AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PERIODONTOLOGY TO HOST ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Media Contact: 

Mame Kwayie

American Academy of Periodontology 

(312) 573-3243 | mame@perio.org

 

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PERIODONTOLOGY TO HOST

ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

Registration now open for “The Perio-Restorative Partnership: A Roadmap to Clinical Success”

 

Chicago, IL – March X, 2014 —The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) will host its annual Spring Conference with the 2014 theme, “The Perio-Restorative Partnership: A Roadmap to Success,” at the Hilton Chicago from April 26 - April 27, 2014. Attendee registration is open, and all members of the dental team are encouraged to register to learn about the latest advancements and techniques in collaborative care while networking with peers. 

 

According to AAP President Stuart J. Froum, DDS, attending the 2014 Spring Conference brings value to all dental professionals. “The Academy has secured leading experts in the field to provide nearly 10 hours of real-world, relevant clinical information to help us work together more efficiently and make our practices more successful,” said Dr. Froum.  

 

The two-day educational and interactive conference covers a variety of topics that promote professional growth and guide clinicians in providing the best possible periodontal care while also giving attendees the opportunity to earn continuing education (CE) credits.

 

Lecture topics include:

 

• •Periodontal and Implant Therapy
• •Periodontitis Risk-Assessment
• •Perio-Systemic Relationships
• •Predictable Esthetic Results
• •Techniques for Implant-Supported Restorations

 

“This year’s Spring Conference, encouraging the practice of collaborative care, offers a unique experience for many dental professionals to team-up in an educational and social setting that enables clinicians to engage in new, exciting ways,” says Froum. “The best in periodontal education combined with the diverse sights and sounds of Chicago make this a must-attend event!”

The American Academy of Periodontology would like to thank Henry Schein for their generous support of the 2014 Spring Conference.

 

To register or for more information visit:http://www.perio.org/meetings/sc14.htm, call 800-282-4867 x3213, or email meetings@perio.org. 

Brightsquid Dental Link Joins DenteMax’s MaxPlus Program to Offer Secure- MailTM to its Network Dentists

 

 

Brightsquid has been in the dental space for a while now, although they've been fairly "below the radar".  I thought I'd post the press release here in case any of you are members of the DenteMax network.

As I said in my Top 10 Predictions for 2014, we are going to see a greater focus on security in lots of ways, especially with communication between offices.

Most dentists cringe whenever the term PPO is mentioned.  This announcement at least shows some type of upside for membership in this particular PPO.  However, if you factor in the fee discounts doctors have to provide in PPO plans, they could more than afford to have their own solution from Aspida.  

Brightsquid also offers solutions for single offices to purchase.  Details on that can be found here.  

Read the press release for the details of the agreement between Brightsquid and Dentemax:

 

Calgary, Alberta, Canada. March 5, 2014 – Brightsquid Dental Link is proud to announce that it is joining DenteMax’s MaxPlus® Program to offer its Secure-MailTM privacy legislation compliant (including HIPAA, PIPEDA and HITECH) email messaging system to its more than 62,000 PPO network dentists.

Mr. Rohit Joshi, CEO of Brightsquid, says “We’re excited about joining MaxPlus because it enables

DenteMax network dentists and office managers to communicate securely with patients, dentists, specialists, and labs. Secure-MailTM is specifically designed to protect the confidentiality of the patient information dentists share with their collaborators, in a safe and convenient manner.”

“DenteMax is proud to have Brightsquid in its MaxPlus Program,” said Andrea Garrett, Senior Manager Network Operations, DenteMax. “We hope the dentists in our network enjoy the Secure- MailTM service and preferred pricing Brightsquid is extending to them.”

With over 3,000 users, Secure-MailTM is leading the dental industry by providing encryption, auditability controls, data backup, secure storage, data disposal, identity authentication, emergency access and unique user identification. In combination with Brightsquid Dental Link, Secure-MailTM also gives you added convenience with the ability to transmit, receive, store, view and annotate the files commonly used in these communications:

•   Compliant communication for health and dental records

•   Attach and share 500MB per message including common photo file types like JPG, PNG,

  DOC, PDF as well as large STL 3d images

•   Zoom and pan on any photo with full 3D rotation in the Image Studio

•   Works with your existing email address

  DenteMax network dentists can now register for preferred pricing with their annual subscription by visiting www.brightsquid.com and using the discount code “DENTEMAX”.

