Silver Diammine Fluoride

METUCHEN, N.J.--( BUSINESS WIRE )--MouthWatch, LLC, an industry leader in teledentistry solutions and dental intraoral cameras , is marking 2023 as a year defined by its commitment to continuous innovation, development of new technology solutions, and helping dental professionals increase access to care, improve oral health, and deliver excellence in patient experience. “As we reflect on 2023 and look ahead to 2024 and beyond, we are so proud of what we have accomplished, grateful for the recognition we have received, and excited about the growing role MouthWatch solutions play in addressing the needs of today’s patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations focused on patient health,” said Brant Herman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MouthWatch and Dentistry One . 2023 was an exciting year for MouthWatch, as it continued to bring new and exciting solutions to the marketplace: Virtual Care Innovation: MouthWatch launched Dentistry.One; a virtual-first dental care network built to break down barriers to oral health care, address the expectations of today’s modern healthcare consumers, the need for greater efficiency in healthcare, and the proven connection between good oral health and overall health. Dentistry.One features on-demand dental consultations, personalized care coordination, and oral health coaching for prioritizing oral health. Congressional Briefing : Mr. Herman joined other distinguished leaders in dental innovation at a Congressional Briefing in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Dental Trade Alliance, to share insights and experience about how teledentistry and artificial intelligence can improve both access to dental care and patient outcomes. Founder Recognition: Mr. Herman was named among NJBIZ Magazine’s “2023 People to Watch in Healthcare.” He was also named by the American Mobile and Teledentistry Alliance as one of the "Top 50 Teledentistry Leaders to Know in 2023," along with three other company Directors. Leadership Team Growth: New leadership roles were created to ensure continued growth and success of MouthWatch and Dentistry One: Carolyn Brown, DDS: Dr. Brown assumed the role of Chief Dental Officer at Dentistry One. She first joined MouthWatch in 2022 as Chief Health Innovation Officer, a position she continues to hold. Dr. Brown is nationally recognized for her focus on helping individuals and organizations achieve growth, improve health outcomes, leverage digital innovation, and bridge the gap across the medical-dental divide. She was instrumental in helping to launch Dentistry.One. Dr. Brown’s training at Dartmouth during the early days of value-based care and ACO formation is invaluable in the understanding of big data, diagnostic codes, healthtech, and risk-based partnerships. Previously, Dr. Brown has held academic positions at two dental schools, with over $20 million in research-related grant funding, and was amongst the first in the country to explore new models of dental care, including mobile and teledentistry. Sharity Ludwig, EPDH, MS: Ms. Ludwig joined Dentistry One as Senior Director of Clinical Operations. In this pivotal role, she oversees the development and implementation of innovative clinical strategies and processes for ensuring a seamless Dentistry One Provider-Patient experience. Prior to joining Dentistry One, Ms. Ludwig worked for 12+ years in various roles at DentaQuest, the largest Medicaid dental benefits administrator in the US. Her primary role was responsible for collaborating with clinical providers and operations management to develop and implement non-traditional services and care models across more than 70 practices and 200 providers. She played a key role in developing high-value clinical business opportunities and defining strategic and tactical objectives to oversee community-based care coupled with integrated care models for physical, behavioral, and oral health systems. Ms. Ludwig, in addition to dental care administration, treated at-risk patient populations as a clinical dental hygienist in both a federally qualified health center and private practice. Her background also includes coordinating dental services among various public and private dentistry stakeholders for a public health department and serving as project director for a Phase 3 randomized clinical trial of silver diamine fluoride. Susan Vassallo: Ms. Vassallo was promoted to Director of Marketing for MouthWatch and Dentistry One. In this role, she is responsible for driving visibility for the company’s products, services, and solutions to help ensure their sustained success. Ms. Vassallo brings over two decades of leadership experience in marketing communications and brand management to the company. Prior to joining MouthWatch and Dentistry One, her work in creating and deploying marketing communications strategies and initiatives contributed to growing a $1.5 billion national healthcare distributor into a multi-billion-dollar global Fortune 500 health solutions company serving dental and medical practitioners. Ms. Vassallo is passionate about raising awareness for important health topics and uncovering opportunities to increase access to care. Product Awards: The MouthWatch Intraoral Camera continued its winning streak by taking a 2023 Dentaltown Magazine Townie Choice Award in its category for the fourth consecutive year. In addition, the dental industry online forum and community, Nifty Thrifty Dentists, awarded the MouthWatch Intraoral Camera with a best product award based on its value and performance. The company’s newest product, The MouthWatch Plus+ HD Intraoral Camera was recognized with three separate awards by Dentistry Today Magazine : “Top 50 Technology Products,” “Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products,” and “Top Innovative Products.” “The success we achieved during 2023 was possible because of the outstanding expertise of the MouthWatch and Dentistry One team and the deep commitment we share to improve oral health and help our customers achieve their goals,” said Mr. Herman. “We look forward to taking on 2024 and beyond with the same vigor and enthusiasm we experienced this past year.” About MouthWatch, LLC MouthWatch, LLC, is a leader in developing digital technology solutions that drive success for dental professionals, improve oral health care, and enhance the overall patient experience. Headquartered in Metuchen, New Jersey, MouthWatch is widely known for its intraoral cameras that help engage patients in treatment planning through high-quality, affordable imaging technology, and its TeleDent software that provides practices and organizations with a teledentistry option to engage patients with providers remotely. MouthWatch launched Dentistry.One, a virtual-first care network that addresses the expectations of today’s modern healthcare consumers, the need for greater efficiency in healthcare, and the proven connection between good oral health and total health. Dentistry.One features on-demand dental consultations, personalized care coordination, and oral health coaching for prioritizing oral health. MouthWatch hardware and software are in use at over 40,000 practices, over 40 leading Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), and over 100 dental and hygiene schools. The company has been recognized three times in the Inc. 5000. For more information, visit mouthwatch.com . or dentistry.one .

