Vivos Therapeutics, Inc. 10-K

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes to those statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Some of the numbers included herein have been rounded for the convenience of presentation. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed under Part I. “Item 1A. Risk Factors’’ and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Overview We are a revenue stage medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative treatment alternatives for patients with dentofacial abnormalities and/or patients diagnosed with mild to severe obstructive sleep apnea (“OSA”) and snoring in adults. We believe our technologies and conventions represent a significant improvement in the treatment of mild to severe OSA versus other treatments such as continuous positive airway pressure (“CPAP”) or palliative oral appliance therapies. Our alternative treatments are part of The Vivos Method . The Vivos Method is an advanced therapeutic protocol, which often combines the use of customized oral appliance specifications and proprietary clinical treatments developed by our company and prescribed by specially trained dentists in cooperation with their medical colleagues. Published studies have shown that using our customized appliances and clinical treatments led to significantly lower Apnea Hypopnea Index scores and have improved other conditions associated with OSA. Approximately 42,000 patients have been treated to date worldwide with our entire current suite of products by more than 1,900 trained dentists. Our business model is focused around dentists, and our program to train independent dentists and offer them other value-added services in connection with their ordering and use of The Vivos Method for patients is called the Vivos Integrated Practice (“VIP”) program. See Note 1 to the accompanying financial statements for additional background information on our Company and current product and service offerings. Impact of COVID-19 In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19 was reported to have surfaced in China, and by March 2020 the spread of the virus resulted in a world-wide pandemic. By March 2020, the U.S. economy had been largely shut down by mass quarantines and government mandated stay-in-place orders (the “Orders”) to halt the spread of the virus, now widely acknowledged to have been generally ineffective, and in many ways, harmful. As a result, nearly all of these Orders have been relaxed or lifted, but there is considerable uncertainty about whether the Orders will be reinstated should a new COVID-19 variant or entirely new virus emerge. - 62 - Our business was materially impacted by COVID-19 in 2020 and to some extent thereafter through the early part of 2023 due to the actions of governmental bodies that mandated quarantines and lockdowns that resulted in many of our VIPs and potential VIPs having to close their offices. The impact of COVID-19 on our business diminished somewhat as 2023 has progressed. It appears that the latest COVID-19 subvariants evoke generally milder symptoms and do not pose the same health or economic threat as previous strains. However, the residual effects of the pandemic on dental workforce availability as well as patient precautionary measures continued to negatively impact our VIP dental practices and our revenue across the U.S. and Canada during 2022 and into 2023. We believe new enrollments during the third quarter of 2023 continued to be negatively impacted by the ongoing overall workforce uncertainties in the dental market. In addition, new variants of COVID-19 continue to arise, and such variants may in the future cause an adverse effect on the dental market. As such, the long-term financial impact on our business of COVID-19 as well as these other matters cannot reasonably be fully estimated at this time. Material Items, Trends and Risks Impacting Our Business We believe that the following items and trends may be useful in better understanding our results of operations. New VIP Enrollments (Service Revenue). Enrolling dental practices as VIPs is the first step in our ability to generate new revenue. As part of the VIP enrollment fee, we enter into a service contract with VIPs under which they receive training on the use of the Vivos treatment modalities. VIPs have the ability to start generating revenue for us and themselves after this training. To entice dentists to enroll as VIPs, we have worked with different marketing programs (which we generally call a “discovery track”) with respect to the payment of VIPs enrollment fee, including discounts and payment plans. Once VIPs execute their VIP enrollment agreement, the discovery track allows the VIP 45 to 60 days to obtain financing and pay the enrollment fee. Ongoing support and additional training is provided throughout the year under the services contract, which includes access to our proprietary Airway Intelligence Services, which provides the VIP with resources to help simplify the sleep apnea diagnostic and Vivos treatment planning process. In addition to enrollment service revenue, we offer additional services, such as our Billing Intelligence Services offering, and MyoCorrect orofacial myofunctional therapy services, which was introduced in April 2021. Revenue for these services is recognized as the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied in accordance with ASC 606. We are also engaging in strategic collaborations to market the benefits of the Vivos treatment modalities and VIP enrollment to dentists, including our cooperative relationships with various medical providers to deliver diagnostic and medical consultation services to people across North America who suffer from OSA. We recognize revenue on VIP enrollments once the contract is executed, payment is received, and as the Company’s performance obligations are satisfied in accordance with ASC 606. Product Sales Revenue. Enrolling new VIPs is key to our ability to generate revenue, but equally as important is the number of Vivos treatment case starts that our VIPs commence, as these lead to appliance orders and related revenue. Once a VIP is fully trained, we encourage them to start cases. However, our experience has been that VIPs typically start slowly as they introduce The Vivos Method into their practices. While we work with VIPs to screen their patients for OSA with our SleepImage ® home sleep apnea ring test (which we expect will encourage Vivos Method case starts), not all VIPs incorporate our The Vivos Method into their practices at the same rate. We utilize Practice Advisors to help VIPs with onboarding and starting and increasing case starts over time. We believe VIPs can recoup their investment in VIP enrollment with approximately eight Vivos Method case starts, but as noted above, many VIPs start and also maintain their case starts at a significantly slower rate. We presently have a concentration of active VIPs who regularly start new Vivos Method treatment cases. Approximately 38% of our VIPs initiated a new case as of December 31, 2023. We are working not only to increase the number of VIPs overall, but the number of active VIPs in terms of case starts. More active VIPs are also more likely to take advantage of our other service revenue generating offerings such as MyoCorrect orofacial myofunctional therapy and medical Billing Intelligence Services. - 63 - In addition, an important aspect of our strategy to increase product revenues relates to the products and related intellectual property we acquired in March 2023 from Advanced Facialdontics, LLC (“AFD”), including a custom single arch device with an FDA 510(k) clearance for treating TMD and/or Bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching). We have rebranded the AFD products as Vivos Versa, Vivos Vida and Vivos Vida Sleep. During the remainder of 2023 and beyond, we will look to increase sales of these acquired products, but we may be unable to do so to our advantage. As described further below, during 2023 we entered into a distribution agreement with Lincare, a leading durable medical equipment (“DME”), to distribute certain of our products, including those we acquired from AFD. Marketing to DSOs . During the second half of 2021, we increased our efforts to market The Vivos Method and related products and services to larger dental support organizations (“DSOs”). Marketing to DSOs creates an opportunity to enroll and onboard multiple dental practices as VIPs under one common ownership structure. This would allow us to leverage training and support across multiple VIP practices and gain economies of scale with the goal of faster growth, both in VIP enrollments and in Vivos case starts. As of December 31, 2023, we believe we have made important progress in penetrating this market, but as we cautioned previously, DSOs tend to move slowly when adopting new technologies or programs. Our other dentist enrollment program, which we refer to as the Airway Alliance Program (“AAP”), was also established in the fourth quarter of 2021 and launched in the first quarter of 2022. This program is designed to attract the vast majority of the estimated 200,000 U.S. and Canadian dentists who are being strongly encouraged by the American Dental Association to screen their patients for sleep apnea. The AAP gives these dentists a simple yet profitable way to screen their patients for OSA using the SleepImage ® home sleep test. Patients with OSA can be referred to a fully trained local VIP dentist for treatment. The AAP program did not contribute meaningfully to revenue during 2023. Clinical Trial Work . Our efforts to engage in research to demonstrate the clinical efficacy of our products