Joe Blaes, DDS
Pearl 1: BruxGuard by Dental Concepts. Here is a new bite plate that can be fitted easily and accurately at chairside in minutes, resulting in a quick and comfortable solution for patients who brux. The secret of BruxGuard is in its unique, patented combination of plastics that provide the dentist the ability to create a bite guard that is soft against the teeth but hard at the base to eliminate bite-through. We all have many patients in our practices with bite problems of one kind or another. Now you can treat these problems right away rather than taking some impressions and setting the patient up for another appointment to seat the night guard a week or 10 days later. My mentor in dentistry used to tell me to get those patients that are hurting in today because by tomorrow they may be well. This product allows you to get an appliance in the patient's mouth right away and get them on the road to recovery.
The BruxGuard is great for the cosmetic patient as well. Quickly and easily fit a bite appliance after you have seated those new veneers or crowns. This is an easy, five-minute chairside procedure where you fit the appliance, verify the fit, and make any adjustments immediately with no time consuming remakes. Simply boil the BruxGuard, cool it slightly, then place it into the mouth to mold it against the teeth and tissues for a comfortable fit. Set the material in cold water for 30 seconds and you are done.
For more information on BruxGuard, visit www.bruxguard.com. To order a starter kit, contact your local Sullivan-Schein dealer or call (877) BRUX123.
Pearl 2: Earth Stone by TAK Systems. Can you imagine still mixing amalgam with a mortar and pestle? Can you imagine still mixing impression materials on a pad? Then how come you are still mixing plaster in a bowl to pour models? Get up to date with "shake and pour" dental gypsum. Get rid of the plaster bench — no more dusty powder, and no more plaster bowls, vibrators, clogged drains, mixing, or clean up. The benefits don't stop there. Now you can have a working cast in 10 minutes. It normally takes only a minute to snap an alginate and a minute to vacuum-form a bleaching tray or a night guard, but that one hour wait for the stone model to set up has been dentistry's bottle neck for a hundred years. Earth Stone is as simple as it gets! Simply puncture the top of the powder cup with the nozzle of the liquid bottle and squeeze. Plug the hole with the supplied cap and shake for 15 to 20 seconds. Tap the container a few times to settle the mix and then re-move the cover to pour a nice, creamy wash into the impression. Then just cover the occlusal surface and wait for 10 to 20 seconds while the mix thickens slightly. Continue to fill the impression. Since the mix is not as runny, it will stack nicely to form a base. A vibrator is not necessary. In 10 minutes, you will have a working cast. You and your patient are saved a second appointment because bleaching trays, night guards, and custom impression trays all get done right immediately.
Earth Stone is more accurate than yellow stone, with less expansion. The cost compares well with gypsum products and freight charges are less. Can it be that the plaster bench will go the way of the mortar and pestle? Order TAK Earth Stone from your local dealer or visit www.taksystems.com for more information.
Pearl 3: Odyssey Diode Laser from Ivoclar Vivadent. Finally, there is a diode laser that is smaller than a refrigerator that has a remarkably low price! The new Odyssey Diode Soft Tissue Laser has a clean, stylish design that weighs only five-and-a-half pounds. Its compact size and light weight make it easy to transport from room to room. The Odyssey's keypad and display are designed to be user friendly and easy to operate. Simply select the mode of output and the power using the increase and decrease buttons, and you are ready to cut tissue. Use this laser to improve your ability to perform procedures quickly and easily. Using the laser to trough and recontour gingival tissues provides clean distinct margins that allow you to take your impression without packing cord. You can perform a broad range of soft-tissue applications like gingival recontouring, crown- lengthening, frenectomy, sulcular debridement, and so on. If you have been waiting for a diode laser, this is the one to buy! Order from your dealer or visit www.GetOdysseyLaser.com for more information.
Pearl 4: Directed Flow Impression Tray by 3M ESPE. Put away that messy tray adhesive once and for all. Here is an impression tray that does not need it. Leave it to 3M to find a product from another 3M division that will cause impression materials to cling to the tray. The new Directed Flow Impression Tray has a retention fleece for perfect adhesion. You can probably save time by not applying tray adhesive plus you won't have to clean it up when it spills. Striations in the tray act as an occlusal stop to avoid contact of the teeth with the tray allowing increased compression to optimize handling. The shape of the tray, with its built in spoilers, actually directs the flow of the impression material to significantly reduce the formation of flow defects by directing the impression material back against the buccal and lingual tooth surfaces. The cleverly placed impression material reservoir significantly reduces the patients gag reflex for a more comfortable experience. The upper tray design has a place for the patients tongue.
The trays have an anatomical form for optimum fit. A complete set of trays in only three sizes (S, M, L), upper and lower, address 80 percent of impression requirements as claimed by the manufacturer to reduce your tray inventory. Most of my patients turn out to be medium size. My lab noticed a difference in the quality of impressions taken with these trays. Of course, the trays are disposable so cleaning up trays is history. I personally think our patients really appreciate that this impression tray has not been in someone else's mouth. If necessary, you can also customize the tray. The Directed Flow Impression Tray is indicated for impressions for temporaries, study models, opposing models, and final crown and bridgework.
Order from your dealer or visit www.3mespe.com for more information.
