Throughout the five-day event, attendees work to advance licensure standards nationwide.

At last year's Summit in Louisville, Kentucky, ADEX members and attendees raised $25,000 for Kosair for Kids, demonstrating the organization's ongoing commitment to community health initiatives nationwide.

 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.

Planet DDS Launches MyTooth, a Native Denticon Patient Experience Layer for DSOs

MyTooth modernizes online scheduling and digital forms through a mobile-first, Denticon-connected experience that keeps staff workflows unchanged.

Planet DDS today announced the launch of MyTooth, a new patient experience layer built natively for Denticon that delivers mobile-first online scheduling and digital forms without adding new systems, syncing delays, or dual workflows for dental organizations. 

Designed for DSOs and multi-location dental groups, MyTooth extends Denticon directly to patients via a clean, mobile-friendly URL. Patients can book appointments, verify their identity, complete packets, and upload documents from any device, while staff continue working in Denticon exactly as they do today. All updates are written back to Denticon’s live data model instantly, eliminating manual data entry and reducing the risk of mismatched records. 

Solving Fragmented Patient Intake and Scheduling

Most patient experience tools operate as separate systems that must sync data into the practice management platform. This often creates workflow friction, failed updates, and duplicate entries, especially for DSOs managing multiple locations and brands. 

MyTooth changes the model by functioning as a first-party extension of Denticon instead of a separate engagement platform. Key capabilities include: 

• Forms & Scheduling Management – A centralized dashboard for building, assigning, and tracking digital forms and booking workflows across multiple locations, with role-based access to support enterprise teams.
• Digital Forms – Patients can complete, sign, and submit customized intake and consent forms from any device, with real-time updates to demographics, medical history, dental history, and documents in Denticon.
• Online Booking – Patients can schedule and confirm appointments online, synced instantly with Denticon provider calendars to keep availability accurate and reduce front-desk call volume.
• Mobile-First Experience – A modern, responsive design optimized for phones, tablets, and desktops, branded to each organization’s look and feel to reinforce trust and recognition.

"Dental organizations have long been forced to choose between great patient-facing tools and operational simplicity,” said Eric Giesecke, CEO of Planet DDS. “MyTooth gives Denticon customers a modern, mobile-first patient experience built directly on live practice data in Denticon, so they can standardize workflows, trust their records, and deliver a consistent patient experience across every practice, while managing patient engagement and core workflows in one place."

Built with DSOs in Mind  

MyTooth was developed to support multi-location organizations that need consistent, branded experiences and reliable data across hundreds of practices. Forms, packets, and workflows can be configured once and then deployed across locations, with the flexibility to tailor branding and forms at the DSO or practice level. 

Etta Bourne, VP of System Integrations at Dental365, an early MyTooth adopter, has already seen operational and patient-facing benefits.

“MyTooth genuinely elevates the patient experience. For a DSO with multiple brands, the ability to bring each practice’s branding forward while streamlining workflows has been a huge win. So much is automated now that our front desk teams can stay patient-focused instead of tied to the phone, and patients consistently praise how simple the online experience is. Implementation was quick, support was exceptional, and I’d absolutely recommend MyTooth to any DSO looking to save time and deliver a more modern, seamless patient journey,” shared Bourne. 

In summary, by aligning patient interactions with Denticon’s live data, MyTooth helps DSOs improve satisfaction, conversion, and retention while reducing front-office workload and supporting consistent, scalable operations. 

To learn more, visit https://www.planetdds.com/lp-mytooth/. 

About Planet DDS

Dental software is broken. We aim to fix it. As a partner in growth for DSOs and dental groups, Planet DDS delivers a cloud-based AI platform designed to scale alongside growing organizations. Powered by DentalOS™ with AI, Planet DDS is built on connection—connecting people, partners, and technology across an open ecosystem that includes Denticon Practice Management, Cloud 9 Ortho Practice Management, and Apteryx Cloud Imaging. Trusted by leading DSOs and emerging dental groups nationwide, Planet DDS enables 13,000+ practices and 118,000 users to move beyond outdated legacy software with seamless integrations, optimized workflows, and scalable technology built for growth.

Imagoworks Announces DentBird AI System now Designs Better than Entry-level Technicians

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a great holiday season and that your 2026 is off to a great start.

