by Henry Schein, E4D Technologies sign agreement to roll out CAD CAM technology to Aspen Dental practices
Henry Schein, Inc., and E4D Technologies announced a new agreement that will bring the latest in CAD CAM technology to select Aspen Dental practices across the United States. Under the new agreement, the E4D Restorative System will help enhance the care that Aspen Dental providers deliver to patients.
The E4D system, created by E4D Technologies and exclusively distributed by Henry Schein, will provide the dentists who own and operate these Aspen Dental practices the ability to scan, design, and mill restorations right in the office with exceptional precision, speed and patient comfort.
“CAD CAM technology is an integral component in today’s dental practice, and we believe the E4D System will excel at helping the dental practitioners at these Aspen practices deliver the highest quality patient care,” said Dr. Arwinder Judge, vice president, clinical support, Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI). “We have partnered with Henry Schein for years to provide the dentists of Aspen Dental with the broadest selection of products and services, and believe they offer the best choices in technology-driven solutions, as well as the comprehensive support needed to optimize this technology in Aspen offices throughout the country.”
Heartland Dental Care to acquire My Dentist Holdings
Heartland Dental Care, LLC (“Heartland Dental”) a leading dental support organization in the United States, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire My Dentist Holdings, LLC, (“My Dentist”), an Oklahoma City based dental support organization, which is affiliated with 55 My Dentist Complete Care Dentistry offices in Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas. My Dentist’s predecessor company was founded in 1983 by Dr. Pat Steffen. The My Dentist branded affiliated dental offices provide general dentistry services, along with specialty care in orthodontics and oral surgery. With the passing of Dr. Steffen in August 2012, Dr. Jennifer Chambers, Chief Dental Director and Kevin Offel, Chief Executive Officer and President of My Dentist, assumed active leadership roles within the organization. During their tenure at My Dentist, they have achieved major benchmarks, including expanding the number of affiliated dental offices from 30 to 55 locations and growing its infrastructure. My Dentist, together with its affiliated dental practices, has 805 employees, including 109 dentists and 71 hygienists.
Dr. Rick Workman, founder and Chief Executive Office of Heartland Dental stated, “We are excited to have this opportunity to affiliate with such a significant dental support organization which is not only in our footprint, but also shares so many of our core values and beliefs. Heartland Dental is comprised of exceptionally talented individuals who are sincerely passionate about our company’s vision. Similarly, the My Dentist team works tirelessly for the well-being of their doctors, patients and employees. The future is bright for My Dentist and Heartland Dental as we join together to support each other in becoming industry leaders. It’s an honor that we will have them on our team.”
Enrollment for commercial dental benefits increases in 2012
By the end of 2012, more than 187 million Americans had dental coverage, marking an increase of 11 million people when compared to the previous year, according to the recently-released 2013 NADP/DDPA Joint Dental Benefits Report: Enrollment. Since 1994, the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) (Dallas, TX) has conducted an annual enrollment survey with information on Dental HMO, Dental PPO, Dental Indemnity and Discount Dental enrollment at the state and national levels. Most of the reported growth in dental benefits enrollment was projected in the 2013 NADP State of the Dental Benefits Market Report and can be attributed to an increase in employment. The 2013 NADP/DDPA Joint Dental Benefits Report: Enrollment is available for purchase in the Knowledge Center section of the NADP website, www.nadp.org.
OHA says Fall for Smiles Campaign a success
Oral Health America (OHA) announced its annual Fall for Smiles® campaign has come to an end, educating hundreds of thousands of American about the importance of maintaining good oral health through daily brushing and flossing, regular visits to the dentist, eating healthy foods, and avoiding tobacco. This year’s campaign “would not be possible without the generous support of lead sponsors 3M ESPE, Crest + OralB, Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait and Patterson Dental,” OHA said in a release.
“We appreciate the support of all our Fall for Smiles sponsors for allowing us to reach Americans with valuable health resources,” said OHA President and CEO Beth Truett. “These companies recognize the importance of oral health for all Americans and understand that Fall for Smiles is an important step in making sure everyone has a healthy mouth.”
Dental professionals and families helped spread the campaign’s message of the importance of oral health by utilizing the resources available on the Fall for Smiles webpage. Parents and caregivers downloaded tip sheets that provided tips for teaching kids how to take care of their teeth and advised older adults how to address their unique oral health needs. Dental companies posted Fall for Smiles buttons and banners on their websites for the duration of the campaign. And Americans from all over the country shared messages about oral health on social media.
ADA offers mobile app with 2014 dental procedure codes
The American Dental Association (ADA) is offering the newest Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT codes) with the CDT Code Check mobile app. It contains the latest CDT codes, including 29 new procedure codes, 18 revised procedure codes, four deleted procedure codes, and seven changes to subcategories and their descriptors. The app is a handy practice management tool for dentists and dental staff who travel between offices. Features include: a complete listing of 2014 CDT codes; a list of new, revised, and deleted codes with tracked changes; and codes that are searchable by three categories: code number, keyword, and category of service. The CDT Code Check app sells for $19.99 for Apple mobile devices via the App Store and Android mobile devices via Google Play.
Dental Quality Alliance approves initial set of performance measures
The Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) (New York, NY) released its first set of performance measures for oral health care, “Dental Caries in Children: Prevention and Disease Management.” The set includes 10 tested and validated performance measures in oral healthcare, including: use of services; preventive services; treatment services; oral evaluation; topical fluoride intensity; sealant use in 6-9 years; sealant use in 10-14 years; care continuity; usual source of services; and per-member per-month cost. The DQA was established by the American Dental Association (ADA) (Chicago, IL) to develop performance measures for oral healthcare. The DQA collaborated with the University of Florida Institute for Child Health Policy (Gainesville, FL) to evaluate and test the feasibility, validity, reliability and usability of each measure before issuing final approval, with partial funding through a grant from the American Dental Association Foundation (Chicago, IL).
Wisdom Tooth Project launches
The American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) (Chicago, IL) partnered with Oral Health America (OHA) (Chicago, IL) on the creation and launch of a web portal for the Wisdom Tooth Project, a program that aims to educate older Americans and their caregivers on the importance of oral health. Although the web portal will be hosted by OHA, ADHA will provide content and access to member experts to add information when needed. For more information, go to oralhealthamerica.org/programs/wisdom-tooth-project/
Dental care for the young
About half of Michigan’s Medicaid-eligible children and young adults now qualify for dental coverage thanks to the Healthy Kids Dental program in the state budget that took effect on October 1, 2013. The program is available to a half-million enrollees under age 21 in 78 of Michigan’s 83 counties. It remains unavailable to nearly a half-million poor kids in heavily populated Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent, and Kalamazoo counties. Republican Governor Rick Snyder’s administration and Delta Dental of Michigan (Farmington Hills, MI), the insurance company that administers the Healthy Kids Dental program, celebrated the addition of three counties during a news conference at a Lansing elementary school. Dental visits are 50 percent higher for children who are enrolled in the program, which began in 2000, and has been singled out as a model for improving access to dental care for low-income children. Michigan spent roughly $100 million on the Healthy Kids Dental program in the last fiscal year, and roughly a third came from the general fund.
