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Industry ORTHO TRIBUNE | MAy 201020 SureSmile introduces version 5.8 S ureSmile 5.8, first introduced to an international audience of orthodontists at the annual SureSmile conference, is now avail- able for commercial use. In keeping with SureSmile’s comprehensive service approach, all current cus- tomers will automatically receive the upgrade at no additional cost. OraMetrix, a leading provider of technology-based orthodontic care solutions, announced the lat- est advancements in its SureSmile® system, which combines 3-D diag- nostic imaging with computerized treatment plan modeling and robot- ic archwire customization, at its annual conference, held March 4–6, in Dallas. Among the many new capabili- ties of SureSmile 5.8 software are its increased workflow automation, for even more ease-of-use for cli- nicians, and its lingual treatment capability. “We are continuously evolv- ing SureSmile as orthodontists gain more experience in applying digital technology to patient treat- ment,” said Charles Abraham, CEO of OraMetrix. “We are committed to maintaining our position at the forefront of the digital revolution in orthodontics.” 2010 SureSmile conference Seven hundred and fifty attendees from the United States, as well as from Japan, Germany, Australia and Canada, including orthodontists, their staff members and special guests, attended and participated in the SureSmile conference at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center and Resort outside Dallas. The event offered more than 50 educational and clinical ses- sions and business seminars. According to Phoenix-based ortho- dontist Dr. Joe Pearson, “It is the right mix of study and entertain- ment, and one of the best confer- ences I attend all year.” Said orthodontist Barry Booth from Chicago, “The atmosphere is wonderful, full of learning and lots of sharing of ideas amongst present- ers and amongst orthodontists.” SureSmile 5.8 One of the key new features of SureSmile 5.8 is its workflow auto- mation system, which leads the U ltradent Products and its orth- odontic division, Opal Ortho- dontics, unveiled on April 22 its partnership with Shofu, one of the largest international dental materials and equipment manu- facturers with more than 85 years of industry experience. Shofu will be the exclusive distributor of Opal Orthodontics in Japan. Founded in 1922 by Kajo Shofu III, a Japanese entrepreneur and researcher, Shofu has a solid his- tory with regional key opinion leaders and orthodontic special- ists. Now a publicly traded com- pany on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Shofu has remained one of the top manufacturers of dental products used by dentists, dental technicians and dental hygienists with affiliate companies in the United States, Germany, Singapore, United King- dom and China. Shofu will be the exclusive dis- tributor of Opal Orthodontics prod- ucts in Japan. Ultradent Japan will continue with distribution for Ultra- dent’s dental products through a network of distributors in Japan. Dr. Richard P. McLaughlin, a private consultant to Ultradent’s orthodontic division, has been an active proponent of the Shofu- Ultradent partnership. “It is a pleasure to renew my relationship with Shofu in Japan under a new umbrella with a quality innovator of orthodontic products such as Ultradent,” said McLaughlin. “Dr. Masatada Koga, a recognized orthodontic expert, and I share a history of working in tandem to educate Shofu cus- tomers on advanced orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning and patient care. Ultradent will add more depth with its long history of continuing education and the development of quality, innovative orthodontic products. ” McLaughlin’s passion for con- tinuous improvement of the pre- adjusted appliance is what drew him to Ultradent and to Dr. Dan Fischer, its president and founder. Last year, McLaughlin partnered with Opal Orthodontics as an advo- cate and consultant, helping to lead the global orthodontic educa- tion program and as a contributor to new product development and design. In the first quarter of 2010, McLaughlin represented Ultradent at a continuing education course in Japan, educating more than 200 orthodontists on case studies relat- ed to the Opal Orthodontics system. For more information on the partnership between Shofu and Ultradent Products, contact Hiroshi Kaji of Ultradent Japan at hiroshi. kaji@ultradent.com or Masaru Miyajima of Shofu at m-miyajima@ shofu.co.jp. OT Ultradent announces new partnership with Shofu orthodontist step-by-step through its treatment-planning, decision- making and appliance-management process, making SureSmile easy to learn while helping the orthodon- tist become more efficient with the software. SureSmile 5.8 extends the core guide feature with automatically enabled customized toolbars, and a new image superposition enables the orthodontist to see the treatment model in the context of the whole face. Additionally, SureSmile 5.8 has the capability to create a 3-D digital model for lingual treatment plan- ning and custom precision arch- wires. The demand for lingual orth- odontic treatment, an option for patients concerned with esthetics, where the brackets and wires are placed on the tongue side of the teeth and out of view, is growing. “With SureSmile, the most dif- ficult and time-consuming part of the lingual treatment — bending and adjusting the wires on the lin- gual side of the teeth — is removed, making it a better solution for both orthodontist and patient,” said Phil Getto, chief technology officer of OraMetrix. OraMetrix, founded in 1998, is a leading provider of innovative, tech- nology-based solutions designed to improve the quality of orthodontic care. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, OraMetrix has development centers in Berlin, Germany and Richardson. OT Updates include workflow automation and lingual capabilities A new image superposition feature of the SureSmile 5.8 enables the orthodontist to see the treatment model in the context of the whole face. (Photos/Provided by SureSmile) SureSmile inventor and orthodon- tist, Dr. Rohit Sachdeva, presents a session during the SureSmile user’s conference. The SureSmile user’s conference featured a variety of clinical and software training sessions. For more information on SureSmile, visit www.suresmile.com. ContactOT