Renee Knight is a freelance writer and editor who's been covering the dental industry for 15 years. 

Renee Knight

"Patients really like it because the handpieces are very quiet with less noise emitted than most, and they’re comfortable for us because they’re light and relatively fast.”

After a few years of working as an associate at various practices in New York, Dr. Ali Khosravani was ready for something different-something more.

He wanted his own practice, a practice that would have the most up-to-date technology and provide patients with the best care possible. He was ready to work for himself, and eager to invest in the technology and training required to offer affordable, top-notch care, technology that many of the practices he worked with just didn’t have.

Dr. Khosravani decided he wanted to open his patient-focused dental practice near where he grew up, so he began searching for practices in the Los Angeles area. In 2008, he found the perfect spot in a practice that first opened its doors in the 1950s. The doctor who owned the LA practice had become ill, and wasn’t able to put in the time and effort needed to make the practice flourish.

Dr. Khosravani bought the declining practice and turned it into a comfortable, high-tech office that focuses on providing high quality care for a variety of patients.

Dr. Khosravani’s practice, A Briter Smile Dental Group, needed a lot of work when he took it over, from building renovations to replacing outdated technology to adding specialists back into the mix.

Today the practice, which is part of a network of three dental groups, has three rotating GPs and four rotating specialists who see patients ranging in age from pediatric to geriatric who need varying levels of care.

The practice has grown in the last five years as the group has found ways to market the extensive services available, from implants to endodontics, and attract new patients looking for those services. The practice even began taking payment from more insurance companies to accommodate their patients and expand the scope of who they can serve.

“I think those things are part of the reason for our success. We’re accommodating to everyone as much as we can be,” Dr. Khosravani said. “And the office is very technologically advanced. Everything is digital.”

Dr. Khosravani was surrounded by technology during his third and fourth years of dental school and during his residency, so he knows how critical the right technologies and techniques are to a practice’s success. From digital x-rays to intraoral cameras to piezo units, Dr. Khosravani knew exactly how he wanted to equip his practice from day one.

“It takes a lot of money and effort to make a dentist into a good dentist,” Dr. Khosravani said. “You have to invest in technology and training after you graduate. I wanted to set up the quality of service that fits the kind of dentistry I want to practice.”

If Dr. Khosravani and the team at A Briter Smile Dental Group see a new technology or product they think will make the practice more efficient or improve patient care, they don’t hesitate to make it part of their practice. They do everything they can to make their patients feel comfortable and know the products they use are a big part of that. If they can add on to an existing product to improve the level of care that product offers, even better.

That’s how Dr. Khosravani began using one of his favorite 

, the Prophy-Mate NEO handpiece, for polishing. It’s more affordable than the ultrasonic machine they once used as a prophy jet, as well as smaller and lighter.

“It’s the same technology, it’s just a more affordable, better product,” Dr. Khosravani said. “And every patient who comes in after we get their gums and teeth clean with the scaler get all their stains removed, too. They’re happy to leave with a nice smile.”

Dr. Khosravani stays up to date on the latest and greatest offerings, and is eager to try products he thinks are a good fit.

About a year ago, Dr. Khosravani decided it was time to make the move to electric handpieces. He’d done his research and knew electrics offered plenty of benefits for both his patients and his practice; he just needed to decide which one.

 along with the electric options from the company he currently ordered his handpieces from, and said he was much more impressed with what he saw from NSK. He now has several NSK Ti-Max Z electric handpieces in his practice.

“The NSK handpieces were much lighter,” Dr. Khosravani said. “They don’t lose power so we can cut through in surgeries or crown and bridge procedures. Patients really like it because the handpieces are very quiet with less noise emitted than most, and they’re comfortable for us because they’re light and relatively fast.”

Dr. Khosravani also likes the fact that the handpieces are made in the NSK facility in Japan. Not only have the handpieces helped improve efficiency and increase production at his practice, they come from a hands-on company he’s come to know and trust.

“The NSK handpieces are smaller, lighter and seem to be more reliable. And they actually give you fiber optic options. It’s very nice,” Dr. Khosravani said. “So the main factors were reliability and all the features. They’re lighter, smaller, have fiber optics and are affordable considering all the features they give you.”

Keeping reading and see Featured Products on the next page ...

Many patients still fear drills and the awful noise that come from them, and the electric handpieces from NSK eliminate the noise that so many patients associate with going to the dentist. Using an electric handpiece enables Dr. Khosravani to work more quickly and more accurately, without the noise and vibration that so many patients fear.

“Several patients say they went to another dentist and the handpiece sounded like a 1940 World War 2 airplane,” Dr. Khosravani said.

“Some colleagues of ours still invest in those handpieces you can get for $99. It’s great for the first two weeks, but after you put them into the autoclave a few times they sound bad because the turbine is wiggling and something isn’t right. It sounds terrible and high pitched, and is a sound a lot of patients are frightened of. So one of the factors in my decision was the phobia factor. The NSK electric handpieces eliminate the fear factor.”