In a study of nearly 3,000 schoolchildren, silver diamine fluoride -- a liquid that is brushed onto the surface of teeth to prevent cavities or keep them from worsening -- was as effective against cavities as dental sealants, the standard of care. A single dose of either topical treatment given in elementary schools prevented roughly 80% of cavities and kept 50% of cavities from worsening when children were seen two years later. In a study of nearly 3,000 schoolchildren, silver diamine fluoride -- a liquid that is brushed onto the surface of teeth to prevent cavities or keep them from worsening -- was as effective against cavities as dental sealants, the standard of care. A single dose of either topical treatment given in elementary schools prevented roughly 80% of cavities and kept 50% of cavities from worsening when children were seen two years later. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, offer an efficient and cost-effective approach to improving children's oral health through school-based care. Dental cavities are the most common chronic disease in children, and kids from low-income families are twice as likely to have cavities as those from higher-income families. Without proper and timely intervention, cavities can lead to severe infections, reduce children's quality of life, and are associated with lower student academic performance and school attendance. But getting kids to a dentist for the recommended twice-yearly visits can be challenging, especially when parents need to take time off of work. To reduce the barriers to seeing a dentist, some basic dental services can be offered in schools, especially those serving children from low-income families. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends and funds school sealant programs. In 2017, NYU College of Dentistry researchers received funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to run the nation's largest school-based cavity prevention study, which they named CariedAway. CariedAway is a randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of two cavity-prevention techniques: a "simple" treatment using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and fluoride varnish, and a "complex" treatment using traditional glass ionomer sealants and fluoride varnish. Both are non-invasive and applied to the surface of teeth to prevent and arrest cavities in children, but for the same time and cost, providers can treat more children with the simpler SDF therapy. The study included 2,998 children in kindergarten through third grade at 47 New York City schools. The schools -- which serve a racially diverse group of students, most of whom are from low-income families -- were randomized to receive either the simple or complex treatment. Upon visiting each school, the clinical research team -- which included a supervising dentist, dental hygienists, registered nurses, and assistants -- did baseline exams to measure any tooth decay, and then applied fluoride varnish and either sealants or SDF, depending on whether the school was assigned to receive the complex or simple treatment. The initial visits took place in 2019 and early 2020, and were paused when the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily closed New York City schools and halted all school-based care. Two years later, schools allowed the clinical research team to resume, and they returned to each school for follow-up visits. The researchers found that both the simple and complex treatments were successful: just one cavity prevention treatment prevented more than 80% of cavities (81% for SDF and 82% for sealants) and stopped half of cavities from progressing (56% for SDF and 46% for sealants). "Without prevention, dental cavities grow continuously if not treated. One CariedAway cavity prevention treatment, provided just before schools closed during the pandemic, was remarkably effective over the following two-year period," said Richard Niederman, DMD, professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion at NYU College of Dentistry, co-principal investigator of CariedAway, and the study's senior author. "I know of no other dental preventive intervention that had this great a beneficial impact across the pandemic." While the limited availability of trained dental professionals can pose challenges for school sealant programs, as sealants are applied by a dentist or dental hygienist, SDF may be an attractive alternative, as it can also be applied by nurses -- a workforce already in place in many schools. "Our results support the use of SDF for cavity prevention in school-based oral health programs and offer an opportunity for expanding access to critical oral health care," said Ryan Richard Ruff, MPH, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion at NYU College of Dentistry, co-principal investigator of CariedAway and the study's first author. Tamarinda Barry-Godín, DDS, MPH, was a study co-author. This research was funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (award PCS-1609-36824).