Think of a diode laser as the Swiss Army knife of dentistry. There are many procedures that can be completed with a diode laser. Owning one brings an incredible amount of utility to a clinician. Most offices purchase a diode laser primarily for troughing but end up finding more and more reasons to use it. Essentially, any soft-tissue work that needs to be done can be completed with a diode laser because it makes the work so simple! You only need to grab the laser, attach a new tip, and get to work. The utility in owning a diode laser is the number one reason dental offices should own at least one! Buying a soft-tissue laser for your dental practice is a big investment, but if it’s made wisely it can reap huge payoffs.

Michelangelo took four years to paint the Sistine Chapel and two years to complete the sculpture of David. Masterpieces take time, which is a luxury most dentists aren't typically afforded. Creating art within the real-world constraints of a dentist's schedule is a daunting task—but tools exist that can help professionals of varying skill levels create highly aesthetic restorations consistently and efficiently.

Article courtesy of Dr. Douglas Harvey Critical to the success of every root canal treatment is establishing and maintaining a clean, dry, isolated field. Preventing the introduction of oral bacteria into the root canal space cannot be over-emphasized. The use of a rubber dam is the standard of care, however, maintaining a complete seal around the tooth can often be a challenge, especially with a badly broken down tooth. The result could be saliva contamination of the access cavity and/or the leakage of root canal irrigants, such as sodium hypochlorite, into the oral cavity with disastrous consequences.

When Ultradent started manufacturing the VALO dental curing light in 2009, we aimed to produce the best curing light on the market, crafting each from a single piece of aircraft grade aluminum. So, it felt like destiny when the aeronautical DNA took over and we let a VALO light take flight.

Back in the 1950's, Michael F. Buonocore discovered that resin filling materials adhere to etched enamel. He might not have fully appreciated the significance of his discovery at that time, but his work has earned him the title of "Father of Adhesive Dentistry". Today, the enamel etching technique that Dr. Buonocore pioneered is still in use. Additionally, we’ve come to learn how important it is to etch dentin for achieving a quality bond.

From patient care to bookkeeping, clinical tools to advertising, the digital age has brought paradigm shifts to all aspects of dentistry. Many clinicians are experiencing changes in patients’ motivations for seeking care, while others patients to virtually test drive new smiles before committing to treatments. File cabinets have shrunk into hard drives and newspaper ads have been replaced by social media campaigns. The latter has created a cottage industry to help dentists navigate the stormy seas of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and whatever new platforms pop up next month.

Ultradent has long been known for innovating with syringe delivery systems. In fact, most of Ultradent’s products are designed with syringe delivery in mind, earning the company the nickname “the syringe people” before helping make syringe delivery the industry standard. However, there are still dentists that do not know that the classic 1.2ml syringes are not the only option for clinicians to experience Ultradent’s innovative products.

Bonding is fundamental in all dental restorations. During the dental adhesive application procedure there are 3 critical, yet often times neglected, steps that we need to pay close attention to. They are: