There are some incredible products that have made my practice of dentistry even easier than in the past. This includes devices such as the Checkup (BlueLight Analytics) that measures the effective output of curing lights. Undercured composite can result in tooth sensitivity, fracture, and pain.
For final impressions, I am still analog, so an accurate polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) is worth its weight in gold. I have been using Honigum (DMG America) for more than 20 years, and it captures terrific detail without the need for retraction cord. There is a process known as the H&H technique that gives terrific impressions using Honigum.
Another product that has grabbed my attention is Omnichroma (Tokuyama Dental America). It’s a single direct composite with the ability to match every shade. This remarkable technology has made placing direct composite a breeze and eliminates the trial and error of attempting to match specific shades to the prepped tooth.
What do you wish you’d known 20 years ago?
Bring your ideas to fruition through patents and innovation. I am always on the lookout for products and techniques that make dentistry easier. For example, when I couldn’t find the solution to obtaining vertical dimension, I created one. In collaboration with Dr. Barry Groman of Groman Inc., I am proud of our simple yet effective device called the V-DOC (Vertical Dimension of Occlusion Caliper). Based on the measurement of fixed bony landmarks (zygoma to orbital rim), it has been successfully proven that this distance minus 3 mm for freeway space equals OVD (occlusal vertical dimension) when the teeth are in maximum intercuspation. Using the V-DOC caliper, OVD can be rapidly determined and recorded using the previously mentioned fixed anatomic landmarks. The recorded measurement can be saved in the patient’s chart and referred to at any point in the future. This also helps greatly when fabricating dentures and in reconstruction.
