CEREC v4.0 is the most intuitive and advanced CEREC software to date. It represents the most progressive software since the initial release of CEREC 3D nearly a decade ago. CEREC v4.0 is more than an upgrade; it is a major enhancement and redesign of the CEREC software platform which brings better performance, better working tools, and a workflow that makes using CEREC better than ever.

Here are just a few of the highlighted features to look out for with the new CEREC 4.0 Software:

• Multiple restoration designs that can be utilized in the same application.
• Enhanced tools that will allow for direct modification on the restoration.
• A workflow tool bar that allows the user to know the indicated design process.

For videos on CEREC v4.0, visit CERECdoctors.com.

About the author: Daniel Blandin is a CAD/CAM Support Specialist at PDS. This article was co-written with Andrea Lewis, Back Office Trainer, and originally appeared in PDS LIFE.

Pacific Dental Services debuted its Private Practice +™ model in high-tech booth number 2549. The brightly colored yellow 20 x 20 booth with its RAD Board (Real-time Alignment Deployment), which played videos introducing PDS, stood out on the ADA Expo Floor. There were also a number of PDS-affiliated owner doctors manning the booth to answer questions and share their personal insights on Pacific Dental Services.

PDS Private Practice+ Booth at the 2011 ADA in Vegas

According to Joseph Feldsien, Sr. Vice President of Professional Partnerships, one of the highlights of PDS’ participation in this year’s ADA was the party hosted by the company at the Eye Candy Lounge of the Mandalay Bay Casino. “The reason that this was such a huge hit was because it was a meeting of the who’s who in dentistry!,” said Feldsein.

The PDS Executive team including Stephen Thorne, President and Founder; Gary Tinseth, Chief Administration Officer; and Jon Thorne, Sr. Vice President of Operations, welcomed attendees who included respected dental speaker Dr. Paul Homoly, and representatives from Sirona, Henry Schein, Patterson, Proctor & Gamble, Ivoclar, 3M ESPE, Kerr, Inside Dentistry, Compendium, The Progressive Dentist, Joe Blaes of Dental Economics, Roger Levin from the Levin Group, and more.

“All these dignitaries learned again for the first time the story of PDS and Private Practice +,” said Feldsein. “They learned about our belief in Patients For Life and how proven technology affords the PDS clinician the unique advantage of modern dentistry that other large group practices just don’t have.”

Among the 300 people who attended the party was Ed Loonam, Specialty Recruiting Manager at PDS. “While on the floor at the ADA, I met some talented specialists who were very interested in working with us,” said Loonam. “It was great to speak with these doctors about PDS and learn about their goals. It was also incredibly rewarding to continue those conversations in a relaxed environment at the PDS party.”

Next year’s ADA will be in San Francisco and Joseph Feldsien says with a smile, that we should expect bigger and better things from PDS Private Practice+ “We will definitely connect again with all the people that we met at this year’s event and hope to connect with more movers and shakers in the dental industry,” said Feldsein. “And yes, we will definitely host another party.”

A smile...pass it on

“So, is it a command or a request?”

What? I was standing in line at the grocery store, double checking that I got everything that I came in to get. I must have had a very puzzled look on my face as I looked at the older gentleman in line ahead of me. He repeated, “Is that a command or a request?” as he pointed at my Smile Generation t-shirt.

“Well,” I replied, “I suppose most people smile when they look at it, so it must just be a given.”

“Hmmm…” he said fighting off a smile of his own, “I just have fun reading people’s t-shirts.”

I explained to him, “If you were out at the Irvine Marketplace at lunch time today, you would’ve seen a few hundred of us wandering around with this shirt on. It’s for the launch of our new website called The Smile Generation.”

I turned around so he could read the back of my shirt. “We have several hundred dental offices across 5 states.”

He just smiled at me, so I smiled back. He said, “You have a nice smile.”

I replied, “We have good dentists.”

He laughed.

When he got to the register, the checker asked if he wanted to donate $1 to the City of Hope for pediatric cancer research. He said he would, and she asked him to write his name on one of the cards they hang up around the store. Instead of writing his name, he pointed to me and said, “I want to write down her company’s name because she’s just been so nice. And I like her smile.” I flashed him my pearly whites again, thanking Dr. Reagan and Dr. Buehler in my head for all the work they did in my mouth. Then I turned around so he could see the back of the shirt and get the spelling right.

I smiled and said, “Thank you,” and he smiled back before gathering his groceries and wishing me a good day.

How do I wear my t-shirt? Well, I started wearing mine for charity:water. Then I wore it so I could wear a t-shirt and jeans to work. Next thing you know, I’m wearing it for pediatric cancer research. How will you wear it?

Click Here For More Photos!

On February 5^th, 2010 – PDS affiliated offices participated in the American Dental Association^® (ADA) “Give Kids a Smile^®” event to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Forty PDS-affiliated offices – in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, United Way, local schools, churches and homeless shelters – provided a day of free dentistry, including dental exams, digital x-rays, cleanings, fillings, sealants and extractions, to more than 400 children throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado.

“We are very proud of our affiliated offices that spent the day volunteering for children in need,” said Steve Thorne, Pacific Dental Services founder and president.

This was the fifth consecutive year PDS has participated in “Give Kids a Smile^®,” “and below are a few of the stories that came out of this touching event.

