Speed up the process

The Hatela daylight processing system from Austenal is a quick and convenient system for processing instant X-rays. It is particularly suitable for mobile clinics or where space is at a premium as no dark room is required. It is also excellent for those procedures which require immediate diagnosis, such as endodontics and emergencies.

Savings of up to 35% can be made with two special offers (valid until June 30).

Reader response number: 051

No more paste waste

Shofu Dental Products Ltd have developed a polisher which addresses the problems of mess and waste normally associated with the super polishing procedure.

Superbuff is a polisher featuring a disc impregnated with aluminium oxide paste, which is for polishing of all composite restorations. The disc is designed to a thickness which accommodates polishing of all tooth surfaces.

Superbuff is activated by water or saliva and removes the need for an additional polishing paste thereby reducing mess and waste. Having fewer products in the surgery means less time is spent in stocktaking and because Superbuff is disposable, clean-up time between patients is reduced.

Reader response number: 052

Above: Bio Ethic is a new palladium-free and copper-free alloy. It has a wide range of indications and the fact that conventional high fusing porcelains can be fired onto it make BioEthic especially interesting for dental technicians because the reduction in the number of alloys used in the patient's mouth also reduces the number of alloys required in the laboratory, helping to save money.

Caps off to Bio-Cap

The latest product to emerge from Den-Mat is Bio-Cap, a self-adhesive resin ionimer for pulp capping.

Bio-Cap is compatible with all composite resins and with its ability to bond to both composite and dentine it makes an ideal material for pulp capping. Bio-Cap can be used to seal dentine tubules, preventing bacterial penetration and microleakage. It also encourages the formation of reparative dentine and dentine bridging. Bio-Cap's other applications include use as a dentine liner and protective base. In restorative work Bio-Cap helps prevent cusp fractures and allows easy placement of the final restoration.

Bio-Cap comes ready-prepared in easy-to-use disposable needle tip dispensers, which are designed for precision placement. The material light cures in approximately 30 seconds. To prevent secondary caries Bio-Cap contains fluoride and is insoluble in oral fluids.

Reader response number: 054

Hazard-free dentistry

Adelda Health Ltd have produced Capsecure, a 6 litre polypropylene container with a foam wrap insert that contains a non-hazardous chemical. It will disable the mercury vapour present in spent amalgam capsules, and reduce mercury vapour to below health and safety guidelines.

Collection services are available for the amalgam capsules once the container is full.

Reader response number: 055

Vacuum wrapped

Trycare's vacuum autoclave combines the rapid thermal response of a small chairside instrument steriliser with the capacity of a large bench top machine that can accommodate significant volumes of wrapped instruments and textiles.

This is due to a steam generator that accumulates heat at times when it is not required and releases it when performance demands. This improves response time and allows faster cycles and reduced exposure of instruments to potentially damaging heat.

Depending on load volume a typical wrapped cycle can be as quick as 25 minutes and a textile cycle 30 minutes.

There are three machines available. Two tabletop units, one with an enormous square chamber, and a freestanding three-phase unit for private clinic or large demand.

Reader response number: 056

DIY from EcoWater

EcoWater has sold 1,200 drinking water systems to dental practices across the country over the last seven years.

Many dental practices still purchase purified water for use in their autoclaves from pharmacists. This is inconvenient to stock and expensive. Practices could save as much as 50p per litre on water, amounting to an annual saving of approximately £975. It would cost 8p per litre to produce your own with an EcoWater portable distiller system.

The installation of a water treatment product remains the only way to eliminate the build up of limescale, increasing the life of water-using appliances.

The EcoWater distiller is simple to use and maintain, is portable and needs no plumbing. It only requires an electrical connection.

Reader response number: 057

Really glove it!

Three new dental gloves have been launched by Regent Medical. All provide barrier protection and are powder-free with a smooth inner-coating that enables easy donning.

Above: KaVo's range of high and slow speed handpieces are fully autoclavable and the BDA accredited them as being capable of withstanding over 800 autoclave cycles without degradation. KaVo handpieces are the only brand to be afforded this accreditation.

The first is Biogel Safetouch, a procedure-quality dental glove that is ambidextrous and suitable for single use. It has a long, beaded cuff to protect the wrist area. The high-quality latex has been specially treated and so has very low levels of extractable natural rubber latex and residual chemical allergens.

Biogel Safetouch gloves have Biogel-polymer coating on the inside of the glove to make them easy to don without cornstarch powder. This means no powder contamination of instruments and materials or powder-grains carrying latex allergens into the air.

Two new powder-free gloves form the Skinsense range. Skinsense Biolite is specifically for general dentistry. Regent claim the protective hi-tech latex gives all round barrier protection and a feeling of comfort and tactile sensitivity. The smooth inner-coating also eases donning, so facilitating the frequent glove changes common in general dentistry. The gloves are ambidextrous and available in three sizes.

Finally, Skinsense Nitrile, (left) a powder-free, synthetic dental glove offers a practical alternative to natural rubber latex gloves. They are made from synthetic nitrile with a polymer inner-coating to give comfort and tactile sensitivity. They also have a textured surface, are ambidextrous and available in 4 sizes in boxes of 100 gloves.

Reader response number: 059

Ultra clean ultrasonic

The UC-50 ultrasonic cleaner from Whaledent is small enough to fit any working surface, but is claimed to cope easily with double ended instruments or two beakers.

A FingerGuard plastic basket with a metal bottom reputedly provides superior wave transmission — preventing 'dulling' of instruments, and the cover can be fully closed during operation to minimise noise and prevent escape of airborne contaminants.

Reader response number: 060

Ease the pressure

The N-Dex non-latex range of examination and procedure gloves from Sentinal Laboratories are made from a soft polymer which conforms closely with the skin, providing tactility and comfort. Latex allergy and dermal sensitivity affect as many as 15% of health care workers.

The polymer material has a pressure reduction characteristic which ensures that the gloves do not exert any pressure on the skin, just 5 minutes after donning, so gloves will not tire the hands, even when worn for extended periods.

The material also provides abrasion resistance, combined with puncture resistance up to three times greater than that of a latex glove, though this does not mean a thicker, less tactile barrier because the gloves are just 0.1mm in thickness. This means that heat from the hands is rapidly dispersed so skin remains cooler and drier for longer.

Reader response number: 061

Masked not misted!

Face masks which are poorly designed and contoured can create more problems than they solve, particularly the misting of protective glasses, spectacles or loupes.

3M Aseptex Face Masks are moulded and contoured for close fit to prevent misting, with an elasticated strip for easy fitting and removal. 3M claim that Aseptex face masks have excellent filtration and are comfortable to wear. They are available in blue or white and there is also a tie-on version.

Reader response number: 062