Solventum’s Filtek™ Composite Warmer Wins 2026 Red Dot Award

 

As regular readers know, I'm a huge fan of warm composite.  Even 3M (before renaming the dental division Solventum)  came out publicly with a downloadable pdf titled :  Busted!  6 Myths of Composite Warming.  I remember reading it when it was first available and being happy that a company with such a good reputation was in support of the concept.

I also wondered at the time how long it would be before the company came out with a warming device.  The concept of warm composite has been around for at least two decades and there are several products on the market created to warm composite.  Addent, a small company in Danbury, CT has sold the Calset device for a long time... in fact they were the reason I started using warm composite all those years ago.  The concept has even expanded into composite delivery devices.  Addent also sells the Compex HD dispensing gun and Vista Apex Solutions  has two products, the Therma-Flow composite warming system as well as a dispenser gun called Phasor.  I've tested and used all of those products and they work well.

The one point I want to get across is that warming composite has a lot of benefits, both in handling during placement and long term by providing better polymerization of the material.

Today I want to let you know that Solventum has brought a warmer to market as well.  It's called the Filtek™ Composite Warmer and should be available now.  Read on for all of the info that Solventum has provided in its press release:

Solventum has officially been awarded the prestigious 2026 Red Dot Award for Product Design for its groundbreaking Filtek™ Composite Warmer.  Celebrated for its human-centered design that helps simplify composite warming in everyday dental workflows. 

The Clinical Problem:

Dental restoratives offer a flexible solution to help clinicians enhance the natural beauty of their patients’ smiles with ease and precision, whether they require a touch-up or a comprehensive restoration.  

Composite warming during direct restoration reduces the viscosity of dental restorative materials, helping improve flow, enhance adaptation and decrease the extrusion force required during application. Solventum offers the first dental composite cleared by the FDA for warming.

The Solution:

• Rapid Warming : Achieves a full system heat-up in 10 minutes. From there, it warms composite capsules in just two minutes and flowable syringes in five minutes—lowering viscosity to deliver better flow1,2,less air inclusion3, and superior adaptation3.
• True Point-of-Care Mobility: Features a first-of-its-kind removable holder. Instead of forcing clinicians or assistants to walk back and forth to a stationary heating base, the holder can be brought directly to the chairside to streamline treatment.
• High-Capacity Staging: Simultaneously accommodates up to six capsules and one flowable syringe to keep multi-step procedures moving smoothly.
• Infection Control & Safety: Includes a heat-safe silicone sleeve to protect fingers during handling. The entire top portion is completely autoclavable to easily integrate with standard clinical sterilization protocols.

"This recognition reflects what's possible when our R&D teams design around the realities clinicians face every day," said Ellen Bosl, Vice President of R&D for Dental Solutions at Solventum. "We started by listening to the everyday challenges in restorative workflows, then engineered a solution that addresses those clinical needs.”

Episode 47 - Dr. Bill Simon

 

One of the things I really enjoy about doing The Technology Evangelist Podcast is the unexpected turns many of the conversations have.  It's fairly common for the conversation to take off in a direction I hadn't anticipated and those conversations are often some of the best.  That was definitely that case with Dr. Bill Simon.  I've known Bill through his work with the Chicago MidWinter meeting and we've gotten to have some nice conversations in the past... but nothing like we had for the podcast.

My original plan was to discuss how meetings and continuing education are changing in dentistry, but what I got from Bill was more... much more. His journey in the profession has had more twists and turns than a road through the Swiss Alps, and it made for an amazing conversation.

Starting out in any profession can be daunting, especially in the field of dentistry where the stakes are high, and the learning curve is steep. In this brief summation, I'll delve a bit into the journey of Dr. Bill Simon, an incredibly successful practitioner, who shares his experiences, challenges, and insights for younger professionals navigating their careers in dentistry.  If you are a younger dentist and are looking for someone to mentor you through the profession, I *highly recommend* contacting Dr. Simon!!!

About Dr. Bill Simon

Dr. Bill Simon has spent years building a successful dental practice in Chicago. With a background in both biology and dentistry, his journey is chock full of valuable lessons learned from both successes and obstacles. His experience makes him a credible figure in the field, and his insights are particularly helpful for new dentists. Add to this that he also works to mentor younger dentists needing career guidance.

The Early Decisions: Choosing Dentistry

Like many of us, Dr. Simon's career began with a tough choice during high school—whether to pursue accounting, a field he excelled in, or follow his passion for biology and helping people through dentistry. He recalls, "I decided to go down the biology route, thinking it would provide more opportunities to work with and help people." This decision ultimately shaped his career path, leading him to dental school at Southern Illinois University. As a little sidelight, I love SIU's mascot, the Salukis!

Learning Through Challenges

One of the most significant hurdles Dr. Simon faced early on was navigating the complexities of dental practice ownership. After graduation he decided to work in a practice owned by an older dentist. Shortly into his professional career, he was stunned to receive a letter from the dental board telling him the office owner didn't have a license and he found himself under investigation for aiding unlicensed practice. This experience taught him a crucial lesson: "You don't learn a lot from your successes; you learn more from your challenges and failures."

When faced with the decision to either buy the practice, clean up the litigation, or leave, Dr. Simon chose to establish his own practice just four doors down. "I built out a two-operatory clinic in the dark of night. The next week, I opened with my entire patient schedule filled," he recalls. This daring move not only salvaged his career but also laid the foundation for his future success.

Resilience in Crisis: The Fire Incident

In 2002, tragedy struck when Dr. Simon's practice suffered a fire. He vividly describes driving down the highway, hearing the news on the radio that the street to his office was closed due to a major fire. "I pulled up to find fire trucks outside my building, and we were essentially burned out of our space," he recounts.

Despite this setback, Dr. Simon showed remarkable resilience. He and his team adapted quickly, sharing space with other dental practices and continuing to serve their patients. This experience taught him about the importance of networking and community, as he connected with other dentists who had faced challenges and were willing to help him continue to see patients and recover from the disaster.

It also shows a lot about Dr. Simon as an employer. During the process of working from multiple locations his dedication to his employees fueled their dedication to him and the practice. What for many might be a business ending tragedy, fueled their desire to support each other while continuing to help their patients. They came out of the situation even stronger... as an office and a team.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Dentists

• Follow Your Passion: Choosing a career path aligned with your interests can lead to greater satisfaction and success.
• Learn from Challenges: Embrace failures as learning opportunities; they often teach you more than successes.
• Be Resilient: Adaptability is crucial in overcoming unexpected hurdles.
• Build a Network: Connecting with others in your field can provide support and resources in difficult times.

Conclusion

Dr. Bill Simon's journey is a testament to the power of resilience, adaptability, and passion in the world of dentistry. His experiences remind aspiring dentists that while the road may be fraught with challenges, it is also filled with opportunities for growth and success. For those looking to embark on a similar path, remember to embrace your journey, learn from your experiences, and connect with your community.

Oh, and we did actually discuss continuing education as well. His insights will give you a look at where the world of professional conferences is headed.

Want to hear the whole story from Dr. Simon? Listen to the complete episode (Episode 47) of the Technology Evangelist Podcast for deeper insights!

The Pearl Oral Health Index Delivers the First Radiographic Census of the American Mouth

 

Today's post is to let you know that Pearl has released their Pearl Oral Health Index.  I normally try and give a bit of a sneak peak in my intro paragraph(s) when I post things like this, but today is different.  There's a lot to be gleaned from this info.  So instead of a lengthy setup, I'll just let you get right to it.  Scroll down and you'll see some pretty incredible insights.

