Industry News

The Industry News section helps keep you informed and up-to-date about what’s happening in the dental profession. If there is information you would like to share in this section, please email your news releases to arselia@farranmedia.com. All material is subject to editing and space availability.

Vigilant Biosciences Awarded Grant for Oral Cancer Diagnostic System
Vigilant Biosciences, a developer of solutions that aid in the early detection and intervention of cancer, has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant of $219,454 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

The 15-month grant will fund research by Vigilant Biosciences to develop a diagnostic test that utilizes optical imaging and an oral rinse to detect CD44, a tumor-initiating and stem cell-associated biomarker for oral cancer.

Vigilant Biosciences’ current product line is based on patented technology that measures a combination of CD44 and total protein levels—markers clinically validated to be associated specifically with oral cancer when measured in an oral rinse—to aid clinicians in the early detection and intervention of oral cancer.

The Phase I preclinical study will include in vitro work as well as human tissues from cancer patients and patients with benign disease of the throat.

Registration Open for Virtual Race for Smiles

Registration is now open for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation’s Give Back a Smile (GBAS) program’s fourth annual Virtual Race for Smiles.

The Virtual Race for Smiles, held October 14–16, occurs during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and is intended to raise awareness of domestic violence. The event also helps raise funds to support smile restorations for survivors of domestic and sexual violence through the GBAS program.

What started as a local 5K has since become a virtual event, allowing GBAS supporters to participate no matter where they are in the world. Last year, 200 people participated worldwide and raised more than $8,000 for GBAS.

Since the event has gone virtual, participants are becoming increasingly creative with their participation. From the bowling alley to the driving range, dental teams—and even their four-legged companions—have been doing their part to raise awareness of domestic violence and support smile restorations through GBAS.

For more information and to register, visit aacd.com/raceforsmiles.

Philadelphia Named as 2017 Lucy Hobbs Awards Celebration Destination
Benco Dental has announced that it will host its fifth annual Lucy Hobbs Project celebration on April 27–28, 2017, at the Loews Hotel in downtown Philadelphia.

During the gathering, the Lucy Hobbs Project will honor the women selected as award recipients for setting new benchmarks in the dental profession. The event will also include CE credits and a keynote speaker.

Benco encourages people across the country to nominate women in dentistry who they view as inspirations to others.

Six award categories for consideration include: woman to watch, industry icon, mentor, innovator, humanitarian and clinical expert. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 18.

Individuals and organizations may submit nominations, and self-nominations are accepted as well. Only nominations submitted via the online survey and listed as complete will be considered.

The Lucy Hobbs Project empowers women in dentistry to drive change and deliver success through networking, innovation and giving back. It aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry—dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, receptionists, sales representatives and others. The project is free to join and offers networking opportunities, educational programs and charitable events.

For more information, visit thelucyhobbsproject.com.

American Dental Association Launches New Credentialing Service
In keeping with its commitment to helping dentists work more efficiently and improve their practices, the American Dental Association (ADA) announced the national launch of the ADA Credentialing Service. 

The national launch enables dentists throughout the U.S. to enter their credential information one time where it can then be accessed on demand by multiple health payers. The service replaces the time-consuming, labor-intensive process of filling out an application for each payer network the provider wishes to join.

Using software developed by Wonderbox Technologies, the ADA Credentialing Service represents a significant improvement for both providers and payers over other credentialing options.

Payers, hospitals, employers and third-party administrators will use a separate ADA URL to access the credentialing service and download the provider information. The service eliminates the need to contact and follow up with each provider individually when credentialing dentists, delivering information in minutes that formerly took weeks to obtain.

The ADA is currently providing use of the ADA Credentialing Service at no charge to all members and non-member dentists.

For more information or to register, dental providers can go to ada.org/credentialing.