This is interesting and I'm glad to see my tax dollars at work in this manner. The CDC has released an APP that "Dental health care personnel can use the mobile application, CDC DentalCheck, to periodically assess practices in their facility and ensure they are meeting the minimum expectations for safe care."
The app is free to download for both Adroid via Google Play store and Apple via the App Store.
The full story with links is available from the CDC website. Give it a look.
The healthcare industry has been on a steady progression toward tele-health for a few years now. Covid-19 pushed it more to the forefront of discussions due to its lack of direct contact between provider and patient. Now as both patients and providers become more adjusted and accepting of the concept, the dental industry is seeing more and more companies supporting the idea.
The latest industry move in the tele-dentistry arena is with practice management software. As most of you probably know, MouthWatch, LLC makes the incredibly popular MouthWatch intraoral camera. However, they also are the parent company behind TeleDent, a tele-health company with a focus on dentistry.
Now, the TeleDent platform can be integrated into Dentrix, the most popular practice management system. If you are an office that is using either Dentrix G6 or Dentrix G7, you can enjoy TeleDent directly inside the system.
One of the biggest hinderances to acceptance of technology evolution is the lack of integration of new products into existing platforms. Ease of use is important. Multiple clicks to bring information into your existing informatics is a hassle. Here is what MouthWatch is doing now:
MouthWatch, LLC recently announced the integration of its award-winning, market leading TeleDent teledentistry platform with Henry Schein’s Dentrix G6 and G7 practice management software.
According to MouthWatch LLC founder and CEO Brant Herman. “Deploying teledentistry is now easier for Dentrix G6 and G7 users. TeleDent’s comprehensive, convenient, and secure virtual care platform is able to scale across the full spectrum of Dentrix G6 and G7 clients, from individual private practices to DSOs with hundreds of locations.”
TeleDent provides Dentrix G6 and G7 users with real-time two-way video conferencing along with HIPAA-secure patient and provider messaging that can be used on desktop and mobile devices, so practitioners can conduct emergency triages, consultations, pre-visit screenings, post-op visits, and virtual case presentations either synchronously or asynchronously.
Dental practices using these latest versions of Dentrix can now clinically integrate virtual consults with video recordings, patient records, and intraoral photos within the platform to ensure effective and thorough virtual dental care. What’s more, the patient-facing messaging included in the TeleDent platform enables practitioners to communicate directly with patients, and also seamlessly collaborate and share diagnostic information with their dental teams and specialists, in a cloud-based portal.
TeleDent/Dentrix G6 / G7 integration is now available for new and current TeleDent users. For more information, please contact Jay Martorelli, MouthWatch Director of Sales at sales@mouthwatch.com.
About TeleDent:
TeleDent, the all-in-one teledentistry solution from MouthWatch, LLC was designed to help dental teams connect with their patients and collaborate with their colleagues. The recent introduction of new features such as an intuitive, mobile-friendly patient portal, text messaging, and online patient intake, make it easier to connect with patients in the safe and convenient way they now expect. For example, new patient consults, post-op evaluations, home care instructions, specialist referrals and emergency triage can all be conducted with the highest degree of simplicity, security, and safety. TeleDent’s professional grade technology can serve as the backbone of key virtual clinical workflows to increase
efficiency and profitability. In recent years, TeleDent has received several prestigious industry awards, such as The 2020 and 2021 Cellerant Best of Class Award. In 2021, TeleDent also won Dentistry Today’s Top Innovative Products, and Top 25 Aesthetic and Restorative Products awards. For more information visit www.TeleDent.com.
About MouthWatch, LLC:
Founded in 2012, MouthWatch, LLC is a leader in innovative teledentistry solutions, digital case presentation tools and intraoral imaging devices. Since its formation, the company has pioneered the integration of digital imaging and communications technology in the field of oral health. This experience makes it possible for MouthWatch to take the lead in introducing the benefits of telemedicine to the world of dentistry. For more information, visit www.MouthWatch.com.
The mouth is connected to the rest of the body. While that probably seems a bit silly to read, sometimes people miss that fact. Dentistry, being a separate profession from medicine sometimes leads to confusion in that arena.
However, things in the body can definitely affect the mouth while diseases of the mouth can most certainly cause problems in the rest of the body. As just a small example of this, be sure to watch this video from the Dental Products Report Mastermind Series where Dr. Jeff Rode and I discuss this very subject.
Now comes information from a new study that indicates periodontal health, or lack thereof, can lead to adverse COVID-19 outcomes. When you think about it logically, if a person is suffering from severe untreated periodontal disease, they have a chronic infection that their body is constantly working to contain. This means that the body is putting constant resources to work trying to fight off a constant invasion of harmful bacteria. These pathogens form on the plaque on the teeth and enter the bloodstream through the inflamed gums. The body is working on fighting these germs 24/7. This constant influx of pathogens take energy to fight off. The body is always working to ward off these bad bugs.
It makes sense that if the body is using energy to fight chronic p periodontal disease it has less energy to help fight off some other infection, such as SARS-CoV-2.
The study is titled:
Poor oral health status and adverse COVID-19 outcomes: a preliminary study in hospitalized patients
Key findings: : The present clinical study revealed that poor oral-health conditions, especially periodontitis, are associated with serious COVID-19 outcomes, bringing benefits for the comprehension about which risk factors affects the SARS-CoV-2 infection course and elucidating the needs of oral health care and the dental team in the prevention and handling of COVID-19 complications.
This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record.
