AAO Innovation & Transformation Fund Invests in Dental Start-Ups Synapse Dental and Bright Referral

AAO Innovation & Transformation Fund Invests in Dental Start-Ups Synapse Dental and Bright Referral For Immediate Release ST. LOUIS, MO, September 19, 2023 - The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Innovation and Transformation Fund announced investments in two dental start-ups, Synapse Dental and Bright Referral. Driving Transformation and Innovation within orthodontics is one of three strategic plan goals of the AAO which is carried out through a number of strategies including investing in promising start-ups that are aligned with AAO’s mission, values, and clinical practice guidelines. The objective of the AAO Innovation and Transformation Fund investment strategy is to support innovation within orthodontics, drive non-dues revenue for the association and have the potential to improve patient care or improve the business of running an orthodontic practice. “The AAO Innovation and Transformation Fund is committed to investing in new technologies from like-minded companies that can help orthodontists provide the best possible care to their patients,” said Dr. Myron Guymon, AAO President. Synapse Dental, co-founded by AAO Member, Dr. Cosmo Haralambidis, won the 2023 AAO Ortho Innovator Award for developing the Dental Pain EraserTM and competed in the 2023 AAO Ortho Tank start-up pitch event. The Dental Pain Eraser is a handheld solution that uses patented PulseWaveTM technology to prevent and relieve oral pain within seconds without needles, drugs and numbness. The PulseWave technology, a type of neuromodulation, interrupts the oral pain cascade and histamine response by using proprietary subsensory electrical stimulus. The company has achieved patents in multiple countries and the technology has broader usage outside of dental and orthodontics in ENT and facial surgical procedures. “We are excited to partner with the AAO Innovation and Transformation Fund,” said Dr. Cosmo Haralambidis, Co-Founder of Synapse Dental. “The AAO’s support will help us accelerate our growth and bring the Dental Pain Eraser to even more orthodontists and patients.” Bright Referral, founded by Liz Sudit and AAO member Dr. Geoff Sudit competed in the 2023 AAO OrthoTank start-up pitch event in Chicago at the AAO Annual Session. The company has developed SaaS based technology to digitize and track the referral process which adds transparency and increases appointments from referred patients which should result in more starts. The founders pair their “Bright Cards”, which use simple tap technology and replace a typical paper referral pad, with custom SaaS so patients get the information they want at the moment of a referral, dental specialists who do the referring get a simpler, cooler referral process, and the Orthodontist getting the referral can track their referrals by source to monitor and perform outreach to doctors and referring patients who have not booked appointments. It is encrypted and HIPPA compliant. “We are grateful for the AAO Innovation and Transformation Fund’s investment in Bright Referral,” said Liz Sudit, co-founder of Bright Referral. “This investment will help us continue to develop our platform and make it even easier for orthodontists to connect with patients in need of care.” About the American Association of Orthodontists The American Association of Orthodontists represents 19,000 orthodontist members throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad. Founded in 1900, AAO is the world's oldest and largest dental specialty organization. AAO is dedicated to ethically advancing the art and science of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics worldwide; improving the overall oral healthcare of the public; advocating for the health and safety of the public; educating the public about the benefits of orthodontic treatment provided by an orthodontic specialist. For more information, visit aaoinfo.org.