Facebook Faces Lawsuit Over "Under the Radar" Transfer of PHI

 Meta, the parent company of social media behemoth Facebook is in *big* trouble legally.  As most Americans know, electronic health data must be protected and stored securely.  It is considered "Protected Health Information" (PHI) by the Department of Health and Human services (HHS) and is protected by federal HIPAA laws.  There are specific legal parameters that must be followed to protect this information.  The golden rule of this is that a medical entity must only share this information with entities that are involved with care, such as specialists, or with third party payers such as insurance companies.  However, even when sharing the info must be encrypted so that it can only be seen by the recipient.

Somehow or other, Meta seemed to be unaware of this requirements.  Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed when it was discovered that many hospitals use a software component from Meta that is called Pixel in the hospitals' online scheduling pages.

According to Bloomberg:

The plaintiff, who wasn’t identified, described himself in the complaint as a patient who has used a Baltimore health system’s portal to review his lab results, make appointments, and communicate with his providers. 

Bloomberg also discovered:

On Thursday, The Markup, a non-profit news organization, published an investigation that found that 33 of Newsweek’s top 100 hospitals use Pixel on their appointment scheduling pages, which the report alleged may violate federal health information privacy laws. Several of the identified hospitals have since removed Pixel, according to the report.

Basically the code from Pixel was taking PHI from patients and sending it to Facebook servers.  It was sent unencrypted and without the knowledge of the patients or the hospitals using Pixel.

This is scary.  At the very least this was a huge oversight by Meta/Facebook.  At the worst it was an intentional violation of federal HIPAA laws and an inexcusable violation of users' rights.

I'm going to follow this one closely.  If you would like the full lowdown on the entire situation, I highly recommend reading the full article on Bloomberg.  It is a short read and well worth the effort.

MouthWatch Publishes Must-Read eBook: “The Jumpstart Guide to Making Money with Teledentistry”

 

                                                                         

Metuchen, NJ – June 16, 2022 – MouthWatch, LLC a leader in innovative teledentistry solutions and intraoral imaging devices, recently published the timely and useful eBook, “The Jumpstart Guide to Making Money with Teledentistry.”

Available as a free PDF download, the eBook is for those researching the merits of teledentistry, considering implementing it, or trying to get the most ROI from their technology investments. Individual practice owners, DSOs, or anyone wanting to provide virtual access to patients will get value out of this eBook..

According to MouthWatch CEO and Founder, Brant Herman, “Increasing revenue with teledentistry is achievable! Our new eBook answers some of the most common questions we’re asked when we demonstrate TeleDent, our all-in-one teledentistry platform. The result is a step-by-step recipe for virtual care success.”

The main theme of the eBook is doing well by doing good . In other words, using teledentistry to save valuable chair time both enables increased revenue and  improves the patient experience by saving them an extra trip to the office. Other topics covered include:

• What teledentistry is, what it isn’t, and how it works

• Critical criteria for selecting a professional grade teledentistry platform

• The value of taking a virtual-first approach to patient care

• Teledentistry regulatory and reimbursement tips

• Increasing patient acquisition and retention

• Reducing overhead with virtual appointments

“The Jumpstart Guide to Making Money with Teledentistry.” Is available as a free downloadable PDF document at http://mwtch.co/jumpstart.

About MouthWatch, LLC:

Headquartered in Metuchen, New Jersey, MouthWatch, LLC is a leader in innovative teledentistry solutions, and intraoral imaging devices. The company is dedicated to improving oral health around the world through innovative software and products that improve communications, enhance understanding, and facilitate the delivery of dental care

In recent years, the company received the following significant awards and 

accolades: The 2020 and 2021 Cellerant Best of Class Award  for TeleDent™, the provider-focused, patient-friendly teledentistry platform. In 2021, TeleDent also won Dentistry Today’s  Top 100 Products, Reader’s Choice Top 25, and Top Aesthetic and Restorative Products awards. The MouthWatch Intraoral Camera won Dentaltown Magazine’s Dental Townie Choice Award™ in 2021 and 2021 as well as Dentistry Today Magazine’s Top 100 Products Award in 2020. 

What’s more, the company’s latest product, The MouthWatch Plus+ HD intraoral camera, introduced in September of 2021, has already won a Dental Products Report Top 5 Editor’s Choice Award and  a Dentistry Today Reader’s Choice Top 25 Innovative Products Award. 