and obtain additional regulatory clearances for the use of our products is an important aspect of our overall strategy. In this regard, on May 29, 2023, we and Stanford University executed an agreement to commence a sponsored clinical research study to evaluate the efficacy of our FDA-cleared DNA appliance compared to the standard of care, CPAP for treatment of sleep apnea. Our DNA device is currently indicated for the treatment of mild to severe sleep apnea and jaw repositioning in adults (and in the case of severe OSA, along with positive airway pressure (PAP) and/or myofunctional therapy, as needed). Enrollment of 150 patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index score of 15 or greater) will be randomly assigned to either treatment with our FDA-cleared DNA appliance or CPAP. The protocol has been finalized and enrollment will begin in 2024. This trial may not meet its designated endpoints, and therefore additional FDA clearances for the DNA device may not be obtained. Distribution Agreements. During 2023, we entered into distribution collaborations with third parties to expand access of our products to potential patients. We hope that these strategic initiatives will lead to revenue growth opportunities for us in 2024 and beyond, and our ability to capitalize on these initiatives is expected to be a material aspect of our sales and marketing program going forward. For example, on June 1, 2023, we entered into a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Lincare, a leading supplier in the United States of respiratory products, such as CPAP equipment. Lincare currently provides respiratory products to approximately 1.8 million patients nationwide. Pursuant to this agreement, Lincare began to distribute certain of our products in the United States, including the Vida™, VidaSleep™, and Versa®. The distribution agreement was subject to a 90-day pilot program in Colorado and Florida. Within weeks of starting the pilot program, Lincare reported an initial 36% positive patient response to our products subject to the agreement. On October 24, 2023, we announced the conclusion of this pilot program and an amendment to our Lincare agreement to appoint Lincare as our exclusive DME distributor in the U.S. for a period of 6-months to distribute the products described above. Although the roll out has been slower than anticipated, plans are underway to extend the scope of the distribution territory beyond the initial two markets into Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey and at least one other major market. Others are expected to follow soon thereafter. We are hopeful that this new form of arrangement with Lincare and possibly other DME companies will help us increase our product revenues in 2024 and beyond. Also, in October 2023, we announced an exclusive distribution agreement with NOUM DMCC, a Dubai-based company focused on diagnostic testing and treatment product distribution for healthcare providers and hospital networks treating obstructive sleep apnea patients throughout the Middle East-North Africa region. Subject to regulatory approvals, we could see revenue from this collaboration in 2024. - 64 - Impact on Sales from Unregistered Oral Appliance Publicity. On or about March 1, 2023, CBS News reported the tragic case of a woman with a malocclusion and breathing problem who had received treatment via a fixed oral appliance known as the AGGA (Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance). According to the televised CBS report, the device created serious issues with her dentition and jaws, resulting in the loss of several anterior teeth. The patient filed a $10 million lawsuit against the treating dentist. News of this lawsuit quickly spread throughout the country, and particularly within the dental and orthodontic communities. Within days, rumors and wildly untrue statements were published on social media platforms and elsewhere that began to associate and confuse Vivos appliances with the AGGA. Vivos management immediately responded to correct any misstatements and to set the record straight. Vivos was not named in the lawsuit, nor was our device implicated in creating the tooth displacement and other concerns that gave rise to the lawsuit. To our knowledge, in approximately 42,000 patients treated, Vivos oral appliances have never caused the loss of even a single tooth, and we have never been sued over a patient complaint or safety issue. Vivos has never had any association or affiliation with the AGGA device or its promoters, nor has the Company ever endorsed these kind of counterfeit fixed oral appliances that make unproven and unsubstantiated claims. The AGGA is a non-FDA cleared oral appliance developed by Dr. Steve Galella, a dentist from Tennessee. He has actively promoted and taught other dentists about his device for many years through the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) and elsewhere. Dr. Galella has claimed that the AGGA can “grow, expand, and remodel an adult’s jaw”, and that roughly 10,000 OSA and TMD patients have been successfully treated using this device. The FDA regulates and categorizes all medical devices claiming to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and/or TMD disorders as Class II devices and requires that they have a 510(k) clearance in order to be used with patients. The AGGA device does not have any such FDA clearance, nor are there any known peer-reviewed and published studies validating the safety and efficacy of this device. In stark contrast, all Vivos oral appliances are duly registered or cleared by the FDA according to strict FDA guidelines. Our appliances and attending protocols for proper use are also backed by extensive peer reviewed published research. Moreover, Vivos appliances operate on a completely different mechanism of action than that of the AGGA and similar devices on the market. Vivos has always maintained that such appliances tend to create inflammation and pose other risks that are unacceptable. The AGGA is a fixed appliance, whereas Vivos appliances are removable devices. Our core product is The Vivos Method, not any one single device. We believe this is a key distinguishing factor for our approach. The Vivos Method involves far more than just our oral appliances. It begins with proper and thorough diagnosis and ends with a customized multidisciplinary treatment plan that likely incorporates one or more of several treatment modalities, including oral myofunctional therapy, SOT chiropractic, physical therapy, laser therapy, nutritional counseling, CPAP, mandibular advancement, CARE device therapy, and more. The Vivos Method is thus a fully integrated end-to-end diagnostic, training, and treatment platform that can adapt to the needs of virtually any and every breathing disordered sleep patient. Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts to distance ourselves and our products from the AGGA device, the entire matter generated a certain amount of confusion and fear amongst both existing VIP dentists and other non-affiliated dentist prospects. Thus, new provider enrollments and sales of Vivos appliances in the third quarter decreased as word spread. By the latter part of June, we began to see a partial rebound in both new enrollments and appliance sales. Nevertheless, certain Vivos-trained providers remain very cautious and are being far more selective in their cases, which has continued to impact appliance sales through the end of the third quarter. We believe that this is a short-term phenomenon and should not be a long-term hindrance to new case starts or new VIP enrollments, but the full impact of this phenomenon is hard to predict. - 65 - Inflation . The U.S has been experiencing a period of inflation which has increased (and may continue to increase) our and our suppliers’ costs as well as the end cost of our products to consumers. To date, we have been able to manage inflation risk without a material adverse impact on our business or results of operations. However, inflationary pressures (including increases in the price of raw material components of our appliances) made it necessary for us to adjust our standard pricing for our appliance products effective May 1, 2022. The full impact of such price adjustments on sales or demand for our products is not fully known at this time and may require us to adjust other aspects of our business as we seek to grow revenue and, ultimately, achieve profitability and positive cash flow from operations. An additional inflation-related risk is the Federal Reserve’s response, which up to this point has been to raise interest rates. Such actions have, in times past, created unintended consequences in terms of the impact on housing starts, overall manufacturing, capital markets, and banking. If such disruptions become systemic, as occurred in the recession of 2008, then the impact on our revenue, earnings and access to capital of both inflation and inflation-fighting responses would be impossible to know or calculate. Supply Chain. From time to time, we may experience supply chain challenges due to forces beyond our control. For example, the Suez Canal blockage earlier in 2021 caused some delay in shipments of SleepImage ® rings from China. Overall, however, as our appliances are made in the U.S., we have not experienced significant supply chain issues as a result of COVID-19 or otherwise, although this may change in future periods. Seasonality . We believe that the patient volumes of our VIPs will be sensitive to seasonal fluctuations in urgent care and primary care activity. Typically, the fourth quarter tends to be one where we see higher enrollment levels for new VIP dentists, however, as previously mentioned reported, in the fourth quarter of 2022 we did not see that same pattern emerge. The first and second quarters of each year tend to be our weakest quarter of the year for new enrollments, and to a certain extent, appliance sales as well. This was the case in the first half of 2023. Winter months see a higher occurrence of influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia and similar illnesses; however, the timing and severity of these outbreaks vary dramatically. Additionally, as consumers shift toward high deductible insurance plans, they are responsible for a greater percentage of their bill, particularly in the early months of the year before other healthcare spending has occurred, which may lead to lower than expected patient volume or an increase in bad debt expense during that period. Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate in the future depending on these and other factors. War in Ukraine and Middle East Hostilities. In addition, worldwide supply chain constraints and economic and capital markets uncertainty arising out of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the attacks by Hamas on Israel in October of 2023 and Israel’s responses have disrupted commercial and capital markets and emerged as new barriers to long-term economic recovery. If an economic recession or depression commences and is sustained, it could have a material adverse effect on our business as demand for our products could decrease. Capital markets uncertainty, with public stock price decreases and volatility, could make it more difficult for us to raise capital when needed. Potential Nasdaq Delisting . As previously reported, we are currently subject to two Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) listing deficiencies, one related to Nasdaq’s $1.00 minimum bid price requirement (the “Minimum Bid Requirement”) and a second related to Nasdaq’s $2,500,000 minimum stockholders’ equity requirement (the “Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Requirement”). - 66 - On September 21, 2023, we received a written notice from the Nasdaq staff confirming that since, as of that date, we failed to meet the Minimum Bid Requirement, and because as of the period ended June 30, 2023 we also failed the Minimum Stockholders’ Equity Requirement, Nasdaq would commence delisting proceedings against us. As permitted under Nasdaq rules, we appealed the Nasdaq staff’s determination and requested a hearing (the “Hearing”) before a Nasdaq Hearing Panel (the “Hearing Panel”). The Hearing request stayed any delisting or suspension action by the Nasdaq staff pending the issuance of the Hearing’s Panel decision. The Hearing took place on November 9, 2023. Prior to the date of the Hearing, we effectuated a reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-25 (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The Reverse Stock Split became effective on October 25, 2023, and our common stock began trading on a post-Reverse Stock Split basis on the Nasdaq on October 27, 2023. To satisfy the Minimum Bid Requirement, our common stock was required to trade at above $1.00 per share for at least 10 trading days, and this was achieved on November 9, 2023. We therefore have regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. At the Hearing on November 9, 2023, we presented our plan to regain compliance with the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement (the “Equity Rule”), which plan includes raising additional equity capital. On November 30, 2023, we received a letter from the Hearings Panel that, subject to certain conditions, the Hearings Panel granted our request to continue to be listed on Nasdaq. These conditions include providing an update as to our plan to regain compliance with the Equity Rule as well as demonstrating compliance by March 19, 2024. On February 23, 2024 we presented our plan of compliance to the Hearings Committee. We believe that we will be able to regain and maintain compliance with both the minimum bid requirement and the minimum stockholders’ equity requirement, which would allow our common stock to continue to trade on Nasdaq. However, there can be no assurance that the Hearing Panel will agree with our plan, that will be provided adequate time to achieve compliance or, even if provided adequate time, that we will in fact be able to regain and maintain compliance with both requirements, in which case our common stock would be subject to delisting from Nasdaq. Such a delisting could have a material adverse effect on our stock price, the ability of our stockholders to buy or sell their common stock, and our reputation, all of which could make it significantly more difficult to operate our company. Key Components of Consolidated Statements of Operations Net revenue. We recognize revenue when we satisfy our performance obligations over time as our customers receive the benefit of the promised goods and services, which generally occurs over a short period of time. Performance obligations with respect to appliance sales are typically satisfied by shipping or delivering products to our VIPs or, in the case of enrollment or service revenue, upon our satisfaction of performance obligations associated with VIP enrollments. Revenue consists of the gross sales price, net of estimated allowances, discounts, and personal rebates that are accounted for as a reduction from the gross sale price. Cost of sales. Cost of goods sold primarily consists of direct costs attributable to the purchase from third party suppliers and related products. It also includes freight costs, fulfillment, distribution, and warehousing costs related to products sold. Sales and marketing. Sales and marketing costs primarily consist of personnel costs for employees engaged in sales and marketing activities, commissions, advertising and marketing costs, website enhancements, and conferences for our sales and marketing staff. General and administrative expenses. General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses consist primarily of personnel costs for our administrative, human resources, finance and accounting employees, and executives. General and administrative expenses also include contract labor and consulting costs, travel - related expenses, legal, auditing and other professional fees, rent and facilities costs, repairs and maintenance, and general corporate expenses. Depreciation and amortization expense. Depreciation and amortization expense is comprised of depreciation expense related to property and equipment, amortization expense related to leasehold improvements, and amortization expense related to identifiable intangible assets. Other income. Other income relates to the PPP loan forgiven in January 2022 by the SBA, as well as excess warrant fair value and change in fair value of warrant liability. Restatement of March 31, 2022 Financial Statements As described in Note 2, “Restatement of Consolidated Financial Statement,” in Item 1 of Part 1 of Amendment No. 1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2022, originally filed with the SEC on May 16, 2022 and such Amendment No. 1 filed on November 25, 2022 (the “10-Q/A”), we determined it was necessary to restate our financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2022. - 67 - The restatement of the previously filed financial statements was due to our management (with the concurrence of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors) determining that our existing revenue recognition policy was not consistent with the guidance in ASC 606. After analyzing our contracts using the five-step process in ASC 606, we have determined that for VIP enrollment contracts, it is necessary for us to separately identify the performance obligations and recognize the revenue as the performance obligations are satisfied over the customer life as applicable. We identified a material weakness related to the operating effectiveness of our review controls in that we did not put the appropriate resources in place to be able to identify technical accounting issues and perform review functions appropriately for the revenue recognition issue described above and for those items which we had previously identified in Part II, Item 9A of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. Results of Operations Comparison of Years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 Our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are presented below (dollars in thousands): 2023 2022 Change Revenue Product revenue $ 6,270 $ 8,381 $ (2,111 ) Service revenue 7,531 7,643 (112 ) Total revenue 13,801 16,024 (2,223 ) Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below) 5,530 6,005 (475 ) Gross profit 8,271 10,019 (1,748 ) Gross profit % 60 % 63 % Operating expenses General and administrative 22,479 29,041 (6,562 ) Sales and marketing 2,467 5,340 (2,873 ) Depreciation and amortization 621 669 (48 ) Operating loss (17,296 ) (25,031 ) 7,735 Non-operating income (expense) Other expense (212 ) (190 ) (22 ) PPP loan forgiveness - 1,287 (1,287 ) Excess warrant fair value (6,453 ) - (6,453 ) Change in fair value of warrant liability, net of issuance costs of $645 10,231 - 10,231 Other income 147 89 58 Net loss $ (13,583 ) $ (23,845 ) $ 10,262 Revenue Revenue decreased approximately $2.2 million, or 14%, to approximately $13.