In 2010, a middle-aged Texan man named Billy Crawford went to hospital to check out an odd black dot on his nose.

Losing a tooth used to mean wearing a denture or just living with a fewer-than-usual complement of teeth. Later, fixed bridges became the most common lost-tooth fix, and, more recently, dental implants have come to offer a more high-tech solution.

James Mah, DDS, MSc, DMSc, has been appointed as chief technology officer to help develop improved treatment protocols, training resources, and brand-new products to be unveiled in 2014.