Join Me on Thursday November 16th for "Endodontic Advancements for the General Practitioner"

 

Next Thursday November 16th, I'd be honored if you'd join me to learn about new and exciting ways to make endodontic procedures easier and more predictable.

I recently gave a version of this lecture at the IAPA meeting in Las Vegas and I had a blast doing it.  There are *lots* of new technologies and tools that are changing dentistry for the better.  Many of those tools and tech can enable the GP to make better diagnoses and provide better care... especially in the realm of endodontics.

The good folks at Medidenta are allowing me to give this 1 CE course at no charge to all of you and I am very excited to see what you all think of it.  As Technology Editor and Chief Dental Editor of Dental Products Report, I get to see a lot of pretty impressive developments in the profession and this webinar will give me a chance to get that info to you.

Please follow this link to register.  We're going to have some fun and I *know* you will walk away from this with info that you will be able to use to change your practice for the better!

onDiem Launches PPO Health Insurance for Temp Dental Workers to Improve Hiring, Retention, and Production for Dental Practices

As one of the Chief Development Officers at Cellerant Consulting, I have to opportunity to see and work with some pretty amazing ideas and devices.  One of the companies that we work with, is onDiem.

onDiem is a national on-demand staffing platform that connects dental practices with verified dental hygienists, dental assistants, and front office professionals for temp and permanent staffing opportunities.

onDiem is transforming the dental industry by making it easier and more efficient for practices to find the staff they need, and for dental professionals to find the work that works for them. With onDiem, dental practices can post open shifts and instantly connect with qualified candidates, and dental professionals can browse and apply for shifts at their convenience.

onDiem offers a number of benefits to both dental practices and dental professionals, including:

For dental practices:

• Access to a large pool of qualified dental professionals
• The ability to post open shifts and instantly connect with candidates
• A streamlined hiring process
• Reduced staffing costs

For dental professionals:

• The ability to choose where and when they work
• The security of being a W-2 employee
• Affordable health care benefits
• Malpractice insurance
• Workers' comp insurance
• Employer-paid taxes

onDiem is committed to providing the best possible experience for both dental practices and dental professionals. The company is constantly innovating and adding new features to its platform, and it is dedicated to making the dental industry a better place for everyone.  Now onDiem is announcing a PPO health insurance plan for their workforce.  The press release below has all the details...

 

onDiem is now the first nationally-available dental staffing platform to provide temp dental workers with a comprehensive PPO health insurance plan in partnership with UnitedHealthcare®. This development comes in the midst of a severe labor shortage in dentistry—as the company’s effort to help practices better retain top talent and build more responsive and flexible dental teams. 

PORTLAND, ORE., November 6, 2023 — onDiem, the country’s first fully W-2 compliant and nationally-available dental staffing platform, will now also be the first to offer a PPO health insurance plan for temp dental workers. onDiem’s latest launch, in partnership with UnitedHealthcare®, is part of the company’s larger strategy to drastically improve hiring, recruitment, and production for dental practices and DSOs in the midst of a serious dental staffing shortage. 

According to a study by the Health Policy Institute, American Dental Hygienists Association, and the Dental Assisting National Board, 32.6% of dental hygienists and 29.8% of dental assistants who voluntarily left the field cited “inadequate benefits” as the reason for their departure. “The research is clear. When temp dental workers feel adequately cared for, they are more likely to become reliable, dependable, and invaluable team members for practices and DSOs across the country,” affirmed Joe Fogg, Founder & CEO of onDiem. “I'm thrilled that onDiem is the first dental staffing company to provide healthcare access, because it's simply the right thing to do. It also opens the door to a larger question and conversation: How can practices think of ‘temp staffing’ more strategically?”

onDiem’s healthcare offering is part of the platform’s unique approach to staffing: Improve hiring, retention, and production by transforming temporary staffing into complementary staffing. “Our dental practices and DSOs have seen tremendous upticks in production, just by choosing to see ‘temps’ as more than just occasional fillers for empty seats,” said Fogg. “We encourage our practices to see all the possibilities. How much additional revenue can you realize when you strategically leverage your temps—your complementary workers, we like to say—to open on evenings and weekends? What growth is possible when you maximize production through a properly ‘blended’ staff of both complementary and permanent employees?” 

In addition to healthcare, dental professionals who book jobs through onDiem already enjoy a suite of unique benefits including malpractice insurance and workers’ comp insurance. Professionals automatically earn up to $250 in Care Benefits (which cover health- and wellness-related expenses) and one hour of PTO per 24 hours worked, which can be applied toward healthcare to bring premiums down to as low as $112 per month. onDiem will also continue to provide their ACA-compliant fixed indemnity plan through Essential StaffCARE, which provides coverage for day-to-day medical expenses. 

To learn more about how onDiem serves the dental practice and DSO community, please visit their website or contact Beth Deutsche, COO, at beth.deutsche@ondiem.com.   

