Pride Institute's 2015 Best of Class winners: Part 3

In Part III of our three-part series, we feature seven award-winning companies and their innovative products.

All good things must come to an end-and so must Dental Product Report's series on the 2015 Pride Institute “Best of Class” Technology Award.

Our third and final part features seven award-winning companies and their innovative products.

ProVecta S-Pan

Air Techniques’ ProVecta S-Pan reportedly has revolutionary technology that delivers unmatched sharpness and ease. The panoramic X-ray automatically selects the

sharpest areas and is said to result in sharper images and faster, easier diagnosis. From a single exposure, the S-Pan acquires 20 layers of images and slices them into 20,000 fragments. The best are selected and compiled to generate a single, exceptionally sharp panoramic image automatically. The product is designed to sharply display important diagnostic information, including the mandibular canal and bone structure. For more information, visit airtechniques.com.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. Paul Feuerstein

With all of the current emphasis on cone beam technology, many offices are still looking for a new panoramic X-ray unit. Air Techniques has stepped up with a new digital unit that takes advantage of the latest technology in producing a remarkably crisp image. In seven seconds, it takes 20 layers of images and slices them into 20,000 segments. The software chooses the best of these, yielding an extraordinary image. There are also 17 user settings for a variety of areas of focus, including small areas with lower radiation for children of different sizes, TMJ, sinus and more. It also includes a seven-inch touchscreen display, image stabilization for a slight movement of the patient and a footprint to accommodate tall patients, as well as those in wheelchairs, Air Techniques seems to have thought of everything. This is a great addition from a company known for its quality equipment and products.

ProVecta S-Pan User-Dr. Melissa Rosenfeld, DDS

ProVecta S-Pan’s ease-of-use, high quality images and quick image acquisition help to reduce stress for me, my staff and my patients.

DEXIS Imaging Suite

Providing progressive software architecture and adding new features, DEXIS Imaging Suite includes a cosmetic imaging module, expanded video 

capabilities, an enhanced implant planning module and integration with select 3D products. The cosmetic module is designed to permit clinicians to plan, simulate and present full cosmetic procedures and tooth-whitening treatments in just minutes. The software integrates 3D scanners from i-CAT®, Gendex®, Instrumentarium® and Soredex®, reportedly allowing users to manage patient data and 3D images directly from within the DEXIS application. For more information, visit dexis.com.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. Parag R.Kachalia

With more than 2 billion images captured every day, imaging has become a central part of our daily lives for communication and documentation. The ability to capture a multitude of various images also helps clinicians properly diagnose and educate their patients. To leverage these images properly, clinicians must have a software system that can properly store, categorize and display them on devices. An imaging software must also have the ability to properly integrate with practice management software so various images can easily be connected to things like patient history and insurance claims.

The Pride Institute selected the DEXIS Imaging Suite because the developers at DEXIS have continued to improve the software so it is intuitive to use and can be leveraged on both traditional operatory computers, as well as handheld devices. Nearly two-thirds of individuals are visual learners, another 30 percent are auditory learners and approximately 5 percent are kinesthetic learners. By utilizing the DEXIS software on an Apple iOS or Android device via downloadable apps, clinicians are able to capitalize on all these learning styles so their patients have true, informed consent. Patients today understand how to use tablet-based technology and can actually interact with the images displayed on the screen, giving them a kinesthetic appreciation in addition to the visualization of images and verbal information presented by their care providers.

A patient who feels educated about his or her health is much more likely to have buy-in to a treatment plan. The DEXIS Imaging Suite blends the required functionality of a dental office with a user experience that is simple for both the health care professionals, as well as the patient.

DEXIS Imaging Suite User-Dr. John James, Klondike Dental, West Lafayette, Ind.

DEXIS Imaging Suite and DEXIS sensors have helped me achieve the superior image quality I had wanted but not seen with my other systems. When it comes to the software, organization is easy, fast and efficient. DEXIS Imaging Suite houses and manages all my patients’ digital images, including intraoral and extraoral radiographs and photographs. I like that I can choose to display any of the images I want from any date on one screen. For example, I can see all of a patient’s bitewings for several years or from different appointment dates with one click on one screen. The most common radiographic tasks can be completed in two clicks or less. I can choose an image and enhance or enlarge it without losing detail or annotations, which is a great help in my diagnosis and communicating with patients. My staff also was relieved training was easy and quick. Even on the business side, digital imaging saves time when filing insurance claims. Because of the seamless integration, we are able to attach all necessary images securely. And sharing digital images with colleagues is also fast and, most importantly, convenient for them and me. After we made the switch to DEXIS, we’re all happier.

