Thursday, June 19, 2025

SuperMouth Launches NEW Electric ToothBrush Travel Case - Meet Ultim8 Travel SmartCase!

 


As regular readers know, I'm a huge fan of powered toothbrushes.  They are easy to hold, easy to use, and utilizing bristels that clean without manual 'scrubbing' works much better than manual toothbrushes.  Powered brushes let the bristles do the cleaning, which is where they help make a real difference.  A couple of months ago SuperMouth sent me one of their Ultim8 SmartBrush systems to try... and I was impressed.  The bristles are amazingly soft and the unit comes with a charger that doubles as a UV sanitizer.  When you finish brushing, you put the brush into the charger and it kills the germs on the brush head while it recharges.  It's one of the best new powered brushes I've tried in quite a while.

Today I got word from SuperMouth that they are now selling a great travel kit and charger so that you can take your Ultim8 brush with you when you travel.  One of the coolest features of this travel case is that, like the countertop version, it contains a UV sanitizer so that you can keep those bristles clean... on the go!  Details are below...

SuperMouth, the dentist-founded brand known for creating advanced oral care solutions for all ages, has unveiled its latest cutting-edge innovation—the Ultim8 Travel SmartCase™. The ultimate companion for SuperMouth’s Ultim8 SmartBrush, the SmartCase is a sleek, convenient solution for carrying and protecting your Ultim8 toothbrush, travel size floss, and toothpaste.


 Developed by Dr. Kami Hoss, founder of SuperMouth and renowned oral health expert with over 30 years of clinical experience, the Ultim8 Travel SmartCase is where luxury meets state-of-the-art hygiene technology. Thoughtfully designed to be as stylish as it is functional, this modern, compact case allows users to travel in confidence—combining advanced sanitization technology with a sophisticated design. Engineered with TSA-approved lithium batteries, the Travel SmartCase features a powerful UV sanitizer that eliminates 99.9% of harmful germs and bacteria from your toothbrush, setting a new standard for travel-friendly oral care. Ideal for frequent flyers and on-the-go brushers, it also includes a charging cable and rechargeable battery, for effortless sanitizing and recharging anytime, anywhere.


 “We’re thrilled to introduce the Ultim8 Travel SmartCase, the final piece to our SmartBrush System,” said Dr. Kami Hoss, founder of SuperMouth. “We spent a lot of time considering the practical needs of travelers and identifying what’s lacking in today's electric toothbrush cases. The Travel SmartCase was created to fill those gaps. With its elevated design and advanced hygiene features, we hope it empowers consumers to travel cleaner and smarter.”

The final addition to the award-winning Ultim8 SmartBrush System, standout features of the Travel SmartCase include:

    • Stylish & Ergonomic Design: Though compact, the SmartCase holds all essential brushing items for effortless travel.
    • TSA Approved Lithium Battery: Designed to meet all travel regulations, the SmartCase ensures a seamless airport experience whether you’re checking or carrying on a bag.
    • Hygienic Storage & Recharging: Built for clean, organized storage and effortless recharging of your Ultim8 SmartBrush on-the-go.
    • UV Sanitizer: Simply close the SmartCase lid to activate UV sanitization, which effectively eliminates 99.99% of germs in just 3.5 minutes. A blue light indicates that sanitization is in progress. Once complete, the SmartCase light will turn off, or switch to red if plugged in.
    • Efficient Charging: Thanks to SuperMouth’s SmartMag technology and a built-in battery, the UV sanitizer can run for up to three weeks per charge.
    • All-in-One Storage: Includes dedicated spaces for your Ultim8 SmartBrush and travel-sized toothpaste and floss.
    • Quick-Access Latch: Simplifies interior cleaning and ensures efficient water drainage to prevent mold.
    • Integrated Cable Management: Equipped with a universal charging cable that is compatible with all Ultim8 products.

Designed to complete the Ultim8 SmartBrush System, the Travel SmartCase is available in three beautiful colors: Sapphire Blue, Pearly White, and Rose Gold. The SmartCase is priced at an MSRP of $39.99 when purchased on its own at www.SuperMouth.com/products/ultim8-electric-toothbrush. When purchased as part of the Ultim8 SmartBrush System, customers can enjoy it at a discounted price of $30.00. For more information on SuperMouth and the new Ultim8 Travel SmartCase, please visit www.SuperMouth.com.


 About SuperMouth®

SuperMouth is a dentist-founded oral care brand offering over 200 best-in-class products and holding nearly 300 patents, reflecting its commitment to innovation and excellence. With products designed for every age and stage of life, SuperMouth continues to push the boundaries of oral care, creating solutions that combine safety, effectiveness, and fun. Learn more at www.SuperMouth.com.

 

An Unusual Side Effect - Ozempic Tongue


 

A short post today, because you'll get more info from the links...

