Henry Schein’s THRIVELIVE Returns to Las Vegas

 

I apologize for the short notice on this announcement.  However, in my defense, the folks at Thrive Alive, just sent this to me and I created this the moment I got it.  They are in the final push to get the word out and I'm happy to provide this info to you.  Probably most of you who are aware of Thrive Alive have registered already, but if you haven't here's all the info and a link to the registration page.  Henry Schein does an amazing job with this event.  They created Thrive Alive as a showcase for the state of the art products they have in their inventory and if you are thinking of upgrading your practice, it's one of the premier events to attend.  It's always packed with terrific speakers where you can rest assured you'll learn a ton about the best products in dentistry.

Premier Dental Industry Event Offers Dental Teams Education and Networking  MELVILLE, N.Y. – March 31, 2025 – 

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) fourth annual THRIVELIVE® returns to Las Vegas from April 30 to May 3, offering dental teams a unique educational experience. Held at Resorts World Las Vegas, the three-day event features more than 100 courses and speakers, with insights from influential thought leaders on clinical applications of technology, the business of dentistry, team development, practice design, and software solutions. Interactive product demonstrations of the latest dental technologies and the Company’s suite of services will also be available.

“THRIVELIVE demonstrates our commitment and deep investment into the success of our customers,” said Mark Hillebrandt, Chief Digital Revenue Officer of Henry Schein. “This event was created to empower all dental team members to achieve their full potential. We are thrilled to continue the tradition of bringing community, connection, and lifelong learning to the dental profession with THRIVELIVE.” 

Several THRIVELIVE registration promotions are available, including:  

• ·       A 10 percent volume discount for groups of 10 or more. Contact thriveliveevent@henryschein.com for more details. 
• ·       Exclusive benefits and savings on THRIVELIVE tickets, as well as business management services, merchandise, equipment, shipping, and more from Henry Schein's Thrive Signature Program.
• ·       A doctor and team member bundle, where team member registrations (dental assistants, hygienists, front office, C-suite members, and non-doctor owners) are $999 each when added to a full-price doctor registration.

Also included in attendees’ ticket prices is a performance by this year's headliner, comedian Kevin James, best known for his role in “The King of Queens.” Attendees will have additional opportunities to connect with peers between educational sessions through engaging activities, including pickleball, morning yoga, and a Kentucky Derby brunch.

For THRIVELIVE attendees interested in volunteer opportunities, this year’s event will support the American Dental Association Foundation’s Give Kids a Smile and Give Veterans A Smile programs. These ADAF programs, which Henry Schein supports year-round, provide underserved children and veterans with free oral health care and assistance in finding a dental home.

For more information and to register for THRIVELIVE, please visit https://thrivelive2025.com/.
 About Henry Schein, Inc. 

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With approximately 25,000 Team Schein Members worldwide, the Company's network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that help improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively. These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, as well as other alternate care sites.  

  
 Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 300,000 branded products and Henry Schein corporate brand products in our distribution centers.  

 A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 33 countries and territories. The Company's sales reached $12.7 billion in 2024 and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 11.2 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.  
 For more information, visit Henry Schein at 
www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, Instagram.com/HenrySchein, LinkedIn.com/Company/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on X.    

Compex HD™ an Amazing Heated Composite Dispenser

 

As regular readers know, I'm a huge fan of heated composite.  The benefits are numerous as far as clinical results and long term outcomes.  Over 60 studies have shown the benefits of heating composite prior to placement.  However, those benefits are a bonus for me compared to how easy warm composite is to place.  I love placing warm composite!  There really isn't a single change to your restorative protocol that can have a bigger impact on the clinical results.  Normally to achieve great results, the effort is worth it, but effort is required.  This is one of those amazing things that can give you better results and actually make your efforts easier.

Along those lines, I'm also a huge fan of AdDent.  The company makes several impactful, high-quality products *and* they are one of the leading companies when it comes to products that can heat your composite to achieve great results.  I recently published a post about their Calset composite warming system... and it works great.  Today's post is about another one of their 'better mousetraps' to help with that.

The Compex HD is a composite dispensing gun that heats composite and allows you deliver it directly into the prep.  There is a small heating element in the barrel of the Compex HD that warms the compule before delivery and then allows you to smoothly and easily dispense it with the pull of the trigger.  The barrel is incredibly well insulated so there is not concern about the barrel making contact with soft tissues.