Ceramir Crown & Bridge

The culmination of extensive research, development and clinical trials, Ceramir Crown & Bridge is said to be unlike any other luting cement on the market today. Based on a patented new technology-nanostructurally integrating bioceramics (NIB)-Ceramir Crown & Bridge bioceramic dental cement integrates with natural tooth structure, is stable in the mouth and exhibits tooth-like physical and mechanical properties. This allows clinicians to seal the restorative-tooth interface with a biocompatible, bioceramic material that is designed to offer outstanding strength and stability and resin-cement-like retention with no shrinkage and virtually no post-operative sensitivity. Ceramir Crown & Bridge is said to be one of the easiest cements to handle and clean up. It requires no bonding agents or extra steps and is extremely moisture-tolerant.

For more information, visit ceramir.se.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. Marty Jablow

Not all new technology beeps and buzzes. When you think of technology, you don’t often think of dental materials. The latest in dental technology includes bioactive products. Doxa’s Ceramir fits this category. It is not just cement; it’s truly unique in the ability to cement restorations while having a basic pH. The high pH produces virtually no sensitivity while the cement demonstrates the ability to seal the tooth and restoration interface by forming apatite crystals. This promotes good marginal integrity while eliminating secondary caries and enhanced retention and being moisture-tolerant.

I have been using Ceramir for years now. Ceramir can be used with conventional porcelain to metal crowns along with gold, inlays, onlays, posts, zirconia and lithium disilicate restorations. For zirconia restorations, there is no need to use a cleaning agent. Quickly mix the capsule and express it into the cement into the restoration. Ceramir is easy to use and clean up with no patient sensitivity. It is my go-to restorative cement for final cementation because it just works, and it will work in your office, too.

Ceramir User-Lawrence Kotlow, DDS, Albany, N.Y.

As we continue to see advances in dental materials for the pediatric dentist, the availability of cements like Ceramir that bond to both tooth, stainless steel and the new ceramic pedo crowns (EZPedo) is a welcome addition to our ever-changing ability to [create] esthetic restorations for children. The additional benefits of Ceramir’s hydrophilic nature and non-alkaline properties remove the yucky taste children dislike.

TS150™

The TS150™ from IOS Technologies reportedly enables clinicians to mill in-office, same-day crowns that seat with precision. The unit’s powerful, air-driven 150,000-rpm spindle is combined with a patented orbital milling strategy said to ensure excellent marginal integrity of the final restoration and designed to make it simple to achieve decisive clinical results without sending your casework elsewhere. With average cases being fully completed in less than 90 minutes, the TS150 is described as an affordable solution for clinicians looking to significantly reduce their case turnaround time. The TS150 is said to pair seamlessly with the Align Technology iTero®, 3Shape TRIOS® and 3M™ True Definition Scanner to facilitate an end-to-end digital workflow. Currently, the TS150 can mill restorations from Obsidian® lithium silicate ceramic, Lava™ Ultimate Restorative, VITABLOCS® Mark II and VITA ENAMIC® milling blocks.

For more information, visit glidewelldental.com.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. John Flucke

The Glidewell TS150 is a standalone restorative mill that can interface with many of the digital impression systems available on the market today. By standalone, I mean it will take digital impression files from many different digital impression systems and does not require the doctor to also purchase an acquisition unit from Glidewell. Instead, doctors can purchase whatever digital impression system they like best and then use the TS150 to create the design and restoration.

In a short amount of time, the TS150 can create crowns, inlays and onlays that require very little adjusting (after the user has some experience with the design software). An auxiliary can do the design process with the doctor approving the final prosthesis prior to milling (the same idea as using a laboratory technician). The software is intuitive and easy to understand. One-visit fixed prosthetics continues to evolve and improve. Glidewell’s TS150 is helping to push innovation in that category.

TS150 User-Paresh Patel, DDS, Mooresville, N.C.

With the TS150 chairside mill, I’ve been able to deliver beautiful crowns for my patients in as little as an hour. After scanning the prep with my iTero®, I receive an automatic crown design proposal that is usually just what I need. In most cases, the crown can be delivered without any adjustments prior to cementation. While same-day dentistry appeals to patients for obvious reasons, I’ve been most impressed with the precise margins and fit of these restorations. And with the recent announcement of BruxZir® NOW for the TS150, milling zirconia crowns chairside without the time-consuming sintering process has become a reality.

