Townies put Triodent on top again

Have you heard about V3 and Wave-Wedge winning their categories again in the 2012 Townie Choice Awards? We at Triodent are honored and delighted that the Dentaltown community of practitioners has for the fourth year in a row chosen the V3 as its favorite sectional matrix system, and for the third year in a row the Wave-Wedge as its favorite wedge. With more than 157,000 members and the liveliest online forums in dentistry, dentaltown.com is one of the most active and influential dental websites around. As Dentaltown grows, so the Townie Choice Awards become even more important. That makes these latest awards even more special to us at Triodent. Thanks, Townies!

V3 wins CEDE Grand Prix 2012 award in Poland

A master at work

Call center one of the best in the business

June1, 2012 - Wondering what reception you’ll get when you phone the Ultradent call center? Expect outstanding service – and that’s official.

Benchmark Portal, an internationally recognized research and education organization, has announced its 2012 Top 100 Call Center award winners, and right up there is Ultradent Products Inc. Ultradent was placed 2nd in the Smaller Centers category, which includes companies with customer service departments of 100 or less individuals.

“Ultradent places such a high value on providing exception customer service,” says Ultradent President/CEO Dr Dan Fischer, “that we’re honored to be recognized for this award. We strive, and will continue to set our own measures beyond reach, to continue providing the best possible customer care.”

With one of the largest databases of call center metrics in the world, Benchmark Portal’s annual benchmarking survey is viewed as a primary data source for managers globally. One of the intended outcomes of the survey is to improve system quality by comparing teams with their peers, which serves to continuously improve customer service.

Ultradent - that's a cool company to work with

June 1, 2012.- Ultradent has been Triodent Corporation's exclusive distributor in the United States for a couple of months now and we're very happy with the transition.

The change involved a lot of people working on a lot of tasks, and it’s gone incredibly smoothly.

However, nothing can be perfect so if you’re a former Triodent customer and have any issues or suggestions, we’d like to hear from you. Just contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Triodent has been a regular for years at trade shows across America. That presence will diminish now that Ultradent is working for us, but we still plan to have booths at the major shows, so look out for us. Otherwise, you will still get the same friendly welcome, expert advice and opportunities to buy from the people on the Ultradent booths. Triodent representatives will also be available on the Ultradent booth at many of these events.

A key part of the transition has been training. Members of the Triodent team have spent many days working with Ultradent field reps, as well as training through seminars at Ultradent headquarters in Utah, conducting webinars and also training reps at trade shows. The Ultradent people have also been well resourced so that everything possible has been done to ensure they have the skills to represent Triodent and Triodent products effectively.

If you wish to purchase Triodent products, call Ultradent at 800-552-5512 or go to the Ultradent website – www.ultradent.com.

Ultradent becomes exclusive Triodent distributor in US

Triodent Corporation and Ultradent Products, Inc. are delighted to announce that on April 1, 2012, Ultradent will be the exclusive distributor of Triodent products in the United States.

"Ultradent is highly regarded for its progressive approach and ways of doing business, and I too have admired them for a long time," Triodent founder and CEO Dr. Simon McDonald said. "We believe there are things we can do, and do much better, with Ultradent as our partner. I very much look forward to seeing this synergy develop."

The partnership with Ultradent is the result of careful consideration. The greatest emphasis was finding a partner that could maintain the type of service Triodent has provided to date.

"In the end," said Dr. McDonald, "Ultradent and its direct business model was preferred because our business philosophies are very similar, as are the aspirations for our customers and business in general."

“We’re very excited about our partnership with Triodent,” said Dr. Dan Fischer, President and CEO of Ultradent Products, Inc. “We plan on making the transition for existing customers as seamless as possible. Ultradent prides itself on delivering exceptional service to our customers and delivering innovative products for quality patient treatment. We plan to deliver both aspects to our valued Triodent partners."

Triodent's flagship product, the V3 Sectional Matrix System which features the V3 Ring, has won multiple awards from Reality, The Dental Advisor and Dentaltown's Townies as a top sectional matrix system.

Other key Triodent products include:

• Triotray Pro and now Triotray Low Wall – two rigid and accurate dual-arch impression trays with single-use inserts;
• the non-stick and ultra-contoured SuperCurve matrix;
• the 360° Cervical Matrices for composite and glass ionomer;
• and WedgeGuard, the interproximal protector with detachable guard.

Dr McDonald added that both companies have taken exceptional measures to ensure a smooth transition for customers who currently work directly with Triodent or their distributors. The existing structure will remain in place until April 1, when Ultradent will take over as the exclusive distributor.

