ABS Blog

ABS is excited to be heading back to Chicago this year for LMT Lab Day 2022. We have been in attendance at LMT’s Lab Day since it’s debut, way back in 1985! Unfortunately, the in-person conference was cancelled last year for the first time due to the pandemic. So, this year, I’m sure the energy will be off the charts.

We always love getting to see our customers in-person and meet new leaders of the industry face-to-face. What better place to do so than in Chicago every year at LMT’s Lab Day event? Well, it’s almost that time again, and we can’t wait to see some old faces and meet some new ones.

WHERE TO FIND US

As always, we will be in the East Exhibit Hall on the Purple Level at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Our booth assignment is #I-26 and we will be in attendance Friday, February 25th, from 9:00am – 5:00pm and Saturday, February 26th, from 9:00am – 4:00pm. Please feel free to stop by and say, “hi,” or check out a demo of any of our software applications.

WHAT TO SEE

We’ll be showcasing the latest version of all of the ABS Evolution desktop and mobile applications. If you have any interest in exploring all of the ways we can help your lab increase productivity and efficiency, and you’ll be in Chicago the last weekend in February, drop by and take a look at what we have to offer.

Can’t wait? Get a sneak peak here:

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

The EvoMGR 13.0 mobile tablet application gives your lab’s high-level personnel access to real-time production information in your Evolution dental lab management system.

EvoMGR allows users the ability to track down cases wherever they may be throughout the lab. Managers can also see all work assigned to or completed by each of their technicians. They can even reassign cases to different technicians, bypass steps for cases, view and add images and notes to cases, and also see time clock data for each of their employees.

The latest release of EvoMGR, 13.0 provides the capability to reschedule internal remake cases. Managers can also bypass production steps and credit technicians directly from the new EvoMGR 13.0 mobile app.

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

Global supply chain issues have been effecting a lot of people over the last several months, causing price increases and product shortages. This has had many concerned for the future of the economy. Recently, however, an International Chamber of Shipping chair, Esben Poulsson, shared some encouraging news.

THE WORST IS OVER

In a November 23rd appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia, Poulsson said that retailers made a “significant level” of pre-orders which should help ease some product shortages. He also said that new container ships have been built and will slowly add to capacity over the next few years. Take a look at that interview here:

The Wall Street Journal also reported that the supply chain problems show signs of easing, claiming that costs for transporting ocean freight have come down from record-level highs.

PROBLEMS STILL PERSIST

Some of the issues that caused the crisis to begin with still persist. For example, regional COVID outbreaks, strong consumer demands, port congestion and truck driver shortages are all problems that still plague the system. Another issue that Esben Poulsson touched on in his interview is mandatory vaccines for travel have made it difficult for some ship crew members to travel to the ports where they work.

Another blow to the recovery would be if the global response to the new Omicron variant is as stringent as the response to the Delta variant. Per Hong of Kearney, a global management consulting firm, told CNBC, “A lot of unknowns, but Omicron is certainly setting up to be yet another test of resilience for global supply chains that were already under stress and in the midst of a lengthy healing process.”

Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

As I perused through some news, I ran across a headline from Delta Dental that stated “sugarless gum can be good for teeth.” Oh? I like sugar-free gum. Tell me more!

I began reading through the part of the article with detail about the origins of chewing gum and how gum sweetened with sugar isn’t so good. The first point about how sugarless gum can be good for your teeth focuses on the sweetener, xylitol.

XYLITOL

Sugar-free gum uses a variety of artificial sweeteners. One of the more popular sweeteners for sugarless gum today is a natural sweetener called xylitol. Delta Dental states that “xylitol has been proven to be an effective weapon fighting oral diseases.” In the statement, there is a link to another article by Delta Dental all about xylitol products.

Reading through the linked article, I found out how xylitol is extracted from plants, contains one-third of the calories as sugar and “has been proven to effectively prevent cavities when added to chewing gum… and other oral care products.” Great! Sign me up!

But wait, it takes about 20 grams of xylitol (or 20 sticks of gum) per day to work? Um, that seems a bit excessive. Who in the world would chew on 20 sticks of gum per day? Oh, and apparently xylitol can cause diarrhea and gas when consumed in excess. And, by the way, since “long-term side effects haven’t been extensively studied,” Delta Dental recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding women avoid xylitol.

So, basically, xylitol has been proven to prevent cavities in large quantities. However, large quantities of xylitol can cause unwanted health issues and pregnant or breastfeeding women should steer clear of it.

IS SUGAR-FREE GUM GOOD FOR TEETH, OR NOT?

