First Impressions: December 2009

Intraoral cameras have been integral to the dental practice for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, many intraoral cameras have ended up in the storage room unused and unproductive. The intraoral camera can only be productive if it is in the operatory, ready for use by a motivated dentist and team. Our practice has an intraoral camera in every single operatory. Objective: Use with every single patient, every appointment, and for education, improved co-diagnosis and co-treatment planning. Digital Doc, in the intraoral camera business since its inception, has introduced its newest camera, the IRIS USB Intraoral Camera, a precision optical instrument with an easy-to-use 5-point focus wheel. The streamlined IRIS has a specifically designed smaller and softer tip, equipped with brilliant 8-point LED lighting (rated at 100,000 hours) and Sony’s high-resolution best-of-class charged-coupled device (CCD). There are capture buttons on either side of the camera for right- and left-handed operators. Convenient camera and light on/off buttons are readily accessible. Precision optical lenses offer excellent image sharpness and maximum visibility including ultra-closeups. The multistep focus wheel achieves precise sharpness from macro to infinity for patient head, smile, tooth, and closeup views. The unique USB 2.0 connector plugs directly into a computer and also fits into standard handpiece slots on the unit. The 90º-view angle provides for the ready visibility of the entire arch. The dental professional can achieve this view of the entire arch NOT by moving the camera back and forth mesially and distally but by simply altering the angulation of the camera tip from a single position. IRIS is designed to bring the power of intraoral visualization easily and intuitively into every operatory. For brilliance and beauty—IRIS from Digital Doc.

For more information, call (800) 518-1102 or visit the company’s Web site at digi-doc.com.

Noises can upset people; they can change their mood. In fact, many of the noises commonly associated with the dental practice lead to fear and disquiet in many patients. While this may be surprising to the dental team, the simple sounds of the dental handpiece, ultrasonic, or suction can seriously agitate some individuals. It has often been observed that when patients’ minds are effectively distracted from the current dental procedure, they are often more calm and comfortable during treatment. The difficulty lies in effectively diverting the patients’ attention when there are noises, talk, and mysterious activities that all focus on their mouths, with the ever-present possibility of dental or oral pain. The b-Calm device utilizes in-the-ear earphones (replaceable hygienic soft rubber ear buds) to provide soothing audio sedation to patients. The relaxing sounds are a proprietary blend of noise-mitigating signals that have been developed from the calmest sounds available in nature and are selected by the patient with a handheld device. The b-Calm System overrides and drowns out upsetting sounds (handpiece, suction, and ultrasonics), allowing the patient to be calm and relaxed during the dental procedure. The handheld control unit puts the patients in total control of their dental experience; volume can be increased or decreased and tracks changed at will. The b-Calm is totally intuitive and easy to set up. Powered by a rechargeable battery, it provides calming audio with effective noise relief through unique audio tracks of relaxing nature sounds. The calming sounds relieve anxiety and decrease stress to the patient, which in turn decreases stress in the dental team. The b-Calm is sound advice for audio sedation.

For more information, call (877) 782-2256 or visit b-calmdental.com.

On rare occasions, a completely innovative technology appears on the dental horizon. It typically involves novel concepts from diverse sectors of dentistry that are combined into a single application or delivery mode to provide an enhanced, more effective, and easier means of achieving a number of desirable results. Recall examinations are critical for continued patient health, though few patients realize it; dental professionals must engage indirect incentives to motivate them. OSspray’s Sylc is an innovative prophylaxis+ system that allows patients to clearly and immediately see routine recall benefits simply by looking at their own mouths. Sylc is an air-polishing prophylaxis powder on steroids. It is composed of calcium phosphosilicate bioglass, a powerful bioactive material with decades of research and clinical evaluation. When combined with saliva or water, Sylc forms hydroxycarbonate apatite crystals that are trapped into the dentinal collagen and biologically bond into the mineral surface, promoting regeneration of dentin and damaged tooth surfaces. The restoration process continues long after the patient has left the office. Sylc occludes open dentinal tubules instantly, providing excellent relief from painful hypersensitivity up to 6 months without discoloration or unpleasant taste or feel. In addition to cleansing, desensitizing and regeneration, Sylc provides a pleasant experience for both patient and hygienist; it is tasteless, odorless, and colorless, without sodium contraindications, cleans tooth surfaces quickly, comfortably, and effectively, and offers hassle-free performance in any existing air-polishing apparatus. Patients love Sylc because even a single treatment brightens their teeth considerably. Its rounder, denser particles offer less soft-tissue irritation, less apparatus clogging, and less messy powder aerolization. (Spend more time with the patient, less time cleaning up.) Sylc, the revolution in prophylaxis+.

