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Good Times In Chicago

Common Sense Dentistry

New, new, new. Dentists ask me all the time what is new and exciting in dentistry and I will tell you that changes are now happening in the industry faster than ever in terms of products, techniques and materials. How do I know this? Earlier this year I attended the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, which I have been privileged to attend 26 times out of the last 27 meetings and even present at a number of times. First, cheers to the Chicago Dental Society, who is responsible for putting this meeting together. It has consistently been one of the biggest and most outstanding meetings that I attend every year. Second, many dental companies always premiere their brand-new products and technologies at this meeting and there was a lot of excitement this year.

My first stop on the floor was Trident Dental Laboratories because they always have some new and innovative products hitting the market. They have just come out with “Instyle Smile,” which is the next generation in the temporary smile category. It is made from a lighter material that fits much more comfortably in the mouth so that patients can try out a new smile before they get veneers or crown and bridge work. If you liked the original version of this product, you will absolutely love “Instyle Smile” (especially because it is significantly less expensive than the original).

My next stop was the Coltene-Whaledent booth. You all know Coltene-Whaledent for its excellent equipment and Parapost lines. You may not know that they make some excellent restoratives, which include two new products: One Coat Bond 7.0, a well-tested, self-etching adhesive, and DuoTemp, a light-cured and self-cured temporary material which is very easy to use and requires no mixing. It easily can be cleaned out before the permanent restoration is seated and will solve a lot of the challenges that we have when using temporization materials.

I continued on through the meeting and ended up at the OraPharma booth, the makers of Arestin. Getting rid of the bugs in the periodontal pocket is crucial to the success of any periodontal treatment and I am amazed by how many dentists I talk to that have integrated Arestin successfully into their offices. I always wonder why every dentist is not using Arestin in their office. Arestin is made up of small antibiotic microspheres that are pushed into a periodontal pocket with a very easy to use cannula. It really is a must for every periodontal treatment regimen.

When it comes to lasers in dentistry, you have to stop by the Biolase booth to see their new gold handpieces and new tips for the Waterlase MD, the hottest-selling hard and soft tissue laser in dentistry. I always tell dentists that it’s not if you get a laser anymore, but rather a matter of when you get a laser. As the public finds out more and more what laser dentistry can do for them, having a hard and soft tissue laser in your office to eliminate the need for anesthesia for many dental procedures will be an absolute must. Plus, I love using it because the patient is happy and comfortable and that makes my office look really good in her or his eyes.

I stopped by the ProDentech booth and became acquainted with a great new product that makes power scaling incredibly comfortable for patients. The new Pro-Select Platinum Piezo Scaler by ProDentech/Zila is the most advanced piezo scaler on the market with many creature comfort features, including heated water, great fiber optic illumination and the ability to irrigate the periodontal pocket with different solutions. Hygienists can really see what they are doing and the patients are very comfortable during the prophylaxis or scaling.

We have had a Pro-Select Platinum Piezo Scaler in our office for the last three weeks and the patient response has been incredible. Many patients fear coming to the office for a cleaning because their teeth are sensitive or else they haven’t been to the dentist for a while because their last cleaning hurt so badly. The Pro-Select Platinum represents a new era in patient comfort when it comes to prophylaxis and periodontal scaling; it is the most significant advancement that I have seen in this area in a long, long time. Zila is also the maker of Vizilite Plus, which is a must have for oral cancer screening in every single office.

Those are just some of the areas that got me excited at the Chicago Dental Society meeting. There are other areas that I will cover in future columns, but it’s time again to get excited about dentistry.

Dr. Louis Malcmacher is a practicing general dentist in Bay Village, Ohio, an internationally known lecturer, dental consultant and author, and consultant to the Council on Dental Practice of the ADA. Interested in knowing more about how to truly enjoy dentistry? Click here.

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To reach Dr. Malcmacher, email him at DrMalcmacher@thedentistsnetwork.net or call 1.800.952.0521.

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