Henry Schein, Inc. plans to reduce board members by 30%; Heilongjiang announces 114 dental price items; Dental AI technology company secures $20 million in funding...

Henry Schein, Inc. Plans to Reduce Board Size by Approximately 33%

April 8, 2026 – Henry Schein, Inc., the world's largest provider of dental medical solutions, announced plans to reduce its board size from 15 to 10 members following its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 21, 2026, representing a reduction of approximately 33%. CEO and Chairman Stanley M. Bergman, who plans to retire at the end of 2025, will be granted the title of "Chairman Emeritus." Four current directors will not stand for re-election. The board believes the streamlined structure will enhance decision-making and communication efficiency. As of 2025, the company reported annual sales of $13.2 billion, employs approximately 25,000 people globally, and operates in 34 countries and regions.

Heilongjiang Announces 114 Dental Price Items, Effective May 29, 2026

May 29, 2026 – The Heilongjiang Provincial Medical Insurance Administration issued a notice on standardizing and consolidating dental medical service price items, reducing the original 161 items to 114. This consolidation aims to align with the guidelines for establishing dental medical service price items, considering public demand and the affordability of the Medical Insurance Fund. Regarding pricing standards, municipal medical insurance bureaus must not set prices higher than those of designated medical institutions. Among the 114 consolidated items, approximately 83 have government-guided prices, while about 31 are subject to market-adjusted prices. All medical institutions must strictly adhere to the pricing policies and are prohibited from charging for unlisted items.

Zhenghai Bio: Shareholder Longwood's Shareholding Ratio Drops to 6.88% After Reduction Reaches 1% Threshold

April 3, 2026 – Zhenghai Bio announced that shareholder Longwood reduced its holdings by 1.4317 million shares between March 24 and April 2, 2026, lowering its shareholding ratio from 7.67% to 6.88%. This reduction reached the 1% integer multiple threshold. Longwood was once the company's second-largest shareholder, and its executive director, Dong Qun, left the position in August 2025. The company stated that this reduction will not affect its control or ongoing operations. In 2025, the company's operating revenue was 364 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.25%, but revenue from its core product, the Dental Restoration membrane, declined by 15.82%.

Dental AI Technology Company HeyDonto Completes $20 Million Seed Round Financing

April 7, 2026 – Dental AI company HeyDonto announced the completion of a $20 million Seed Round Financing, reaching a valuation of $200 million. The round was led by eight private investors, and the funds will be used to accelerate the scaling of its interoperability platform, Conduit. Conduit supports standardized data exchange between dental practice management systems and medical electronic health records, enhancing patient engagement and medical communication efficiency. As of this report, HeyDonto's financing further reflects the industry's growing focus on data standardization and cross-domain collaboration.

Private Equity (PE) Firm Havencrest Completes Majority Recapitalization of Pediatric Dental Anesthesia Provider

April 9, 2026 – Dallas-based healthcare Private Equity (PE) firm Havencrest completed a majority recapitalization of pediatric dental anesthesia service provider OFFOR. Financial terms were not disclosed. Through this recapitalization, Havencrest will assist OFFOR in expanding the coverage of its clinical innovation services. Founded in 2014, OFFOR specializes in providing in-office anesthesia services for complex Pediatric Dentistry procedures. Havencrest currently manages over $600 million in assets and raised a $356 million fund in 2022. Christopher Bowers will continue to serve as Chairman of OFFOR's board. As of this report, the company has not disclosed the latest valuation following this recapitalization.

American Dental Association Calls on Congress to Increase Oral Health Funding for FY 2027

April 8, 2026 – The American Dental Association (ADA), along with three partner organizations, sent a joint letter to the U.S. Congress, calling for increased oral health funding for Fiscal Year 2027 and the restoration of senior dental leadership within the Department of Health and Human Services. The letter states that untreated oral diseases result in approximately 34 million lost school hours and 92 million lost work hours annually, with economic losses nearing $46 billion. The ADA requested $22.25 million for the CDC's Division of Oral Health, $46 million for HRSA's Oral Health Training programs, and $570 million for NIDCR. The organizations emphasized that sustained investment in public health infrastructure, particularly the CDC's oral health programs, is crucial for effective management and coordination.

American Dental Association: Dental Consumables Costs Rise 6%, Industry Faces "Financial Squeeze"

April 2026 – A report released by the American Dental Association shows that over the 12 months ending February 2026, the cost of Dental Equipment and supplies increased by 6%, while hourly wages for dental practitioners grew by only 2%, creating a "financial squeeze" for practices. Despite this, approximately 44.4% of dentists remain confident in the industry, primarily due to the inelastic demand for dental care. The average wait time for new patient appointments has decreased to 12.4 days. Nearly 40% of practices have attempted to hire dental hygienists, but over 90% of doctors find the hiring process difficult. To address workforce shortages, over 80% of practices offer employee benefits such as paid leave and dental insurance.

