Director's Spotlight: New products and updates within the industry

Truth be told, I don't want to overlook a secondary point of this article, "New Products and News," which I will spotlight later. It is more important to ask the readers the same question that my friend Lillian Caperila RDH, M.Ed, University Sales Manager for Premier Dental asked me during the ADA Convention hosted in her hometown of Philadelphia.

The question is "What makes a Philly cheesesteak #1?" (The answer is found in the last paragraph of this article.)

Twenty-four hours prior to hearing this question, I would not have known the answer. But I realized after arriving in the fine city of Philadelphia and touring some of the historical landmarks that my visit would not be complete until I ate my first Philly cheesesteak.

My maiden cheesesteak journey included three friends and myself. Two of us were Philly cheesesteak newbies, one was an experienced cheesesteak veteran, and the last was a native of Philly.

There are a number of things you need to consider in your search for the "perfect cheesesteak." So when you enter cheesesteak territory with a native, expect to learn the "history of the cheesesteak." This lunchtime rendition was so passionate and succinct that I couldn't help but get the feeling that he was, once again, defending his master's thesis titled "Cheesesteak Objectivism."

Did the Philly cheesesteak reputation outshine reality? No way! From the mouth-watering first bite straight through to the bottom of the plate crumb licking, it was a delicacy.

Now, on to the "New Products and News" ...

Loupes, Loupes, who has my Loupes?

I bought my first pair of loupes in 1996. I still have the Orascoptic black box that they came in. May they now rest in peace. During the past few months I have been wearing the HiRes™ Class II www.orascoptic.com. They are light on my nose, have quality resolution, and my hygiene colleagues have been scrambling to try them on on the days I am not in the office. The bottom line is that, if you needed a push to buy some loupes, consider yourself pushed off the cliff.

Teaching this RDH new skills

I used my first Titan Scaler in the office I was employed in immediately after college. I could barely condense my "school appointments" to fit a dental office's schedule, never mind be cognizant of the equipment I was using. Recently, I have been re-introduced to the Titan® Plus Sonic Scaler and new Prophy Star® Hygiene Handpiece, www.dentalez.com. They are ergonomically designed and when packaged together in the Prophy Hygiene Pack, they are very cost effective for a hygiene budget. (See image in Product section)

Save a life

Do we care enough to do the very best for our patients? An amazing new technology, ViziLite Plus, the sister product to the ViziLite system (an adjunct to our visual examination of the oral mucosa with incandescent light) was launched at the ADA convention and will make a "blue splash" on our standard of care. The ViziLite Plus is a system that consists of the ViziLite and the TBlue™ (Zila Tolonium Chloride ZTC) Oral Lesion Marketing System. The system is a must-have in any hygienist's arsenal. To learn more on how you can save your patient's life, go to www.vizilite.com.

Save time

Who among us wouldn't want to eliminate a repetitive motion, such as tray set-ups, assembling trays with instruments, napkin, bib cover, 2x2s, suction tip, disposable prophy angle, and paste — wait, can't we bundle the latter together? Preventech www.preventech.com, the makers of Pivot® Disposable Prophy Angles and Next prophy paste, want to save hygienists time and recently introduced Pivot Prophy Packs in both Adult Variety and Kid's Variety packages. These convenient and economical packages should be part of any Franklin Covey hygiene efficiency system. (see related image in Product section)

Now you see it, Vanish, you won't

I have finally embraced using fluoride varnish with my patients. I know what the research says, but not many people are very happy with leaving my chair with a "little yellow barrier" on their teeth. If any of your patients have shared the same concerns, then check out Vanish® 5% NAF White Varnish recently launched by Omnii www.omniipharma.com. During the ADA, I had the opportunity to have it applied to my lower anteriors. My experience was that no one knew it was there, and, during application, I could feel it penetrate or flow into areas such as the lingual and interproximal. (see related image in Product section)

And, finally, to address Lil's question, "What makes a Philly cheesesteak #1?"

The answer is ... the bread.

Kristine A. Hodsdon RDH, BS

Kristine is the Director of RDH eVillage, an on-line newsletter from the PennWell Corporation, and author of a collaborative book, Demystifying Smiles: Strategies for the Dental Team. Contact her directly at kristinehodsdon.com for more information on her CE program entitled, "Happy Endings! Products & Tips for Successful Hygiene Appointments" or any of her speaking services.