Pearl RCM Launches to Improve Insurance Workflows and Claim Outcomes in Dentistry

AI companies continue to expand their offerings and menus of services to the industry.  The competition in this segment of the market is fierce and AI service providers are constantly pushing their R&D teams for more features and smoother workflows.  Here's the latest info from Pearl on their new features and even a mention of what's coming in the not too distant future:
 

New Pearl product embeds AI insurance intelligence into daily practice and clinical operations, streamlining benefits verification, reducing patient billing surprises, and helping practices submit cleaner claims faster

Pearl, the global leader in dental AI solutions, today announced Pearl RCM, a revenue cycle management platform that embeds insurance intelligence throughout the dental workflow. By connecting eligibility verification, imaging quality assurance, clinical documentation, and clean claim preparation, Pearl RCM helps practices create and submit cleaner claims, reduce reimbursement delays, and improve revenue predictability.

Dental practices struggle to maintain predictable revenue cycles and expend considerable staff resources navigating the complex, fragmented patient insurance claim process. Often patient insurance is verified in one system (or manually across many), clinical documentation and imaging is loaded in another, and claim creation and submission is completed in a third. Staff piece claims together manually by switching between insurance portals and software platforms. This disconnected workflow frequently leads to errors: Claims are filed for treatments that are not covered by a patient’s insurance, required documentation is left out, clinical evidence doesn’t meet carrier requirements, etc. The result: Claims are subject to processing delays, downcodes, and denials. These are major pain points for dental practice owners, who ranked insurance-related issues, including delayed or denied payments and low reimbursement rates, among the top concerns for dental practices heading into 2026. Across U.S. healthcare more broadly, claim denials cost providers close to $30 billion annually. The impact of insurance friction extends to patients as well: Unexpected out-of-pocket costs are a key factor contributing to dentistry’s patient trust gap.

Unlike traditional dental RCM systems that operate downstream after treatment has already been completed, Pearl RCM embeds insurance intelligence upstream – during scheduling, imaging, diagnosis, and treatment planning – when issues can still be identified and corrected before they delay, downcode, or compromise a claim. This unique approach ensures that every clinical interaction is claim-ready, eliminating a major source of administrative overhead in dental practice management and revenue operations. With Pearl RCM, insurance eligibility verification and claim optimization integrate directly with daily clinical and operational workflows by surfacing coverage data, missing prerequisites, and claim-readiness status in high visibility touchpoints within Pearl’s dental AI platform.

Critically, Pearl RCM is built on a foundation of FDA-cleared radiologic AI that powers key capabilities including real-time x-ray quality assessment at the point of capture, automated selection of clinically relevant AI-annotated images for claim attachments, and AI-generated narratives grounded in what the imaging actually shows.

“Dental practices lose enormous time and revenue navigating disconnected insurance workflows,” said Ophir Tanz, founder and CEO of Pearl. “Pearl RCM addresses claim issues proactively, before they become denials. Moving insurance verification and claim readiness to the point of care gives practices clarity and predictability that they've never had, and patients get a billing experience that finally matches the quality of their clinical care.”

Customers can already see the impact:

“Pearl saves our team hours daily by both auto-verifying insurance and making coverage details clear and easy to find,” said Christine Marcin of Ballard Dental Partners. “The new RCM toolset goes a big step further, ensuring we have the right evidence, codes, and documentation to clear claims without insurance back and forth.”

In early deployments across select practices, Pearl RCM has helped teams achieve:

• Up to 35 staff hours per week saved on eligibility verification and claim creation
• Up to 80% fewer downcodes and denial related to missing, incomplete or non-compliant supporting documentation.
• Up to 2X improvement in first-pass clean claim submission rates

The platform's core features deliver clarity and efficiency across the entire revenue cycle:

• Precheck™: Confirms eligibility and code-level benefits automatically from four clearinghouses and over 300 carrier portals. Coverage data, including remaining benefits and frequency limits, is surfaced directly in the appointment card and schedule view, reducing time spent calling payers and helping to eliminate patient billing surprises.
• Claim Actions: Proactive, in-schedule alerts guide the team by flagging missing X-rays, outdated imaging, quality issues, or coverage gaps ahead of the visit, connecting clinical need, image quality, and insurance requirements in one view.
• Imagecheck™: Reduces avoidable denials due to non-diagnostic x-ray evidence by flagging x-ray issues at the point of capture, detecting quality defects like cone cuts, poor exposure, or missing apices before they reach a claim.
• Clean Claim (coming soon): Helps teams build stronger claims through automation, including Auto-Attach, which automatically selects and attaches the most clinically relevant, AI-annotated images, and Auto-Remark, which generates tailored clinical narratives and remarks for each procedure code and payer.
• Claim Insights (coming soon): Offers retrospective analytics on claim outcomes across the practice, surfacing actionable patterns by procedure, payer, provider, and location to help fix the root cause of lost revenue.

