onDiem’s Digital ID Service Helps Practices and Employees Maintain Compliance With New State COVID-19 Mandates

 As the federal government debates COVID-19 vaccination mandates on a national level, six states have forged ahead with their own complex mandates, leaving health care facility owners, employers, and workers scrambling to understand how to both verify and track necessary documents to maintain compliance. onDiem, a national dental staffing platform known for its automated staffing compliance innovations, has introduced a solution. 

Starting this month, onDiem is offering dental practices free access to its new COVID-19 records tracking service for a limited period of time. Practices will be able to invite their employees to upload documents such as a COVID-19 vaccination card, exemption request, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test—or upload those documents on workers’ behalf. Furthermore, practices will be able to verify and approve workers’ documents and store them for future access.

onDiem’s COVID-19 records tracking service is part of a larger Digital ID credentialing service that launched earlier this year. That service uses automated primary source verification to monitor current state licenses and check compliance with regulating entities like OIG, SAM, DEA, and NPI. onDiem customers who opt into the Digital ID service will automatically have access to the new COVID-19 feature.

“These mandates came on pretty fast,” said Joe Fogg, CEO and Founder of onDiem. “I kept finding myself in conversations with customers who were worried about their ability to keep up with all of the different compliance measures.”

“As employers of dental professionals ourselves, we were already working on expanding our Digital ID service to include a new solution that would allow temp professionals to share their COVID-19 records with us to confirm their eligibility to work in mandate states,” said Fogg. “Extending that service to our practice customers just seemed like the right thing to do—not just for them, but for their employees, and for the industry in general.”

To learn more about onDiem or Digital ID, or to create a free account, visit onDiem.com. 

American Academy of Implant Dentistry 2021 Annual Conference - Virtual Experience

 Do you place implants in your practice?  Do you restore implants in your practice?  If your answer to either of those questions is "yes" than you should give serious consideration to attending this conference.  AAID is a great way to bring yourself up to speed on the latest and best products and techniques for this aspect of clinical dentistry.  Keep yourself on the leading edge!!!

For 70 years, the AAID has gathered talented and strong-minded individuals to collaborate, educate, and elevate one another’s practices to optimize patient care. We are excited to bring our annual conference back in-person to Chicago November 10 to 13. But creating a safe environment is our key concern, which is why our Annual Conference will include a virtual option. Virtual attendees can earn up to 19 CE credit hours!

Our theme, Pursuing Implant Competency, will focus on four key elements:

• Mentoring Transformations

• Navigating Complications

• Global Perspectives

• Clinical Innovations

While this one event provides you with implant-focused education and opportunities to interact with your peers and vendors from around the world, you have two options to participate. 

YOU CHOOSE whether to attend in-person or virtually:

• Come to Chicago for a safety-enhanced, traditional conference experience, or

• Connect with us online for the same main podium content, virtual-only extras, and the convenience of attending from anywhere.

Virtual Experience:

Virtual attendance means you can experience the conference without the travel and create a learning path that is more flexible. The conference is truly your own experience. You will have access to:

• All main podium presentations which will be live-streamed

• Additional sessions and lectures as well as on-demand content

• Enjoy the sessions at your own pace, with recordings available through November 30th. (Extended access through February 28, 2022 is available for an additional fee.)

Implant Expo:

Our Implant Expo will have double the opportunities for interaction this year! The exhibit hall in Chicago will offer our on-site attendees the chance to explore products, resources, and information relevant to their patients' needs. Virtual attendees can visit these same booths online, and both audiences will have the chance to engage with our vendors before and after the meeting for extended interaction.

Follow this link to register!!!  

How to Lie on a Bed of Nails - The Laws of Physics Applied

 As I have said here several times before, I flat out *love* Wired magazine.  I've been a subscriber since the mid 1990s (I think, maybe longer) and I try to read every issue.

Lately they've taken to using science and more directly, physics, to explain things we see or do every day that are fascinating, but we don't give that much thought to.  The author of these articles is Rhett Allain.  He is an associate professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University and a pretty entertaining writer as well.

In the last couple of weeks, there have been some mainstream news media stories about some photos and videos released by North Korea that show some of their soldiers doing  some pretty incredible things.  In today's world it's hard to believe anything you see whether it's still photos or video.  Our ability to edit digital media allows us to warp reality to pretty much whatever we'd like.

To that end, the North Korean videos look pretty amazing.  One in particular shows a soldier lying on a bed of nails with a large brick on his abdomen.  The brick is then smashed by another soldier wielding a sledge hammer.