The company was also included in the 2020 and 2021 Inc. 5000 list of the Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies as well as The Financial Times Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies 2021 List and The 2021 Inc. Best in Business List. For more information, visit www.MouthWatch.com.

Canadian Dental Hygienists Association Meets with Federal Health Minister

In a virtual roundtable with select professional association leaders convened by the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) underscored the importance of including preventive oral care services in the federal government’s new dental care program. During the meeting, Sylvie Martel, CDHA’s director of dental hygiene practice, reiterated that CDHA’s primary concern remains the need to improve access to preventive and therapeutic oral care for people across Canada by including dental hygienists among the licensed oral health professionals who are eligible to provide services under the new program.

 CDHA also confirmed its commitment to working collaboratively with the minister, the provinces and territories, and others to strengthen oral health outcomes for people in Canada. CDHA thanks the minister and his team for the opportunity to participate in this roundtable and looks forward to further dialogue in the months ahead.

 Progress on the creation and delivery of this new dental care program continued yesterday with the release of a legislative costing note by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. As further questions and uncertainties are identified and addressed in the design of this program under the timelines previously specified, the cost estimation may be revised and adjusted.    

 CDHA is the collective national voice of more than 30,000 dental hygienists in Canada, directly representing 21,000 individual members, including students. Since 1963, CDHA has worked to advance the profession and promote the importance of oral health. Dental hygiene is the sixth-largest regulated health profession in Canada, with professionals working in a variety of settings, including independent dental hygiene practice, with people of all ages, addressing issues related to oral health. For more information on oral health, visit dentalhygienecanada.ca. 

Former Office Manager Sentenced to 3 Years for Dental Office Embezellment

 Today's post is fairly short because the real story is in the link that follows.  I am posting this because statistics show that between 1 in 6 or 1 in 4 dental offices will have someone embezzle from them.  That is a scary number.  

So with that in mind I thought today's post should emphasize that it really does happen to offices.  In fact, it is happening right now to some unsuspecting doctors.  My advice is to "trust but verify".  Anyone that is honest will welcome opportunities to prove their honesty.

In this story, not only did the employee steal from the office when she was fired she then stole from the next office that hired her.  So just be aware and keep your eyes open.

Here is the story... follow this link.  

Sonendo, Inc. Announces Executive Management Team Changes

 

Sonendo, Inc. (NYSE: SONX), a leading dental technology company and developer of the GentleWave® System, today announced two upcoming departures from its executive management team. Jacqueline Collins, vice president, general counsel, and Merhzad Khakpour, chief technology officer, will each leave the company in July for other opportunities.

In 2018 Ms. Collins became Sonendo’s first general counsel, bringing extensive expertise in medical device and intellectual property to the company. During her tenure she focused on building a legal and contracting foundation to support future growth and was a critical team member in preparing for Sonendo’s 2021 initial public offering and transition to operating as a public company.

"Jackie has been an invaluable member of our executive management team, helping define systems and processes for the years ahead,” said Bjarne Bergheim, chief executive officer. “I appreciate her leadership and the foundation she helped create for Sonendo’s future.”

Mr. Khakpour joined Sonendo in 2008 as one of its first employees and played an integral role in Sonendo’s early days of intense research and technology exploration. He leaves an experienced R&D organization that is expanding Sonendo’s technology platform and that has the expertise and passion to continue the company’s history of innovation in endodontics.

“Jackie and Mehrzad have each made tremendous contributions to Sonendo’s growth and milestones to date, including our 2021 initial public offering, the more than 800,000 GentleWave procedures that speak to growing adoption of our technology, and innovations like our recently announced CleanFlow Technology,” said Mr. Bergheim. “We appreciate their leadership during their time on the Sonendo team – both Jackie and Mehrzad are leaving behind strong organizations that will continue to drive innovation, scale for growth, and deliver on our commitment to patient-centric endodontics.”

A search is underway for a new general counsel and a new chief technology officer with extensive experience in product development to lead and scale the R&D organization for the company’s next stage of growth.

Join Me on Friday June 24th for the Dental Products Report Summer 2022 Bootcamp!

 

This Friday, June 24th, Dental Products Report is presenting out Bootcamp Summer 2022.  The event is held mid-day so if you are in the U.S., chances are it can fit into your schedule.  You can get state of the art information and also earn 3 hours of continuing education for attendance.