About onDiem

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, onDiem’s dental staffing platform connects dental practices with dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and front office personnel for temporary and permanent staffing opportunities. As the first dental staffing platform to be W-2 compliant nationwide, onDiem provides dental professionals with not only flexible work, but also legal protections and benefits—including but not limited to health benefits, paid time off, and employer-paid taxes. For practices and DSOs, onDiem eliminates the burden of staffing compliance and provides innovative hiring and recruitment strategies—so that dental organizations and businesses can focus on maximizing quality of care, production, and revenue. Today, the platform serves over 34,000 dental professionals and over 13,000 dental practices nationwide. 

Contact:

Beth Deutsche, onDiem

beth.deutsche@ondiem.com 

Vista Apex Announces Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals!

 

I've been a big fan of Vista Apex for a while now.  They make good products and they sell them for a fair. price, what's not to like?  Add to that the fact that they have some great people there and I am glad to tell my peers about them.

Also, some of their products are created in a working relationship with Dr. John Kanca who has made some incredible discoveries and created some incredible products.

So I'm excited to help bring awareness to the Vista Apex Black Friday sale.  The company has set up a web page that allows you to register ahead of time.  That way, when the sale starts you don't have to remember anything.  The company will drop you an email that is delivered straight to your Inbox.

The sale runs from November 20 to November 30.  

Join me on Wednesday November 8th, for The Straight Scoop - Exceeding Expectations with In-Office Milling

 

This Wednesday, November 8th, I'll be provideing some FREE continuing education on the VivaLearning website.  It's brought to you courtesy of Roland DGShape, the makers of the DWX-42W mill that we are using in my office.

We have been milling restorations with this mill for almost 18 months now and it has changed so many things we do for the better!  If you are considering an in-office mill, I think you'll be interested in what I'm going to cover.  AND if you are even remotely considering bringing some of your restoration fabrication in-house, there will be plenty of info for you too!

I've been working with digital impressions and CAD/CAM restorations for more than half my career and I am loving the advances in the technology.

Here's a bit of what I'll cover:

Course Description

In-Office milling is an amazing service to offer your patients and it just keeps getting better!  Not only can you now ‘wow’ your patients with incredible ;same day’ or ‘just in time’ dentistry, you can also create restorations with remarkable aesthetics and remarkable strength.

Utilizing a DG Shape mill and cutting edge materials can allow you to create stunning restorations with the same strength and aesthetics you expert from restorations fabricated by a dental laboratory.  

Learn how to create a ‘wow’ experience for your patients with no staining, no glazing, and no stress through the benefits of digital impressions, custom in-office design, and in-office milling utilizing state of the art equipment from DG Shape.

Learning Objectives

1 Learn prepping techniques and tissue management options

2 Lear advantages and techniques of in-office same day crown delivery

3 Learn about new restorative materials that eliminate staining and glazing while providing uncompromising strength & outstanding aesthetics

I hope many of you can make it.  The folks at Roland DGA are providing this to you *free of charge* so you can pick up one hour of CE while learning about some of the latest advances in the field.

Curaprox Pink Limited Edition Sale: Get a Great Deal on a Great Toothbrush

 

Curaprox is known for making some of the best toothbrushes on the market, and their CS 5460 toothbrush is no exception. It features 5,460 ultra-soft Curen® filaments that are incredibly gentle on gums and teeth, yet tough on plaque.

For a limited time, Curaprox is offering a special sale on their Pink Limited Edition CS 5460 toothbrush. This six-pack of toothbrushes is available for a discounted price, and the best part is that 25% of each sale goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

If you're looking for a new toothbrush that will give you a deep clean without irritating your gums, the Curaprox Pink Limited Edition CS 5460 toothbrush is a great option. And since you'll be supporting a worthy cause at the same time, it's a win-win.

Here are some of the benefits of using a Curaprox CS 5460 toothbrush:

• Ultra-soft Curen® filaments are gentle on gums and teeth, yet tough on plaque.

• Densely packed bristles provide a deep clean.

• Ergonomic handle makes brushing comfortable and easy.

• Available in a variety of colors, including the limited-edition pink.

How to get the most out of your Curaprox toothbrush:

• Use a gentle brushing technique. Let the bristles do the work, don't scrub.

• Brush for two minutes, twice a day.

• Be sure to brush all surfaces of your teeth, including the backs and chewing surfaces.

• Replace your toothbrush every three months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed or damaged.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to get a great deal on a great toothbrush. Shop the Curaprox Pink Limited Edition CS 5460 toothbrush sale today!

Weave Introduces AI-Driven Voicemail Transcriptions for Healthcare Providers

 

Weave (NYSE: WEAV), a leading all-in-one experience platform for small and medium-sized healthcare practices, today announces the addition of AI-driven voicemail transcriptions to its platform.

Now available to Weave’s 27,000+ customers, Voicemail Transcription automatically transcribes voicemails from patients allowing for efficient, visible, and private reading experiences. With this update, users will now see the voicemail transcription when they click on the Voicemail tab within their Desktop Application or within the mobile app, improving overall user experience by making it faster to consume messages without having to listen to the audio, which can often be difficult in busy settings.