Pearl Launches Dental Charting AI Assistant, Potentially Saving 60 Minutes of Documentation Time Daily

April 9, 2026 – Global dental artificial intelligence (AI) solutions company Pearl announced the launch of Pearl Voice, a clinical charting AI assistant designed for dental practices. The product can capture doctor-patient conversations in real-time and automatically generate structured charting notes, potentially saving at least 60 minutes of documentation time per day. Pearl Voice utilizes "ambient listening" technology, supports voice-driven periodontal charting, and comes pre-loaded with over 30 templates for specific treatment scenarios, ensuring seamless integration with mainstream practice management systems. Pearl is the first company to receive FDA 510(k) clearance for both 2D and 3D dental image analysis, marking the expansion of its AI infrastructure into full clinical workflow automation.

Planet DDS Launches AI Voice Restorative Charting Tool, Expanding Documentation Capabilities to Restorative Charting

April 2, 2026 – U.S. dental software provider Planet DDS launched AI Voice Restorative Charting, extending its voice-driven clinical documentation capabilities from periodontal charting to restorative charting. This feature is integrated into the Denticon practice management system, allowing clinicians to record Dental caries, existing restorations, and treatment plans in real-time via voice commands, aiming to reduce reliance on chairside assistants. Nathan James, Chief Product Officer at Planet DDS, stated that this tool addresses the area with the highest clinical documentation volume. Within 2026, the company also plans to launch new features such as AI Voice Treatment Plan and AI Ambient Voice.

Dental AI Company Pearl Partners with Education Platform RipeGlobal to Address Skill Gap Among Dental Graduates

April 2, 2026 – Global dental artificial intelligence (AI) provider Pearl partnered with cloud-based education platform RipeGlobal to help dental professionals master and apply AI technology in clinical and operational settings. It was disclosed that dental school graduates are proficient in performing only about 6% of routine dental procedures upon graduation, a skill gap that directly impacts care quality and industry productivity. This collaboration will integrate Pearl's FDA-cleared diagnostic AI technology with RipeGlobal's educational system to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for clinical staff. The partners have not disclosed specific implementation timelines or rollout plans.

CSRC Deepens ChiNext Reform: Adds Fourth Listing Standard, Allows "One Registration, Multiple Issuances"

April 10, 2026 – The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issued the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the ChiNext Board to Better Serve the Development of New Quality Productive Forces," adding a fourth set of listing standards for the ChiNext Board. Emerging industry enterprises are required to have an estimated market value of no less than 3 billion yuan, operating revenue of no less than 200 million yuan in the most recent year, and a three-year compound annual growth rate of no less than 30%. Future industry enterprises must have an estimated market value of no less than 4 billion yuan, operating revenue of no less than 200 million yuan in the most recent year, cumulative R&D investment over three years of no less than 100 million yuan, accounting for no less than 15% of operating revenue. Additionally, the reform supports "one registration, multiple issuances" and emphasizes strict scrutiny of listed companies to combat financial fraud.

Tianjin Dental Medical Institution Fined 157,400 Yuan for Causing Loss to Medical Insurance Fund

April 9, 2026 – A Tianjin-based dental company was fined 157,407.78 yuan (157,400 yuan) by the Tianjin Municipal Medical Insurance Administration for violating medical regulations and was required to return the medical insurance funds. The violations included duplicate charges, Substitution of Diagnosis/Treatment Items, including medical expenses not covered by the Medical Insurance Fund in settlements, and other acts causing loss to the Medical Insurance Fund. The penalty was based on the "Administrative Penalty Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of the Use of Medical Insurance Funds." According to related reports, the dental department has become a key area for Unannounced Medical Insurance Audits (Flying Inspections) in 2026.

New Study: Sugarcane Protein Artificial Saliva May Protect Tooth Enamel in Cancer Radiotherapy Patients

April 7, 2026 – A research team from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, published a study in the Journal of Dentistry, developing a novel sugarcane protein artificial saliva, CANECPI-5, which can effectively protect the tooth enamel of head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The study indicates that over 890,000 head and neck cancer patients are affected globally each year, with radiotherapy reducing saliva secretion and subsequently leading to Dental caries. This artificial saliva works best when combined with fluoride and xylitol, effectively reducing biofilm metabolic activity and bacterial survival rates, and slowing mineral loss. The product has been patented, and the research team will explore the possibility of combining it with vitamin E for convenient patient self-use. The research is still in the experimental stage and has not yet undergone large-scale clinical validation.