Common Methods of Sterilization in Dentistry

Sterilization in dentistry is very important, and dentists and dental assistants typically clean and disinfect most surfaces in a their offices and treatment rooms to help prevent the spread of germs. Infection control programs all include the cleaning and sterilization of reusable dentist supplies. Care must be taken by the dental healthcare professional to ensure that all instruments are cleaned prior to sterilization, and that this is carried out in a safe manner to avoid injury and puncture wounds.

When using dental ultrasonic scalers, washers and sterilizers, it is important to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. It is also important to consult with the manufacturer of dental instruments and devices as needed to ensure complete sterilization and to avoid damage to these items. Assurance of sterility of instruments and devices can be obtained through the use of one of several tests, and these tests must be performed regularly to ensure that the sterilizer is sterilizing all instruments and devices and that these are safe for use on patients.

Since many germs can be transferred simply by touching contaminated surfaces, dentists and dental assistants are typically very fastidious about disinfecting the surfaces in their offices and treatment rooms. Solid surfaces, such as counters and sinks, are generally wiped down with antibacterial spray. Dental chairs are also usually covered with disposable paper covers that are discarded after each patient. Dentists and their assistants also usually wear protective barriers, such as gloves and face masks, to help prevent spreading germs to their patients.

Tools that can't be thrown away, such as dental drills, are generally put through a very intensive dental sterilization process. First they are usually vigorously scrubbed by hand. This is usually done with hot water and detergent, and it helps remove any large particles, such as plaque. They may also be placed in a vibrating tray filled with cleaning solution, which can help remove very small particles.

Sterilization in dentistry also involves killing the invisible germs on tools. Dental autoclaves are machines that are commonly used during sterilization in dentistry. These machines are usually made from large metal cylinders, and they are similar to pressure cookers. Once the tools are placed in the autoclave, they are sprayed with high-pressure steam. The high pressure inside this machine helps raise the steam to very high temperatures that are necessary for killing disease-causing micro-organisms.

Tools that are not disposable are generally scrubbed by hand and placed in a machine known as an autoclave. This machine then disinfects the tools by spraying them with very high-pressure steam, which kills most micro-organisms. Any tools that can not be subjected to high heat or moisture are usually disinfected with chemicals.

The Advancements of Dental Air Polisher

First introduced in the 1940s, dental air polisher has changed noticeably since its inception, thanks mainly to advances in materials science. Compared to polishing with a prophy cup and paste, air polishing eliminates the need for direct tooth contact or pressure against the tooth, along with any discomfort from potential heat generated with prophy cups. This technique also offers more efficient biofilm removal, easier access into pits and fissures, and a less abrasive nature than pumice or prophy pastes.

Many hygienists and dentists will be most familiar with sodium bicarbonate powder, one of the first materials introduced for use with early air polishing systems. In my experience, sodium bicarbonate has been an excellent tool for heavy stain removal, but patients react poorly to the salty taste and abrasive feel. Sodium bicarbonate powders generally have a particle size up to 250 μm, and while damage to enamel has not been reported, researchers and manufacturers warn against prolonged use on cementum, dentin, and certain restorative materials such as composites.

Recent developments have brought new options to the market, including glycine, erythritol, calcium sodium phosphosilicate, calcium carbonate, and aluminum trihydroxide (to name a few). It's not necessary to review each in detail, but it's important that hygienists are generally educated on the many options now available for use.

In addition to being less restrictive when it comes to pre-existing patient conditions, two powders can now be used safely in subgingival air polishing: erythritol and glycine. Air polishing has traditionally been thought of as a technique for supragingival plaque and stain removal only; but these new options open the door for effective removal of subgingival plaque and biofilm, even in deep periodontal pockets.

Erythritol, while not currently available in the United States, is a sugar alcohol that has been shown to offer less discomfort, decreased treatment times, and reduced bleeding on probing when compared to scaling and root planing. Glycine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is water soluble, with a non-salty taste that patients often describe as a little bit sweet. This powder offers similar benefits to erythritol, and offers an option that's less abrasive with a particle size approximately four times smaller than sodium bicarbonate.This smaller particle size means that it's safe for all the same supragingival applications as sodium bicarbonate powders, but also offers the option to treat patients with periodontal infections, peri-implantitis, patients on a sodium-restricted diet, and those who have cosmetic or other restorative work.

How to Replace the Dental Sterilizers' Parts

Dental autoclave sterilizers play a significant role in the daily functioning of dental operatories. And recently sterilizers becoming even more advanced and efficient due to advances in technology. 

