Joe Blaes, DDS
4% Articadent™ DENTAL from DENTSPLY PharmaceuticalI am sure that dentists are familiar with articaine HCl 4% with epinephrine 1:100,000 or 1:200,000 injection. I understand that most dentists in the United States use some form of this anesthetic. Now a trusted name in dental pharmaceuticals has introduced Articadent™ to the market. Why another version of this great anesthetic? DENTSPLY Pharmaceutical has come up with a latex-free carpule to deliver the anesthetic without fear of latex allergies. When I use this anesthetic, the delivery of Articadent™ is very easy. This makes it stress-free for the patient, too. When teamed with the sharp Accuject® needle, the process is even better for the patient and dentist. This needle has a clear, color-coded hub that is easy to attach. The red dot on the hub indicates the position of the bevel for injection accuracy after the needle has penetrated the tissue. Order from your dealer or visit www.dentsply.com for more information.
Azenic DHP™This is a disposable, high-speed handpiece that has been engineered to deliver great cutting efficiency with a unique ergonomic design. Wait! Don’t stop reading this because there is a place in your office for this instrument. I first saw this handpiece last year when it was sent to me for an evaluation. A dozen disposable handpieces sat on my desk for about 10 months before I tried one. I was put off because I remembered when the first disposable handpiece was introduced a decade ago. It was terrible. Finally, I spoke with a number of dentists who had tried the Azenic DHP™ and were impressed. So I decided to give it a try. Wow! What a surprise. This handpiece makes you think handpiece first and disposable a distant second. Weighing in at just under one ounce, it offers a surprisingly well-balanced alternative to your primary handpiece. But do not let the light weight fool you. The Azenic DHP™ stands up to other handpieces when it comes to cutting power. Generating an impressive 20 watts of peak power, this disposable handpiece pours out 325,000 RPM under normal PSI. So it maintains power, even under load. The Azenic DHP™ cuts teeth, so where is it supposed to be used? How about protecting that precision dental handpiece that you use day in and day out to remove old metal crowns, amalgam restorations, and the new zirconia crowns? Constant use in this manner causes cartridges to break down faster, and replacing them is time consuming and expensive. Use the Azenic DHP™ in these situations, and then pick up the precision handpiece to finish preparations. How about situations where you treat patients who need extra protection because their immune systems are compromised or they are dealing with an unknown disease, or how about the emergency new patient with a health problem unknown to you? This disposable, sterile handpiece is the perfect solution for cross-contamination and unknown risk situations. Simply use it once and discard. There are no worries before or after. The handpiece is great for use in third molar extraction and root sectioning because there is no chip air sent through the head, so there is no chance of an air embolism. How about when you are ready to cut on a tooth and the handpieces are all in the autoclave? This would be a great time to have an Azenic DHP™. I think every office should have several on hand. Request a sample to try for yourself by sending an email to [email protected], or visit www.azenic.com to place an order and get more information.
Kodak RVG 6500 Sensor from Carestream DentalThis sensor delivers the best in-class image quality and resolution at 20 line pairs per mm. This sensor is the first Wi-Fi solution with the same image quality as Kodak’s best wired sensor. Because there is no wired connection, sensors can be easily moved from one operatory to another. This system is fast, reliable, and user-friendly for your practice. The image transfer is secured so there is no interference, and faster image transfer means improved productivity. The Wi-Fi technology provides complete mobility for the practice because the sensors are automatically recognized by the network without interrupting work flow. The sensor’s rounded corners are more comfortable for patients, and the rear-entry cable helps ensure proper sensor placement to capture a full range of images, including vertical bitewings. The Kodak RVG 6500 Sensor comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate any exam. This includes size 1 for periapical, vertical, or horizontal, size 2 for bitewings or occlusal, and size 0 for pedo. So now you have a great new sensor system. But we know that proper alignment is the key to capturing high-quality images. As I was being introduced to this new sensor system at the Hinman Dental Meeting, the folks at Carestream Dental quickly followed up with a no-fail system of aligning the sensor. With the optional Intelligent Positioning System (IPS), you can accurately position the Kodak RVG 6500 Sensor and get the right shot every time. This system visually guides the operator during positioning and displays when the perfect alignment has been achieved. With IPS, you can minimize the risk of retakes, cone cuts, and other common positioning mistakes. IPS also acts as an ideal educational tool by teaching your staff how to take consistently accurate images. The RVG 6500 System has been thoroughly tested to ensure maximum durability. The waterproof sensor can be easily and safely disinfected. Shock-resistant casing protects the sensor from drops, bites, and other casualties of everyday use in a dental office. Visit www.carestreamdental.com for more information.