"I'm confident our customers will be well looked after," said Dr. McDonald. "All of them will be contacted by us directly, and Ultradent is committed to ensuring they are not inconvenienced. We try to maintain very high standards of service, and I know Ultradent does the same."

Dr McDonald said Triodent would continue to develop new and innovative products. "We never tire of finding new ways to make the dentist's job easier, more profitable and more fun."

About Triodent

Triodent was founded in 2003 with the vision of finding simple solutions to everyday dental problems, making the dentist's job easier with better outcomes for the patient. Triodent now designs and manufactures a range of award-winning products that set new standards for clinical performance. These products are sold in more than 60 countries. For more information about Triodent, call 1-800-811-3949 before April 1, or visit www.triodent.com.

About Ultradent

Ultradent Products, Inc. is a leading developer of high-tech dental materials, devices and instruments worldwide. Ultradent's mission is to improve the level of dental healthcare and to make dental procedures more predictable and hassle-free. Consistent with its mission, Ultradent works to improve the quality of life and health of individuals through financial and charitable programs. For more information about Ultradent, call (800) 552-5512 or visit www.ultradent.com.

WedgeGuard – your new best friend

WedgeGuard – your new best friend

How can such a simple little thing save you time and get you out of a whole lot of tight spots? Read on…

Class IIs and IIIs

WedgeGuard prevents iatrogenic damage to the adjacent tooth, a consequence in the majority of Class II cavity preps¹. Without having to worry about the adjacent tooth, you can concentrate fully on preparing the cavity – and there’s no need to slow down when breaking the contact point.

It also prevents unnecessary trauma to the papilla, thus helping keep the cavity dry and clear of blood.

Detach the guard after prep and continue to use the wedge. You can slide a matrix down beside the wedge to continue with the restoration. Keeping the wedge in place prevents reactive hyperemia, further reducing bleeding.

Crowns, onlays and veneers

Use WedgeGuard during prep for crowns and onlays. It’s also useful for protecting the adjacent tooth when using air abrasion to clean a tooth before etching and bonding.

Before bonding the restoration, detach the guard and leave the wedge behind to fill the negative spaces in the embrasure during cementation. This makes interdental clean-up much quicker.

References:
1.  Lussi A and Gygax M (1998). Iatrogenic damage to adjacent teeth during classical approximal box preparation, Journal of Dentistry 26:435-441.

Helpful hints

Get WedgeGuard through a tight contact

Push firmly, wriggling the WedgeGuard at the same time. In almost all cases it will pass through the contact. If it still won’t go through, there are three options:

• Drill through the occlusal enamel into the carious lesion to weaken the marginal ridge then fracture off the ridge.
• Use a diamond strip to shave a little off the contact point.
• Place a V3 Ring on the teeth for half a minute or so to create sufficient separation.

Maintain good occlusal view and access

Sometimes when doing an MO, the view of the occlusion may be slightly obstructed by the guard. If this happens, use a bur to trim the top of the guard.

Bend guard for easy detachment

To make it easier to detach the metal guard, try bending the pinhole end of the guard 90 degrees towards you before placement. That way it's easier to grab the hole with the tweezers after prep, when you’re ready to detach the guard.

Easy guard removal

Use a finger or an instrument to press down on the head of the wedge while detaching the guard. This ensures the wedge will not pop out of the embrasure.

Place a matrix beside the wedge

With the guard detached, the remaining wedge is effectively a Wave-Wedge, retaining all of that wedge’s award-winning abilities to seal the matrix at the gingival margin. Because of the wedge’s smooth surface, in most cases it is possible to slide a matrix between the wedge and the margin without removing the wedge first. If the matrix will not slide past the wedge, withdraw the wedge slightly to allow the matrix to slide into place, then push the wedge back in while pressing down on the matrix tab.

Triodent wins Townie Choice 2011 Award!

V3 does it again

August 2011

We’re pleased to announce that Triodent has just won five-star Reality awards for its V3 and Wave-Wedge products.  This latest five-star award means the V3 has now won the title for three years in a row.  When you add this to the numerous other awards that V3 has accumulated since its launch, it is clear that the V3 is by far the most highly regarded sectional matrix system in the world today.

Triodent has also recently won a DPS*- recommended 2011 award for WedgeGuard, the two-in-one interproximal shield.  WedgeGuard takes much of the risk and challenge out of cavity preparation, leading to better outcomes for the patient.