For more information, call (866) 238-9902 or visit osspray.com.

Every dental practice uses curing lights. Unfortunately, not all curing lights are as effective and as efficient as they should be. Halogen lights were once the standard, but they tended to dim and burnt out rather quickly. Ten years ago, LED technology revolutionized light curing. LEDs have a silicone chip (no filaments to burn) that can rate at 100,000 hours of use at far lower energy consumption levels! Early LED lights were not powerful and often did not cover the full spectral range of dental photoinitiators. This has changed tremendously. Ultradent Products has introduced the VALO curing light, putting the right power in the right place with all the right parameters. Its slim body and 5º light angle allow the practitioner to access all areas of the patient’s mouth without any discomfort. The design enables proper placement in adults with limited opening, and for children as well. VALO’s low profile positions the light source close to the composite, eliminating distance curing power offset issues. The defined optics create excellent light collimation, and the focused columnar beam keeps power density high throughout the practical working distances. VALO’s broad spectral distribution offers peak power where the photoinitiators are most active, providing rapid and effective uniform curing throughout the restoration. There are 3 curing modes: standard, high, and plasma, that grant the practitioner the versatility to accommodate the broadest range of curing needs. VALO is crafted from a single piece of aircraft aluminum. It is scratch-resistant, sapphire-hard, and Teflon-coated. The thin base cord eliminates on-board battery problems and is reinforced with very strong Kevlar stands. The VALO curing light has power, improved access, and ergonomic comfort all packaged together.

For more information, call (800) 552-5512 or visit ultradent.com.

The H1N1 virus is omnipresent in newspapers, magazines, and on television. It is, however, just one of the plethora of bacteria and viruses that cause short or long-term diseases, discomfort, pain, and in extreme cases, fatalities. The H1N1 virus, in particular, creates a palpable stress in many segments of the population that are required to deal with the public where they come into contact with surfaces that may have been touched by the infected. It has been well established for over a century (Semmelweis) that the best method for preventing infection and bacterial and viral transmission is to wash and disinfect the hands effectively and frequently. The interruption of this most common transmission mode decreases the likelihood of transmission significantly. Zytrel has introduced an innovative line of fast-acting, long-lasting antimicrobial products, including soaps, sanitizers, wipes and scrubs. The underlying zinc technology that provides Zytrel’s anti-irritant, anti-allergenic, and antimicrobial properties in a preservative-free system was developed at Columbia University. Zytrel kills 99.99% of all germs within 15 seconds and forms a breathable film matrix on the skin (lasting up to 4 hours) that traps irritants and inactivates them. Zytrel zinc salts bind with irritants to form compounds too large to penetrate the pores. Zytrel retains skin moisture and reduces water loss, allowing skin to heal faster. Its soluble zinc ions attach to skin cell surface proteins, preventing allergens from reaching skin cells. There is also a hand sanitizer, specifically developed for those with sensitive skin. Zytrel products are gentler to the skin, reducing the stinging effect of most antimicrobial products as they moisturize and heal. Zytrel is the one-step wash to better health.

For more information, call (888) 306-0316 or visit the company Web site at biodefensesolutions.com.