I will be moderating the event and I love the topics that have been planned out.  The presentations are:

• How to choose an intraoral scanner
• Understanding if the Cloud is right for your practice
• Real world cosmetic dentistry: Faults, Failures, and Fixes
• Tips for final impressions

We have done many of these events in the years since Covid-19 changed the world and I'm finding that I love being able to learn, and to teach, without seeing the inside of an airport.  If you haven't had a chance to attend one of these yet, I think you'll be impressed.

I am really excited that two of my friends will be presenting.  Dr. Joyce Bassett and Dr. Nate Lawson are 2 of the presenters.  Both are truly smart individuals and their presentation styles make them easy to learn from.

If you're interested in attending, here is a link to the registration page.  See you Friday!

Forsyth dentech drives innovation and investment in oral health technology

The Forsyth Institute, with its 112-year history of oral health innovation, announced today the return of its oral health technology conference and investment forum, Forsyth dentech 2022, taking place on September 14-16, 2022 at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Somerville, MA. In-person and virtual registration is now open for this hybrid event, with limited in-person capacity.

Forsyth dentech 2022 builds on the success of last year’s inaugural event, where more than 400 inventors, investors, and leaders from 30 countries convened to discuss the latest cutting-edge innovations and investment opportunities in oral health. The conference will include a keynote speaker, CEO panel discussion with leaders representing research, industry, venture capital, and more, and a pitch competition for selected presenters to showcase their novel technology or business proposal. The presentation competition application period is now open, and the deadline to apply is August 1, 2022.

“Our first dentech conference in 2021 confirmed what leaders in this space have said for many years—oral health technology is a largely untapped $100+ billion market with incredible potential for growth,” said Dr. Wenyuan Shi, President and CEO of The Forsyth Institute. “Forsyth is proud to be leading the charge to accelerate innovation and launch new dental-focused ventures that transform the oral health landscape.”

Forsyth dentech 2021 featured a keynote speech by Dai Feng, co-founder and managing director of CareCapital Advisors Limited. Feng manages a multi-billion portfolio of more than 50 dental technology companies worldwide.

 “There is a huge surge of activity in dentistry—new product technologies, new software technologies, and new forms of services and clinics,” Feng said. “Dentistry has accelerated digitization beyond what we’ve seen in general health care.”

 Forsyth dentech 2021 included a pitch competition with 18 presenters selected from a cohort of more than 80 applicants. The winners of last year’s pitch competition, Dr. Chris Ciriello, Co-Founder of Cyberdontics, and Michael Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of Intrommune Therapeutics, went on to raise significant funding because of their participation in Forsyth dentech. Several other presenters, including Dr. Benjamin Wu, founder of Gradient Orthodontics, secured additional funding and other business deals through connections to the dentech network. 

“The outcomes from Forsyth dentech 2021 demonstrate the investment and innovation opportunities that exist within the oral health technology field. We anticipate this year’s event to be even more exciting as this market continues its trajectory of exponential growth,” said Dr. Shi.

The dental industry is primed for disruption, but has historically been overlooked by investors, receiving comparatively less capital investment than other health care sectors. That is starting to change thanks to a recent influx of digitization in dental labs and growing awareness of the important connections between oral health and overall wellness.

According to an analysis by Revere Partners, the first independent venture fund for oral health and a Forsyth dentech sponsor, investors could expect investments in early-stage dental companies to provide an average internal rate of return of 33-35 percent.

“Certain categories of companies within the dental market have experienced significant growth and investment in recent years,” said Feng. “For example, digital image capturing with software that help dentists plan treatments and work collaboratively are the ‘future of dentistry.’” Feng also predicts an increase in market share for businesses focused on remote monitoring, artificial intelligence, as well as value-based dentistry that broadens patient access.

“The highway infrastructure of digitization is being built, and now there are more cars on the road,” Feng said.

