Solventum Introduces Next-Generation Filtek™ Matrix Restorative System

 

This is a pretty cool idea.  For years the advantages of composite smile makeovers have been known, but the delivery has been the problem.  Patients love the idea of a reversible procedure that preserves natural tooth structure.  However, doing composite veneers free hand can be difficult and frequently time consuming.  Often the appointments take longer than prepping for veneers or 3/4 crowns.  What if composite smile makeovers could be done with much less effort, less stress, and outstanding aesthetic results?

Now Solventum has come up with a matrix system that removes the guess work and a great deal of the 'hand work'.  The new Filtek Matrix looks incredibly promising.  I don't have hands on experience with it yet, but someone I trust, Dr. Adam Hodges, does.  He's written a white paper on this system that can tell you all about it.  If you are looking for a better way to provide conservative aesthetic treatment, this is something you should be aware of.  All the details from Solventum are below:

• New digital workflow and customized matrix system help simplify anterior composite dental restorations
• Restorative approach supports predictable esthetics, treatment efficiency and practice growth
• Meets patient demand for conservative, natural-looking smile transformations

Solventum today announced the availability of Solventum™ Filtek™ Matrix, a system designed to help dental practices deliver predictable, esthetic and conservative composite restorations.

Building on matrix technology first introduced in 2022, this next-generation system has been fully redesigned to include a new delivery system intended to make placement and cleanup more efficient, improving the experience for dental professionals and patients as part of Solventum’s leading restorative portfolio. In combination with an intuitive digital workflow and a complete lineup of restorative materials, the all-new Filtek Matrix is designed to help clinicians deliver conservative anterior restorations more predictably.

"By helping reduce time for restorative treatments this technology expands capabilities for clinicians while supporting greater efficiency in practice,” said Karim Mansour, president of Dental Solutions at Solventum. “The launch of Solventum Filtek Matrix reinforces our commitment to supporting the growth of dental practices with advanced solutions that transform patient oral health.”

Through Clarity™ Portal, Solventum’s integrated digital treatment planning platform, clinicians receive patient-specific digital treatment plans tailored to each individual's restorative needs. Based on these designs, a customized matrix is 3D printed to guide the placement of Filtek™ Dental Restoratives, helping support predictable esthetic outcomes and durable restorations.

Aligned with a growing consumer demand for minimally invasive treatments that enhance smiles without removing natural tooth structure, Filtek Matrix is designed to support clinicians across skill levels helping increase confidence in achieving consistent, esthetic outcomes in practice. For patients, restorations completed with the system offer a conservative approach, natural-looking results, fewer visits and lower out-of-pocket costs than many ceramic procedures and the flexibility to be modified over time.

"The power of digital dentistry isn’t just in what we can design, but in what we can deliver,” said Dr. Parag Kachalia, a practicing dentist and director of global clinical evidence for Digital Dentistry & Orthodontics at Solventum. “Filtek Matrix bridges that gap, bringing digital smile design to life while preserving natural tooth structure. To me, that’s meaningful innovation: making minimally invasive esthetic dentistry more accessible so that more patients can smile with confidence."

The Filtek Matrix is the latest innovation in Solventum's industry-leading portfolio of restorative solutions, including adhesives, universal composites, and finishing and polishing systems. Filtek™ Dental Restoratives are backed by more than 50 years of restorative innovation and over two billion restorations placed worldwide. The company also offers comprehensive training and ongoing clinical and business implementation support to help dentists seamlessly integrate the system into their practices. 

To learn more about the Solventum Filtek Matrix restorative system, visit https://www.solventum.com/en-us/home/oral-care/dental-solutions/custom-solutions/filtek-matrix/

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.

 

Can Robotic-assisted Tooth Autotransplantation Minimize Bone Removal in Osteotomy?

 

While tooth autotransplantation is not a common procedure, part of the reason for that is the difficulty in performing the procedure and a lower than optimal success rate.  However, when a patient's needs require it, the procedure can make a tremendous difference.  The procedure was first performed in the 1950's so it's definitely a viable option, however it's difficult to perform.

To study a new way to perform the procedure, in June of this year, research was published from the Fourth Military Medical University in China that compared two different methods to accomplish autotransplantation.

The researchers used 40 3D printed models of a mandible in need of autotransplantation.  One half of the study was done via the traditional 3D printed surgical guide technique.  The other half was performed using an autonomous multi-axis robotic system.  The study evaluated both single rooted and double rooted teeth.

The results are interesting.  The robot group had less unnecessary bone removal and a better overall agreement with the planned socket design.

Obviously, all this gives us is proof of concept.  However, change occurs often with one small step at a time.  That's especially true in science when potentially working with the human body.

If you're interested in the actual study, you can follow this link:  Autonomous robotic execution of nonlinear toolpaths for geometry-matched osteotomy in tooth autotransplantation: an in vitro study

The image above is an AI generated image and is not affiliated with the study.

Planet DDS Reaches 100+ Integration Partners, Advancing DentalOS® as the Most Connected Platform Built for DSOs

 

Planet DDS is expanding in an amazing fashion.  The company is creating integration with platforms almost faster than I can let you know about the.  Read below for the latest from the company as well as a list of some of systems they connect to.

New partnerships give DSOs more choice and freedom to connect the technologies they rely on through a single, unified data layer

 Planet DDS today announced it has surpassed 100 integration partners on DentalOS®, its platform for multi-location dental groups and DSOs, including 15+ newly added partners. The additions span AI and analytics, revenue cycle management, patient financing, scheduling, imaging, communications, and managed IT services.

Each integration connects a partner's tool directly to the practice management system, so data moves between the two automatically and staff don't have to re-enter it. The growing partner ecosystem reflects Planet DDS's vision for DentalOS: an open platform that offers the flexibility to build the technology environment that works best for their organizations.

"No single company solves every problem a DSO faces. We built DentalOS so the companies that do could connect on one platform. Over a hundred partners have said yes to that vision and the ecosystem we're building together is only going to get stronger," said Eric Giesecke, CEO of Planet DDS.

An Open Platform Built for the Dental Enterprise

Rather than requiring DSOs and groups to operate within a closed technology stack, DentalOS is designed to connect the solutions organizations already use and allow them to adopt new technologies as their needs evolve. The Planet DDS ecosystem, led by Kevin Simmons, Director, Partnerships and Chris Hadziev, Senior Director, Partnership Marketing and Communities, includes:

• CareCredit, a Synchrony company: Preferred patient financing under a new multi-year agreement, reaching 2,500+ Cloud 9 and 15,000+ Denticon practices.
• Cresta.ai: AI contact center coaching and analytics for patient-facing teams.
• InsideDesk: Insurance analytics that flag underpayments and recover revenue.
• Mango Voice: VoIP phone system with centralized call management for DSOs.
• MaxAssist: Recall automation that fills schedule gaps with lapsed patients.
• Medix Dental IT: Managed IT services and consulting.
• Pearly: Automated patient balance outreach and collections.
• Peerlogic: AI call analytics that surface missed front-office opportunities.
• ProspHire: Healthcare consulting firm with expertise in dental practice management conversions, operations and technology transformation.
• Rootwell Consulting Group: Orthodontic specialist consulting.
• Subscribili: Membership plans for uninsured patients.
• Sunset Technologies: Managed IT services and consulting.
• Thinc Forward: Dental IT managed services and implementation
• Truro AI: Predictive analytics in Denticon Insights that flag no-shows, lapsed patients, and unaccepted treatment.
• VELMENI: AI imaging across 2D and 3D CBCT.
• Zentist: AI-powered insurance revenue cycle management platform that automates payment reconciliation and posting while analyzing claim denials.
• Zocdoc: Patient growth platform that makes practices bookable, fills schedules, and streamlines front desks.

Together, these partners extend the capabilities available to practices through the Planet DDS ecosystem while helping connect critical workflows across the patient journey, from scheduling and communications to treatment acceptance, payments, collections, and practice operations.

"By making CareCredit the preferred financing option across Planet DDS platforms and embedding financing directly into practice workflows, the partnership expands CareCredit's distribution and simplifies the treatment presentation and payments process, leading to a better practice and patient experience and increased case acceptance—a win for everyone involved," said Craig Urbansky, SVP, Product, Distribution at Synchrony at CareCredit.