Many medications can affect the oral cavity.  They can decrease salivary flow, cause more calculus to form, and a myriad of other things.  Now with so many patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists a new thing has occurred in some patients.

Some folks are reporting a situation that is being termed Ozempic Tongue.  The symptoms are a a persistent bitter or metallic taste in their mouths.  Obviously, anything that absorbs into the body has the potential to then be distributed throughout.  Experts think it stems from the medication being absorbed into the body and then getting into the salivary glands.

It doesn't seem to be causing any problems in the mouth other than a persistent bad taste and it's not something that every patient deals with.  Still it's a great idea for doctors to be aware of it.  It's also good to discuss this potential side effect with patients that are taking these medications.

There is a nice short discussion on the ADA webpage.  A longer article can be found on VeryWell Health.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

ClearChoice® Launches Endura Elite: A Breakthrough in Natural-Looking, Long-Lasting Smiles



ClearChoice has carved out a really good niche practice in dentistry.  Some patients require the skills of a practice who chooses to routinely do full mouth reconstruction.  For those patients, it's good to know that there are offices that perform this type of reconstruction on a regular basis.  

For doctors, it can also be a benefit.  When patients have a significant need, I've referred to them.  As a dentist, I occasionally come across a case that needs their services and it's a nice referral tool to have in your toolbox.

Today's post is about a new material that ClearChoice is offering.  Here's what they have to say about it...

ClearChoice Dental Implant Center® is proud to introduce Endura Elite, our most advanced full-arch dental restoration yet. Designed to mirror the natural beauty of real teeth, Endura Elite combines modern technology with expert craftsmanship to deliver a smile that's strong, confident, and made just for you.

What makes Endura Elite different? It's all in the details.  

Each Endura Elite smile is:

  • Individually customized to match your face and features
  • Hand-finished by skilled dental artisans for a natural look and feel
  • Made from premium zirconia, a material known for its durability and brilliance
  • Enhanced with multi-layered shading to mimic the sparkle and depth of real teeth

We've also developed an exclusive smile design collection—only available through ClearChoice—to ensure your smile looks balanced, lifelike, and truly yours.

"Endura Elite reflects the doctors' commitment to helping people restore more than just their teeth; we help restore confidence and quality of life," said Rahma Samow, CEO of ClearChoice Management Services, LLC. "It's a smile that not only functions well, it looks and feels amazing."

This launch follows the introduction of the ClearChoice Lifetime Warranty for zirconia full-arch restorations, underscoring our commitment to delivering lasting solutions with trusted quality and care.

Rediscover what it means to smile. Ask your ClearChoice team about Endura Elite.

Learn more at clearchoice.com/dental-implant-services/endura-elite/.

About ClearChoice Dental Implant Center®

Since 2005, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers have helped restore hope and confidence in more than 200,000 patients across the U.S. through advanced oral treatments designed to improve overall health and quality of life. Equipped with innovative technology—including digital design, 3D intraoral scanning, virtual smile design, and full-service, on-site labs—each ClearChoice Dental Implant Center is owned and operated by a licensed, experienced dentist providing comprehensive implant treatment in a state-of-the-art, all-in-one facility. The ClearChoice Network is supported by TAG – The Aspen GroupSM.


Monday, June 16, 2025

Simplify Shade Matching with Rite-Lite Pro™

 


One of the most difficult things to do in dentistry is to shade match a single shade in the cosmetic zone.  However, matching two teeth isn't really that much easier.  The proper shade match is critical and it's never easy.  If you've been practicing dentistry for any amount of time and run into this problem, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Anterior crowns are especially difficult.  Our aesthetic materials have made this a bit easier in the last 10-15 years, but even with all of the advancements, it is still a challenge.  Simply put, the design of human tooth consists of enamel over dentin.  Enamel is translucent and dentin is not.  That means that light striking the tooth is reflected in ways that are hard to mimic with manmade materials.  Things such as hue, value, and chroma all come into play... and they can present some challenges. 

Part of the challenge is the light the shade match is done under.  A smile isn't just seen in sunlight, it's also seen in a variety of manmade wavelengths and those are probably the biggest reason for the difficulty in shade matching.  A crown can be perfect under the lights of a dental office, but when seen under the lights in a home, an office environment, or restaurant, that shade can be affected by the ambient light.  Many doctors will match the shade and view the patient under a variety of lighting environments to try and maximize the aesthetics.  Personally I've taken shades in the operatory, in the reception area, and the parking lot on difficult shade cases.

How can a doctor view the smile under a variety of shade environments and decrease the chances of a crown not matching?  One of the easiest ways I've found to do this is with the Rite-Lite PRO™ from AdDent.

There is a measure of how accurately a light source reveals the colors of an object compared to natural sunlight.  That measure is referred to as CRI (Color Rendering Index) and can be incredibly helpful in these types of situations.