Forsyth is pleased to announce that CareCapital has agreed to be a platinum sponsor for this event. They will join join CareQuest, Colgate, Revere Partners, Pacific Dental Services, Henry Schein, Quip, and other leading organizations that have signed on to sponsor dentech for a second year. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

About The Forsyth Institute

The Forsyth Institute, founded in 1910, is the world’s leading independent research institution focused on oral health and its connection to overall wellness. Forsyth was founded as a pediatric dental hospital serving disadvantaged children in the Boston area. Today, the Institute is grounded in a 3-pillared strategic plan focused on biological research, clinical service and public health outreach, and technological innovation. Forsyth carries out its original mission through a mobile public health dental program called ForsythKids.

The LEGO Group to Build US$1 Billion, Carbon-Neutral Run Factory in Virginia, USA

 

I love Legos.  I pretty much always have.  I think if you have a geeky/nerdy bone in your body, there is something about the company and their products that appeals to that.  I especially love how over the past 20 years or so they have expanded to include entire "genres" or concepts like City, Space, and Super Heroes.  

When I was a little boy, I loved... and I mean *loved* putting together models.  Back then, Lego hadn't evolved to that point yet.  So instead I assembled kits from the Revel company.  Those days were probably some of the ones that helped me with my mechanical reasoning that I use every day for complicated restorative dental cases.  Nowadays you don't see as much of putting models together with "model glue".  Now that arena has been pretty much taken over by Lego.

So I was thrilled to read last week that Lego has announced plans to build a new factory in Virginia. The truly impressive part is their focus on sustainability and being green.  Read on for all the details...

 Here is the info from the company press release:

The LEGO Group today announced plans to invest more than US$1 billion to build a new factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Once completed, the 1.7 million square foot (160,000m2 ) facility will employ more than 1,760 people.

The factory will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility. 100 percent of its day-to-day energy needs will be matched by renewable energy generated by an onsite solar park. The site will also be designed to minimise energy consumption and use of non-renewable resources.

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO, the LEGO Group said: “This is an exciting step for the LEGO Group. More and more families are falling in love with LEGO® building and we are looking forward to making LEGO bricks in the US, one of our largest markets. The location in Virginia allows us to build a solar park which supports our sustainability ambitions and provides easy links to country-wide transportation networks. We are also looking forward to creating fantastic employment opportunities for the people of Virginia.”

Construction will commence in fall 2022 with production projected to start in the second half of 2025. A temporary packaging site will open in an existing building nearby in early 2024 and create up to 500 jobs.

The Virginia factory will be the LEGO Group’s seventh factory globally and the second in the Americas. The company’s manufacturing site in Monterrey, Mexico primarily supplies the US market and will be expanded and upgraded to meet growing demand for LEGO products.

Carsten Rasmussen, Chief Operations Officer, the LEGO Group said: “Our factories are located close to our biggest markets which shortens the distance our products have to travel. This allows us to rapidly respond to changing consumer demand and helps manage our carbon footprint. Our new factory in the US and expanded capacity at our existing site in Mexico means we will be able to best support long-term growth in the Americas. We are fortunate to find a location where we can begin construction quickly and create temporary capacity in under two years.”

The new factory in Virginia, like all LEGO facilities, will use state-of-the-art technology to mould, process and pack LEGO products and ensure they meet the company’s rigorous safety and quality requirements.

“Our bricks are made to last for generations, so we need skilled employees trained to work with precision moulding technology. We look forward to working with the Virginia Talent Accelerator programme to help build a great team who are motivated by our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow,” said Mr Rasmussen.

LEGO factories in Europe and China are also being expanded, and in December 2021, the Group announced plans to build a factory in Vietnam to support further growth in Asia.

The LEGO Group currently employs approximately 2,600 people in the US where it has been operating since the 1960s. Its US head office is in Enfield, CT, and operates 100 LEGO branded stores across the country. 

Facts:

• Investment: US$1 billion over 10 years

• Jobs: 1,760 positions created over 10 years

• Land: 340 acres/137 ha

• Buildings: 1.7 million sq ft / 160.000 m² which will house moulding, processing, and packing and a high bay warehouse.

• Timeline:

2022 Groundbreaking

2024 Packing in temporary building begins

2025, H2 Production commences, solar park completed

• Sustainability ambitions:

The Virginia facility will be designed to operate as a carbon neutral factory which means it will be a highly energy efficient site and 100 percent of its energy needs will be matched by onsite renewable sources. It will strive to:

Reduce energy usage: The factory buildings and manufacturing processes will be designed to minimise energy use. The aim is to secure Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for the building once it’s completed.