Partners Point to the Value of Connected Workflows

For partners, the value of the ecosystem is also in the ability to connect complementary technologies rather than operate in isolation 

"MangoVoice was purpose-built for the complexity DSOs face every day, centralized call management, AI analytics, and the integrations that hold a multi-location group together. The Planet DDS ecosystem reflects that same philosophy," said Kevin Tallman, CEO at Mango Voice. "The best technology partnerships don't just connect products; they connect workflows. That's what being part of the partnership ecosystem means to us."

That connected approach is critical as dental organizations adopt more specialized technologies while managing increasingly complex, multi-location operations.

"At scale, unreconciled payments, posting errors, and unresolved denials can translate into significant revenue leakage," said Sina S. Amiri, SVP of Business Development & Partnerships at Zentist. "By integrating Zentist's Remit AI with Denticon, we're helping DSOs automate payment reconciliation and posting, identify denial patterns, and prioritize follow-up. The result is clearer visibility into insurance revenue and more capacity for teams to focus on recovering outstanding payments."

Continued Ecosystem Growth Ahead

As the dental technology landscape continues to expand, Planet DDS expects its partner ecosystem to continue growing, giving DSOs and groups more ways to tailor their technology environments while maintaining the connected workflows at the center of DentalOS.

"Every missed appointment, every lapsed patient, every unaccepted treatment plan has a moment where it could have gone differently. We built Truro AI to find that moment," said Anjali Srivastava, Founder and CEO at Truro AI. "With our native Denticon integration, teams get patient-level risk insights directly inside their daily workflows, so staff can focus their effort and provide personalized support to patients before an appointment or payment issue becomes a revenue problem."

To explore how DentalOS connects practices with the technology and services they need, visit planetdds.com/integrations.

Resources

• Discover Denticon Practice Management
• Learn more about DentalOS
• Explore Cloud 9 Ortho Practice Management

About Planet DDS

Dental software is broken. We aim to fix it. Planet DDS is the leading dental enterprise software company in North America, delivering DentalOS®—the platform built to run the dental enterprise, not just the practice. As the industry enters the dental enterprise era, Planet DDS gives DSO and multi-location group executives the visibility, control, and financial performance to run every location, every specialty, and every dollar as one connected organization. Built on an open ecosystem with 100+ integration partners, DentalOS connects Denticon Practice Management, Cloud 9 Ortho Practice Management, and Apteryx Cloud Imaging on a single data layer—cloud-native since 2003 and enterprise-proven at scale. More than half of the top 60 DSOs in North America trust Planet DDS with solutions used across 14,500 practices and 175,000 users nationwide.

New National Poll Shows Overwhelming Bipartisan Support for Dental Coverage

Here's some interesting information from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.  As more and more of the US population understands that there is a true oral-systemic connection, that knowledge is driving more understanding that better oral health contributes to better overall health.  

Americans have always been very supportive of taking care of our veterans but older and lower income individuals didn't get the same public support.  This new study shows that increasing dental benefits for Medicare in now on the radar.  There is some good info below...

9 in 10 Americans support better oral health access for veterans and Medicare recipients 

A new national poll by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health® shows broad, bipartisan support for dental coverage and strong voter interest in making oral health a policy priority. 

The results reveal that dental coverage policies – including those for older or disabled adults and veterans – are among the most universally supported health policy issues. 

“These findings demonstrate that Americans across the political spectrum recognize oral health as an important health care issue,” said Wade Rakes, Chief Executive Officer at CareQuest Institute. “Voters want dental care to be more accessible and affordable, especially for people that face significant barriers. This sends a powerful message that oral health should be part of the national dialogue around health care access and affordability.”

Despite long-standing, bipartisan popularity, oral health policy issues are often overlooked in broader political and health policy conversations. CareQuest Institute partnered with Marketing for Change to conduct this poll and additional voter research to examine how oral health policies resonate with voters in the current political landscape. 

The results indicate that Medicare dental is a uniquely bipartisan issue, with 9 in 10 voters supporting the policy, including 96% of Democrats, 86% of Republicans, and 92% of Independents. Voters strongly believe that workers have paid into Medicare throughout their adult lives, and it is only fair that Medicare covers dental care. 

Traditional Medicare does not currently include dental coverage, leaving millions of older or disabled adults without access to this critical form of care and with profound impacts on their health and well-being.  

The poll findings also reinforce broad, bipartisan support for ensuring veterans can access the oral health care they need. According to the results, 96% of Democrats and 90% of Republicans support improving dental coverage through the VA so all veterans qualify for dental services. 

In discussions with researchers, voters connected oral health to issues they already care about. The cost of health care, including dental care, was also a top concern. Voters saw improvements in Medicare, Medicaid, and VA dental coverage as an important step toward having more oral health care choices. They also recognized the value of preventing oral health problems before they become more serious and costly.

For more information about CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®, visit carequest.org. 

Dentbird Upgrades have Taken Place

 

The digital design platform Dentbird has performed some upgrades and i wanted to be sure and tell you about it.  I can still remember the first time I heard about this system.  It was probably in 2023 or so and even way back then (in tech terms) I was impressed.

Dentbird is a pretty amazing way to digitally design crowns for 3D printers or in-office mills.  All you need to do is create an account, upload the scan file, and let Dentbird do the rest.  The system will locate the prepped tooth automatically, then it will find the margin automatically, and then use AI to propose a crown design.  Everything can be edited and changed which means that doctor has the final say.  The system is fast, easy, and has a short learning curve.

One of the upgrades they've just announced is that they will provide 3 FREE designs.  Simply set up an account. and you have access to the cloud based design system.  This will allow you to design, download, and create a crown to see for yourself.

If youi'd like to know more about Dentbird, I interviewed Hakwan Kim for Episode 55 on the Technology Evangelist Podcast.  Here is the info from Dentbird:

On September 28, 2026 we updated the Dentbird plans. The Free plan now covers more than it used to.

What Free includes now

• 3 exports every month, counted per tooth, no credit card required
• All solutions unlocked, including Batch and Modeler, and indications such as bridges
• Model files and NC (milling) files, which don't count toward your monthly limit
• A three-unit bridge uses all 3. Your count resets every month on the day your account was created, and unused exports don't carry over.

The design engine is faster too

Dentbird runs on a new design engine, so a case takes less time from scan data to finished design.

Personify Group Introduces Its Trade Show ROI Guide and the Industry’s First Interactive ROI Calculator

 

I"m a Personify Advisor and I have that role for a reason.  Michael & Mark, the two marketing gurus who founded Personify, are terrific human beings.  I've known then both for decades and I believe in their mission.  Personify Group is a dental marketing firm that knows the industry inside and out.  They know what they are doing , plus they are both the kind or people I like to spend time with.  Their latest creation is an interactive Trade Show calculator for dental companies.  All the info is below: 

Just in Time for Dental Meeting Season:

New Resources Help Dental Exhibitors Evaluate Their Investment and

Explore the Personify ShowFlow™ Trade Show Success System

Personify Group, Inc., a commercialization, branding, public relations and demand generation firm serving the dental industry, today announced two free resources designed to help dental exhibitors evaluate their trade show performance and plan for stronger business results: a downloadable Trade Show ROI Guide and a fully-interactive, online Trade Show ROI Calculator.

The resources introduce exhibitors to the Personify ShowFlow Trade Show Success System, which connects pre-show marketing, booth engagement and post-show follow-up through three stages: Attract, Engage and Convert.

For dental manufacturers, technology companies and service providers, the resources offer a starting point for examining whether trade show spending is producing qualified leads, sales opportunities and revenue,  and where a more coordinated approach could improve results.

“A trade show investment starts well before the booth opens and continues after the exhibit hall closes,” said Mark Ross, Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Personify Group. “The ROI guide  and ROI calculator help exhibitors look at that full picture. ShowFlow brings the pieces together so that  the message prospects encounter before the show connects with their booth experience and gives them a reason to take the next step.”