Automatic Sterilizer now provide an intuitive display and simple prompts that help you easily select the cycle you need…whether it is for unwrapped items, pouches, packs or dental handpieces. Once the sterilization process is complete, the door conveniently opens automatically and quietly to dissipate the steam and provide fast and efficient drying of your instruments.

Sterilizers can be a somewhat costly addition to a dental operatory, the time and money that they save dentists down the road is substantial. Taking a few pointers into consideration and performing routine checks and replacing old parts on your unit can help maximize the life and functioning of your model.

There are a few part replacement tips that can help you get the best results from your sterilizer:

Door Gasket: To replace the door gasket, begin by simply removing the old door gasket. Clean the gasket groove in the door, and chamber face. For easy installation of the new gasket, use the “South-East-West-North” method (i.e. begin installing the gasket at the bottom of the door, then install the left and right sides and finishing at the top by squeezing in any of the excess making sure that the gasket fits flush).

Chamber Filter (sintered bronze style filter): If the machine has only a Chamber Filter – Remove all trays and the rack from the chamber. Clean chamber then remove the old chamber filter. Install a new filter. Reinstall rack and trays.

Chamber & Vent Filters (mesh style filter): If the machine has both a Chamber and a Vent Filter – Remove all trays and the rack from the chamber. Clean the chamber, then remove the chamber filter. Install the new filter. You must also replace the Vent Filter that serves as a filter for the steam trap/bellows and is located in the vent line to the tee fitting. Reinstall rack and trays.

 Sterilizer: After replacing the PM parts, check the reservoir and clean if dirt or debris are present (Note: Debris is the number one reason for Steam Trap/Bellows failure). Refill reservoir with distilled water only. Conduct a temperature check using a Max Register Thermometer. Conduct a pressure check to identify any leaks that may need to be addressed. If calibration is necessary, use the RPI Pressure Gauge and the RPI Trim Pot Tool.

The Innovative Device in Subgingival Air Polishing

With the advent of air polishing devices designed for use with low-abrasive powders, dentists and dental hygienists can obliterate supra- and subgingival biofilm from enamel, exposed root surfaces, and restorative materials efficiently and comfortably.

Air polishing devices with sodium bicarbonate powders are effective stain and biofilm removal on enamel, and highly effective for biofilm removal in pits and fissures prior to sealant placement. But caution must be taken to avoid exposed root surfaces and most restorative materials, which limits their use on periodontal maintenance patients.

Which air polishing devices are currently designed for low-abrasive powders? The technology is rapidly changing in this area, but two companies that have air polisher with substantial versatility are Hu-Friedy/EMS and Acteon.

Hu-Friedy/EMS is a leader in subgingival air polishing as it was the first to provide scientific studies supporting devices with low-abrasive powders for managing biofilm as early as 2003. Hu-Friedy/EMS makes a variety of air polishing devices, but two of their most versatile devices warrant a closer look.

The Hu-Friedy/EMS Handy 3.0 Premium Package is new to the market this year. It includes the PERIO-FLOW handpiece with disposable subgingival tips that are flexible to adapt to deep periodontal pockets, and the PLUS handpiece, which removes biofilm supragingivally and up to 4 mm subgingivally. The Handy 3.0 Premium Package is a portable device that connects directly to the dental unit and uses low-abrasive powders such as glycine or erythritol and has two interchangeable dental handpieces.

Another innovative device in subgingival air polishing is Acteon's Air-N-Go Easy. This is a portable device that connects directly into the dental unit and has four different nozzles for different clinical needs. It has the versatility of sodium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate supragingival powders and glycine powder for supra- and subgingival use.

The four nozzles are the Supra nozzle using sodium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate powder for supragingival use, the Perio-Easy nozzle using glycine powder for subgingival biofilm removal in shallow pockets, the Perio-Maintenance nozzle using glycine powder supragingivally, and the Perio nozzle using glycine powder for deeper periodontal pockets.

Some Information about Dental Air Polisher

Like many dentist equipment in dentistry, air polishing has changed since the late 1970s. There are several new air polisher designs and new abrasive powders, and we now have the ability to use air polishers subgingivally. Sodium bicarbonate was the original abrasive powder used, but newer abrasive powders include glycine, calcium carbonate, calcium sodium phosphosilicate, aluminum trihydroxide, and erythritol. These additional powders give us more choices for our patients' individual needs.

Patients must be selected carefully, as there are some contraindications for use. Typically, individuals with communicable disease, upper respiratory disease, compromised immune systems, sodium-restricted diets, polishing powder ingredient allergies, and contact lenses are not candidates for air polishing. However, sodium restriction is less of an issue now that there are powders without sodium.

