Practice to Practice

Cement Clean Up

I can’t live without a rubber tip stimulator. It has the perfect thin, flexible point to clean cement in the interproximals for all bonding procedures. When seating onlays, crowns, and veneers, it has better capability to clean them than microbrushes in those areas.

Amanda Seay, DDS
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Making Your Mark

Most crowns from the lab come back glazed. When adjusting the occlusion, it is difficult to mark the glazed surface with articulating ribbon so precise adjustments can be done. If you paint the articulating ribbon with a disposable brush and some petroleum jelly, the occlusal surface will be precisely marked for adjustment intraorally.

Howard Strassler, DMD
Baltimore, Maryland

Pain Control Protocol

It is much harder to get pain under control after it occurs. One of the most important things we do for patients is have them get all of their medications prior to surgery. Our presurgical protocol involves premedicating patients with 600 mg ibuprofen (or other NSAID) 1 hour before the procedure. Four hours following the initial dose, the patient is given a second dose and told to take it every 4 hours for the first day.

At the conclusion of the procedure, the patient is administered a long-acting local anesthetic, bupivacaine. This enables anesthesia to be maintained for an additional 4 to 5 hours. Four hours following their initial dose of ibuprofen, the second dose is given, even though the patient is still numb. The third dose is taken 4 hours after that.

The combination of premedication and the dosing every 4 hours taking leads to a significant reduction of post-operative discomfort. The further addition of the long-acting local anesthetic guarantees a pain-free initial day.

Michael Sonick, DMD
Fairfield, Connecticut

Submit Your Tip!

Do you have a clever solution for a common problem? Inside Dentistry invites you to share the tips that make your practice run smoothly—ideas for better staff/patient relationships, clinical techniques, organization, and everything in between. Send your submission of 250 words or less to tips@aegiscomm.com and make sure to include your name, practice, and location. Your tip could be published in an upcoming issue!