Dentistry Today Live Blog

If the snow prevented you from attending the Yankee Dental Congress in Boston, you can still see what happened. Dentistry Today's blog will fill you in about everything that transpired, including the new product releases. We'll provide you with video demonstrations explaining how the products work, along with images and text about the products. So if you weren't there, you can still feel like you were.

At the KOMET USA booth, we saw the Oscillating handpiece, which is part of the IPR kit. These segmented discs are specifically designed for usage in the oscillating KOMET contra-angle OS30. There was also the S-Diamond, which is used for increased efficiency and gentle treatment for the primary preparation of crown cores. These diamonds will enable you to save time. Then there was the Q Finishing Instrument, which cuts down on composite filling time. The development of an innovative toothing enabled this to be done in just 2 steps—Q finishing the instrument and ultra-fine finishing the instrument. For more information, visit http://www.komet.com/.

At the GC America booth, we saw G-ænial Universal Flo, which is a nanohybrid light-cured flowable that performs like a conventional composite. It also has an exclusive new filler technology that is used for the first time in composite chemistry. This composite, which is unlike any other composite, comes in 15 shades. For more information, visit http://www.gcamerica.com/.

At the Azenic booth, we saw their handpieces, which are the only FDA-approved disposable handpieces on the market. The handpiece weighs 20 g and is the perfect backup to your regular handpieces. Each handpiece comes in a sterile pouch and can be thrown out after usage. The handpieces significantly reduce hand fatigue when compared to normal metallic high-speed handpieces. To add to your convenience, there is no maintenance associated with these handpieces. For more information, visit http://www.azenic.com/.

At the VOCO America booth, we saw the newest addition to the line of nanohybrid composites, GrandioSO and GrandioSO Heavy Flow. These composites combine the newest functionalized nanoparticles and special glass ceramics. The results are an extremely high filler content. GrandioSO possesses a surface hardness that comes close to the hardness of natural tooth enamel. GrandioSO Heavy Flow comes in 10 shades with a variety of opacities. Its flowability increases as it flows because of its thixotropic properties. For more information, visit http://www.vocoamerica.com/.

At the SDI (North America) booth, we saw Pola Day CP, which is SDI’s new take-home whitening system. It is used once or twice per day for just 15 minutes and patients will see changes immediately. It uses a 35% carbamide peroxide formula and it has a high water content. There was also the riva glass ionomer restorative material. It has a new and improved capsule design. These glass ionomers chemically bond to the tooth structure, meaning dentists don’t need to use a bonding agent. For more information, visit http://www.sdi.com.au/.

At the Aspen Dental booth, we stopped by to see what it takes to get a dental office started. Aspen Dental, which started in Syracuse, is a company that opens offices in rural parts of the United States. The goal is to enable all Americans to have close proximity to a dental office, ensuring a high level of oral health. Through Aspen Dental, recent dental school graduates may have an easier path toward owning their own practice because they don’t have to worry about a multi-year commitment to an office that may never lead to ownership. Aspen Dental currently has about 240 offices in 20 states. For more information, visit http://www.aspendental.com/.

At the SciCan booth, we saw the strength of OPTIM 33TB when compared to other cleaning and disinfecting wipes. This was demonstrated by seeing the blood of a pig caked onto a tile. The basic cleaners and sprays did nothing to remove the blood from the tile. Then it was time for the OPTIM 33TB wipes to get the blood off the tile. Not only did the wipe remove the blood, it made the tile look like it was brand new. So these types of wipes can be extremely beneficial for dental purposes. And it’s all because of the odorless hydrogen peroxide formula. For more information, visit http://www.scicanusa.com/.

At the Ergonomic Products booth, we saw the 3 series chair, which is a unique line of dental chairs. Its traverse feature brings the patient closer to the dentist, which is ideal for procedures where you need that type of precision. It has memory foam seating, making the chair comfortable for a patient of any size. It also has a heating and massage function to put the patient at ease regardless of the procedure. The Ultraleather material only adds to the patient’s comfort level. For more information, visit http://www.ergonomic-products.com/.

At the Brasseler USA booth, we saw the HygienePro Cushion Grip handles. These instruments were designed specifically with the comfort of the hygienist in mind. It boasts soft silicone with a unique knurling pattern to ensure a comfortable, slip-free grip. It reduces hand fatigue because of the light weight and its 20-g weight is distributed evenly. The instruments allow for customized finger placement for ergonomic adaptation thanks to the elliptically shaped grips. The handle is hollow to create enhanced tactile sensitivity. For more information, visit http://www.brasselerusa.com/home.htm.