Understanding the numbers of a practice is absolutely critical. People go into healthcare so that they can help their fellow human beings, not because they are fascinated by the math. However, the numbers are critical to running a successful business and if you are not turning profit, you don't stay in business very long.
Dental practice management systems have greatly changed how a practice functions, unfortunately though those systems don't really have a heavy business focus. In order to truly understand the numbers a practice is generating it's necessary to have some type of outside source to provide the numbers that can aid in decision making. Most dentists are trained to provide exceptional care, but dental eduction programs don't have the a business focus. Graduates are well trained to provide dentistry, but are poorly trained to run a business.
The good news is that the industry is now seeing systems that can analyze the numeric data from a practice and provide actionable information with that data. One of those systems is Jarvis Analytics available through Henry Schein One.
Jarvis was previously *only* available for DSOs, but is now available for private dental practices as well. And I am proud to report that within the next couple of weeks, I'll be doing a Test Drive of the system using data from my practice. I should be able to see exactly how well Jarvis handles things as well as being able to see what I can learn from a first hand experience with their data analytics.
You can learn about the system by following this link. If you'd like more info the system as well as the move to private practices, there is a short article at Dental Products Report.
Today's post is a short one because the link will provide more info than I could hope to provide.
There has been a CPAP shortage for about 6 months or more now. It seems that Philips had a design defect in the Dream Station devices and they had to issue a product recall. This took products off the warehouse shelves as well as forced a demand for every Dream Station user.
Now it seems the supply chain issues that are affecting every industry have also come to roost in the CPAP supply chain as a chip shortage is making things even worse.
While dental appliances can help the majority of sleep apnea cases, there are some folks who truly NEED a CPAP.
Take a look at this article for a great read on WHY this has all happened.
Oryx, an AI cloud-based dental practice management software company today announced a new partnership with Vyne Dental. The partnership will elevate the already advanced technology to provide dental practices with a seamless AI cloud-based platform that communicates with insurers in real-time.
The new partnership between Oryx and Vyne Dental provides dental professionals and their practices with an easy-to-use technology solution that will provide them with an all-in-one business management and patient engagement platform that is easily integrated into their practice, while also simplifying and processing insurance reviews, claims, approvals and reimbursements in real time.
“As the CEO of Oryx and a practicing dentist, I am very excited about our new partnership with Vyne Dental. Today’s dental practice has a greater need to increase the efficiency and management of their practice, patient engagements and insurance claims faster and more efficiently than ever before,” said Rania Saleh, Founder & CEO of Oryx Dental. “A combination of Oryx’s AI and cloud-based management software partnering with Vyne Dental’s easy-to-use technology is a game-changer for dental practices.”
“Vyne Dental is committed to automating and integrating revenue cycle management technology for the dental community. Our partnership with Oryx leverages our clearinghouse services and expansive payer connectivity to provide an integrated end-to-end solution to reduce the complexities of dental billing,” said Steve Roberts, President of Vyne Dental.
Oryx and Vyne Dental, two of the fastest growing technology and software companies serving the dental industry, will begin providing dentists and their practices with these shared integrated software solutions immediately.
ABOUT ORYX DENTAL: Founded in 2016, Oryx Dental is the only AI cloud-based dental practice management software created by Dentists for Dentists. It is an evidence-based platform that takes a systematic approach to patient care and practice management. Software features include but are not limited to: comprehensive clinical exams within 7-10 minutes; an advanced patient portal with interactive communications that is HIPAA compliant; real time billing and insurance interaction between practices, patient and insurer; cloud imaging; and autogenerated patient risk assessment and personalized reports.
ABOUT VYNE DENTAL: Vyne Dental continues to advance the dental industry by providing technology that improves workflow, reduces administrative costs, and streamlines reimbursements. For more information visit www.vynedental.com.
The search for the 2022 Health Equity Heroes is underway
For the past seven years, the DentaQuest Health Equity Hero awards have recognized individuals and organizations responsible for extraordinary work that champions equitable access to health care (medical, oral health, behavioral health) and overall health outcomes. In 2021, our 12 heroes showcased the resiliency and dedication of health professionals to provide their communities with access to quality care. This year, DentaQuest is searching for disruptors directly or indirectly improving health outcomes — forward-thinking individuals or organizations taking action to transform existing health systems in an effort to remedy disparities and be more welcoming to all.
“We’ve collectively faced enormous challenges and changes in the past year. Our annual call for Health Equity Heroes is an opportunity to highlight the phenomenal work of individuals and organizations thinking outside the box and setting the groundwork for true health equity,” said Steve Pollock, president and CEO of DentaQuest. “These Heroes are inventive leaders whose approaches and actions embolden us to work harder and uplift underserved communities. We want to hear about the Hero in your world — the people disrupting existing systems to transform health and eliminate disparities.”
Nominees can come from any sector, including dental care, health care, family support, legal aid, schools, community programs and more.
Anyone can nominate a Hero. Have someone in mind? Fill out and submit this form before April 29. DentaQuest will announce this year’s 12 Heroes on Health Equity Hero Day, July 13.
Each will receive:
• a commemorative plaque highlighting their accomplishments;
• a $5,000 donation made in the Hero’s name to a qualified nonprofit — of the Hero’s choosing — that is committed to promoting health equity; and
• recognition in DentaQuest outreach and communication materials throughout the year.
Think about the people or teams who are working to enable more equitable access to health services and a better quality of life for individuals. To inspire you, learn more about DentaQuest’s 2021 Health Equity Heroes and their incredible work here or on DentaQuest’s blog.
