Dentalcompare Clinical Director Dr. Jeff Rohde preparing to tape a video about 3M ESPE's new 3M True Definition Scanner at the 2012 ADA Annual Session.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
It seems it is harder and harder for dental offices to make it to trade shows. For those of you who did not make it out last week to the American Dental Association’s 2012 Annual Session, here are some impressions from the show.
The list is assembled by products we encountered around the exhibit hall and felt were compelling or indicated a trend in our industry.
Please note that these are not compiled via sponsorships from dental manufacturers.
Digital Impressions – Here to stay
Digital impression systems have been on the market for the last few years, but they did not make a lot of sense for a typical clinician. Workflow was slower, and the costs were greater than simply taking an impression. It was hard to pass those hurdles simply because the digital impression was marginally more accurate than the goop. This year, we have seen a change in that.
- 3M True Definition Scanner – This scanner is about the size of a typical intraoral camera, and just as light. It still necessitates a light dusting of powder, but personally I have never found powdering the prep to be a big hurdle anyway. The image capture is fast, and you can get a full arch impression in about two minutes. The key features here are that it captures an open architecture file so that you can either transfer it to a 3M Lava certified lab, or even offload the impression to your E4D milling machine. Plus, the current price point at $12K yields not only a compelling reason to buy, but a message to the competition.
- 3Shape TRIOS – If you want to compliment the high tech look of your office, the slick European styling of the Trios is it. The camera is a bit bulkier than some of the newer systems, but it is extremely light and has an extremely fast capture. The file can literally be transferred to any lab that has 3D design software. My favorite feature: once you capture an image, you can just rotate the camera in your hand and the image on the screen replicates the same rolling movement to view different parts of the prep, meaning for this step there is no need to utilize the touchscreen at all. Someone was definitely playing with a Sony Sixaxis controller when they thought of that one.
Dentrix hits the Mac with all new Viive, possible mention in next Keynote from Apple
Dentrix previewed a copy of its all new Dentrix software, built from the ground up for Mac from their existing database. The name of the software will be Viive, and it is definitely impressive. Rather than having a module focused approach, it is patient focused, allowing you to see all relevant images, charting, ledger, and insurance information from one screen. It has a clean interface, and is definitely intuitive to use. Currently, they are already up and running with all Planmeca digital imaging products as well. OK, it may not actually make it into the lineup at the next Apple Keynote. But to outfit an entire digital dental office on the low profile, easy-to-use Mac mini’s running Viive? It might be worth the switch.
In-Office Veneers – Better than your direct composite
We all have patients that would like to improve their smile design, but do not have the finances to do a full set of veneers. Direct composites work in those cases, but they are time consuming to place and they don’t age as well as lab fabricated porcelain. Two new systems we saw addressed a middle-of-the-road solution. It’s important to say that these systems are not just “cheap veneers,” but instead a hybrid of the direct clinical/lab fabricated world.
- Edelweiss by Ultradent – These are made from composite, and are laser sintered to harden the composite, making it tougher and less likely to stain and scratch. The kits come in various sizes and shades for the anterior teeth. Order up the right size, perform any necessary preparation of the teeth, and bond them in place.
- Duo:PCH Hybrid from DenMat – The pre-fab shells are made from porcelain, so you can expect an amazing finish here. The system is also available in various shapes and shades to meet your patient’s needs. Prepare the teeth, grab a pre-op model, and pre-shape the shells along the gingival extensions. You then place a layer of their viscous composite cement on the tooth, and place the shell over that thin layer. Bond into place, finish, and you are done. The neat thing here is that you can do this in a single day if needed.
Thor’s Light Curing Unit – the FlashMax P3 from SharperPractice
Composed of four super LED’s, this hand-held cordless light curing gun is the most powerful thing I have ever seen. Most LED curing lights fall in a brightness range of 1200 – 1600 mw/cm2. The FlashMax P3 can pump out 5,800 mw/cm2. Translation: Cure up to 3mm layers of composite in about 1 second. You can even get up to 200 cures off a single charge. My only hesitation was that I have seen a few articles over the years talking about how you can create internal stress and shrinkage in the composite if you cure too fast. The bottom line, however, is that this is the perfect light for any practice that sees kids.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis…without staring at your patients while they sleep
If the amount of oxygen in your blood drops while you are sleeping, you are not breathing normally and may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. The VirtuOx Pro is essentially a small, watch sized device that records oxygen saturation in your blood. It stores information at 1 second intervals while you sleep, and then you upload the information via USB connection. You can then see all the information on an online patient management system to view and analyze all the data. This seems much easier than performing a complete sleep study, and easier for patients as well. Considering the long term harmful effects of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea, this could be an incredible adjunct to keeping your patients healthy.