The Tradeshow ROI Guide provides a planning resource for companies seeking to improve trade show return on investment. The online ROI calculator lets exhibitors enter show expenses and sales funnel assumptions, then compare their current approach with adjustable ShowFlow scenarios.

The online Tradeshow ROI calculator accounts for costs such as booth space, graphics, travel, shipping and marketing. Users can model changes in qualified conversations and conversion rates, assess projected revenue and gross-profit ROI, and work backward from a revenue goal to determine the conversations and leads needed to reach it. ShowFlow scenarios include an estimated program investment; projections are for planning purposes and do not guarantee results.

“A busy booth can feel like a successful show, but the business question is what happens to those conversations afterward,” said Michael Ventriello, Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer of Personify Group. “These easy to access resources help exhibitors connect their spending to sales goals and identify where prospects may be falling out of the process. That creates a more productive conversation about how ShowFlow can help build a pipeline that continues to develop after the show.”

ShowFlow is designed to help companies attract qualified prospects before an event, engage them with relevant messaging and supporting evidence at the booth, and advance opportunities through targeted follow-up. Exhibitors can use the guide and calculator to inform a ShowFlow strategy session tailored to their next event, product category and sales process.

To download the Trade Show ROI Guide and learn more about the Personify ShowFlow Trade Show Success System, visit https://personifygroup.com/trade-show-marketing/. 

To use the Online Tradeshow ROI calculator, visit https://personifygroup.com/showflow/ShowFlow-1.html. Companies interested in discussing their results or planning a ShowFlow program can send an inquiry via https://personifygroup.com/contact-us/

About Personify Group

Personify Group, Inc. is a commercialization and strategic communications firm serving the dental and medical industries. The company helps manufacturers, technology companies, service providers, and innovators accelerate growth through brand strategy, public relations, market positioning, demand generation, thought leadership, and commercialization planning. By integrating communications with measurable business objectives, Personify Group helps clients build awareness, credibility and commercial momentum.

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My Yearlong "Deep Dive" on VOCO GrandioSO 4U

 

For about a year, I've been following and working with VOCO's newest composite, GrandioSO 4U and today's post is my take after a fairly long time of studying it and using it.

In today's workflow environment doctors usually handle anterior and posterior restorations differently from a materials standpoint.  The most common choice in the posterior is for some type of bulk fill material.  The way bulk fill materials work is to be created with more translucency.  It's the translucency that allows the curing light to reach deeper into the material for adequate photo polymerization.  The drawback to that is that due to their inherent translucency, those materials also aren't quite as aesthetic.  In the posterior, this doesn't normally affect the aesthetics.  If the material is a relatively close shade match, the only people who will ever be aware of the translucency is another professional doing an exam.

In the anterior doctors normally reach for a highly aesthetic composite to provide outstanding cosmetic results.  These materials are more opaque and don't have the concern about translucency.  However, due to the opacity, light doesn't penetrate as deeply and that means layering is required... and sometimes several layers.  The results can be incredible, however, the amount of time to layer and then sculpt and polish can take much longer than in the posterior.

The other technology that has become popular in the last 5-10 years is that of the "Single Shade" composite.  These materials attempt to create optical effects that allow the tooth's natural shade to show through.  This can be a good option for many cases, but what I've discovered in using them is that they work in around 85-90% of cases.  However, it's that last 10-15% where the shade match isn't adequate that creates the stress.  It's usually difficult or impossible to know for sure if there is a good shade match until after the composite is cured.  Of course once the material is cured, the choice is to remove all the material or try to layer over it to get an acceptable result.

The other problem is inventory.  Needing to keep one material for posterior and multiple brands and/or shades for the anterior is difficult to keep organized.  This is especially true with shades that aren't used frequently.  Those shades often end up somewhere in the office where they can sit unused until they expire.

What I'm excited to tell you about today is that VOCO has come up with something that addresses everything I've just mentioned... and it's name is GrandioSO 4U.

The incredibly smart people at VOCO set out to solve the problems that doctors are dealing with ... and more... as they worked to develop their latest composite... and I feel they succeeded beyond expectations.  VOCO's newest composite, GrandioSO 4U handles these problems with several key features.

I mentioned translucency in this post and that property is key to this discussion.  A translucent material allows some, but not all, light to pass through it.  Translucency lets the photons from the curing light get much deeper into the composite for a much better depth of cure.  That's why the property is so key to bulk fill materials.  GrandioSO 4U has a unique way of  dealing with this.  VOCO has created what they are calling VTT (Visual Transformation Technology).  This means the material is highly translucent when placed (for a reliable 4mm depth of cure) and then transforms to become more opaque and aesthetic during a 10 second curing cycle.  The result is incredibly lifelike and aesthetic.

My one takeaway from this VTT is that you need to *trust the material*.  Since the material has a different appearance when it's set, it may look like the shade doesn't match before curing.  If the shade guide tells you that this is the shade, believe the shade guide and trust the material.

Since I'm discussing shades, I'd also like to point out that GrandioSO 4U uses a "Cluster Shade System".  Rather than promising a single shade that will work in every case, GrandioSO 4U comes in 5 shades that cover the entire 16 shade range of the Classic VITA Shade Guide.  This translates to only keeping an inventory of these 5 shades as opposed to 16 for other composites.  Using the VOCO shade guide will give you the correct shade match for each case.

I was also impressed with the high filler percentage of this material.  GrandioSO 4U has a 91% filler load.  That means it holds up well over time, since there is more filler and less resin than other composites.  This material's filler load is actually "record breaking" in that regard.  The other benefit of this high filler load is less material shrinkage.  All composites shrink when photo polymerized.  That's just the science of light cured materials.  However, since there is less resin in this material than any other composite, that also means less material shrinkage.  VOCO's internal testing shows the polymerization shrinkage to be only 1.44% by volume.  That's a tiny amount and it means less shrinkage stress.  That means there is less stress on the margins which can lead to longer restoration life.  I always think of the margin as "the trench warfare of recurrent caries" and having better margins means less chance of cariogenic microorganisms establishing a toehold.

VOCO also managed to create a modulus of elasticity that is very close to human dentin and enamel.  That means that under occlusal loading, the material behaves much like natural tooth structure which can also mean stronger margins.

One other thing that impressed me, was the incredibly high radiopacity of GrandioSO 4U.  The material has 900% radiopacity compared to the standard used in the industry.  That means on bitewings, the restorations almost jump off the screen at you.  This provides incredibly high contrast on your radiographs compared to other materials on the market.

I haven't mentioned polishing yet, but I should.  This material polishes like a dream.  The nanohybrid filler particles allow GrandioSO 4U to be finished with a polish that really has to be seen to be believed.  Having a material that polishes easily and stays polished over time is important.  Once again I'll bring up recurrent decay.  When you can polish a restoration to give it a glass smooth polish, especially at the margin, the chance for recurrent decay is greatly reduced.

Wrapping up today's post, I know that many doctors think there isn't a tremendous difference between most composites.  GrandioSO 4U is different in that regard.  VOCO's research and development team has created a composite that I can confidently say IS different.  They have created a material that is truly "universal".  When you combine the features... a 4mm depth of cure, high aesthetics, high filler rate, low shrinkage, high radiopacity, AND a simple to use 5 shade system, you'll see that this material is a quantum leap forward.  I have been placing it warm and it handles incredibly well.  I love this material and I'm confident that you will too.  Oh, one other thing I want to make clear.  In the US the material's name is GrandioSO 4U and in other markets the name is GrandioSO Unlimited.  Don't be confused by the different names if you are reading any research.  They are the same product.

After spending quite a bit of time learning and using this material, I can confidently tell you that GrandioSO 4U is *highly recommended*!!!

Spectrum Killian, National Dentex Labs, and Open Implants Unite Under SPEKTRA to Redefine Oral Health

 

This is big news for the dental industry.  Even with the major influx of digital equipment and digital clinical workflows into the profession, there is still a need for good dental laboratories.  One of the questions I am asked routinely deals with how dental labs will survive as doctors bring more services in-house.

