On the heels of a successful Greater New York Dental Meeting, Convergent Dental’s CEO, Michael Cataldo, took some time to answer five questions about his company and its innovative Solea, a computer-aided hard and soft tissue laser.

Michael Dunn:  Tell us about Convergent Dental.  What products do you offer?

Michael Cataldo:  Convergent Dental’s product is Solea, the world’s first computer-aided, 9.3 µm CO2 laser system ever cleared by the FDA for both hard and soft tissue.

We believe that Solea is revolutionizing dentistry. Solea dentists report that more than 95% of their hard and soft tissue procedures are completed with no anesthesia and no bleeding. This is driving huge efficiency gains for our dentists who are doing as many as 8 additional procedures per day since incorporating Solea into their clinical workflows.  This is because they are not spending time injecting patients and waiting for them to  get numb, nor are they spending time controlling bleeding for soft tissue procedures.  This also allows them to work in all four quadrants in a single visit, do “same day” inlays & onlays from hygiene appointments, and perform soft tissue procedures they would not have taken on before.  In addition to the efficiencies, our dentists are able to offer a completely unique patient experience, removing the dread from dentistry and driving practice growth as well.

We are so confident in Solea that we guarantee that at least 90% of hard and soft tissue procedures will be anesthesia-free, or you can return the unit for a refund.

MD:  How did you start Convergent Dental?  What was your “a-ha” moment?

MC:  Dentistry has a perception problem that we can fix. Convergent Dental’s goal is to completely change the patient experience so people are no longer afraid to receive vital oral care. We wanted to pave the path towards dread-free dentistry which has a myriad of dentist and patient benefits.

MD:  What makes Solea unique compared to other dental lasers?

MC:  There are a number of factors that make Solea unique:

• Solea is reliably anesthesia-free meaning any dentists can get up to speed and use the laser without anesthesia and without worrying which patient will feel it.  Virtually none of them will.
• Solea is the first CO2 9.3 µm dental laser cleared by the FDA for both hard and soft tissue.
• Solea’s unique 9.3 µm wavelength is the first laser to be so highly absorbed in tooth structure, which is what drives its speed and precision.
• Solea offers a completely unique patient experience, virtually anesthesia and drill-free dentistry.
• Solea offers dentists significant savings in chair time with virtually anesthesia-free procedures for hard and soft tissue, and no bleeding for soft tissue.
• Solea makes the transition effortless for non-laser dentists by delivering innovative technology packaged into an interface that is familiar to dentists who have used drills their entire career.
• Solea offers the only variable speed foot pedal with a dental laser and hand piece resembling the traditional drill, enabling dentists to become proficient with Solea after only one day of training.
• Sophisticated computer controls optimize the beam for speed, precision and patient comfort, based on a touchscreen selection of tissue type – i.e. enamel, dentin or soft tissue – making it simple for any dentist to be a laser expert.

MD:  What trends do you think will have the biggest impact on the dental industry in the next 5 – 10 years?

MC:  We are firm believers in the application of technology to better the dental industry and the growth of digital dentistry.  We see the continued integration of technology contributing to a profound change in dentistry and are proud to be part of this. Solea offers the first CAP (Computer Aided Preparation) system for dentistry and is a perfect complement to CAD/CAM and CBCT systems. The promise of digital dentistry is its immediate impact on the patient experience.  Advances in dentistry have included time savings such as “same-day” crowns, less invasive (and intimidating) X-rays and more comfortable procedures.

It is an amazing era in dentistry as technology offers win/win solutions for both a better patient experience and improved clinical outcomes.

MD:  What’s next for you and Convergent Dental?  What can we look forward to?

MC:  It is pretty simple.  Convergent Dental has a disruptive technology that is going to revolutionize dentistry as we know it. We are going to continue to develop the best products for dentists to provide excellent dental care to their patients and we are going to work towards curing a disease that affects pretty much everybody in America and worldwide – the dread of going to the dentist.

Thank you, Michael, for answering my five questions.  Do you have questions of your own for Convergent Dental?  Contact them directly.  Questions or comments for me?  You know where to reach me.  Thank you for reading.