  About Brightsquid

  A privately-held company, Brightsquid Dental Ltd. is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and has users in Australia, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Scotland, Spain and USA. Brightsquid's Secure-MailTM is available through their cloud-based platform, Brightsquid Dental Link. Brightsquid Dental Link centralizes communication where dental professionals can manage, monitor and share private patient data. For more information please visit brightsquid.com.

  About DenteMax

  DenteMax, LLC, located in Southfield, Michigan, manages one of the nation’s largest leasable dental

  PPO networks with more than 182,000 dentist access points and service to more than 8 million members. Founded in 1985, DenteMax has been leasing its quality dental PPO network for more than 28 years to insurance companies, third-party administrators and individual groups for use in their dental benefit plans. DenteMax has established lasting partnerships with its dentists, members and more than 200 client partners. For more information visit, dentemax.com.

Fake Computer-Generated Studies Found In Renowned Scientific Journals

As someone who tries to do a fair amount of reading and research, there are times when in the middle of trying to digest something I stop and think to myself  "what the heck are these people trying to say?".

Now it turns out... they may be saying nothing at all.  Some investigations by scientists reveal that even peer reviewed journals (the gold standard for scientific publication) may be accepting articles written in scientific gibberish.

It's a sorry state of affairs, but something that was bound to happen, I suppose.  Whatever happened to writing your own stuff?  I mean that's what I do and I'm just a lowly Technology Editor for a dental publication.

Here is the article.  Read at your own risk.

Connected Data Announces Transporter Private Cloud Achieves 10 Petabytes of Storage Deployed in First Year of Shipments

 

I've been a fan of transporter for about a year now.  I beta tested the device and was thrilled with the performance.  A personal cloud is a powerful thing.  The first time I could publicly talk about Transporter was at the Chicago MidWinter Meeting last year (2013).  Since then, my personal cloud has been a pretty busy place… and from the looks of this press release everyone else's personal cloud has been pretty busy too.

 

Check out these stats and then ask yourself why you aren't using this pretty simple to use and amazing device.

 

Significant Growth Makes it One of the Fastest-­‐Growing Private Cloud Companies of 2013

SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 4, 2014 – Connected Data, the creator of Transporter, the world’s first peer-­‐to-­‐peer private cloud-­‐based storage platform, today announced it achieved a significant milestone of 10 Petabytes of storage deployed in its first year of shipments, and a record year of growth. Customer wins across a range of industries including legal, healthcare, education, government and consumer markets have propelled the company to exceed its 2013 revenue and unit goals.

Customers use Transporter to collectively sync, access, protect and share an enormous volume of documents and multimedia files. How much is 10PB of data? Download this infographic at www.filetransporter.com/10PB to learn more. To put 10 Petabytes in perspective, it is:

• Three times larger than the entire Netflix Watch Instantly catalog1

• Four times the size of the entire data store of the U.S. Census Bureau2

• Five times the data stored in all U.S. academic research libraries2

  "Cloud storage is playing an increasingly important role in enabling collaborative workflows,” said Tom Coughlin, President of data storage industry analyst and consulting firm Coughlin Associates. “10 Petabytes of storage deployed by Transporter last year is an impressive achievement and points to users looking to address concerns about privacy and to seek alternatives to the recurring costs associated with traditional cloud-­‐based storage services.” 

   

  Transporter products address the global cloud storage market that is expected to grow from $5.6 billion in 2012 to $46.8 billion by 2018, at an estimated CAGR of 40.2%. The North American market commands the largest share; i.e. 60% of the overall market in 2012 at $3.4 billion; and is expected to reach $21.8 billion by 2018, at a CAGR of 33.8% from 2013 to 2018.3

  “Users love the flexibility of cloud storage, but want a more cost effective and private alternative. With 10 Petabytes deployed, our growth rate significantly exceeds that of most public cloud companies,” said Geoff Barrall, CEO, Connected Data. “Deployments of this scale in such a short period clearly show that customers value the cost savings and control offered by private cloud storage vs. the more traditional public cloud offerings." 

