I have it—you want it! Hands-free suction device and more

Ivory ReLeaf hands-free suction device from Kulzer

Saliva is essential for digestion and maintaining a healthy oral environment—yet it can be very annoying in the practice of dentistry. When we practice four-handed dentistry, suctioning the saliva and water is generally the dental assistant’s job. However, most dental hygienists practice without the benefit of an assistant, so they are always juggling the saliva ejector for maximum removal of the salivary fluid and water.

Ivory ReLeaf, a new hands-free suction device from Kulzer, is ideal for use by hygienists and can also be very useful in most operative dental procedures. This suction device is placed in the patient’s cheek area so that it will not interfere with what you are doing or obscure your view of the patient’s mouth.

This clever system uses materials that are latex- and BPA-free, and the intraoral parts are soft. Patients comment on the comfortable feel of the leaf and the lack of excess fluid that can sometimes cause unexpected choking or gagging.

The green leaf is disposable, while the U-shaped connector and the short hose are fully autoclavable. In less than one minute, you can hook this up to your existing high-speed suction system and have 280 degrees of suction—far more than a conventional saliva ejector can provide and much more comfortable for the patient.

The Ivory ReLeaf system is available in various kits and can reduce patient care time. Kulzer’s Ivory ReLeaf offers the relief needed for providing optimal patient care and comfort.

Harmonize nanohybrid universal composite from Kerr Corporation

One of the goals of restorative dentistry is to create restorations that are minimally invasive with results that mimic, or at the very least, blend with the natural dentition. In other words, we try to create harmony between our restorative material and those structures created by nature.

Kerr’s universal composite Harmonize can help us on that quest with its proprietary Adaptive Response Technology. The abbreviation for this technology spells “ART,” and that is not by mistake. Harmonize is easy to place and blend, and it has a great chameleon quality, resembling natural enamel due to its refraction and diffusion of light. The unique nanofiller particles blend together homogeneously for strength, enhanced polishability, and gloss retention.

While all composite materials are sticky to varying degrees, Harmonize seems to be somewhat less sticky. The manufacturer says that is due to a rheological modifier that makes the composite softer and easier to place, shape, and sculpt than many of its competitors. Consequently, you will find less time is necessary to finish restorations with this material.

Harmonize is available in both syringes and unit doses in both enamel (17) and dentin (8) shades, as well as in a selection of five incisal shades (gray, clear, super clear, blue, and amber) that enable us to provide esthetic restorations in harmony with nature.

Jiffy Natural Universal ceramic polishing system from Ultradent Products

From a dentist’s perspective, the key to a successful crown may be the marginal integrity, but from a patient’s perspective, it is how close the crown comes to matching the enamel of the natural dentition. Ultradent’s Jiffy Natural Universal ceramic polishing system allows us to polish all our popular ceramic restorations, such as porcelain, lithium disilicate, and zirconia, to look like natural enamel. In particular, after adjusting zirconia, you must restore the surface to a high-gloss finish.

The Jiffy Natural Universal system includes a selection of medium and fine brushlike wheels for both intraoral and extraoral polishing in a two-step process for a high-gloss finish. A key feature to me is the flexibility of the protrusions on the spiral-shaped wheel. These can reach into areas that cups and points can’t seem to reach, thus ensuring a more complete polish and shine.

Jiffy Natural Universal polishers are designed for use in your slow-speed handpiece. The intraoral polishers are recommended for use at 5,000 to 8,000 rpm, while the extraoral polishers are recommended for use at 4,000 to 10,000 rpm. These polishers are available with or without autoclavable aluminum blocks. My preference is to use the autoclavable blocks because they help keep the polishers organized.

This polishing system is a perfect complement to the Jiffy Universal ceramic finishing system’s diamond-impregnated cups and points. When it comes to polishing ceramics, the old adage “one size fits all” is certainly true with the Jiffy Natural Universal ceramic polishing system.