by Dr. Joshua Austin, originally published in Dental Economics. The operative dentistry faculty at my alma mater, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, were huge advocates of rebonding when placing resin composites. That term-"rebonding"-may not even be familiar to many readers. Rebonding is a simple process that involves flowing a very thin layer of unfilled resin onto composite. The literature supports rebonding; however, almost no one does it clinically on a regular basis. I am not 100% sure why, either. It's a quick and simple process, and it can really improve the quality of the composite resins we place.

You don’t take your vehicle to the baker for maintenance, much like you wouldn’t ask the mechanic for a fresh loaf of Rye. When I buy steak seasoning, seeing Guy Fieri’s smile on the label reassures that I’m grilling up a trip to flavor town. Ultradent was founded on clinical knowledge—Dr. Dan Fischer created our first products to solve problems he was encountering in his practice. We’ve kept that mentality and utilize our own team of in-house clinicians at every stage of our product development. As a result, we don’t just create products. We create comprehensive solutions.

After having become the leader in tooth whitening with Opalescence® PF and the custom tray system, what was the “why” behind creating Opalescence Go®? Opalescence Go and Ultradent’s UltraFit Tray. Well, we were continually looking at the whitening marketplace and listening to the needs and feedback from our customers. When the over-the-counter whitening strip products came onto the market, which was very well received, we saw that there was a great need for disposability—that the customer placed great value on not having to get custom trays made, not having to load the tray, and not having to clean their trays afterward. That was a very big deal. However, with the strips, we also saw that they only whitened the front teeth and were difficult for people to get them to stay in place or wear for even a short amount of time comfortably. That’s when we set out to create a disposable, prefilled whitening tray that would offer whitening coverage to all of the teeth on the upper and lower arches with increased comfort and adaptability for the patient.

Ultra-Blend plus liner is a unique dentin-adhering liner and base material containing calcium hydroxide and calcium hydroxyapatite in a urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) base. It’s perfect for pulp capping and will not dissolve over time. Made of a light-activated, radiopaque material, Ultra-Blend plus liner is highly filled for minimal shrinkage.

UltraSeal XT hydroTM dental sealant is a light-cured, radiopaque, fluoride-releasing composite sealant. It is stronger and more wear resistant than other dental sealants because it is a 53%-filled resin and has less polymerization shrinkage than competitive products.

Clinicians are familiar with the development of a white line at the interface between composite and tooth structure. Often, the restoration looks great when initially placed, and then a white line appears after finishing.

Having a mouth full of misaligned, yellowed teeth can be an intense, even traumatizing experience. Folks may spend years ashamed of their smiles before they get to experience the metamorphic powers of a smile transformation. New Opalescence™ PF whitening for aligners is made for people who want to not only straighten their teeth at home but whiten their teeth at home at the same time.

Strong substrates need strong bonds, and a strong bond starts with the primer. Peak-ZM zirconia and metal primer is specifically designed to provide high adhesion between the zirconia or metal surface and the luting material.

As busy clinicians we're always looking for ways to be more efficient and more effective in our practices. One of the latest categories of dental products brought to the market by numerous manufacturers is gingival retraction paste, which is meant to replace traditional gingival retraction cord for tissue management cases. Ultradent's Ultrapak® retraction cord was tested against popular retraction pastes on the market to surprising results Touted as faster and easier to apply, the concept of a gingival retraction paste seems to check the efficiency box, but is it effective? Ultradent's Vice President of Research and Development, Neil Jessop, devised a means of measuring its effectiveness when compared to UltrapakTM gingival retraction cord and the results were surprising.

In all avenues of life, folks behind the scenes often don't receive the acclaim they deserve. From hospitality, to healthcare, to Hollywood, people operating out of the spotlight can be ignored while the front-and-center stars get showered with praise. Travelers thank pilots, but air traffic controllers go about their duties without garnering the gratitude flight crews receive. Dental assistants are in many ways the air traffic controllers of their practice, directing the complex flow of an office while caring for patients and undertaking tasks others overlook.