For practices, this suite of capabilities power an end-to-end approach to revenue cycle automation that enables a highest standard of revenue cycle efficiency in the dental industry. Pearl RCM is available now to dental practices across the United States. To learn more, visit hellopearl.com/products/rcm.

About Pearl

Pearl is a dental AI company committed to enhancing how patient care is delivered. Founded in 2019 by a team with decades of experience developing successful, enterprise-grade computer vision solutions, Pearl introduced the first-ever FDA-cleared AI capable of reading and instantly identifying diseases in dental x-rays. With regulatory clearance in 120 countries, Pearl's AI assists dentists in making precise clinical decisions and effectively communicating with patients, thereby transforming the dental care experience worldwide. As dentistry’s global AI leader, Pearl is committed to the ongoing innovation of robust, accessible AI tools that improve patient health outcomes and build greater trust in dental medicine. To request a demo, please visit hellopearl.com/demo.

Ambitious Program Launched to Advance Research and Promote Gum Health as the Link Between Oral and Overall Health

 

Promoted by the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, with SEPA Playing a Leading Role Through the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative

• One of the most significant global efforts to strengthen dentistry’s contribution to overall health and to raise awareness among health care professionals and the general public about the strong association between periodontal diseases and systemic conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease
• The Levi-Richman Integration Initiative is currently funded at $2.5 million, and its scope is expected to expand in the coming years
• The SEPA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration, is playing a particularly prominent role as a strategic partner and recipient of a $200,000 philanthropic gift, which is expected to grow to $500,000, to implement the Working Together initiative.
• “Our goal is to reconnect the mouth to the body,” says Dr. Paul Levi Jr., who has highlighted SEPA’s important role in advancing periodontal health.
• The American Academy of Periodontology Foundation (AAP Foundation) has launched an ambitious initiative to deepen understanding of the relationship between oral health and systemic health. The effort is part of the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative, which will mobilize more than $2.5 million in existing and new investments to highlight the role of periodontal health as a critical link between oral and overall health.
• A new program developed under the umbrella of the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative is called Working Together, and the SEPA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration, will play a central role in its implementation. As explained by Dr. Paula Matesanz, President of SEPA, “The goal is to foster collaboration between oral health professionals and key public health stakeholders in alignment with global health priorities.” 

An Extraordinary Philanthropic Gift

The Levi-Richman Integration Initiative, named in honor of its founding donors Patty and Paul Levi and Dr. Colin Richman, is supported by major philanthropic contributions totaling approximately $2 million to date, including a $1 million gift made by Dr. Richman in 2020 and more than $250,000 previously contributed by the Levis and other donors. Patty and Paul Levi have now committed additional previously undisclosed funds and have also established a planned gift to further increase their support in the future.

Specifically, a $200,000 philanthropic contribution has been awarded, through an endowment model (permanent donation), to the SEPA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Spanish Society of Periodontology, to support implementation of the Working Together program. The AAP Foundation has committed to sustaining this effort over the next five years and is actively seeking additional funding to expand the initiative further, with the goal of reaching $500,000.

According to President Paula Matesanz, “The collaboration between the SEPA Foundation and the AAP Foundation, made possible through Professor Levi’s extraordinary generosity, represents a shared global effort to place oral health and the professionals who work in this field at the forefront of addressing major modifiable risk factors for diseases such as periodontitis, which also have important implications for overall health.”

Reconnecting Oral Health and Overall Health

“My family and I are proud to support this ambitious project,” said Dr. Colin Richman, “and to advance understanding of the bidirectional relationship between oral health and systemic health. Our existing Periodontics-Orthodontics (Perio-Ortho) grants have already sought to strengthen collaboration between periodontists and orthodontists. With this new initiative, we are extending that same spirit of integration to our colleagues in systemic health and addressing another subject that is deeply important to me: the oral-systemic connection.”

