Team Work, Checklists Needed to Ensure a Successful Dental Treatment

DALLAS - Communication is the key to ensuring a successful dental procedure, including working closely with the staff, the patient, the lab, and, employing methods to facilitate that communication, such as checklists, according to a speaker at the Updates in Contemporary Dentistry Meeting held here recently.
Dental Learning Editorial Board Member Dr. Scott Parker offered this pearl to the audience: "I always use a checklist for any procedure I am doing, because I want to have a successful result." The checklists, a few samples of which are attached to this article, ensure that the entire staff can be on the same page with the procedure.
Also, Dr. Parker said, he advocates talking to the laboratory to keep posted about the latest products.
"It is important to make sure everybody is on the same page," Dr. Parker said. "Find a group of specialists that you know well, and start bouncing ideas back and forth. Find a lab that you know you can trust and that you are willing to listen to and can give you advice." Finally he said, "use models and waxups to prepare for success so you can communicate with your staff and patients about what you want the end result to look like."

Start With the Right Equipment
Dr. Parker also urged the use of the right equipment. He advised clinicians to research options in magnification. "You have to look at resolution, magnification, if you want a wide field of view or narrow." He also urged clinicians to watch for inclination abilities, because "if you're constantly looking with your head down, you are going to have neck issues."
Next up, Dr. Parker said, is material selection.
 "There are a lot of materials I use and it depends on the situation. For inlays and onlays, I may use a pressable materials like Empress, but one brand doesn't really stand out over the other. Some are just more recognized." He said for full coverage crowns, he often uses pressables, and urged clinicians to research whether they would like to use zirconium, Bruxzir, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or gold.
 "There are so many great esthetic options that we shouldn't be mired in one product, we have incredible options," Dr. Parker said.
Dr. Parker offered similar advice for veneer and bridge options.
Discussing bonding, Dr. Parker noted "the challenge of bonding today is bonding to dentin." Clinicians frequently look for shortcuts to this critical step, which can result in a weak bond or sensitivity. "Which system are you currently using, are you using self-etch or total etch and why are you using that particular system," Dr. Parker said. "It is important that you know and consider the data on each."
He said cement selections can play a key role in ensuring a good bond. He urged clinicians to familiarize themselves with the different systems that are available.
When it comes to performing the actual work, Dr. Parker notes that he carefully selects which products are most user-friendly for him. He noted that products like Traxodent, which quells excessive bleeding, and the Kavo Comfortdrive, which is a lightweight handpiece, have been particularly helpful in helping him to perform a successful case.
Summarizing his presentation, Dr.Parker told the audience, "to predict a great case, it is important to treat each case 4 times. In our mind, in wax, in acrylic, and finally in porcelain. That will ensure a successful result."