EyeSpecial C-II

The EyeSpecial C-II digital dental camera is designed exclusively for dentistry. Created for dental/orthodontic photography, case presentations and at the bench in a laboratory, it is said to be extremely user-friendly and can be held comfortably even with one hand. The EyeSpecial C-II offers 12 megapixels, intuitive one-touch operations, an ultra-lightweight sleek body design and a large LCD touchscreen that allows the user to view and scroll through images effortlessly, even with a gloved hand. Compatible with an Eye-Fi wireless memory card, images can be instantly transferred and uploaded onto a tablet, computer or smartphone. The EyeSpecial C-II comes with SureFile, a proprietary photo management software that allows the user to automatically sort and file images by patient ID number. The EyeSpecial C-II is designed to add consistency and efficiency and supports varied dental photography needs of the active practice. For more information, visit shofu.com.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. Paul Feuerstein

Photography is a critical part of our practices. We have evolved from SLRs with multiple lenses and ring flashes to many slick digital units. All of these are adapted from general use for dentistry. How do you clean the camera if you grab it in the middle of a procedure? Is it quick to switch from macro to full-face mode? The Shofu EyeSpeical C-II not only takes care of this but is light and simple-to-use and gives extraordinary images in seconds. There are numerous features, including the intuitive LCD touch screen that chooses the mode and provides multiple flash options, auto focus, anti-shake and more. There is a wonderful shade-matching mode, which takes the guesswork out of photographing the teeth with a shade button by greying out the gingival tissues-something you have to see to appreciate. And being water-resistant with a case that can be cleaned with wipes and chemicals is certainly a plus. Optional use of a WiFi SD card makes image transfer a breeze. It is like a point-and-shoot on steroids and can be used minutes after unpacking the box. Goodbye, Nikon and Canon.

EyeSpecial C-II User-Scott Chanin, DMD, FAGD

I have taken photographs of every one of my cases with a conventional 35mm camera until I bought the Eye Special C-II camera from Shofu. Since then, I have not picked up my conventional camera once.

Shofu’s EyeSpecial C-II is extremely intuitive and user-friendly. Both the novice and experienced photographer can navigate it with ease and convenience. The colors are consistent, and every image is easily reproducible. The touchscreen on the back of the camera makes it efficient to photograph any view with the correct focus and depth. It’s also an excellent communication tool. I use it for treatment planning and to track the progress between treatments. Shofu’s camera is compatible with wireless cards. Every picture is immediately displayed on my computer screen. This makes it easy to communicate outcomes with patients or the ceramist at the lab.

As an added bonus, the EyeSpecial C-II can be disinfected after each use with a disinfecting towelette. There’s no other camera that can make that claim!

In my opinion, after taking clinical photographs for more than 30 years, there’s no easier, better camera designed for dentistry than the Shofu EyeSpecial C-II.

EyeSpecial C-II User-Dental assistant to Dr. Chanin with more than 25 years of experience

At Dr. Chanin’s practice, assistants are responsible for capturing dental photographs. But taking consistent images, especially the post-treatment ones, may pose great challenges.

The introduction of Shofu’s camera to our practice has simplified clinical photography tasks. With eight preset dental modes available, it takes seconds to choose the right mode. Unlike the other cameras, the EyeSpecial C-II doesn’t require twisting lenses to focus or manually changing setting for every type of photo. With a touch of a finger, the camera activates the correct settings, and I am ready to take pictures.

With an extra flash and macro lenses, the traditional SLRs can be difficult to handle and disinfect. Shofu’s camera weighs less than 1 lb. I can hold it with one hand and free the other one for a cheek retractor or mirror. I also feel comfortable about using this camera on different patients because disinfecting it takes seconds.

Overall, the Shofu camera makes my job easier to accomplish. It is a great asset to our practice. I recommend it for every dental office.

Solutionreach

The Solutionreach practice management platform is said to increase revenue, reduce cost and provide your office time to do what’s most important: care for your patients. Solutionreach is a cloud-based solution that includes a comprehensive suite of innovative tools that are designed to enable dental professionals to communicate with, engage and educate every one of their patients whether they are in or out of the office. The all-inclusive service is designed to help improve patient-provider relationships while simultaneously decreasing costs, generating new patients and streamlining practice workflows.