It warms the material to 155°F (68°C) in 40 seconds.  My normal protocol is finish the preparation and then we turn the Compex HD on.   While we're isolating the field, the composite is warming.  By the time we've isolated and have the prep ready for delivery, the device is ready to go.  At that point the material is delivered in the same manner as always.  That means no real change to your clinical protocol other than to push the 'on' button on the device.  No matter what technique you use or material you choose, the Compex HD can be integrated easily.

The device is cordless and the rechargeable battery can heat 100 compules before needing to be charged.  It's incredibly light weight and can be moved from operatory to operatory easily.  Of course, I feel that once you've used it, you'll find you need one in every restorative operatory in your office.  I should also state that the device fits well in the doctor's hand.  Whether you're like me and have fairly large fans or you're a female doctor with smaller hands, the Compex HD is easy to hold and use.

The device also has a small tab on the barrel that ejects the compule when pushed so changing and reloading is fast and efficient.  Once the barrel is fully warmed, the next compule heats fast so there is no concern about using Compex HD in quadrant cases where multiple compules would be used.  Of course pairing the device with AdDent's Calset device means that your composites are always warm and placement is even easier.

Compex HD is a winner and I feel if you try it, you'll feel the same way.  The benefits are amazing.

Chord Specialty Dental Partners Announces Massive Data Breach

 

Despite today being April Fools Day, today's post is true.  Quite honestly I wish it wasn't.

As you regular readers know, I'm constantly screaming about data security from the mountaintop.  However, I don't normally identify offices affected by a breach by name.  This one is different.  This breach is newsworthy because of the number of patients affected.  DSOs are prime targets for data breaches as they have interconnected systems that allow criminals to get *more* data than they could grab from a single office.  This particular breach has the potential to affect 173,000 patients and because of that, I think it's important to know about.

I want to make clear that this post is not meant to embarrass or demean the DSO.  This post is to remind all of us that security is a hugely important topic.  Taking your eyes off target can result in your practice being affected by something like this.  Incidents like this are hard to stop by the efforts of a private practice's IT contractor.  To get the best protection possible, an office needs security professionals.  There are several companies out there that can help make you as secure as possible.  My current favorite is Black Talon Security.  Also, to help you to be able to restore your info without paying the ransom, having solid and verified backups is critical.  That's why I trust DDS Rescue to provide backup services to my practice.

I'd also like to commend Chord Specialty Dental Partners for following the letter of the law.  HIPAA requires specific reporting and it looks like they are doing all they can to meet those reporting requirements.  These incidents are stressful and difficult on everyone involved and it appears that Chord is doing everything they can.  Below is their breach announcement as required by HIPAA.

NOTIFICATION OF DATA SECURITY INCIDENT

March 14, 2025 – On or around September 11, 2024, CDHA Management, LLC and Spark DSO, LLC dba Chord Specialty Dental Partners (“Chord”) discovered suspicious activity related to an employee’s email account. Upon discovery, we took immediate action to secure the account and engaged a team of third-party specialists to assist with determining the full nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized individual had gained access to several accounts for a limited time between August 19, 2024, to September 25, 2024. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive review of the information potentially affected. The type of information varies by individual and may include name and one or more of the following: address, Social Security number, driver’s license, bank account information, payment card information, date of birth, medical information, and health insurance information.

At this time, Chord is not aware of any evidence to suggest that any information has been or will be fraudulently misused. However, we were unable to rule out the possibility that the information could have been accessed. Therefore, in an abundance of caution, we are notifying potentially impacted individuals of this incident.

In response to this incident, we immediately began an investigation and reviewed our policies and procedures related to data security. We are also providing potentially affected individuals access to credit monitoring and identity protection services as an added precaution. If you have questions about this incident or would like to enroll in the credit monitoring and identity protection services, please call 1-833-998-6327, Monday through Friday, between 8 AM and 8 PM ET, excluding holidays. You may also write to us at 1801 West End Ave., Suite 410, Nashville, TN 37203.

In general, we encourage potentially affected individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing credit reports/account statements and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Individuals have the right to place an initial or extended fraud alert on a credit file at no cost. If individuals are a victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert lasting seven years. As an alternative to a fraud alert, they have the right to place a credit freeze on a credit report. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved without consent. Pursuant to federal law, individuals cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. 

Should individuals wish to place a fraud alert or credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

TransUnion                           Experian                                Equifax
1-800-680-7289                      1-888-397-3742                      1-888-298-0045
www.transunion.com              www.experian.com                 www.equifax.com

Individuals can further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps to protect their personal information by contacting the credit reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or their state Attorney General. The FTC also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. The FTC may be reached at 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement, the state Attorney General, and the FTC.