In this issue:
Letters to the Editor
Dear Dr. DiTolla,
I’m reading the latest issue of Chairside® magazine (Vol. 8, Issue 2) from among my rather large stack of periodicals that I never seem to get through, and I wanted to say how much I like your publication and all the effort you obviously put into it. I know we tend to touch base only periodically to review upcoming sponsorship opportunities, so I figured I’d reach out for no other reason than to say I enjoy reading your thoughts and appreciate your professionalism and dedication. I look forward to continuing our work with you into 2014.
– Andy Klein, Marketing Director, Vident
Brea, Calif.
Dear Andy,
Thank you for the wonderful unsolicited email! I’m glad to hear that you like the magazine. It always means a great deal to me when positive feedback comes from someone on the industry side, especially when they are a marketing director!
Hope to see you soon.
– Mike
Dear Dr. DiTolla,
I am a doctor in Richmond, Va., who uses Glidewell. One of the technicians told me you are the in-house doctor. I am having a BioTemps® Provisional (Glidewell Laboratories; Newport Beach, Calif.) fabricated. I’ve only ever used Jet brand acrylic (Lang Dental; Wheeling, Ill.) to reline BioTemps. The technician told me you use Luxatemp® Ultra (DMG America; Englewood, N.J.) to reline your BioTemps. I was hoping you could give a quick reply regarding your use of Luxatemp. Am I correct in assuming there is not really a chemical bond, but that you just make mechanical undercuts? I think Protemp™ Plus (3M™ ESPE™; St. Paul, Minn.), which I also use, is a similar material that could be used to reline the BioTemps as well. Jet acrylic works predictably, but of course I certainly don’t love the powder-liquid mess.
– John D. Buhler, DDS
Richmond, Va.
Dear John,
You are correct that Protemp is similar to Luxatemp. I don’t make any modifications to the BioTemps because there always seems to be enough mechanical retention for it to work, despite the lack of a chemical bond. I’m happy to say I haven’t used Jet on BioTemps in over 10 years!
– Mike
Dear Dr. DiTolla,
I enjoyed reading your lab’s recent mailing on BruxZir® Solid Zirconia restorations (Glidewell Laboratories). I do have one question regarding cementation. I presently use Maxcem Elite™ (Kerr Corp.; Orange, Calif.) to cement my zirconia crowns. Prior to using this particular cement, would you advise me to use Ivoclean (Ivoclar Vivadent; Amherst, N.Y.) after try-in? In the past, I have tried in the restoration, rinsed, airdried the internal surface and then placed the Maxcem Elite, and seated without using any other solutions, such as a zirconia primer. So far, I have not had any debonding problems (knock on wood). Your thoughts?
– Henry Benson, DDS
Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Henry,
Glad to hear that BruxZir Solid Zirconia is working well for you! If you have a prep with decent retention (3.5 mm from cusp tip to gingival margin) and it’s not over-tapered, you can get away with not using the Ivoclean. For those lower second molars and other bombed-out preps that you don’t build up, I would use the Ivoclean plus a coat of Z-PRIME™ Plus (BISCO; Schaumburg, Ill.) before the Maxcem Elite. Honestly, I use all three on all my BruxZir crowns now just to be triple safe, but I placed my first 300 BruxZir crowns without Ivoclean or Z-PRIME Plus, and only one has come off (it was on a short second molar).
Hope that helps!
– Mike
Dear Dr. DiTolla,
I enjoy watching “Chairside Live” and your lectures on YouTube. In a recent “Chairside Live” viewer mail, a dentist wrote in about how your prep and impression presentation helped so much. I’ve recently come out of retirement, and I would love to see that presentation. Is it available online for free or for purchase? I really could use a good refresher, as I have not yet got back my touch, and my impressions aren’t what they used to be. I have used Glidewell recently for several cases at Dentaland in Coral Springs, Fla.
– Barry Brown, DMD
Coral Springs, Fla.
Dear Barry,
Glad to hear the patients demanded you come out of retirement! You can view the video, "Reverse Preparation & Two-Cord Impression Technique," under Dentist then Video Gallery at glidewelldental.com, or by visiting this link here.
Amazingly enough, Loma Linda University School of Dentistry lets me teach this technique to their junior class in a hands-on course we do there every year!
Let me know how it works for you.
– Mike
Dear Dr. DiTolla,
Hello! I am grateful for your huge educational work! I tried your Reverse Prep Technique when I was in my third year in dental school and found out that dentistry could be easy. And now I have graduated and make lots of efforts to teach dentists and patients about high-quality dentistry. Thank you for teaching me!
With respect,
– Michael Slyvka, former president of Ukrainian Dental Students’ Association
Ukraine
Dear Michael,
Thanks for the kind words! I was going to ask you how you say Michael in Ukrainian, but never mind. I’m glad you found the prep technique helpful and are teaching Ukrainian dentists and patients about quality dentistry. Believe it or not, we spend quite a bit of time doing the same thing over here. Put in a good word for me with the Ukrainian Dental Association. I would love to come over and speak to your group!
– Mike