My answer is always that the profession *needs* good labs and I think it always will.  Personally I feel that, even though I'm a huge lover of technology, there are some things tech cannot do.  In my career I've discovered that it's rare when a new device or technique comes along that completely eliminates the need for whatever it replaced.  When it comes to dental labs there will always be a need for humans.  For cases that require difficult occlusal schemes or extremely aesthetic cosmetics, nothing yet has replaced the human brain and human eyes.

Let's also factor humans into the equation from the aspect of the doctor and the office environment.  There will always be doctors who don't want to incorporate in-office workflows for a variety of reasons.  Plus the dental lab industry has been much faster to learn and embrace digital manufacturing workflows that put them far ahead of most dental offices.

When 3D printing began to grow in the industry, I thought we might see some contraction in the number of labs.  My thoughts were that some of the smaller "mom & pop" labs might be absorbed into the larger digital labs.  However, today's post is about consolidation of three fairly large industry players.  Read on for all the details...

SPEKTRA brings engineered digital manufacturing to oral health, elevating patient care while ensuring clinicians keep the trusted, dependable experience they rely on today.

Spectrum Killian, National Dentex Labs (NDX), and Open Implants today announced that they have joined forces, uniting three of the most respected names in the dental industry under a shared commitment to technology-driven, digital dentistry. The combination converges Spectrum Killian's process-engineered manufacturing with NDX's international reach and decades of trusted clinical relationships to reimagine oral health, making advanced, digitally engineered care accessible to every practice and every patient.

SPEKTRA emerges as the parent company uniting the three businesses under a single vision. The unification reflects a shared conviction that restorative dentistry, long practiced as a case-by-case art, can be improved and engineered into a precise, repeatable science, delivered through scalable digital workflows.

"For too long, dentistry has been fragmented and slow to adopt digital technology. The clinical tools, the materials, and the manufacturing behind them were never built to work together" said Charbel Louis Karam, Chief Executive Officer of SPEKTRA. "SPEKTRA is changing that."

Through its companies, SPEKTRA is building an interconnected oral health ecosystem that unites technology, manufacturing, and clinical care to redefine the future of care. As practices adopt intraoral scanning and chairside workflows, the manufacturing and support behind those tools have remained fragmented across providers and platforms. SPEKTRA is built to close that gap.

Joining SPEKTRA's oral health ecosystem, Spectrum Killian brings the discipline of engineered manufacturing, breaking restorative work into documented, repeatable steps across its Centers of Excellence in California. NDX reaches clinicians through an expansive international network of local laboratories, built on high-volume infrastructure and relationships earned over decades. Together with Open Implants, an FDA-registered implant component manufacturer, the combined organization is positioned to advance clinical support and patient care with a level of precision and consistency dentistry has long needed.

"For too long, dentistry has been fragmented and slow to adopt digital technology. The clinical tools, the materials, and the manufacturing behind them were never built to work together" said Charbel Louis Karam, Chief Executive Officer of SPEKTRA. "SPEKTRA is changing that. We are building one integrated oral health ecosystem where the clinician and everything standing behind the restoration finally move as one. Together, we will redefine oral health to better serve our patients and the clinicians."

Clinicians built the trust that dentistry runs on. SPEKTRA is built to strengthen it, giving clinicians a partner they can count on and the technology, scale, and support to raise what every restoration can deliver for the patient in the chair.

About Spectrum Killian

Operating from its Centers of Excellence in California, Spectrum Killian engineers restorative work into documented, repeatable steps, delivering precision restorations at scale. Visit https://www.skdla.com to learn more.

Coppermine Capital is a Concord, Massachusetts-based private capital investor. The firm invests in healthcare services, business services, niche manufacturing, and impact-focused businesses, partnering closely with management teams to drive operational excellence and create lasting value for all stakeholders. Spectrum Killian is one of four investments Coppermine has made in the dental industry.

About National Dentex Labs (NDX)

National Dentex Labs (NDX) is one of the largest global dental laboratory networks, serving clinicians through an expansive network of local laboratories and clinical relationships built over decades. Visit https://nationaldentex.com to learn more.

About Open Implants

Open Implants is an FDA-registered manufacturer of implant components located in Orange County, CA. Open Implants 510(k) cleared proprietary products have been designed under rigorous design controls. Ensuring that Open Implants products provide the highest probability of a positive clinical outcome for patients who require digital dental restorations. Visit https://openimplants.com to learn more.

About SPEKTRA

SPEKTRA brings advanced engineering and dedicated clinical support together into a single, connected ecosystem. Bringing together every vertical of oral health under one roof, it pairs engineered precision with a genuine, human partnership to give clinicians, dental groups, and DSOs the scale and support to raise the standard of care and improve outcomes for every patient they serve. Visit https://spektrahealth.com to learn more.

Transaction Advisors

Raymond James Financial, Inc. served as exclusive financial advisor to Spectrum Killian, and Mintz served as Spectrum Killian's legal counsel in the transaction. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated served as exclusive financial advisor to National Dentex Labs, and Paul Hastings LLP was legal counsel to National Dentex Labs' lenders.

Media Contact

Donavan Dichter, SPEKTRA, 1 (877) 720-4220, pr@spektrahealth.com, https://spektrahealth.com/

AEGIS Dental Network Launches as Independent Dental Media Company

 

Back on September 10, I made a post about the return of AEGIS Dental Network.  In my time as Chief Dental Editor & Technology Editor of Dental Products Report I got the opportunity to work with a lot of really great people in the publishing side of the dental industry.  Some of those people had worked at AEGIS previously, while some of them left DPR to work with AEGIS.  I say that because I want you to know I've got personal relationships with a lot of those people and I think very highly of them.

Like a lot of industries in the US today, there has been a lot of consolidation of different businesses as larger corporations bought up smaller ones.  While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, for publishing it meant that a lot of dental publishing ended up under large corporate leadership.  In some cases it meant those small dental publications lost a lot of their autonomy which was a large part of what made them special.  Unfortunately that meant that some of those companies lost the ability to really do what they did best.

So I'm really excited to let you know that some of my friends have "put the band back together".  AEGIS is now back as a standalone independent, dedicated media and publishing company focused exclusively on the dental market.  As someone who has spent a lot their career as a part of that industry, I'm really excited about this.   The company officially opened for business on Thursday, October 1st.  The email I received from them is below:  

AEGIS Dental Network Launches as Independent Dental Media Company

AEGIS Dental Network (https://www.aegisdental.com/) officially launches today as an independent, dedicated media and publishing company focused exclusively on the dental market. 

Led by an experienced team with deep roots in dental publishing, education, content, marketing, and commercial strategy, AEGIS enters this next chapter with a continued commitment to its customers, advertisers, contributors, and industry partners.

AEGIS will continue building on its established portfolio of trusted brands, including Compendium, Inside Dentistry, Inside Dental Hygiene, Inside Dental Technology, and CDEWorld, while continuing its existing advertising, content, education, editorial, and marketing programs. 

With this sharper focus on dental, AEGIS is positioned to be more responsive, entrepreneurial, and collaborative as it creates new opportunities for dental professionals and industry partners.

The name is returning. The team is here. The relationships continue. We look forward to partnering with you! 

Please reach out directly or let's connect: https://www.aegisdental.com/partner-with-us.html

  

With Fusion™ Denture Family, Dandy Sets a New Standard of Care

 

The progression of digital dentistry in the industry continues non-stop.   I think the digital advantages for most doctors can be summed up in two words: "speed" and "control".  In the past, analog processes were developed that certainly provided lots of control, but unfortunately analog processes, while precise, were slow.  That meant patients had to wait longer for the final product.  The integration of digital dental workflows have now brought both speed and control to the industry.

As The Technology Evangelist, I've been all in for digital workflows for my entire career.  I'm big on 3D printing for even faster turnaround, but I'll be the first to admit that not every doctor wants to go that far into digital processes.  Some doctors want to embrace the speed and control without bringing everything in house... and I get that.

For doctors looking for the efficiency and accuracy that comes with digital, but want to maintain more of a "traditional" approach, there are lots of options.  A doctor can send all of their digital clinical information to a digital lab.  That will, of course add the time of shipping the final product to the office, but you'll still get the speed and accuracy of digital fabrication.  The data to the lab moves at the speed of light.  The only delay is the physical shipping.