Increase renewable energy supply: An onsite solar park will be constructed which will match all the factory’s energy needs.

• Precision manufacturing:

Each LEGO brick is moulded to the accuracy of a hair’s width (5my/0.005mm) to ensure the perfect ‘clutch power’ that holds LEGO creations together. 

Think you have a strong password? Hackers crack 16-character passwords in less than an HOUR

 

If you even remotely follow any kind of information about passwords, you know that longer passwords are better than short passwords.  That's because when it comes to cracking passwords, it simply takes more computing power.  There are programs called "Brute Force" that actually just begin putting in characters in a disciplined manner to basically try every letter and character combination.  The more computing power these systems have, the faster they can try those combinations.  That means that the more characters those systems have to use, the longer it takes them to finally hit the right combination.

The second thing the experts recommend is to use random letters, numbers, and characters.  Computers are *really* good at patterns so if you use your pet's name and the numbers 123 you are asking for trouble.

The logo at the top of this post is for a password manager that I like & use.  Sticky Password keeps track of all of your logons AND it will also generate random 16 character passwords for you.  It stores your info in the cloud so it is available when and where. you need it.  It's a nice program, run by very nice people.  I like small businesses and not only is it a good program, but if you purchase it, the company donates to save the Florida Manatees.

Now to the heart of today's post.  Recently Ars Technica setup an experiment to try to break some long passwords.  Now, first of all, this was a controlled environment and it was working with trying to reverse engineer some passwords in use.  When I first saw the headline for the story, I was a bit taken back, but after reading it, I understand what they were trying to do.  They managed to crack one password for a website, but if the user has used that password on other sites or other things, it is now vulnerable.

The golden rule & the lesson that you can learn from the Ars Techinca experiment is *DO NOT REUSE PASSWORDS*!!!  That's the reason you need a good password manager.  With something like Sticky Password on your side, you can come up was 16 character random passwords for *every* site you use.  You can have a terrific password but if you use it on every site, you might as well not even be using one.  Password security in practice is one of the most valuable things one can do to protect themselves and their data online.

I highly recommend reading the story that I've based this post on.  Even if you aren't a diehard geek, I still think you'll find some great info.  

Pearl’s Second Opinion® Receives Clearance in Brazil, Paving the Way for AI-Assisted Dental Radiology in the World’s Third-Largest Dental Market

 Pearl, the leader in dental AI solutions, today announced that its Second Opinion® chairside clinical AI software has received clearance from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa), opening the door to AI-enabled dental care for dentists and patients across Brazil – the world’s third-largest dental market. Second Opinion® is the first and only chairside, FDA-cleared AI radiologic detection aid that can help dentists identify numerous common dental conditions across a broad range of patients, including tooth decay, calculus, and root abscesses.

In addition to the Brazilian clearance announced today and FDA clearance early this year, Second Opinion® has received European CE Mark, Canadian MDEL, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, Australian TGA, Saudi Food & Drug Authority, and New Zealand MEDSAFE clearances. With revenue from Brazil’s oral healthcare market totaling over $2B in 2022 and an expected annual growth of 6.91% expected through 2026, the introduction of Second Opinion® to the Brazilian dental market marks another major step toward Pearl’s goal to elevate the standard of dental care worldwide.

Second Opinion® supports dental professionals in their review of radiographs by applying computer vision AI technology to identify and highlight key pathologic and nonpathologic findings, including dental caries (cavities), bone loss, root abscesses, calculus (tartar), faulty restorations, impactions, crowns, fillings, root canals, implants and more. The AI delivers its findings in real-time for patient-facing display in the dental operatory, helping dentists ensure the accuracy of their x-ray evaluations and enabling them to better communicate diagnoses to patients. Because x-rays are a fundamental feature of everyday preventive dentistry, Pearl’s automatic x-ray reading software is one of the first medical applications of AI most people will encounter in their healthcare experience.

"We look forward to expanding Second Opinion’s reach in Brazil to ensure even more patients benefit from the improved diagnostic consistency that AI brings to dentistry,” said Ophir Tanz, CEO and founder of Pearl. "The size and reach of the Brazilian dental market will ensure that a large percentage of global dental patients get to experience this innovation, and we’re excited that on the heels of our recent FDA clearance, Second Opinion continues to gain traction around the world.”