“Our goal is to reconnect the mouth to the body,” added Dr. Paul Levi Jr., quoting the late Dr. Bruce Donoff, a dentist and physician who served as Dean of Harvard School of Dental Medicine for 28 years. “For many years, evidence has continued to accumulate demonstrating the strong association between periodontal diseases and systemic conditions such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. More recently, emerging research has linked oral health to an expanding list of conditions ranging from Alzheimer disease to erectile dysfunction. Although these relationships are well known among periodontists, they remain largely unfamiliar to the general public and to many physicians, including cardiologists, pulmonologists, and endocrinologists, whose patients may be in urgent need of periodontal care.”

“Periodontal and peri-implant diseases, as well as the dysbiosis and inflammation associated with these conditions, have been linked to the development and progression of numerous systemic diseases,” said Dr. Mia Geisinger, Past President of the American Academy of Periodontology and Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative. Although these associations do not necessarily establish causation, patients with systemic conditions are known to be at increased risk for periodontal disease and should be evaluated for periodontal treatment, particularly when they present with one or more warning signs of periodontal disease.

In this regard, Dr. Geisinger noted that greater medical-dental integration, including the widespread adoption of electronic health records, could significantly improve assessment of the bidirectional effects of periodontal and systemic diseases. “Future longitudinal and epidemiologic studies may help further clarify best practices to improve diagnostic and treatment outcomes.” In response to this need, the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative will fund research exploring causal links between periodontal disease and systemic conditions and will help disseminate those findings through education and advocacy.

Planned Activities

The Levi-Richman Integration Initiative will support new research, disseminate knowledge through educational programs for dentists, physicians, and allied health professionals, and raise awareness about periodontal and peri-implant diseases, the importance of their treatment, and the specialists who are uniquely qualified to provide this care.

Programs supported by the Initiative will include:

• A new and ambitious research grants program focused on interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between oral health and systemic health.
• The existing Richman Family Foundation Perio-Ortho Grants, established in 2021 through Dr. Richman’s generous support.
• Expanded Patty and Paul Levi Research Awards, originally created in 2016 to recognize prevention-related research conducted by predoctoral dental students and funded by contributions from the Levi family and more than 100 donors. These awards will now include a second prize for postgraduate residents in periodontology.
• Educational programs for dentists, physicians, and allied health professionals.
• Funding for key initiatives within the American Academy of Periodontology, including the upcoming Best Evidence Consensus on the prevention of peri-implant diseases.
• Collaborations with the SEPA Foundation, Europe’s leading charitable organization dedicated to periodontology, including:
• A biennial global online symposium on prevention, beginning in 2027.
• International expansion of the AAP Foundation’s PerioDash 5K run/walk.
• A series of educational webinars for dentists and physicians held in conjunction with observances such as World No Tobacco Day and World Diabetes Day.

The SEPA Foundation: A Key Strategic Partner

One example of this outreach effort is PerioDash, the AAP Foundation’s annual 5K run/walk designed to raise awareness about periodontal diseases, the importance of treatment, and the specialists who can help. Now incorporated into the Levi-Richman Integration Initiative, PerioDash will expand to Europe through a partnership with the SEPA Foundation.

With financial support from the Initiative, the SEPA Foundation will also develop educational programs open to oral health and systemic health professionals worldwide, in collaboration with the AAP Foundation and other organizations. These efforts will begin in 2026 with a series of webinars held in conjunction with international health awareness observances, including World No Tobacco Day (May 31) and World Diabetes Day (November 14). The programs will include both global and local components, enabling periodontists to connect with physicians in their communities, broaden understanding of the oral-systemic relationship, and strengthen referral networks.

This Initiative marks an important new chapter for the AAP Foundation, which in 2025 celebrated surpassing $10 million in cumulative grants, scholarships, and financial awards over its 35-year history, including support for programs of the American Academy of Periodontology and the American Board of Periodontology. “The AAP Foundation is proud to continue its longstanding commitment to academic periodontics,” said its President, Dr. Christopher R. Richardson, “and now complements that core mission with this ambitious initiative, which is designed to directly support clinicians in private practice and improve both periodontal and overall health.”