• The Index analyzes 737 million teeth across 15 million patients and 26 million dental x-rays
• Reveals America’s cavity problem is 4.5x worse than government data indicate
• Identifies and quantifies the impact in America’s “dental deserts” where the tooth-loss gap exceeds 40 percent

Pearl, the global leader in dental AI solutions, today released the Pearl Oral Health Index, unlocking key insights across age, location, gender, and more in the most comprehensive radiographic census of American oral health ever produced. Using its FDA-cleared AI platform to read dental x-rays at scale, Pearl analyzed more than 26 million dental x-rays across 15 million unique patients, and 737 million individual teeth. This represents a dataset so vast it has, for the first time in history, made the collective reality of the American mouth legible. The data both reveals and challenges assumptions about who gets sick, who gets treated, and why.

Until now, dental research has largely relied on small-sample surveys. X-rays, which are the single richest source of oral health information, have been locked away in tens of millions of isolated patient files, impossible to aggregate or compare. Pearl is the first dental AI platform to read, analyze, and measure them at population scale.

“For the first time, we can see what's actually happening inside the mouths of America, not through a survey, not through a sample, but through the raw radiographic truth of tens of millions of visits,” said Ophir Tanz, founder and CEO, Pearl. “The picture is dramatically different from what the public data has told us for decades. There is more disease, more inequality, and more variability in care than anyone realized. AI didn't create this problem, but it finally let us measure it.”

Key Findings

The X-Ray Gap: America's cavity problem is at least 4.5 times worse than federal data suggests

The CDC's NHANES, the gold-standard U.S. government oral health survey of just 25,000 participants, uses mirrors and probes in mobile clinics and estimates that roughly 21 percent of American adults have untreated decay. Pearl's AI, reading radiographs of 15 million participants, finds the real figure is at least 4.5 times higher.

• Decayed teeth per patient: Pearl 6.07 vs. NHANES 0.7. This reflects an 8.7x gap in detected decay.
• Missing teeth per patient: Pearl 2.16 vs. NHANES 2.0. This near-perfect match gives credence to Pearl's methodology, since empty sockets are visible to both a probe and an x-ray.
• Restored teeth per patient: Pearl 7.01 vs. NHANES 6.0. Like missing teeth, restorations are generally visible to the naked eye, so the near-alignment here likewise supports Pearl’s methodology.

X-rays can reveal demineralization at 30–60 percent mineral loss, which is well before a cavity is visible to the eye. The difference is not a methodological quirk; it is the cost of measuring the nation's oral health with instruments that were state-of-the-art in the 19th century. Of note, everyone in Pearl's dataset was already in a dental chair, meaning the true spread in the general population is likely even higher.

Young adults have the most neglected mouths; older adults have the most managed

• Ages 18–24: 52 percent or more than half of all dental disease in young adults is untreated. These are the most neglected mouths in the dataset.
• Crossover between ages 35–44: Fillings finally overtake untreated decay. This is when most people evolve from neglect to managing their oral health.
• Ages 75+: The number of teeth showing signs of decay, loss, or restoration rises to 19.14 out of 28 teeth, meaning over two thirds of teeth have had an issue. Only 28 percent of that damage is untreated. By the time a person hits 75 years old, their mouth is not healthier, but it is more managed.

The Geography of the American Mouth

Where a person lives shapes not just whether they get sick, but what happens when they do. A look at the states with the best and worst oral health include:

• Lowest disease burden: Hawaii (9.63 teeth showing signs of decay, loss, or restoration; lowest calculus at 45.0 percent; fewest extractions).
• Highest disease burden: Delaware (14.22 showing signs of decay, loss, or restoration; calculus 62.6 percent).
• Highest tartar buildup: New Jersey (67.7 percent of patients). This is a 23-point spread vs. Hawaii on a single hygiene indicator.
• Highest rate of extraction: Kansas, where nearly 1 in 10 affected teeth was extracted rather than restored.

The Dentist Lottery: A 4x gap in what two offices on the same block may diagnose

Across 282 dental offices each seeing 200+ adult patients, the 10th-percentile practice finds 3.1 affected teeth per patient, while the 90th-percentile practice finds 12.4 — a 4x gap. Within single zip codes, Pearl identified a 9.2 percentage-point average spread in D-Load (the share of decay left untreated) between neighboring offices, with the top 10 percent of zip codes showing spreads of 17.8 points. Pearl's AI analyzed every x-ray; what varied was how practices responded to what it found. This is not a disease gap, rather it is a training, awareness, and diagnostic consistency gap.

Dental Deserts: Patients in zip codes with zero dentists lose 40 percent more teeth

Pearl matched zip-code data against the National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry of 180,974 U.S. dental practices and 295,509 dentists. In zip codes with zero dentists, 20.8 percent of affected teeth have been extracted. In zip codes with 51+ dentists, only 14.9 percent are extracted, which marks a 40 percent higher rate of tooth loss in so-called dental deserts. Patients in these communities are not going untreated longer; when they finally receive care, they lose the tooth entirely, which often comes down to affordability. In many cases prevention and treatment comes at a higher cost than extraction.

The Access Signal: American women are 28 percent more likely to visit a dentist than men

In the U.S. dataset, women make up 56.2 percent of patients and men 43.8 percent. Under the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS), the split is exactly 50/50. Once men and women are in the chair, their clinical numbers are remarkably similar (e.g. female’s untreated rate of 31.4 percent vs. male 33.9 percent). The real gap is not in the mouth — though men do have a higher rate of calculus (1.99 vs. 1.67), or teeth with tartar build up, whereas women tend to have more fillings (7.97 vs. 7.37) — it’s in who makes it through the door.

Two Countries, Two Dental Systems, Two Completely Different Mouths

The data shows that when disease is found, Americans restore and the British extract:

• U.S. patients average 2.16 missing teeth. U.K. patients average 6.36 — roughly 3x more.
• In the U.S. the share of affected teeth extracted sits at 14.5 percent whereas in the U.K. that number’s ~31 percent.

U.S. fee-for-service insurance incentivizes restoration; in the U.K., NHS budget constraints make extraction the more accessible option when a tooth is severely compromised. Neither is objectively superior. But the radiographic evidence shows the two systems produce fundamentally different outcomes in peoples’ mouths.

Why This Matters Now

Oral health is among the last corners of American medicine to be digitized, standardized, and studied at scale. The Pearl Oral Health Index closes that gap in a single step. By applying a consistent, FDA-cleared AI detection model to this volume of x-rays, Pearl has produced the first objective, comparable, population-level picture of what is actually happening inside millions of mouths and how various dental systems respond to it.

The Index's findings have immediate implications for public-health policy, insurer quality metrics, dental-school curricula, and patient expectations. And it establishes a new baseline against which every future change, including new therapies, new policies, and expanded access, can be measured.

About the Data

The Pearl Oral Health Index draws on two complementary datasets, both covering adults 18+, all 51 U.S. states (including D.C.) and the U.K., using a 28-tooth universe (excluding wisdom teeth) across April 2024 to March 2026:

FMX Series Dataset: 1.49 million patients with complete full-mouth x-ray series analyzed by Pearl. This is the authoritative source for DMF (average 15.24 of 28 teeth affected, composed of 6.07 decayed, 2.16 missing and 7.01 filled). Its missing-teeth figure matches NHANES almost exactly, validating the methodology.

Expanded Encounters Dataset: 14.8 million patients and 26 million tooth-level dental encounters, powering state-level analyses, gender comparisons, tooth-by-tooth vulnerability timelines, and 4.26 million longitudinal tooth transitions.