Dentists in Brazil and other approved country's can begin using Pearl’s Second Opinion® today by visiting www.hellopearl.com/products/second-opinion.

About Pearl

Pearl is shaping the future of dental care by delivering AI and computer vision solutions that advance efficiency, accuracy, transparency and patient care. Founded in 2019 by Ophir Tanz, Pearl is backed by Craft Ventures and other leading venture capital firms. For more information or to request a demonstration, please visit https://www.hellopearl.com.

Bien Air Test Drive

Late last year I took the Bien Air Nova electric handpiece for a Test Drive.  As part of my evaluation, I pushed this device as hard as possible in both clinical and non-clinical applications.  I came away *very impressed* with the Nova.

Now the good folks at Bien Air are giving you, the customer, a chance to take the Nova for your very own Test Drive.

This handpiece is *Highly Recommended* so believe me when I tell you, this thing is one of the best handpieces on the market.  So, what are waiting for?  Follow this link to schedule a test drive in your office!!!  

Sonicare 9900 Prestige Evaluation is Complete - Get One!

 

Back in March, I told you I would begin doing an evaluation of the Sonicare 9900 Prestige powered toothbrush.  It's been a bit over two months of usage now, and I am incredibly happy with the device.  The category of powered brushes is starting to get a tad crowded, although they all work.  In fact I see more and more patients taking the plunge and spending the extra money for one every week.

However, the 9900 has some nice features that help set it apart from the competition.  It comes with 2 chargers.  One is the standard "sits on your counter" type and that's what most of us will use.  However, it also comes with a travel case (seen above) that can be connected to a USB micro charging cable and charged with an AC adapter or even your laptop!

What I have been most impressed with is the app which you use to monitor and adjust the brush.  The app is downloaded for your preferred app store and connects your phone to the Prestige 9900.  Open the app, take the unit off the charger, and the app opens with a brushing guide that guides you through you 2 minute brushing routine.  It shows where you are brushing and when to advance to the next area in your mouth.  It also allows you to change settings for how the brush vibrates and the app also offers tips and videos.

The brush head is also connected.  It contains a RFID chip that keeps track of the number of times the brush has been used and it alerts you when it is time to replace it.  The easiest part of that is when it IS time to replace, you can buy the replacements straight from the app.  Simple!

Up to this point, I haven't been too impressed with "connected" toothbrushes.  Having an app seemed like a solution looking for a problem.  However, the Sonicare 9900 Prestige has changed my opinion.  This brush delivers a nice clean & healthy smile while also providing info to your phone that you can actually use!

This device is *highly recommended*!  

Oracle Completes Acquisition of Cerner

 As a Kansas City native, I take a great deal of pride in my hometown.  KC is a great place to live, a great place to raise a family, and a really great place to practice dentistry.

We also have some pretty amazing home grown businesses.  I'm talking about things like Charlie Hustle (shirts & active wear), Boulevard Brewing, and even Hallmark Cards.  Over the years we've even had a few really big and important companies in the healthcare space grow up in the KC area.  One of them was Marion Labs which eventually became Marion-Merril-Dow and another *really* big one named Cerner.

If you are in healthcare, especially dealing with, or working in, hospitals, you're familiar with Cerner.  The electronic health record company started here in Kansas City in the early 1980s.  The started out, as most companies do, as a small operation with fewer than 50 people.  My family owned a small commercial printing company and they worked closely with Cerner in their early years.  The instruction manuals that came with the software were printed by the family business... and some of them actually printed by ME!  Whenever I had a break from school, while my friends were going to exotic locations, I was printing instruction manuals for Cerner products and delivering to their office, sometimes multiple times per day.

Things have changed a little since then.  Cerner grew exponentially.  They employed tons of KC workers.  They built office towers all over the metro KC area.  For a few years it seemed as if there were buildings constantly under construction with the Cerner logo on them.  A decent percentage of my patients were employed there.  Cerner became a powerhouse.  

Now comes word of Cerner being acquired by Oracle.  Here are the details...

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) announced that a majority of the outstanding shares (the “Shares”) of Cerner Corporation (Nasdaq: CERN) were validly tendered, and the other conditions to the tender offer have been satisfied or waived. The deal will close on June 8, 2022. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company LLC, the depositary for the tender offer, has indicated that as of 12:00 midnight, Eastern time, at the end of the day on June 6, 2022, approximately 204,280,589 Shares, or 69.2% of the total Shares, have been validly tendered.

