Photobiomodulation (PBM), or low level laser therapy, is a photo-chemical reaction where light energy of a certain wavelength, intensity, and duration is absorbed at a cellular level, improving local circulation, oxygenation, and enzyme activity. It has been clinically tested and shown to help improve tissue repair and reduce pain and inflammation.

The chemistries you use are different. Some are chemically activated and must be mixed immediately prior to placement. Others have varying viscosities. Some work in pits and fissures, some inside canals, and some on smooth surfaces. Each chemistry you use is designed for a specific purpose. Shouldn't the same be true for your applicator tips?

In the search of a more conservative, affordable and aesthetic approach, direct composite restorations are the most common choice. However, achieving success in a timely manner remains a challenge.

You’ve seen those awful tetracycline tooth stains before. Perhaps you’re the one struggling with them. Perhaps you thought there was no hope to get a white, stainless smile except extremely expensive veneers.

Dr. Sean Lee, the owner of Newtown Smile Dentistry in Newtown, Connecticut, believes in doing things right the first time. It’s this philosophy that guides how he treats his patients, performs the many dental procedures in his everyday work, and how he chooses products.

During a root canal procedure, it’s imperative that clinicians debride and cleanse canals thoroughly with endodontic irrigants—even where instruments can’t reach. However, this can prove tricky, as irrigants must reach where they are needed without expressing beyond the apex of the canal.

Children and their sippy cups and toddlers with their bottles are a well-known recipe for disaster when it comes to tooth decay, but with the rise in popularity of adult sports like road biking, mountain biking, and long-distance running, the risk once only assigned to toddlers has increased for adults. The culprit? Sports drinks and energy bars. Thus, — fluoride varnish and dental sealants — once considered preventive treatments for kids, have become just as important for many adults, and the impetus for these extra measures of care lies with the dental hygienist.

Your patients are seeing it all over social media, television, and beauty blogs, so no wonder they're demanding whitening treatments that use some kind of light or laser! So, how do you educate them on the reality behind tooth whitening and the effectiveness products that use lights vs. those that do not? The objective of this article is to address just that

Reopening dental offices is a welcome sight to clinicians and patients alike, but concerns about COVID-19 are still top of mind among doctors. We know how important it is to get back to work and we want to help you do it safely by making sure you have everything you need while protecting you, your staff, and your patients.

So many aspects and variables affect the final outcome of a restoration, be it the technical difficulty of the restoration itself, the quality of the preparation, the chosen composite resin used, etc. However, the impact of the success and longevity of a restoration’s polymerization is too often ignored. Achieving a predictable, high-quality cure every time is absolutely essential. Here are some factors that influence the quality of any cure, along with a few tips on how to successfully maneuver them to your and the patient’s benefit: