Joseph Blaes, DDS
Pearl 1 -
Prompt® by ESPE. I am not sure who keeps track of the generations of all the bonding agents, but this one is being referred to as a "sixth generation" bonding agent. I can tell you this much - Prompt® is different from anything you have used before. ESPE has managed to put into one package all of the components of adhesive dentistry - etch, prime, and bond - all in one neat little package with a built-in applicator. This is simply amazing. This is a unique chemistry system that makes bonding to dentin and enamel faster, easier, and better. Prompt® produces excellent, reliable bond strengths to dentin and cut enamel. With this system, there are no more worries about moist dentin or possible collagen collapse, because your etching, priming, and bonding are accomplished before drying. Rhonda, my clinical assistant, loves this product because of its simplicity! When a procedure calls for bonding, she simply picks up one or two packs of Prompt®. No more tubes of etch with tips, no more bonding wells, no more bottles of bond with caps to be removed, no more applicators, no more rinsing. Prompt® has eliminated all of this. Prompt® is a true single-step adhesive. The package for this remarkable bonding agent is called L-Pop®, because it resembles a lollipop. The package has three separate chambers. To activate, you simply compress the red chamber with your thumb and finger and force the liquid into the yellow chamber. While keeping pressure on the red chamber to prevent the material from back-flowing, you simply bend the red chamber onto the yellow chamber and compress the yellow into the green chamber. Prompt® now has been activated and is ready for use. Do not remove the applicator prior to activation. You now apply Prompt® to the tooth for 15 seconds using the microbrush applicator supplied, and then gently evaporate with air. It is not necessary to light-cure. You can begin placing your light-cured composite or compomer. One
Pearl 2 -
Seal & Protect™ From Dentsply Caulk. Hardly a day goes by that our office is not confronted with root-surface sensitivity. It will vary from the patient who complains of slight sensitivity to the one who must use warm water to rinse his mouth. I have tried every product that comes onto the market claiming to have solved the problem, but have had mixed feelings about them. Some require patient compliance to get the desired result, and that is always a mixed bag. The reason for this long introduction is to tell you about this new product from Caulk that is clinically proven to prevent dentinal hypersensitivity for up to six months. Seal & Protect™ is a light-cured dentin sealant designed to reduce thermal, chemical, and tactile hypersensitivity in exposed root-surface dentin. Seal & Protect™ will infiltrate and seal exposed dentin tubules, which reduces sensitivity and also reduces the continued wear of cervical dentin. The good news is that acid etching is NOT necessary, so in most cases you will not need to use an anesthetic. The procedure is to very carefully clean uninstrumented dentin with a rubber cup and nonfluoride cleaning paste. Rinse the area thoroughly, isolate well, and blot dry with a moist cotton pellet - this is to provide a "moist" dentinal surface. In other words, remove the excess moisture without desiccating the dentin. Open the bottle and dispense two or three drops into a clean well and promptly replace the cap. Then you simply apply Seal & Protect™ to the tooth, keeping it wet for 20 seconds. Then light-cure for 10 seconds, apply a second coat, and cure. Check for any excess on or below tissue and carefully remove. The patient will get instant relief that will last for up to SIX MONTHS. At the next hygiene appointment, one coat of Seal & Protect™ can be applied to renew the protection for another six months. This can be a great practice-builder because many patients don`t know that sensitivity is treatable. In most state
Pearl 3 -
Multi-Cup Dentures by Aesthetic Porcelain Studios. Do you watch the nightly news on one of the major networks? Do you pay attention to who the major advertisers of these programs are? Night after night on these national news programs, we are bombarded by commercials for denture adhesives. Do you think that this may be an indication that loose dentures are a problem in the United States? If so, you are right! There are 43,000,000 people in the U.S. who are edentulous or partially edentulous. The basic concern of these people is getting dentures that "fit." What they really want is RETENTION! What if you could give it to them? Would this be a new market for your practice? You can, by using Multi-Cup dentures that actually have many tiny suction cups contacting the tissue and holding the denture in place. Dentists across the country have discovered this technology and are attracting many new patients to their practices. Actually, the original patent for suction cup dentures goes back over a hundred years, but in the last 20 years the technique has been developed and enhanced by Dr. Arthur Jermyn. He has developed a system and technique for the production of suction cups onto a soft silicone denture liner. Labs have been slow to pick up the technique because it is not simple enough. About eight years ago, my good friend David Block began experimenting with polymers, silicone, suction-cup design, and angulation, and he perfected a fantastic product for labs, dentists, and patients - truly a win/win/win situation. This baby really sticks! The suction cups comfortably latch onto the tissue and really provide goop-free retention. David refers to it as the "Octopus" denture. So if you want to get in on this great market, give David a call at (800) 544-9605 for more information.
