Advancements in curing lights and the integration of laser technology in dentistry have revolutionized patient care, offering enhanced precision and efficiency in a variety of procedures. However, these advancements bring in a critical element that cannot be overlooked: the need for eye protection.

Not all dental curing lights are created equal and it’s crucial to understand the differentiating factors between lights before investing in one for your office. Irradiance vs power, beam size, even the tools used to measure light outputs all play major roles in how a curing light will function. To find true quality and efficiency in a light, a user must be able to wade through the waves of false and misleading claims often made in the world of dental curing light advertising—Ultradent’s Sr. VP of Research & Development, Neil Jessop, delves into these topics and more in this edition of Dentistry Decoded: Insights from R&D.

As curing light technology improves, dentists are consistently sold on irradiance (mw per cm2) as being the defining factor in beam effectiveness. While there is no doubt irradiance adds value, it does not tell the full story of how well a light will cure various materials. Irradiance tests typically only show the irradiance of a very small portion of the light. Measuring the power distributed over the entire beam tells a more comprehensive story of its curing capabilities.

From Fortune. ©2022 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. At a time when employee retention issues are common conversations on social media and in boardrooms, employers are looking for more and more ways to combat turnover and attract top candidates. While no company is immune to cultural shifts, Ultradent has been able to create an invaluable culture and quality employee experience. This is evidenced by Fortune Magazine honoring Ultradent as the fifth Best Large Workplace in Manufacturing and Production for 2022.

In dentistry, as in life, those deserving the most praise often go unheralded. Hygienists don’t typically receive the acclaim or public fanfare of dentists, but their contributions to their practices are no less valuable.

“It’s giving back. I feel so lucky and blessed to have what I have and to be able to do something with a great group of people that at the end of the day, leaves someone else far better off than they were before. It is incredibly fulfilling to me,” says Karen Phillips, Ultradent’s Director of US sales, of her recent humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic as part of the Crown Council’s Smiles for Life Foundation.

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!

Whether you've just finished whitening your teeth or you'd like to try a whitening toothpaste before taking on a formal whitening regimen, Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste will do the trick. Unlike most toothpastes that you buy at the grocery or drug store, Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste is doctor-formulated to be the highest-quality professional-grade toothpaste on the market. When Opalescence introduced this toothpaste, it was only available exclusively through your dentist's office. But the demand for easier access to purchase it has grown exponentially over the years, and we listened. Last month, Opalescence launched its first ever online toothpaste store, where patients can purchase Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste in its Original Formula as well as its Sensitivity Relief Formula with just the click of a mouse! Now, if you haven't had a chance to try it, here are a few reasons you just may need to check it out for yourself:

“I often say that with dentists, half of our brains are in our hands. If you can’t use your hands, you can’t be a dentist because it’s just such a hands-on profession. I love being able to shape a tooth—it’s like an art to me that I enjoy immensely,” muses Dr. Dan Fischer, president and CEO of Ultradent Products. “There are many similarities between art, construction, engineering, and dentistry. Hey, we even build bridges!” he chuckles. A talented and innovative craftsman, even in the dental sense, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that in his senior year at Murray High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. Fischer received the prestigious Sterling Scholar Award for Industrial Arts, which included drafting and metal design.