Noah Levine

In the wake of the company's recently completed acquisition of iTero intraoral scanner maker Cadent, Align Technologies recently announced plans to consolidate it's CAD/CAM operations into existing facilities. This will mean the company will be closing it's Carlstadt, N.J.

Someday sunflower seeds or bubblegum might become widely viewed as the preferred chewing substances in baseball dugouts across America, but chewing tobacco remains a lingering presence in the world of baseball. This is something Oral Health America's NSTEP® (National Spit Tobacco Education Program) hopes to change, and the organization is trying to spread its message to the game's youngest players.

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention has hired its first Director of Research and Scientific Affairs. Dr. Charles John Palenik assumed the newly created position on Sept. 1, and he is tasked with advancing the research into health and safety practices for oral health professionals. Dr.

DENTSPLY International announced today that the purchase of implant maker Astra Tech had been completed. The purchase expands DENTSPLY's implant offerings and gives the company and its customers access to Astra Tech's Atlantis patient specific abutments.

In a letter from company CEO Marco Ratz, Amann Girrbach announced the hiring of former Brasseler USA VP/COO Matt Whalen as the company's new President for Amann Girrbach America. DLP certainly wishes Mr.

For the past decade Candulor has promoted the esthetic possibilities of finely crafted dentures through its biennial KunstZahnWerk, or "Art of Denture" competition which has been held in conjunction with the International Dental Show in Cologne, Germany. This spring, for the first time, North American technicians were invited to take part in the competition, and they did quite well with Jack Edwards, MDT, of Fullerton, Calif., placing 10th overall, and Andrea Hegedus, CDT, placing 2nd in the Digital Documentation category.  Now a North America-only branch of the competition is being launched with entries due this fall and awards to be presented next February at Lab day 2012 in Chicago. To keep things even, Candulor supplies the case details, models, denture teeth and implant parts. Then it's up to the technicians to show off the best of what they can do. Winners receive cash prizes and automatic entry into the 2013 international KunstZahnWerk event at the next IDS. Opportunities such as this are about more than just prizes and recognition. They show the dedication of every entrant to the art and craft of their vocation, as work on these cases are often done in whatever extra time a busy technician has. Being named the winner is of course nice, but seeing the top entries side by side also provides a great chance for technicians to evaluate subtle differences in technique and approach. Hopefully there is a rich pool of entrants who put some of the best North America has to offer on display next winter in Chicago. Contest details can be found at candulor.com or directly here. A full press release on the contest is below.