You can access the full version of the Pearl Oral Health Index here: https://hellopearl.com/oral-health-index

About Pearl

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

Osteoporosis and Periodontitis: Two-Way Epidemiological and Mechanistic Evidence

 The profession is learning more and more about "the oral-systemic connection".  For lay folks, that basically means that the mouth and body are connected.  The human oral cavity is an advanced organ system  (part of the digestive tract) and can affect the rest of the body in many ways... and not all of them are good.  Lots of research is being done on ways that the mouth can impact the health of the entire body and, conversely, how the body can impact the health of the oral cavity.  Information is being assembled constantly.

In fact, I recently interviewed my friend Dr. Ed Zuckerberg about this very topic on "The Technology Evangelist Podcast".  The episode is Episode 46:  Dr. Ed Zuckerberg on the Oral Systemic Connection and Periodontal Disease Research and is available to stream by following the link.  Ed is one of the profession's most knowledgeable experts on this topic and the episode is fascinating.

However, today's post isn't just about the episode.  As I said above, lots of research is being done on this broad topic and some of the findings definitely bear bringing your attention to.  A recent article published in The Journal of Periodontal Research takes a look at the link between osteoporosis and periodontitis.  

The article titled "Osteoporosis and Periodontitis:  "Two-Way Epidemiological and Mechanistic Evidence" states:

 Strong epidemiological evidence shows an association between the two diseases, in which osteoporosis patients have an increased risk of periodontitis, specifically in postmenopausal women.  

As most of us already know, osteoporosis and periodontal disease are both disease processes that can affect a wide variety of people and can cause significant problems.  Not the least of which is loss of quality of life.  Our medical science is growing exponentially and because of that people are living much, much longer than in previous generations.  However, I'll state that life without quality isn't the goal we all have in mind.  That applies both to the general population and those of us in healthcare.  Osteoporosis and periodontitis are highly prevalent, chronic inflammatory diseases that constitute a major global health burden.   We need to find better methodologies to deal with them.

This study concludes:  Our review found abundant clinical evidence that osteoporosis is linked to a notably higher risk of severe periodontitis, likely due to estrogen deficiency affecting bone metabolism. Clinical data on how periodontitis impacts the prevalence and progression of osteoporosis remain limited, although some studies suggest an association between periodontitis and osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.

This is definitely a subject that the profession needs to be aware of.  I advise giving the study an objective read and to bear the info in mind as you perform your patient interviews and examinations.  The study can be found with this link.  

VELscope Mantis has Arrived - the Latest Light Aided Oral Cancer Screening Device

 

Here is some big news.  Starting today the VELscope Mantis is available for purchase.  I was notified about this recently and thought I'd let you all know the day it was available for ordering.

Today's post will cover details on  the newest device from VELscope to help provide state of the art oral cancer screening.  However, before I get to the new Mantis, I want to spend a little bit of time explaining why I think using a special light to help with oral cancer screening is such a great idea.

For years now I've had a big interest in oral cancer.  It's one of those problems that I feel oral health professionals should do all we can to help find at it's earliest stages.  I've used light assisted means for performing oral cancer screenings for at least the last 20 years and I wouldn't practice without it.  

Areas of concern can be difficult to identify using only white light.  Oral cancers can appear in many colors and they can be very difficult to see.  A doctor often sees a small discrepancy and has to run through a diagnostic checklist in their mind.  "Is that area whiter than normal?  Is that purple area a little bit darker than the surrounding purple tissue?"  That's just a small example of what is taken into consideration.

The advantage to using light assisted screening is that when viewed under a certain wavelength of light and with the proper filter used by the device, areas of concern appear black to the clinician.  This makes areas of concern much easier to identify.

In the simplest terms, injured tissues in the mouth are much easier to identify under certain wavelengths of light.  I tell my patients that the light is not a diagnostic device, it's a screening device.  I explain that it doesn't tell me if they have cancer, but it does tell me if there is any area of their mouth that is in some way traumatized.  The trauma could be from an accidental cheek bite, a burn, or any other type of injury.

The light allows me to better evaluate things.  If an area I notice might be due to trauma, an exam two weeks later will look different as it is healing.  If it looks the same or more injured, I then refer to an expert.  Patients appreciate the extra care a light assisted exam provides.

If found at an early stage, oral cancers can be dealt with, but unfortunately when discovered in their late stages, five year survival rates are extremely low.  Also, even if the patient survives, late stage cancer surgeries can be disfiguring.  Those are just two of the reasons I'm such a proponent of light assisted screening.

Now, let's get to the info about the new Mantis from VELscope.

The new VELscope Mantis is named after the mantis shrimp, a creature with one of the most advanced visual systems in nature, capable of detecting ultraviolet, infrared, and polarized light beyond human perception. Inspired by its namesake, the Mantis enhances fluorescence visualization, empowering dental professionals to identify oral abnormalities earlier with exceptional clarity, precision, and depth.

The device has a rotating wheel that allows the operator to quickly and easily switch between lighting modes.  

Mantis integrates three visualization modes into one device.

• Traditional white light - Non-polarized white light visualization is the traditional method for examining tissue, providing a combination of surface reflections that highlight texture and topography, along with color variations that indicate the state of the underlying tissue.
• Polarized white light - Polarized white light visualization excels at showing subtle colour tissue changes by improving colour response and eliminating surface reflections than can be distracting and obscure underlying tissue
• Enhanced fluorescence visualization - The new VELscope Mantis builds upon its predecessors by increasing field of view and enhancing filtering for a brighter, improved image with increased yellow/orange spectral content.

For the best documentation, photos should be used and the new VELscope Mantis makes taking those photos incredibly easy.  

The device has been designed so that the user can attach an iPhone or iPod into the device and use the camera to take clear and crisp photos.  To make the photo process even easier, the Mantis can be paired with the photo taking device via Bluetooth.  The handle on the Mantis has a trigger button that can activate the camera.  The operator gets the area clearly into the frame, pushes the button on the Mantis device, and the iPhone or iPod takes the image.  Those photos can then be downloaded and stored in the patient's digital chart as part of the permanent patient record.  These images can then be used to compare at a follow-up appointment, if needed.  They can also be sent to an office if the patient needs to be seen for further diagnostic procedures or surgery.  This gives the doctor providing further treatment images of the area as it appeared initially and at further appointments from the referring office.

Mantis also comes with Cloud storage for the images via  SOTA Cloud.  While it's a nice way to backup the images, the service does require a subscription.  The first month is free, but after that there is a monthly charge.  You can find out more about the SOTA Cloud storage with this link.  

Light assisted screenings can save lives.  The scientific literature on light assisted screening is pretty clear on the advantages.  There are several devices on the market and I highly recommend getting and using one.  Your patients will appreciate the effort and will be grateful for the extra care you provide.  At the end of the day, caring for our patients in the number one goal of our profession.  Light assisted screenings is a great way to do that.

Could AI Erode Diagnostic Skills?

 

Since I'm The Technology Evangelist, it goes without saying that I am a confirmed gadget guy and tech lover.  iIve always been a lover of gadgets, even before I went into dentistry, and throughout my career I've always tried to evaluate and incorporate technologies that made sense into my clinical practice.

However, I've always tried to look at things as objectively as possible.  By that, I mean I always make an attempt to see the potential pluses and minuses that come with any tech that can affect patient outcomes.  

Along those lines I'm a big believer in AI.  For radiographic interpretation I like the concept of an objective third party that can help give you to find something you might not have noticed or to help a doctor consider that an area they notice might not need treatment.  When it comes to AI in the administrative part of dentistry, I'm hopeful that by being able to offload some of the more mundane tasks to machines, it will allow the front office staff to have more real patient interactions.  As we all know, dentistry is a relationship based profession and the more we can foster those relationships the better.