PowerVac® G from MidmarkThis takes the dental vacuum to a new level by combining industry-leading performance and power with an environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, water-free system. The average backyard swimming pool holds 20,000 gallons of water. You could fill it 12 times with the water you would save by using a PowerVac® G during a twin 2-hp wet-ring vacuum. Think of the money you would save by not using water — the cost of the water coming in and the cost of it going down the sewer. This vacuum uses an intelligent energy management system that creates a new standard for dental vacuums. While other vacuum systems run at top speed all day, the PowerVac® G regulates its speed based on actual vacuum demand. It efficiently controls energy. Actual in-office tests show that it uses up to 83% less electricity than competitive systems. The vacuum will pay for itself. In an actual test site, an office saved $3,500 per year in utility bills. This means the PowerVac® G, even though a perfectly good pump may be taken out of an office, will pay for itself in 3.5 years. After that, the savings go to an office’s profits. This is a savings of $3,500 every year from a product that has paid for itself. Based on your practice’s utility costs, Midmark can calculate the estimated savings for your office before you buy a PowerVac® G. The one thing that you will notice from the very first day is just how quiet the mechanical room is in your office. The whining sound of the vacuum that fills an office, even when there are no patients, is now gone. The reduction in run speed also reduces the level of heat by up to 30%. This pump runs at full capacity only when you and everyone in the office works at full capacity and vacuum tips are open. It has great flexibility that can accommodate from one to 20 users. The system has a five-year, 10,000-hour full product warranty. This warranty is unmatched in the industry. PowerVac® G combines the distinguishing features of the original PowerVac® with an innovative, new intelligence system that regulates vacuum based on demand (meaning your vacuum runs only when you need it to). The PowerVac® G uses the same revolutionary rotary claw pump technology that is used in the original. This tough, industrial-grade, high-performance pump is proven to withstand the rigors of dentists’ vacuum needs. Because the rotary claw pump is so durable, Midmark offers a 10-year/20,000-hour pump warranty that is also unmatched in the industry. Only the PowerVac® G has the intelligence to produce just as much vacuum as you demand and nothing more. I am going to change out my old vacuum and switch to the PowerVac® G. Order from your dealer or visit www.midmark.com for more information.
A New System from DENTSPLY International and GlaxoSmithKline: DENTSPLY’s NUPRO and GSK’s SensodyneThese two brands have come together to create an effective system for the continuous care of tooth sensitivity from the dental office to everyday use at home. This collaboration is based on NovaMin’s unique, patented, calcium phosphate technology that was originally invented to treat damaged bones. It has been adapted for use in dental care, and has been clinically proven to relieve dentin hypersensitivity. Combining NUPRO and the therapeutic benefits of the calcium phosphate technology of NovaMin with Sensodyne’s choice of consumer products has resulted in a new system of continuous care from the dental office to a patient’s home. This care offers relief from the pain of sensitive teeth. The new system of continuous care has three distinct products: 1) The proven performance of NUPRO combined with Sensodyne and powered by NovaMin to create a dental office NUPRO Sensodyne Prophy Paste that provides immediate relief from tooth sensitivity; 2) Sensodyne NUPRO Professional Toothpaste that allows dental professionals to dispense a toothpaste with NovaMin for patients to take home and use daily. This toothpaste combines the benefit of high fluoride for enamel and dentin remineralization with patented NovaMin technology; 3) Sensodyne OTC toothpaste that has long been recommended by dental experts and is widely preferred by consumers for everyday management of tooth sensitivity. This partnership offers the one in three people who experience sensitive teeth, as well as those who need greater protection, a solution. Patients can now expect an effective system of continuous care from the dental office to consumers’ homes through these new products. For more information, call (800) 989-8826 or visit www.nupro-sensodyne.com.
