Products to be thankful for

While we don’t expect you to declare your thanks for a dental product at Thanksgiving dinner, we do know there are products out there you can’t live without, and those deserve some recognition.

In the spirit of the season, see what products these 10 dentists are most thankful for.

Continue to Page 2 to see the products ...

Dr. Abdi Sameni - Kerr Demi Ultra

What I like most about the Demi Ultra is that I can be assured it always has a full charge when I’m using it, and the energy is always consistent and reliable. The dependable power I get with the Demi Ultra is an anomaly. For that feature, you’d have to use a curing light with a cord because other cordless lights don’t offer that consistency. I appreciate the peace of mind that I get from knowing the power level is consistent. I also appreciate that it charges quickly in only 40 seconds. Plus, it has such a modern esthetic, which is very attractive. What I love most about the product, though, are the ergonomics; it feels great in my hand and balances easily. Plus, the system functions are easily accessible. I think the Demi Ultra is a smart buy for any dentist. You’ll never find yourself having to pause in the middle of a procedure while everything is ready to go because your curing light isn’t charged. You can also use the unit in multiple operatories because of its quick charging time, saving on cost.

Dr. Sheri Doniger - Air Techniques CamX Luna HD

The one product I am most thankful for is my CamX Luna HD intraoral camera by Air Techniques. The phrase “seeing is believing” certainly works in our office. It is very eye-opening for patients to see what we are looking at in their mouths.

Historically, we have relied on the two-mirror manipulation: The patient held the hand mirror while we held the mouth mirror and played the game of “Can you see this?” Now, it is simple to show patients what is going on in their oral cavity. The CamX Luna HD offers visualization through a continually focusing camera with an easily manipulated focus ring, a portrait or arch to a bridge or a single tooth to a macro version of any area you really need to get up close and personal to. The pictures offer great clarity and are instrumental in supporting treatment discussions. We use our CamX Luna HD during several different patient appointments: from the initial oral evaluation to periodontal follow-up. It is very enlightening for the patient to see the level of calculus buildup on the lingual of their mandibular anterior teeth or the leaking amalgam on the maxillary first molar. It is also great for procedural show and tell. In addition to patient demonstration, the photos are integral for documentation and support with dental benefit claims. Setup is very simple using USB connections to a PC or laptop in the operatory.  Patient acceptance of treatment is one of the most difficult components of our practice, especially in a down economy. This single device increases the dental IQ of our patient through education and treatment acceptance because they can see of problem areas. When they see it, they believe it needs to be restored. I am thankful to have the CamX Luna HD in my practice!

Dr. John Comisi - Pulpdent ACTIVA BioACTIVE Restorative/Base Liner

I love bioactive products, especially products that can help form apatite. Products such as ACTIVA BioACTIVE from Pulpdent, Ceramir from Doxa, BioCem from NuSmile, Biodentine from Septodont and TheraCal LC by BISCO are all great bioactive products. These bioactive materials stand out because they essentially can help stop gap formation. These materials have the ability because they either have calcium and phosphate ions or work well with the tooth structure to interact and create a natural tooth structure by creating an apatite link between the material and the tooth structure unlike anything we’ve had before. We’re always looking for ways to repair the damage that unfortunately occurs in ourpatients during the decay process, and having materials that are more compatible and harmonious with the nature of the structure we repair is important. So why not use materials that can help heal the dental structure that has been damaged? Using bioactive materials, in my opinion, is part of a really important component of what dentistry is supposed to be doing. As health care providers, we pride ourselves on being prevention-oriented, and now we have materials that can help us do it better. It’s a positive for our patients and profession.

Dr. John Flucke - ACTEON SoproCARE & SoproLIFE

When you are as lucky as I am and always get to play with new products and tools, it can be hard to pick a favorite. For a number of reasons, I’d go with visual digital caries detection products such as Air Techniques’ CamX Spectra and ACTEON North America’s SoproCARE and SoproLIFE. They are affordable devices that almost any practice can purchase and implement right away as long as they have the IT infrastructure in place (by that I mean computerized operatories). They are also so easy to use. Just take a picture of a clean tooth and see where decay is hidden in the pits and fissures. The amount of knowledge gained is immense and key to understanding where the decay resides. It’s also such a great benefit to the patient. Finding problems early and eliminating them before they become big issues is a huge plus for patients and helps them view what we do in a positive light. My own patients are thrilled with our ability to often treat them with no anesthetic simply because we can fix things while they are still small before they would require extensive treatment.

Dr. Alan Wickenhauser - Kerr SonicFill™ 2

I have always been a big believer that transformative products can lead the way in better dentistry-not only for the profession but the patients we serve. On that note, there is no question that the SonicFill platform has been a true game-changer in the delivery of posterior resin restorations. The bulk fill, along with the expedited dispensing of the SonicFill through the specialized handpiece, has cut out both the dreaded voids and time to deliver highly functional and esthetic results. I also find it useful in core buildups as it serves well in supporting crowns due to its superior strength. As for the new SonicFill 2, the product does not depart from the game-changing platform Kerr brought in its innovation of SonicFill. The SonicFill 2 is an improvement upon sculpting and polishing. In sculpting, we find more ease in carving the critical anatomy for function and esthetics in less time. The nanofill-refined particles in SonicFill 2 have even more luster in your polish phase with amazing esthetic results. The end result is Kerr’s never-ending quest for excellence delivered to the profession, making what I feel is a must in the dental office even better. To be able to produce a long-lasting, durable, esthetic and reliable posterior resin restoration while saving in cost and time is a reprieve from the daunts of reduced insurance reimbursementsthat plague our offices and tighten our overhead. Time and money are critical today, but we don’t have to sacrifice those critical factors with SonicFill 2. Instead, we can rely on superior outcomes that satisfy patient demands and even the most discerning dentist.

Dr. Eric Hurtte - Kerr Expasyl

One of my favorite products to use is Kerr’s Expasyl. I have given up using traditional retraction cord and totally rely on Expasyl now in my practice. I like that it’s a rigid paste with a putty-like consistency. It is injected into the sulcus and retracts the gingiva away from the tooth, and the retraction qualities are excellent. It can be placed in a wet environment, and the moisture is actually ideal for placement. Expasyl is much easier and faster to place than traditional retraction cords and is more precise. The hemostatic qualities of the aluminum chloride work great, and once you rinse the Expasyl from the area, it doesn’t leave debris, which is unlike most hemostatic agents. I find it works wonders on damaged tissue in areas where the gingival health has been compromised and bleeds easily. This is also less damaging to the tissue because you don’t have to force it into the sulcus like you do retraction cord so there is less chance of disturbing the epithelial attachment. Once rinsed, I’m left with a clear, clean margin to take my impressions with. Whether you use traditional impression materials or CAD/CAM, your margins are clearer with Expasyl.

Dr. Bob Mongrain - Logicon Caries Detector Software

I’m thankful for Logicon, a software analysis tool from Carestream. Logicon works as a module in the company’s X-ray system and analyzes the image for interproximal caries. Research shows dentists looking at a digital radiograph are accurate only 50 to 60 percent of the time, and they often detect a lot of false positives and miss lesions that need to be restored. The beauty of Logicon is that it takes the accuracy rate from about 50 percent to 90 percent, and that’s published data. If you see decay, it’s decay, but sometimes you’re unsure if it’s caries or not. So instead of guessing, I work with my hygienist to do the analysis, which takes about 30 seconds. It takes the guesswork out of it. So instead of wondering, I’m confident in my diagnosis, and I can talk to patients with confidence and know I’m providing the best level of care for them. I also increase revenue because typically most caries is underdiagnosed. Once I diagnose it, it’ll be a standard Class II composite I’ll restore with TPH Spectra and Prime&Bond Elect.

Dr. Parag Kachalia - Orascoptic XV1 with EyeZoom technology

I love Orascoptic’s loupes, particularly the XV1 Loupe + Light. We can only treat what we can see, and we want to be as minimally invasive as possible. So to keep things small, we need to see things early with magnification. We also want to balance the ability to change magnification with ergonomics, and Orascoptic XV1 is currently the only product on the marketplace that allows a variable magnification. They’ve also built in a headlight so it’s not just seeing but seeing an illuminated field. In the past, lights had cables and battery packs, and you kind of felt connected to a wall. Now everything is self-contained, which ultimately helps practitioners follow conservative treatment options in a comfortable position. Dental loupes had been stagnant for many years, but Orascoptic is starting to evolve. This is not a one-stop product, but it’s a sustained path of innovation over many years.

Dr. Marty Jablow - Bien-Air iOptima

I am thankful for my Bien-Air iOptima electric handpiece and motor. The Bien-Air motor, coupled with the iOptima controller, allows me to perform restorative dentistry much more efficiently and with less stress than with an air-driven handpiece. The ability to customize the exact RPM for the job at hand and increased torque makes for better dentistry. Plus, the same handpiece can be used for endodontic procedures so I no longer have to switch controller boxes when doing operative or endodontic procedures. The patients comment on the controller because it looks like an iPhone. They all ask questions about what it does, and I get to explain the high tech advantages of an electronic handpiece. The iOptima allows me to pick up the iPod touch and bring my custom settings to any operatory in the office when docked in the controller box. With an electric handpiece, patients experience less noise and a smoother cut, making for a better patient experience.

Dr. Ari Dubov - Triodent V3 Ring Matrix Kit

Ever since I transitioned from amalagam to composite restorations, it has always been a challenge to achieve good posterior contact. Various systems came on the market through the years, but none really got it. When I was first introduced to Triodent’s V3 system, I was skeptical, but after several tries and a short learning curve, it was smooth sailing. Some of the V3 system’s highlights and benefits include a waved anatomical wedge, which inserts smoothly and recreates a natural contact; perfect tooth separation; stability; isolation; predictable, consistent results; a reduced flash; and NiTi bands, which create ideal contacts.