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to $16 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Revenue during 2023 was impacted by a decrease of approximately $2.1 million in product revenue, coupled with a decrease of approximately $0.1 million in service revenue. The decrease in total revenue is attributable to a decrease of approximately $1.7 million in appliance sales to VIPs, followed by a decrease of approximately $0.9 million in VIP revenue, a decrease of approximately $0.4 million from our two company-owned dental centers, and a decrease of approximately $0.3 million in BIS revenue. This was offset by an increase of approximately $0.6 million from sleep testing services and devices and an increase of approximately $0.6 million in sponsorship, conference and training related revenue, respectively. Myofunctional therapy remained relatively unchanged at $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. - 68 - During the year ended December 31, 2023, we enrolled 150 VIPs and recognized VIP revenue of approximately $3.9 million, a decrease of 19% in enrollment revenue, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, when we enrolled 196 VIPs for a total of approximately $4.8 million. Revenue growth in 2023 was impacted by updates to key inputs in our revenue recognition methodology, primarily estimated customer lives. As part of our annual process, the estimated customer lives are calculated separately for each year and was estimated to be 23 months in 2023, an increase of 28%, compared to 18 months in 2022. This impacts the amortization of revenue to be spread over longer period of time, thus decreasing the revenue that is recognized over the same period when compared to 2022. Although this negatively impacts our revenue recognition, it is a result of customers staying active for longer period of time, thus increasing our customer retention year-over-year. Additionally, our revenue was impacted by new entry levels into the VIP program, ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 and adding an $8,000 pediatric program, which was received positively by our providers, however it results in lower revenue per contract. This coupled with lower enrollments, resulted in lower revenue for 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 8,240 oral appliance arches for a total of approximately $6.1 million, a 22% decrease in revenue from the year ended December 31, 2022 when we sold 12,281 oral appliance arches for a total of approximately $7.8 million. Refer to “Material Items, Trends and Risks Impacting Our Business” section above for events that impacted our product sales. Cost of Sales and Gross Profit Cost of sales decreased by approximately $0.5 million to approximately $5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to approximately $6.0 million for year ended December 31, 2022. This was primarily related to a decrease of approximately $0.8 million in lower costs associated with appliances driven by the lower sales explained above, and a decrease of approximately $0.3 million related to VIP training. This was offset by an increase of approximately $0.3 million due to higher costs associated with the ring lease program, and an increase of approximately $0.1 million in membership support costs. For the year ended December 31, 2023, gross profit decreased by approximately $1.7 million to $8.3 million. This decrease was attributable to a decrease in revenue of approximately $2.2 million offset by a decrease in cost of sales of $0.6 million. Gross margin decreased to 60% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to 63% for the year ended December 31, 2022. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses decreased approximately $6.6 million, or approximately 23%, to approximately $22.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $29.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The primary driver of this decrease was a change in personnel and related compensation of approximately $3.7 million, including salaries and benefits, paid time off, stock-based compensation, and other employee-related expenses, as a result of reduction in force and less stock options granted during the year. Other drivers of the decrease in general and administrative expenses included a decrease of approximately $0.9 million related to travel expenses, a decrease of approximately $0.7 million on bad debt expense, a decrease of approximately $0.5 million related to insurance, a decrease of approximately $0.4 million in professional fees, and a decrease of approximately $0.4 million related to research and development, office supplies, bank charges and merchant fees as well as equipment repairs and maintenance, offset by an increase of $0.1 million for annual meeting and proxy related fees. Sales and Marketing Sales and marketing expense decreased by $2.9 million to $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $5.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily driven by a $1.0 million decrease in commissions, as well as a $1.0 million decrease related to a reduction in website development, materials and product samples as well as print media and marketing supplies, and a decrease of $0.9 million in conventions and tradeshow expenses. - 69 - Depreciation and Amortization Depreciation and amortization expense was approximately $0.6 and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Depreciation and amortization remained constant during the period due to an immaterial amount of depreciable assets placed into service. Other Income PPP loan forgiveness was approximately $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The PPP loan was forgiven by the SBA in its entirety in 2022. Excess warrant fair value and change in fair value of warrant liability, net of issuance costs The liability for the warrants issued in the January 9, 2023 private placement totaled approximately $14.5 million which included 186,667 pre-funded warrants with a fair value of approximately $6.7 million and 266,667 additional warrants with a fair value of approximately $7.7 million. The difference between the fair value of the $14.5 million liability-classified warrants and the net proceeds received of approximately $8.0 million, or approximately $6.5 million, was recognized as a day-one non-operating expense. The change in fair value of the warrant liability was approximately $10.8 million, or $10.2 million of other income net of issuance costs of $0.6 million, for the year ended December 31, 2023. The net impact of the private placement warrants on net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $3.8 million of other income. Liquidity and Capital Resources The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, which contemplate continuation of the Company as a going concern. The Company has incurred losses since inception, including $13.6 and $23.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, resulting in an accumulated deficit of approximately $93.1 million as of December 31, 2023. Net cash used in operating activities amounted to approximately $11.9 and $19.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had total liabilities of approximately $10.3 million. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $1.6 million in cash and cash equivalents, which will not be sufficient to fund operations and strategic objectives over the next twelve months from the date of issuance of these financial statements. Without additional financing, these factors raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern. See Note 16 to the financial statements included in this Report for additional information regarding our financing activity following the year ended December 31, 2023. We previously disclosed that our goal was to decrease costs and increase revenues during 2023 with the aim of becoming cash flow positive from operations by the first quarter of 2024 without the need for additional financing, if possible. We have successfully implemented cost savings measures and significantly reduced cash used in operations. However, sales have not grown during 2023 as anticipated as our product offerings and strategies are refined. As such, we now anticipate that we will be required to obtain additional financing to satisfy our cash needs, as management continues to work towards increasing revenue and achieving cash flow positive operations in the foreseeable future. Until a state of cash flow positivity is reached, management is reviewing all options to obtain additional financing to fund operations. This financing is expected to come primarily from the issuance of equity securities in order to sustain operations until we can achieve profitability and positive cash flows, if ever. There can be no assurances, however, that adequate additional funding will be available on favorable terms, or at all. If such funds are not available in the future, we may be required to delay, significantly modify or terminate some or all of its operations, all of which could have a material adverse effect on us and our stockholders. - 70 - We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined by applicable regulations of the SEC, that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on its financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources. Cash Flows The following table presents a summary of our cash flow for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands): 2023 2022 Net cash provided by (used in): Operating activities $ (11,946 ) $ (19,587 ) Investing activities (853 ) (924 ) Financing activities 10,923 - Net cash used in operating activities of approximately $11.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 is a decrease of approximately $7.6 million compared to net cash used in operating activities of approximately $19.