How this dental practice makes sure patients and staff are true partners in oral healthcare [VIDEO]

At Iowa Dental Group, the focus is on education. Dr. Robert Margeas and the rest of the team know how important it is to educate patients on their health care so they can make informed decisions about treatment and be true partners in their care.

“We just try to do what’s right for the patient,” Dr. Margeas said. “When a patient comes in and needs something, we offer them the service. If they want to do it, it’s their decision. It’s their mouth, it’s their time, it’s their money. We don’t want to talk anybody into having anything done that they don’t want to have done. We want to inform them and teach them about what’s going on in their mouth and let them ultimately make the final decision.”

That approach leads to high case acceptance and happy patients who want to come back to Iowa Dental Group, Dr. Margeas said. Patients are true partners in their health care and they know they’re going to receive the most minimally invasive treatment possible at a fair price.

They don’t have much of a problem with patients keeping their appointments either- patients know if they cancel, it might be a while before they can reschedule. Patients respect their appointment times and appreciate the care they receive.

A history of putting patients first

Iowa Dental Group’s philosophy of care stems from Dr. Margeas’ previous partner, Dr. Paul Polydoran. Dr. Margeas bought Dr. Polydoran’s practice in 2001, merging the two practices together. Dr. Polydoran began practicing in 1961, and always focused on putting patients first, doing what was best for their oral health rather than worrying about how many crowns he placed in a day.

Dr. Polydoran passed away in 2007, but many of his patients have stayed loyal to Iowa Dental Group, the practice the doctors built together in 2003, for their dental care. About three and a half years ago, Dr. Brett Barber joined the practice.

He shares the same philosophy, and thinks it’s important to treat patients as you would want to be treated.

Making the right product decisions

If you’re going to provide minimally invasive dentistry, you need to have the right product mix. As a lecturer, companies are always approaching Dr. Margeas about trying their products before they’re even released, and he’s always learning about new products at various dental meetings.

Before he’ll incorporate a product into his practice, it has to have the research to back up manufacturer claims. The product has to be something that is predictable and easy-to-use to help make the team more efficient.

The team at Iowa Dental Group has found this combination with many 3M ESPE products over the years, including 3M™ ESPE™ Scotchbond™ Universal Adhesive, 3M™ ESPE™ Filtek™ Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative and 3M™ ESPE™ Filtek™ Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative.

“Patients know if a restoration looks good and feels good,” Dr. Barber said. “As long as we know we’re using superior products, we feel at ease knowing the restoration is going to last. I think patient satisfaction is a patient who can walk out with a smile and be eager to come back.”

Making the switch

Both Drs. Margeas and Barber have used 3M ESPE products for years, and Dr. Margeas has used several versions of what’s now Scotchbond Universal adhesive. When the latest version came out, Dr. Margeas looked to the research to decide if it was time to make a switch.

“When it comes to minimally invasive dentistry, you really need to have good adhesion and good products that are going to be long-lasting and easy to use,” he said. “When Scotchbond Universal adhesive came out, it was really a universal adhesive used for all indications including self-etch, total-etch or a selective-etch.

“So with those different abilities to use the product, I decided I was going to switch from the previous version to this based on not only the ease of use, but long-term clinical studies.”

Scotch bond Universal adhesive is easy to use and is fast, yet you still get the same results as you would with a multi-step system, Dr. Margeas said. Dr. Barber loves how easy the adhesive is to use, a key factor when making a product decision.

With the unit dose, the assistant pulls out the brush, he applies it and that’s it. Beyond that, patients don’t experience post-op sensitivity with Scotchbond Universal adhesive like they might with other adhesives, Dr. Barber said.

Patients don’t complain about it, and that tells both doctors that it’s doing what it’s meant to do-completely sealing the restoration for years of stability.

“The fact that they don’t have sensitivity and problems with the restorations means it’s working,” Dr. Barber said. “When you’re doing something clinically, you always think it’s working but there’s always a chance that the bond or the etch is inadequate, something microscopic that you would certainly never see until later when the patient is having problems.

"This does not happen with Scotchbond Universal adhesive.”