For more information, visit solutionreach.com.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. Parag R. Kachalia

The days of calling all of our patients to confirm appointments and sending recall postcards with a big smile or a Charlie Brown character are starting to fade away. Patients today would like to choose how they receive communication, and many patients would rather get a text message or email versus a phone call in the middle of the day. In addition, we live in a fast-paced world where fewer and fewer individuals pay attention to physical mail. Many people have moved all of their traditional paper tasks, such as paying bills and receiving bank statements, to an electronic medium so the mail they receive, in their eyes, is junk mail, and a glossy dental recall postcard can be easily be lost in it.

For nearly a decade, various companies have capitalized on the data that resides in practice management software to develop electronic appointment reminders and recall management systems; however, the Pride Institute has chosen to recognize Solutionreach as a “Best of Class” technology because the system goes well beyond simple reminders. The Solutionreach platform offers complete patient engagement. In addition to appointment and recall reminders, the system offers patient surveys, online reputation management, social media engagement, customized electronic newsletters and messaging and many other benefits.

Customized messaging is one of the most powerful benefits because patients can choose exactly when and how they would like to be communicated with. Some patients need reminders five minutes before their appointment, and others only need to be told once. The Solutionreach software does not force a one-size-fits-all reminder campaign. In addition, the platform is continually involving. Most recently, new innovations, such as HIPAA-compliant text messaging, mobile payments and a strategic partnerships with Healthgrades, have been added to help generate new patient flow.

The Solutionreach platform is truly a “Best of Class” technology because the constant innovation has allowed for true patient engagement.

Solutioreach User-Mark E. Hyman, DDS, MAGD, Greensboro, N.C.

Our team has been using Solutionreach for two years. We investigated and tried other patient engagement software. Some seemed good. Some were modestly successful. Then our world changed. If you asked my business team what is the single greatest gift I ever gave them, it would be Solutionreach. They immediately noticed this system saved the team at least an hour-and-a-half a day, freeing them to really work the schedule, follow up on care, nurture our daily patients in the office and keep me hopping! We saw an increase of dozens of patients that had fallen through the cracks and are now re-activated. Our patients love our newsletters, cards and special videos they receive on birthdays, Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, etc. Furthermore, our Google reviews and SEO skyrocketed. This award-winning system is just like having a new full-time teammate for a couple of bucks a day. What’s not to love?

VALO

Ultradent’s VALO uses a custom, multiwavelength light-emitting diode (LED) for producing high intensity light at 395–480 nm capable of polymerizing all light-cured dental materials. This intensity will also penetrate porcelain and is capable of curing underlying resin cements similar to a quality halogen light. Every VALO starts as a solid bar of tempered, high grade aerospace aluminum, which is CNC precision milled at Ultradent’s facility in Utah. The unibody construction is said to ensure VALO’s durability and provides unsurpassed heat dissipation. The elegant, ergonomic and streamlined design enables VALO to easily reach all curing sites without sacrificing patient comfort. VALO’s aluminum wand, machined components and tempered glass lens are said to make it the most durable curing light available.

For more information, visit ultradent.com.

Pride Advisory Board Member-Dr. John Flucke

The Ultradent VALO curing light is a multiple-time winner of the “Best of Class” award for several reasons.

It is one of the few curing devices on the market that is “broadband,” meaning it sets all light-activated materials. Many curing lights have a range of 450-470 nanometers, which is fine for camphorquinone but not for other proprietary photoinitiators. The VALO provides light in the spectrum of 395-480 nanometers, which allows it to cure all materials.

It is also highly durable. The VALO is CAD/CAM milled out of a solid piece of aerospace-grade aluminum. It is designed to withstand the rigors of day-to-day use, including being dropped. Despite our best efforts, we’ve never managed to break one!

The cordless unit also uses batteries that are non-proprietary. This means you can buy new batteries in lots of places. It also comes with a separate charger and a spare set of batteries so that you are never without a charge.

We use the VALO daily and think it needs to be on the “short list” of must-have curing lights.

VALO User-Dr. John Kanca

VALO is a fantastic piece of equipment. Clinicians no longer have to choose between normal output, high intensity output or the power of a PAC light because VALO offers all three in one lightweight, compact, durable unit. VALO’s ability to produce the greatest amount of energy at distances up to 10 mm from the tooth is just amazing. I have been using this light for some time and would not want to be without it.