Joseph Blaes, DDS
Pearl #1 - Skin Armor by Gold Shield. This is a great, new product to protect your hands from all the things in the dental office that can harm them. Skin Armor combines ingredients to form a special network that prevents absorption into the skin of both oil- and water-based products. It is a foaming material that is totally greaseless and disappears into the skin, leaving no surface residue at all. Protection will not wash off or wear off; it will start to dissipate naturally after four hours. By protecting from within the dermal layer, Skin Armor helps promote the healing of skin that has been damaged by eczema, dermatitis, rashes, dryness or frequent exposure to moisture. It can help prevent contact allergies and irritations caused by sensitivity to vinyl or latex. It provides important secondary protection under gloves, and it leaves the skin feeling natural. You may no longer need cotton liners, vinyl liners, hypoallergenic gloves, moisturizers, creams or lotions. You save money; you save time; you save your skin! Every day, we find more uses for this product. I had a cold last week, and the skin around my nose was irritated and painful. I put on some Skin Armor, and it was protected. The tissue healed in about 36 hours and the soreness was gone. Amazing! My hands have never felt better. Call (800) 37-ARMOR for additional information on Skin Armor or to place your order.
Pearl #2 - Panavia 21 by J. Morita. I was just reintroduced to Panavia at the ADA show in Washington, DC. I quit using Panavia as a cement years ago, because it was so messy and inconsistent. Now I find that there is new packaging and formulation that make using it extremely simple. If you have had a similar experience, you may want to take another look at the Panavia cement. The new paste-to-paste formulation provides a consistent mix with exact setting times every time you use it. A twist of the knob on the new package dispenses a precise amount of paste for mixing. It`s great for bonding metal, silanated porcelain, composite and amalgam. Call J. Morita at (800) 752-9729 for additional information on Panavia 21 or to place your order.
Pearl #3 - The 1838 Mask by 3M Dental Products. I have always felt that if we are going to wear a face mask for dental procedures, we should wear one that really protects. Through the years, I have searched and tried all of the dental masks on the market. I finally found one that is comfortable with a very high protection level. The only problem you will encounter is access to the product. The dental mask by 3M is a model 1818, but it is not the same. The 1838 mask must be purchased from a medical supply house since dental dealers do not carry this model. It is a tie-on mask that fits the face extremely well (no gapping holes!) and has a "duckbill" design that prevents the mask from touching the nose and mouth. It is great for long procedures because it is so comfortable. To place your order or to obtain additional information on the 3M 1838 Mask, contact your local medical supply company.
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 (314) 434-6808.