Maybe. But, it’s unclear if the sweetener alternative, xylitol, really contributes to its perks. It’s more likely that the act of chewing any sugarless gum provides the most benefit. In the original article, Delta Dental writes:

“Chewing any sugar-free gum can greatly increase your flow of saliva, which may prevent tooth decay. That’s because the stronger flow of saliva removes sugars and neutralizes acids on your teeth. Increased saliva flow also reduces your risk of cavities because it contains calcium and phosphate that strengthen your teeth. In addition, increased saliva flow can temporarily improve effects of cavity-causing dry mouth, including bad breath.

If you chew sugar-free gum, it’s best to chew for 20 minutes after meals and snacks when the increased flow of saliva is most needed to help clean your mouth. Chewing sugar-free gum may also reduce stress, likely because of changes in brain chemicals as you chew. Stress is a factor in several oral health issues, including teeth grinding and clenching, mouth sores and gum disease.”

Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Introducing the newly-redesigned EvoSALES mobile app, version 13.0, from Atlanta Based Systems. EvoSALES mobile app is the premier mobile CRM, ideal for salespeople or customer service representatives on the go. This app is available for all Android and Apple smart phone or tablet devices.

EvoSALES 13.0 can be used for adding notes for doctors or their cases, seeing sales details for an account based on departments and even by individual product, viewing invoice information and even seeing case details for those cases that are currently at your laboratory.

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

November 1^st is National Brush Day (NBD). This ad campaign was first rolled out in August of 2012 and was designed to give parents ideas on how to get their kids to brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day. What better day to discuss the importance of brushing your teeth properly with your children than the day after they consume a pound of sugar? The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives and the Ad Council really nailed the timing of this nationally-observed holiday.

INTRODUCTION

Dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in America. In an effort to try to improve this issue in The United States of America, The Dental Trade Alliance has taken on the responsibility of promoting NBD. This year’s marketing campaign includes National Brush Day awareness. The intent is to spread the word to families about making NBD a family affair. You can find more information about National Brush Day 2021 here.

OPPORTUNITY

Making brushing your teeth a family affair after Halloween this year is a great opportunity to teach your children how important oral health is to their overall wellbeing. It could be a starting point for your kids to develop an essential habit that will help ensure a healthy smile. If your children already have a healthy brushing routine, you could use National Brush Day to help reinforce those habits.

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

Back in March, LMT put out an informative article on how to protect your dental lab from cyber attacks. The piece discusses some of the more common vulnerabilities within your computer network and how to help keep your data from unwanted intruders.

FROM LMTMAG.COM

It was like something out of an episode of 24: Jim Thacker, CFO, Utah Valley Dental Lab (UVDL), walked into the Provo, UT, lab one Monday morning last October and found nearly every computer locked with a chilling message on the screen: “All of your data is encrypted. Your files are safe and will be returned to you after you pay us ransom.”

Fortuitously, UVDL had recently purchased a cyber insurance policy from CFC Underwriting, a U.K. company that specializes in cyber incident response, recovery and liability. CFC’s team took over as soon as Thacker discovered the attack. It negotiated with the hackers, covered the ransom fee and helped—with the assistance of the lab’s IT company—get the company back up and running in a week and a half.

“It was certainly the most mentally challenging crisis we’ve faced, like the stress of nine months of the pandemic crammed into eight days. All financial and case data was encrypted,…

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*(Please note, you will need an lmtmag.com account to read entire article)

Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

Monday is the deadline for healthcare workers in New York State to get at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. With just 84% of New York hospital workers vaccinated as of September 22, tens of thousands of unvaccinated workers could lose their jobs and healthcare organizations may face critical staff shortages.

While staff in New York hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies must now be vaccinated in order to do their jobs, there’s no mention in the emergency order of a key group of providers: dentists.

Across the country, vaccine mandates haven’t consistently included dentists and the federal vaccine mandate for healthcare workers does not apply directly to dental offices.

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Atlanta Based Systems is proud to introduce our newly redesigned EvoTECH mobile app, version 13.0. The EvoTECH mobile app is just one of Evolution’s technician productivity tools and is available on Apple iOS or Android smart phone and tablet devices.

EvoTECH 13.0 can be used by technicians to clock in and out, check cases in and out of their steps, view case notes, images and detailed case information.

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.

Via: Dawn Wehking / speareducation.com

When I first implemented layered anterior composites into my practice, I would frequently finish a case and think to myself, “Oh gawd, this looks terrible.” It took me a while before I figured out why my restorations were not turning out like I had planned. As I practiced, I noticed a few common themes with my technique and eventually learned how to correct my mistakes.

In this article, I share the lessons I learned with the hope to save you a lot of time and heartache. I’ve found that layering anterior composites make me happy. And isn’t life just better when your schedule is stacked with the procedures that make you happy?

From choosing the wrong shade to trying to get too fancy, let’s review the most common reasons anterior composites don’t turn out quite right, what happened clinically, and how to fix them. The best part is you don’t have to start over completely.

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Follow ABS on FaceBook and Twitter. Please contact us directly if you’d like to learn more about Evolution dental lab management software.