• Dentistry

    Video: Kerr Corporation Launches SonicFill Dental Composite

    April 5, 2011 /
    Dr. Ron Jackson demonstrates the new SonicFill material

    Kerr Corporation has introduced a new easy to use dental restorative composite resin, SonicFill.

    From the press release:

    Kerr Corporation, a leading manufacturer of technology for dental procedures has announced the launch of SonicFill, a first-of-its-kind, time-saving composite system that enables clinicians to perform posterior restorations with an easy-to-use, single-step, bulk fill technology that requires no additional composite capping layer.  Dentists utilizing SonicFill can go from placement to polished in less than 3 minutes on cavities up to 5mm.

    Kerr’s proprietary sonic activation within SonicFill’s delivery system dramatically lowers the viscosity of the composite during placement, providing superior adaptation. The SonicFill composite then immediately returns to a non-slumping, highly sculptable state that is easy to carve without being sticky.  Outstanding mechanical properties, including superior strength, low shrinkage and high depth of cure, allow it to be placed in bulk increments up to 5mm so that dentists can use it with confidence in posterior restorations.

    “We finally have a practical, efficient technique for placing posterior composites in one single, esthetic, bulk fill increment,” said Ron Jackson, DDS of Middleburg, VA. “SonicFill is a game changer.”

    “It’s truly rewarding to be able to offer the SonicFill system to the dental community because it is such a decidedly different and unique composite system that can dramatically save clinicians time,” said James Lobsenz, Kerr’s Product Manager. “And not only is SonicFill a tremendous time-saver, it has also proven, in a variety of third party clinical studies, to meet or exceed performance criteria when compared with either bulk fill flowables or traditional composites placed in layers.  The initial feedback we’re receiving from the clinician community is extremely enthusiastic – we are excited to be making the system available and feel SonicFill will change the way composites are done and ultimately the way clinicians do dentistry”.

    I haven’t used the material yet, but I look forward to doing so.

    One of the main time consuming elements in posterior composite restorations is the tedious layering that must be accomplished because of slumping of the bulk-fill material.

    Watching the video, one would have to agree at the ease of use of this material and the time saving.

    Here is a longer video that more extensively describes the system with the sonic nature of the handpiece delivery system.

  • Dentistry,  The Daily Extraction

    The Daily Extraction: Four Lower Anterior Teeth

    March 25, 2011 /
    Dr. Tommy Murph extracts lower anterior teeth 24 – 27

    Again, Dr. Tommy Murph makes short work of these lower anterior teeth, using the 301 elevator and 151 forcep. Patients will, also, understand when the dentist says he will call you back and that he is with a patient, he may be very well be busy.

    Here is the pre-operative radiograph (x-ray):

    And, a pre-operative photo of the teeth:

    Enjoy your Daily Extraction.

    Dr. Murph is a South Carolina dentist who practices general dentistry who really excels in extracting teeth. For patients in the Myrtle Beach area, I can heartily recommend Tommy as YOUR dentist.

    For dentists, Dr. Murph has a number of resources for you in extracting teeth, including one on one courses in his office.

    Dr. Murph’s website is here and his extraction manuals are here on e-Bay.

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    The Daily Extraction Archive

  • Dentistry,  Dr. Tommy Murph,  The Daily Extraction

    The Daily Extraction: Lower Decayed Molar With A Complication – A Broken Instrument

    March 16, 2011 /

    Dr. Tommy Murph extracts tooth #31 and has a complication – a broken elevator

    Dr. Murph is able to elevate this molar pretty quickly but the tip of his 301 elevator fractures off. He finishes the extraction with the #23 forcep and then goes after the broken instrument tip with a magnetized instrument.

    Here is the pre-operative photo of the tooth:

    And, the pre-operative radiograph (x-ray):

    Here are the magnetized instruments in Dr. Murph’s armamentarium:

    Plus, the instrument he uses to magnetize them:

    It is important for all exodontists to have either magnetized instruments or a magnetizer on hand in case an instrument or surgical bur should break. As you can see in the video above, it can be very difficult to visualize the instrument tip in a field of blood.

    Enjoy your Daily Extraction.

    Dr. Murph is a South Carolina dentist who practices general dentistry who really excels in extracting teeth. For patients in the Myrtle Beach area, I can heartily recommend Tommy as YOUR dentist.

    For dentists, Dr. Murph has a number of resources for you in extracting teeth, including one on one courses in his office.

    Dr. Murph’s website is here and his extraction manuals are here on e-Bay.

    Previous:

    The Daily Extraction Archive

  • Dentistry,  Dr. Tommy Murph

    The Daily Extraction: Upper Decayed Anteriors

    March 13, 2011 /

    Dr. Tommy Murph extracts teeth numbers 6, 8, 9 and 10 with a 301 elevator and 151 forcep

    Dr Murph goes right after these carious maxillary anterior teeth. Note how he works the 301 elevator and uses the forcep without breaking the very decayed remaining crown.

    Here is the pre-operative radiograph (x-ray):

    Enjoy your Daily Extraction.

    Dr. Murph is a South Carolina dentist who practices general dentistry who really excels in extracting teeth. For patients in the Myrtle Beach area, I can heartily recommend Tommy as YOUR dentist.

    For dentists, Dr. Murph has a number of resources for you in extracting teeth, including one on one courses in his office.

    Dr. Murph’s website is here and his extraction manuals are here on e-Bay.

    Previous:

    The Daily Extraction Archive

  • Dentistry,  Tony Protopappas

    California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Rejects Parole for Deadly Dentist Tony Protopappas

    December 30, 2010 /

    Former Orange County dentist Tony Protopappas

    Arnold’s decision, although RIGHT, will probably be overturned by the California Appeals Court.

    Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has rejected parole for a Southern California man who killed three of his dental patients in the 1980s by administering fatal doses of a general anesthetic, the man’s attorney said Thursday.

    Schwarzenegger made the decision on Dec. 15 even though a panel of appellate court judges and a state parole board favored release for Tony Protopappas, attorney Rich Pfeiffer told the AP.

    In late 1983 and early 1984, Protopappas gave fatal doses of a general anesthetic to Kim Andreassen, 23; Cathryn Jones, 31; and Patricia Craven, 13, in his Costa Mesa office.

    Protopappas was using narcotics at the time and wasn’t licensed to administer the drug.

    Protopappas, 65, has served more than 25 years of his 15 years-to-life sentence for three counts of second-degree murder. A proposition passed by California voters in 1988 gives the governor the power to reverse parole decisions in murder cases.

    The WAPO report about the narcotics is not correct since there was little or no regulation of IV conscious sedation at the time. Protopappas was using a drug cocktail of Valium, Demerol, et al. and exhibited extreme disregard for his patients leading to their death.

    Here is the report of findings:

    protopsppsd

    I was privileged to serve on the California Dental Association Council on Legislation shortly after the Protopappas conviction and worked on sedation legislation to better protect the people. At the time regulation of these drugs and sedation protocols were scant since the dentistry profession regulated its own – not bad actors like Tony Protopappas who abused the system and his patients.

    Should Protopappas be set free on parole after killing three people?

    How is this case any different from that of Susan Atkins?

  • Dentistry

    Announcing edgeDMS for iPad, Native Touch-Based Clinical Charting Software for the Paperless Dental Office

    December 27, 2010 /

    Edge Health Solutions, Inc. introduces edgeDMS for iPad, a touch based dental charting application designed exclusively for the innovative iPad from Apple, Inc. for use with edgeDMS available from Edge EHR Corp. www.edgeehr.com

    From the press release:

    Edge EHR Corp., EDGE, a provider of Dental  Practice Management solutions for the Mac OS®, is pleased to announce the release of edgeDMS™ for iPad® for Dentists and Dental offices looking to leverage the awesome power of the Apple® iPad.

    The launch of edgeDMS for iPad sets a new standard for dental practice management with the most elegant and intuitive dental charting solution available today.  The edgeDMS Perio chart quickly captures pocket & recession depths, tooth mobility, and furcation values with a few taps.  Extracted, impacted, and erupted states are recorded with a swipe.  “Native is best!  Competitors using VNC (Virtual Network Computing) or browser based applications to bring iPad functionality to the practice just don’t understand the power of the Apple iPad’s iOS touch capabilities,” said Edge CEO, Troy Spracklin, referring to the multi-touch workflows available in edgeDMS for iPad. 

    Dental professionals can quickly search for patient records, access patient histories and chart new exams with a series of taps and swipes on the their iPad.  “It’s iPad easy!  Tap a patient, review the history and chart a new exam with your fingertip — no more pencils,” said Spracklin.

    “I’ve been an edgeDMS user in my dental practice for several years. It has worked seamlessly for my needs, and with the introduction of version 2.5 with an iPad App I couldn’t be more excited to perform routine evaluations and updates on my periodontal patients. Edge has created a new gold standard in all dental management software, let alone Mac based systems. Edge with iPad will be working to enhance my periodontal practice in expected Apple style,” says existing edgeDMS user, Dr. Stephen Chermol, DMD, PC from West Chester, PA.

    Exam details including observations, etiology, diagnosis and patient recommendations are also quickly recorded on each patient visit using the iPad with or without a bluetooth keyboard. In addition, edgeDMS for iPad also features an integrated picture and digital X-ray browser allowing providers to add, review and share intra-oral images, photos and digital x-rays with their patients at chair-side.  edgeDMS running on a Mac desktop makes it simple to view any patient record in the office or on the go through a secure VPN tunnel for providers seeking mobile empowerment  where no patient data resides on the iPad device.  Add in iPad’s remote data wipe features and security is covered.

    The future is today and should further reduce the costs of record keeping and managment.