Indications for use of an air polisher have typically included extrinsic stain removal, cleaning around orthodontic appliances, and to clean occlusal surfaces before placing a sealant. Now there are indications for use on exposed, hypersensitive dentin and periodontal pockets.

Dental hygienists have a wide variety of experiences with and opinions about air polishing-everything from loving it to hating it. Patients likely have similar opinions depending on the type of device used, the powders used, and the expertise of the clinician providing the air polishing. New advancements in this technology have some pleasant benefits for you and your patients.

With the advent of air polishing devices designed for use with low-abrasive powders, dentists and dental hygienists can obliterate supra- and subgingival biofilm from enamel, exposed root surfaces, and restorative materials efficiently and comfortably.

The benefits of air polishing for the dental professional include less operator fatigue, less time involved than the traditional polishing technique, and improved access to difficult-to-reach areas. Benefits to the patient include less time in the chair, less "scraping," excellent stain removal, reduced dentin hypersensitivity, and improved periodontal status.

Training regarding indications, contraindications, advantages and disadvantages is imperative for use of the air polisher. When used by a properly trained clinician, the clinical benefits as well as patient safety increase. But today, as an educator, I consider dental hygiene curriculum and wonder why not much has changed in regard to training students to use air polishers. The air polishers themselves have evolved, the list of uses has increased, and yet, in many schools, our students are lucky if they learn how to use one.

Why Would a Dentist Want an LED Curing Light

Recently, a new concept to dentistry, the LED, has entered the market. There have been significant sales promotions from the several companies selling LED lights. As a result of the promotions, dentists appear to be more confused than before.

In the last few years, there has been an emphasis on enhanced conventional curing lights to provide greater curing intensity and faster cure. The most obvious way this has been accomplished is by the use of light guides that diminish in size as they exit from the curing light.

LED dental curing lights have some apparent advantages:

        1. Diodes are long-lasting without the need for frequent replacement.
        2. They generate no heat during curing.
        3. They offer a moderate curing time of about 10 to 20 seconds.
        4. They are quiet in operation. They are cordless, small and lightweight.

Of course, they also have some disadvantages:

        1. Their technology is new to dentistry, and the concept still is evolving.
        2. Their curing time is slower than that of PAC lights and some enhanced halogen lights.
        3. Their batteries must be recharged.
        4. They cost more than do conventional halogen lights.

LED choices
The use of CPQ is very common by most manufacturers, but there are a few adhesive materials that use a different photoinitiator. Because of that, and the specifics of LEDs, there’s potential for a material to not be cured by a device designed to work only with CPQ. Fortunately, because LEDs can be created to produce different wavelengths, there are now several devices that can cure every resin-based material on the market. (To find out which photoinitiator your materials use, be sure to ask the manufacturer.)

All general practitioners need curing lights for myriad curing tasks. Light-cured resin has become the state of the art during the past 25 years. It seems logical that the light-curing concept would have matured during that time, but it has not.

Without question, light-curing is desirable, but practitioners are confused about the most appropriate light-curing concept to use in their practices. Because of this confusion, some practitioners have continued to use older lights in spite of the advantages offered by some of the newer ones. The light-emitting diode, or LED, concept is challenging more established modes of curing, and some dentists are buying LED lights. And many practitioners who have purchased the even faster plasma arc curing, or PAC, lights are not willing to go back to the slower LED light-curing method.

The choice about which type of curing light to buy should be based on which of the various lights’ features suit the specific practitioner best. As a dentist, you should know different dental equipment clearly. Then you can make the best choice.

Original Source: http://www.oyodental.com/Why-Would-a-Dentist-Want-an-LED-Curing-Light

What to Expect During Periodontal Visits

It is especially important to see a periodontist if you experience any of the symptoms of periodontal disease, but regular periodontal examinations should be part of everyone’s routine oral health care regimen. An evaluation sometimes may be the only way to detect periodontal disease. You should also visit the periodontist regularly if you have diabetes, heart or respiratory disease, osteoporosis, malnutrition, or smoke or use tobacco; all dental lab supplies  have been linked to periodontal disease.

Your first periodontal visit will consist of an evaluation. You will be asked about your dental/medical history. If you have medical problems, advise your periodontist, since many diseases can affect your mouth and gums.

You also should list any medicines you take, including oral contraceptives, because certain medications can adversely affect your gums or have contraindications for antibiotics. Antihypertensive medication can often cause xerostomia (dry mouth) that can accelerate decay and periodontal breakdown.