Dr. Khosravani and the team at A Briter Smile Dental Group are always on the lookout for better products and techniques, and ways to help make their office a more comfortable, relaxing environment for their patients.

They strive to provide patients with the best, most affordable care possible, and NSK’s electric handpieces are a big part of that. In fact, Dr. Khosravani is planning to build a new practice in the area and said it will be equipped with only NSK handpieces.

All the clinicians who use the NSK handpieces at A Briter Smile Dental Group are impressed with what they can do, and love the fact that the lightweight, comfortable handpieces make going to the dentist easier for those phobic patients who can’t bear the sound of the drill. And patients appreciate the fact that Dr. Khosravani and his team invest in products that make them more comfortable, as well as improve the quality of care they receive.

And that’s what it all comes down to for the team at A Briter Smile Dental Group-providing every patient with the best care possible, and at an affordable price.

“Every patient gets the best care possible. If you come to our practice and we don’t give you the most advanced technology and the best material that there is, and we basically just ask for the fee because of our office location, that’s not the best quality of care,” Dr. Khosravani said.

“The best quality of care is wherever we are, doesn’t matter if you’re in Compton California or Beverly Hills, you don’t ask patients to pay high fees because you have to pay a high price for rent. It’s because you have extensive knowledge and good products and good equipment and everything is done proficiently.

“That’s the quality of care. Dentistry in conjunction with new products and technology is a fascinating field to be in. However, if you take out the technology and you take out the product and the training, it’s very difficult and it makes the quality of service very low. Everything goes hand in hand. The training has to be there. The technology has to be there. The good product has to be there. That makes it a good quality of service.”

This world’s first 45 degree electric handpiece from NSK Dental is said to offer easy access to hard-to-reach molars. The Ti-Max Z45L’s slim design provides excellent operability and high visibility, producing more space between the teeth adjacent to the handpiece’s front and body. Powerful and consistent cutting reduces sectioning and
	third-molar extraction treatment times, reducing stress for patients and clinicians.

The Ti-Max Z45L’s two-way spray function prevents subcutaneous emphysema and cools the bur during cutting, while a Clean Head System automatically blocks the entry of oral fluids and other contaminants into the handpiece’s head and extends the life of the bearings. Outfitted with a titanium body and ceramic bearings, the handpiece handles burs ranging in length from 20 mm to 25 mm, plus it offers a 1:4.2 gear ratio that produces a maximum speed of 168,000 min-1.

The Ti-Max Z95L dental handpiece is a durable, high performance, titanium-bodied electric handpiece. It features a small head and slim neck dimensions, allowing operational visibility like never before. It performs at a remarkably low noise level with virtually no vibration to aid the clinician’s focus and to enhance patient comfort. The Z95L gear shapes have been designed using High Spec 3D simulation software, and a special Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating is applied to the gears.

Both dramatically increase sustained durability. Accessing otherwise difficult oral regions is made significantly easier by the smaller, slimmer ergonomic design of the standard head attachment. An anti-heat system in the head cap design limits heat generation during treatment to help keep patients safe. The NSK Quattro Water Spray effectively cools the entire operating field. The Microfilter prevents particles from entering
	the water spray system to guarantee optimum water-spray cooling at all times.

Articles

How NSK electric handpieces can improve patient care

 helped this patient achieve the bright smile he wanted without the intense sensitivity he’d experienced in the past.

After looking through family photos, John Zimmer decided it was time to make a change to his smile.

As he flipped through the photos, he couldn’t help but notice how discolored his teeth were, especially in comparison to the other family members in the photos. It jumped out at him, and he knew it was time for him to try whitening again.

John had whitened his teeth in the past, but said he had a less than pleasant experience.  While he was happy with the final result, the sensitivity that followed the whitening was intense and left him in no hurry to try again.

“I had done a little bit of research and found the biggest issue people seem to have with whitening is the sensitivity,” he said. “I didn’t understand what it was until I experienced it myself. I could feel all the teeth in my mouth and it was a really weird intense feeling. That was the No. 1 reason I held back from doing it.”

Since this experience, which included sensitivity that lasted about a week, John has tried over-the-counter whitening products but just hasn’t been happy with the results. So when his dentist, Dr. Sammy Halabo, told him about 

 that he’d just started offering, he decided he’d give it another try.

At the time, he’d been a patient at Dr. Halabo’s for about a year and trusted him when he said 

he shouldn’t experience as much sensitivity with this product 

Dr. Halabo knew about John’s past experience, and even though he also knew that level of sensitivity shouldn’t happen with Pola, he checked on him several times throughout the procedure to make sure he wasn’t experiencing any sensitivity. He checked in with him at every application and even asked about certain teeth to make sure John wasn’t having any problems.

Not only did he not experience any sensitivity, John found this experience much more relaxing. It took about an hour for the entire procedure, but he was able to walk around or relax and watch television. He wasn’t restricted, and that made a huge difference.

And John couldn’t have been happier with the final result.

“I don’t know the numbers and codes but just looking in the mirror it was a much wider change than I had expected,” he said. “It really came out better than I expected. I was expecting a shade or two change and it was much more than that.”

