Over the last 20 years, dentistry has changed quite a bit. It used to be that “because it’s a temporary, quality and esthetics didn’t matter.” Now, it’s more like “just because it’s a temporary, doesn’t mean quality and esthetics don’t matter.” Additionally, more clinicians are realizing the negative effect bad temporaries have on their business. If any of the following problems sound a little too familiar to you, it’s time to consider upgrading your temporary material.

Everyone deserves a confident, healthy, beautiful smile, and yet many of the solutions to dental esthetic abnormalities can cost patients thousands of dollars. Determined to find a more economical solution to this universal problem, Dr. Sigal Jacobson created the Uveneer™ direct composite template system which allows dentists to give their patients the gorgeous smile they desire at a fraction of the price.

Carol Jent, RDH October is National Dental Hygiene Month, so we wanted to celebrate Carol Jent, Ultradent's Clinical RDH. We recently sat down with Carol to talk about her favorite hygiene products. "The first Ultradent sealant product I used from the company, before I ever even worked here, was UltraSeal XT® plus sealant. The office where I was working at the time had used another sealant product that I didn't like at all—it seemed it was always failing and we were constantly having to redo sealant. "At a trade show we learned about UltraSeal XT plus sealant and decided to give it a try and track the success rate. We were amazed! We weren't having to redo any of our sealants and if we did, it was rare."

Guardsman Pass, UT "I took this photo looking over Guardsman Pass where it looks into Heber," says Micaela Congino of the October photo featured in Ultradent's 2016 calendar. "My husband and I just decided to take a drive one day last fall and we actually hadn't taken that particular route to Park City before and noticed a bunch of people pulled off to the side of the road taking photos, so we got out to take a look and couldn't believe the view!" Micaela Congino Micaela has worked as a marketing assistant at Ultradent on the brand manager team for three years. Born and raised in Midway, Utah, Micaela explains that while her parents certainly appreciated Utah from the get-go, she took its beauty and views for granted for a long time. "My mom and dad came to Park City on ski trips when they were young and never went home because they loved it here so much. My mom is from Norway and grew up in California and my dad is from New Jersey. They're Utah transplants because they enjoy the mountains and all that Utah has to offer. I didn't realize until I was an adult and had traveled a bit how pretty my home state really is." She continues, "In fact, when my husband Todd and I got married in June of 2014, we chose Louland Falls as our ceremony site, which is located in Parley's Canyon, because we thought it showcased Utah's beautiful, unique red rocks, as well as its green tree and mountain landscape." Micaela and her husband's wedding at Louland Falls As a family, Micaela says their favorite seasons are fall and spring. "My husband and I have two dogs—Stella and Kirby—so we love to take them outdoors to play and hike. There's so much to do!" Their dogs Stella and Kirby However, it isn't just the fact that Ultradent is a Utah company that influenced her decision to work here. "I love Ultradent's people and culture. I feel like what we do here is making a difference in the world and that we care about what we do, and that's important to me. Also, Dr. Fischer, our founder and CEO, demonstrates great care for not only the business, but the human side of the business, which is really neat." Micaela graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Mass Communications, and is a huge Utes fan. In addition to her work, her hobbies, her husband and her dogs, Micaela also has a new love in her life—her three-month old baby girl, whom she, her husband, and her puppy-babies adore. Micaela, her husband, and new baby girl Congratulations, Micaela! Learn more about Ultradent »

Dr. Dan Fischer, CEO and founder of Ultradent founded the company's non-profit organization with a mission of strengthening and aligning global communities by empowering vulnerable and underprivilaged children through education. Having grown up in a third-generation polygamous sect, the The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), Dr. Fischer left the sect in the early 1990's, and later, saw an influx of teens and young adults being kicked or discouraged out of the group-- left to fend for themselves with little education and zero connection to the outside world. The Diversity Foundation aims to help these young people integrate into society--mostly through mentoring and education-- as well as to help prevent crimes by encouraging diversity and awareness among people of all backgrounds and walks of life. Here is a recent Diversity Foundation success story: When Brenda Nicholson, her husband, and her six children left the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) church in 2012, not only did they have no income and nowhere to go, but they also had hardly any resources to help them integrate into society. After years of isolation in the Shortcreek area of Utah and Arizona—a hub of the FLDS community—Brenda's husband didn't even know how to write re'sume' to obtain a job, and none of the members of their family had obtained anything more than a high school education.

San Rafael Swell Overlook Andrea Bailey might be a Utah native, but that doesn't mean she takes Utah's incredible geography for granted. In fact, Andrea, who is Ultradent's global brand manager over composites and crown and bridge materials, says that the state's outdoor offerings—including its unmatched mountains, red rock formations, and lakes—are what keep her in the beehive state.

When does 3=4? When we’re talking about how the 3 components of the Triodent™ sectional matrix systems help you achieve the 4 C’s of a successful Class II restoration. We know what you’re looking for in your Class II restorations. It’s what we call the 4 C’s: natural contours, tight contacts, consistent outcomes, and total confidence in your work. We also know that if you want restorations you can take pride in, you need a complete matrix system you can rely on. The Triodent sectional matrix system has the 3 essential components you need to create beautiful Class II restorations. Each component is carefully designed to be effective on its own, but the system simply works better together.

I have to say, I'm very excited with the recent release of the newest member of our VALO family—the VALO Grand curing light. In fact, we've been chomping at the bit to be able to get this fantastic new light out to our customers because it raises the bar. With a 50% larger curing head than the original VALO curing light, the VALO Grand light has a footprint large enough to cure an MOD on a molar in one curing cycle! Not only this, but it does it in a way that if the dentist or dental assistant that is doing the curing is a little off of dead-center, the power and footprint of the VALO Grand light will compensate and provide a complete, uniform cure.

Alas—the final days of summer are upon us, but that doesn't mean that the fun, the happiness, the memory-making, and the smiles have to stop. If you find yourself feeling a twinge of the end-of-summer blues, we're here to give you a little boost. Inspired by Opalescence® Whitening, we've gathered a few of our favorite songs into an end-of-summer playlist that will banish your blues and remind you to look back on the summer of '16 with a smile. Download the list below, or click here to follow our playlist on Spotify. Happy listening, and remember to smile!

"Fluoride treatments—from how we administer them; to their effectiveness; to how they taste, look, and even feel—have come a long way," says Carol Jent, Ultradent's in-house clinical registered dental hygienist. But she believes we've finally hit a sweet spot with Enamelast fluoride varnish—a varnish that tastes great, is easy to apply, and exhibits excellent retention to the teeth. (She says she's seen Enamelast fluoride varnish stay on the teeth for up to 72 hours!) Enamelast varnish also looks great and appears natural on the teeth. Best of all, this fluoride varnish displays remarkably high fluoride uptake rates, which, she believes, is the most important function of a fluoride treatment or varnish.