At the Discus Dental booth, there was the Insight, an ultrasonic insert. Its dual LED illumination enables you to sustain an ergonomic, neutral body position. It possesses a 360° swivel that moves as you move. This swivel also prevents any twisting and tension that could cause wrist or shoulder pain. It also has an optimized internal flow water delivery. The result is a unique ultrasonic insert that’s compatible with most ultrasonic scalers. Its ultrasonic energy enables you to operate it without any additional wiring or hardware. For more information, visit http://www.discusdental.com/.

Directa Dental and JS Dental Manufacturing shared a booth because the products are sold under the same umbrella in the United States.

At the Directa Dental/JS Dental Manufacturing booth, we saw the Fendermate, which is a matrix that wedges between teeth to fill a cavity and get a restoration. It accomplishes that by getting tight contact and a tight cervical margin within the teeth. It comes in various colors and is customized to be on the left side or the right side of your mouth. There was also the Luxator, which is a surgical cutting instrument. It comes with a fine tip to cause less pain for the patient when it is inserted between the bone and the root. There are multiples shapes and tip sizes to fit all teeth. For more information, visit http://www.jsdental.com/.

At the Bien-Air Dental booth, we saw the new micro series of handpieces. The series features handpieces that are 30% shorter and 23% lighter than previous handpieces. The handpieces include ultra-short attachments and the MX2 LED micromotor. Despite the smaller, more convenient size, the handpieces’ abilities to accomplish many functions aren’t diminished. For more information, visit http://www.bienair.com/.

At the DUX Dental booth, we saw the ShortCut, which is a retraction cord dispenser. It has a built-in cord cutter and dispenses the cord with a turn of the dial. Each turn of the dial dispenses an equal amount. It eliminates the need of a scissors for procedures. There was also Bib-Eze, which is a disposable bib holder. It is designed to be used instead of the metal chains that hold bibs because the saliva, blood, bacteria or anything else from each patient can spread easily to the next patient if the same metal chain is used. For more information, visit duxdental.com.

At the Waterpik booth, we saw the Waterpik Water Flosser, which provides people with a more efficient way to the reduce gingival bleeding and plaque biofilm than using a regular toothbrush and traditional floss. The unit, which comes with 6 attachments that provide unique functions, was discovered to be twice as effective as traditional floss when it comes to reducing gingival bleeding after 2 weeks of usage. In other areas, it was found to be beneficial to your overall oral health to use the Waterpik Water Flosser. For more information, visit http://www.waterpik.com/.

At the LED Dental booth, we saw the VELscope Vx, which is the new version of the oral cancer detection device. The VELscope Vx is cordless and portable. It screens the patients in one to 2 minutes and does so without any invasive rinses or dyes. For more information, visit http://www.velscope.com/.

At the Sun Dental Lab booth, we saw the Sunflex partials. These partials have the perfect degree of flexibility, causing many patients and dentists to use these partials as opposed to others. These partials are stain-resistant and don’t get discolored, warped, or become brittle in any way. They come in 5 shades, so the patient can get the color of his or her choice. This partial doesn’t have metal clasps, so it’s perfect for patients that want a removable partial. For more information, visit http://www.sundentallabs.com/.

At the OralDNA Labs booth, we heard about how extensive their tests are. The OraRisk HPV test is a salivary DNA test used to determine who might have a higher chance of contracting HPV-related oral cancers. This test in conducted through a noninvasive screening tool that shows what type of oral HPV is present and the risk for that particular patient. MyPerioPath is a salivary DNA test the looks for the cause of periodontal infections. For more information, visit http://www.oraldna.com/.

At the Lares Research booth, we saw the LightWalker laser. Unlike previous hard-tissue lasers, this one encourages dentists to work on hard tissues because there are no worries about slow cavity preparation, limited applications, and high costs. It does all without any needles or drills. For more information, visit http://www.laresdental.com/.

At the BIOLASE Technology booth, there was the debut of their new laser, the Waterlase iPlus. It boasts an intuitive point and perform graphical interface that will alleviate any fears older dentists have about learning the new technology. The system has an on-board clinician assistance to eliminate any guessing during procedures. For some procedures, the iPlus will have the double the power of previous Waterlase machines. It can be programmed like a computer to set up the ideal settings for the specific procedure you’re looking for. For more information, visit http://www.biolase.com/Pages/Welcome.html.