“AI has exploded in popularity over the past year, and we’re taking steps to ensure Weave is delivering state of the art offerings that empower our customers to enhance patient experiences and deliver top of the line care,” said Branden Neish, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Weave. “AI will only continue to grow in popularity and daily use, which will have a transformative impact on the future of the healthcare industry. Weave customers that have already implemented AI into their practices claim they save an average of an hour a day with the technology.”

In a new customer and consumer report conducted by Weave, the company found that patients are accepting of AI in healthcare settings and they see it leading to enhanced care and patient experiences. In fact, the majority of consumers (65%) are open to providers using AI tools in their practices. The report also found that consumers and providers are aligned with how they think AI will impact the healthcare industry, with two in three consumers (67%) and 3 in 4 (75%) healthcare providers believing that AI is likely to become a prevalent tool in healthcare.

“Artificial Intelligence is the catalyst for a new era in healthcare.” says Dr. Matt Nejad, DDS of Beverly Hills, CA. “Weave’s AI-enabled voicemail transcripts are a leap in this direction, providing automation and actionable insights that empower providers to focus on what truly matters: patient care.”

This announcement follows months of AI-driven activity from Weave to enhance features that allow healthcare providers to deliver quality care and improve patient experiences, including Email Assistant and Response Assistant. To learn more about Weave Voicemail Transcriptions and Phones, go to: https://www.getweave.com/weave-phones/ 

About Weave

Weave is a leading all-in-one customer experience platform for small- and medium-sized healthcare businesses. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weave’s software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. In the past year, Weave has been named a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software. To learn more, visit getweave.com/newsroom/

Update on Henry Schein Data Breach

 

For those of you not in the dental field, Henry Schein, Inc is the largest dental supply company in the world.  They have multiple divisions that provide supplies, support, and equipment to the medical, veterinary, and dental industries.  They not only sell supplies, but manufacture some as well.  The company is a huge presence in the dental industry and has branches all across the US and the world.

A couple of weeks ago (Saturday October 14th to be precise), the IT team at Henry Schein noticed someting usual in their digital systems dealing with manufacturing and distribution.  Detecting these anomalies, the systems were shut down and taken offline.  Since that time, the company has been at work trying to rectify the situation, understand what happened, and get everything back up and running.  As you can well imagine, something like this has been incredibly disruptive to the company.  

In addition to selling physical goods and repair services, Henry Schein also has many electronic goods and services that they provide to clients.  Schein owns and operates the largest dental practice management software system on the planet, having purchased the company called Dentrix in the early 2000s.  Since that time they have also purchased several other PMS companies.  In addition to the software companies, Schein also offers many "add-on" pieces such as credit card billing, insurance claims submission, and patient communication platforms that interface with the PMS side.  Basically their are massive numbers of dental offices that depend on Henry Schein in myriad ways to keep them up and running as well as providing them means of billing.  So, not only do practices depend on Henry Schein for their supplies they also depend on them to keep their cash flows steady.

For those doctors who are reading this in hope of finding out more about those business services your office may be dependent on, let me tell you that according to the company "Henry Schein has determined that the practice management software used by its clients has not been disrupted."

Schein is working relentlessly to get things fixed and back to working order as soon as humanly possible. 

I also want to state that I have been at many Schein sponsored technology summits over the years.  These are events the company sponsors where we meet with them, learn about new things they are implementing, and offer suggestions on product enhancements or new products.

In the not too distant past Schein spent about a 1/2 day of one of these summits to showcase their focus on digital security.  They brought in some of their digital security experts who walked us through the different ways they protected their data as well as providing the work history and qualifications of these experts.  I was impressed.  The team was loaded with folks who had incredibly amazing schooling and work histories.  Many had worked with 3 letter government agencies.  I came out of that meeting with a high regard for Schein's focus on security.  I remember thinking that even though NO system is 100% "hack-proof", I felt that Schein was doing about as much as possible to lock things down on their end.

I mention that here because I'm sure that there are customers reading this and I want to make sure those affected understand that Schein is doing everything they can to fix this.  I also want to emphasize how important maintaining security is.  Schein is a huge company with a name and a bank account that most likely was very interesting to the criminals involved.  They would be an understandable target.  While a small dental office would not be a target as lucrative as Schein, it's a target nonetheless.  Make sure you do all you can to prevent cyber related incidents.

The other point I want to emphasize is that I feel Henry Schein has been *very* transparent throughout this incident.  It seems that the *normal* protocol for companies hit with a cybersecurity incident is to delay and diffuse until the storm from the media has passed.  While that is probably good for the company's PR side, it is not good from the side of those users affected or potentially affected by having the data at risk.  Around April-May of 2022 the ADA was hit with a breach and it was almost impossible to get information from them regarding the incident.

I have been impressed with the transparency Schein has shown throughout this incident.

As I write this, the main Schein site for ordering is *still* offline with a popup window that offers suggestions on how to still order until they have things back together.  The team at Dental Products Report has an article that discusses the current situation as well as an update on things to this point.  You can read that article here.  

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