Larry Ellison, Oracle’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer, will outline Oracle’s strategy to redefine the future of healthcare at a virtual event on June 9, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. CT. Register for the event.  

A Water Bottle That Improves Airway Health - REMastered Sleep Expanding to Canada

Here is some info I received from a company called REMastered Sleep.  I've reached out to the company to see about getting an evaluation unit, but I haven't heard back from the them on that yet.  If I do, I will update this post.

The company is selling a water bottle that they claim will help strengthen the muscles of the mouth, head, face, and neck which can result in decreased symptoms of snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

I want to state that I have had NO hands-on experience with this product.  I decided to post this for informational purposes only.

If you would like more info you can go to the company website.  

WHO:

REMastered Sleep, a Minnesota-based company that created the world’s first water bottle that helps improve airway health by exercising mouth and throat muscles as you drink, is expanding its shipping operations to Canada.

The company, founded in 2019 by Anders Olmanson, will start selling its REMplenishTM steel, straw, and bottle kits across Canada on June 1st. 

“We’re excited to sell our REMplenish water bottles and straws that have a proven track record of improving airway health to our next-door neighbors in Canada,” Olmanson said. “REMplenish bottles are the only product on the market that allows you to build upper airway strength and improve tongue posture simply by drinking water each day. We know Canadians are conscious about their health and this product gives them another tool to live healthy, restful lives.”

WHAT: 

• REMastered Sleep’s water bottle is simple: You fill it up with water and drink 1-2 full bottles each day. REMplenish helps to promote healthy airway practices in an easy-to-use exercise device – take care of your airway just by drinking water.

• The company has done two user studies with 93% of people reporting improvements in snoring from upper airway exercise and 34% reported feeling less tired.

• 30% of REMplenish sales are to healthcare professionals and REMastered Sleep is actively reaching out to healthcare professionals in Canada about its product. 

WHEN: June 1st

WHERE: REMastered Sleep’s bottles are available to be shipped anywhere in Canada from its website, REMasteredsleep.com

WHY: Having a healthy airway means better sleep for you and your partner, reducing the risk of airway vibration and collapsibility (snoring and OSA), and other health conditions that can be caused by lack of quality sleep such as chronic fatigue, excess weight gain, heart problems, and more.

HOW: 

By strengthening the muscles that support breathing, keeping your tongue in the proper posture to put those muscles in a position of strength, and reinforcing nasal breathing. 

Kuraray Noritake Announces New PANAVIA™ Veneer LC Cement

 I recently received the information below and thought it would be beneficial to my readers.  I know that there are a lot of fans of Panavia out there and any update to the material would be welcomed by the profession.  Kuraray is a company with a number of really great products and for many of you, Panavia is a "go to" for veneer cases.

So give this a read and get ready to order the latest and greatest from Kuraray.

From the innovators of dental adhesive and nanocluster filler technology—Kuraray Noritake Dental—comes a simplified light-cure cement for highly aesthetic veneers.

PANAVIA™ Veneer LC is an advanced light-cure resin cement with excellent color stability, high wear resistance, provides ample working time, and offers fast and easy cleanup. It is indicated for permanent cementation of aesthetic veneers and can also be used for inlays and onlays less than 2mm thick.

Offering an ideal consistency for easy and secure application across the intaglio surface, PANAVIA™ Veneer LC does not stick to the application tip due to its unique nanocluster filler technology. This technology consists of spherical silica fillers in the cement to provide stability and control, while simultaneously promoting flow when the veneer is seated on the tooth, thereby allowing easy veneer placement without drifting or sagging.

PANAVIA™ Veneer LC is available in four highly aesthetic shades, all featuring great polishability and an excellent gloss retention to support aesthetic margins over time. Matching try-in pastes (PANAVIA™ V5 Try-In Paste) allow for a simulation of the final appearance prior to final cementation.

“Kuraray Noritake is committed to providing dental professionals with innovative solutions that help them provide better care to their patients,” says Dr. Dinesh Sinha, Senior Technical and Marketing Manager at Kuraray Noritake. “As an extension of our top-performing PANAVIA™ line of cements, PANAVIA™ Veneer LC is an essential addition to the adhesive armamentarium of any dentist looking for a veneer cement with the ideal properties of high bond strength, excellent aesthetics, controlled application and easy cleanup.”

