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After about 16 hours of travel, my wife and I finally made it home from a long trip that was a combination of education and vacation. We had the opportunity to visit the Vita factory in Bad Sackingen, Germany, right on the border of Germany and Switzerland.
What a great time it was, even though for most of the trip my wife was fighting a severe head cold, and I just couldn't get past the fact that between the eating and drinking, I had very little time to squeeze in my insanity workouts.
The trip, however, reminded me of several things that one shouldn't forget.
First - no matter how much you think you know, there is always something to learn. Having been a beta tester and trainer for a number of years, I have gotten to know the CEREC technology fairly well. However, going to Europe and listening to other testers and developers of the products of the CEREC system made me realize how much more there is to learn.
We learned about bridges, materials, techniques - I will be documenting one technique in particular on the Web site that is a complete paradigm shift on how we use the CEREC technology.
The second important lesson was that there is no place like home. My wife had wanted to go to Italy for her entire life. So part of this trip we took the train to Lake Como, Italy, and Venice.
These are historical and gorgeous destinations, but at the end of the day, living in a hotel out of a suitcase is just not as fun as going to sleep in your own bed and waking up in your own bedroom.
The trip was great, but like I said, it's great to be home. Who knows when the next international trip will be. Whenever it is, I will be happiest when I finally arrive home.
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I hear this over and over again: CEREC is fine for posteriors but its not appropriate for anterior restorations. I guess this is progress, considering how much grief CEREC owners have received over the years for its use anywhere in the mouth.
Now we are at the point where CEREC is considered appropriate for posteriors, but some clinicians don't feel they can do a case in the anterior with CEREC.
I think it's important to note that CEREC is just a tool. It's a tool that can replace the laboratory in the appropriate situation. When treatment planning a case, here are the criteria I use to determine whether I will work with my laboratory or with my CEREC machine.
First of all, it's important to note that I am a heavy user - meaning that I look to my machine for virtually every case. I enjoy the process. After all, what the heck is the point of going to work if you don't enjoy what you do?
The second step in determining the method of fabrication is to ask the question: "Can I meet the esthetic expectations of my patient with the CEREC machine?" Lets face it, I'm a dentist, not a technician, and there are certain cases where I am just not as talented as a highly skilled ceramist to deliver a highly esthetic piece of porcelain. I'm pretty good, but not the best. In certain cases, it might be better to use CEREC Connect instead of CEREC.
Next: Is the patient patient enough to sit through a procedure of this type? This particular case would take me all morning. For an inexperienced user, maybe it will take them all day or several days. Regardless of that fact, it's longer than just prepping and taking an impression, so the patient must be willing to wait all day if necessary. Certainly better than waiting weeks or months, but that must be conveyed to the patient.
Finally, can our materials that we mill chairside fulfill the esthetic expectations of our case? The materials that we use are fairly translucent. If we have a dark substructure, then we need to use opaque materials to cover that dark substructure. Maybe gold or zirconia. If that is the case, perhaps it's best left to the laboratory to do the case for us.
In this particular example, we have met all the criteria for a nice chairside case. The patient does not have unreasonable expectations for esthetics, he is patient, and our materials will be sufficient to cover the teeth. And I will have an absolute blast working on this case all day.
More information on this can be found in the discussion thread. The immediate post-ops show some tissue irritation from the cord and bonding procedure. Once we see the patient for the final post-op, you will find the tissue and smile have met the patient's expectations.
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Being fortunate enough to be involved in the planning of this event, I can tell you that you absolutely need to plan on being in Vegas the last weekend of August.
The event will be fantastic, with incredible speakers, exhibits and entertainment. I can imagine that some companies will use the event to possibly introduce new products or materials. After all, it's the largest gathering of CEREC users planned. Ever!
One of the things that I am most excited about is the lecture by Dr. Frank Spear. Having had the opportunity to work with him and teach under him at Scottsdale Center for Dentistry, it's been fun to see him and the rest of the Spear Education faculty embrace what CEREC can do.
