Joseph Blaes, DDS
Pearl 1 - The Fissurotomy™ System From SS White. Today`s diagnostic methods do not always allow us to positively identify hidden caries. Sometimes, "watch and wait" was the most conservative decision. With the new SS White Fissurotomy™ System, you don`t have to watch and wait. The system includes a unique carbide bur that can explore questionable pits and fissures. SS White introduced the system at the California meeting in Anaheim, and I have been using it to check out decay in pits and grooves ever since. It is as simple to use as changing a bur in your handpiece, which is actually what you do. The Fissurotomy™ tip is extremely small (about the size of a 1/4 round bur), and it will quickly cut a minimally invasive groove in suspicious fissures and pits. Then you can make a definitive diagnosis and treat the problem early on before it gets larger and requires more involved treatment. No need for new technology here; you use the skills that you already possess with your high-speed handpiece. I found the system to be virtually pain-free and very fast to restore, particularly when using my new electric high-speed handpiece. I can have a quadrant of suspicious grooves and pits done with ideal, conservative preps, filled and finished in about 10 minutes. More good news! Vivadent/Ivoclar has partnered with SS White on this kit. They have introduced a new flowable composite with a familiar name - Heliomolar® Flow - to be used with the Fissurotomy™ System. With exceptional flow properties and outstanding esthetics, Heliomolar® Flow is the ideal restorative to use with this new system. Vivadent has maintained the unique microfill chemistry of the original Heliomolar®, while making an excellent flowable that will get into even the tightest spots. You can order this all as a complete kit with the Fissurotomy™ burs and the Heliomolar® Flow from your dealer or call SS White at (877) 779-2877 for more information. An instructional vid
Pearl 2 - Luscent Anchors™ From Dentatus. A new nonmetallic fiberglass-resin post, Luscent Anchors are particularly for anterior cases where you want to restore the tooth with a non-metallic crown and avoid the possibility of metal compromising your shade. This is an extremely simple system from Dentatus. It is available in three diameters to fit small canals and large canals. I often have a concern about polymerization of the resin material I am cementing my post with. Did the light reach into the canal? The Luscent Anchors™ will transmit polymerizing light into the canals, so I am sure that the material has cured. They are compatible with all restorative materials. You can do a post and core very quickly. The anchors reflect the colors of your restorative materials. You can choose whatever shade you want for your final crown or veneer. Research is showing that this type of post is much less likely to cause a root to crack. Call Dentatus USA at (800) 323-3136 to place your order.
Pearl 3 - The Colorado MicroNeedle® by Colorado Biomedical. This is one of those products that is not really new. I have been using it for years. But I have not told you about it, however, because I am so familiar with it that I just didn`t think about it. Rhonda Hunt, my clinical dental assistant for 17 years who now works with me at Dental Economics, suggested that this would be a great pearl. The MicroNeedle® is a very fine electrosurgical tip that is used by plastic surgeons. I find that it does a fantastic job for recontouring gingival tissue on my anterior esthetic cases. I know that most of the cosmetic dentistry gurus would have you buy a laser for this procedure. But I have not seen them do anything with the laser that I cannot do with the MicroNeedle®. It sure is a lot less expensive! I could buy a lifetime supply of this product for much less than a laser costs. If you have been considering a laser, give the MicroNeedle® a try first. To order or for more details, call Colorado Biomedical at (800) 962-2272.
Pearl 4 - Drug Information Handbook for Dentistry by Lexi-Comp. I heard Dr. Harold L. Crossley speak at the Tennessee State Meeting in Nashville, and you need to get this book at once. Better yet, get it on CD-ROM and you can enhance the practice-management system that you are using with a system that will provide a patient-specific drug analysis. No office should be without this guide. It was designed and written by dentists for all dental professionals. It has more than 22 key points of information for each drug, including: use, usual dosage, effects on dental treatment, local anesthetic and vasoconstrictor precautions, and important drug interactions. You will get much more information from this important guide than you ever got when you called the physician`s office of a medically compromised patient. Don`t wait; order yours today! Ask for Lexi-Comp`s Academic Dental Software package on CD-ROM by calling (800) 837-5394.
Dr. Blaes has a general practice in the St. Louis area. He is known for his expertise in dental materials and techniques and his innovative systems designs. He writes and lectures on "How To Increase Productivity and Profitability." He may be reached at (573) 686-2388. To purchase these products as well as other recent Pearls, please visit www.dexpo.com.
