A visit to the American Dental Association’s website is always informative. In the News and Events section is an article entitled, “Case Wetern scientist studies natural antibiotics”. Dr. Aaron Weinberg, chair of the department of biological sciences there, is leading a team of researchers who are studying human beta defensins – “nature’s way of keeping oral microbes from invading the body and messing with a person’s health” – can be used to block bacteria from entering the body and destroying it.
Such research, if successful, will lead to new products and procedures that will emphasize the natural healing capabilities of the body. Those of us who provide dental supplies to the profession will expand our product offerings as these developments occur, and, possibly, usher in a new generation of natural healing products that will become commomplace in the dentists’ and dental specialists’ toolkit.
Effective dental procedures depend upon quality tools. The successfful dental surgical handpiece should be durable, easy to use, able to reach hard to get at places such as the third molar, and exhibit precision high performance.
A quality handpiece can be low speed (about 5500 rpm), or high speed(above 20000 rpm), made of udrable materials such as stainless steel, have a functional design, and be adaptable for many kinds of procedures. It should also have universal compatibility, fiber optic capacity, quick disconnect features and, in the interests of the patient, have whisper quiet operation. Products with new features are continually being developed; our site features handpieces from several well-known manufacturers.
The world of endodontic tools is extensive. Specialty tools are required for every size and shape of a patient’s mouth. Essential tools consist, of course, of files and reamers. These are further refined into K-files, H-files and, for some uses, T-files; reamers are identified using these same designations. Many manufacturers color code or color band these products for easy identification and to prevent confusion and mistakes. Files and reamers are usually made of stainless steel or nickel and titanium, and are available in multiple sizes to accomodate the task.
Additional endodontic tools include endo-pluggers, and endo-excavators, aspirators, gutta-percha points, stainless steel drills, hypochlorite solution, bendable tips, irrigation tips,and root canal sealer, to name a few. Several of the finest manufacturers of endodontic tools are available on our website.
The title of this blog is intended to be eye-catching and attention getting. Such a topic could not be further from interesting, except for dentists who use it. Zinc phosphate dental cement has long been used for luting and dental restorations. Some authors praise it as having the longest track record of use in dentistry. It is a strong cement for use in permanent restorations of crownd and bridges.
The product available on our website has all the qualities of the best zinc phosphate cement in the industry. Strong, permanent (19000 psi) cement; comes in powder only, liquid only, and a mix of powder and liquid; available in both white and light yellow. It also provides a good insulating layer against thermal shock.
From time to time this blog will feature items from the newsletters of the various state dental associations. A look at these newsletters is very interesting and can provide information to dentists who might not otherwise have seen them. The present item is from the newsletter of the Maine Dental Association, that reports an article entitled, “Free dental clinic draws hundreds”. Dentists from the Greater Portland area gathered for the third “Dentists Who Care for Maine” day, and volunteered their expertise to patients who otherwise do not have dental insurance. Typical procedures included examinations, cleanings, fillings, extractions, or further referral if necessary, depending upon the patient. Volunteer dentists provided their own dental tools and dental supplies. Approximately 600 people were seen that day, resulting in an estimated $100,000 worth of treatment.
Of course this was a wonderful event. But it may not be unique. Readers of this page could cite similar examples of dentists providing free service to needy persons. It certainly makes for good reading, and puts dentists in a very good light within their communities.
Among the most popular products our customers tend to purchase frequently are the topical anesthetics. The great appeal is the fact that they come in assorted flavors that make them easy to apply and painless to the patient. Some customers find that the cherry flavor is children’s favorite; other dentists find the pina colada flavor very popular with adults.
Many manufacturers offer topicals. The products we like come from benzo-jel; each product is available in one ounce bottles – easy to store, easy to apply. Additional flavors available include strawberry, bubble gum, raspberry, and margarita.
It should should come as no surprise to anyone that globalization and world production markets have come to the practice of dentistry. More and more products that we use everyday come from some place else than the USA. A recent look at a rather ordinary dental product, dental dam clamps, shows that some manufactures are located in China, of course, but, even more suprisingly, in Pakistan. This information does not imply, on its face, that products made in these locations are inferior or dangerous. However, we are coming to see that many other common products, such as children’s toys, and dry wall used in residential construction, have been found to be both inferior and/or dangerous.
Dental dam clamps available through this website are typically manaufactured by Coltene-Whaledent and Dexiter, among others. Coltene-Whaledent is based in Germany and Switzerland; Dexiter is a brand whose quality products are manufactured in Israel. Several other manufacturers provide these, and related products, to the industry. The message to dental professionals is to evaluate the origin and quality of the products you purchase. For one thing, inferior products won’t last long, or perform well over time; for another, poorly made products may result in unanticipated injury or distress to the patients for whom we care.
Contrary to popular belief dentists are one of the nicest in the medical field. Being a dentist you get a bad reputation. Basically, the tools that dentist use, are not the friendliest of devices that you will come across in your life time. It can be pretty intimidating let alone painful at the same time.
There are reasons why dentist tools are used. If you find yourself a little intimidated, like we all do the best way to go about conquering your fear is by asking what the instruments are used for. It can put your mind at ease knowing that you have a little more information. Dentists are healers and when you go in to your next appointment, keep that in mind.