 (*Dental Product Shopper)

Preventing bite registration distortion

Clinical tips by Graeme Milicich, BDS

A simple tip for dentists doing direct CAD/CAM dentistry with the E4D and Cerec systems. When the bite registration is created using something like Tooth Mousse, there is a risk of the material being displaced in patients who have large tongues, or those who cannot control the movement of their tongue. This leads to the unset material being displaced by the tongue, creating a discrepancy in the accuracy of the occlusal record. This creates a potential for the occlusal surface of the CAD restoration to be designed to an incorrect opposing occlusal contour that was partially created by the tongue, leading to a distorted occlusal morphology in the crown. There is a very simple trick to prevent the tongue from distorting the bite record while it sets. Slide a small Dry Tip between the lower teeth and the tongue, inject the bite registration paste and get the patient to close into centric. The Dry Tip will slide up the palate and create a barrier between the tongue and the teeth, preventing the displacement of bite paste. Holding the gingival flap If you want to hold a surgical gingival flap and don't have a pair of rat-tooth forceps handy, use Triodent Pin-Tweezers – they'll work just as well.

Patient just opening after the Tooth Mousse has set. Note how the Dry Tip has prevented any displacement of the lingual portion of the bit registration paste.

Dentistry still plays most vital role in victim identification

Dr David Antunovic examines the lower jaw of a Phuket tsunami victim.	Morgue workers take a body from a refrigerated container at one of the makeshift morgues.

The total death toll from the tsunami was nearly 290,000, with more than 230,000 of those in Indonesia. Mainly because of the large number of Western tourists affected in Phuket, Thailand, the main international focus for victim identification was there, where the death toll was about 5400. In the largest humanitarian effort since World War II, 34 countries sent personnel.

There were stark similarities between the situation in Phuket and what unfolded in Haiti, among them:

• Thousands of bodies;
• Traumatized population;
• Sunshine, heat and humidity;
• Insects;
• Poverty and lack of equipment, especially refrigeration;
• Few hospitals;
• Lack of or destroyed infrastructure.

Within hours of the disaster in Phuket, makeshift outdoor morgues were set up in nearby temples. But in the hot and humid conditions, the bodies, many of them badly mutilated, quickly started to decompose. Dry ice was brought in to arrest decomposition but generally there was serious deterioration before many of the bodies could be transferred to refrigerated containers rushed to the island. Advanced decomposition was the single greatest problem the victim identification teams faced.

Basic post mortems were usually able to determine cause of death and the sex of the victim, as well as record secondary identifying details like tattoos, pacemakers, breast implants, surgical scars and missing digits. Much rested, however, on primary identifiers based on known ante mortem data: Dental records, DNA and fingerprints. Of the victims identified in Phuket, nearly 75% were traced through dental records, about 15% through fingerprints and 10% through a combination of the two. Just a fraction was identified through DNA.

Despite its reliability, DNA identification is still flawed in a large-scale disaster situation because of the time it takes to process samples and the cost of that process. On average it took 156 days to process DNA from Phuket victims, though it was much quicker, down to as little as two days, when an ante mortem specimen was immediately available. DNA identification was also hampered by the high cost – between $1500 and $4500 per victim.

Fewer than 1000 bodies in Phuket were never identified. Many of them were believed to be illegal immigrants from Myanmar, for whom there were no records.

Dr David Antunovic, secretary of the New Zealand Society of Forensic Dentistry, says that as the 21st century progresses, DNA is likely to come more to the fore as processes improve and perhaps also as fewer people need dental surgery, but in the meantime he cannot emphasise enough how valuable dental records, and particularly X-rays, are for victim identification. Dr Antunovic was in one of seven New Zealand Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams sent to work with the international effort in Phuket, which was managed by the Thai government and Interpol. Each New Zealand team of approximately 22 personnel included 18 forensic police officers, one a specialist photographer, as well as a pathologist and two or three dentists.

Dr Antunovic meets ex-President Bill Clinton in Phuket.

They processed between 10 and 12 bodies a day, taking one to two hours per body in a makeshift morgue with no air-conditioning.

"The number of victims took some getting used to - it was jaw-dropping," Dr Antunovic said of his first impressions in Phuket.

Distinguishing individual dentition features make for compelling evidence of identity but the process in Phuket left nothing to chance. Data collected was taken to the International Repatriation Center, where it was entered into the Plassdata DVI database. Dental records of potential victims were also entered into the system. Plassdata and software systems like it have considerably sped up the identification process in these sorts of crises. The ID program would run through the night and potential matches, or "hits", would be checked against any fingerprint or DNA evidence in the morning. Once a match was confirmed, it had to be verified by an identification committee. A death certificate was then printed and the body was able to be sent home.