Professor Allain does an amazing job of how these things are possible with minimal risk by utilizing the laws of physics to prove his point.

Check it out over at Wired.com

Henry Schein Reports Record Third-Quarter 2021 Financial Results From Continuing Operations

The profession of dentistry took a big financial hit during the spring and summer of 2020.  The pandemic forced closures of dental offices and mandated lockdowns kept everyone at home and the only dental treatment being done was on emergency patients.  This helped keep folks with dental problems out of crowded emergency rooms giving hospitals more time for treatment of Covid-19 patients as well as keeping those dental patients from being exposed to the SARS-Cov-2 virus that might have been present in the hospitals.

Offices opened again around June, but many patients, still concerned about Covid-19 stayed away from dental offices.  Then, six months after the original shutdown, we saw dental offices dealing with the "six month recall reflection".  Since patients were not in offices for hygiene visits in March through May, no one made their second six month cleaning appointment of the year which resulted in a slow autumn for many offices.

Now we are seeing dentistry rebound in a big way.  As people become more comfortable with being out of their homes, dentistry is seeing patient flows return to pre-pandemic levels.  This is best reflected in the numbers that dentists spend on supplies, especially disposables that are tied directly to patient appointments.  The following is a news release from the world's largest dental supplier, Henry Schein.

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners, today reported record third-quarter financial results from continuing operations. Results from continuing operations exclude contributions from Henry Schein’s former Animal Health business, which was spun off in February 2019 to form a new publicly traded company, Covetrus (Nasdaq: CVET).

Total net sales for the quarter ended September 25, 2021, were $3.2 billion, up 11.9% compared with the third quarter of 2020. The 11.9% increase included 7.2% internal growth in local currencies, 3.9% growth from acquisitions and 0.8% growth related to foreign currency exchange. (See Exhibit A for details of sales growth.)

GAAP net income attributable to Henry Schein, Inc. from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2021 was $162.3 million, or $1.15 per diluted share, compared with prior-year GAAP net income attributable to Henry Schein, Inc. from continuing operations of $141.7 million, or $0.99 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2021 was $154.8 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, compared with prior-year non-GAAP net income from continuing operations of $147.0 million, or $1.03 per diluted share. Exhibit B provides a reconciliation of GAAP net income and diluted EPS from continuing operations to non-GAAP net income and diluted EPS from continuing operations.

“Today we reported record third-quarter financial results, driven by a keen focus on execution by Team Schein and steady patient traffic, resulting in excellent momentum across the entire company. We believe that patient traffic was generally similar to the previous quarter for our dental customers and is improving for our medical customers. Compared with the year-ago quarter, Henry Schein’s worldwide internal sales in local currencies increased a robust 7.2%, or 6.3% excluding sales of personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 related products,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein. “Our third quarter financial results are solid with growth in diluted EPS from continuing operations of 16.2% on a GAAP basis and 6.8% on a non-GAAP basis.”

Global Dental sales for the third quarter of 2021 of $1.8 billion increased 10.5% versus the prior-year period. In local currencies, internally generated sales increased 5.2% with 3.9% growth from acquisitions and 1.4% growth related to foreign currency exchange. The 5.2% internal growth in local currencies included growth of 4.7% in North America and 5.9% internationally.

Global Dental consumable merchandise internal sales growth was 2.9% in local currencies. Excluding sales of PPE and COVID-19 related products, internal sales growth in local currencies was 4.8%. In North America, dental consumable merchandise internal sales in local currencies increased 3.9%, and 5.7% when excluding sales of PPE and COVID-19 related products, and dental equipment internal sales in local currencies increased 7.8%. Internationally, dental consumable merchandise internal sales in local currencies increased 1.3%, and 3.5% when excluding sales of PPE and COVID-19 related products, and dental equipment internal sales in local currencies increased 23.9%.

“North America dental consumable merchandise internal sales growth in local currencies with and without PPE and COVID-19 related products was solid in the third quarter. Consumable merchandise sales continued to improve, which we believe were bolstered by a steady flow of patient traffic,” said Mr. Bergman. “North America dental equipment sales growth reflected strong sales of high-technology equipment and modest growth of traditional equipment sales which remain impacted by equipment manufacturing and office construction delays. Overall gains in consumable merchandise and equipment sales in North America and International markets reflect the continuing recovery of underlying markets.”

Global Medical sales for the third quarter of 2021 of $1.2 billion increased 15.5% versus the comparable period last year, consisting of 13.1% internal growth in local currencies and 2.4% growth from acquisitions. There was no impact related to foreign currency exchange. Excluding sales of PPE and COVID-19 related products, internal sales in local currencies increased 8.3%.