I'm continually impressed with what Dandy is doing.  They are working hard to bring all of the digital processes to doctors who want the speed and accuracy of digital dentistry without needing to bring all fabrication processes into their office.  Dandy's most recent announcement is their Fusion Dentures.  Below are all the details.

First-of-its-kind manufacturing process delivers the handcrafted aesthetics of traditional dentures with the precision of digital design 

Dandy, the fully digital dental lab, today launched the Fusion™ denture line, a revolutionary new product that combines digital precision with hand-finished craftsmanship, creating a new baseline for excellence—one only Dandy can deliver.

Until now, with dentures, clinicians had to choose between precision, quality, and accessible pricing. With Dandy Fusion™ Dentures, they get all three.

The secret is a proprietary new manufacturing method that combines a digitally engineered base with a hand-crafted acrylic finish. Each restoration begins with a digital impression captured chairside with the Dandy Vision intraoral scanner. Dandy technicians work with the dentist to finalize and approve the design in Dandy's online visual workspace. Dandy then manufactures the base at one of its advanced production facilities, using robotics and AI to ensure accuracy and consistency. Finally, Dandy adds hand-poured acrylic to create a single, seamless restoration engineered for strength, fit, and retention while capturing the depth, warmth, and translucency of natural tissue with a degree of fidelity automation alone can't achieve.

The result is a premium denture like none other, featuring an ultra-precise fit and true-to-life gingiva with coloring that is tailored to each patient. Unlike 3D-only dentures, which break easily and are impossible to service, Dandy Fusion™ dentures are built for relines and repairs. The use of traditional acrylic ensures extraordinary longevity, while the digital scan with Dandy Vision creates a permanent digital record, making reorders effortless.

“We've evolved beyond 3D,” said Dandy head of engineering Cong Yu.  “Dandy Fusion™ offers durability and realism that other methods can't match. It completely changes what clinicians and patients can expect from a denture.”

The Dandy Fusion™ family offers different types of dentures customized to the patient's needs:

• Full Denture: Customized and made-from-scratch removable prosthetics
• Flexible Partial: Flexible, gum-colored made from trusted Valplast® and Duraflex® material without any visible clasps—the ultimate comfort option
• Overdentures: Fit over retained tooth roots of implants, helping preserve bone and delivering better stability than traditional dentures; can be removable or implant-retained
• Metal Mesh: Additional strength enhancement to full dentures (available Q4 2026)

Dandy's all-digital workflow and automation produce customized, fitted dentures with just two appointments and a five-day turnaround (six days for partials), meaning less chairtime for patients and more appointment slots for clinicians.

“The strength and the aesthetics of Dandy Fusion™ come through in a way 3D-printed never did. I'm not burning time on minor adjustments anymore because the fit comes in so precise," said Dr. Chrislyn Fite, Brighten Dental.“I'm so comfortable with Dandy Fusion™ now that I'm making substantially more dentures, and other dentists send me their frustrated denture patients because I'll take them on.”

The launch of Dandy Fusion™ comes on the heels of Dandy's Polychromatic Shade™, a robotic technique that stains and glazes teeth with micron-level accuracy, producing lifelike zirconia crowns at a quarter of the cost of hand-painted porcelain. Like Polychromatic Shade, Fusion™ uses technology exclusive to Dandy to make top-quality dental products affordable and accessible.

“Our mission is to make the premium standard of dental care the default standard,” said Dandy cofounder Daniel Hanover.  “Dandy Fusion™ is the first denture to deliver affordability without compromise. For the vast majority of cases, there's no reason to choose 3D anymore. Fusion™ is the clinically superior way to give patients dignity, confidence, and trust in the fit.”

Availability

Dandy Fusion™ dentures are available now through Dandy's Chairside platform, with pricing starting at $259. The Dandy Vision scanner with Chairside is available for free with a monthly lab minimum. For more information, visit the Dandy Fusion Denture website here.

About Dandy

Dandy, the first fully digital dental lab, is building the modern operating system for dentistry.  Dandy partners with dental practices to transform their business with state-of-the-art intraoral scanners, always-on expert guidance, and precision manufacturing accelerated by AI, 3D printing, and other state-of-the-art technologies seamlessly orchestrated by Dandy's proprietary software. Dandy empowers dentists with technology, innovation, and world-class support to achieve more for their practice, their people, and their patients. With unparalleled quality, efficiency, and experience, Dandy makes the business of dentistry pain-free. To learn more, visit meetdandy.com or our LinkedIn page, www.linkedin.com/company/dandyofficial/.  

Dongguk University Researchers Develop Battery-Free Flexible Device for Neuromorphic Sensing

 

Sometimes I stumble onto some really cool things to tell you about.  Today is one of those times.  Today's post might have the potential to really shake things up in both healthcare and our lives in general.  In the last few years, medical sensors have become more common.  Patients can wear devices that sense and record data that can be evaluated by their healthcare team.  The problem with any kind of electronic device is power.  Sensors and the systems that run them need batteries.

Recently researchers in South Korea have developed tiny neuromorphic sensors that can generate their own power.  They mimic the way the human body powers the sense of touch.  This could lead to an entire new class of devices.  The press release is below:

Researchers have developed a new self-powered, flexible neuromorphic sensing platform

Wearable neuromorphic devices could enable low-power sensing and health-monitoring technologies, but many existing architectures rely on external power sources. Researchers have developed a flexible, self-powered neuromorphic device that combines a triboelectric nanogenerator with an ion-gel-gated transistor to convert mechanical movement into electrical spikes that regulate synaptic behavior. The device reproduces hierarchical memory and spike-rate-dependent learning, highlighting its potential for future wearable neuromorphic applications.

Neuromorphic devices, which are designed to emulate aspects of biological neural networks, are promising candidates for developing low-power and intelligent sensing technologies, including wearable applications. Among the device architectures explored for neuromorphic computing, graphene-channel ion-gel-gated transistors (g-IGTs) are attractive because of their electronic properties, flexibility, and ability to modulate synaptic weights. Their low-voltage operation and ability to modulate synaptic weights make them attractive for mimicking the behavior of biological synapses. However, most current g-IGTs still rely on external power supplies, limiting practical use in wearable neuromorphic systems.  Addressing this challenge, a research team led by Professor Sejoon Lee from the Department of System Semiconductor at Dongguk University in South Korea has developed a battery-free, self-powered and flexible g-IGT device driven by a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). TENGs convert mechanical stimuli, such as body movement, touch, or vibration, into electrical signals.  Their study was made available online on March 09, 2026, and published in Volume 38, Issue 37 of Advanced Materials on July 02, 2026.

Explaining their inspiration, Prof. Lee says, “In human tactile perception mechanoreceptors sense even minute mechanical disturbances and convert them into neural spikes. To replicate this process electronically, we integrated a triboelectric nanogenerator with a g-IGT that converts mechanical stimuli into electrical signals that directly regulate artificial synaptic behavior without requiring external power.”

In the human arm, mechanoreceptors convert skin deformation into electrical signals that are transmitted through neurons and processed at synapses. Mimicking this process, the proposed device employs two TENGs connected to a single g-IGT. The TENG connected to the g-IGT gate supplies pre-synaptic spikes, while the drain-side TENG provides post-synaptic spikes. When TENGs sense mechanical stimuli such as touch, they produce voltage pulses that drive the synaptic response of the g-IGT. This circuit operates entirely without an external power source, harvesting energy directly from mechanical stimuli.

Importantly, the researchers demonstrated that the device can exhibit hierarchical memory processes, similar to biological neural networks. Specifically, the device can exhibit sensory memory with a decay time of about 70 milliseconds and short-term memory (STM) with decay times of 0.2–0.45 seconds. In addition, repeated stimulation can transition short-term memory toward long-term memory, with a decay time exceeding 2 seconds.

The researchers also demonstrated spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP), a fundamental learning and memory mechanism, enabling synaptic strength to change according to the frequency of incoming spikes. This SRDP functionality remained stable even under bending.