The result was so good, John’s wife decided to give it a try.

“She said ‘your teeth are whiter than mine now. That’s not acceptable,’ ” he said, with a laugh. “She was happy, too. She didn’t have any sensitivity either. She’s more skittish about dental procedures than I am but she said it was a really good experience. You know we just have good things to say about it at the end of the day.”

And unlike how he felt after his last in-office whitening experience, 

he wouldn’t hesitate to whiten with Pola again

 and has custom trays he can use at home. He had a comfortable experience and a result that went well beyond his expectations, and would recommend this procedure to anyone looking to brighten their smile without sensitivity. 

Want more? Check out this video featuring Dr. Sam Halabo:

			How SDI’s Pola whitening system helped this patient achieve the bright smile he wanted without the intense sensitivity he’d experienced in the past.			Written by: Renee Knight			SDI Pola Office+			Date published: 07/31/2013			5 / 5 stars

How SDI’s Pola whitening system helped this patient achieve the bright smile he wanted without the intense sensitivity he’d experienced in the past.

Product Review: SDI's Pola whitening system offers all the benefits of a whiter smile, with none of the sensitivity

At Dr. Jeffrey Cecil’s practice, education and patient comfort always come first.

Dr. Cecil and his staff pride themselves on educating their patients on everything dentistry has to offer, and helping them make the right decision when it comes to their dental care. The team members want to provide the best care possible, and to do so at a price their patients can afford.

That’s why this Durham, N.C., dentist doesn’t take new product implementation lightly. Before he incorporates the latest and greatest advancement into his practice, he wants to know it’s going to work the way it should and that it’s going to improve the quality of care he provides. He loves gadgets but he’s not an early adopter-he wants to make sure a product or new technology is worth the investment before introducing it to his practice and his patients. That’s why it took Dr. Cecil so long to incorporate digital impression taking into his practice.

He had to give the technology time to develop into something that best met his patients’ needs, and the early digital impression taking systems just didn’t meet that criterion. That all changed when he heard about the 3M True Definition Scanner.

“Many dentists get seduced into buying things they think are great, and they end up on the shelf somewhere,” Dr. Cecil said. “This is the first time in a long time I’ve purchased something like this that I would never give back.”

Dr. Cecil has practiced in the same town for 30 years, 20 years in his current practice, and is fortunate to have loyal patients who trust him and his team when they make treatment recommendations. He built his current practice from the ground up, and made sure he implemented the best design flow to create a space his patients could feel comfortable in. He fills that space with products and technologies he believes in, and he couldn’t be happier with his decision to incorporate the 3M True Definition Scanner into his product mix.

The early scanning systems were complete systems with a milling machine that only had the capability to make one type of crown. He serves an array of patients in his practice, and he needs to be able to use different kinds of crowns for the different situations that come up. If a patient comes in with 3 or 4 PFM crowns in a row, he’s not going to put an all-ceramic crown next to them.

When the actual scanning devices came out, giving dentists the ability to do any crown they want, that got Dr. Cecil’s attention. He started researching the different options, and decided the 3M True Definition Scanner made the most sense for his practice.

“What sold me is the fact that it’s a continuous video system as opposed to a laser taking pictures,” he said. “And it’s easy to use. I went to the Henry Schein office in Raleigh and tried the demo unit. It was just perfect for me in my hands. I ended up getting one and it’s been great since.

“But the thing that intrigued me is this open source software can be downloaded to in-office milling if I decide that’s the way I want to go. It’s upgradable.”

When Dr. Cecil and his team explain the new technology to patients they’re quite impressed-and relieved they don’t have to deal with what they know as “goop” to get that impression taken. They don’t have to worry about the awful taste, the gagging and the discomfort that comes with traditional impression taking, and if the impression doesn’t come out perfectly the first time, Dr. Cecil doesn’t have to start the process over; he simply re-scans the area he missed.

“Patients are just amazed. It’s hard for them to look up at me and see my eyes wide open in amazement and not be amazed too. I’m like a little kid at Christmas with this new toy. I’m a dentist, and my goodness gracious the technology behind this has gotten to be incredible. They’re just as amazed as I am,” Dr. Cecil said. “It’s great to be alive in this new century. Dentistry truly has come a long way since I graduated in 1983.

“It’s a great time to be a dentist.”

While the 3M True Definition Scanner is a recent addition to Dr. Cecil’s practice, he’s used other products and 3M ESPE materials for years to ensure his patients receive the best care possible. The Trifecta method-3M™ ESPE™Lava™ Ultimate Restorative, 3M™ ESPE™ Scotchbond™ Universal Adhesive and 3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™ Ultimate Adhesive Resin Cement-is among those products.

This crown and bonding method (available for in-lab or in-office milling) fits into Dr. Cecil’s philosophy of doing excellent work, he said, and is easy to use. The Trifecta products work together to create beautiful crowns his patients love, and in less time.