Yet, we always need to consider both the benefits and to potential detractors that come with incorporating new technologies and today's post is focused on that.

When I was in dental school, much of the first two years were devoted to sciences such as histology, microbiology, and biochemistry.  The hands-on classes often seemed to focus on things that, at the time, I felt were teaching me things I'd never use.  Things like pouring models or creating wax patterns and casting them weren't' things  that any dentist I knew actually did.  They were done by people that worked for the dentist (dental assistants and dental lab technicians) and I often wondered why I had to learn to do those jobs.

Obviously I was young and headstrong then because once I actually began to practice I quickly realized how knowing those things were the foundation on which I lot of what I did was built.  If I hadn't been taught those skills, I would have been less able to understand and do what I was doing.

Since that revelation, which happened pretty early on, I've always supported schools to continue to teach those things.  Even if you never plan on ever taking an physical analog impression, I feel that knowing the principles of it, makes you better at scanning.

Although the rest of this post is not specifically related to dentistry, I thought this was a topic worthy of bringing up here.  I recently became aware of a study done in Poland that attempted to compare physician's diagnostic skills before and after having access to AI systems designed to help in identifying pathologies.  The concept was to find experienced clinicians who knew what they were doing, see how they performed with AI assisting them, and then see how they performed without the help of AI.

The results were interesting.  Of course this is only ONE study and much more science needs to be done on this aspect of things before we draw conclusions, but the results do give everyone in healthcare something to be aware of and consider as AI becomes more and more integrated into our clinical workflows.

The study evaluated if clinician's diagnostic skills could atrophy after beginning to rely on AI.  The study followed physicians performing endoscopic procedures.  Each physician had performed at least 2000 colonoscopies during their careers.

The study covered nine months.  For the first three months doctors worked without AI and the number of precancerous areas was totaled.  For the next three months they used AI that analyzed the imaging in real time that flagged for the precancerous condition.  The AI tool was randomly available and unavailable to compare results during those three months.  The doctors never knew when they would be able to use AI.  The final three months were again done with no AI and the results totaled.

At the conclusion of the study, the data was analyzed.  It showed that in the three months before AI 28.4% of colonoscopies found at least one precancerous area.  In the three months after AI the number of precancerous areas noted was 22.4%.

Do the numbers indicate the skills of the doctors declined or did working with AI help them not have as many false positives?  I didn't see anything which mentioned that in the article I read about the study.  What I came away with was the belief that this needs a lot more study.  There's a lot of concern about AI in the world and we need to understand its impact much, much better.

I am not a statistician and I'm not a specialist in colonoscopies, but I find the results intriguing at the very least.  Obviously a lot more research into this needs to be done before drawing any conclusions.  I'd like to tie thing together now.  I feel that learning and really understanding the basics of a subject is the foundation you need to grow toward being an expert.  That applies to everything in life, just like my need to know how to properly pour an impression as a student.  This is also why I feel that AI is a tool.  These systems are currently designed to be data gathering systems.  They should not be making decisions.  Instead, they should be viewed as a colleague who nudges you and says, "what about this spot?"

Healthcare diagnosis is a complicated subject that frequently requires a nuanced decision based on many factors.  However as my friend Dr. Marty Jablow says about AI "don't check your brain at the door".  That's a great statement that I agree with.

The study was published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology in October 2025.  I happened to come across a summary of it on Nature.com 

Coming Full Circle in 3D - Why Recycling Should be Part of 3D Printing and how DRNA is Making that Happen

I remember the first time I saw a dental 3D printer.  It was at the ADA meeting in Washington, D.C.  The year was 2015.  Back then as a die hard technology lover I knew that 3D printing existed and I understood the concept, but I understood very little else.

I was wandering the exhibit hall of the meeting, (which is one of the things I try to do at dental conventions), when I happened to see a booth that was displaying a 3D printer.  Like a moth to a flame, this super cool tech drew me into the booth and before long I was engaged in a conversation with one of the company's representatives.

I was shown dentures, transitional partials, and (I think) maybe even a surgical guide.  I was fascinated and mightily impressed.  The things I saw looked incredible and they fit on their corresponding models perfectly.  I learned the overall process and asked questions about resins.

This led me to the big question I had.  “How do you come up with a design for these things?” I asked.  The representative opened a laptop and showed me the design software the company had used.  Back in 2015, 3D printing was just starting to creep into the dental industry and there was no dental specific design system.  Instead I was shown software that was used for engineering design.  The screen looked like the cockpit of a 747.  I walked out of the booth and I knew that, while amazing, this tech would never make much progress in the industry unless the design process was fast and easy.  Dentists don’t have the time to spend 45 minutes designing something, they need to devote that time to treating patients.

Fast forward to 2026 and I’m happy to say things have changed a lot since that day in 2015.  In the 11 years since that meeting, 3D printing has seen considerable growth in offices.  I think the principal reason for that growth is in how much the design process has changed.  As AI continues to make rapid inroads into the dental industry, one of the areas that has been impacted the most is 3D design.

The design process has gone from a detailed and time consuming task that required a degree in engineering, to a process that frequently only requires the user to upload an intraoral scan and then click “next” until the project is ready to print.  The design process has always been the bottleneck in the use of 3D printing in the dental office and those design barriers are falling fast.

Dentistry is poised at the edge of a dramatic technological shift and the market is about to reflect that.  I predict in the next five years we will see a large change in how a great deal of dentistry is delivered.  What we’ll see is that the simple, everyday things are going to move to being fabricated in-office.  Things such as splints, occlusal guards, retainers, and surgical guides can now be easily printed, but more importantly they can also be easily designed.  

That means that as dental offices seek to deliver care faster and with lower costs, more and more offices will begin utilizing 3D printers.  This will allow offices to lower their lab costs on “bread and butter” cases while still delivering the precision the profession demands.

Many dental labs have already embraced 3D printing for a variety of applications.  That means that many doctors are already delivering 3D printed things to their patients so they already have confidence in the technology.  It’s only a small step to bring this into the dental office.

However, there’s one area that needs to be addressed.  Our world is dealing with an excess amount of plastics in our environment and as offices move into this realm, we need to do our part to help ensure the health of the planet we call home.

I’ll use my experience with my coffee maker as an example.  I’ve been a diehard coffee lover since my college days and that, of course, means I own a coffee maker for my home.  I’m not sure who invented the coffee pod, but whoever it was should have been awarded the Nobel prize for convenience.  I don’t think twice about dropping a pod into my machine and cranking out a steaming cup of dark roast.  Well, I should say I didn’t think twice about it… until one day when I did.  

One morning as I was placing an empty milk jug into the recycle bin it suddenly occurred to me that every coffee pod I was using was headed straight to the landfill.  I’m embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of it before that day, but when I realized how much plastic I was personally putting into the trash, I made the effort to search Amazon for a coffee pod I could buy that could be recycled.  That led me to a company that makes compostable pods and I’ve been using them ever since.  In a similar way that dentistry has moved to using amalgam separators to keep mercury out of the environment, we need to make a similar approach to recycling 3D printed scrap.

For those of you unfamiliar with the 3D printing process let me explain.  The resins used in 3D printing are liquid.  These resins are photo-polymerized by the printer in a manner that is similar to how doctors place composite resins.  The printing resins are cured in layers.  Because they are liquid and polymerized in layers, the printer software creates little bars of plastic under the printed project as it is created to keep it in the correct shape.  These bars are called “supports” and they are a necessary part of the 3D printing process.  To clarify, here's a screenshot of an occlusal guard in the design software.  You can clearly see the supports.