“Global Medical internal sales growth in local currencies for the third quarter was once again very strong, with and without sales of PPE and COVID-19 related products. Trends in the physician office, ambulatory surgery center and alternate care markets all were positive, and we have increased the number of accounts we serve and further penetrated existing accounts,” said Mr. Bergman.

Global Technology and Value-Added Services sales of $168.6 million increased 21.9% versus the prior-year quarter and included 6.3% internal sales growth in local currencies, 14.7% growth from acquisitions and 0.9% growth related to foreign currency exchange.

“Global Technology and Value-Added Services sales growth was driven by the acquisitions we made over the past year in software analytics and by expanding our range of dental practice solutions. We also saw solid sales growth in Dentrix technical support, our Dentrix Ascend cloud solution and our Software of Excellence business in the UK,” added Mr. Bergman.

Stock Repurchase Plan

During the third quarter of 2021, the Company repurchased approximately 650,000 shares of its common stock at an average price of $76.77 per share, for a total of approximately $50 million. The impact of the repurchase of shares on third-quarter diluted EPS was immaterial. At the end of the third quarter, Henry Schein had approximately $350 million authorized and available for future stock repurchases.

Year-to-Date Financial Results

Net sales from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2021 were $9.1 billion, an increase of 30.4% compared with the first nine months of 2020. The 30.4% increase included 24.0% internal growth in local currencies, 4.1% growth from acquisitions and 2.3% growth related to foreign currency exchange.

GAAP net income attributable to Henry Schein, Inc. from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2021 was $484.0 million, or $3.40 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net income attributable to Henry Schein, Inc. from continuing operations of $260.9 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2020. Non-GAAP net income from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2021 was $489.9 million, or $3.45 per diluted share, compared with non-GAAP net income from continuing operations of $281.7 million, or $1.97 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2020. Non-GAAP results for the first nine months of 2021 and 2020 exclude certain items noted in Exhibit B, which provides a reconciliation of GAAP net income and diluted EPS from continuing operations to non-GAAP net income and diluted EPS from continuing operations.

2021 Financial Guidance

Henry Schein today increases guidance for 2021 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations. At this time, the Company is not providing guidance for 2021 GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations as it is unable to provide without unreasonable effort an estimate of costs related to an ongoing restructuring initiative, including the corresponding tax effect. Financial guidance is as follows:

• 2021 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations is expected to be $4.27 to $4.35, reflecting growth of 44% to 46% compared with 2020 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations of $2.97. This compares with previous guidance for 2021 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations to be at or above $3.85.

• Guidance for 2021 non-GAAP diluted EPS is for current continuing operations as well as completed or previously announced acquisitions and does not include the impact of future share repurchases, potential future acquisitions, if any, or restructuring expenses. Guidance also assumes that foreign currency exchange rates are generally consistent with current levels, that end markets remain stable and are consistent with current market conditions, and that there are no material adverse market changes associated with COVID-19.

2022 Financial Guidance

Henry Schein today introduces preliminary guidance for 2022 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations. At this time, the Company is not providing guidance for 2022 GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations as it is unable to provide without unreasonable effort an estimate of restructuring costs for 2021, including the corresponding tax effect, which serves as the basis for 2022 GAAP diluted EPS guidance. Financial guidance is as follows:

• Growth in 2022 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations in the mid to high single digits over 2021 non-GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations.

• Preliminary guidance for 2022 non-GAAP diluted EPS growth is for current continuing operations as well as completed or previously announced acquisitions and does not include the impact of future share repurchases, potential future acquisitions, if any, or restructuring expenses. Preliminary guidance also assumes that foreign currency exchange rates are generally consistent with current levels, that end markets remain stable and are consistent with current market conditions, and that there are no material adverse market changes associated with COVID-19.

Adjustments to Projected 2021 and 2022 Non-GAAP Diluted EPS

The Company has provided guidance for 2021 and preliminary guidance for 2022 diluted EPS from continuing operations on a non-GAAP basis, as noted above. A reconciliation to the Company’s projected 2021 diluted EPS from continuing operations prepared on a GAAP basis is not provided because the Company is unable to provide without unreasonable effort an estimate of costs related to an ongoing restructuring initiative to mitigate stranded costs and drive additional operating efficiencies, including the corresponding tax effect that will be included in the Company’s 2021 diluted EPS from continuing operations prepared on a GAAP basis. A reconciliation to the Company’s projected 2022 diluted EPS from continuing operations prepared on a GAAP basis is not provided because the Company is unable to provide without unreasonable effort an estimate of restructuring costs for 2021, including the corresponding tax effect, which serves as a basis of 2022 GAAP diluted EPS guidance. The inability to provide these reconciliations is due to the uncertainty and inherent difficulty of predicting the occurrence, magnitude, financial impact and timing of related costs. Management does not believe these items are representative of the Company’s underlying business performance. For the same reasons, the Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.

