Practice to Practice

Keeping Organized

Dentists often use tackle boxes for burs, which I do as well, but I have them for appointments, too. For example, the records appointment box has retractor, shimstock, facebow, wax, etc. This way, my assistant can take out one box and have everything she needs in there. Same with implant appointments—that box has composite caps, trays, drivers labeled for different systems, etc.

Amanda Seay, DDS
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Choosing Clamps

Hu Friedy’s clamps 12A/13A are very useful for molars. 2A or 00 are universal premolar clamps. 218 or 9A Bow clamps work on anterior teeth, but they are also excellent to use on teeth that have been prepared for crowns, including some molars. W3 is a wingless molar clamp that works well with maxillary second molars. Have the patient close halfway down (like doing a crown prep in the area) and the placement of this clamp becomes easy.

Allen Ali Nasseh, DDS, MMSc

Boston, Massachusetts

Natural-Looking Veneers

When trying-in veneers, a try-in paste should be used to verify shade. We start with a clear try-in paste to see if the bonded veneer will have the desired value. If the veneer is not bright enough, add opaque to the clear try-in paste in 5% increments until the desired value is obtained. More than about 25% opaque white will tend to make the veneer look artificial. The amount of opaque white is noted and this ratio of opaque to clear is used in the final bonding procedure.

Edward A. McLaren, DDS, MDC
Jeffrey Hamilton
Los Angeles, California

PatientComfort

In our practice, we make patients as comfortable in the chair as possible. We use dark glasses to shield the patient’s eyes from any airborne debris and brightness of the overhead dental light and fluorescent ceiling lights. Headphones with music of the patient’s choice make for a pleasant diversion for the patient.

Theodore P. Croll, DDS
Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Submit Your Tip!

Do you have a clever solution for a common problem? Inside Dentistry invites you to share the tips that make your practice run smoothly—ideas for better staff/patient relationships, clinical techniques, organization, and everything in between. Send your submission of 250 words or less to tips@aegiscomm.com and make sure to include your name, practice, and location. Your tip could be published in an upcoming issue!