About the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation

Founded in 1990, the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation (AAP Foundation) advances the specialty of periodontics and dental implant surgery through advocacy, research, and education. Over the past 35 years, more than 350 dental students, periodontology residents, faculty members, and practicing clinicians have received educational and research awards from the AAP Foundation, totaling more than $10 million. These awards have been made possible through support from more than 150 corporate and organizational donors, as well as nearly 5,000 individual professionals.

About the SEPA Foundation

The SEPA Foundation is the charitable arm of one of the world’s leading scientific societies in periodontology and implant therapy. It is widely recognized nationally and internationally for its role in promoting periodontal and peri-implant health through education, research, and scientific outreach. The Foundation is governed by a distinguished Board of Trustees that reflects the spirit of an open, collaborative institution committed to society and to improving people’s health by advancing initiatives that connect scientific knowledge with clinical practice and the broader community.

About Colin Richman

Born in Johannesburg, Dr. Colin Richman studied in South Africa and England before earning his certificate in periodontics from the University of Connecticut. A highly respected periodontist based in Georgia, Dr. Richman has extensive training and experience in periodontics and has delivered more than 350 lectures throughout the United States and internationally. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Emory University School of Dentistry and as a Clinical Instructor at the University of Connecticut. He is currently a professor at the Medical College of Georgia.

About Patty and Paul Levi

Patty and Paul Levi Jr. have been married for nearly 60 years, with Patty playing an essential role in supporting Dr. Levi throughout his teaching and professional career in periodontics. After completing his postgraduate training in periodontics at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Levi established his private practice in Burlington and taught at the University of Vermont School of Dental Hygiene for 27 years. He later began commuting to Boston to teach part-time at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where he currently serves as a faculty member. Patty and Paul share a deep commitment to prevention. Their connection with the Spanish periodontal community began when Dr. Levi taught in Barcelona for one academic year. Since then, he has maintained close ties with SEPA and has been a frequent speaker at its congresses.

Analysis of Endodontic Obturation Techniques

 

A short post today, because the real info is in the study.  I happen to love endodontics.  It's one of my favorite procedures.  Like anything in the profession, there are lots of schools of thought and lots of debate about different techniques.  The knowledge base is always growing.

A recent study was done to systemically compare the outcomes of different techniques of obturation through a systemic review and meta-analysis.  They looked at results from both initial treatment as well as retreatment.  Of course, instrumentation is probably the primary concern.  If a canal isn't properly decontaminated/instrumented, the type of obturation won't matter much.

Yet, I found the info in the study interesting and I hope those of you who are performing endo will find it interesting as well.  The study was published in Scientific Reports  and you can read the study by following this link:  Effect of root canal filling techniques and materials on endodontic treatment outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis 

Also, as an aside to this post.  I try to honor copyrights, so I asked an AI system to "Create image of x-ray of endodontically treated human lower first molar."  That image is the one at the top of this post.  It appears the system created a graphic of a film radiograph.  I found that a little humorous.  I haven't used film since around the year 2000.

Solventum Foundation and America’s ToothFairy Launch National Effort to Expand Access to Preventive Dental Care

 

Two years ago, 3M's dental division changed their name to Solventum.  Even though it's been a bit over two years now, I find that a lot of dentists aren't aware of the switch.  The company makes a lot of popular products like 3M Filtek Supreme XTE Restorative, but if an office doesn't happen to order a lot of their products, that name change may have gone unnoticed.  However, the only thing that has changed with their products is the name.  It's all still the same great products inside the package.

There has been a recent announcement that the Solventum Foundation has partnered wtih America's ToothFairy to provide oral health screenings, education, and fluoride treatments to more than 100,000 children and caregivers over the next year. The oral health of children is critically important.  I'm proud of what both of these organizations are doing to help improve the lives of kids.

Solventum Foundation and America’s ToothFairy Launch National Effort to Expand Access to Preventive Dental Care

• Expands access to much needed dental care for underserved communities
• Supports safety-net dental clinics, increased screenings and preventive services and broader distribution of educational materials for children and families
• Advances meaningful societal impact through Solventum Foundation philanthropy aligned to the company’s core focus areas

The Solventum Foundation today announced a $350,000 grant to America’s ToothFairy to expand access to oral health screenings, dental education and fluoride treatment for more than 100,000 children and caregivers in underserved communities over the next year.