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease is due primarily to the decrease in our net loss of approximately $10.3 million, a favorable net change in the fair value of warrant liability of approximately $10.2 million, offset by day-one non-operating warrant expense of approximately $6.5 million, an increase of approximately $1.2 million for the PPP loan, an increase of approximately $1.2 million for the employee retention credit liability, an increase of approximately $0.7 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets, and a decrease of approximately $1.3 million in stock-based compensation. This was offset by a decrease of approximately $0.3 million in accounts receivable related to the MID clinics and VIP enrollments under payment plans. For the year ended December 31, 2023, net cash used in investing activities consisted of capital expenditures for software of $0.9 million related to the development of software for internal use, expected to be placed in service in 2024, as well as a purchase of a patent portfolio in February 2023. This compares to net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $0.9 million due to capital expenditures for internally developed software. Net cash provided by financing activities of $10.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, is attributable to proceeds of $12.0 million from the issuance of Common Stock, net of approximately $1.1 million of professional fees and other issuance costs, in our private placements in January 2023 and November 2023. There was no cash used for financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022. Critical Accounting Policies Involving Management Estimates and Assumptions Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements, which include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries (BioModeling, First Vivos, Vivos Therapeutics (Canada) Inc., Vivos Management and Development, LLC, Vivos Del Mar Management, LLC, Vivos Modesto Management, LLC, Vivos Therapeutics DSO LLC, a Colorado limited liability company, and Vivos Airway Alliances, LLC, a Colorado limited liability company), are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Emerging Growth Company Status The Company is an “emerging growth company” (an “EGC”), as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and as a result, the Company may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not EGCs. These include, but are not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. - 71 - Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts EGCs from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-EGC but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company currently expects to retain its status as an EGC until the year ending December 31, 2026, but this status could end sooner under certain circumstances. Revenue Recognition The Company generates revenue from the sale of products and services. A significant majority of the Company’s revenues are generated from enrolling dentists as either (i) Guided Growth and Development VIPs; (ii) Lifeline VIPs; (iii) combined Guided Growth and Development and Lifeline VIPs; or Premier Vivos Integrated Providers (Premier VIPs). Prior to the second quarter of 2023, the majority of VIP enrollments were Premier VIPs. The other, lower priced enrollments were piloted in prior fiscal quarters on a limited basis. They were officially adopted during the second quarter of 2023. For each VIP program, revenue is recognized when control of the products or services is transferred to customers (i.e., VIP dentists ordering such products or services for their patients) in a manner that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those products and services. Following the guidance of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) and the applicable provisions of ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), the Company determines revenue recognition through the following five-step model, which entails: 1) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; 2) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations, including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; 3) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; 4) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and 5) recognition of revenue when, or as the Company satisfies each performance obligation. Service Revenue VIP Enrollment Revenue The Company reviews its VIP enrollment contracts from a revenue recognition perspective using the 5-step method outlined above. All program enrollees, irrespective of their level of enrollment, are commonly referred to as VIPs, unless it is necessary to specify their particular program. Once it is determined that a contract exists (i.e., a VIP enrollment agreement is executed and payment is received), service revenue related to VIP enrollments is recognized when the underlying services are performed. The price of the Premier VIP enrollment that the VIP pays upon execution of the contract is significant, running at approximately $26,200, with different entry levels for the various programs described above. Unearned revenue reported on the balance sheet as contract liability represents the portion of fees paid by VIP customers for services that have not yet been performed as of the reporting date and are recorded as the service is rendered. The Company recognizes this revenue as performance obligations are met. Accordingly, the contract liability for unearned revenue is a significant liability for the Company. Provisions for discounts are provided in the same period that the related revenue from the products and/or services is recorded. - 72 - The Company enters into programs that may provide for multiple performance obligations. Commencing in 2018, the Company began enrolling medical and dental professionals in a one-year program (now known as the Premier VIP Program) which includes training in a highly personalized, deep immersion workshop format which provides the Premier VIP dentist access to a team who is dedicated to creating a successful integrated practice. The key topics covered in training include case selection, clinical diagnosis, appliance design, adjunctive therapies, instructions on ordering the Company’s products, guidance on pricing, instruction on insurance reimbursement protocols and interacting with our proprietary software system and the many features on the Company’s website. The initial training and educational workshop are typically provided within the first 30 to 45 days that a VIP enrolls. Ongoing support and additional training are provided throughout the year and includes access to the Company’s proprietary Airway Intelligence Service (“AIS”) which provides the VIP with resources to help simplify the diagnostic and treatment planning process. AIS is provided as part of the price of each appliance and is not a separate revenue stream. Following the year of training and support, a VIP may pay for seminars and training courses that meet the Provider’s needs on a subscription or a course-by-course basis. VIP enrollment fees include multiple performance obligations which vary on a contract-by-contract basis. The performance obligations included with enrollments may include sleep apnea rings, a six or twelve months BIS subscription, a marketing package, lab credits and the right to sell our appliances. The Company allocates the transaction price of a VIP enrollment contract to each performance obligation under such contract using the relative standalone selling price method. The relative standalone price method is based on the proportion of the standalone selling price of each performance obligation to the sum of the total standalone selling prices of all the performance obligations in the contract. The right to sell is similar to a license of intellectual property because without it the VIP cannot purchase appliances from the Company. The right to sell performance obligation includes the Vivos training and enrollment materials which prepare dentists for treating their patients using The Vivos Method. Because the right to sell is never sold outside of VIP contracts, and VIP contracts are sold for varying prices, the Company believes that it is appropriate to estimate the standalone selling price of this performance obligation using the residual method. As such, the observable prices of other performance obligations under a VIP contract will be deducted from the contract price, with the residual being allocated to the right to sell performance obligation. The Company uses significant judgements in revenue recognition including an estimation of customer life over which it recognizes the right to sell. The Company has determined that Premier VIPs who do not complete sessions 1 and 2 of training rarely complete training at all and fail to participate in the Premier VIP program long term. Since the beginning of the Premier VIP program, just under one-third of new VIP members fall into this category, and the revenue allocated to the right to sell for those VIPs is accelerated at the time in which it becomes remote that a VIP will continue in the program. Revenue is recognized in accordance with each individual performance obligation unless it becomes remote the VIP will continue, at which time the remainder of revenue is accelerated and recognized in the following month. Those VIPs who complete training typically remain active for a much longer period, and revenue from the right to sell for those VIPs is recognized over the estimated period of which those VIPs will remain active. Because of various factors occurring year to year, the Company has estimated customer life for each year a contract is initiated. The estimated customer lives are calculated separately for each year and have been estimated at 15 months for 2020, 14 months for 2021, 18 months for 2022, and 23 months for 2023, as a result of customers