Chairside Magazine Volume 2, Issue 1 - Glidewell Dental Labs

Editor’s Letter
Publisher
Jim Glidewell, CDT
Contents
Is there anything we do on a daily basis in our offices that is as important to patient
satisfaction and comfort as our injections? Early in my career I learned first hand
how important a painless injection could be. When I graduated from dental school at
the age of 22, I still had all of my hair and looked too young to be a dentist. When
I came back to Southern California after graduation I practiced with my father for
the first 3 years of my career, still one of the most rewarding professional experiences
I have had.
I was surprised how many patients wanted to see my dad instead of me. Many times
I would do the examination and the patient would go to the front desk to schedule
the appointment, and would schedule the two crowns with dad rather than me.
I turned my focus to winning over those patients. Dad only had one chink in his
dental armor: his injections.
My dad hated topical and he could empty a carpule faster than I can load one. The
amount of fast twitch muscles in his thumb were mind-boggling and when he emptied
that carpule in less than 2 seconds, patients would levitate. I saw my chance to
win over the doubters, who were stuck having to have their broken tooth prepped
for a crown on Dad’s golf day. My interests in topical were both academic and
sophomoric: I found it worked as well on patients as it did on my dental school
roommates coffee cup rim. What other dental product opens the door to so many
practical jokes?
I began to brag to patients I could give them a practically painless injection, and it
worked! My crown preps took three times longer than my dad’s, but it would be a
levitation-free procedure. However, painless anesthesia technique does not necessarily
equal profound anesthesia technique, and I believe as dentists we owe it to the
profession and to our patients to continue to search for better techniques to make
dentistry more effective and compassionate.
I hope you enjoy this month’s interview with Dr. Alan Budenz where he makes a
compelling case for all of us to learn the Gow-Gates mandibular block. Just because
we have made it this far in our careers without it does not mean we should stop
striving to provide better dental techniques for our patients. And as I always say, if
you don’t have access to a prison population, you may want to perfect these techniques
on in-laws and staff members. Remember: there is always a price to pay,
especially for free dentistry!
Sincerely,
Associate Publisher
Jim Shuck
Mike Cash, CDT
Creative Director
Rachel Pacillas
Clinical Editor
Michael DiTolla, DDS, FAGD
Coordinator
Lindsey Lauria
Designers
Jamie Austin
Eric Chou
Deb Evans
Phil Nguyen
Gary O’Connell
Rachel Pacillas
Ty Tran
Copy Editors
Lindsey Lauria
Al Lefcourt
Gary O’Connell
Photo Editors
Jamie Austin
Eric Chou
Deb Evans
Phil Nguyen
Rachel Pacillas
Ty Tran
Photographers
Kevin Keithley
James Kwasniewski
Ed Pelissier
Illustrator
Wolfgang Friebauer, MDT
38 Laboratory Portrait: Mikhail Tkachev
Meet Mike Tkachev, an engineer in the Glidewell
Laboratories Research and Development department. He
shares with us his amazing story of how coming from
the former Soviet Union, he landed in Newport Beach,
California and how his previous experience in the
Soviet Army building top secret devices helps him in his
work today.
44 One-on-One with Dr. DiTolla
In this ongoing series, Dr. DiTolla tackles local anesthesia
issues with one of the country’s leading authorities,
Dr. Alan Budenz. Dr. Budenz sheds some light on a
new mandibular block technique that may convince you
to give up your standard inferior alveolar block.
52 Carpe Diem: Now Is the Time to Help
Patients Value the Importance of
Their Dental Office as Their Partner
for Great Health
Gary Takacs explains why now is the perfect time to
inform your patients on how oral heath is related to
overall heath. He provides us with a few examples of
how he thinks this doctor-patient communication can
be easily initiated during your patient’s appointment.
57 Planning the Shade Prescription
One of the country’s leading authorities on esthetic
fixed restorations, Dr. Gerard Chiche, shares with us his
method for shade determination and characterization.
62 Facial Correction without Injection:
Angellift ® Pricing and Technology Update.
The newest addition to the Angellift family of products,
Preview ® , is introduced in this article. This chairside
tool will help to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
Angellift device and to help patients decide if this
product is for them.
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Dr. Michael DiTolla
Clinical Editor
chairside@glidewell-lab.com
Editor’s Letter
Contents