Furthermore, the researchers evaluated the device’s learning capability by implementing its experimentally measured synaptic behavior in a single-layer artificial neural network for human activity recognition. Using publicly available human-motion data, the system classified six human activities: walking, sitting, standing, lying, walking upstairs and walking downstairs, with 88.05% accuracy using TENG-driven synaptic behavior under bending. Under high-noise conditions, the system maintained more than 75% accuracy, although performance decreased under extreme signal distortion.

Potential applications of this technology include self-powered wearable health-monitoring devices, electronic skin, smart prosthetics, human–machine interfaces, and intelligent motion-monitoring systems.

Looking ahead, Prof. Lee says, “Our research could contribute to a new generation of wearable artificial intelligence systems that operate with minimal reliance on batteries or external computing resources. More broadly, our work points toward self-powered neuromorphic electronics with integrated sensing, memory, learning, and information processing in a single flexible platform.”

Ask Not What Dentistry can do for You...

 

As regular readers know, I'm a supporter of organized dentistry.  When I was just getting started, I questioned the value.  Money was so tight, could I afford to pay the dues?  Was it really worth the money?  The reason I paid those dues in the early days wasn't because I felt obligated, I did it because of the influence from some people I respected.

My era of dental school was more about students being browbeat by the instructors.  I often felt like the least qualified student on the planet and unfortunately almost everyone in my class felt the same way.  However, there were a few of the instructors who were collegial and supportive.  It was that tiny group of doctors, the ones who made me feel like I could succeed, that told me "Be sure to join the ADA.  Being a member is important and it's something that is the right thing to do.  Dentists who believe in the benefits of the profession are the ones who are members."  They also told me that after I was established in the profession, that being a member would make more sense to me.

I trusted those doctors.  They believed in me, and the way I could show their influence was by being a member as well.  The wise advice they gave me turned out to be remarkably true.

I think one of the reasons I'm such a supporter of the ADA is not because I wanted to be in the House of Delegates or to be a Trustee.  I joined because people I trusted said it was valuable and important.  They said as I got a bit of perspective, I'd understand.  They were right.  There were several years as I was getting started that I thought about not paying the dues, but I did.  If I had left, I would regret it terribly today.  I was *wrong* in thinking there wasn't enough value, and I think when an individual's thinking shifts 180 degrees they become passionate about not letting others make the same mistake.  There is tremendous value in organized dentistry... even if all you do is pay your dues.

A recent article in ADA News summed up my feelings incredibly well.  If you are not a member or are thinking of not renewing your membership, read this My View column.  I think it answers the question of "why join"perfectly.  We are better together!

From eAssist: Important Security Notice for Former eAssist Customers

 

Last week, I posted about a cyber security incident that recently happened to eAssist Dental Solutions.  

Our office had been a client of eAssist a couple of years ago.  Due to that relationship, the company included me in a follow-up email.  I think, from a business and customer service standpoint, this is a smart move.  Incidents like this need to be handled in the best way possible and contacting customers, even former customers, shows that they are trying to handle this by owning the problem.  No company or customer ever wants to deal with the fallout from any type of hack, but unfortunately these things happen.  Obviously, the best thing would be to eliminate these types of situations, however if they happen, they need to be dealt with in a trasparent manner.

On the rare chance that you are a former or current customer and haven't yet seen this email, I've got it in its entirety below.

 

 

Hello, 

We are reaching out because your office previously worked with eAssist Dental Solutions.

eAssist recently became aware of a potential information security incident involving our systems. We immediately engaged third-party cybersecurity and forensic experts to assist with our investigation and response, and we have taken steps to contain the incident.

As part of our ongoing investigation, we determined that the data potentially involved may have included usernames and passwords used by eAssist team members to access customer systems. Consequently, we strongly recommend that former eAssist customers take the following steps:

Change all active passwords for any credentials that were assigned to or shared with eAssist, including, as applicable, credentials related to practice management systems, clearinghouses, claim software, payer portals, desktop logins, email accounts, and office-managed VPNs.

Remove any old or inactive eAssist user accounts that may still be active in those systems.

If any credentials or other sensitive information were contained in a shared document or spreadsheet that your office created and provided to eAssist, these shared documents should be deleted.

These recommendations are precautionary measures intended to help safeguard your systems and information.

If you have questions regarding this notice, please contact Amy Spaulding, Sr. Director of Operations, at clientcare@eassist.me.

Sincerely,

eAssist Dental Solutions

ShinyHunters Claims to Have Hacked the FBI: If They Can Get In There, What About Your Dental Practice?

 

I've been following cybersecurity for quite a while now, and every so often a story comes along that really gets my attention.  This is definitely one of those stories.

The hacking group known as ShinyHunters is claiming to have breached the FBI and stolen sensitive information about thousands of FBI agents, employees, and job applicants.  Yes, you read that correctly. The FBI.  The same organization that investigates cybercrime and helps protect the rest of us from hackers is now investigating a possible breach of its own systems.  And while this story is still developing, I think there are some important lessons here for all of us in dentistry.

What Happened?

On September 22, ShinyHunters announced that it had compromised FBI systems and obtained sensitive personal information about current and former employees, as well as individuals who had applied for jobs with the agency.

The group reportedly provided journalists with a sample of approximately 5,000 records containing information such as names, home addresses, telephone numbers, and details about family members.

The FBI has acknowledged that it is investigating claims of unauthorized activity involving its FBIjobs.gov website. However, the full extent of the alleged breach has not been independently established.

The hackers also claim that the attack was retaliation for an FBI cybersecurity warning issued earlier this year that described the group's activities and tactics.  Rather than demanding money, ShinyHunters has reportedly demanded that the FBI retract or correct that warning.  That's certainly an unusual twist on a cybersecurity story!

What Does This Have to Do With Dentistry?

You might be wondering why I'm discussing an FBI cybersecurity incident on the blog today.

Here's why.

If an organization with the resources and cybersecurity expertise of the FBI can potentially experience a significant breach, what does that tell us about the risks facing the average dental practice?  Think about everything connected to your practice network.  Your practice management software, digital radiography systems, intraoral scanners, insurance billing services, cloud storage, and even your email.

Every one of those systems represents another potential entry point for someone attempting to access your network or patient information.  And the risk doesn't necessarily stop at your office walls.

As we've recently seen with the reported eAssist cybersecurity incident, companies that provide services to dental practices can also become targets.  You may have excellent security in your office, but what about the companies that have access to your systems and patient records?  That's something every dentist needs to consider.

What Can We Do?

I'm certainly not suggesting that we abandon technology. Anyone who knows me understands that I believe technology has made dentistry better in countless ways.  However, we need to take cybersecurity just as seriously as we take infection control.

That means working with knowledgeable IT professionals, keeping software updated, using multifactor authentication, maintaining secure backups, and making sure our teams understand how to recognize suspicious emails and other potential threats.

It also means asking the companies we work with some important questions about how they're protecting our information.

We don't need to become cybersecurity experts, but we do need to understand that protecting patient information is part of our responsibility as healthcare providers.

The Bottom Line

The FBI incident is still being investigated, and we'll undoubtedly learn more about what happened in the coming days.  But regardless of the final outcome, the message for dentistry is clear.  Cybersecurity is no longer something we can afford to think about only when something goes wrong.  We spend a tremendous amount of time and effort protecting our patients clinically. We need to apply that same commitment to protecting their personal information.  Because at the end of the day, our patients trust us with more than just their oral health.

And that trust deserves to be protected.

AMD Lasers Fall "Flash Sale" for Incredible Discounts - Up to 45% Off!

Who doesn't love a good deal?  When I see good sales, I try to pass them along to all of you because dentistry is a tightrope between how much you produce versus how much you spend.  Obviously saving money is a good thing.

Along those lines, soft tissue lasers are also a good thing.  I've been using soft tissue lasers since the late 1990s and they are one of those tech items that once you learn how to use it, you never want to be without one.  You can do some amazing things with soft tissue lasers.  If someone came into the office and stole all of mine, I'd be reordering several immediately.  They've become that important to how I practice.

