Sam Jethwa presents two top tips that aid better dentistry.
Tip 1: Flip the polishing disc
Super simple one, but one that helps me a lot with creating smooth guidances on anterior restorations, or accessing difficult areas of the mouth – is to flip the polishing disc the other way so the rough side faces me when fitting it on the mandril. Saves my neck, and gives me a naturally bevelled position to create a nice clean shape palatally for my temporary veneers made in DMG Luxaflow and Luxatemp.
Tip 2: Test the bite, sitting up
I always found it fascinating studying A level history and seeing paintings of Henry VII, whilst on trips to Hampton Court, lying down on his bed and feasting on a royal spread. Sadly, none of my patients (royal, or otherwise) seem to be doing that – yet we tend to generally check our patients biting and chewing patterns lying back in the dental chair. Sitting the patient up will seat the condyles in a different position to lying back, so I will always carry out occlusal assessments and adjustments in both positions.
Two products I cannot live without:
Product 1: DMG Luxaflow
Why: My clinical practice is limited to minimal preparation porcelain veneers and so, with that comes smile design, artistry, and the creation of a hand-made trial smile of temporaries. That trial smile is my secret weapon, it gives the patient, the ceramist, and myself every bit of information that we need to create that smile. That trial smile is always made of DMG Luxaflow, so that says it all.
Product 2: A soft tissue laser
Why: The white alone, is nothing without the pink. A tooth is framed by the incisal edge at the bottom, and the gingival contour at the top. Therefore, having the ability to decide how that contour looks, and so in turn, how that tooth looks; in a painless, instant and accurate way using soft tissue lasers elevates our results. Not only that, but sometimes having the laser to hand means we can save teeth that otherwise can’t be saved.
This article first appeared in Private Dentistry magazine. You can read the latest issue here.