We had a little boy named Joshua. He and his father were here at 7:35 for their 8am appt. Joshua needed 8 extractions and 4 fillings and was so sweet about it all. Jessica the dental asst was taking Joshua’s x-rays and he began to cry as he looked at them, Jessica noticed and said “Do your teeth hurt?” He said “yes.” Dr Hashemi after completing an exam decided it would be too much for the boy to go through all the work and asked if I minded if he brought Joshua back to complete the other half of his mouth on his own time. I said “of course”. Joshua’s dad works for very little delivering blankets to the homeless, and they don’t provide insurance to the members of the organization. He was so good during his treatment and his dad was so very thankful for what we had done for his son. I went to the operatory to check on Joshua and he was watching a movie with a ton of gauze in his mouth, I said “you did really good today Joshua”, he shook his head yes. This is the reason we do this event for kids just like Joshua.

Katrina Davis – Stockton

The day went great we saw nine kids.  We did have one boy from the homeless shelter that is 14.  When he was 8 he broke his front tooth so he doesn’t have anything there.  The root tip is still there but we’re looking to see if maybe we can help him in some way?  His mom left him 8 months ago.  He and his dad live in the shelter.  We had a lot of great kids did a lot of fills and sealants. Everyone had a lot of fun and the staff even had ponytails.

Sue Leverett – Hesperia 2

I know we were heartbroken when the first time anyone had shown one of our “kids” how to brush and take care of his teeth was when he arrived to our office at 15 years of age. I was so thankful we had bilingual staff on hand to assist and show them step-by-step. Our Doctors were very generous in their efforts to assist the children as much as they could. All the children left the office smiling and saying that going to the Dentist “wasn’t so scary after all. They also loved their kid-themed goody bags.

Nicole Armstrong – Thousand Oaks

These examples are just a snapshot of why “We Serve”

“Become an artist” was Seth’s driving point the entire night. Art isn’t about just using brushes and painting, it’s about doing “emotional work”. Work that you pour yourself into and that you are passionate about.  Creating that connection with your patient, modeling that CAD/CAM crown and laughing with your staff can be art. It shows you care, and in a world where word of mouth is driving business, showing you care can create an exponential amount of new patients and hopefully make your work life more enjoyable.

When I first started with Pacific Dental Services 3 years ago the Dental Industry was a much slower beast. Most marketing was done with traditional local ads and postcard mailers. Online, things were a little more innovative but still way behind other fast paced industries. Now it’s 2010 and things are changing rapidly, our patients are demanding value, dentistry is becoming much more competitive. Business used to be about talking about how valuable your service was; now it’s about proving it.

You can quote me when I tell you that business has changed forever. With the adoption of social tools and mobile on the rise, the practices that offer the best experience for their patient and employee will become indispensable. How great is that? Those who do “emotional work” reap the reward.

How are you and/or your practice going to be a Linchpin in 2010? How is your business or place of work going to be the one where people see value?

Tell us how you will be indispensable in 2010 and comment below! Now go “make some art”!

I want to give a special thanks to Bryan Elliott who managed to put this event together in grass roots style. He is truly a Linchpin. To see the rest of the photos from the event visit my posterous page

“I had previously donated to the Red Cross to help Haiti and then I saw a special segment on CNN and I knew I had to do more.” said San Clemente Owner Doctor Darin Reagan.   That’s exactly what Dr. Reagan and his team at San Clemente Dental Group did.

The office decided that they would volunteer their services, come in on a Saturday and partner with their patients.  San Clemente Dental Group contacted their patients through e-mail and phone to offer an opportunity to receive previously diagnosed dentistry for a flat donation to the Red Cross in support of Haiti.

“We wanted to do something to make a difference and help those poor people and this was a way to get involved.” said Barb Vartanian office manager.  The office targeted patients who needed a crown or an onlay so that they could put their CEREC machine to work and provide patients with the “right fit” all in a day.

It was a great opportunity for the patient to get a great deal with a tax write-off, receive the dentistry they needed, and help someone in need.  Talk about a win, win, win for the patient.

Dr. Reagan and his team were able to win as well because it allowed them to strengthen their relationship with their patients and use their talents to help others who desperately need assistance.  At the end of the day the San Clemente team was able to see 10 patients and raise $5,000 for the victims of Haiti.

Great work Dr. Reagan, Barb, and the rest of the San Clemente team.

You can also watch the above video on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlXrxnteg8E

President & CEO Steve Thorne

It’s amazing to me that most dentists still practice dentistry the same way my grandfather did for 50 years; and he retired about 30 years ago!  Yes, bridges and partials were common practice for him.  I don’t believe he ever did an implant.  He used film to take x-rays (most dentists in America still use film).  He also sent his crowns out to laboratories and told his patients to come back two weeks later for a delivery, hoping that the patient’s temporary didn’t come off and the crown would fit.

Check out this video clip from David Letterman prodding at dentists in America for their deficiency in practicing Modern Dentistry (a concept that PDS is pioneering).  It’s an excellent commentary; a true patient’s viewpoint on what patients want from their dentist!  Patients don’t want goopy impressions.  Patients don’t want multiple visits.  Patients don’t want temporaries that simply fall off.  Patients want to be offered up-to-date techniques and the best possible care.  They deserve to have their dentist practicing Modern Dentistry. At PDS we are continually working to make sure that patients don’t have the same experience as Mr. Letterman.

To all of our colleagues in the world of dentistry, what advancements have you seen add real value to your patient’s experience?  What are ways that you have helped make your patients love coming back to your office?  If we can make going to the dentist an efficient and enjoyable experience for everyone; it’s a benefit for all!  Tell me your thoughts.

P.S. Mr. Letterman, I would love for you to experience true Modern Dentistry at any PDS affiliated office any time you want, compliments of me!

Video Courtesy of Youtube®