Some doctors have the misconception that diode lasers are only useful in the hygiene department and I want to make sure I emphasize, that's not true.  Diode lasers *are great tools for hygiene, but they can do much, much more for the doctor!*  That includes things like troughing of crown margins, cosmetic recontouring with incredibly predictable results, biopsies, frenectomies, removal of hyper-plastic tissue, and more.

One of the other great things about diode soft tissue lasers is their price.  They are not something that requires you to take out a loan or worrying about how to finance.  They definitely provide a good return on your investment.  But hey, if you can get a great laser for a lower price, why not take advantage of it?

I'm a fan of AMD Lasers and their Picasso line of diode soft tissue lasers.  I've used them a lot over my career and can tell you from personal experience they are well made and deliver great results.  Today, it's even better because AMD is offering a Fall Flash sale on their Picasso line.  You've only got until the end of the month to take advantage of this, so if you're interested, get on this one today.

Here's the offer:

45% Off Picasso Lasers!

The fall Picasso flash sale is here! Save 45% on our classic Picasso+, Picasso Lite+, and Picasso Clario soft tissue diode laser lineup.

That means:

• Save over $1,700 on the Picasso Clario hygiene laser, the first laser designed specifically for dental hygienists
• Save over $2,400 on the all-around practice workhorse Picasso Lite+ diode laser
• Save over $3,600 on the Picasso+ diode laser, offering laser-assisted teeth whitening and photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy
• This event only runs through September 30th, so don’t miss this chance for a major practice upgrade your patients will love.

Disclosure:  I don't receive any compensation for any sales by the company, but if you place an order, please tell them you read about it here.  Lasers can change the way you practice.
 

eAssist Suffers Ransomeware attack from group Direwolf

 

I haven't heard of a bad ransomware attack for a bit, but maybe that's because I haven't been looking hard enough.  Sometimes the news of a small practice suffering a hack doesn't make it to the major news sources.  However, when a company the size of eAssist does, it definitely makes news.

From what I can discern, on September 6, 2025 eAssist was hacked by a ransomware group calling itself DireWolf.  In case you haven't heard of eAssist, they are a company that allows doctors to outsource their billing, freeing the admin team up for other duties.  They are also majority owned by Henry Schein.

This is, or course, the second big cyber incident that Henry Schein has had to deal with.  You may well remember that in the fall of 2023 Henry Schein was hit by a *major* cyber attack that took their systems offline for several weeks.  It ended up affecting 166.000 individuals.  The company kept a pretty tide public lid on that event and even now, not much is known about it.  I suppose it would be helpful for the company to have already been through something like this before, to help them deal with the current situation.

I want to be clear in this post... I am NOT denigrating Henry Schein or eAssist here.  In the cyber realm all you can do is to try and lock things down as best you can.  There are sometimes ways these attacks unfold that even the best IT security people couldn't have foreseen.  If you are an eAssist customer, odds are that you have already been contacted by them regarding this, but on the odd chance you didn't know yet, you do now.

As far as what customers need to do...

I big salute to the Georgia Dental Association!  They have a put a great page together about this incident.  You can read their page here, but I've also put the contents of that page below so that you can read it here.

eAssist Dental Solutions notified customers on September 8 that it is investigating a potential information security incident.

According to eAssist, outside experts have been engaged to assist with the investigation and response. The company is working to determine the nature and scope of the incident, including whether customer or patient information was affected.

At this time:

• eAssist has confirmed that it is investigating a potential information security incident.
• The investigation remains ongoing.
• eAssist has not confirmed that customer or patient information was accessed or compromised.
• No specific records, credentials, or patient data types have been verified as exposed.
• eAssist stated that it will notify and provide guidance to affected parties as required based on the investigation’s findings.
• The DireWolf ransomware group has separately listed eAssist on its extortion site and claimed access to the company’s internal systems. The details of that claim have not been independently verified.

Out of an abundance of caution, eAssist has advised customers to change system passwords and remove old or inactive user accounts associated with practice-management software, clearinghouses, claims software, and online portals.

TaaSPAK recommends that practices currently using eAssist take the following actions:

1. Change practice management software passwords. Replace passwords for every account provided to or accessed by eAssist.
2. Change clearinghouse and claims software passwords. Update credentials for claims-processing platforms and related services.
3. Change insurance carrier portal passwords. Use completely new, unique passwords rather than variations of previous passwords.
4. Remove old or inactive accounts. Review accounts in your practice-management software, clearinghouses, claims applications, insurance portals, and remote-access platforms. Disable accounts that are no longer needed.
5. Secure remote access. Change remote-access credentials and remove any eAssist access that is no longer required.
6. Revoke active sessions and integrations. Changing a password may not terminate every active session or connection. Sign out active sessions and review saved credentials, third-party integrations, access tokens, and API keys where applicable.
7. Enable multifactor authentication. Require MFA wherever it is available, especially for email, remote access, insurance portals, clearinghouses, financial accounts, and administrative accounts.
8. Review account activity. Check recent login and access records for unfamiliar users, devices, locations, or activity. Preserve any suspicious logs or evidence before making additional changes.
9. Document your response. Record when your practice received the notification, which accounts eAssist could access, the credentials changed, the accounts disabled, and any suspicious activity identified.
10. Prepare for possible service interruptions. Identify time-sensitive claims, insurance verifications, payment postings, appeals, and follow-up work that may require internal attention during the investigation.
11. Alert your employees. Warn staff about potentially convincing phishing emails, calls, or text messages involving patients, claims, insurance carriers, billing activity, password resets, or requests to change payment information.
12. Contact your HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity partners. Ask them to help document the incident, review your practice’s exposure, and determine whether additional action is appropriate.

At this time, practices should not assume that a reportable HIPAA breach has occurred. That determination will depend on the findings of eAssist’s investigation and whether protected health information was accessed, acquired, used, or disclosed.

Practices should retain all communications from eAssist and consult their HIPAA compliance or legal advisors as additional facts become available.

eAssist directed customer questions to its Chief Operating Officer, Patrycja DeGradi, at patrycja.degradi@eassist.me.

Our endorsed managed IT services partner, TaaSPAK, is closely monitoring reports involving eAssist Dental Solutions and the DireWolf ransomware group to keep GDA members informed as the situation develops.

This is obviously a developing story.  If I get any more information on this, I will post more.  At this point *I highly recommend reach out to eAssit for further instructions on how your office should handle this situation.

 

The ‘Principles for Oral Health in the US’ Report if Released

 

I received the following info on Friday.  Periodontal disease is something the dental profession sees, diagnoses, and treats every day.  As the profession learns more about the disease and ways to potentially treat it, we need science to lead the way.  This is a long post, but that's because I also included the footnoted references for you to review as well.  Here's the report:

NHANES data show that 42.2% of dentate US adults aged 30 years or older had some degree of periodontitis, while prevalence reached 59.8% among adults aged 65 or older

Following two days of work and discussion at Kenvue’s headquarters in New Jersey, a multidisciplinary group of US and international experts has made progress in defining recommendations tailored to the realities of oral healthcare in the United States, with a focus on strengthening prevention and management of periodontal diseases.

Held as part of the ‘Principles for Oral Health’ initiative, led by the SEPA Foundation and sponsored by LISTERINE, the meeting brought together specialists in periodontology, dental hygiene, research, and education from leading US and international academic institutions, including the University of Michigan, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, Texas A&M University, A.T. Still University, and Complutense University of Madrid.

“Bringing together this exceptional group of US and international experts reflects our conviction that prevention must sit at the heart of periodontal care. With more than four in ten American adults affected by periodontitis, translating rigorous science into practical, personalized guidance for the dental team has never been more important. Through ‘Principles for Oral Health’, LISTERINE and SEPA are proud to put science at the service of oral health professionals, and, ultimately, of their patients”, comment Smruti Nair, Medical Affairs Lead, Oral Care, Kenvue

A particularly significant challenge in the United States

The need to move toward risk-based preventive strategies is especially relevant given the high burden of periodontal disease in the United States. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data analyzed by Eke and colleagues, 42.2% of dentate US adults aged 30 years or older had some degree of periodontitis, while 7.8% had severe periodontitis. [1]

The same study reported an overall prevalence of periodontitis of 59.8% among adults aged 65 or older and 59.9% among people who reported having diabetes. Prevalence was also higher among men (50.2%) than women (34.6%) and among current smokers (62.4%) than nonsmokers (34.4%). [1]

These data underscore the importance of identifying groups with a higher burden of disease or greater difficulty maintaining adequate biofilm control, and of incorporating individual risk assessment into prevention strategies.

