Dental Launch Radar: End of April 2026
Key Highlights
- FXClear aligners reduce treatment time by approximately six months compared to Invisalign.
- The study involved 54 FXClear cases and 57 Invisalign cases with comparable malocclusion severity.
- FXClear uses 40% fewer aligners and requires three fewer visits, increasing overall treatment efficiency.
- Ultradent's new fluoride varnish flavors and formats support longer retention and better patient compliance.
- The AI Receptionist handles calls, scheduling, and patient inquiries 24/7, easing staff workload and enhancing service.
- Vidae's AI dashboard offers real-time insights, improves case acceptance, and reduces insurance denials by 50%, streamlining practice operations.
New study to find out what clear aligners are best
A new study has been published comparing OrthoFx clear aligners and Invisalign clear aligners. The study found that FXClear can offer shorter treatment, fewer visits, fewer aligners used, and more planned-to-final geometric fidelity than Invisalign.1
The study was conducted on 54 FXClear cases and 57 Invisalign cases using a comparable baseline malocclusion severity, the American Board of Orthodontics Discrepancy Index scores.
Both groups used a seven-day aligner change protocol with the same orthodontist. The findings were that FXClear cases were about six months faster, offered 40 percent fewer aligners, and three fewer visits.
"These findings suggest that FXClear may offer potential efficiency advantages in clear aligner therapy," the study authors concluded in a press release. "In mild-to-moderate complex cases, the FXClear aligner system resulted in fewer total visits, shorter treatment duration, and fewer aligners used compared to the Invisalign aligner system."
Enamelast fluoride varnish gets an upgrade
Developer and manufacturer Ultradent Products Inc., has expanded the options for delivering preventive care to patients by adding two new fluoride flavors.2
Enamelast fluoride varnish is being released in vanilla and raspberry. With these new flavor additions there are now seven flavors and a flavor-free option for clinicians to offer. Ultradent notes that the patented adhesion-promoting system supports longer retention and increased fluoride uptake, providing a non-gritty texture.
“Preventive dentistry is foundational to long-term oral health,” said Ultradent CEO Dirk Jeffs in a press release. “As access to community fluoridation changes in some regions, the role of the dental professional becomes even more important. By expanding our fluoride varnish portfolio, we are giving clinicians practical tools to deliver evidence-based care to more patients.”
Another new product the company is releasing is Enamelast fluoride varnish unit-dose cups, which deliver the Enamelast varnish formula in a more bulk format to save storage space and help practices manage costs.
Ultradent also saw a market among more budget-conscious practices and is releasing Gleo fluoride varnish. Gleo is a bulk-tube with five percent sodium fluoride for higher volume practices. It comes in mixed berry and bubblegum flavors.
Launch of AI Receptionist to support front desk teams
The industry is still experimenting with new AI practices, and RevenueWell has launched AI Receptionist to help modernize front office operations while keeping existing systems the same.3
“Dental teams are under constant pressure to do more with less and missed calls often mean missed revenue and frustrated patients,” said Katherine Shuman, CEO of RevenueWell in a press release. “The AI Receptionist ensures every patient interaction is handled, even during peak hours or after hours. It gives practices a reliable, always-on extension of their front desk reducing staff strain while improving the patient experience.”
AI Receptionist can perform tasks that support front desk teams:
- 24/7 call coverage
- Appointment scheduling and rescheduling
- Patient inquiries
- Missing information capture
- Mulilanguage support
- Live call transfer
The product can be integrated into other existing RevenueWell practice management systems. Practices don’t have to connect to RevenueWell products, the AI Receptionist can be used alone.
The company says AI Receptionist is for practices of all sizes to support the team by reducing pressure and providing more reliable coverage while demand fluctuates.
New AI daily dashboard
A new AI-driven platform, VideaHealth, is rebranding to Videa as it expands its AI platform to dental practices.4
“After years of supporting upper mid‑market and enterprise dental groups, we're excited to bring the capabilities we’ve built to independent practice owners,” said Florian Hillen, founder and CEO of Videa in a press release. “We stay close to the challenges practices face every day, anticipating what’s next so we can continue delivering impactful innovation. Our goal is to remove the daily complexity that gets in the way of great care and help teams focus more fully on dentistry.”
The company is using AI within clinical support, automated documentation, connected experiences, and real-time practice insights.
Videa expects an increases in productivity across multiple areas of a practice:
- 20 percent higher case acceptance rate
- Stronger diagnostic confidence
- One to two hours saved per clinician per day
- Smoother daily operations
- Real-time visibility into performance trends
- Faster insurance checks
- 50 percent reduction in denials
With the new AI platform Videa is expecting to increase capabilities for small and group practices. Videa will use AI within a daily dashboard to support practices in day-to-day organization and AI-driven insights to provide clinical leaders with care trends and variations in care deliveries.
References:
1. New clinical study finds OrthoFX FXClear aligners deliver faster treatment, fewer visits, fewer aligners, and greater predictability compared to Invisalign aligner system. OrthoFX. Published April 14, 2026. Press release. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-clinical-study-finds-orthofx-fxclear-aligners-deliver-faster-treatment-fewer-visits-fewer-aligners-and-greater-predictability-compared-to-invisalign-aligner-system-302741025.html
2. Ultradent increases fluoride varnish options. Ultradent Products Inc. April 14, 2026. Press release. https://www.ultradent.com/company/newsroom/article/ultradent-increases-fluoride-varnish-options
3. RevenueWell launches standalone AI Receptionist to deliver always-on front desk coverage for dental practices. RevenueWell. April 16, 2026. Press release. https://www.revenuewell.com/article/revenuewell-launches-standalone-ai-receptionist-to-deliver-always-on-front-desk-coverage-for-dental-practices
4. VideaHealth unveils rebrand and expands the most adopted dental AI platform to private practices. Videa. April 21, 2026. Press release. https://videa.ai/news/videahealth-unveils-rebrand-and-expands-the-most-adopted-dental-ai-platform-to-private-practices