If you smoke, you will be advised to quit, particularly if you are undergoing gum surgery. Smoking, which increases the risk of periodontal disease, also worsens the disease if you already have it. It can also impair the healing process.

X-rays will be taken. A periapical X-ray – which reveals the entire tooth from crown (top) to the end of the root in your jaw – shows the amount and pattern of bone loss around each tooth. A panoramic radiograph – an X-ray by dental x ray machine portable of your entire mouth – shows other important skull structures, including the jaw joints.

Once the examination is complete, your periodontist will develop a treatment plan based on your individual wants and needs. Typically, following treatment you will be placed on a periodontal maintenance program.

In addition to a proper oral hygiene regimen of daily at-home brushing and flossing, this treatment plan will include regular follow-up examinations and cleanings, which are essential for the continued health of your mouth and gums. If you have gingivitis, many periodontists recommend visits every six months for a deep cleaning. For more serious conditions, see your periodontist every three months.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.oyodental.com/best-Dental-Implant-Model-for-sale.html

To Help You Make the Dental Handpiece More Profitable

The dental appointment always comes at the wrong time, it's an unfamiliar environment that potentially can cause pain, and potentially your insurance company (if there is any) doesn’t cover all the costs.  Part of being a successful business owner is recognizing obstacles by appealing to all your patients. Then what should you do to make your dental practice more profitable?

1. Be Organized and On Time: No one likes to wait, especially in a dentist office.  In today’s society, everyone is busy, so respecting your patients' schedules will go a long way. If your appointments start stacking up, then a simple courtesy phone call or text alerting your patients of a delay will display your office professionalism and your respect towards their schedules. 

2. Make sure your appointment time frame is realistic and your team is preforming within the allot timeframe. A typical hygienist appointment should run no longer than an hour, so scheduling appointments for the amount on staff and staggering appointments will ensure a smooth workflow and no empty folding dental chairs.  This will help maximize your patient load and increase your revenue.

3. Maximize Your Team: Let’s face it, employees are an expense but you can’t do it without them. The hygienists are the ones who spend the most time with the patients, and they know the working of the practice and set the tone when dealing with the patients. Happy employees will go above and beyond the call of duty by ensuring the demands of the patients are met.

4. Don’t Let Them Get Away: Pre-scheduling appointments is good business practice.  Having the front-desk personnel pre-schedule future appointments fills the books and overcomes the challenge of forgetting to schedule the next appointment. 

5. May the Enforcer Be With You: When cancellations occur (and you know they will) you lose money; it’s that simple.   Making sure your appointment books stay full is a tricky job at best. Make sure your front desk personnel knows your policies on cancellations and they are enforced.  Additionally, posting your cancellation policies in conspicuous places around your offices will alleviate any miscommunication between you and your patients. 

6. Top of Mind Awareness: Top of mind awareness is a very powerful marketing concept. Ever notice that most restaurants love to provide doggie bags to all customers, and some even have their logo printed on the bag. This is a brilliant marketing concept that restaurants figured out a long time ago. They want their customers to think of them when they eat those leftovers from the doggie bag.

See more: http://www.oyodental.com

The Value of HYbands Designs

We understand that the doctors we work with desire and, quite frankly, count on our codiagnosis during recall visits, especially regarding restorative needs. In fact, patients will often turn to us, after the doctor has left the room and ask, "Do I really need that crown?"

Using an dental intraoral camera, in my opinion, is the most expedient and effective way to help a patient visualize his or her problem and understand the treatment needs. Over the last decade, I have evaluated and used many intraoral cameras.

In Perio mode, the wavelength emitted by the LED curing lights highlights the different tissues represented by chromatic mapping. In other words, gingival inflammation will appear in shades of pink to deep magenta; new plaque will appear white and grainy, and old plaque in shades of yellow and orange.

HYbands designs and creates headbands in a rainbow of colors, plaids, and prints for dental professionals. Founder Ashley Church started HYbands when she was in dental hygiene school; thus the name. After an overwhelmingly positive response, what started out as a dental hygiene fundraising project quickly turned into a business. In addition to creating a recognizable dental brand, HYbands provides a stylish and functional product. As a way to give back to the dental community, Ashley and her sister/partner, Natasha, have partnered with Smile Train, an international children's cleft lip and palate charity to fund a minimum of 20 cleft surgeries this year.

Smile Train has a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Millions of children in developing countries with unrepaired clefts live in shame, but, more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing, and speaking. Cleft surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Smile Train's sustainable model provides training and funding to empower local doctors in 85-plus developing countries to provide 100% free cleft repair surgeries in their own communities.

