Parkley Scrubs
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I wore street clothes to the office. I would wear a pair of chinos, a button-up shirt, and a white Lululemon jacket as a lab coat. At the time, I didn't think much about it, but the pandemic prompted me to start wearing scrubs to the office-which I still wear today.
Since then, I've only ever owned one brand of scrubs. I got them from a company whose advertisements are everywhere, producing scrubs in a wide variety of colors … all while charging top dollar. Although I like the way the scrubs look, I have a few issues with the brand.
The first issue is sizing inconsistencies. Despite having a plethora of different colors, all in the same size and style, they fit wildly different from set to set. Another issue is the way they offer a "limited run" of their color choices. I have an emerald green pair with an SDF stain on the pants, and since they were a limited-time color, I have no way of replacing the bottoms. Now, they're basically garbage.
But recently, I ordered a set of Parkley Scrubs and was surprised by how much I liked them!
I tried the Parkley ABC style, mainly because it reminded me of my favorite Lululemon pants. This ended up being a great choice because the material Parkley uses feels almost like Lululemon's Warpstreme material. It has great four-way stretch and breathes well.
No matter how cold I keep the thermostat in the office, I tend to get warm when I am running from room to room doing restorative dentistry and hygiene checks. But when I wear my Parkley ABC scrubs, I stay cool all day. Not only that, but they also have Silvadur antimicrobial technology, which keeps the material fresh and clean (no matter what spatters all over them). They are also designed to be worn tucked or untucked based on your preference and come with lots of useful pockets, making them very functional day-to-day in practice.
And here's the best part: Parkley is less expensive than the leading couture scrubs. If you are a DDSUnited member, they are even cheaper … $49 per set. Not only that, but they stick to core colors, so if you stain your pants with SDF or bleach, you can order another pair without having to sacrifice your whole set.
Between the comfort, style, and pricing of these scrubs, I think I have a new favorite brand. If you aren't a member, you can sign up here. Make sure to put Dental Economics in as your referral source and type "scrubs" in the comment section. Looping single to center field for Parkley Scrubs!
VursaWedges by BurtonBands
There are some things in dentistry that haven't changed much over the years-a rubber dam today looks just like a rubber dam did 50 years ago. But what about wedges?
I used to think wedges hadn't changed since the advent of the matrix band by Dr. Benjamin Toffelmire, which was way back in the day. I suppose the material has changed a bit; we now use plastic instead of a wooden splinter. By and large, though, I thought modern wedges looked like wedges of yore.
But then I came across the cutting-edge VursaWedges by BurtonBands, which certainly do not look like my dad's wedges from the olden days. The VursaWedge is a real innovation in the restorative dentistry armamentarium, starting with a fundamental change in the shape of the wedge itself. The VursaWedge splits in two about halfway down the wedge, which enables the wedge to follow the interproximal contours of both teeth of the contact instead of splitting the middle like traditional wedges. The result is a tighter, better contoured matrix through the interproximal on our class II restorations. The better the contour, the better the restoration and less flash we have to deal with. VursaWedges work great on a standalone class II restoration, but they really show their prowess on back-to-back lesions.
Although I hate restoring back-to-back class II restorations, they are a necessity. I find the best way to do them is to put a matrix on each tooth, with one wedge and one ring (you can refer to the September 2023 issue of Dental Economics for an in-depth article about my approach to these situations). The VursaWedge makes this process even easier by keeping both matrices in firm contact with the tooth and preventing slippage ... while also preventing my pending insanity that occurs with these types of restorations.
They also come in four sizes and are single-use/disposable. They can be ordered in a mixed kit or individually by size (in kits of 50 or 100). I frequently use the medium and anatomic sizes, but any sectional matrix will work with these wedges, so you can build your own matrix kit with what's best for your individual needs. VursaWedges are an easy stand -up double down the first base line and have become my go -to wedge for almost any class II situation!
TempOff by Art Craft Dental
Making provisionals is one of my favorite things to do in dentistry. Whether they are single-unit, full-arch, or splinted together, there's just something I love about working on making the best provisional possible. Even though they're temporary, provisionals are important for many reasons. They help us keep the patient from having pain and sensitivity, hold space so teeth don't drift, and help us work out esthetics and function.
And although I love putting them on, removing them is a different story. Luckily, having tools like TempOff helps immensely with this process.
TempOff is an instrument made specifically for removing provisional restorations quickly and easily. It is made for dentists, by a dentist. TempOff provides a firm, nonslip grip, so you can grab a provisional and take it off the prep quickly-without slipping off like hemostats do.
We all hate anesthetizing for crown deliveries. I find that most of the time, what hurts the patient most is the pulling and tugging on the temp. When we can pop it off quickly, they tend to be less sensitive. This makes a better delivery experience for both the patient and me! It also saves me chair time from not having to wait for anesthesia to kick in when delivering a crown. TempOff tends to focus the force on the provisional instead of the tooth, making everything much more painless.
The metal that TempOff is made from is hearty and robust and autoclaves, crafted with quality and designed to hold up for many, many years. An additional accessory that can be ordered for TempOff is the Precision Foam Crown Grips. This gives a bit of padding to removing a provisional, should you need to recement it, especially in the anterior. TempOff generally won't break or crack a provisional, but it can leave small indentations in the material. If you have some anterior units that you know you are going to put back in, then the Precision Foam Crown Grips will prevent those little indentations from happening. We do not use them often, but I am glad I have them when needed.
Overall, TempOff is a quality engineered and fabricated instrument that helps me in my day-to-day restorative dentistry. I ended up ordering extra so that I always have a clean, fresh set ready. I think that tells you all you need to know! And for under $170, TempOff is reasonably priced and available to order here. Triple to the left field corner for TempOff!