  
  

'Smart' toothbrush grades your brushing habits

A short post today as insanity sometimes rules my life... and this is one of those time.

I found the following story on CNN fascinating.  Bluetooth is invading our lives and definitely doing and providing things I think are pretty cool.

Here is a link to the story.

FAQ Regarding Denmat's Acquisition of Zila

As I reported here last week, Denmat acquired Zila last Friday.  In order to make things as clear as possible, Denmat issued this FAQ to help existing customers of both companies:

 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

DENMAT ACQUIRES ALL DENTAL PRODUCTS PREVIOUSLY SOLD BY ZILA

ANSWERS to commonly asked questions

1. What Zila products are being sold to DenMat?

 DenMat acquired all of the dental products previously sold by Zila. These include the Rotadent power toothbrush, NV and SL3 soft-tissue diode lasers, Atridox periodontal antibiotic, Pro-Select Platinum scaler, and ViziLite Tblue oral cancer screening system.

2. When will the transition to DenMat begin and how long is it expected to last?

   •   Responsibility for the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of these products will transition from Zila to DenMat by March 19, 2014. On or before March 19, all sales and customer service functions will remain with Zila.

   •   You will be able to purchase all of Zila’s products exclusively from DenMat after March 19 by calling 1-800-4DENMAT (1-800-433-6628) or by visiting www.denmat.com.

3. As a current Zila customer, how will I know which company to contact when I need to place my next order?

   •   Product orders will be managed by Zila through March 19. After March 19, any calls into Zila’s phone lines will be redirected to DenMat.

   •   Zila’s website and online store will also be redirected to www.denmat.com after March 19.

4. As a current DenMat customer, when can I start ordering Zila products through DenMat? When will my DenMat field sales representative be able to visit my office to demonstrate Zila products?

   •   Zila product orders will be managed by Zila through March 19. If you would like to purchase Zila product prior to March 19, please contact Zila at 1-800-228-5595 or visit www.zila.com.

   •   After March 19, you can order Zila products through DenMat representatives or via DenMat’s online store at www.denmat.com.

5. As a current Zila customer who is new to DenMat, will I need to set up a new account with DenMat or will my Zila account be transferred?

   •   An account will automatically be set up in DenMat’s system for you by March 19, but the account identification number will be different than your current Zila account number.

   •   DenMat will mail you a letter in mid-March that contains your new account number, along with DenMat’s terms and conditions for warranties and returns.

   •   You can also call a DenMat sales representative after March 19 at 1-800-4DENMAT (1-800-433- 6628) to obtain your new account number.

Page | 1

ANSWERS to commonly asked questions (continued)

6. How long can I continue placing product orders on Zila’s website or over the phone with Zila representatives?

   •   Orders will not be accepted by Zila after March 19th on the website or over the phone.

   •   Orders can be placed with DenMat over the phone or online at www.denmat.com starting

     March 20th.

7. What do I need to do in order to place my first order on denmat.com?

   •   You will receive additional communication from DenMat on or around March 19 with instructions on how to obtain your denmat.com login credentials.

   •   You can also call DenMat at 1-800-4DENMAT (1-800-433-6628) to set up your online account with a Customer Care Representative any time after March 19.

8. What effect will this change have on the delivery timing of products that I have currently on order with Zila? What about those ordered in the near future?

   •   Orders that were placed with Zila on or before March 19th will be shipped from Zila according to Zila’s standard shipping policy.

   •   Orders placed with DenMat after March 19th will ship via ground from Lompoc, CA. 2-day and overnight delivery options are also available.

   •   To view DenMat’s ordering and shipping policy, please visit www.denmat.com/ordering_shipping_policy_-_products

9. Which company should I contact for issues and returns on products that I had previously purchased from Zila? If I have a warranty issue or return already in progress, how will this be handled?