When the project is completed and fully cured, a human then removes the supports and polishes the completed printed project.  This process of removing the supports and polishing is easy and doesn’t take much time.  However the cured resin supports now need to be disposed of.  That means that every printed project is creating a certain amount of waste.

Now add to that the idea of “pods”.  We’re now seeing printers for dentistry that create small projects like crowns and veneers through the Keurig® concept of single use, resin filled pods.  These pods make printing incredibly easy, but in addition to the supports, the pods themselves are also made of plastic and need to be disposed of properly.

As more and more offices move into 3D printing, the amount of waste that will be generated from this amazing technology is going to be significant.  So what can dentistry do to properly and ethically deal with this problem that is looming on the horizon?

Just like my empty gallon bottle of milk, dentistry needs to recycle these leftovers.  Of course if you want to recycle plastics you’ll come across a problem.  Not all plastics are the same.  My gallon milk bottle is recycled by my local trash collector.  My plastic grocery bags need to be returned to the grocery store for proper recycling.  Printed 3D resins also require a specific recycling process and they cannot be disposed of in just any recycling bin.  

Fortunately there is a simple answer.  For over 25 years DRNA (Dental Recycling North America) has been in the business of helping dentistry properly dispose of waste.  The company provides amalgam separators, sharps disposal, and disposal of pharmaceuticals as some of its services. This year DRNA has launched a new effort that allows dentistry to recycle the waste from 3D printers.

It’s an incredibly easy solution, so allow me to explain how it works.  DRNA sends the dental office a shipping container.  Inside is a 2.5 gallon bucket with a liner and a return shipping label.  The liner is placed inside the bucket.  Any 3D printer waste, whether it is cured supports, resin pods, or empty resin bottles, is simply placed in the bucket.  When the bucket is full, the office places the bucket into the shipping container, attaches the label, and notifies DRNA.  The company ships a new 2.5 gallon bucket kit to the office while the office ships the full bucket back to DRNA.  The DRNA solution meets federal, state, and local hazard waste regulations, is an easy one-step process, and provides full documentation.  The entire process is  so easy, even I can follow the instructions!  

After integrating new technologies into my workflows over my entire career, here is my suggestion to the 3D printing companies.  Human beings are creatures of habit.  Once we learn a process for completing a task, we tend to follow the same process time after time.  This is especially true in dental offices which are incredibly procedure driven.  When making a change by incorporating a new workflow, it is much easier to make all the changes at once as opposed to developing a system and then making changes to it later.  Recycling with 3D printing needs to be a part of the office workflow from the very first day.  Partnering with DRNA and training the office that recycling is part of the process with their very first 3D printed project will ensure a smooth integration right from the start.  Let’s provide patients with the best solutions possible and do what’s right for planet Earth.  As an industry, we’re all in this together.  

Mid America Dental Sales Launches Watchdog for Wireless Sensor Tracking

Wireless sensors can be a blessing and a curse.  The blessings are:  they are easy to move and they don't require USB connections which can wear out over time.  The curse can be:  easy to move = easy to lose.

Let's face it, the cord makes it much more difficult to get the sensor folded up in a patient bib and tossed in the trash at the end of an appointment.  However, today's post might bring all of the concerns to an end.  Here's news about a way to wirelessly track your wireless sensors and even know if they've been out of their charger for longer than expected.

Mid America Dental Sales Launches Watchdog — RealTime X-ray Sensor Tracking for the DCAir Wireless Direct Conversion X-ray Sensor by FTG

Mid America Dental Sales has announced the nationwide release of Watchdog, a new realtime tracking and performance monitoring platform designed to protect and optimize the 4th generation DCAir Wireless Direct Conversion Sensor.

Watchdog provides instant system tray alerts the moment a sensor leaves its dock or isn’t returned, identifying the sensor, the room, and its last known location. While misplaced, or accidentally discarded sensors are relatively uncommon, concern about losing a wireless sensor is one of the most frequent questions practices have when transitioning from a corded sensor to a wireless sensor. Watchdog was specifically designed to eliminate that concern by proactively tracking each sensor’s location and status helping practices prevent loss before it occurs and providing greater confidence when adopting wireless technology.

DCAir Watchdog: Smart Tracking. Total Peace of Mind.

• Instant alerts when sensors are not returned to their charger in a pre-set number of minutes. 
• Pinpoint exact location via Bluetooth finder.
• Live dashboard showing every sensor and room location 

Paired with the DCAir sensor’s Direct Conversion technology — which captures photons directly for sharper, more detailed radiographs — Watchdog creates a complete imaging ecosystem that enhances clinical confidence and protects the practice’s investment.

Watchdog and the 4th generation DCAir Wireless Direct Conversion Sensor are available now through Mid America Dental Sales’ nationwide dealer network.

For more information, contact your local fullservice dental dealer or visit www.dentalsalesinc.com

Some Interesting Facts Regarding AI in Usage in Large Corporatons

AI is making inroads everywhere and probably nowhere as quickly as "big business".  Large corporations are always looking to increase efficiency while at the same time cutting costs.  Although I like to say that everything in life is a "yin & yang".  You can't have a left without a right and you can't have an up without a down.  Along those lines, while I'm a big fan of AI, I'll be the first to admit that there should be a "human in the loop".

What excites me about AI in dentistry is the hope that as more of the mundane time intensive tasks are offloaded to AI, that will free up the people in the office to have more time to have face to face interactions with patients.  Dentistry is a relationship business and those face to face interactions and conversations help build trust and confidence with patients.

The environment of large corporations is a completely different thing.  That's especially true when you factor in a remote work force.  Tracking employee work from remote locations can be difficult for some large companies and that becomes even more so as these large companies try to deploy AI agents across multiple departments and multiple parts of their workforce.  I recently found some interesting numbers & suggestions from TRG Datacenters and I think what they have is interesting.  It doesn't probably apply to dentistry, but might at some point in the future.  Personally I feel we learn a whole lot more from our mistakes than we do from our successes.  I also think it pays to analyze the mistakes of others so that we can learn from them and not repeat them.  At some point some of these things may very well apply to the profession.  If nothing else, the info below makes for an interesting read.

As issues from AI implementations affect even larger companies like Air Canada and McDonald’s, more and more businesses are rethinking the value AI agents bring to their projects. Over 60% of remote-capable employees are implementing AI tools in their processes now, and experts at data infrastructure provider TRG Datacenters looked at academic studies, industry reports, and verified corporate incidents and legal cases to outline key issues and risk management solutions. 

Here’s their breakdown of six key areas where artificial intelligence causes the highest risks:

1. The Rise of Shadow AI Use Leads To Millions in Losses

Key issues: As 67% of the UK’s organizations report not being able to track what employees are sharing with artificial intelligence, security breaches like copypasting client data into ChatGPT and software developers sharing internal code with AI agents are becoming more common.

Measures to take: Financial experts suggest that shadow AI breaches cost $670K more on average compared to regular security issues. To avoid additional losses, it’s important to install both IT and security oversight over AI interactions. 

2. Over-Permissioning AI Agents Can Wipe Your Entire Database

Key issues: To speed up AI involvement, many companies do not limit which databases, codes, and workflows it has access to. The high-profile cases of this problem include the deletion of entire production databases and backups by Claude-powered AI agents.

Measures to take: The AI-usage skills can be easily developed, but they require education. In addition to learning materials, every team engaged with AI needs to know not to treat AI as another colleague.  