Third-Quarter 2021 Conference Call Webcast

The Company will hold a conference call to discuss third-quarter 2021 financial results today, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Individual investors are invited to listen to the conference call through Henry Schein’s website by visiting www.henryschein.com/IRwebcasts. In addition, a replay will be available beginning shortly after the call has ended for a period of one week.

Owandy Radiology Showcasing Its Integrated Dental Implant Digital Workflow System During GNYDM 2021

 Owandy Radiology Inc., a global leader in the manufacture of dental radiology hardware and imaging software, will be highlighting how its QuickVision 3D implant planning software serves as the hub of its fully-integrated dental implant digital workflow system at booth #3923 during the Greater New York Dental Meeting. 

According to Owandy company spokesperson, Boris Loyez, “In recent years, Owandy has been rapidly expanding its hardware and software offerings to deliver a complete digital workflow solution specifically for implantologists. Our open-architecture QuickVision 3D implant planning software can serve as the heart of the Owandy product suite or be integrated with existing equipment to expand the digital workflow capabilities and overall efficiency of the modern dental implant practice.”

The Owandy digital workflow system incorporates five steps and corresponding solutions:

• DICOM Data Acquisition: This entails CBCT exploration by using Owandy’s I-Max 3-D or I-Max Ceph 3D. Each CBCT unit provides a comprehensive clinical patient view that is ideal for implant surgery. 

• .STL Data Acquisition: Owandy’s compatibility with any intraoral scanner, including the MEDIT i700 and its Medit Link software, enables seamless integration with its QuickVision 3D software for the simplified acquisition and utilization of patient data. 

• Implant Planning: Owandy’s QuickVision 3D software enables accurate and predictable restorative treatment planning and includes a complete cloud-based implant manufacturer library and bone density measurement guide. 

• Surgical Guide Design: QuickVision 3D software also guides the user through the treatment planning and surgical guide processes with an intuitive interface.

• File Export for Manufacturing: Owandy’s QuickVision 3D software creates a comprehensive planned treatment report and surgical guide in .STL format within seconds, which can then be sent to a lab, shared with a colleague, or sent to a 3D printer. 

For more information about the Owandy' digital workflow system for dental implants, stop by booth #3923 during the Greater New York Dental Meeting. During GNYDM, Owandy will be running several show specials, download the flyer at www.owandy.com/usa/offers. You can also learn more about the full line of Owandy products by visiting www.Owandy.com, calling 516-858-5695 or sending an e-mail at sales@owandyus.com.  Distributor inquiries are always welcome.

About Owandy Radiology, Inc.:

Headquartered in France, and serving North America from Roslyn, New York, Owandy Radiology is a global leader in the manufacture of dental radiology hardware and imaging software. Its products are distributed through dental dealers across the USA, and in 80 countries world-wide, on every continent. For more information, visit www.Owandy.com.

 

LightForce Orthodontics Secures $50 Million Series C Funding Led By Kleiner Perkins

 Investment fuels further development of 3D printing technology as well as expanding service, training and education for customer community 

BURLINGTON, Mass. - Nov. 2, 2021 - LightForce Orthodontics, makers of the world’s only fully customized 3D printed bracket system, today announced that the company raised a $50 million Series C round led by Kleiner Perkins, one of the most prestigious venture capitalist firms in the world. The investment follows on the heels of LightForce posting over a 500% revenue growth rate during the past year in which the company developed two new products and grew their team year over year by 300%. The new funds will further support existing LightForce customers with expanded service, training and education. 

“LightForce was founded to provide fully customized, USA-made treatment options for orthodontists interested in offering modern, digital treatment to their patients,” said LightForce CEO and co-founder Dr. Alfred Griffin III, DMD, PhD, MMSc. “The investment allows us to continue creating mass-customized brackets that enable orthodontists to provide a personalized patient experience within an industry that has not evolved the use of brackets in the last 25 years. In fact, without LightForce, patients today would likely be wearing the same sort of brackets their parents did back when they were teenagers. With these new funds, LightForce will further champion the unmet needs of the modern teen market by complimenting aligner cases and allowing orthodontists to take their practices fully digital. A patient’s teeth are all unique as snowflakes, and now doctors have the technology to account for that individualism in their treatment plan, just as they have with their aligner cases. We are excited to continue implementing 3D printing technology in orthodontics in new and innovative ways to create a new standard of care for all braces patients.” 

