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 and hygiene product decisions (and more!). This month, he offers his take on Glidewell’s BruxZir Anterior, discusses the changing indications for 3M ESPE’s Lava Ultimate, and shares his opinion about this summer’s movie releases.
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QUESTION: Renee from The Woodlands, Texas, asked: Have you done anything with BruxZir Anterior yet?
ANSWER: Shout out to The Woodlands, Renee! I love The Woodlands. As for BruxZir Anterior, no—I haven’t had the right case for it yet, but I think it’s a good product. My buddy, Dr. Mike DiTolla from Glidewell Laboratories, had a big part in bringing that material to market, so I know it was thought out well. Dr. DiTolla and I talked about it in one of the episodes of our AcciDental Geniuses podcast. (You can find it on iTunes, Stitcher, or our website, www.accidentalgeniusespod.com.) It isn’t as strong as original BruxZir, but in the anterior, that is perfectly fine. It is remarkably better looking than original BruxZir, though. It looks really good. With the ability to better bond zirconia with some of the great resin cements on the market, I think it’s a legitimate option for patients with medium to high function who need anterior restorations. I am looking forward to my next case that fits that description because I will definitely be trying it!
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James from Georgia wrote: What is the deal with Lava Ultimate? My buddy told me that 3M ESPE recalled it.
ANSWER:
Hey, James! Thanks for writing in. No, I would not say that Lava Ultimate got recalled because it really didn’t. If you are a CAD/CAM dentist and have a bunch of Lava Ultimate blocks, I don’t think you need to send them all back. 3M ESPE did change the indications for Lava Ultimate, though. Originally, Lava Ultimate was marketed for full crowns, onlays, inlays, and veneers. On June 12, 3M ESPE issued a release indicating that Lava Ultimate should no longer be used for full crowns. While that may not be a great thing for those who use it, it’s definitely better than a full recall.
When I heard that Lava Ultimate’s indications were changed, I was sure that it would be due to fracture prevalence. The release attributed the change in indication to “debonding,” which I think is interesting. Lava Ultimate is sold as a “resin nano ceramic.” The word "ceramic" is there, but so is the word "resin." My immediate thought is: “plastic, not glass,” although I am sure that there is more intricacy to the composition that that (but obviously, I’m not an applied materials scientist!).
It makes me wonder, though: If crowns are debonding, why wouldn’t inlays, onlays, and veneers? Who knows how different clinicians were cementing or bonding crowns that could have led to the failures?
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QUESTION: Linda S. from Minneapolis asked: Are there any summer movies you are excited about?
ANSWER:
Always! Generally, the summer movie season is full of exciting but hollow movies, which are totally fun to see. Already, there have been a few I’ve enjoyed, and there are a few that have yet to come out that I’m excited to see.
I always enjoy disaster movies. I loved The Day After Tomorrow and had high hopes for San Andreas. It basically delivered what it promised, but I won’t ever need to see it again. Similarly, Avengers: Age of Ultron was all right because it delivered what it promised, which is as much as you can ask for in a superhero movie, but I am not sure that a comic book movie will ever pass the bar set by the original Iron Man and The Dark Knight. Those movies are great and still hold up years later.
Jurassic World was really the movie that I was most stoked about. The original Jurassic Park came out when I was in the eighth grade, so it sits firmly in my wheelhouse of adolescence. While the first sequels of it were fine, the plot of this one looked so amazing, and what’s not to love about Chris Pratt? I really enjoyed it when I saw it on opening night, although many critics did not.
Looking forward, Inside Out looks amazing, just like every Pixar movie is. For some reason, Pixar seems to be able to deliver on the summer movie, while also offering an amazing story. They are routinely the best in the business. Dental Economics’ chief editor, Dr. Chris Salierno, told me that he is super excited for Magic Mike XXL. I think Terminator: Genisys could be really good. Once again, Terminator 2 was right in my wheelhouse as a youth, so the promise of another movie from that franchise excites me. I’ve heard really great things about Trainwreck with Amy Schumer, whom I adore. I think she is about to jump into superstardom. Straight Outta Compton will also make some money from me. I am surprised this movie hasn’t already happened because the origin story of NWA is very intriguing. Let me know what movies you loved or are excited about!
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Editor's Note:Do you have a question for Dr. Austin? Is there a product you'd like to see him review? Or would you like to submit your own "Pearl"? Tweet to @pearlmailor send an email to [email protected]. You might just see it in the e-newsletter, Pearls for Your Practice: The Product Navigator! If you're not a Product Navigator subscriber, click hereto sign up.
MORE MAILBAGS
June 2015 | Digital impressions and subgingival margins, denture impression materials, summer travels
May 2015 | Ultrasonic alternatives, accuracy and digital impressions, NBA playoffs
April 2015 | Ultrasonic alternatives, amalgam polishing and mercury, March Madness and patient retention
Joshua Austin, DDS, FAGD, is the editorial director for Pearls for Your Practice: The Product Navigator, an e-newsletter from DentistryIQ.com and Dental Economics. He also writes the "Pearls for Your Practice" column in Dental Economics. After graduating from the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School, Dr. Austin associated for several years. During October of 2009, he opened a solo general practice in a suburban area of San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Austin is involved in all levels of organized dentistry and can be reached at [email protected].
