Wishes can come true

Midwest® Diamonds by Dentsply Professional - The newly launched and expanded Midwest Diamond line now allows you to get the same reliable quality, service, and performance that you have come to expect from Midwest Carbide Burs. Midwest Diamonds are backed by a 100 percent guarantee. The diamond line combines seven grades of grit, (Ultra-Fine through Ultra Coarse), two shank variations (Friction Grip and Short Shank), and more than 80 unique shapes in a selection of more than 500 diamonds! If you can’t find the shape you want, you’re in big trouble. These are quality multiple-use diamonds that can be reused after thorough cleansing and sterilization. Now comes the dilemma - how do you know how many times you have used the bur? How does the assistant know when to throw them out? Most assistants tell me their doctors let them know when the diamonds are worn out. If you knew the amount of time it takes your clinical assistant to properly clean and sterilize diamonds, you’d find you would be farther ahead economically if you just threw them away after each use. Midwest Diamonds come packaged in a unique matchbook format which facilitates clean storage, easy dispensing and, most important, simple identification. Each five-pack matchbook identifies the diamond visually on both the top spine and the front cover of the matchbook so they can be identified without opening the package or visually inspecting the diamond. I have greatly reduced the sizes and grits of diamonds I use, so I really like the 25-count shelf pack that contains five matchbooks of one diamond. Midwest provides an evaluation pack that allows you to try a multitude of sizes, shapes, and grits in one simple package. Order from your dealer or, for more information, contact Dentsply Professional Customer service at (800) 800-2888.

Ora•film™ by Apothecus Pharmaceutical Corporation - A couple of weeks ago, my son called me to complain that his gums were bothering him and he wanted to know what to do. I asked him to come by the office so I could take a look, but he is a busy architect and was trying to beat a deadline. So I told him to try a new over-the-counter product called Ora•film. He tried it and the results were great. He easily placed a strip on the painful area and, as the strip dissolved, he experienced immediate pain relief. The Ora•film stays in place and has a pleasant mint flavor. There is no mess, no fuss, and it comes in an easy-to-carry dispenser. Ora•film is great for immediate pain relief from canker sores, sore gums, braces, and dentures, but it is not meant as a final treatment. For more information or samples, go to www.apothecus.com/orafilm.html or call Apothecus Pharmaceutical Corp. at (800) 227-2393.

OptiClean™ by Kerr Dental - One of the jobs I really hate in dentistry is cleaning off cement and debris after removing a temporary crown. If your current method is using a rubber cup/brush with prophy paste, pumice, ultrasonic scaler, Prophy Jet®/sodium bicarbonate, or scalers and other hand instruments, then you should try OptiClean. It removes all traces of temporary cement and delivers a perfectly clean cementation surface of the entire tooth preparation in a few seconds. Used in a slow-speed handpiece, OptiClean is a single-use instrument with a 1.6 mm diameter tip for excellent interproximal access. You will have a clear view of the working surface because no paste or pumice slurry is required. OptiClean is a “must have” for every crown and bridge seating procedure. Order it from your dealer, or contact Kerr at www.kerrdental.com/products/opticlean/index.cfm for more information.

Advantalock by Orange County Cosmetic Dental Lab - While attending the California Dental Association meeting in San Francisco, I came across a new and intriguing idea in partial dentures. The Advantalock partial was designed to finally provide partial denture patients with excellent retention, security, and esthetics with a two-piece partial denture. It is similar in concept to clipping a full denture to a Hader bar. Simply place the base assembly in the mouth and then attach the Advantalock clip onto the base assembly. These components lock together securely. Once the two pieces are engaged, the partial cannot be removed from the mouth unless the Advantalock clip is removed first. The Advantalock partial engages the undercuts in the guide plane areas which are normally blocked out in a conventional partial denture. For more information, call Orange County Cosmetic Dental Lab at (800) 696-7165.

“Embracing Change in Dentistry: An Advanced Guide to the Business of Dentistry” by Anita Jupp - As you know, I don’t endorse many books, but this one is well-written and full of great ideas to take your practice to the next level. Anita Jupp is a well-respected speaker and consultant. She breaks the book into several logical divisions, beginning with what I consider the biggest problem area in most practices - Patient Relations. She then continues with sections on Project Management & Organization in Practice, Treatment Planning & Case Acceptance, The Hygiene Department, and Profit Planning & Financial Responsibility. A data CD which contains all the forms she mentions in the book also is available. Cost is $69 CDN with the Data CD (includes 14 forms), or $39 CDN for the book only. Order online at www.anitajupp.com or call (888) 239-9908.