The Rite-Lite PRO is a shade matching device that uses a variety of high CRI LEDs at different specific wavelengths that allow the tooth to be visualized correctly.  A variety of different wavelengths can help increase the accuracy of the shade match.  The LEDs provide 3 modes of shade taking.

  1. Color-corrected light at a color temperature of 5500° Kelvin.  This is considered 'true north' light.
  2. Incandescent-room light at 3200° Kelvin that is found in many indoor environments.
  3. Ambient list at 3900° Kelvin.  This is a combination of room light and daylight.
There is also a black light setting for matching restorations to natural dentition fluorescence.

As you can see from the image at the top of this post, the Rite-Lite PRO looks like a large magnifying glass.  The LEDs are setup in a ring with a large viewing port in the middle of the ring.  This lets the doctor or shade taker see the teeth evenly illuminated with each specific wavelength.  You can also purchase a polarizing filter to remove any surface reflection.  Pressing a button on the handle cycles the LEDs through the different wavelengths.

The ring illuminator is attached to a handle that contains a rechargeable Li-ion battery that provides constant power output which means the light is always at its correct brightness and intensity.  This allows the shade taker to know everything is the same... every time.

If you've ever struggled to get the shade match you and your patient expect, I highly recommend this device.  It makes shade taking *much* easier.  As I've said before, the smart people at AdDent make some of the best "better mousetrap" devices I've seen.  This is one of them!

Monday, June 9, 2025

Dental Innovation Alliance VC Fund I, LP (DIA) Announces Investment in DentalBee, AI-Powered Dental Documentation Solution


We're seeing more and more the influx of artificial intelligence into dentistry.  The first and biggest push was with help in imaging as companies like Pearl brought AI to bear in helping doctors better review radiographs.  Of course, AI can help in all kinds of ways and after imaging got a toehold in the industry and doctors learned to integrate and depend on it, the amazing tech that is AI has continued to see expansion into other areas of dentistry.

AI algorithms have now been trained and implemented to help with another huge pain point for doctors and practice administrators... paperwork.  For those of you not in clinical practice, there's a *lot* of work to keep the business side of a practice going.  That includes proper clinical chart notes that detail the procedures performed.  

One of the companies that are bringing AI solutions to the business side of dentistry is DentalBee.  The details of what they are bringing to office are below. The solutions are impressive.  Obviously, as you'll also see below, venture capital firms are well aware of the effect these systems will have on dentistry and are providing funding to ensure their success.  AI is poised to make an even bigger impact in the industry.  Read on for the press release ...

Dental Innovation Alliance VC Fund I, LP (DIA), a venture capital fund at the forefront of investing in the $450B dental industry, announces a strategic investment in DentalBee.  DentalBee is an innovative AI-powered documentation and analytics platform for dental practices. The investment expands DIA's portfolio of workflow automation solutions, addressing the critical yet underserved area of clinical documentation that significantly impacts practice productivity and compliance. DIA led DentalBee’s pre-seed round this month.

DentalBee's voice-enabled AI system addresses a widespread industry challenge: dental professionals spend up to 20% of their working hours on documentation, while 70% of dentists report staffing as their biggest challenge, and 19% of paid malpractice claims stem from documentation issues. The platform streamlines the documentation process through a simple three-step workflow: recording patient encounters, generating comprehensive clinical notes tailored to practice standards, and transferring documentation directly into practice management systems. Early customer feedback demonstrates that DentalBee extends well beyond basic AI transcription, significantly reducing insurance claim denials while enabling streamlined performance coaching for clinical teams.

"Documentation burden represents one of the most persistent operational challenges in dental practices today," says Doug Brown, DIA Co-Founder and Managing Partner.  DentalBee's solution not only addresses this pain point but transforms it into a strategic advantage by providing actionable analytics that improve practice performance. Their unique approach of combining automation with performance insights aligns perfectly with our thesis of supporting technologies that enhance both clinical and business outcomes in dental practices."

“I am honored to join the board of such an ambitious and forward-thinking team,” said Kate Orr of DIA. “DentalBee’s innovative AI scribe is not only transforming how dental practices operate today, but it also serves as a powerful launch point for practices to unlock even greater returns, including streamlining employee training and increasing insurance claim acceptance rates. I look forward to working alongside this talented group to help unlock new opportunities and set a new standard for excellence in the dental industry.”

Partnering with DIA provides us with more than just capital – it gives us access to an unparalleled network of dental industry experts and connections", says Mohamed Aly, Founder and CEO of DentalBee.  "Their deep understanding of the dental ecosystem and relationships with DSOs will accelerate our growth trajectory as we scale our technology."