staying active for longer periods of time. The right to sell is recognized on a sum of the years’ digits method over the estimated customer life for each year as this approximates the rate of decline in VIPs purchasing behaviors we have observed. Other Service Revenue In addition to VIP enrollment service revenue, in 2020 the Company launched BIS, an additional service on a monthly subscription basis, which includes the Company’s AireO2 medical billing and practice management software. Revenue for these services is recognized monthly during the month the services are rendered. The Company also offers its VIPs the ability to provide MyoCorrect to the VIP’s patients as part of treatment with The Vivos Method. The program includes packages of treatment sessions that are sold to the VIPs, and resold to their patients. Revenue for MyoCorrect services is recognized over the 12-month performance period as therapy sessions occur. - 73 - Allocation of Revenue to Performance Obligations The Company identifies all goods and services that are delivered separately under a sales arrangement and allocates revenue to each performance obligation based on relative fair values. These fair values approximate the prices for the relevant performance obligation that would be charged if those services were sold separately, and are recognized over the relevant service period of each performance obligation. After allocation to the performance obligations, any remainder is allocated to the right to sell under the residual method and is recognized over the estimated customer life. In general, revenues are separated between durable medical equipment (product revenue) and education and training services (service revenue). Treatment of Discounts and Promotions From time to time, the Company offers various discounts to its customers. These include the following: 1) Discount for cash paid in full 2) Conference or trade show incentives, such as subscription enrollment into the SleepImage ® home sleep test program, or free trial period for the SleepImage ® lease program 3) Negotiated concessions on annual enrollment fee 4) Credits/rebates to be used towards future product orders such as lab rebates The amount of the discount is determined up front prior to the sale. Accordingly, measurement is determined before the sale occurs and revenue is recognized based on the terms agreed upon between the Company and the customer over the performance period. In rare circumstances, a discount has been given after the sale during a conference which is offering a discount to full price. In this situation revenue is measured and the change in transaction price is allocated over the remaining performance obligation. The amount of consideration can vary by customer due to promotions and discounts authorized to incentivize a sale. Prior to the sale, the customer and the Company agree upon the amount of consideration that the customer will pay in exchange for the services the Company provides. The net consideration that the customer has agreed to pay is the expected value that is recognized as revenue over the service period. At the end of each reporting period, the Company updates the transaction price to represent the circumstances present at the end of the reporting period and any changes in circumstances during the reporting period. Product Revenue In addition to revenue from services, the Company also generates revenue from the sale of its line of oral devices and preformed guides (known as appliances or systems) to its customers, the VIP dentists. These include the DNA appliance ® , mRNA appliance ® , the mmRNA appliance, the Versa, the Vida, the Vida Sleep, and others. The Company expanded its product offerings in the first quarter of 2023 via the acquisition of certain U.S. and international patents, product rights, and other miscellaneous intellectual property from Advanced Facialdontics, LLC, a New York limited liability company (“AFD”). Revenue from appliance sales is recognized when control of product is transferred to the VIP in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled to in exchange for those products. The VIP in turn charges the VIP’s patient and or patient’s insurance a fee for the appliance and for his or her professional services in measuring, fitting, installing the appliance and educating the patient as to its use. The Company contracts with VIPs for the sale of the appliance and is not involved in the sale of the products and services from the VIP to the VIP’s patient. The Company’s appliances are similar to a retainer that is worn in the mouth after braces are removed. Each appliance is unique and is fitted to the patient. The Company utilizes its network of certified VIPs throughout the United States and in some non-U.S. jurisdictions to sell the appliances to their customers as well as in two dental centers that the Company operates. The Company utilizes third party contract manufacturers or labs to produce its unique, patented appliances and preformed guides. The manufacturer designated by the Company produces the appliance in strict adherence to the Company’s patents, design files, treatments, processes and procedures and under the direction and specific instruction of the Company, ships the appliance to the VIP who ordered the appliance from the Company. All of the Company’s contract manufacturers are required to follow the Company’s master design files in production of appliances or the lab will be in violation of the FDA’s rules and regulations. The Company performed an analysis under ASC 606-10-55-36 through 55-40 and concluded it is the principal in the transaction and is reporting revenue gross. The Company bills the VIP the contracted price for the appliance which is recorded as product revenue. Product revenue is recognized once the appliance ships to the VIP under the direction of the Company. - 74 - In support of the VIPs using the Company’s appliances for their patients, the Company utilizes a team of trained technicians to measure, order and fit each appliance. Upon scheduling the patient (which is the Company’s customer in this case), the center takes a deposit and reviews the patient’s insurance coverage. Revenue is recognized differently for Company owned centers than for revenue from VIPs. The Company recognizes revenue in the centers after the appliance is received from the manufacturer and once the appliance is fitted and provided to the patient. The Company offers certain dentists (known as Clinical Advisors) discounts from standard VIP pricing. This is done to help encourage Clinical Advisors, who help the VIPs with technical aspects of the Company’s products, to purchase Company products for their own practices. In addition, from time to time, the Company offers credits to incentivize VIPs to adopt the Company’s products and increase case volume within their practices. These incentives are recorded as a liability at issuance and deducted from the related product sale at the time the credit is used. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make judgments, assumptions, and estimates that affect the amounts reported in its consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on existing facts, historical experience, and various other factors that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, to determine the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The Company’s significant accounting estimates include, but are not necessarily limited to, assessing collectability on accounts receivable, the determination of customer life and breakage related to recognizing revenue for VIP contracts, impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets; valuation assumptions for assets acquired in asset acquisitions; valuation assumptions for stock options, warrants, warrant liabilities and equity instruments issued for goods or services; deferred income taxes and the related valuation allowances; and the evaluation and measurement of contingencies. Additionally, the full impact of COVID-19 is unknown and cannot be reasonably estimated. However, the Company has made appropriate accounting estimates based on the facts and circumstances available as of the reporting date. To the extent there are material differences between the Company’s estimates and the actual results, the Company’s future consolidated results of operations will be affected. Cash and Cash Equivalents All highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less that are freely available for the Company’s immediate and general business use are classified as cash and cash equivalents. Accounts Receivable, Net Accounts receivable represent amounts due from customers in the ordinary course of business and are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. Accounts receivable are stated at the net amount expected to be collected, using an expected credit loss methodology to determine the allowance for expected credit losses. The Company evaluates the collectability of its accounts receivable and determines the appropriate allowance for expected credit losses based on a combination of factors, including the aging of the receivables, historical collection trends, and charge-offs. When the Company is aware of a customer’s inability to meet its financial obligation, the Company may individually evaluate the related receivable to determine the allowance for expected credit losses. The Company uses specific criteria to determine uncollectible receivables to be charged-off, including bankruptcy filings, the referral of customer accounts to outside parties for collection, and the length that accounts remain past due. Property and Equipment, Net Property and equipment