3. AI Hallucination Rate Still Sits At 40%

Key issues: No LLM tool yet can fully avoid hallucinations, and the current estimations for false information are around 40%. Incorrect information provided by AI has already been spotted in the Air Canada chatbot and even in McDonald’s AI-driven drive-through, which brought both money losses and lawsuits for these companies. 

Measures to take: Human oversight is a key part of AI processes. No product can go straight from artificial intelligence without a specialist checking the data first. AI chatbots are the tools that need to be verified the most, as they currently show the highest unchecked hallucination rate.

4. Deepfakes & Impersonations Hit Much Harder Because of AI

Key issues: Involving AI in internal processes also puts companies at a greater risk of impersonations and deepfakes. The high-profile cases included an AI-cloned video call and an Italian government voice scam.

Measures to take: Educate employees on how to identify misinformation and scams. Staying updated on the latest tools to combat deepfakes is increasingly valuable, too. 

5. Algorithmic Bias & Discrimination Find Their Way In HR Decisions

Key issues: AI tools have the same biases as the data they were trained on, and AI inclusion in HR processes can harm both the company and the team. AI resume screenings favor white-associated names in 8 in 10 cases.

Measures to take: The training material for AI agents needs to be checked first, especially on the issues of fairness and representative data. Human oversight is needed, too, and no final decision regarding employee management should be left solely on AI.     

6. It’s Hard To Decide Who’s Responsible When AI Is Involved

Key issues: Only 23% of organizations which use AI rate themselves as highly prepared for artificial intelligence risk management and are not able to deal with accountability issues.

Measures to take: Conduct audits and keep data logs to track AI-related decisions. Looking out for current and new legal frameworks that governments put in place can also help contextualize AI work processes. 

AI experts at TRG Datacenters conclude:

“A lot of companies are asking staff to 'use AI more,’ but they are not giving them practical rules for what that means. That leaves workers guessing whether they can paste in meeting notes, client emails, contracts, or code. Employees are being pushed into AI adoption faster than leadership is building guardrails.”

Rodin® Chroma Flash™ Light Cure Box is Now Available

One of the most critical pieces of 3D printing is the post-cure system.  When a normal project comes out of the printer, it is washed in isopropyl alcohol to remove the excess resin, and then it is placed in the post-cure unit to give it a final cure.  This part of the process is critical.

The printing process cures the resin enough to harden it, but it is not completely polymerized at that point.  The final full polymerization and long chain formation comes from that good final cure in the post-curing unit.

That importance is the reason for today's post.  If you know a bit about dental 3D printing, you probably know Rodin, the line of 3D printing resins created by PacDent.  I happen to be a fan of the Rodin product line and I was excited last year when PacDent announced their plans to bring out an entire line of 3D printing hardware.  This hardware will be an open system, which means that the system will be able to use most of the resins on the market, but will be fine tuned for the Rodin line of resins.

To compliment this new line of hardware, PacDent decided to manufacture a new state of the art post-curing system.  That new state of the art post-cure is the Rodin® Chroma Flash™ and it's available now!   According to the company:

The Rodin® Chroma Flash™ is a nitrogen-free flash post-curing system engineered for consistent, reliable polymerization of 3D printed dental resins. Delivering uniform curing in minutes, it enhances mechanical properties, surface quality, and workflow efficiency without the need for nitrogen setups.

One of the biggest things that makes this unit different is the flash lamps.  Most post-cure units currently available accomplish their task thru the use of LEDs.  While LEDs certainly will do the job, the intensity of flash lamps makes a big difference.  The unit has xenon flash / stroboscopic light sources that emit from 280-950nm wavelength.  The intensity of the flash lamps provides a deep and full cure.

One of the post-curing systems that I use on a routine basis is the Otoflash unit.  It also uses flash lamps and I have been incredibly happy with the cure that those flash lamps provide.  The other great thing about the flash lamps in the Rodin® Chroma Flash™is that those flash lamps are optimized for Rodin resins which are nano-hybrid ceramic filled resins.  That means that if you are currently using Rodin resins, this unit will provide you with the best cure possible.  However, it's also been engineered for use with other manufacturer's resins and printers as well. 

The lamps provide uniform energy delivery across all the surfaces of the printed projects which means the end result is the strongest possible.  That translates to better stability, conversion, and flexural strength.  Also, because a flash lamp is incredibly intense, the post-cure process is faster.  

I should be receiving a unit soon and will report back on my experience with it.  However, as you can probably tell, I'm pretty optimistic about the results I'll get.  However, like always, I'll put it through the paces and objectively evaluate the results.  I'll report back here on my experience.  

Promising DMG Treatment for MIH Presented at AAPD 2026

 

Leading MIH researcher presents treatment being used successfully in Europe

A standing-room-only audience at the recent annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in Las Vegas was treated to an illuminating and encouraging presentation about the documented ability of DMG Icon® resin infiltration to treat Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization, or MIH. The presentation was given by Dr. Katrin Bekes, Professor and Head of Pediatric Dentistry at the Medical University of Vienna. Dr. Bekes is a world-renowned expert on MIH and a long-time supporter of the efforts of DMG researchers to find an effective and efficient treatment for a disease that afflicts one-in-seven children worldwide.

Icon is already indicated for use as an MIH treatment in the European Union and other countries.  DMG is currently working to secure the Federal Drug Administration’s clearance for Icon as an indication for MIH, as well as for trauma and enamel porosities, in the United States.  The AAPD 2026 conference afforded DMG an opportunity to increase awareness of several new Icon protocols, including transillumination, bleaching pre-treatment with 3D-printed bleaching trays for discolored opacities, micro- or air-abrasion for tougher and deeper lesions, and extended infiltration time. Dr. Carla Cohn, Dr. Bilyana Daskalova, Dr. Alyssa Delgado also gave lectures about their use of Icon for various approved indications. It also allowed the company to make pediatric dentists aware that Icon may soon be indicated for treatment of MIH.

However, as Dr. Bekes pointed out, treating MIH requires a totally different approach from treating carious lesions and white spot lesions. The condition is sometimes referred to as “chalky teeth” due to yellowish/brownish discoloration, large opacities, unstable molar structure, and enamel defects such as decavitation. Little is currently known about the multivariate causes of MIH, in part because the disease starts to build in the teeth years before it is diagnosed. But what is known that the condition can cause hypersensitivity and even chronic pain to children.  And, according to Dr. Bekes, an even more damaging effect can be the psychological trauma and embarrassment caused by teasing peers that lead some children with MIH to avoid smiling or speaking.

DMG researchers in Germany recently announced the first evidence-based, validated treatment concept for MIH lesions worldwide. The treatment protocol, developed by the DMG clinical research team in collaboration with Dr. Bekes and other leading MIH experts, offers a minimally invasive approach that removes discoloration and stabilizes the teeth. As Dr. Bekes explained, the first step in the protocol is bleaching to remove the brown discoloration composed of proteins. While bleaching agents for whitening purposes are not widely approved for use withchildren, DMG’s Flairesse Bleaching Gel is approved for use in the pediatric treatment of MIH in many countries due to its status as a medical device approved for the treatment of enamel opacities. (It will be launched as a 510K-exempt Class I medical device in the U.S. in the second half of 2026.) The bleaching takes place at home using DMG bleaching trays specially designed to prevent the bleaching agent from coming into contact with the gingiva. Once this step is completed, the teeth are conditioned and ready for the application of the Icon Caries Infiltrant in the dental practice. The protocol’s outcomes have been very well received by practitioners, patients and parents alike.