With DIA's investment and strategic support, DentalBee is positioned to rapidly accelerate its sales to DSOs, small dental groups, and solo practices by leveraging DIA's extensive network of industry connections. DentalBee is well-positioned to capitalize on the dental industry's accelerating shift toward AI and automation solutions.

About DIA

Dental Innovation Alliance (DIA) is a close group of dental industry executives and large dental organizations that funds, advises, and propels the success of early-stage companies building the future of dentistry through technology. Its investor base includes executives and experts from some of the largest and most innovative dental support organizations and other dental businesses. DIA has offices in New York, Nashville, and Research Triangle Park, NC.

About DentalBee

DentalBee is an innovative dental technology company dedicated to transforming dental practice documentation. Its AI-powered platform streamlines the documentation, monitoring, and analysis of patient visits, enabling dental professionals to focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks. By automating clinical note-taking and providing actionable insights, DentalBee enables dental teams to improve efficiency, offer real-time performance coaching, and enhance patient outcomes. DentalBee is headquartered in Toledo, OH.

Thursday, June 5, 2025

The "Technology Evangelist Podcast" is now Live!!!



It's with a huge surge of excitement that today I get to tell you that my new podcast, shockingly called "Technology Evangelist Podcast" is live! 

This one has been a true labor of love and we've worked hard behind the scenes to put this together.  The first episode is with Sean Ryan, the CEO of Medidenta and Medidenta Digital.  They are the folks who are sponsoring the podcast so I thought he would be a great first guest.

The first episode gives you an idea of why we partnered together to do this.  I thought, who better to explain about the emphasis on education, than they guy who runs the company that sponsors it?  Because this thing isn't about selling, it's not about Medidenta (although they're a *great* company) and it's not about anything other than the coolest and best ideas in dentistry.  Medidenta and I are committed to bringing information and insights to you about the best things in dentistry.

Over my career I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of really smart people.  Some of them are doctors, but many of those people are industry leaders on the supply and R&D side of the industry.  Those are the people I'm privileged to bring to you.  You'll hear great stories and learn insights that aren't easy to find.

If you're in the dental industry, I think you'll get a lot of amazing info from the guests I'm bringing on.  We currently have 2 episodes available with more 'in the can' and undergoing post production.

Also, this is a blatant plug, but hey at least I'm honest about it.  I've got a course coming up later this month at Medidenta covering 3D printing.  You can find info and register for it here.

Getting back to the podcast (after the blatant plug) You can find the episodes here along with a form you can submit to be notified whenever a new episode drops.  Please check it out and let me know what you think.  If you've got a suggestion for a guest, let me know.  My goal with this is to provide my friends and my peers with the best information available and to have fun doing it.  So if you know someone that you'd like me to interview, drop me a comment and I'll see what I can do.

I hope you enjoy this new endeavor of mine.  It's been a few months since we started working on it and I can't tell you how excited I am to have it finally ready to for all of you!

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Navigating Rough Waters: iCoreConnect Files for Chapter 11

 


In recent news that has caught the attention of the healthcare technology sector, iCoreConnect Inc., a prominent provider of cloud-based software solutions for healthcare, including many dental practices, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The voluntary petitions were filed by iCoreConnect Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, iCore Midco Inc., in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida on June 2, 2025.

This move comes as the company aims to "retain control over their assets and operations, optimize their organizational structure, restructure their balance sheets, and strategically position themselves for long-term success,"1 as stated in their SEC filings. The filing reveals that iCoreConnect had over $10 million in outstanding note payables that were in default. The company also faced challenges including a weak financial health score and a concerning current ratio, as highlighted by financial analysts.

For many dental practices, iCoreConnect's suite of products – encompassing claims management, eligibility verification, practice analytics, secure email, and IT services – has become integral to their daily operations. The news of the company's Chapter 11 filing naturally raises questions and may cause concern among its users. However, Chapter 11 is a reorganization bankruptcy, not a liquidation. This means iCoreConnect intends to continue its operations while it works to restructure its debt and financial obligations.

The company has already requested that the Bankruptcy Court jointly administer the cases to enhance procedural efficiency and plans to submit additional "first-day motions" to ensure business continuity. These motions typically seek court approval for essential actions like paying employee wages, managing utilities, and using cash collateral to keep the business running during the reorganization process.

While the reasons for the filing appear to be financial restructuring and optimizing its internal balance sheet, iCoreConnect's commitment to its cloud-based software solutions for dental practices remains. For current users, the immediate impact should ideally be minimal as the company navigates this legal process with the stated goal of emerging stronger. However, it’s always prudent for practices relying on critical third-party software to stay informed about their vendors' stability and any communications regarding service continuity.

This development underscores the dynamic nature of the technology landscape, even for established providers. For iCoreConnect, it represents a strategic effort to recalibrate its financial footing and secure its future in the competitive healthcare software market.