“Everything is manufactured to work together and it does. A lot of things are manufactured to work together and you look at it and say that’s crazy,” Dr. Cecil said. “I’ve cemented every crown with RelyX Ultimate cement and Scotchbond Universal adhesive, and when all three are put together it’s a thing of beauty. You can’t even tell there’s a crown there. You look at a lot of teeth with crowns and say ‘Wow, that’s pretty obvious.’

“When you look at someone with a Lava Ultimate restorative crown cemented with the Trifecta Method, not only can patients not tell it’s a crown, a lot of dentists can’t tell. It blends well. You don’t see margins. It seals well. It’s a great system.”

It all comes back to what’s best for the patient

Dr. Cecil and his team make every product purchase with the patient in mind. They educate their patients about the products they incorporate into their office and have built a trusting and comfortable environment that’s invaluable to everyone involved.

“The practice is all about taking care of patients, and my staff members, their number one goal is to make sure the patient is comfortable. If you ask them what their primary job description is, they would tell you that it’s to educate the patient first and then to make sure the patient is comfortable,” Dr. Cecil said. “They follow up after procedures like an extraction, they check how they’re doing that evening, make sure everything’s OK. They follow up after a crown’s been placed and make sure everything is OK.”

The patients, the new technology, his team-all of this makes Dr. Cecil’s job a joy, something he truly loves. And the fact that he can provide patients with high-quality care using products like the Trifecta Method and 3M True Definition Scanner make his job all the more enjoyable, and motivates him to keep learning and doing what he loves.

It truly is a great time to be a dentist, and it will just keep getting better as technology continues to improve.

“I’ve been practicing 30 years and in 30 years I have yet to miss a day of work. Not one. Part of that is the fact I just love doing what I do,” Dr. Cecil said. “I love working on patients, seeing patients, interacting with them, doing good dentistry. I want to get here a little earlier every morning now so I can scan some more impressions. It makes it fun. I love getting paid for my hobby.”

Investing in new products is not a decision you should take lightly. Find out why the 3M True Definition Scanner and the Trifecta Method from 3M ESPE made the cut in one practice, and how they might improve patient care in yours.

How to find the right new products for the best patient care [VIDEO]

You want to provide the best care possible, and give patients a reason to come back to your practice. You need to find a way to set yourself apart, to get patients talking about your practice and the great experience they had while there.

We recently talked with two dentists who say incorporating

 into your practice is one way to make that happen. Not only has it set them apart, it’s opened up new opportunities and helped renew their passion for what they do every day.

Here, Drs. Christopher Mast and Larry Cole describe their experience with the WaterLase iPlus from Biolase and how laser dentistry has helped them grow their practices and better serve their patients.

When Dr. Christopher Mast opened his practice in Helena, Montana 10 years ago, he knew he needed to create a niche for himself, to find a way to stand out.

There hadn’t been a new practice in town for at least 10 years, and Dr. Mast knew he’d have to offer something different if he wanted to succeed in Helena, where he earned his undergraduate degree. That’s why he decided to incorporate laser dentistry into his practice pretty early on.

Today, patients travel from as far as 600 miles to see Dr. Mast, all because they know he offers laser dentistry. His patients have come to expect it, and are happy to tell their friends and family about the great experience they have at Mast Family Dentistry.

Dr. Mast first incorporated laser dentistry into his practice about eight years ago, and added the 

 about a year ago. He loves how clean and precise lasers are, and the fact that patients leave his practice with far less trauma and swelling. In the time he’s used lasers in his practice, he hasn’t administered any shots to children who need fillings, which is a huge benefit for both the children and their parents.

“Lasers are part of a minimally invasive philosophy of care,” Dr. Mast said. “If you have something like a 

, you can get the angle of a cavity going into the tooth and you can take it out with a precise instrument. You’re saving tooth structure by having that kind of precision and accuracy. That’s beneficial to me and it’s beneficial to my patients.”

Talking to patients about laser dentistry

Most patients are receptive to laser dentistry, Dr. Mast said, and it’s even why many patients are attracted to his practice.

Even so, there are some patients who are leery, and think of lasers as sci-fi 

tools. Dr. Mast takes the time to educate his patients about laser dentistry, and all the benefits that come with it, from not needing shots, to less trauma to shorter procedure times.

“I just explain all the different things about how it works and why it’s better for them and people get really excited about it,” Dr. Mast said. “If you do a filling on a kid and then have the parents back to see how it works, it’s enough to convince them that lasers are pretty cool.”

If you offer laser dentistry, you have to find a way to let people know about it. Dr. Mast has advertised on TV as well as in print and online, and has advertisements on his practice windows to let patients know he’s a WaterLase dentist, but none of those advertising efforts compare to word of mouth.

“In the end the best marketing is that mom who walks out of here and is like, ‘wow that was awesome. My kid came in and had three cavities filled, didn’t need a shot and didn’t feel weird or groggy after,’” Dr. Mast said. “To have people tell me I need to be meaner to their kids because they want them to remember how this was so they don’t get more cavities, those responses have been the best marketing for us. Moms tell other moms.”