"With one in seven children globally impacted by MIH, it’s no wonder MIH was one of the hottest topics at AAPD 2026,” said John Scott, Clinical Affairs Director at DMG America. “In fact, because Dr. Bekes’s talk drew so many attendees, the AAPD has asked us to submit a proposal for a follow-up presentation on treating MIH on the main stage of AAPD 2027.”  For more about bleaching and MIH, visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jerd.70056.

For more about transillumination and MIH, visit

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ipd.70064.

About DMG

DMG manufactures and distributes a full range of market-leading dental materials and equipment that are internationally recognized for their quality and innovation. Known for its breakthrough dental technology – including flagship products like Luxatemp® and LuxaCore® Z Dual, the revolutionary Icon® caries infiltrant, LuxaCrown® long-term crown and bridge material, and new additions such as Ecosite restorative composites, and DentaMile® 3D printing solution, complete with software, hardware and resins – DMG is committed to helping provide holistic solutions and streamlined workflows for dental and lab professionals to meet their needs through innovation, collaboration, and dedication. 

For more information about DMG products, or to find a sales representative, please visit online at www.dmg-america.com, or call 800-662-6383.

Dr. Brian Novy Joins Personify Group Advisory Board, Reinforcing the Firm’s Commitment to Prevention, Oral-Systemic Health, and the Future of Evidence-Based Dentistry

Nationally Recognized Cariology Leader to Help Advance Strategic Initiatives Focused on Disease Prevention, Value-Based Care, and Medical-Dental Integration

Personify Group, a strategic branding, communications, and commercialization advisory firm serving the dental and oral health industries, announced today that Dr. Brian Novy, one of the profession's most respected authorities on cariology, preventive dentistry, and evidence-based oral healthcare, has been named the company’s Cariology and Preventive Dentistry Advisor.

The appointment reflects Personify Group's growing commitment to supporting organizations that are redefining oral healthcare through prevention, disease management, oral-systemic health awareness, and healthcare innovation. Dr. Novy's expertise will help guide the firm's work at the intersection of science, clinical practice, patient outcomes, and commercialization.

Widely regarded as one of dentistry's leading voices in caries management and disease prevention, Dr. Novy also serves as president of the National CAMBRA Coalition and holds faculty appointments at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and other leading institutions. He has served on the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs and as a consumer representative to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Dental Products Panel.  Throughout his career, Dr. Novy has been a leading advocate for transforming dentistry from a procedure-centered model into one focused on disease prevention, risk assessment, and long-term health outcomes. His influence extends across academia, private practice, organized dentistry, industry, and public health, helping clinicians and healthcare organizations adopt evidence-based strategies that preserve natural tooth structure and improve patient wellness.

"For decades, dentistry has excelled at repairing the consequences of disease. Dr. Novy's work has been focused on preventing disease before irreversible damage occurs,” said Michael Ventriello, Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer of Personify Group. “His leadership in preventive dentistry aligns perfectly with our vision of helping innovative organizations improve both oral health and overall health outcomes."

According to Mark Ross, Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer of Personify Group, "The future of dentistry will be defined by prevention, personalization, and integration within the broader healthcare ecosystem. Dr. Novy’s perspective will help ensure that the companies, technologies, and thought leaders we support are contributing to meaningful improvements in patient health while advancing the profession itself."

Dr. Novy said he was attracted to Personify Group's commitment to helping innovative organizations communicate scientific advancements in ways that create meaningful impact.

"I believe the future belongs to organizations that can effectively communicate evidence-based solutions and help accelerate the adoption of preventive care models,” said Dr. Novy. Personify Group understands the importance of bridging science, education, innovation, and communication, and I'm excited to contribute to that mission."

Dr. Novy's appointment is part of Personify Group's broader effort to assemble a  multidisciplinary advisory team capable of helping clients navigate some of the most significant and complex trends shaping healthcare today, including preventive dentistry, oral-systemic health, minimally invasive treatment approaches, healthcare consumerism, artificial intelligence, and medical-dental integration.

About Personify Group

Personify Group is a strategic branding, communications, and commercialization advisory firm serving the dental and oral health industries. The firm partners with emerging innovators, established manufacturers, healthcare organizations, and industry leaders to accelerate market adoption, strengthen thought leadership, and build brands that advance the future of oral healthcare.

Guided by a growing network of clinical, scientific, and business advisors, Personify Group is particularly focused on helping organizations champion prevention, oral-systemic health, evidence-based care, early caries solutions, and innovations that improve patient outcomes while strengthening the connection between dentistry and overall healthcare.

Pearl and Seattle Study Club Partner to Advance AI Education in Dentistry

My office began using Pearl's radiographic system Second Opinion in January 2023 and have never looked back.  Starting back in 2016 I had been working with a few different companies that were developing radiographic AI platforms and I was pretty quickly convinced of their value in clinical dentistry.  Those early systems were clunky and required the user to jump through several hoops before actually seeing the AI interpretation, but even with all of the steps they required, the value was obvious.  

I still remember the disappointment I felt when the first company I was working with ran out of funds and had to cease operations.  Even though it took several steps to get a bitewing into their system, I had grown to depend on it.  The confidence of having an objective third party helping me to evaluate radiographs was powerful.  I didn't want to go back to the "old way".  Fortunately a week or two later I was approached by another startup and began helping them in product development.  Now as I look back at how far we've come, it's amazing.

Today's post is about a recent announcement from Pearl and the Seattle Study Club.  They are partnering to help deliver cutting edge info to the profession.  The details of the partnership are below.

New partnership will expand clinician access to practical AI education designed to help practices improve care delivery, patient communication, operational efficiency, and financial predictability

Pearl, the global leader in dental AI solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Seattle Study Club, one of the nation’s most respected dental education networks, to help accelerate clinician education around the practical application of AI across the modern dental practice. As a Gold Tier partner, Pearl will collaborate with Seattle Study Club through educational programming, conference participation, and clinical content initiatives designed to help dentists understand not only what AI can do, but how to deploy it effectively throughout the dental workflow from examinations and patient communication to scheduling, documentation, insurance workflows, and practice operations.

The partnership reflects a shared belief between the organizations: that the future of dentistry will not be defined by technology alone, but by how effectively clinicians are educated on how to integrate new technologies into patient care.

While AI adoption in dentistry continues to accelerate, many practices still lack practical guidance around implementation, workflow integration, and clinical best practices. Pearl and Seattle Study Club aim to close that gap by providing educational experiences grounded in real-world application, clinical excellence, and operational outcomes.

“At Seattle Study Club, we believe exceptional dentistry starts with continuous learning,” said Gary Dickenson, CEO of Seattle Study Club. “AI is becoming an increasingly important part of modern practice, dentistry needs meaningful education around how these technologies support better care, stronger patient communication, and more efficient practice operations. Pearl brings both the technological leadership and the practical perspective to help make that education valuable for our members.”

Originally recognized for pioneering real-time AI radiologic analysis in dentistry, Pearl has evolved into a broader AI platform designed to reduce friction across the dental workflow. Today, Pearl’s technologies support clinical decision-making, patient understanding, imaging quality assurance, insurance preparation, documentation workflows, operational intelligence, and other systems that help practices operate more consistently and predictably.

By embedding AI directly into everyday workflows, Pearl helps practices improve diagnostic confidence, standardize communication, reduce administrative burden, and create a more connected experience for both clinicians and patients.

“Dentistry reaches its highest standard when great clinicians are equipped with both powerful tools and the education to use them well,” said Ophir Tanz. “Seattle Study Club has built one of the most trusted educational communities in dentistry, and we’re excited to work together to help clinicians better understand how AI can elevate every aspect of practice, not just diagnostics, but the broader systems that support exceptional patient care.”

