Pearls for your practice

by Joe Blaes, DDS

G-CEM LinkAce™

from GC America Inc.

A new generation of self-adhesive resin cement has been introduced by GC America. When I am lecturing on dental materials and new products, I find that many dentists are confused about which dental cement to use when. This is particularly evident with the many new types of materials being used to fabricate crowns, inlays, onlays, and bridges. Add to this the fact that all dentists have had some problems with crowns coming off after what they thought was a successful cementation. I think that GC America has just simplified the process with G-CEM LinkAce. GC America is known for its chemistry, and this product is no exception. This product achieves high-bond durability in one step. The proprietary phosphate monomers of G-CEM LinkAce provide a high bond durability to zirconia restorations that actually increases over time. This is a challenging achievement in one step. This product shows low water sorption and is HEMA free to deliver exceptional color stability. This makes it an ideal cement selection for all-ceramic and lithium disilicate crowns. Wear resistance is enhanced by small homogeneously distributed particles that are present when luting CAD/CAM and metal-free restorations. Delivered in double-barrel automix syringe, G-CEM LinkAce is designed for the adhesive luting of all-ceramic, metal, and composite indirect restorations. Another advantage that I find when using this cement is easy excess cement removal. With only a one- to two-second tack cure, excess cement is removed quickly. This is great for you and your patient's dental experience. Since this cement is a self-adhesive resin cement, it is ideal for cementing endo posts. Automix tips for endodontic procedures are now included in every package. In addition to A2 and translucent, shade selection has expanded to include an opaque (AO3) and bleach (BO1). G-CEM LinkAce is the cement of choice in my office for my indirect restorations.

Visit www.gcamerica.com for more information or contact your local GC America representative.

Ti-Max Z series

from NSK Dental

is the next generation of electric attachment handpieces. I am passionate about the production of clinical dentistry to deliver the best possible outcome for my patients. The Ti-Max Z95L high-speed electric handpiece is one of the best ways to deliver these outcomes. This handpiece will deliver constant high torque to the diamond or bur regardless of the load. This torque allows the dentist to prepare teeth with more precision and with much less noise. This product delivers speed with about 75% less noise than an air-driven

handpiece with no vibration. Think back to the last time you had to remove a metal crown from a patient's mouth with an air handpiece. Do you remember how the bur vibrated as you cut on the metal crown? That vibration was caused by the fact that the bur was not running true in the handpiece. The bur was wobbling as you tried to cut with it. This vibration does not happen with an electric handpiece because the bur runs true. Your patient does not like the feeling of that vibration. When you prepare a tooth with a sharp bur or a diamond instrument, it is more like milling than the chopping you have with an air drive. The electric handpiece cuts teeth in less time and it cuts teeth more efficiently so you are able to produce dentistry with less stress for you and for your patient because you will spend less time in the person's mouth. Your patient will notice the noise reduction and they will not miss the vibration. This will enhance the clinician's concentration and the overall patient comfort. The most noticeable feature to the clinician is that the Ti-Max Z series features the smallest head and slimmest neck dimensions to allow outstanding operational visibility and better access for difficult-to-reach posterior preparations. DURACOAT, NSK's latest surface enhancement technology, takes advantage of the nonallergic and biocompatible properties of titanium to further improve durability. DURACOAT creates a smooth, scratch-resistant surface that is comfortable to hold. Do yourself a favor and arrange for an in-office demonstration of this NSK electric handpiece to see and feel the difference it makes when you are preparing teeth. Six different e-type connecting options are available for any indication, including Z45L, the world's first 45˚ electric handpiece.

Visit www.nskdental.us for more information.

Apollo DI

from Sirona Dental.

Traditional dental procedures, such as physical impressions and temporary crowns, certainly leave much to be desired, especially in the eyes of our patients. In this world of technological advancements in every field, patients look to us to make their dental experience as comfortable as possible. They expect to have technology play a role in their care to produce a better restoration. CAD/CAM technology enables the things that patients are looking for, especially a more comfortable experience. Sirona has a complete range of systems that allow for digital impressioning. There is now a system for you to start at whatever level you are comfortable with. If you want to maintain a relationship with your dental laboratory technician, then you can start with the Apollo DI. This is the specially developed intraoral scanner of cost-efficient digital impressions. The quality of the digital impression has a decisive impact on the restoration outcome. Apollo DI delivers precise images and an unprecedented degree of measurement precision. Export of digital impression data (captured with the Apollo DI in the practice and received via the Sirona Connect portal) can be STL format from inLab software for processing of the final restoration. Prepare, capture, send. Digital impression-taking is simple and easy to integrate into your practice workflow. The design and fabrication of the restoration are performed by a dental lab of your choice. Digital impressions significantly reduce your input of time and effort. Only a few seconds are required in order to capture the preparation, the adjacent teeth, and the antagonists. You can capture an entire half arch in less than a minute while maintaining a comfortable treatment position. A further labor-saving feature is the 3-D preview. With cameras you will benefit from an extensive depth of field, enhanced detail reproduction at the preparation margins, and automatic capture of the images. The precision does not depend on the user. This means that even beginners can create high-quality impressions. The 3-D preview gives you complete control over the quality of the digital model. Compared with their conventional counterparts, digital impressions are not subject to material-related changes. The digital method minimizes errors that could compromise the accuracy of fit of the final restoration. The digital impression software and the Sirona Connect portal simplify collaboration between the dental practice and the dental laboratory. Once they have registered, the two parties communicate directly via their respective software packages. The data model is transmitted in just a few minutes, and gives the laboratory a detailed insight into the treatment situation. Thanks to the precise digital impressions acquired from the patient's mouth and the rapid 1:1 transmission of the model data, the dental technician can assess the treatment situation almost immediately. This means that the dentist and the dental technician can discuss important details while the patient is still in the treatment room. This is a further advantage compared with conventional impression-taking procedures. It seems to me that there are many reasons for you to take a look at a new way of taking impressions. Take that next logical step into the world of digital impressioning.

Visit www.sironausa.com for more information.

To have Dr. Joe Blaes present his lecture, "Pearls For Your Practice®," for your study group or dental society, please call (866) 274-4500.