   •   For warranty claims or returns initiated on or before March 19th, Zila’s normal procedures should be followed.

   •   To initiate a warranty claim or return after March 19th, contact DenMat Customer Care at 1-800- 4DENMAT (1-800-433-6628).

10. What if I have an account balance or a due amount to Zila?

    •   Any balance due to Zila can be paid directly to Zila prior to March 19.

    •   If you still have a balance due after March 19, you can send payment directly to DenMat’s

      Accounts Receivables Department at:

      DenMat Holdings, LLC Attn: Accounts Receivable P.O. Box 1729
      Lompoc, CA 93438-1729

    •   DenMat’s Accounts Receivable Department can also be reached by calling 1-800-4DENMAT (1- 800-433-6628) and selecting option 5 on the call menu, or by emailing ar@denmat.com.

ANSWERS to commonly asked questions (continued)

11. As a current Zila customer, how long will my Zila representative be available if I need a sales representative to visit my office for technical support or service? Will my Zila field representative be replaced by a DenMat representative?

    •   Your current Zila sales representative will continue supporting your office through March 19th.

    •   After March 19th, a DenMat sales representative will step in to support you and your staff.

12. Will Zila’s return and warranty terms and conditions be honored by DenMat, or will the products that I previously purchased from Zila be transferred to DenMat’s terms and conditions? What are DenMat’s warranty and return terms and conditions?

    •   DenMat will honor Zila’s warranty and return policies on all products sold by Zila on or before March 19th.

    •   All Zila products purchased from DenMat after March 19th will be subject to DenMat’s warranty and return terms and conditions.

    •   A copy of DenMat’s warranty and return terms and conditions will be mailed to you on or around March 19th.

13. Will the price of any of the Zila products change in the near future?

 DenMat will continue selling all Zila products at the same prices, subject to DenMat’s customary price review from time-to-time.

14. Will the current Zila part numbers (SKUS) remain the same or will they be changed to a DenMat numbering system? If a change is made, how will I be notified?

 DenMat will have new part numbers for all Zila products by March 19, 2014. Your DenMat sales representative will provide you with a new price list that has both Zila’s old part numbers and the new DenMat numbers for reference.

15. If I have been purchasing products from Zila at a discounted price due to my status as a Group Practice, Speaker, University, or other VIP group, will these discounts be honored by DenMat?

 Yes, DenMat will continue honoring Zila’s discount levels, subject to DenMat’s customary price review from time-to-time.

16. Will any of Zila’s products be discontinued or changed? If so, how much notice will be given before a product is changed or discontinued?

•   Most, if not all, of Zila’s products will continue to be available. Zen Cordless Prophy is the only product that is scheduled to be discontinued, although Zen angles will continue to be available.

•   Your DenMat sales representative will advise you of either product changes or discontinuations.

•   DenMat is committed to not only maintaining, but to improving, product quality. To ensure the

  highest levels of product quality, we make and assemble most of our products in our 100,000 square foot world headquarters on the Central Coast of California.

ANSWERS to commonly asked questions (continued)

17. Does DenMat plan to continue offering Zila’s continuing education courses on Soft Tissue Management?

 Yes, DenMat recognizes how critical continuing education is to the advancement of proper soft tissue management and oral hygiene. In fact, we think it’s so important that we plan to give the current STM course a complete overhaul to upgrade the quality of the content by this summer.

18. I am a DenMat LSDP member. Can I get Zila products for free as part of my membership benefits?

•   Zila products will not immediately be included in the LSDP benefits package. However, we are planning to include some Zila products as part of LSDP Free by mid-2014.

•   Any inclusion of Zila products in LSDP will be announced to you in the monthly LSDP Insider newsletter, and by your DenMat sales representative.

DenMat

1-800-4DENMAT (1-800-433-6628) 1-805-346-3700 www.denmat.com

Zila

1-800-228-5595

www.zila.com 

Dexis Announces CariVu - A New Type of Visual Caries Detection

 

Since mid-January I've been fortunate enough to be using the newest visual caries detection device on the market, the Dexis CariVu.