If you have participated in one of my in-person lectures or webinars on 3D in the last eighteen months or so, you probably remember me discussing 3D design systems.  One of them I've been mentioning is DentBird.  The company has created a Cloud based 3D design system for crowns that, from its very beginnings, has featured a ton of AI features.

I've tinkered with the platform quite a bit and I have been impressed with the system.  You upload the stil files from your intraoral scan and the system pretty much does the rest for you.  The AI allows it to automatically identify the prep, find the margin, and design the crown... all with minimal user input.

The system does a very nice job of design, but if you don't like something, every step allows for easy editing so that whoever is doing the design gets *exactly* what they want in the end.  As I write this, the system only creates crowns, but focusing on just one thing has allowed them to create something that does that job well.

The financial model is also one I like.  Creating an account and tinkering with it is free.  You only pay when you want to download a completed design file.  That means you can try it and see if it's for you without any out of pocket expenses.

I recently received an end of year thank you email from the company and it contained an interesting tidbit of info which I'd like to share.  According to the company:

Posterior crowns produced with Dentbird consistently reach a level that surpasses the output of an entry-level dental technician. This is no longer just a promise for the future, but a proven production standard for both labs and clinics.

Now how they determined that fact is not indicated, however I'd like to think they didn't just pull it out of thin air.  My point is that AI is here.  It's changing our workflows and it's only going to get better.  There will still be a need for lab technicians.  Difficult or aesthetic cases will require a human mind and a human eye.  I love tech, but the one thing AI has shown me so far is that a machine cannot do things that require a human soul.  Computers are great with numbers and memory, but something that requires a true artist, isn't going to be done by a machine for a while... if ever.

However, the industry is going to see a shift.  In-office fabrication is going to see some decent growth.  The ability of mills like the DGSHAPE DWX-43W (that I use in my office) can create amazing crowns, but those amazing results require amazing designs.  Utilizing AI to create those designs will make the process easier.  Mills and 3D printers are going to allow offices to create bread and butter cases in-house, which is going to change things and drive growth.

Here is the email I received from DentBird:

Dear Dentbird Family,

As we come to the close of this year, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the warm support you have shown Imagoworks. The valuable feedback you’ve shared while using Dentbird in your daily practice has been the most important foundation for our growth.

Today, a new ground rule has been established. Posterior crowns produced with Dentbird consistently reach a level that surpasses the output of an entry-level dental technician. This is no longer just a promise for the future, but a proven production standard for both labs and clinics.

Over the past year, our focus has been on strengthening that standard through stability and automation. By reinforcing product reliability and enabling automatic model generation within crown workflows, we aimed to deliver consistent, high-quality results at scale, with less dependency on manual effort or specialized training.

AI is rapidly transforming dentistry. At Imagoworks, our commitment is to keep Dentbird at the forefront of this transformation, empowering you not just to adapt, but to lead with AI.

We will continue to listen closely to your voices and strive to deliver an even more seamless and refined experience in the coming year. Thank you for being part of our journey. I wish you and your teams a restful year-end and a successful start to the year ahead.

Warm regards,

Youngjun Kevin Kim

CEO, Imagoworks

 

Keep an Eye on Santa this Year with NORAD Santa Tracker

 

This is my last post of the year.  I'll return on Monday January 5th to continue keeping you up to date with cool and fun things about dentistry and life.  I've been working on this blog for over twenty years and there is no way I'm stopping now.  So enjoy the holidays with friends and family.  I'll be back on January 5th with my regular Monday thru Thursday updates.

This last post is one I make every year, because it's *so* cool!!!  Everybody loves Santa and there's nothing more exciting than to know that he's on the way.  That's why I always recommend that folks use the best state of the art system to know where he is on his journey.

24/7, 365 the skies over North America are monitored and kept safe by NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command).  They control the airspace over North America and monitor for potential threats.  Many of you are probably familiar with them from the great 80s movie "War Games" starring a young Matthew Broderick.

Since NORAD monitors the air space over North America, they are *very* well suited to track traffic coming out of the North Pole.  That's where this story gets really interesting.

Every Christmas season, you can follow Santa's journey around the world via the NORAD Santa Tracker.  Access the page and you can get constant updates and videos of jolly old Saint Nick as he makes the trek to bring toys to all the good girls and boys.  Here's a screenshot from the day I wrote this post.  Make sure to notice the countdown timer in the lower right corner of the image.  Every year, the site begins to update starting on December 1st.  NORAD is 'on it' when it comes to knowing the big guy's whereabouts.