Dr Antunovic's month-long mission allowed him to work alongside some of the world's leading forensic dentists, so it was also an invaluable educational experience, and the satisfaction of playing a significant part in returning victims to their loved ones was huge for everyone involved.

Anyone who has worked on victim identification knows the value of good training and preparedness for the situation in order not to be overwhelmed. This can even include humor at the right times, but there is one time when all jokes stop – the arrival of a child victim. "The whole place goes quiet," Dr Antunovic said. While he experienced no emotional after-effects from his mission, despite an at times "horrific" task, he said all of the New Zealanders who went were well supported by clinical psychologists on their return home.

He and his Kiwi colleagues were not been called upon for the Haiti disaster and so far have not been required for Japan, but he says that despite the difficult conditions these disasters inevitably involve, he wouldn't hesitate to go in a similar crisis, if asked to by his government.

"It is a great honor to represent your country in any capacity and I was enormously proud to wear our nation's silver fern while helping in Phuket," he said. "There was also a fantastic camaraderie among our team."

Ironically, Dr Antunovic's forensic skills were needed much closer to home when he was summoned to identify victims of the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand's South Island in February this year.

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Mind the gap

June 2011 Simon McDonald, BDS

It is possible for a sectional matrix ring to "pinch" the matrix band during placement, thus opening a gap at the gingival margin. However, in the case of the V3 System, with careful placement and holding the matrix tab down with your finger, this is not usually a problem.  

Simon McDonald, BDS, is the founder and CEO of Triodent.

Read more about V3 Ring maintence tips here

Other blog entries:
http://www.triodent.com/getting-a-handle-on-indirect-restorations.html
http://www.triodent.com/pre-wedging-the-triodent-way.html
http://www.triodent.com/inventiveness-is-in-all-of-us.html

Triotray Pro makes a splash

May 2011

Triotray Pro, Triodent's latest innovation, was recently on show at CDA in Anaheim.

Here's Rudy Van Het Wout, General Manager Lab Division at Triodent, providing more information about the benefits of the new Triotray Pro – a dual-arch stainless steel tray designed with single-use mesh inserts.

Tricks of the trade

Dr Milicich came up with this cool trick using a Wave-Wedge and paper point. If the enthusiastic reaction to it on Dentaltown is anything to go by this little technique is well worth sharing. Where a rubber dam is not being used, a paper point placed on the underside of the wedge goes a long way to helping control crevicular exudate.  Made for each other! And what about this case below from Munich dentist Andreas Hugenberg - an example of "if at first you don't succeed, try Triodent again"?

The patient was suffering from horizontal bone loss. Because of the low gingiva height in relation to the cavity, Dr Hugenberg had to be imaginative when it came to the marginal seal. This is where Triodent wedges, with their hollow underside, were his salvation. First he placed a large (blue) V-Wedge then stacked, on the same side, two large (purple) Wave-Wedges. This gave him the tight seal he was looking for on the matrix with the wedges locked in place. The V3 Ring did the rest, as usual.

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The smile that sells

When dental industry marketers go looking for generic pictures of healthy teeth and captivating smiles, great minds often think alike and we all end up with the same image in our promotional material. One such image in the past couple of years has been that of a young woman with a radiant smile and a healthy set of gnashers. For a time she has been the face beaming from Triodent trade show banners. But we aren't alone; this lovely lady has smiled at us from other booths from Cologne to London, Dubai to LA. She catches our eye in brochures and magazines, catalogues and websites. Who is this woman? Does she know how marketable her face has been? Such is the world of stock photography these days, very few of us would have a clue who she is or where she's from. And she may have no idea of her anonymous "fame". Triodent is using her less, having moved on to other marketing ideas and images, but we thank you, ubiquitous but mysterious pretty woman.

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Cosmetic Dentistry with Direct Composites

Xcel Seminars & Triodent Present:

Be nice to the neighbors

April 2011 Simon McDonald, BDS

Restorative Dentistry with Dr Alan Atlas

There are key fundamental concepts that will determine the long term favorable outcome of esthetic restorations.  This course will demonstrate step by step concise restorative treatment planning guidelines that fulfill today's esthetic demands and integrates current restorative materials and protocols. Procedures and techniques for esthetic and functional success with adhesives, composites and ceramic materials will be reviewed based on the most current scientific evidence. Mastering Adhesion Dentistry and the Direct Posterior Esthetic Restoration Clinical prerequisites and the influence of material, clinician experience and the patient on long-term outcomes. Describe how the tooth location and preparation configuration determines the adhesive system, composite materials and placement technique utilized. Describe what factors most affect successful or failed results Describe the survival of restorations. Utilize CaMBRA and other preventive measures. Review the scientific analysis of adhesive systems. Describe treatment planning selection of adhesive systems and material choice for Class I,II and V restorations. Utilize research based application techniques for improving long term durability. Describe precise and consistent contacts utilizing optimum matrix systems. Review finishing and polishing materials and techniques. Review light curing options and protocols. Describe the controlled placement and delayed polymerization technique. Mastering the Indirect Anterior and Posterior Esthetic Restoration Utilize proper treatment planning concepts for anterior and posterior esthetic ceramic restorations. Describe scientific based indications and treatment planning strategies for selection and placement of post systems, luting cements and core materials. Preparation techniques for all ceramic crowns, inlays and onlays. Describe specific diamonds and rationale for perfect finish lines. Utilize predictable impression techniques. Describe simplified provisionalization for indirect restorations. Describe and compare conventional all-ceramic and CAD­CAM technologies. Describe differences between Lithium Disilicate and Zirconium systems (monolithic vs. layered ceramic) with specific indications for each. Laboratory considerations for all ceramic inlay, onlay and crowns. How to direct your dental laboratory to produce indirect restorations with better fitting margins. Describe cementation criteria. Utilize simple and predictable smile design methods. Dates: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Time: 9 a.m to 5 p.m Location: The Atrium in West Orange, NJ (New Location) Tuition: $225 for Dentists, $135 for Auxiliaries/Residents Credits: 7 credit hours Course Code: 11D0222 Click here to book now!  http://bit.ly/fLcqIR Top of Page

New V3 Ring maintenance tips

April 2011 Simon McDonald

If you're already a V3 Ring user, you will be interested to know that we've updated our advice regarding ring maintenance.

The advice was quite conservative, suggesting dentists avoid ultrasonic cleaning on the grounds that some ultrasonic cleaners could cause discoloration of the ring tines. It turns out this was like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut: to avoid the mere possibility of what was only a cosmetic consequence anyway, general cleaning of the ring was made more difficult.

So, after giving this some thought we have decided to reinstate ultrasonic cleaning as a recommended method. This does mean that there is a risk of tine discoloration with some cleaning solutions but we believe that risk is small. Have a look at the image here of two V3 Rings. The ring on the left is new. The one on the right is approximately two years old and, despite very regular use, is still in very good condition. The ring has been given no special treatment. It is put in an ultrasonic cleaner with other materials and instruments, in the cleaning solution Cavicide.

If you're still concerned, there is another "solution": put the ring in a beaker of water/detergent and place that in the ultrasonic cleaner so that the ring does not come in contact with any chemicals.  

Here is the complete guide to ring maintenance:

Preventing contamination: 
A light smear of petroleum jelly on the V3 Ring tines will help prevent bonding agents sticking.

Removing bonding agents:
It is easier to scrape off bonding agents if the ring is soaked in alcohol for a few minutes first.

Pre-sterilization:
Rinse rings before ultrasonic cleaning. Most ultrasonic cleaning solutions will not affect the V3 Ring, although chemicals in some cleaners may cause tine discoloration. The discoloration is only cosmetic, but if that is a concern put the rings in a beaker with a water/detergent solution and place that in the ultrasonic cleaner to keep the rings away from the chemicals.

Sterilization:
Only steam-autoclave V3 Rings. Avoid leaving the rings in an autoclave overnight or for long periods, as this may cause staining from the autoclave itself. Do not use chemical sterilization techniques. Chemi-claving chemicals such as amines attack plastics. 

Retensioning:
Triodent forceps have built-in grooves for resetting V3 Rings. To help ensure you get the longest possible use from your rings:

• Avoid over-stretching. Open the ring only as far as needed to place it over the tooth.
• Try not to leave the ring open in the forceps for a long period of time.

To download the V3 Ring Instruction Guide, click here.

 
Simon McDonald, BDS, is the founder and CEO of Triodent.

Read other blog entries here:
http://www.triodent.com/getting-a-handle-on-indirect-restorations.html
http://www.triodent.com/pre-wedging-the-triodent-way.html
http://www.triodent.com/inventiveness-is-in-all-of-us.html

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