 

One of the really great things about what I get to do as Technology Editor at Dental Products Report is getting the chance to see things before they are announced as available to the industry.  It's a lot of fun to these types of things.  Sometimes I get to see things in the very beginning stages and others, like this time with CariVu, I get to see a completed product and evaluate that it performs as advertised.

 

The CariVu is one of those products that I got a chance to evaluate and I was so impressed by it that it became the next article that I wrote for Dental Products Report.

 

Often times, when I get a product in for evaluation, I'll tweet when the product comes in or even mention that I'm evaluating here on the blog.  However, that's usually when the product is readily available in the marketplace.  For products that are awaiting launch, I prefer to not mention them so as not to confuse people on the product's availability.

 

I can tell you that I've been very impressed with the CariVu and what it does.  It is a unique transillumination device that has incredible integration with the Dexis software.  The company press release is below and it does a great job of describing the device.  For even more info *and* my evaluation, see the March issue of Dental Products Report.

 

Here is the press release:

 

A Brilliant New Approach To Caries Detection Is Now Available

Combining a unique technology with ease-of-use, the new DEXIS® CariVuTM is a valuable tool in the dentist’s diagnostic armamentarium.

Hatfield, PA (February 20, 2014) DEXIS is pleased to announce the introduction of CariVu, a compact, portable caries detection device that uses unique, patented transillumination technology. This exciting new product provides the ability to easily detect a range of carious lesions (occlusal, interproximal, secondary/recurrent,) and cracks, and yields an easily interpreted image that is stored with the patient’s other images. Incorporating easily into current workflow, CariVu serves as a valuable adjunct tool for the identification of tooth decay when used with clinical and radiographic examinations.

CariVu embodies a modern version of transillumination technology that has been evolving for over a decade and has been shown, in some cases, to both find lesions earlier than with X-ray, as well as represent the lesion’s structure very accurately. Also, design improvements have led to a product where the light source and other electronics needed for image capture are housed sleekly in a light-weight handpiece that can interact with the DEXIS software. The system also utilizes flexible, autoclavable tips. This improved usability speaks to the hallmarks of DEXIS imaging solutions of ease-of-use and patient comfort.

This new system employs near-infrared light which, in images, turns the natural tooth transparent and the caries dark similar to radiographs, and thus, in a view that is familiar to clinicians. Not only are CariVu images easy to read and understand, they are captured and stored with the patient’s other images. Since all intra-oral X-rays, camera and CariVu images for the select tooth appear side-by-side, the clinician can quickly compare them to make a diagnosis and decide on a course of treatment. These images can be shared with patients so that they may better understand the need for preventive or restorative care.

The technology behind CariVu offers an advantage in diagnosis of caries over systems that rely on fluorescence reactions which is typically denoted by colors or numeric values. In laboratory testing on the comparison of these two technologies, this new transillumination device showed that the view of the lesions on the images correlated well with their actual physical conditions. Thus, with CariVu, the dentist gains a more accurate view of the actual carious lesion’s shape and size, not just an indication of the presence of decay.

CariVu Indications for Use: The DEXIS CariVu is designed exclusively to support the identification of open or incipient carious lesions above the gingiva and for monitoring the progress of such lesions. Indications: Detection of smooth surface caries, detection of occlusal caries, detection of proximal caries, detection of initial caries, detection of secondary caries and detection of cracks

About DEXIS

DEXIS is an industry leader in developing high quality digital imaging solutions for the dental community. In 1997, DEXIS introduced digital radiography on laptop computers — making it the first truly portable and affordable digital X-ray system. In 2001, DEXIS® became the first intra-oral digital radiography system to be accepted by the American Dental Association into the highly prestigious ADA Seal Program. Today, DEXIS is the most highly awarded intra-oral digital X-ray system with numerous awards from dental researchers and well-respected dental publications. For more information on the DEXIS Imaging Suite of software products and the DEXIS® Platinum Sensor, visit www.dexis.com.