Optragate for Full Arch Prep & Impression

I love things that make my dental life easier.  The Optragate by Ivoclar is one of them.   What is it?  It’s sort of like a rubber dam with a big opening in the middle and a built-in flexible frame.  It simply retracts the lips and cheeks with a very comfortable non-latex “o-ring” of sorts.  It also helps the patient stay open.  They are one-time use / disposable.

Optragate - dental isolation

This is how the Optragate is packaged and how it looks out of the package.

It’s wonderful for anterior work of any kind, giving you a wide-open access and view.  I also like it for those full-arch preps.  My assistant doesn’t have to worry about doing any retraction.  She can focus on suction and keeping my mirror clear. Continue reading

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Clinical Technique, Dental Product Reviews, Tips & Tricks | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

Win the Isolation Battle with Isolite!

More and more we’re all doing adhesive composite restorations.  And, we know that any sort of moisture contamination spells disaster.  So, between you and your assistant, you’ve got only four arms and hands to prep and restore teeth while simultaneously retracting both the tongue and cheek, and trying to keep the field clear.  All the while you’re eyeballing that saliva-tsunami threatening to swamp your good work.  So, you’re yelling (not really yelling) at your assistant who you wish had four arms of her own.  “Suuuuuctiooooooooonnnn!” Continue reading

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Clinical Technique, Dental Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 35 Comments

Crown prep and build-up tip!

This is just a quick tip that can speed up your crown prep appointments.

Most crown preps involve teeth that already have large amalgams.  Personally, I take out all old restorative materials, clean up the tooth, and do a build-up.  I don’t like leaving behind or covering up old amalgam.  And, I’m always amazed at how much decay I find hiding under those old amalgams, not to mention the old Dycal “cottage cheese” sludge. Continue reading

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Clinical Technique, Tips & Tricks | Tagged , , , | 36 Comments

DDS GP – Be a Treatment Presentation Ninja!

OK… Here’s my first Dental Warrior product review!  I hope you like it!

Over my 22 years in dentistry, I’ve come across all sorts of patient education tools.  Our biggest challenge as dentists is getting patients to WANT what they NEED in order to have a healthy, functioning, and beautiful smile.  Most of what we do is out of sight and out of mind (for the patient). Unless it hurts or they can see it in the mirror, it drops to the bottom of the priority list for most patients. We’ve used plastic models, pencil sketches, posters, brochures, flip-charts, photographs, VHS videos, and more recently DVD or computer based videos and demonstrations. Continue reading

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Dental Product Reviews, Marketing, Practice Management, Tips & Tricks | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

The Dental Warrior! 3… 2… 1… Launch!

Hi everybody!  I’ve been a long-time denizen of various online dental forums like DentalTown.com and the ACE email list.  My participation in online dental groups started back around 1992 on Compuserve’s MedSIG Dental Forum (no longer in existence).

For all those years, I’ve enjoyed sharing what has worked for me in my dental practice and what hasn’t.  I’ve also shared my other passions (guns, self-defense and personal safety).  And during that time, I’ve had a tremendous amount of positive feedback for my online musings.  Hundreds of emails each year, if not thousands, have led me to this.  I created this blog in order to centralize and archive my thoughts on those topics.  A majority will be on the dental topics.  🙂

I’ll still always be a regular on the forums.  No worries!

Here on TheDentalWarrior.com , you’ll find my thoughts, trials, and tribulations with dental products, dental techniques and services, marketing ideas and efforts, patient management, treatment presentation, and I’ll sprinkle in some thoughts about personal security, self-defense, and safety.   That may seem like an odd combination, but over many years it has resonated with many dentists on other forums.   And, that’s why I’m doing this.

A recurring theme you’ll find among my reviews and  recommendations is that they will not require a bank loan or have a protracted return on investment.  My favorite things are usually those with a reasonable “price of admission” and a nearly immediate ROI.

I expect this blog will contain a combination of writing and video.  I’m just now learning WordPress, so bear with me as I sort this out.  I’ve got a lot of work to do, yet.  This is just the beginning!  So at the outset, this website won’t blow anyone away with special effects or fancy graphic design.  The appearance is “plain-Jane” right now.  But, it’s all about information.  And, I’ve got a ton of it coming!

Eventually, I may have select guest writers and videos, as well.

We dental professionals are a unique bunch fighting a challenging “war.”  We are the last bastion of health care entrepreneurism.  Personally, I like (love) it that way.  And, in this economy it’s become an even more daunting endeavor.  I hope this blog will prove to be a rallying point for those of us slogging through this battlefield we call “private practice.”

Welcome!  Subscribe to this blog by clicking on the button or the “Entries RSS” link on the right side of this page.  By doing that, you can automatically receive  updates (or on your RSS reader, if you use one) about any new posts here on TheDentalWarrior.com.  Or you can just get the latest posts emailed to you directly by using the email form on the right.

You can also follow the comments of any particular blog post by clicking the button at the bottom of that blog post.  Let me know what you think.  Leave comments.  And, tell your friends!

Who is the Dental Warrior?  You are!  March on, my fellow Dental Warriors!

Posted in Dental Warrior Announcements | 20 Comments