When we met JJ and heard his story, we knew it had to be shared with the world. Be warned though, you might want to grab a tissue!

“I have a passion for cosmetic dentistry. I loved working with composite, so I took a lot of courses during my years as a cosmetic dentist to learn how to master the anatomy and polish of composite dentistry, but when I’d come back to my patient, I found it was very time consuming, it was still artistically challenging, the results were not predictable, and they were very often hit or miss.” –Dr. Sigal Jacobson Sound familiar? Read on. Even Dr. Fischer, president, founder, and CEO of Ultradent Products, Inc., could relate. “There are a few dentists—5%, maybe 10%—who are truly artistic. They have it in their brains, in their eyes, in their hands, they know exactly where they’re going, and they can create the most fabulous, natural-looking tooth imaginable. For some it takes a long time, some can do it fairly quickly. However, for the 80%–90% of dentists (and I fall into this category) that are more of the engineering mindset than the artistic mindset, Uveneer makes it possible for us to quickly, easily, and more predictably create pleasing smiles in a minimally invasive way using quality adhesives and composites.”

Australian-based dentist Dr. Sigal Jacobson created the ingenious Uveneer™ direct composite template kit when she found that traditional freehand direct composite veneers were artistically challenging, time-consuming, unpredictable, and not always cost-effective. She spent years working with engineers to create the perfect design and process for her anterior facial matrix template system. The Uveneer direct composite template kit is great for more than just veneers and anterior restorations, though. Dr. Harry Marget, President of the Empire State Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, called the Uveneer direct composite template kit “a simple, masterful piece of dental kit that [gives] the dentist not just the ability to do a veneer, but [to create a temporary] bridge, cover an implant, repair a broken tooth, disguise a stain, and so much more.”

It all began with tissue management here at Ultradent. Following graduation from dental school at Loma Linda University in 1974, Dr. Fischer returned to his beloved native home, Utah, and started his own dental practice. As business increased, Dr. Fischer found that rapid, profound hemostasis was imperative for quality operative dentistry. After an exhaustive search, he quickly realized that there were no products on the market that predictably controlled bleeding and sulcular fluid, so Dr. Fischer put his own natural-born insight and determination to work in order to find a predictable solution to this problem. Often working late into the night, he experimented with different chemistries—even drawing his own blood to test their hemostatic effects.

Dentaltown.com is a place where dentists from around the world can connect with each other. Registered participants can share practice tips, pose clinical questions, and debate topics with their fellow “Townies.” It’s become a bustling communication hub for dentists, with the site averaging around 2,515 posts per day. And every year, Townies unite to vote on their favorite dental products in a wide range of categories that include anesthetics, office equipment, hygiene and restorative dentistry products, and more.

In addition to healthy teeth, nearly every dental patient would love a bright white smile. Give the people what they want! It’s a win-win for the patient and the dental office. Educating patients about their whitening options and offering a wide-variety of procedures and prices to fit each individual’s whitening needs simply equals good practice management.

With Christmas just a little more than two weeks away, perhaps you’ve finished picking out gifts for the special people in your life—now it’s time to wrap up the little details. Because the holidays have become synonymous with eating cookies, cakes, and sweets of every kind, here are a few stocking stuffer ideas that will help keep your loved ones’ smiles as happy as their tummies. Ultradent® Tooth Brushes With a comfortable grip and integrated tongue cleaner, Ultradent’s toothbrushes are effective in removing plaque and bacteria—providing gentle cleaning to the teeth and gums. They’re also available in a variety of colors, including red, purple, green, and blue.

When performing a root canal procedure, it’s imperative that after instrumentation, the clinician cleanses and disinfects the canal 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 bounds of the canal—breaking through apical tissues, potentially damaging healthy tissue. Dr. Dan Fischer says, “The basic concept of irrigation in endodontics is to get the smallest cannula down close to the apex, but shy of the foramen, and to irrigate from the bottom up. It is imperative to start from the bottom to prohibit trapping air in the canal—it is very difficult to displace an air bubble when you’re filling the canal from the top down. However, the deeper the canal, the more difficult it is to get the cannula down to the apical region of the tooth.”

These days, strategic, pin-pointed, and successful practice management has become as high a priority as providing quality, top-of-line patient care. That means making every second count without cutting any corners. Ultradent’s multi-award-winning curing light, VALO®, with its powerful 3-second cure feature, take both patient care and super-keen practice management to new heights, and has the numbers to prove it. In an interview years ago when low-intensity lights were more popular, Dr. Gordon Christensen estimated that a typical dental practice can save over $26,000 per year by switching from a low-intensity light to a high-intensity light like VALO. Some dentists are still using slower lights.1

Here’s a little something to remind you to share a smile with someone. Have a great Tuesday!