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In First Impressions George Freedman, DDS, gives readers a brief summary of products that have recently been introduced to dentistry, based on his clinical experience.
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LumaCool Whitening Pen |
   Twenty years after it was introduced, tooth whitening remains the most sought-after, patient-driven elective dental treatment worldwide. Tens of millions of people choose to whiten their teeth every year. One of the con-undrums faced by consumers and practitioners alike is the issue of how to maintain teeth at their whitest after the initial bleaching process. Patients prefer an simple technique, a material that that they can apply quickly, easily, and without any discomfort. Luma-Lite has introduced the LumaCool Whitening Pen to help patients maintain a whiter smile, literally, on the go. The Whitening Pen is a twist-click dispenser with a brush tip that contains approximately 2.5 mL of 7.5% hydrogen peroxide. This is enough for about 40 to 50 applications, lasting approximately one month for most individuals. The Whitening Pen requires no trays, models, or strips and can go anywhere with the patient conveniently stored in a pocket or purse. The Whitening Pen can be used anywhere, anytime, taking only seconds to apply. Simply brush the LumaCool Whitening Pen gel onto the teeth; there is no effect on the patient’s speech, activities, or comfort level. The Whitening Pen can be used up to 3 times a day, but patients should be instructed to avoid eating or drinking for approximately 30 minutes after application. For marketing purposes, the Whitening Pen’s attractive and convenient packaging can be personalized with the practice’s or the dentist’s name and/or logo. The Whitening Pen is typically targeted at patients who have previously whitened their teeth, one of the fastest growing segments of the dental market. Maintain whitened smiles at their brightest, anytime, anywhere, with the LumaCool Whitening Pen.For more information, call (800) 400-2262 or visit the Web site located at lumalite.com. |
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Riva Self Cure |
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In the days of amalgam, the dentist’s role was simple: cleanse the cavity appropriately and fill it with an inert material to withstand masticatory forces as long as possible prior to breakdown. As adhesive materials came into vogue, both rest-orative aesthetics and adaptation to tooth structure became critical. Today, the practitioner seeks a combination of features that makes the restorative procedure more predictable, more convenient, and less technique-sensitive during placement and finishing. Advanced restorative materials actually strengthen the remaining tooth structure and make it more resistant to future breakdown. Riva Self Cure is a truly innovative ionomer restorative material with a proprietary high-ion-releasing reactive glass filler. It releases high amounts of calcium, phosphate, strontium, and substantially higher amounts of fluoride to assist the remineralization of the natural dentition. Strontium uptake increases microhardness of demineralized dentin. Riva Self Cure’s surface hardness resists abrasive wear, and its high flexural strength ensures that the restoration can withstand masticatory forces in the long-term. Riva Self Cure’s low viscosity allows it to flow and adapt to tooth surfaces, maximizing its bonding and minimizing tooth-restorative gaps, reducing microleakage at both the occlusal and proximal margins more effectively than flowable resins. It exhibits very low acid erosion, improving the longevity of the restoration and resisting the wear and disintegration that is caused by oral acidity. Riva Self Cure is indicated for small Class I and II restorations, geriatric applications, deciduous teeth, root surface and Class V restorations, core buildups, and provisional restorations, and it can be used as an intermediate base material for larger Class I and II cavities utilizing the sandwich technique. Riva Self Cure is the tooth-toughening glass ionomer restorative.
For more information, call (800) 228-5166 or visit sdi.com.au.
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BaseVac Dental Systems |
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When was the last time you thought about your vacuum system? Probably not since you purchased it (and likely not again until it needs to be replaced). Do you ever hear your suction’s rumble or smell its exhaust or have inadequate force to power all your operatories simultaneously? Traditional wet vacuum systems are loud, smell of burnt oil and/or trapped debris, and use massive amounts of water, up to 200,000 gallons per year (one large swimming pool of water per month). Not only is this an environmental concern, but it can also cost the practice more than $1,600 per year. The recent introduction of BaseVac Dental Systems eliminates these concerns while considerably increasing vacuuming power. The BaseVac system evacuates the piping system well beyond normally required working pressures, adding significant capacity that provides better clinical performance. The BaseVac Dry Vac is compact, quiet, and is no larger than existing vacuum systems, utilizing existing piping of any size. In fact, it is so quiet that it can be installed anywhere in the practice. BaseVac Dry Vac also has a uniquely innovative air/water separator, a 15-gallon plastic tank that collects and drains liquids efficiently. Working with a gravity drain design, the tank drains itself every time the pump is shut off to reduce odors and the need for cleaning (something that every staff member will appreciate). There is neither waste water nor waste oil of which to dispose. Should the tank require draining during the day, the entire cycle is approximately 3 minutes. For dependable vacuuming power, efficiency, effectiveness, and minimized water consumption, the BaseVac Dental Dry Vac is the advanced answer to the specific needs of the dental practice.
For more information, call R.E. Morrison Equipment at (800) 668-8736 or visit basevacdental.com. For the North American distributor, Sable Industries, call (800) 368-8106 or visit sableindustriesinc.com.
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Tuff-Temp |
Provisional restorations must be easy, fast, and effective, strong yet readily removable, and easily polishable. They must also last for the full provisional cycle, from preparation to insertion. The original powder-and-liquid methyl methacrylate provisionals were minimally effective due to their excessive polymerization shrinkage and were replaced by the dentist-friendly bis-acryls. Now Pulpdent has introduced Tuff-Temp, an innovative composite-modified urethane provisional material. A glass-filled, 2-component base and catalyst resin, Tuff-Temp is both self-curing and photo-initiated (light-cured through a transparent forming matrix). It is stronger than many earlier provisional materials and decreases the number of broken or fractured temporary restorations that return to the clinical practice prior during the provisionalization phase. Tuff-Temp’s lower shrinkage chemistry grips the abutment more securely and reduces the incidence of premature decementation. It is also tougher and deforms less under functional loading. Matrix fabrication leaves Tuff-Temp margins “crisper” and easier to read, offering a more accurate initial trim and ultimately a better adapted finish. Sandpaper, carbide, or diamond trimming of recent provisional materials caused heat-softening marginal distortion and instrument “gumming.” Higher melting-point Tuff-Temp abrades to a fine powder, leaving the marginal area undistorted and clearly visible. In areas of voids or missed margins, flowable composite bonds readily to Tuff Temp, adhering effectively without the tendency to break away in thin areas. The somewhat-rough trimmed surface—ideal for making the miniscule provisional easier to grip during the trimming procedure—is glazed with a proprietary one-step liquid that, after light-cuing, provides a rapid outside finish and polish to the provisional without additional effort. Tuff-Temp is easy to make, comfortable to wear, and hard to break.
For more information, call (800) 343-4342 or visit pulpdent.com.
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Dr. Freedman is a founder and past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, a co-founder of the Canadian Academy for Esthetic Dentistry, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Aesthetic Dentistry. He is a visiting professor at the Universita di Firenze, Florence, Italy. He is the Special Advisor of First Impressions and Buyers’ Guides for Dentistry Today. He is the author or co-author of 11 textbooks, more than 600 dental articles, and numerous Webinars and CDs, and is a Team Member of REALITY. He lectures internationally on dental aesthetics, adhesion, desensitization, composites, impression materials, and porcelain veneers. A graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Dr. Freedman maintains a private practice limited to aesthetic dentistry in Toronto. He can be reached at (905) 513-9191 or epdot@rogers.com.