In addition to the Foundation's grant, Solventum's dental business will donate 60,000 applications of 3M™ Clinpro™ Clear Fluoride Treatment to support the initiative. Together, these contributions underscore Solventum’s commitment to enabling better, smarter, safer healthcare to improve lives by addressing critical gaps in oral health access.

“I am incredibly proud to see how the Solventum Foundation is working to improve lives and advance access to care in communities where we live and work around the world,” said Bryan Hanson, chief executive officer, Solventum. “This grant will help America’s ToothFairy provide essential resources so more children can build a foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles.”

This initiative addresses significant barriers that many families face in accessing dental care, including financial hardship, lack of transportation and a shortage of dental providers. The grant enables America’s ToothFairy to support safety-net dental clinics and community organizations in delivering fluoride applications and oral health education in trusted settings like schools and mobile units.

Key components of the initiative include:

• Expanded access: Adding five new safety-net dental clinics to the America’s ToothFairy Dental Resource Program, providing them with valuable resources to increase access to care in communities near Solventum facilities.
• Direct care grants: Awarding grants to support oral health screenings and urgent dental care for children who lack insurance coverage.
• Education: Distributing educational materials to 25,000 children and caregivers to reinforce healthy habits at home and the importance of fluoride in preventing tooth decay.

“At America’s ToothFairy, we see every day how difficult it can be for families to get the dental care their children need,” said Jill Malmgren, executive director of America’s ToothFairy. “This generous support from the Solventum Foundation will help us reach more children with preventive care, connect more families to trusted resources and give more kids the chance to grow up healthy and pain free.”

Solventum employees will also play a vital role in the initiative by hosting Smile Drives to collect essential hygiene products for families in need, volunteering to assemble oral health kits and delivering donated products to local clinics.

This is the Solventum Foundation’s first large-scale grant since its formation in 2025. The Foundation intends to make additional grants across Solventum’s core business areas.

About the Solventum Foundation

The Solventum Foundation is a tax-exempt private foundation that is funded and supported by Solventum. At the Foundation, we are dedicated to improving lives and advancing access to care for those who need it most. We focus our charitable efforts on three core pillars: supporting our employees in times of need, strengthening our communities and responding to global crises. The Foundation is a separate legal entity, guided by its own board of directors, that works in partnership with Solventum to create meaningful societal impact.

About Solventum

At Solventum, we enable better, smarter, safer healthcare to improve lives. As a new company with a long legacy of creating breakthrough solutions for our customers’ toughest challenges, we pioneer game-changing innovations at the intersection of health, material and data science that change patients' lives for the better — while empowering healthcare professionals to perform at their best. See how at Solventum.com.

About America’s ToothFairy

America’s ToothFairy is celebrating 20 years of increasing access to oral healthcare. The organization supports nonprofit clinics and community partners who deliver education, prevention and treatment services for underserved children. America’s ToothFairy has helped more than 16 million children and caregivers across America access oral health services. For more information, visit America’sToothFairy.org.

The Technology Evangelist Podcast Episode 42 - Dr. Adam Hodges on Composite Veneer Technology and Digital Dentistry

Not too long ago I got a chance to have a great conversation with Dr. Adam Hodges about his passion for excellence and his dedication to the profession.  I was impressed with a lot of the things he said and the topics he covered, however the one that I really loved was his thoughts on mentorship.  I've said it a lot over the years, but at the time I started my practice, communication with other doctors was a lot more difficult.  I had limited resources available to me and I was often forced to figure things out myself.  Now with the ability to communicate with experienced clinicians, young doctors can learn from mentors at an amazing speed.

If you are a young doctor, don't hesitate to reach out to others.  There are a lot of clinicians like Dr. Hodges that enjoy helping others learn more about the profession.

Below is a summary of our conversation:

Composite veneer technology has transformed what general dentists can deliver for patients — and few clinicians know that story better than Dr. Adam Hodges. On this episode of The Technology Evangelist Podcast, host Dr. John Flucke sits down with Dr. Hodges, a Solventum KOL, Dental Advisor clinical ambassador, and 24-year veteran of a family dental practice in Asheville, North Carolina, to talk about how digital workflows are making composite veneers more predictable, more profitable, and more accessible than ever. This conversation is brought to you by Medidenta Digital Solutions, whose support makes this podcast possible.

