Open, close, and shine!

John W. Farah, DDS, PhD

The editors of THE DENTAL ADVISOR™ proudly bring you the "Shared Secrets" column. Every other month we will feature dental products and equipment that have received top ratings in THE DENTAL ADVISOR. Take your practice to the next level with the help of our "Shared Secrets."

PIT & FISSURE NEODIAMOND
MICROCOPY (800) 235-1863
www.neodiamond.com
+ + + + 1/2, Vol. 20-5

Opening and exploring pit and fissure caries can be done efficiently with PIT & FISSURE NEODIAMOND. These fine, "pointed cone" diamonds are 3 mm long with a 0.3-mm tip diameter. Dentists found them to have a smoother impact on the tooth than carbide burs, producing small, clean-cut preparations. Their short 16.5-mm overall length makes them ideal for use in pediatric patients and in posterior areas where space is limited. The diamonds are priced for one-time use.

PDQ Single-Step Composite Polishing System
AXIS Dental (800) 355-5063
www.axisdental.com
+ + + + 1/2, Vol. 20-5
Editors' Choice

PDQ are single-step, flexible, diamond-impregnated composite polishers. They are to be used after contouring and finishing restorations. The set includes a variety of discs, cups, and points on latch-head stainless steel shanks for use in slow-speed handpieces. With light pressure and a wet surface, restorations can be polished to a very good final gloss. Dentists rated the quality of the surface finish as excellent on more than 1,300 restorations. The polishers proved to be durable after repeated use and several sterilization cycles.

Filtek Supreme
3M ESPE (800) 634-2249
www.3MESPE.com
+ + + + 1/2, Vol. 20-6

Filtek Supreme is a light-cured, nanofilled composite designed for anterior and posterior use. The combination of 20-nm filler particles and clusters of 5-75-nm particles results in a material that combines the strength of a hybrid with the polish of a microfilled composite. A total of 30 shades are available in four opacities — dentin, body, enamel, and translucent. Simple restorations require only the body shades, while multiple shades may be layered for the most complex aesthetic restorations. A shade-selector wheel aids in selecting multiple shades for the desired result. Twenty-two dentists evaluated Filtek Supreme in 668 clinical cases. They found that the composite produced a great finish with excellent aesthetics.

Note: For information on the "Shared Secrets" lecture seminars or to subscribe, contact THE DENTAL ADVISOR™, 3100 W. Liberty, Ann Arbor, Mich., 48103, by phone at (800) 347-1330, by email at [email protected], or through www.dentaladvisor.com.

John W. Farah, DDS, PhD, and Editor, maintains a full-time dental practice in Ann Arbor, Mich., and lectures internationally on dental products and materials.

John M. Powers, PhD, and Editor, is a Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials at UT Health Science Center at Houston. He also is Director of the Houston Biomaterials Research Center.