On Christmas Eve, the site provides live tracking of Santa's journey which you can watch.  There are also apps available for Apple and Android so you can track Santa from your mobile device as well.

The site is fairly simple, but that makes it easy to navigate... even for youngsters.  I can still remember tracking Santa when my kids were little.  We even once called the Santa Hotline and spoke with a NORAD volunteer who was helping keep an eye on Santa's progress.

The Story

For the full rundown of all the facts, there is a great page on Wikipedia about the origins of this project.  However here are some of the things I find super interesting about the program:

• You can call the Hotline - In addition to tracking Santa, the program offers an 800 number families can call that are answered by a human.  There is also a live chat function on the website.
• It is run by volunteers - The phone lines are manned by both military and civilian operators who donate their time
• Each volunteer -  handles about 40 telephone calls per hour and the team typically handles more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 telephone calls from more than two hundred countries and territories. Most of these contacts happen during the twenty-five hours from 2 a.m. on December 24 until 3 a.m. MST on December 25
• It is a long running NORAD tradition - It is a community outreach program of NORAD, and has been held annually since 1955
• Its origin - A local Colorado Springs Sears store ran a newspaper ad in 1955.  The ad listed a phone number that children could call and talk to Santa.  The ad misprinted one digit in the phone number which actually connected it to the local military facility.  Deciding it was a great community outreach idea, the military decided to continue the idea the following December.

If you are around any little ones on Christmas Eve or even in the days before, I highly recommend the NORAD Santa Tracker.  It really brings the excitement and wonder out of the kiddos.

As I end this year with this post, I want to thank you all for reading and for all the support you've shown in the past and continue to provide me as we move forward.  The Technology Evangelist Podcast is growing and the blog following (even after all of these years) continues to grow.  You kind people have given me a purpose.  It's wasted effort to do things like the blog and podcast if I didn't have an audience.  That's all of you and I will always be grateful for you.  Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.  I wish all of you continued health and blessings for the new year.

Dentistry.One Named NJBIZ 2025 For-Profit Business of the Year (1–49 Employees)

 

Virtual-first Dental Care Company Recognized for Innovation, Growth, and Impact in New Jersey

Dentistry.One, a virtual-first dental care solution headquartered in Metuchen, NJ, announced it has been named the NJBIZ 2025 For-Profit Business of the Year (1–49 employees). The honor was revealed during the NJBIZ Business of the Year awards celebration held Dec. 11, 2025 at The DoubleTree by Hilton Somerset.

The NJBIZ Business of the Year program recognizes standout New Jersey organizations for their commitment to professional excellence, business growth, and community impact. Dentistry.One was selected as the winner in its category by an independent panel of judges as part of the program’s 20th year. 

Dentistry.One helps people take the next step in their oral health journey by offering convenient access to virtual dental care, connecting patients to a nationwide network of dentists, providing personalized support, and helping coordinate in-person care when needed.

“We’re honored to be recognized by NJBIZ as a 2025 Business of the Year winner,” said Brant Herman, Founder and CEO of Dentistry.One and MouthWatch. “This award reflects our team’s commitment to making dental care easier to access and easier to navigate—not only here in New Jersey, but for people around the country, especially for those who face barriers like time, cost, anxiety, or limited provider availability.”

To learn more about Dentistry.One, visit https://dentistry.one/. 

Photo Caption: NJBIZ Managing Editor Jessica Perry presents Dentistry.One and MouthWatch Founder and CEO Brant Herman with the NJBIZ For Profit Business of the Year Award. 

About Dentistry.One 

Dentistry.One was created to break down the barriers that prevent millions of people from accessing the dental care they need. Our vision is to make dental health accessible to everyone, unlocking the significant health and cost-saving benefits that come with a healthy mouth. Offering online consultations, AI-powered tools, and seamless care coordination, Dentistry.One empowers patients to take control of their oral and overall health. To learn more, visit https://dentistry.one/. 

ADA Urges HHS to Withdraw Proposed HIPAA Cybersecurity Rule

I've been making a fair number of posts lately about the ADA.  Simply put, it's because the ADA has made a concerted effort in the last year to provide better communication with its members.  Combined with the fact that the ADA has also been providing better information in the last year, I've been making more posts about them because I feel it's information that's important to get on your radar.

The ADA is a large organization and like most large organizations, they can move at a snail's pace in making changes.  They also do somethings that I disagree with.  I bring this up because I don't want my readers to think I'm an ADA cheerleader and simply putting out whatever they send.