Gingivitis: an important prevention window

The prevention of periodontal disease begins with effective management of gingivitis, the reversible inflammatory condition of the gingiva that precedes periodontitis. Managing gingivitis therefore represents an important opportunity for intervention and prevention. [2,3,4]

Patient-performed oral hygiene, through toothbrushing and interdental cleaning, remains the cornerstone of gingivitis management and the prevention and management of periodontal diseases. However, even when patients receive appropriate instructions and brush for the recommended length of time, mechanical biofilm removal may be insufficient for part of the population.

What the evidence says about antiseptics

The scientific evidence reviewed supports the use of certain antiseptic agents and mouthrinses as adjuncts to mechanical oral-hygiene measures. Among the agents reviewed, essential oils, chlorhexidine, and cetylpyridinium chloride have shown the greatest efficacy in reducing dental biofilm and gingival inflammation when used in addition to mechanical control. [3,5]

Their role should be understood within a personalized, risk-based approach. These products should not be routinely recommended to the entire population; their use should be individualized according to the patient’s characteristics, clinical needs, and any difficulties in achieving adequate mechanical biofilm control. There is currently insufficient direct evidence to conclude that antiseptics used at home can, by themselves, prevent the onset of periodontitis. [3,4,5]

Prevention continues after periodontal treatment

Individualization is also particularly important for patients who have already received periodontitis treatment and are enrolled in periodontal maintenance programs. The available evidence points to additional benefits in terms of gingival inflammation and biofilm levels when certain antiseptics are used in addition to mechanical measures, especially in patients with local or systemic factors that make biofilm control more difficult. [6]

Secondary prevention—aimed at preventing disease recurrence—is therefore part of ongoing periodontal care. The goal is to maintain treatment outcomes over the long term and tailor oral-hygiene strategies to each patient’s circumstances.

Risk-based prevention: who may particularly benefit?

One of the main conclusions is that periodontal prevention should be tailored to each patient’s profile and needs. [2, 6] The experts consider it particularly important to identify the circumstances that may make daily biofilm control more difficult.

Local factors include difficulty accessing certain areas to clean them properly (as may occur in people with crowded teeth, restorations with overhanging margins, or certain orthodontic appliances), as well as anatomical features that encourage biofilm retention. Patients with extensive or complex prosthodontic restorations may also require specific consideration.

General factors include certain chronic diseases, particularly when diabetes is suboptimally controlled; frailty and advanced age; temporary or permanent limitations in manual dexterity; and low motivation to maintain appropriate oral-hygiene measures. Recovery after certain surgical procedures may also temporarily limit a patient’s ability to perform proper mechanical oral hygiene.

“Not all patients have the same ability to achieve effective biofilm control through mechanical measures. It is therefore essential to identify the circumstances that can make daily oral hygiene more difficult and assess when an adjunctive strategy may provide an additional benefit,” says Dr. Gustavo Ávila-Ortiz, co-leader of this project and Clinical Professor and Director of Graduate Periodontics, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

Situations in which mechanical oral hygiene may be limited

The recommendations also address certain clinical situations in which mechanical biofilm control may be temporarily compromised. During specific phases of periodontal treatment, chlorhexidine may be considered for limited periods as an adjunct to subgingival mechanical instrumentation in selected cases. [6] After certain surgical procedures, when the patient cannot adequately clean the treated area, certain mouthrinses may help control biofilm and promote favorable healing conditions. [7,8]

“The value of antiseptics does not lie in replacing toothbrushing or interdental cleaning, but in their ability to provide additional support for controlling biofilm and gingival inflammation in certain patients and clinical situations,” notes Dr. Ana Molina, Associate Professor of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Complutense University of Madrid, and co-leader of the project.

When should special precautions be taken?

Individualization also involves identifying situations in which special caution is required. The experts note that children under six and people who cannot adequately control swallowing should avoid mouthrinses to prevent accidental ingestion. The safety of these agents has not been sufficiently studied in pregnant or breastfeeding women; local regulations and the advice of the relevant healthcare professionals should therefore be followed.

More personalized prevention

The recommendations developed in New Jersey thus reinforce a central principle of ‘Principles for Oral Health’: the need to incorporate individual risk assessment into periodontal prevention. The available evidence makes it possible to identify situations in which certain adjunctive strategies may provide an additional benefit, but their use should always be integrated into an approach built on mechanical biofilm control, patient education, and professional follow-up.

The work carried out in the United States represents another step in the development of ‘Principles for Oral Health,’ an international initiative whose purpose is to translate scientific evidence and clinical practice guideline recommendations into a useful, practical framework for US oral-health professionals.

Expert panel

- Ana Molina: Associate Professor of Periodontology, Department of Clinical Dental Specialties, Faculty of Dentistry, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM).

- Gustavo Ávila-Ortiz: Clinical Professor and Director of Graduate Periodontics, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Editor-in-Chief, The International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry.

- Elena Figuero: Associate Professor in Periodontology and Secretary of the Department of Dental Clinical Specialties, Faculty of Dentistry, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Coordinator, ETEP Research Group. Director, Research Methodology in Dentistry Programme, SEPA. EFP Workshop Committee Chair.

- David Herrera: Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM); Co-Director, Master’s Programme in Periodontology. EFP Workshop Committee Secretary.

- Effie Ioannidou: Professor and Chair, Department of Orofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Periodontology and Clinical Advances in Periodontics. President, AADOCR.

- Paul A. Levi, Jr., DMD: Professor, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (Barcelona).

- Carlos Parra: Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director, Postgraduate Periodontics, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas.

- Danielle Rulli, DHSc, MS, RDH, FNAP: Associate Professor and Director, Graduate Dental Hygiene Program, Ohio State University College of Dentistry.

- Ann Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH: Professor, Course Director of Pharmacology and Assistant Dean for Research, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH), A.T. Still University.

- Flavia Teles: Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Editorial Board member, Journal of Periodontology. Member, Task Force on Design and Analysis in Oral Health Research.

References

1. Eke PI, Thornton-Evans GO, Wei L, et al. Periodontitis in US Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014. J Am Dent Assoc. 2018;149(7):576–588.e6. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2018.04.023.

2. Chapple IL, Van der Weijden F, Doerfer C, et al. Primary prevention of periodontitis: managing gingivitis. J Clin Periodontol. 2015;42 Suppl 16:S71-S76. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12366.

3. Figuero E, Herrera D, Tobias A, et al. Efficacy of adjunctive anti-plaque chemical agents in managing gingivitis: a systematic review and network meta-analyses. J Clin Periodontol. 2019;46(7):723–739. doi:10.1111/jcpe.13127.

4. Serrano J, Escribano M, Roldan S, et al. Efficacy of adjunctive anti-plaque chemical agents in managing gingivitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Periodontol. 2015;42(Suppl 16):S106–138. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12331

5. Escribano M, Figuero E, Martin C, et al. Efficacy of adjunctive anti-plaque chemical agents: a systematic review and network meta-analyses of the Turesky modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index. J Clin Periodontol. 2016;43(12):1059–1073. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12616.

6.Sanz M, Herrera D, Kebschull M, et al. Treatment of stage I–III periodontitis—The EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline. J Clin Periodontol. 2020;47(Suppl 22):4–60. doi:10.1111/jcpe.13290.

7. Chye RML, Perrotti V, Piattelli A, et al. Effectiveness of Different Commercial Chlorhexidine-Based Mouthwashes After Periodontal and Implant Surgery: A Systematic Review. Implant Dent. 2019;28(1):74-85. doi:10.1097/ID.0000000000000854.

8. Solderer A, Kaufmann M, Hofer D, et al. Efficacy of chlorhexidine rinses after periodontal or implant surgery: a systematic review. Clin Oral Investig. 2019;23(1):21-32. doi:10.1007/s00784-018-2761-y.