Learn the truth of what some manufacturers don't tell you.
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This website is a service to the professional
by : Pollard Dental Products, Inc. - 1 (800) 235-1849
Otherwise, please take a couple of minutes to read the following to understand the features of this Web Site:
You can many times trace a " re-do" or " failure" to someone, who in the many steps of restoration fabrication, has slipped up somewhere. See the Laboratory section in this Web Site to learn how to take control of the quality that you get out of your lab.
Some times the Re-Do's and Failures are caused by the clinician, through outdated techniques in the usage of products and materials; - improper understanding of new products and materials; - improper precautions; - or relying on exaggerated claims from manufacturers that lead you to believe that products will do things beyond realistic expectations. Patients experiencing poor results will rarely visit that same office twice. If patients don't come back to you, you could have a problem.
We hope that those of you who are reading this don't have such a problem, but, if the above statement has hit a nerve, it should. According to CRA (Clinical Research Associates), the life expectancy of C & B today is less than 6.2 years. 50% failed within 4 years. (Sept. 1990) Yet C & B of the 60's and 70's frequently lasted 15, 20, even 30 years !
Materials and Techniques have gotten better, so something must have gotten worse !
Some of our best operators guarantee their work for life, if the patient comes back every 4 to 6 months for recall cleaning maintenance. Although economics come into play from cleanings, they could never do this if the averages were as bad as above.
Understanding what these operators know about products, their usage, and what they do for 'In House' quality control, you will understand why some failures happened and how many can be avoided. Some cases never had a chance of success without proper understanding of "The Science of New Dental Materials", and their proper uses.
Failures do happen, no matter what you do. The object of this Web Site is to minimize failures, lengthen the life of restorations, and to put the odds in your favor. This Web Site is dedicated to "The Truth of Dentistry".
The truth about products is usually hard to find without "Inside Information". Look at most of the bonding agent bottles, packages, and instructions in your office and see which ones list the ingredients. Very few ! You are putting chemicals in your patient's mouth without knowing what is in the bottle. You would like to think that you can trust manufacturers, but remember, they are in it for the profit. Every consumer faces the risk of "Buyer Beware" (Caveat Emptor), even dentists. All of you who have been around for awhile have been "Stung" many times by false promises of "New and Improved" products. How can you make an educated decision if the ingredients aren't even listed on the bottle and the science behind the product claims is conveniently neglected or exaggerated ? Then you trust the advertisements and what the "GURUS" say. Many of them are honest. Some of them are not !
Instead of trusting advertising and "Endorsements" solely from Gurus, you should trust the "Science of Materials". This Web Site's main purpose is to bring this science to you with proven techniques and products. Then you will know which of the "GURUS" you can trust in the future.
For example, Dr. Raymond Bertolotti's "Controlled Shrinkage" technique is indisputable science, yet failures are being repeated daily because the industry does not address good science in product development.
"Controlled Shrinkage" is very easy to adapt to any bonding system and doesn't take extra time, yet manufacturers tell you that their products are perfectly engineered. The 1 step & Wet bonding techniques to cut steps out of the bonding procedures are being promoted by firms to appeal to the lazy and sloppy dentist. Remember the expression, " If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" ! If you get any dark margins in a couple years after a bonding procedure, the product and bonding procedure has caused that micro-leakage failure. Dentists who use the "Controlled Shrinkage" technique report , "NO DARK LINES ANYMORE".
In this Web Site, you will find many areas of "The Science of Dentistry" being addressed, but we also address ways to increase your profitability, time and motion saving, esthetics, even practice management.
You will also discover that because of the many issues that we address here, it can take hours to view all the pages and information in this Web Site, but just like a magazine, mark the page, and pick it up later. The fact is, you can always come back at a later date ... for free. Daily if you would like. Pick a new topic every day. Most of the topics take only about 15 minutes.
START BY CLICKING HERE TO GO TO THE MAIN MENU.