Several dental companies have introduced innovative ways of improving dental care, including inventing new technologies, expanding care and implementing new business models.
Here are eight recent firsts covered by Becker's since April 10:
1. Boston-based Perceptive, a dental technology company, completed the first fully automated dental procedure on a human using dental robotics.
2. Batesville, Ark.-based Lyon College broke ground on the state's first dental school.
3. Sarasota, Fla.-based Dental Care Alliance is the first large-scale DSO to launch guided biofilm therapy to its network.
4. BioHorizons, a dental implant company, released Tapered Pro Conical, its first dental implant with a deep conical connection.
5. Researchers developing a tooth regeneration drug are set to conduct the first human trial for the drug.
6. Guardian has become the first dental insurer to offer a tobacco cessation program through its partnership with Pelago, a virtual clinic for substance use management.
7. OrthoFX launched NiTime clear aligners, the first aligner system designed for shorter wear time that is cleared by the FDA.
8. REV One Dental launched in the industry as the first DSO to have a regional footprint majority-owned by its founding dentists.