The WaterLase enables Dr. Mast to perform procedures he couldn’t otherwise perform, which means patients don’t have to travel to a specialist an hour away to get work done. He’s able to do procedures that may have taken multiple visits in the past in one day, and he can take care of problems in seconds, problems that patients have lived with for years because they didn’t want to go through surgery.

“It’s allowed me to look at the bigger picture instead of saying you have to go to a specialist. Now it takes me 10 seconds to take a lesion off the side of a cheek and it won’t bleed. It’s made having lasers more exciting,” Dr. Mast said.

“You charge for the exam and whatever it is you’re taking care of, and it only takes you 30 seconds to a minute. The money is great, but the person walks out of the practice and says he’s been waiting to do that for years, but was scared and now it’s done. Then that patient talks about it at work. That kind of growth and marketing you just can’t do any other way.”

After 25 years in the field, Dr. Larry Cole needed something to help revitalize his passion for dentistry.

He found that when he attended a CE course on laser dentistry. He walked away impressed with the technology, and after doing a little research on his own he decided it was just what his small rural practice needed.

into his practice about six months ago, he’s expanded his procedure offerings and now is able to treat children he once turned away.

“It’s really well received,” Dr. Cole said. “It’s less stressful for me and less stressful on them.”

Patients have been very receptive, Dr. Cole said, and have come to expect laser dentistry when they walk into his practice. Dr. Cole puts any fears at ease by demonstrating how the laser works, and he even lets patients put their hand out as the laser is running to show them it doesn’t hurt.

He explains there’s no anesthetic involved with laser dentistry, which is a huge plus for patients who just don’t like that numb feeling or needles.

The fact that Dr. Cole offers more procedures now is a huge benefit for the patients he treats in his small town.

The nearest specialist is an hour-and-a-half away, so knowing they don’t have to make that drive and go to another dentist for treatment just gives his patients another reason to love his practice. The more you can offer your patients, the better it is for you and your patients, Dr. Cole said, and patients are happy to tell family and friends about the great experience they had at Dr. Cole’s practice and the technology that made it possible.

“It’s amazing how many patient referrals I get from people who have told family or friends about the laser and how they like it,” Dr. Cole said. “I get a lot of people with dental phobias who want to come in and have laser procedures done.”

Dr. Cole also has done some traditional advertising to let his small community know he now offers WaterLase laser dentistry, but he’s also found the best advertising comes from excited patients who talk to family and friends about the new technology Dr. Cole incorporated into his practice.

The economy still isn’t great in Gilbert, Dr. Cole said, but the initial expense didn’t deter him from making the investment in a WaterLase all-tissue laser. It’s not only renewed his excitement for what he does every day, but it’s also opened up new doors in terms of what he can offer his patients.

“For GPs in small areas, it’s actually a practice builder,” Dr. Cole said. “It’s more exciting for me and I just love doing it. I’m doing more procedures than I was before. I’m incorporating more perio procedures. I do a lot more pediatrics. It’s just a win-win.”

 all-tissue laser is said to deliver more power, control and versatility for experienced laser dentists. Reportedly able to cut hard tissue twice as fast as current laser systems, without the discomfort or risk of cross contamination associated with conventional drills, iPlus creates an optimal bonding surface.

The unit also features an intuitive applications-based user interface with a large, high-resolution touch screen programmed with more than 50 factory-loaded procedure presets.

The iPlus with the proprietary 2780 nm YSGG technology is available in a dual-wavelength configuration with an integrated iLase 940 nm diode laser, or as a stand-alone unit.

The completely wireless iLase will enhance the capabilities of the YSGG by providing a diode laser that can be used for unexpected soft-tissue cases in an adjacent treatment room, better control of bleeding, and the freedom to move around with no foot pedals or cords.

How to grow your practice with the WaterLase iPlus dental laser [VIDEO]

A little more than 2 years ago, an engineer at 

 put out a challenge to the rest of the team.

He wanted to find a way to use consumer technology to revolutionize the digital impression industry. That’s exactly what the team of about 8 core people did, with, of course, help from others on the 3M ESPE team. Here, Shannon Scott, Senior Systems Engineer, tells us about the process and what makes the 

 such an important advancement in dentistry.

  What was your involvement in this product’s development?

I’m the software team lead and a system architect. My job is to coordinate a lot of the technical effort to make sure all the pieces fit together. I don’t do a lot of the detail work but I make sure all the details line up.

  How did the idea for the 3M True Definition Scanner come about?

 It actually came from an idea one of the engineers had. He wanted to find a way to leverage new technology to miniaturize the wand in a way that wouldn’t have been possible  4 or 5 years ago because the technology wasn’t there yet. It started as more of a challenge. An engineer named Ben said, “I think we can do it. It will be tough but it will be possible.” So it started as an experiment and grew from there. It quickly became clear we were on to something, that there really was something there. It was presented to management, management liked the idea and it turned into the  3M True Definition Scanner.

Watch the video below to see a step-by-step demonstration of a live-patient crown restoration using the 3M True Definition Scanner and Trifecta Restorative Method.

