From DSO milestones to new technology, here are 14 notable 'firsts' that took place in the dental industry this year:
1. Massachusetts voters greenlighted a first-of-its-kind initiative to reform dental insurer spending in November. The ballot question asked voters whether the state should establish a medical loss ratio that would require dental insurers to spend at least 83 percent of premium dollars on dental services or refund the difference to patients.
2. UCSF became the first academic health system in the West to merge oral health and medical records into an electronic health record.
3. In August, Pacific Dental Services became the first DSO to integrate dental and medical data into Epic's electronic health record system.
4. Convergent Dental received FDA 510(k) clearance for the first and only dental laser to reduce mineral loss in dental enamel.
5. The first independent venture capital fund for oral health companies launched in the U.S. in September.
6. Dover, N.J.-based Zufall Health became the first federally qualified health center to have graduates from its community dental health coordinator program.
7. The Medicaid-Medicare-CHIP Services Dental Association and Overjet teamed up to create the first national Medicaid artificial intelligence dental program initiative.
8. Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sage Dental was the first DSO in the U.S. to offer KiyoClear aligners by Japanese manufacturer SheepMedical.
9. Lee Ann Brady, DMD, was the first woman to be inducted into the Pankey Institute's Master Hall, an organization honoring dentists who have mastered dentistry skills and contributed to the industry.
10. Nine dentists who are using the Yomi dental implant robot in their state.
11. A study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry in Indianapolis provided new details about the longevity of teeth post root canal.
12. Anibal Diogenes, DDS, PhD, was the first dentist to be named a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. The Piper Professor Award recognizes excellence in university professors and is given to only 10 educators in Texas each year.
13. Pearl received FDA clearance for its Second Opinion software, the first in the world to read dental X-rays to identify oral health conditions.
14. Mohamed Maksoud, DMD, a lecturer at the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, was the first dentist chosen for the Fulbright Specialist Program by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchanges.