“I’ve been around teeth my whole life,” laughs Dr. José Gabriel Martinez Colmenares, a Barcelona-based dentist and professor of dentistry.

Editor’s Note: This blog was written by Mark Pettit, DDS. Dr. Pettit practices in Salt Lake City, Utah, while also working in Ultradent’s Clinical Department. Just the other day, a woman came into my Salt Lake City, Utah, office wanting to whiten her teeth. She had an older, dark, unesthetic PFM crown in the front of her smile. Her sister was getting married in a few weeks and she wanted to whiten her teeth prior to the big day so she could feel confident in photos. We whitened her teeth (which turned out great), but the dark PFM crown looked even darker now and was a big distraction.

A case report by Dr. Clarissa Jänig

For over 40 years, Ultradent has provided innovative, industry-leading products to dental professionals across the globe

Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the February 2022 print edition of Dental Economics. In many ways, I’m a typical dentist. I practice four days a week. I see patients full-time. I manage staff and insurance issues. I strive for perfect dentistry. I enjoy my work, and I love my profession. However, I’m unusual in that I have had the opportunity to test more than 20 adhesives on the dental market today.

Editor's note: This article appeared in the March 2022 print edition of Dental Economics magazine.

Editor's note: This blog was written by Ultradent President & CEO Dirk Jeffs as part of the From the Desk of Dirk Jeffs series. I was a little starstruck, finding myself seated right next to Peter Schutz, former president and CEO of Porsche. Ultradent founder, Dr. Dan Fischer had recently attended a CEO peer group where Peter spoke about his now-famous “hire character, train skill” philosophy. If you know Dan, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine him greeting Peter with a vigorous handshake and immediately inviting him to visit our headquarters in Utah. Also, if you know Dan's charm, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine that Peter agreed. A few of Ultradent’s leaders were arranged around a table in the Wasatch conference room, excited and eager to learn from this renowned business leader who had transformed an iconic brand. It felt like we were hitting the big time.

Infection control barriers on dental curing lights are paramount for infection control—especially in pandemic/post-pandemic times, patients expect these measures to be taken more seriously than ever. Using these barriers on certain pieces of equipment have become as intuitive as putting on gloves before a procedure. While they can impact light output, proper application will ensure minimal effect on light while providing infection control.

The answer is simple: Yes.

Social media timelines are filled with folks using UV lights to whiten their teeth. From TikTok trends to Instagram influencers, people all over the internet are claiming these lights gave them the bright smile they’ve always wanted. Are these lights upending the professional teeth whitening business, reshaping long-standing practices and crumbling traditional practices? No, they’re not. Because, bluntly, they’re a gimmick—little more than marketing fodder fed to masses in an effort to seem superior.