Technological advances in sensors and optics are closely related to what we’re doing. We were seeing technological advances in those areas and realized we could take this next step. From a technological perspective, the 3M True Definition Scanner is really taking digital scanning to the next level and leverages a lot of technological advances that actually came from consumer photography. That market has driven technology in sensors and small optics. It’s become more sophisticated, and we used that technology in the 3M True Definition Scanner.

The wand. We went out of our way to make it robust. That’s a huge step that’s possible because of the simplified optics and sensor package. A dental office is somewhat of a hostile environment. Tools are to be used, not to be coddled. The new system, I believe, will fit into that workflow better. You don’t have to worry that you’re holding a fragile object that might break. You’re holding a tool that gets the job done.

  What kind of feedback have you gotten from dentists?

We’re getting a lot of good feedback. They’re saying the accuracy is better than the old system. We wanted to make an extremely accurate system. The robustness and accuracy are closely tied together, so by making it more robust we made it more accurate. Things are just working. We’re also getting good feedback about the interface. We did a complete hardware re-design. There’s a new cart, a new wide screen monitor. People seem to be happy about that.

We have a team of smart people working on improving usability-faster scanning, faster turnaround time, simplified workflows. It’s a continual process and we’re continuously improving. We can always improve. If we ever stop doing that there’s a problem.

  What did you like most about being on this project?

 This has been one of the most interesting projects I’ve worked on. This is a great team. We’ve achieved all of our goals. I’ve seen a lot of projects in my career go badly and this was a project that went really well, and it was really exciting to be part of that. We pushed for cutting edge technology and any time you do that you inherently take on a lot of risk. We’re selling a product so we have to mitigate all that risk. To tackle those challenges and overcome them is, from a technological perspective, very exciting. And the fact we did this in two years speaks very well of the team.


	The 3M™ True Definition Scanner provides predictable clinical outcomes with powerful tools that create a better patient experience and improved productivity. The scanner is reportedly more accurate and more consistently accurate than leading scanners on the market. Designed without fragile moving parts, the 3M True Definition Scanner wand never needs calibrating and is light and balanced like a handpiece. The scanner features powerful and accurate “3D-in-motion” video technology and is supported by an open and secure cloud-based platform, providing doctors and dental labs more ways to store, share and connect files. The economical 3M True Definition Scanner is said to be a smart investment for any dental practice-whether well-established or just starting out.

Check out how the 3M True Definition Scanner and the Trifecta Method from 3M ESPE has taken patient care up a notch in Dr. Jeffery Cecil's practice.

A little more than 2 years ago, an engineer at 3M ESPE put out a challenge to the rest of the team. He wanted to find a way to use consumer technology to revolutionize the digital impression industry. That’s exactly what the team of about 8 core people did, with, of course, help from others on the 3M ESPE team. Here, Shannon Scott, Senior Systems Engineer, tells us about the process and what makes the 3M™ True Definition Scanner such an important advancement in dentistry.

3M ESPE Senior Systems Engineer offers insights and perspectives on developing the 3M™ True Definition Scanner

How Invisalign helped one patient finally get the smile he’s always wanted.

Kenneth McGillivary was in his late 50s and had nearly given up.

He had what dentists described to him as an extreme case of misaligned teeth, and every proposed solution he’s heard over the years required extraction, along with the promise of a root canal once the orthodontic treatment was complete.

That all changed when his dentist referred him to Dr. Payam Ataii, who practices in Laguna Hills, Calif. Dr. Ataii has treated cases like McGillivary’s in the past, and was the first dentist who could give McGillivary a solution that didn’t involve extractions or root canals. 

McGillivary recently completed about 18 months of treatment and is now in the retention phase. After years of struggling to correct his smile, he couldn’t be happier with the results he’s seeing.

“I’m ecstatic. My wife is happy. I’m happy. It’s nice to be able to take a photo and see your teeth in near perfect alignment. It’s nice to bite into an apple and see a nice pattern,” he said. “It’s very pleasing at this stage in my life to see an improvement in my body rather than the other way around. It’s very gratifying.”

And getting to that new smile, that new confidence he feels today was fairly easy.  He wore the

 every day, and was able to clean his teeth without working around the wires that come with braces. The aligners are nearly invisible, so he felt comfortable wearing them throughout the treatment, and he loved seeing the results with each new tray.

Even after many disappointments over the years, McGillivary was confident about the results he’d get with Invisalign from the beginning. Not only did he trust Dr. Ataii’s skill and his attention to his case, but he saw for himself what to expect after each tray was finished.

It’s an easy-to-use, very reliable product

. You can see step-by-step exactly what’s happening with computer simulation,” he said. “I’ve never seen that in any other orthodontia product.”

He also saw the results when he looked in the mirror. After only a few months he began noticing differences in his smile, and knew he’d finally found the product that would give him the smile he’s always wanted. 

Finding the right doctor was key to making this happen for McGillivary. He’s seen many clinicians over the years, even one who suggested surgically removing his teeth and replacing them as part of an experimental procedure. That was 30 years ago, but after many other disappointments, he finally found a dentist who knew what to do. Even though he had an extreme case, it wasn’t hopeless, and the day he found Dr. Ataii, a day he describes as a great day, is one he’ll not soon forget. 

“When you’ve had a situation like this and you’ve tried many, many solutions and dealt with many, many practitioners and are always disappointed with their proposals, it was really, really pleasant to finally find a solution,” he said. “Who goes looking for solutions to problems they’ve had at age 55 and higher? It’s very rare to find a positive solution in that situation. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Check out this video featuring Dr. Ataii and learn how Align Technology's iTero can help with Invisalign cases:

How to give your patients a beautiful, confident smile at any age

			How Invisalign helped one patient finally get the smile he’s always wanted.			Written by: Renee Knight			Invisalign			Date published: 06/13/2013	5 / 5 stars

Product Review: How to give your patients a beautiful, confident smile at any age

Looking for an efficient way to incorporate new handpieces into your practice? Read how one doctor decided electric handpieces were right for his practice through the TryKaVo program.

Until a few months ago Dr. Rami Heidami wasn’t sure if electric handpieces were right for his practice.

Dr. Heidami owns a cosmetic practice in Panama City, Fla., that focuses on treating the whole patient with the most advanced technology possible. So when Dr. Heidami decided it was time to update his operatories with new chairs, it just made sense to take the opportunity to incorporate electric handpieces into the dental units.

But it had been years since Dr. Heidami had used an electric, and he knew they had changed quite a bit over the years. With some handpieces costing more than $1,500, he definitely wanted to try a handpiece out in his practice before making the investment.

When Dr. Heidami’s rep told him about the 

, he decided it offered the perfect opportunity to try an electric handpiece in his practice. All he had to do was go online and sign up for the program and he was able to try one of KaVo’s electric handpieces in his practice for five days.

“Even if you like it, you have to return it, and then if want one you can order it,” Dr. Heidami said. “I like that concept. Most companies bill you for it, and then send the product for you to try for 30 days. Then you can send it back, and you get money back if you don’t like it. This is a free trial for a week, then you send it back and if you like it you buy one. I thought that was  a step up.”

, Dr. Heidami said. They sent a rep to his practice to install the handpiece and go over how to use it, and enclosed a return box with a shipping label with the 

It truly was a hassle-free, efficient way to try a new product in his practice. He even tried a few low-speeds and plans to make the switch to KaVo low-speeds.

“I have had low-speed motors I’ve used for years and they work great,” he said. “When I tried the KaVo low-speed I found it was very smooth. Having tried them, they pretty much won me as a customer to buy low-speeds from them.”

Having the electric handpiece in his practice for a week really gave him a chance to get a feel for the product and if it was a good fit for his practice. He really liked working with the handpiece, he said, and loved the fiber optic light and the fact he could use it for endo procedures.

“I like the fact that you can go from highspeed to low-speed by pressing a button without having to change handpieces,” he said. “And you can control the speed of it even if you’re using it as a highspeed. You can get a lot less RPM.”

After having the opportunity to try an electric handpiece for a week, Dr. Heidami decided he would incorporate at least two into his practice-something he never would have done without trying them in his practice first.

 gave him an easy, efficient way to make a product purchasing decision and he said he would recommend it to any other dentist who’s thinking about incorporating electric handpieces into his or her practice.

I was definitely not going to buy one without trying it

,” he said. “I would have talked to different reps and figured out if I could borrow one for a day or two. I would have made an effort to try. The fact that KaVo made it available makes it more likely for me to go with a KaVo product, especially because I tried it and liked it.”

Want more handpiece know-how? Download this free e-book: 

"10 Things to Remember about Handpiece Maintenance."

Dental handpiece decisions are made easy with this program

What to do when a patient turns aggressive.

Most of the patients who walk through your practice door each day are friendly, well-mannered people who respect your practice and what you do. They may not listen to every home care suggestion or accept every treatment plan, but they’re willing to work with you and want to improve their oral health.

But there are other patients who are on edge. Maybe there’s extra stress at work, they’re having trouble making ends meet at home, or they’re simply in pain. Whatever the issue, they could snap at any moment and cause a scene in your practice-maybe even scare your team and your other patients.
	
	While it doesn’t happen often, patients can become aggressive when something doesn’t go their way. Here are common situations that could set a patient off, and what you and your staff can do to calm an angry patient down before it goes too far.
	
	


	Everybody reacts to different situations in their own way. What might make one patient angry enough to cause a scene at the front desk may just get a “that’s OK, no problem” from another patient. Here’s a rundown of situations that Kathleen O’Donnell, Vice President of Coaching Services for Jameson Management, and Penny Reed Limoli, owner of the Reed Limoli Group, say might cause patients to turn on you:

		The treatment cost more than the patient expected

		Insurance didn’t cover all or any of the treatment

		They didn’t get the cosmetic or functional treatment results they expected

		They spent a long time in the waiting room; time they don’t really have to waste

		The treatment plan or diagnosis you’ve presented doesn’t match what they found online and they think they know better than you

All of these situations can turn a patient against you. While it’s best to avoid some of these situations by never guaranteeing how much insurance will pay, making sure patients know exactly how much they’re responsible for up front, and staying as close to on time as possible, there always will be problems that come up, or a patient who is convinced you’ve done something to wrong him or her.  That’s why you and your team members need to be able to handle it when a patient gets out of hand.
	
