Around The Industry

Celebrate the industry.
Catch up with the latest awards and appointments, market moves and noteworthy items.

  To submit items for publication contact JDT   Unbound at jdt@nadl.org.

 

Technicians To Give Table Clinics

Dental technicians are invited to present a table clinic at the 78th Annual Scientific Meeting of The American Prosthodontic Society Feb. 23-24 at the Westin River North, Chicago. The clinic should be a concise presentation (15 minutes) of an idea, technique, research, etc., of prosthodontic interest and should not be a mini-lecture or commercial in any way. First and second place monetary awards will be presented in the following categories: dental technicians, APS members, clinical and research. For information go to www.prostho.org or call (877) 499-3500.


CDT Designation Achieves Global Certification

NBC has achieved accreditation from the American National Standards Institute, (ANSI), for the Certified Dental Technician program. ANSI accreditation means the CDT designation is operating using globally accepted standards for its testing and certification operations. This increases the professional recognition by other personnel certification entities.

"This accreditation greatly enhances the value of becoming and retaining the Certified Dental Technician designation. The ANSI process of stringent standards of conformity while safeguarding their integrity seamlessly joins NBC’s mission to improve the nation’s oral health,” said NBC Chair Bart Donnell, CDT. “This worldwide recognition and validation of the CDT designation answers the often-asked question ‘What has the CDT certification done for me lately?’”


Affordable Dentures Helps Katrina Survivors

The network of affiliated Affordable Dentures dental practices is donating $1 million in denture services to people affected by hurricane Katrina. Dentures and related services will be provided free to victims whose dentures were lost or damaged during the storm or subsequent relief efforts, or have been relocated and are in need of dental care.

Victims requiring services are asked to register with the American Red Cross or Salvation Army prior to visiting the practice. Patients will receive a referral authorization or voucher that they take to the practice to receive services.


Sirona Helps Hurricane Victims
Sirona Dental is reaching out to help the victims of the devastating blow that was dealt to the U.S. Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. The company is offering 10 percent off of all Sirona equipment to any dentist or dental laboratory that is replacing equipment damaged in the storm. Furthermore, Sirona will organize and coordinate donations from employees and will match those donations up to an aggregate total of $10,000. Also, Sirona will match employee donations of up to $100 per employee who wishes to support any other non-profit organization who is offering help for storm victims. The hurricane relief discount applies to purchases made before Dec. 31. Eligible dental operations should contact their local Sirona dealer to take advantage of this offer.


Oral Health America Holds Annual Gala Dinner and Auction

Oral Health America, a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to improving oral health for all Americans for 50 years, will be holding its 16th Annual Gala Dinner and Silent Auction Feb. 23 at Navy Pier in Chicago, Ill. The event will raise funds to support educational and service programs designed to improve oral health.

The Oral Health America Gala is one of the dental industry’s premier networking events. The black tie optional evening features dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Tickets are $225 each; a table for 10 can be purchased for $2,100.  For tickets or information on sponsorships and donations please contact Joe Donohue at OHA at (312) 836-9900 or joe@oralhealthamerica.org. 


Unlicensed Aides Give Care in Alaska

Unlicensed dental health aides in rural communities in Alaska will be able to offer care, much to the dismay of that state’s dentists. The aides will be able to drill and extract teeth, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
“The Attorney General's office - advised the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners, which had sought a review of the licensing issue, that rural patients can receive dental care in their community clinics from aides who are not licensed by the state, providing the aides are federally certified and work for the clinics,” the paper reported. 


Industry Roundup
Market Moves

The Identalloy Council announces that Cendres & MÈtaux SA  (CM) of Biel, Switzerland has joined the Identalloy Council. As an authorized licensee, CM will supply their North American alloy clients with Identalloy certificates, thus allowing their clients to disclose and document the material used in each case.

Nobel Biocare announced that the company's Mahwah, N.J. Procera manufacturing facility has expanded capacity to include the domestic production of Procera Bridge Zirconia, a two-to-four unit all-ceramic bridge currently produced at the company's Procera manufacturing headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden.

DENTSPLY Austenal recently announced the addition of the Andrew Dental Laboratory in Fairfax, Va., to the Vitallium Trademark family of partial denture laboratories.

Align Technology, Inc., the inventor of InvisalignÆ, a proprietary method of straightening teeth without wires or brackets, announced the Harvard School of Dental Medicine is integrating Invisalign into its required coursework in dentistry.
Awards and Appointments

Island Dental recently promoted Steve Martina to Lake Mary, Fla., branch manager and Kristen Kraemer to manager of regional customer service for the Southeast.

DentalEZ Group recently named Stephanie Mott and Jason Flebotte as new StarDental sales representatives Mott’s territories will include the Washingtion D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia areas and Flebotte will cover the New England area.

Recently Sirona Dental Systems won the coveted red dot product design award for its new inEosÆ Dental Digitizer. With more than 4,000 entries from 40 countries the red dot design award ranks among the largest design competitions worldwide.

Robert R. Davis, CDT, has rejoined the professional staff of Hutchinson Dental Labs as business development/educational director and co-manager of the fixed prosthetics department.  

William Dixon Company, a wholly owned division of Grobet USA, is pleased to announce that Dan Michaels has joined its management team.

The American Academy of Periodontology announced a $1 million commitment to the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation in support of initiatives to promote academic careers in periodontics.

The Argen Corporation has appointed Frank Munzenmayer, CDT, as their East Coast technical representative.

Two American Society of Master Dental Prosthologists graduates received their Prosthologist Certification during the International Education Congress of Dental Technology.          Benny Davidashvilly, MDT, is the manager of the Dental Prosthetics Clinc at Montifiore Hospital, Bronx, N.Y. and Gail Broderick, MDT, is with Americus Dental Labs, Inc., Jamaica, N.Y.

DTI Dental Technologies Inc., has appointed Tamar Milne to the position of director of marketing.
Noteworthy

Biogenic Technical Instruction CEO Paul Giovannone, CDT, delivered a lecture series to more than 100 Japanese dental laboratory owners and technologist in Tokyo, Japan. Giovannone and the BTI team presented advanced training in several areas of laser welding specific to dental applications, as well as basic to advanced business building curriculum.

Sirona Dental Systems and Patterson Dental will be holding inLabÆ marketing seminars throughout the U.S. to show laboratory owners the advantages of the CAD/CAM system. Greg Harris will conduct the seminars designed to offer insight to inLab users on the capabilities and advantages that the CAD/CAM system offers. For more information call Jeff LeClaire at (803) 329-3020 or visit the News and Events section of the inLab Web site at www.inlab.com.

The dental technology school of Indiana Purdue University at Fort Wayne is leading the way to fulfill the growing demand for laser welding dental technicians. Albino Perez, CDT, and Charles Champion, CDT, head up a staff of motivated instructors who are eager to implement this new program into their curriculum. After months of planning, September saw the delivery and installation of this technology facilitated by the experienced staff of BTI Laser. Paul Giovannone, CDT, Robert Hicks, CDT, and Michael Sears conducted a hands-on, in-house training session that covered basic laser welding philosophies, applications and techniques, as well as laser safety and equipment maintenance.

Technicians from the U.S. and Canada participated in an advanced workshop at Dental Services Group of Toronto training facility. AndrÈ Dagenais, RDT, DSG’s northern region technical director and DSG of Toronto GM as well as Rose Pugliese, RDT, conducted Technical Smile Design/Creating Exceptional Laminate Veneers.

Tim Lane, CDT, recently retired from the Tennessee Dental Laboratory Association board after serving for 17 years.