Key Insights on Composite Veneer Technology and Generational Dentistry:

• A Generational Practice Built on Mentorship: Dr. Hodges is a 2000 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia who completed a general practice residency at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital focused on surgical and cosmetic dentistry. He went on to join his father in practice and now runs Hodges and Hodges Comprehensive Dental Medicine alongside his brother. He credits his father’s analytical, military-trained mindset with quietly programming him to think like a dentist long before he ever set foot in dental school — a foundation he says shaped his clinical precision and his ability to communicate calmly under pressure.
• How the Solventum Filtek Matrix Changed His Approach to Composite Veneers: As the initial clinical user of the Solventum Filtek Matrix, Dr. Hodges describes a personal turning point. Despite genuinely enjoying composite veneers as a concept, he had largely stopped doing them because he lacked confidence in consistently delivering a beautiful esthetic result. The Filtek Matrix — which uses a digital scan and design to create a case that the dentist injects composite into directly — changed that. What once took him four and a half hours now takes roughly ninety minutes, with results that are more predictable and patient-approved every time. Composite veneer technology, he says, went from being a pain point to a true practice differentiator.
• The Business Case for Affordable Esthetics: Dr. Hodges makes a compelling argument for composite veneers as a practice builder. Because the procedure is significantly less expensive than porcelain veneers, patients who complete treatment often become word-of-mouth referrals almost immediately. He also notes that when specialists in the area — orthodontists, pediatric dentists — learned he was offering this service reliably, he became a referral destination for cases that those offices could not handle themselves. The financial efficiency of completing six composite veneers in a single hour, he adds, makes this one of the most profitable procedures in his day.
• Choosing the Right Entry Point into Digital Dentistry: Both Dr. Hodges and I stress that digital dentistry does not require an all-or-nothing commitment. A practice that already has a digital scanner can take advantage of composite veneer technology without designing cases from scratch — Solventum’s portal handles the design work, and the clinician simply works from the resulting case. Dr. Hodges compares this to using water wings before swimming independently: start with the supported workflow, build confidence over a handful of cases, and add more self-directed digital capability only when it makes practical sense.
• The Role of Advanced Education in Clinical Confidence: Dr. Hodges began pursuing continuing education almost immediately after residency, even when he could barely afford it. He studied at Pankey and Spear, completed the LSU Cosmetic Continuum, and credits those experiences with building the clinical foundation that allowed him to take full advantage of new composite veneer technology and other digital tools when they arrived. He warns that many dentists wait too long to pursue advanced training, leaving themselves with less career horizon to apply what they learn.
• When to Pause on New Materials and Technology: Having been burned twice by adopting restorative materials that later failed at scale — including one that resulted in a manufacturer recall mid-use — Dr. Hodges advises particular caution with newer 3D-printed crown materials. He notes that while 3D printing produces remarkable anatomy, the materials’ long-term durability in the mouth is still in its early stages. He recommends relying on organizations like Dental Advisor and CR for independent testing data before adopting new materials, rather than letting compelling marketing drive clinical decisions.
• Patient Communication as a Clinical Skill: A recurring theme throughout the episode is the importance of tailoring communication to the individual patient. Dr. Hodges describes developing internal scripts — specific, tested language for everything from bite checks to treatment presentations — and refining them the same way a performer refines a stage act: if he is not getting the result he wants, he changes the delivery. He and Dr. Flucke also discuss the value of keeping chairside conversation focused on dentistry, noting that an endless, enthusiastic discussion of teeth is the one topic that will never alienate a patient or create controversy in today’s charged environment.
• Mentoring the Next Generation: Dr. Hodges currently mentors six dental residents, taking them to dinner, presenting cases, and deliberately trying to spark the curiosity that will drive them toward lifelong learning. He pushes back on experienced dentists who criticize younger clinicians without actively helping them — arguing that the obligation of seasoned practitioners is to help the next generation understand not just how to do things, but why, so they can apply that reasoning to tools and techniques that do not yet exist.

Dr. Adam Hodges brings a rare combination of clinical depth, industry involvement, and genuine enthusiasm for the future of dentistry to every conversation. Whether you are a new graduate trying to figure out where composite veneer technology fits in your practice, or an experienced dentist looking to revisit a procedure you have been avoiding, his insights offer a practical and encouraging roadmap.   