are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which ranges from 4 to 5 years. Amortization of leasehold improvements is recognized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the life of the improvement or the term of the respective leases which range between 5 and 7 years. The Company does not begin depreciating assets until assets are placed in service. - 75 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net Goodwill is the excess of acquisition cost of an acquired entity over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but tested for impairment annually or whenever indicators of impairment exist. These indicators may include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, sale or disposition of a significant portion of the business or other factors. We test for impairment annually as of December 31. There were no quantitative or qualitative indicators of impairment that occurred for the year ended December 31, 2023, and no impairment was required. Intangible assets consist of assets acquired from First Vivos and costs paid to (i) MyoCorrect, from whom the Company acquired certain assets related to its OMT service in March 2021, (ii) Lyon Management and Consulting, LLC and its affiliates (“Lyon Dental”), from whom the Company acquired certain medical billing and practice management software, licenses and contracts in April 2021 (including the software underlying AireO2) for work related to the Company’s acquired patents, intellectual property and customer contracts and (iii) AFD, from whom the Company acquired certain U.S. and international patents, trademarks, product rights, and other miscellaneous intellectual property in March 2023. The identifiable intangible assets acquired from First Vivos and Lyon Dental for customer contracts are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated life of the assets, which approximates 5 years (See Note 5). The costs paid to MyoCorrect, Lyon Dental and AFD for patents and intellectual property are amortized over the life of the underlying patents, which approximates 15 years. Impairment of Long-lived Assets We review and evaluate the recoverability of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset’s carrying amount may not be recoverable. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to, (1) a significant decrease in the market value of an asset, (2) a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which an asset is used, or (3) an adverse action or assessment by a regulator. We measure the carrying amount of the asset against the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with it. Should the sum of the expected future net cash flows be less than the carrying value of the asset being evaluated, an impairment loss would be recognized. The impairment loss would be calculated as the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value. The fair value is measured based on quoted market prices, if available. If quoted market prices are not available, the estimate of fair value is based on various valuation techniques, including the discounted value of estimated future cash flows. The evaluation of asset impairment requires us to make assumptions about future cash flows over the life of the asset being evaluated. These assumptions require significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed and estimated amounts. There were no quantitative or qualitative indicators of impairment that occurred for the year ended December 31, 2023, and no impairment was required. Equity Offering Costs Commissions, legal fees and other costs that are directly associated with equity offerings are capitalized as deferred offering costs, pending a determination of the success of the offering. Deferred offering costs related to successful offerings are charged to additional paid-in capital in the period it is determined that the offering was successful. Deferred offering costs related to unsuccessful equity offerings are recorded as expense in the period when it is determined that an offering is unsuccessful. Accounting for Payroll Protection Program Loan The Company accounted for its U.S. Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) loan as a debt instrument under ASC 470, Debt . The Company recognized the original principal balance as a financial liability with interest accrued at the contractual rate over the term of the loan. On January 21, 2022, the PPP loan received by the Company on May 8, 2020 was forgiven by the SBA in its entirety, which includes approximately $1.3 million in principal. As a result, the Company recorded a gain on the forgiveness of the loan in the quarter ended March 31, 2022 under non-operating income (expense). - 76 - Employee Retention Tax Credit The employee retention tax credit (“ERTC”) for 2020 was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (the “CARES Act”) and amended by the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (the “Relief Act”). The ERTC provided for changes in the employee retention credit for 2020 and provided an additional credit for the first, second and third calendar quarters of 2021. Employers are eligible for the credit if they experienced either a full or partial suspension of operations during any calendar quarter because of governmental orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic or if they experienced a significant decline in gross receipts based on a comparison of quarterly revenue results for 2020 and/or 2021 and the corresponding quarters in 2019. The ERTC is a refundable credit that employers can claim on qualified wages paid to employees, including certain health insurance costs. According to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Notice 2021-20, “Guidance on the Employee Retention Credit under Section 2301 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act,” the period during which there is a significant decline in gross receipts is determined by identifying the first quarter in 2020 in which the gross receipts are less than 50% of its gross receipts for the same period in 2019. The employee retention credit is available only to eligible employers. Section 2301(c)(2)(A) of the CARES Act defines the term “eligible employer” as any employer carrying on a trade or business during calendar year 2020, and, with respect to any calendar quarter, for which (1) the operation of the trade or business carried on during calendar year 2020 is fully or partially suspended due to orders from an appropriate governmental authority limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings (for commercial, social, religious, or other purposes) due to COVID-19, or (2) such calendar quarter is within the period in which the employer had a significant decline in gross receipts, as described in section 2301(c)(2)(B) of the CARES Act. VIP dentists and potential VIPs were forced to close their offices during 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Therefore, the Company qualifies as an eligible employer under this under the CARES Act. Section 2301(c)(3)(A)(ii) of the CARES Act also provides that if an eligible employer averaged 100 or fewer employees in 2019 (a “small eligible employer”), qualified wages are those wages paid by the eligible employer with respect to an employee during any period described in section 2301(c)(2)(A)(ii)(I) of the CARES Act (relating to a calendar quarter for which the operation of a trade or business is fully or partially suspended due to a governmental order) or during a calendar quarter within the period described in section 2301(c)(2)(A)(ii)(II) of the CARES Act (relating to a significant decline in gross receipts). The Company averaged fewer than 80 employees in 2019 and is therefore considered a small eligible employer under the CARES Act. Healthcare plan expenses were not included in the analysis, although they are eligible if an employee has paid health insurance through their paycheck. Section 2301(c)(5)(B) of the CARES Act provides that “wages” include amounts paid by an eligible employer to provide and maintain a group health plan (as defined in section 5000(b)(1) of the Code), but only to the extent that the amounts are excluded from the gross income of employees by reason of section 106(a) of the Code. The Company pays the first $500 of healthcare insurance for each employee, which generally covers the monthly cost of their insurance. Because of this, the Company conservatively did not include any of the cost of insurance in its analysis. Additionally, PPP loan amounts were deducted from the amount of total wages paid before calculating the qualified ERTC wages. The Company applied for the ERTC using Vivos Therapeutics Inc.’s payroll, which covers 95% of its employees. As indicated above, for 2020, companies were eligible for a credit equal to 50 percent of the first ten thousands of qualified wages paid per employee in the aggregate of each eligible quarter. Therefore, the maximum ERTC for the Company for 2020 is five thousand ($5,000) per employee. For the second and fourth quarters of 2020, the total eligible credit was limited to approximately $0.5 million. For 2021, the ERTC was 70% of the first ten thousand qualified wages paid per employee each quarter. Accordingly, the credit was limited to approximately $0.7 million. As there is no authoritative guidance under U.S. GAAP on accounting for government assistance to for-profit business entities, the Company accounted for the ERTC by analogy to ASC 450, Contingencies . Accordingly, under ASC 450, entities would treat the ERTCs (whether received in cash or as an offset to current or future payroll taxes) as if they were gain contingencies. When applying ASC 450-30, entities would not consider the probability of complying with the terms of the ERC program but, rather, would defer any recognition in the income statement until all uncertainties are resolved and the income is “realized” or “realizable” (i.e., upon receipt of the funds or formal notice by the IRS that the company is entitled to such funds). In our case, the Company elected to follow a more conservative approach and instead of recognizing a receivable for amounts to be received when the amended tax forms were filed in 2022, it was decided to wait for the notice from IRS and cash was received. As for financial statement presentation, it is believed that either classifying the amounts as a reduction to payroll tax expense (expense off-set is however contrary to U.S. GAAP) or as other income to be acceptable with appropriate disclosure of the election made by the company. However, the IRS issued a renewed warning regarding the ERTC on March 7, 2023 urging taxpayers to carefully review the ERTC guidelines. The Company continues to evaluate additional information from the IRS, and elected to disclose the funds received as a separate line item under long-term liabilities on the balance sheet, until more information becomes available from the IRS. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately $1.2 million was recorded under long-term liabilities. - 77 - Loss and Gain Contingencies The Company is subject to the possibility of various loss contingencies arising in the ordinary course of business. An estimated loss contingency is accrued when it is probable that an asset has been impaired, or a liability has been incurred, and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. If some amount within a range of loss appears to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the Company accrues that amount. Alternatively, when no amount within a range of loss appears to be a better estimate than any other amount, the Company accrues the lowest amount in the range. If the Company determines that a loss is reasonably possible and the range of the loss is estimable, then the Company discloses the range of the possible loss. If the Company cannot estimate the range of loss, it will disclose the reason why it cannot estimate the range of loss. The Company regularly evaluates current information available to it to determine whether an accrual is required, an accrual should be adjusted and if a range of possible loss should be disclosed. Legal fees related to contingencies are charged to general and administrative expense as incurred. Contingencies that may result in gains are not recognized until realization is assured, which typically requires collection in cash. Share-Based Compensation The Company measures the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for all equity awards granted, including stock options, based on the fair market value of the award as of the grant date. The Company computes the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes-Merton (“BSM”) option pricing model. The Company estimates the expected term using the simplified method which is the average of the vesting term and the contractual term of the respective options. The Company determines the expected price volatility based on the historical volatilities of shares of the Company’s peer group as the Company does not have a sufficient trading history for its Common Stock. Industry peers consist of several public companies in the bio-tech industry similar to the Company in size, stage of life cycle and financial leverage. The Company intends to continue to consistently apply this process using the same or similar public companies until a sufficient amount of historical information regarding the volatility of the Company’s own stock price becomes available, or unless circumstances change such that the identified companies are no longer similar to the Company, in which case, more suitable companies whose share prices are publicly available would be utilized in the calculation. The Company recognizes the cost of the equity awards over the period that services are provided to earn the award, usually the vesting period. For awards granted which contain a graded vesting schedule, and the only condition for vesting is a service condition, compensation cost is recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period as if the award were, in substance, a single award. The Company recognizes the impact of forfeitures and cancellations in the period that the forfeiture or cancellation occurs, rather than estimating the number of awards that are not expected to vest in accounting for stock-based compensation. Research and Development Costs related to research and development are expensed as incurred and include costs associated with research and development of new products and enhancements to existing products. Research and development costs incurred were less than $0.1 million and less than $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. These are recorded on the statement of operations under general and administrative expense. - 78 - Leases Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) asset, accrued expenses, and operating lease liability - current and non-current portion in our balance sheets. ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. In determining the present value of lease payments, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date as the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable. The determination of our incremental borrowing rate requires management judgment based on information available at lease commencement. The operating lease ROU assets also include adjustments for prepayments, accrued lease payments and exclude lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise such options. Operating lease cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. Lease agreements entered into after the adoption of ASC 842 that include lease and non-lease components are accounted for as a single lease component. Lease agreements with a noncancelable term of less than 12 months are not recorded on our balance sheets. Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740, Income Taxes, under which deferred income taxes are recognized based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities given the provisions of enacted tax laws. Deferred income tax provisions and benefits are based on changes to the assets or liabilities from year to year. In providing for deferred taxes, the Company considers tax regulations of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates, estimates of future taxable income, and available tax planning strategies. If tax regulations, operating results, or the ability to implement tax-planning strategies vary, adjustments to the carrying value of deferred tax assets and liabilities may be required. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The recorded valuation allowance is based on significant estimates and judgments and if the facts and circumstances change, the valuation allowance could materially change. In accounting for uncertainty in income taxes, the Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more likely than not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority. The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued on any unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Share Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for each period presented. Diluted net loss per common share is computed by giving effect to all potential shares of Common Stock, including stock options, convertible debt, Preferred Stock, and warrants, to the extent dilutive. Warrant Accounting The Company accounts for its warrants and financial instruments as either equity or liabilities based upon the characteristics and provisions of each instrument, in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging . Warrants classified as equity are recorded at fair value as of the date of issuance on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and no further adjustments to their valuation are made. Warrants classified as liabilities and other financial instruments that require separate accounting as liabilities are recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets at their fair value on the date of issuance and will be revalued on each subsequent balance sheet date until such instruments are exercised or expire, with any changes in the fair value between reporting periods recorded as other income or expense. Management estimates the fair value of these liabilities using the Black-Scholes model and assumptions that are based on the individual characteristics of the warrants or instruments on the valuation date, as well as assumptions for future financings, expected volatility, expected life, yield, and risk-free interest rate. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Presented below is a discussion of new accounting standards including deadlines for adoption assuming that the Company retains its designation as an EGC. - 79 - Recently Adopted Standards. The following recently issued accounting standards were adopted by the Company during the period ended December 31, 2023: In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 amends the guidance on the impairment of financial instruments. This guidance requires use of an impairment model (known as the “current expected credit losses”, or CECL model) that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under the new guidance, an entity recognizes, as an allowance, its estimate of expected credit losses. The Company adopted the new accounting standard on January 1, 2023. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.