In addition to the headbands, be sure to check out HYsocks and medical bands. And remember, by purchasing HYproducts you are helping to improve the lives of children all over the world.

As registered dental hygienists, we play an integral role in the diagnosis and treatment planning of both the restorative and periodontal needs of our patients. As health-care professionals, we recognize that patients value and trust our opinions and advice when it omes to their oral health care.

The Mis-understandings about Dental Curing Lights

The units that cause dental materials, such as composites, sealants, and cements, to set or polymerize in the mouth. These units produce a visible blue light that these materials absorb, causing them to set.

Every dental curing light today is a visible blue light and does not produce ultraviolet light, which would not generally be safe for you, or the patient. So these lights are not UV lights. The confusion arises from the fact that dental curing lights once were UV lights. The inventor of this system was not familiar with visible light curing chemistry at the time, and therefore selected UV chemistry, which was quickly replaced by blue, visible light curing chemistry.

Today we have two different kind of curing lights, those that are halogen (bulb) lights and those that are LED (light emitting diode). The LED lights do not themselves produce heat, unlike the older bulb lights that come with cooling fans. This unit unlike an LED can get really, and I mean really hot.

Some of the current high powered lights are recommended to cure a material within one second. These lights put out a tremendous power (4000 mW/cm2) compared to typical lights that emit either 600 or 1200 mW/cm2 and are recommended to cure a material within 20 seconds. The big difference between these high powered units and the typical units is that the material is forced to set all at once with no heat dissipation during the curing time. This amount of heat build up is sufficient to cause skin burns and tissue damage.

Several clinicians and researchers speak of how the material reacts to this instant cure, whether the material has internal stresses built-up, or not, and whether a ramping up of curing is preferred to reduce these "internal" stresses. There is some disagreement about this. However, I think this misses the point that it should be the heat build-up in the tooth and surrounding tissue that we should be of most concern.

Remember that when we cure dental materials that the patient is often anesthetized and can not feel this heat. My recommendation is to avoid the ultra high powered lights that promise to cure something in 1 to 3 seconds. Take a little more time, or at least move such a high powered light further back off the tooth and then slowly bring the light closer to your normal curing distance. This will avoid another possible source of post operative sensitivity.

For more information, please visit: http://www.oyodental.com/best-Dental-Portable-Unit-for-sale.html

Tips on Choosing Dental Insurance

Dental insurance will cost you much less in premiums than health insurance, but of course there’s a catch. Most health insurance policies cover a hefty percentage of even towering expenses once you’ve paid your deductible. But dental insurance policies have an annual limit to coverage, from $1000 to $1500 a year, along with a $50 to $100 deductible. While plans may pay 80% to 100% of exams, x-rays and cleanings, when it comes to crowns, root canals and gum-disease treatments by in-network dentists the benefit may be only 50% of the cost. Some procedures, such as orthodontia and cosmetic dentistry, are not covered at all.

1.Find Out If You Can Get Group Coverage
The great majority of people with dental insurance have benefits through their employer or other group coverage programs such as AARP, Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance policies or public programs such as Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program and TriCare for the military.

2. Check Into Individual Policies
More expensive than group policies – and often with more limited benefits – individual policies (whether you're buying one just for yourself or for your family) often have waiting periods for major procedures. If you’re thinking of signing up for a plan “just in time” because you need implants or a new set of dentures, realize that insurers are well aware of that tactic and institute a waiting period of perhaps a year before you can start using certain benefits.

3. Examine the List of Dentists in the Network 
Indemnity insurance plans allow you to use the dentist of your choice, but the common PPO and HMO plans limit you to dentists in their networks. If you have a dentist you like, ask which insurance and discount plans he or she accepts. If you’re OK with using a new dentist, a PPO or HMO might fit your needs.

4.Know What the Policy Covers
In order to budget for dental expenses, it's important to carefully review the policies you’re considering. For example, from the time your insurance begins, AARP Delta policies cover gum cleanings, denture repairs, restorations, oral surgery and root canals. But you need to wait until your second year of coverage to get benefits for gum-disease treatment, crown and cast restorations, dental implants or dentures. Even then, the benefit is limited to 50% of costs.

The Bottom Line
The bright spot of dental insurance is that coverage is good for preventive care, such as check ups, cleanings and dental x-rays (though x-rays may be covered less frequently than eager dentists want to take them). Adults and children with dental benefits are more likely to go to the dentist, receive restorative care and experience greater overall health, according to a report by the National Association of Dental Plans. Purchasing insurance may well motivate you to get preventive care and avoid more expensive and uncomfortable procedures.

See more:http://www.oyodental.com