The Technology Evangelist Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts.  Please "Like", "Subscribe", and "Comment" as that helps more people find us and helps keep the algorithm happy.  To see this discussion with Dr. Adam Hodges, click here.  

 

Have a Great Memorial Day - and Remember the Fallen

The photo above is a gorgeous shot of Arlington National Cemetery taken by Duane Lempke.  He has generously dedicated this work to the public domain by waiving all rights to it.  I think that it's a great way to start this post. 

According to Wikipedia, "Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces".  Here's a bit of trivia... the holiday was originally called Decoration Day and was so named to encourage placing flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.  I can still remember my grandma wanting to go to a cemetery on "Decoration Day" to place flowers.  It's one of those childhood memories that warms my heart.

The holiday started out as a way to honor Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War and has since morphed into a remembrance of all fallen soldiers and military personnel.  

From a personal point of view, it seems to me that over the years the real reason for the holiday has become a bit lost.  I feel a lot of people look upon it more as the beginning of summer and a day to relax and grill in the backyard.  While I'm certainly not opposed to bonding over a backyard burger, I wanted to take today's post and remind everyone of "the why" behind the day.

Sacrifice for the common good is honorable and we should all take a moment today to pause and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for others.  Enjoy the day and remember the fallen who cannot be there with you.

3D Printing Waste - How Do We Handle It?

 

As regular readers will know, I am all in on 3D printing.  This area of dentistry is really starting to take root and continues to grow.  The profession is rapidly moving to delivery of common "bread and butter" removable appliances and crowns to in-office.  The design process has gotten much easier as AI is integrated more and more into the workflow.  More 3D printing in being done in dental offices and even more is being done in dental labs.  The dental lab industry was quick to see the benefit of digital dentistry and incorporating 3D printing into their workflows has given labs increased speed while cutting costs.

This product category is growing, yet there is one area of this change that we all need to think about.  3D printing does create some excess cured resin and how can that be recycled in an environmentally friendly way?  As the image above shows, when a device is 3D printed, it's necessary to create supports.  These small pieces literally 'support' the project while it is being printed.  These supports are then trimmed off, the project is polished, and the supports are normally tossed in the trash.  Obviously we're all trying to reduce the amount of plastics that end up in landfills and despite my love of 3D printing, I think we need to think about this.

The good new is, now there's a way to recycle this excess cured resin.  You read that right, recycle.  DRNA  (Dental Recycling North America) is now offering a way to dispose of the pieces without sending them to a landfill.  

Back when amalgam disposal was still a minor concern in the industry, DRNA began selling amalgam separators that removed amalgam from dental suction.  Their system is a canister that connects to the suction unit and removes the amalgam dust and particles before they go into the municipal sewer lines.  Amalgam separators are new required in dental offices, but back when I had one installed, I did it simply because I thought it was environmentally responsible.  I've been using their product ever since.

Recently the company came out with a system to recycle 3D printed resins and, again, I think it's a great idea for the environment.  As we are all aware, taking care of the planet is something we should all be concerned with and this is great idea to help with that.  The company can safely dispose of both cured and uncured (liquid) resin.

The process is simple.  You simply purchase a 2.5 gallon bucket from the company, place the cured resin pieces into it, and when the bucket is full it is shipped back to DRNA who then recycles the material.  It's a simple, turnkey solution, that simplifies the process of recycling the cured resin leftovers.  Occasionally a 3D printer will make a mistake and misprint something.  It isn't common, but it happens and you can recycle those as well.  I like the idea because it makes recycling consistent, easier, and provides paperwork to the office that the materials have been responsibly disposed of.

The idea came to the folks at DRNA when the SprintRay Midas 3D printer came to market.  The Midas uses the same concept as the Keurig Coffee Pod.  It uses a small cartridge that contains enough resin to print a single crown.  It cuts waste by reducing the amount of resin used and streamlines the workflow for offices that are 3D printing crowns.  However, in addition to the left over resin, there is also the pod to consider as far as waste.  The folks at DRNA decided to create a solution that was easy and environmentally friendly to make recycling easier.  Yet you don't need to be a Midas user to recycle.  Now DRNA has brought 3D recycling to any office using a 3D printer.  As the 3D printing market expands and printers evolve, there will also be other 'pod' type solutions on the market and getting started with recycling now is a good thing for everyone.

You can find all of the info on DRNA's system here.