Now, I'm a hardcore CEREC geek, and try to use it anywhere and anytime I can. But to see the Spear faculty work with the CEREC is absolutely amazing. I saw Dr. Spear stain and glaze a restoration that was the most gorgeous I had ever seen.
Lee Brady, who is the executive vice president of clinical education, has been equally impressive in her CEREC journey. The former clinical director of The Pankey Institute, I enjoy listening to her as she talks about Parameters.
Then there is Dr. Bob Winter. He heads up the live patient course with Dr. Brady at the Center. Obviously, the participants that use his lab get an incredible restoration back for their patients. To see his eyes light up any time one of the students uses a CEREC machine is quite amazing.
To see that the CEREC passes his discerning eye shows what a long way the technology has come. If it can keep these folks happy, no doubt that you can get some incredible results as well.
If you join us at CEREC 25, no doubt you will see some world-class dentistry performed with our little machine. Happy CERECing, and see you in Vegas.
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Move over Arnold!
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By
Sameer Puri (cerecdoctors.com co-founder)
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Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:49 AM
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A few years ago, I was watching TV and came across this infomercial for a fitness program called P90X. Im sure you guys have seen it. Grown men and women jumping around, doing push-ups and all sorts of other exercises.
Well, I was dumb enough to order a set of the discs. I thought, what the heck, I've never ordered anything from an infomercial before. There is a first time for everything.
The DVDs arrived and I started the program. I gotta tell you, it was tough! Probably the hardest workout that I had ever done. In fact, the very first workout, "Chest and Back," where you do about 300 push-ups and about 120 pull-ups along with other stuff - I pretty much almost threw up.
Although the program was supposed to be 90 days, after three weeks, I quit. Not because I was fat and lazy, mind you. My wife surprised me with a gift of a personal trainer. So I stopped P90X and started with my trainer. It was a good two years with the trainer, but like many things, eventually it had to end.
I just couldn't justify the money every month, and frankly, I think I had peaked with regards to the results. My body fat went down from about 24 percent to about 18 percent. My weight dropped from about 230 to about 220. It was a good move, but I had definitely plateaued and was just getting bored of the same exercises.
Fast-forward to 90 days ago, when I pulled out my P90X discs that had been sitting in my office. I put the disk in the DVD player and pushed PLAY.
And the next day I put the next disc in and pushed PLAY again. On and on, and before you know it, its been 90 days! Weight has gone to 205 and body fat is hovering in the 11 percent range.
I've never felt so much energy and so good. Why is this in a dental blog? Well, its all about balance folks. Not everything is margins, not everything is patients. Take time to take care of your self. I have more energy, I'm in a better mood and frankly, I feel great. My clothes fit great, and I don't have the belly hanging over my pants.
I'm not posting photos! :) But if you join us at CEREC 25, there will be a group of us doing P90X while celebrating the largest CEREC users meeting ever held.
I hope to see you there.
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I recently had the opportunity to be a guest lecturer at the UCLA Esthetic Residency. What a fun two days it was to be at the university and work with the residents there.
The residency is a 2 year program for dentists who want to enhance their knowledge and skill level in the art and science of esthetic dentistry. The program also has 20 ceramists who are attempting to gain their certificate to become Master Dental Ceramists.
Dr. Ed Mclaren prepared a patient for veneers, I scanned the patient and imaged him and then all the ceramists had the opportunity to mill out the restorations with the CEREC and finish the case.
It amazes me that there are people still out there who say that CEREC is not esthetic. As you can see from the final photos, the end result has nothing to do with the machine, it has everything to do with the artist.
My suggestion is to get trained, learn as much as you can and become your own master. Gorgeous results are the norm if you take your time and do your cases properly.
Dentistry and Lab work courtesy of Dr. Ed Mclaren
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