Now, with that being said, I do like the ADA.  I think they do some incredibly good things for the profession.  But the biggest reason I'm a member is because our profession needs a voice that speaks for us.  One of the best things the ADA does is lobby for us, especially on the federal level.  If we don't have that recognized and unified front with our congress,, laws will be passed that can change our profession in ways that drive up our costs or force dentistry to take on onerous tasks.

I know it's common for dentists to say "What does the ADA do for me?" when discussing why they are not a member.  My answer to that is first and foremost, because they lobby for us.  The work that goes on behind the scenes in this effort is often not publicized, but it happens a lot.  Today's post is about the ADA standing up with others to oppose changes to the HIPPA laws that every office deals with.

The ADA is part of a broad coalition of national health care organizations that recently sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , calling on the department to withdraw a proposed update to the HIPAA Security Rule and restart the process with greater collaboration from provider groups.

Here's a snippet of the story:

The Dec. 8 coalition letter was in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, titled “HIPAA Security Rule To Strengthen the Cybersecurity of Electronic Protected Health Information.” Originally advanced during the previous administration, the proposal would establish new cybersecurity requirements for regulated health care entities. The coalition said the rule should be immediately withdrawn “without further consideration.”

If you'd like to read the entire story from the ADA News, here's the link.

If you'd like to read the letter that was sent to Secretary Kennedy, you can find it here.  

 

 

Early Data Shows that Coverage of Saliva-Based Screenings Drives Improved Patient Engagement and Treatment Plan Acceptance

 

Just to be clear... I'm no fan of Delta Dental and I haven't been a fan for a very long time.  However, credit where credit is due.  Delta Dental of Massachusetts recently announced a pretty interesting saliva-based screening to help detect periodontal disease.  Their announcement says it's available "for a limited time" and I'm curious to see if they continue the program, close it, or want doctors to continue to use it and pay them pennies on the dollar for it. 

Read on for the details...

 A new enhanced benefit program by Delta Dental of Massachusetts (DDMA), the largest dental insurance carrier in Massachusetts, focused on performance of chairside saliva-based screenings during oral exams or evaluations for periodontal (gum) disease is seeing an improvement in scores by over 33% on average for returning DDMA patients. Additionally, over 50% of DDMA members who received saliva-based assessments with their regular exam accepted treatment plans for periodontal disease when recommended by their provider.

Over the past 14 months, DDMA has collaborated with Smile Generation® to offer, for limited time, chairside, saliva-based assessments at no additional out-of-pocket cost to DDMA members at participating dental practices in Massachusetts.

 “The early results of this innovative program show that a greater focus on patient-centered care has the potential to change the trajectory of oral health improvement and engagement for millions of DDMA members. You can manage what you can measure,” said Dr. Linda Vidone, DMD, VP Clinical Management at Delta Dental of Massachusetts. “Through novel partnerships like this, we are committed to collaborating with our participating dentists to adopt innovative solutions that improve oral health and overall wellness in Massachusetts.”

With a goal of improving early screening for periodontal disease, this groundbreaking program was designed to increased awareness, deliver timely education, and enable personalized interventions to help prevent disease progression. This is important for patients, as untreated periodontal disease has been associated with worse outcomes in systemic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The saliva assessment measures levels of active-matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8), a biomarker that indicates active collagen breakdown in the gums. Elevated levels of aMMP-8 may indicate gum disease progression before visible symptoms appear. A reduction in aMMP-8 level (i.e., an improvement in ‘score’) indicates less collagen breakdown, which occurs as oral inflammation decreases.  

More than 1,600 DDMA members received saliva-based assessments, with over 400 receiving scores more than once. Nearly all accepted the assessment when offered and received their score, along with an educational flyer explaining its relevance to their health.

 “Metrics drive engagement, and engagement drives outcomes,” said Shawn Fuller, DDS, general dentist and practice owner of Shrewsbury Dentistry. “Consistently measuring key wellness indicators and providing patients with a score engages patients, builds trust and catalyzes action. This objective metric also reinforces the dental team’s role as a partner in overall health and increases treatment plan acceptance by the patient.”

The program will continue through the end of 2026 with select participating practices. DDMA continues to monitor data and evaluate the impact of the saliva-based assessments on higher-risk cohorts, including people with diabetes and individuals who smoke.