Message in a Bottle Mailbag: Wireless headlight, ceramic-based composite, baseball season

The "Message in a Bottle Mailbag" is a monthly feature of the e-newsletter, Pearls for Your Practice: The Product Navigator. Each month, Editorial Director Joshua Austin, DDS, FAGD, answers reader-submitted questions to help you navigate your dental product decisions (and more!). This month, he writes a little bit more about the Designs for Vision DayLite WireLess headlight, discusses the classification of Admira Fusion by Voco, and shares his excitement for baseball season.

QUESTION: Al from Saginaw, Michigan, wrote: I saw the "Pearl" for the Designs for Vision DayLite WireLess headlamp in the March issue of Dental Economics. I think that might be the highest score you’ve ever given a product. Is that true? Do you really like it that much? I am using a light that has a cord to a battery pack on my waistband, and it seems to work well. Should I switch if I am not having problems?

ANSWER:
Thanks for the question, Al! As a matter of fact, I think the DayLite WireLess headlight is the only product I've called a grand-slam home run. Good eye! It is definitely one of the best products I have reviewed in my time with Dental Economics.

I really wasn’t all that annoyed with having a corded light before, but I don’t think I fully knew how great not having a cord would be until I experienced it. The biggest frustration I had with my previous light was the wear and tear. At some point or another each year, a cord would short, or a battery pack would stop holding a full charge, or some other minor, fixable problem would occur. I never had a major problem—I just needed a new part here or there—but I had to put time and effort into troubleshooting.

Now, I have only had the DayLite WireLess for a few months. Something is bound to happen to it at some point, just like anything else used every single day—it’s just a matter of time. Not being tethered to a hip-laden battery pack has really been nice. I think I used to hold my head a certain way because of tension in the cord, which would explain the neck relief I feel now. I never had a diagnosis of any neck issues, but I feel better without the cord weighing down one side of my loupes.

The real question is whether you should switch if you aren’t having any problems with your current setup. If you were to purchase the DayLite WireLess headlight, I don't think you would regret it. I think you have to experience not having a cord to fully understand the advantages. The good news is that the light is fairly economical, so it wouldn't be a huge burden for you. Find out if Designs for Vision has a trial period. I can’t imagine a scenario in which you would return it, though. It's that good!

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QUESTION: Wayne from Arkansas wrote: I saw the bit you wrote on Admira Fusion by Voco. What's up with that? Is it still considered a composite or what?

ANSWER:
Good question, Wayne. If you ask the biomaterials folks, Voco’s Admira Fusion is a composite. The ceramic fillers just enhance some of the properties of the composite, so it reduces polymerization shrinkage and resists staining. I think Admira Fusion is a really nice composite that can be used pretty much universally. I recommend trying it out for yourself. I think it's a great material!

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ANSWER:
Goodness, yes, I am ready for baseball season. I couldn’t be readier. My favorite trip every year is my March trip to Arizona for Cactus League spring training. I spent four days in Scottsdale following my Texas Rangers. The Rangers work out in Surprise, Arizona, and share a complex with your Royals. The Royals fans were everywhere. I guess that's an effect of the Royals winning the World Series.

With that said, the Royals still look very good, and it's hard to discount their chances to go to a third straight World Series. The Rangers made back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, but 2012 was one of those "bad luck" years with weird injuries and suspensions. The team lost some players to free agency the winter before. Circumstances added up, and the Rangers lost in the Wild Card Game—proving that it's really tough to go to three straight World Series. This year could be one of those years for KC (Kansas City). Sometimes all the breaks that went your way the previous two years go the other way. Best of luck to the Royals, though (just as long as they don’t beat my Rangers)!