To learn more about Kuraray’s new PANAVIA™ Veneer LC Cement, go to panaviacements.com.

X-Guide Dynamic Navigation Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance To Aid in Minimally Invasive Endodontic Procedures

As 3D burrows more and more into the every day practice of dentistry, we are seeing more and more application development that can combine 3D with procedures that become streamlined with the ability to "see everything".  In the last year or so, I've heard rumblings of using CBCT scan to help create the ideal access for endodontic treatments both in traditional endodontics as well as root end type procedures.  While not every case would benefit from this, I can certainly see cases where this would provide a tremendous advantage and benefit.  Here is a press release for a recently FDA 510(k) approved endodontic guide system.

 

X-Nav Technologies, LLC, a leading creator of image-guided and robot-assisted surgical products, announced that is has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the use of its X-Guide® Dynamic Surgical Navigation system to aid dentists in delivering minimally invasive endodontic procedures.

With X-Guide dynamic navigation, patients and dentists can now benefit from more precise and minimally invasive access to tooth structures needing endodontic treatment – specifically, access to calcified canals and apicoectomies of affected teeth.

"X-Guide dynamic navigation is an extremely accurate solution to a common endodontic challenge: calcified root canal systems," according to L. Stephen Buchanan, DDS, FICD, FACD of Santa Barbara, CA. "With X-Guide, I can perform minimally invasive root canal therapy (RCT) with much more predictability and less stress."

Using the X-Guide system's patented X-Point™ technology, the dentist gains a live view of the patient's 3D anatomy and a digital handpiece to guide drill movements during surgery. This allows the dentist to precisely navigate their drill to an exact access location for more efficient endodontic procedures. Tools in the X-Guide software help make navigation easy to integrate into the endodontic workflow, like the virtual Prep feature for planning and following an ideal drill path, X-Mark™ virtual registration for using small, medium and large field of view CBCTs, and integration with high-speed handpieces.

Combining 3D imaging with X-Guide navigation allows dentists to locate and access endodontic tooth structures more precisely, which is useful to:

• achieve less invasive access and prep of calcified and hidden canals

• perform minimally invasive apicoectomy and root-end access

• minimize damage to anatomical structures

• preserve tooth structure

• save time and potentially reduce intra-operative imaging

"In teeth with calcification, X-Guide dynamic guidance can be used to reduce structural weakening through minimally-invasive endodontic procedures," stated Dr. Charles Maupin, DDS of Lubbock, TX.

According to studies, "The dynamic navigation system was more accurate and more efficient in root-end resection in a cadaver model than the freehand technique. The dynamic navigation system has the potential to be a safe and reliable technological addition to endodontic microsurgery."1

Dr. Frederico Martinho, DDS, M.Sc., PhD, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, shared that "Our recent studies with X-Guide focused on minimally invasive access cavity, post removal, locating calcified canals, and endodontic microsurgery. It has the potential to improve accuracy, reduce surgical time, and operator mishaps. Both the endodontic residents and I were able to quickly master the technology – the learning curve was not steep for novel or experienced endodontists."

The X-Guide system has gained global recognition for giving dental surgeons the ability to perform more accurate and precise dental implant procedures, compared to freehand surgery. Over 175,000 dental implants have been surgically placed using the X-Guide system around the world.

"As X-Guide surgical navigation became an integral part of dental implant surgery, it also became clear that expanding access to our technology for endodontic procedures would improve provider capabilities and patient experiences. I'm proud of our talented team of clinical and engineering masterminds for being able to deliver the benefits of surgical navigation to more dental professionals," said Edward Marandola, President, CEO, and Co-Founder of X-Nav Technologies.     

To read more about the benefits of X-Guide® Dynamic Surgical Navigation for single implants, full arch reconstruction and endodontics, please visit www.X-NavTech.com.         

About X-Nav Technologies
X-Nav Technologies is a medical device company that develops surgical products for the dental market that advance patient care while improving doctor productivity.

1Accuracy and efficiency of guided root-end resection using a dynamic navigation system: a human cadaver study. O Dianat, A Nosrat, B Mostoufi, JB Price, S Gupta, FC Martinho. PMID 33368371, DOI:10.1111/iej.13466