Since no set of teeth is the same and 70% of patients require braces instead ofaligners, LightForce’s 3D printing technology enables complete and infinite personalization for each patient. One of LightForce’s biggest differentiators is its ability to 3D print brackets that fit the unique tooth morphology of each patient, customization that would otherwise be unavailable to patients with traditional braces. LightForce’s dynamic and modern technology provides a patient-specific alternative to traditional braces, ensuring that today’s patients will not need to endure the dated “one-size-fits-all” approach to braces that often fails to meet the patient experience and efficient clinical outcomes. As a result, patients and doctors are able to see shorter treatment times, fewer appointments, better outcomes, and an overall more efficient and comfortable experience. In an industry where precision is key, 3D printing allows orthodontists to fine tune each tooth movement down to a micron, one-thousandth of a millimeter, resulting in a balanced bite and smile tailored to each unique patient. 

“LightForce’s innovative approach to an industry that has lacked technological disruptiveness for the past 25 years is what initially attracted us to this investment opportunity,” said Wen Hsieh, partner, Kleiner Perkins. “Having previously-invested in the first digital revolution of orthodontics decades ago through Align Technology, Kleiner Perkins is excited to invest in the second-wave of orthodontics digitization through Lightforce. We’re excited to partner with Co-Founder-CEO Alfred Griffin and the Lightforce team to leverage the latest 3D printing technology to further enhance the doctor and patient experience with bracket-based orthodontics." 

Digital customization with 3D printing offers several key advantages to doctors and patients that work with LightForce, including: 

● Scalable and Efficient Treatments, allowing doctors to reach new levels of efficiency without sacrificing product quality or patient comfort.    

●  Patient-Specific Prescriptions means that treatment plans are designed with proprietary software, combined with advanced 3D printing technology, to create precise and fully custom treatments for every patient. 


●  Digitizing Fixed Appliances bring the planning simplicity, practice consistency and ease of use seen today in direct-to-consumer aligners into the world of fixed appliances.

 In the last year, LightForce has developed additional orthodontic advancements such as the Light Bracket, which is their line of translucent brackets. The Light Bracket is a more aesthetic option that blends in with the color of a patient’s teeth, reducing the visibility of treatment. 

For more information about LightForce Orthodontics, please visit www.lightforceortho.com/. Orthodontists interested in adding LightForce’s technology to their practice should reach out here. For photos and videos, click here. 

About LightForce Orthodontics

LightForce Orthodontics is a digital platform providing orthodontists with fully customized, 3D printed tooth- moving tools. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Alfred Griffin, DMD, PhD, MMSc, along with Dr. Lou Shuman, DMD, CAGS, LightForce is revolutionizing the specialty through advanced manufacturing and technology. After five years of extensive research and development, LightForce launched their first product to the Orthodontic market- the world’s first and only fully customized 3D printed bracket system and digital treatment software. Learn more at www.lightforceortho.com. 

Biden White House Removes Proposal of Dental Benefit in Medicare from Build Back Better Proposal

 For the last several months, as President Biden has worked toward his major spending package of, among other things, infrastructure and healthcare, there have been concerns in the dental industry of dental benefits being forced through as part of Medicaid.

Since dentistry as a profession is far removed and separate from the practice of medicine, rules and regulations that govern medicine as part of Medicare would be completely unsuited for dentistry.  Basically it would be forcing a square peg (dentistry) into the round hole of Medicare.

The differences between the two professions and the way they practice would mean than many of the regulations set up to govern medicine and its relationship to the federal government payment system would be completely non-feasible for dentistry.

The amount of work it would take from the federal government as well as from dentistry would be extremely difficult to meet with the laws the way they are at the current time.  I am grateful that the American Dental Association has met with the administration and explained the difficulties of implementing the current proposal.  This would have been a disaster for both patients and the doctors that care for them.

I could type several more paragraphs and *possibly* manage to somewhat explain why this plan would not work for all concerned, but the ADA has done a much better job of this than I probably ever could.  If you would like to read the organization's FAQ on the ADA's Medicare Benefit Proposal, follow the link.  

The American Dental Association does an outstanding job of looking out for patients and for the profession of dentistry.  This is another example of why I gladly pay my dues each and every year.