Through the partnership, Pearl and Seattle Study Club will deliver educational initiatives throughout the year focused on helping dental professionals navigate the rapidly evolving role of AI in dentistry while maintaining a strong emphasis on clinical judgment, patient trust, and real-world implementation.

About Pearl

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

About Seattle Study Club

Seattle Study Club is the nation’s leading dental education network, empowering professionals to connect, learn, and achieve clinical excellence in a collaborative community. Founded in 1992 by Dr. Michael Cohen, it has grown into a global network offering hands-on learning, case discussions, and access to world-renowned speakers. Learn more at www.seattlestudyclub.com. 

Toothbrush Bristles Harbor Bacteria - *Lots* of Bacteria

 

An interesting study in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene examined the way patients clean their toothbrushes after use and the bacteria found in the bristles.  The title of the study is Knowledge Evaluation and Assessment of Bacterial Contamination of Toothbrushes.

The human mouth contains billions of microscopic organisms and those are easily transferred to anything that comes in contact with the mouth or saliva.  Probably the most common object that goes into the mouth and than back out is the toothbrush.  Most people replace their toothbrush every 90-180 days, but over that time bacteria are transferred from the mouth to the brush and then back to the mouth.

If you think about that analytically... most people brush their teeth at least twice a day.  The recommended time for brushing is 2 minutes.  That means for roughly 4 minutes a day toothbrush bristles are in contact wtih teeth.  In 90 days of 4 minutes per day contact, the bristles have been in contact with the teeth for 90x4=360 minutes.  During that time a lot of microorganisms are transferred to the bristles.

After use most people rinse the brush under running water and some will even then tap their brush against the sink to remove excess water from the bristles, but that's about as much cleaning as most people do.  The bristles are left moist and then placed in some type of holder until the next use.

The study analyzed cleaning methods used by the study subjects and then monitored the brushes used to see what bacteria was present and how it grew.  It's an interesting read and it can be a little disconcerting when you think about it.  Lots of bugs are growing on those bristles as they sit in the bathroom waiting for the next use.

For years I've used a UV toothbrush sanitizer.   There are a lot of them on the market and most can be purchased for under $50.  In basic terms, it's a small LED that uses UV-C light focused on the bristles that kill the germs growing there.  I started using one when they first came on the market thinking it was probably "a good idea", but not out of any real concern.  However, more and more research is showing how much bacteria is present in those bristles so I'm glad I was an early adopter.

The study makes for some fascinating reading and you can find it with this link.  This is also a subject that professionals should be discussing with our patients.  Most people don't really think about things like this, but it's definitely something patient should be aware of.  This is especially true for patients that are immunocompromised.  Anything that reduces exposure to pathogens for those patients is important.

UAB Dental Specialists Restore Bird's Beak at Birmingham Zoo

 

Under the supervision of a veterinarian, dentists can treat and help animals.  I've known a few dentists with big hearts that have worked with their local zoo to help provide needed care to the animals.  

Today's post is about a situation that developed with Beauregard, a green aracari bird at the Birmingham Zoo.  It seems the poor little guy fractured about 1/2 the length of his upper beak and needed to have it replaced.  He was only 3 months old at the time and being so badly injured, it looked like he might not survive.

To try to help him, the Birmingham Zoo called their local dental school The University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Dentistry and asked if they might be able to do something.  What those doctors managed to do is pretty amazing.  Not only did they figure out a way to save Beauregard, but he's now thriving.

The specialists included an oral & maxillofacial surgeon, a prosthetist, and a maxillofacial prosthodontist.  That team created a permanent repair for Beauregard's beak.  The amazing part is that, not only did they restore his function, but they managed to fabricate the prosthesis to the same weight as the original so that he can still fly normally.  If the prosthesis had been lighter or heavier than the original, it would have affected the bird's stability in flight.

This is a heart warming story and the video of what they did is pretty incredible.  I love outside the box thinking and this story is definitely an example of that.  How they figured out how to accomplish all of this is beyond me, but I thought everyone would get a kick out of learning about it.  

The story and accompanying video can be found here.  I highly recommend you check it out.  It's one of those things that will bring a smile to your face and give you that warm fuzzy feeling.  

Ottimate Becomes First AP Platform to Launch MCP Integration, Further Strengthens Conversational AP Offerings

 In the past few years we've seen a lot of artificial intelligence move into the dental industry.  Things started out clinically and then moved into the administrative realm fairly quickly.  Most offices begin the AI journey with systems to help analyze radiographs.  Once a radiographic system proves itself, offices often look for other ways to improve workflows with AI.  Things like AI phone assistants, AI schedulers, and AI insurance verification are really starting to take root in many offices.

However, one of the areas where AI hasn't made much of an impact yet is in financial management and accounting in offices.  The good news is... that's about to change... drastically.  Ottimate today is announcing  an AI system that will help with AP in ways we haven't seen before.  As I frequently say, dentistry as a business is a high wire act as the office balances between revenue coming in and revenue going out.  Having as much data as possible on AP makes that balancing act much easier and Ottimate promises to make that data management easier and faster.  The company helps several industries in this realm of financial management and dentistry is just one of them.

All the details are below.

Ottimate introduces MCP support, giving finance leaders direct access to AP data within the LLM of their choice.

Ottimate, the leading AI-powered Accounts Payable (AP) automation platform, today announced the first Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration in the market, enabling finance leaders to bring AP data directly into Large Language Models (LLMs) for comprehensive financial insights. The announcement is part of Ottimate's 2026 Summer Release, which also includes enhancements to Ottimate Copilot and a new wave of AI capabilities designed to protect profit margins.  

CFOs and finance leaders increasingly rely on AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT to ask questions, synthesize data, and drive strategy but AP data has remained siloed, forcing finance teams to spend 11+ hours a week running reports. With a simple prompt, users can now get critical insights on financial health, cash flow exposure, and payment trends in seconds, a process that historically took days, weeks, or a third-party consultant.

"CFOs shouldn't have to spend hours pulling together information from different sources, " said Shawn Lane, CEO of Ottimate.  "By being first to market with an MCP integration, we're giving finance leaders the full picture they need to make confident decisions fast."

Ottimate Copilot, the industry's first conversational AP tool, also receives significant upgrades in this release: statement reconciliation support, deeper spend analytics, and a redesigned interface surfacing the metrics customers care about most.  

Rounding out the Summer Release are two features targeting the most repetitive, error-prone tasks in AP. Risk-based spend approvals automatically flag low-risk transactions, letting approvers focus attention where it matters and accelerate reimbursements. Autosuggested GL coding for expense submissions cuts manual effort and helps accounting teams close faster with fewer corrections, moving teams closer to truly touchless operations.

"Every release we ship helps lean teams move quickly, stay focused on high-value work, and never become a bottleneck, " said Don Dittmar, Chief Product Officer of Ottimate.  "This summer's release delivers that across the entire platform."

To learn more, visit ottimate.com.

About Ottimate

Ottimate is an AI-powered Accounts Payable (AP) automation platform that empowers finance teams to reduce costs, prevent overpayments, detect fraud, and enforce policy compliance across the entire invoice-to-payment lifecycle. Designed for companies that process complex invoices at scale, Ottimate automates over 90% of the payables accounting process, reducing manual errors, saving time, and even monetizing the payment process. Ottimate’s AI goes beyond traditional automation by applying human-like intelligence refined by over a decade of real-world use and powered by state-of-the-art deep learning. For more information, visit ottimate.com.