The Filtek family

Dr. Barber has come to depend on 3M ESPE’s Filtek products over the years, and loves both Filtek Supreme Ultra universal restorative and Filtek Bulk Fill flowable restorative because they’re easy to use, predictable and offer a chameleon-like effect that leaves restorations undetectable.

Additionally, because of the excellent handling and simple shading system, both products have lent themselves to a more productive staff and efficient practice over time.

Both doctors use Filtek Supreme Ultra universal restorative in the posterior and the anterior, and Dr. Margeas likes the strength of the composite and the fact that it comes in various shades. He also loves the polishability and the excellent handling it offers.

“It’s got dentin shades, body shades, enamel shades. It delivers universal options for creating easy, natural-looking, one-shade restorations when I want that option,” Dr. Margeas said. “So if you’re doing a complex anterior restoration, you can cover all those areas with the different types of composite. I want to be able to have that versatility.”

Filtek Bulk Fill flowable restorative is made for deep restorations that need light cures at a certain thickness, Dr. Margeas said. You can place it in deeper increments, light cure and cover the top of it with Filtek Supreme Ultra universal restorative. Using both products for these types of restorations improves efficiency and provides strength, polishability and better wear. And that, of course, leads to happy patients.

“The strength and simplicity of both products are what make them such great materials. If I couldn’t work with them properly, I wouldn’t use them,” Dr. Barber said. “I’ve placed these products and they’re still in their mouths years later, they’re still chewing on them and they’re still happy with them. So that of course parlays into a happy practice. When you have a patient base that keeps coming back, then it’s a successful practice.”

A trusted partner

Both Drs. Margeas and Barber feel good about using 3M ESPE products in their practice.

They’re proud to treat patients with high-quality products from a company they trust. Patients trust them to use the best products possible for the best possible care, and 3M ESPE has made that possible for these dentists for many years.

“Doing the right thing for the patient is best, and happiness is the key to success,” Dr. Margeas said. “Success is not the key to happiness. If you’re happy, you’ll be successful and we’ve followed that over the last 30 years, almost from when I started dental school. I come to work like it’s a hobby. And so, I really think that it’s better to spend a little bit more money on products that are tried and true.

“3M ESPE has been a great company to be associated with, and I don’t feel guilty recommending those products because of what they stand for.”

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Scotchbond Universal Adhesive 3MESPE.com/Scotchbond

Scotchbond™ Universal Adhesive is an adhesive for both total-etch and self-etch applications. It offers one simple adhesive application technique for both direct and indirect indications and bonds to all surfaces including enamel, dentin, glass ceramic, zirconia, noble and non-precious alloys, and composites-without additional primer. The flip top vial and unit dose delivery make it easy to use.

Filtek Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative3MESPE.com/Filtek

Front to back, Filtek™ Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative is the name more dentists trust for all their anterior and posterior needs. Filtek Supreme Ultra universal restorative delivers an expanded range of body shades for more universal options when creating easy, natural-looking, one-shade restorations while maintaining the composite’s versatility for dual or multi-layering techniques. As the first and only composite system to incorporate true nanotechnology, the Filtek Supreme line provides the polish and polish retention of a microfill, while maintaining the strength and wear properties of a modern hybrid.

Filtek Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative3MESPE.com/Filtek

3M™ ESPE™ Filtek™ Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative is a bulk fill flowable that dentists can trust because of its high strength and wear resistance.

Recommended for bulk fill liner/base applications, Filtek Bulk Fill composite helps dentists save time and steps. Its flowable viscosity provides good adaptation, and its 4 mm depth of cure reduces the need to incrementally layer restorative material. It also offers better wear resistance than other leading bulk fill flowables, while maintaining low stress and shrinkage. Most importantly, Filtek Bulk Fill flowable restorative offers higher compressive and diametral tensile strength than competitors, so dentists can feel confident placing it as a bulk fill composite.

Filtek Bulk Fill flowable is easy to use with both capsule and syringe delivery options and is available in four shades-Universal, A1, A2 and A3. The capsules, syringe tips and plungers are designed in a bright orange color for easy and quick identification in the operatory.