	


	If a patient starts yelling at your front office staff, someone needs to take the patient out of view of the rest of your patients, O’Donnell said. Move the patient to a consult room or into the doctor’s office. Tell the patient you want to talk this over, but want to go to a more private place so you’re not interrupted by the phone ringing or other distractions. Don’t let the patient stand at the front desk and verbally attack your staff.
	
	


	These situations can be stressful, so it’s important for you and your staff members to stay calm and find out why the patient is so upset, Reed Limoli said. Calmly let the patient know your practice is committed to taking care of all your patients’ needs, and to do that you must have policies and structure.
	
	“The team must realize this isn’t personal and this patient likely wreaks havoc wherever they go,” Reed Limoli said. “The dentist and team must look at their office policies and how they handle patients to be sure that most reasonable people will be taken care of and pleased.”
	
	


	Once the patient has been taken out of the public eye, the patient’s negative feelings should be acknowledged, O’Donnell said. Let the patient know you can see he or she is upset that insurance didn’t cover the treatment and can understand how that must feel.
	
	“When they hear you acknowledge how angry they are that helps them move beyond that emotional flooding and get to a more rational way of looking at the situation,” O’Donnell said. “Label the feeling and say it out loud.”
	
	If the practice is in the wrong or has somehow stepped out of line, apologize to the patient, Reed Limoli said. This also will help calm angry patients down and let them see you really do want to work with them to resolve the situation.
	
	If you do apologize, O’Donnell recommends making what you apologize for somewhat vague, particularly when the practice did not do anything wrong.

If a patient gets upset or offended because your office changed a policy and are now collecting fees at time of service, acknowledge how the patient is feeling and let that patient know it was not your intent to upset him or her. Let the patient know you see that he or she is angry, and then explain why the change was made.
	
	“Say I can see you’re angry and I’m so sorry this situation has occurred,” O’Donnell said. “Apologize for the circumstances or for the fact this situation caused the patient to be upset. The patient hears you’re coming half way. You can defuse the situation and have the patient work with you on a reasonable solution on whatever the issue was.”
	
	


	If you don’t prepare them for these types of situations, your team members may not know how to react when an angry patient confronts them at the front desk. Take time during your staff meetings to role play some of these situations, O’Donnell said. Have 7-10 minute training sessions to practice verbal skills, including how to talk to agitated patients.
	
	“The more your team practices in a safe setting the less caught off guard they’ll be by an angry or aggressive patient. They’ll feel ready for it and some of these tools will spring to their mind,” O’Donnell said. “When somebody feels verbally attacked they can get upset or anxious or fearful and that makes it harder to think about these things. Practicing that in regular team meetings will help them feel like they have a tool. We don’t always know when a patient is going to be set off in one of these aggressive or angry ways. “
	
	


	Usually you and your team can resolve these types of situations with the patient who feels wronged. But some times a patient takes it too far, and that’s when it might be time for you and that patient to part ways.
	
	“If the patient continues to be belligerent or violent, it may be best to tell the patient you think their needs would be better served at another office,” Reed Limoli said. “This is a last resort, yet if this patient creates chaos each time they come in or call, it is best for them to either realize they must change their behavior or leave.”
	
	No one wants to cut a patient loose, but you also don’t want that kind of negativity in your practice. Talk to the patient first and give him or her a chance to change the aggressive behavior. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to look at your state’s practice act on dismissing a patient, Reed Limoli said.
	
	Most states require you to give appropriate notice, Reed Limoli said, and she recommends you send it in the form of certified mail. Include how long you are willing to treat the patient on an emergency basis until the patient finds a new dental home. Reed Limoli suggests 30 days.
	
	When you send the letter or talk to the patient on the phone, O’Donnell said it’s best to choose your words carefully. Don’t inflame the situation. You want to minimize any negative reviews or negative word of mouth from that patient, so keep it professional.
	
	


	Most of your patients are pleasant people who aren’t looking to cause trouble. They may not be happy when something doesn’t go exactly how they expected, but they are mature enough to handle it in a calm manner. But there are always those patients who are looking for a reason to get angry, who just want somebody they can yell at or who are just on edge because they’re having a bad day or a bad week.
	
	While these types of patients are rare, you have to be prepared for them. You don’t want a bad situation to get out of hand.
	
	“In many ways, stress and anger in our society is at a peak,” Reed Limoli said. “We must be ready to calmly and gently communicate with people who may be struggling with anger or other emotional issues. While being empathetic, we must also set healthy boundaries of interaction so that we aren’t being bullied or abused by our patients. Do your best to treat others the way you wish to be treated and it will go a long way.”

Have you ever been afraid of a patient?

Getting patients to accept treatment is difficult enough. Don’t make them regret that they did.