2 dentists, dental technician die in Ukrainian jet crash

The dental industry lost members of its community when Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed on January 8 shortly after takeoff from Tehran. A dental technician and two dentists from Canada were three of the 176 passengers on the plane, according to news reports. Sixty-three Canadians, including dental technician Mansour Pourjam and dentists Sharieh Faghihi, DDS, and Parisa Eghbalian, DDS, died in the crash. Others who were killed include 82

Henry Schein company to close Colo. milling center

Henry Schein’s laboratory supply business Zahn Dental plans to close a milling facility in Colorado. The Custom Milling Center in Golden will lay off 54 employees, according to a notice posted on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment website. Affected employees include customer care staff, finishing technicians, and machine operators. Zahn Dental reported closing the facility for reorganization and relocation purposes. The layoff will begin on March 9.

When does speed kill your cash flow in the dental practice?

Sit in on any practice management course today, and count the number of times the word “efficiency” gets used. I get it. More than ever, time is our most valuable commodity. What I hope to encourage you to ponder today is a better word — effective. How effective are you? How effective are your materials, processes, and protocols? Effective is the ultimate balance between efficiency and result. At the end

Man nearly dies after using nail to pick popcorn from teeth

Using a metal nail and other objects to dislodge popcorn from between his teeth may have caused a U.K. man’s potentially fatal blood infection that led him to undergo a lengthy surgery, according to news reports. Adam Martin is recovering following a deadly blood infection that led to his diagnosis of endocarditis. Doctors believe his attempts to remove the popcorn from his teeth by using a toothpick, pen cap, piece

Neocis reaches implant milestone

Dental implant surgery company Neocis announced that its Yomi robotics system was used to place over 1,000 implants in 2019. Yomi provides computerized navigation to assist in both the pre- and intraoperative phases of dental implantation surgery, according to the company. It offers physical guidance through haptic robotic technology and provides the surgeon with complete control and clear visualization of the surgical site, Neocis said.

Ex-NFL player announces oral brand partnership

Former NFL player Rob Gronkowski appeared on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on January 7 to announce an exclusive partnership between teeth-whitening and oral care company Snow and clear-aligner brand Byte. Gronkowski, formerly of the New England Patriots, is a part owner of Snow. In 2020, Snow and Byte will unveil cobranded products and initiatives for clear aligners and teeth whitening, according to the firms.

Podcast: Is this OTC medication the next substance of abuse?

A drug that is readily available as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication and easily accessible could become the next substance of abuse affecting your dental patients, according to dental pharmacology expert Tom Viola, RPh. On the latest episode of the Dental Assistant Nation podcast series, powered by IgniteDA.net. Viola joins me to talk about Benzedrex, commonly used by patients to provide temporary relief of nasal congestion by constricting blood vessels. Commonly

SmileDirectClub expands into Hong Kong

SmileDirectClub has brought its clear-aligner therapy to Hong Kong. The company has opened two SmileShops in Sheung Wan and Tsim Sha Tsui to give its residents access to doctor-directed remote clear-aligner therapy. This expansion comes on the heels of its announcement to partner with Walmart. SmileDirectClub recently announced on January 6 that Walmart would be the exclusive seller of its new oral care collection. SmileDirectClub already is available in the

Orthodontist assistant joins ‘The Bachelor’

An orthodontic assistant from San Antonio is one of 30 new contestants on the new season of “The Bachelor,” which premiered on January 6 on ABC. Alayah Benavidez is also a former Miss Texas USA, according to her bachelorette biography on ABC.com. In the first episode, Benavidez participated in the second group date with this season’s bachelor, Peter Weber.

Ormco upgrades software for Spark clear aligner

Orthodontic technology company Ormco has released a series of upgrades for its Spark clear-aligner Approver software. The Spark clear-aligner system uses proprietary TruGEN material to reduce staining and increase the sustained force of its clear aligners. Ormco has developed upgrades to its Approver platform that improve user experience and help streamline workflow when designing Spark clear aligners, the company said. Several of the new features and tools include an option

Dentist sued, allegedly set girl’s mouth on fire

The family of a 5-year-old girl filed a lawsuit on January 2 against a Las Vegas dentist, claiming he set the child’s mouth on fire during a routine dental procedure that left her with injuries that may be permanent, according to news reports. The family seeks at least $15,000 from Deep Karan Dhillon, DDS, of Just for Kids Dentistry and Orthodontics, for allegedly burning the girl’s epiglottis, throat, tongue, mouth,

SmileDirectClub, Walmart team up to sell new oral care line

Direct-to-consumer orthodontics company SmileDirectClub is disrupting the industry again, debuting a new, complete line of oral care products that will be sold exclusively at Walmart’s more than 3,800 stores and on its website. On Nasdaq, SmileDirectClub stock rose more than 17% on Monday after the announcement. The Tennessee-based company, which claims to be the first clear-aligner provider to offer oral care products on the mass market, developed the line to