Gawking is an important word in the headline of this article. The title of “top 25” on the products listed below definitely doesn’t mean you should enter an online store and buy it. In fact, we’re pretty sure you would have to fly to Europe to buy, at least, one of them. It’s not a bad excuse for a vacation, but you really do not need an excuse to fly to Europe, do you?
DentistryIQ.com posted product information on most days throughout 2013. We had a guy stand by the shop window to count the number of times a dental professional gazed at a dental product propped up for display. Actually, it wasn’t a guy; it was a software program called Omniture which, among other functions, keeps track of page views of an article on a website.
Here’s what dental professionals gawked at during 2013. Again, the list is not necessarily the most innovative products presented during the year, or the largest revenue generators among dental manufacturers.
Your peers paused by the shop window to look at these products though, and we start with No. 25. Yeah, you have to scroll all the way down to view the top one. But, hey, browse through some of this product information; you may see a good fit for your practice or patients.
The links to the articles below each description generally feature product photos if you want to, you know, gawk at those.
Weber Denture Liner
The at-home kit offers flexibility in achieving reliable retention with dentures. The liners are based on a compound that is translucent, odorless, tasteless, and putty-like. A trial kit allows denture wearers to experiment with three different types of liners to determine the best fit.
Tooth Commander T-shirts
A frequent contributor to Dental Assisting Digest e-newsletter, Tija Hunter, developed a line of t-shirts for dental hygienists and dental assistants. Hunter’s favorite Tooth Commander shirt is called the Diva.
TF Adaptive System
This product launched early in 2013 from Axis|Sybron Endo and featured the NITI endodontic file system that incorporates a color-coding system to simplify file selection. An Adaptive Motion Technology device adapts file rotation to the individual doctor and patient, assisting the cleaning, shaping, and filing of a root canal.
Z1
Billed as the “world's smallest and most portable CPAP machine,” the photos of the Z1 from Human Design Medical show the device easily fitting into the palm of a hand. The CPAP device will work with any mask on the market and uses an algorithm that learns from the patients’ breathing patterns and relieves machine pressure or exhalation.
Professional Series Deep Sweep Triaction
In 2013, Oral-B devoted a mammoth marketing effort to the introduction of its “Deep Sweep” approach to power toothbrushes. Procter & Gamble believes the toothbrush is a breakthrough response to consumers who prefer the brushing styles used with manual toothbrushes, but backed by the plaque removal properties associated with Oral-B’s power toothbrushes.
DPS
Milestone Scientific, which has specialized in pain control products, introduced the Dynamic Pressure Sensing (DPS) system, a handpiece that is held much like a pen. Dr. Mark Hochman wrote the article below, discussing some of the applications of the DPS system.
Awesome Floss
This update about a patent awarded to an inventor explained how two handles make the floss easier to grip. At press time in March 2013, the product was still being tested, but a San Francisco dentist called Awesome Floss an “upgrade” over other types of floss.
OralID
The latest entry in the oral cancer screening industry is OralID from Forward Science. Although the fluorescent technology is not all that unique, Forward Science aimed for a unit that was much lower in cost.
Orbit for Kids
Wrigley’s Orbit is a leading sugar-free chewing gum brand, already well known among dental professionals. Apparently, the kids wanted a different taste, and Wrigley released Orbit for Kids mid-year.
UltiBrush
There’s a reason why the inventors, a brother and a sister, referred to their Kickstarter project as the “Swiss Army knife” of toothbrushes. The one product contains a brush, toothpaste, floss, and a mirror.
XVI
Orascoptic combined its loupes and headlight for the wireless XVI. The rechargeable batteries were designed to last through a full day in a dental office, and Orascoptic placed the touch controls on the temple arms.
Antimicrobial Textiles
A corporate executive for PurThread Technologies introduced us to the fear of “bioburden,” which seems to be the aerosols swirling about the dental practice. The company develops fabrics for scrubs and other health-care products that participate in neutralizing infection control threats.
Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum
Rebecca Wilder, RDH, wrote an article about the most recent innovation at Philips, the Sonicare FlexCare. Wilder’s review included the assessment: “Thorough interproximal biofilm removal will still be needed with dental floss or other interdental cleaning products, but the brush greatly enhances overall biofilm removal by the patient.”
Flossolution
In late September, two flossing products by a Florida dentist were announced. The Flossolution 500 Series utilizes a sonic-powered handle to speed along the flossing process. The Flossolution Lite is an unpowered device with a similar design.
Archtek Toothpaste Tablet
Archtek entered the home care market several years ago by developing a toothbrush and toothpaste for a mobile population. The toothpaste is a tablet that turns into a paste once chewed. In this article, Maria Perno Goldie, RDH, examines the literature behind the company’s cranberry extract in the toothpaste.
Orthodontic Easy Braces Toothbrush
DentistryIQ.com frequently publishes “product alert” videos on the website. The most popular one was for Tess Oral Health’s toothbrush for orthodontic patients. An orthodontist designed the bristle to “hug” the braces.
Raspberry Pi
We knew smart TV technology would eventually find its way into dental reception areas and operatories. The Raspberry Pi from Boaz Media developed a variety of options in streaming patient education videos from a customizable playlist.
Theodent
The introduction of “chocolate” toothpaste actually precedes 2013, but recent research indicating that a cacao extract is more effective than fluoride in treating dental hypersensitivity naturally revived interest among the chocolate lovers in dentistry. Theodent didn’t experience any trouble finding interested professionals to learn more about Rennou, the company’s proprietary version of the extract.
Thieves Oral Hygiene Products
As with Theodent above, the Thieves line has been around for a while. However, the product line, which uses essential oils for therapeutic value, regained the interest of dental hygienists when Tawnya Ann Bobst, RDH, wrote the article below for RDH eVillage Focus.
DiamondClean Black Edition
Maria Perno Goldie, the editor of RDH eVillage Focus, wrote a review of the black DiamondClean after the ADA annual session in New Orleans. “The first black toothbrush in the range will take sonic tooth brushing to its most stylish and sophisticated level yet,” Goldie said.
Composite restoration preps
Dr. Gordon Christensen has posted numerous videos on DentistryIQ.com about restorative materials and techniques. In this video, he explores the question of whether Class II resin-based composite preparations should have bevels on occlusal or proximal margins.
PreviDent 5000 Booster Plus
At the Chicago Midwinter last February, Colgate introduced Prevident 5000 Booster Plus, a prescription-only home fluoride therapy toothpaste. The company said it developed the toothpaste for high-risk caries patients.
Blizzident
Don’t let patients ask how much they cost, but Blizzident attracted attention by announcing clinical trials on a toothbrush that is customized for each patient’s mouth and will clean teeth in six seconds flat. No need for a two-minute timer here.
Replicate Nonsurgical Tooth Replacement System
Natural dental implants made a splash at the International Dental Show in Cologne, Germany, last March with its alternative to traditional dental implants and three-unit dental bridges. The Replicate System anatomically mimics the tooth being replaced by an implant, prior to the surgical procedure.
iRaise Sinus Lift Implant
The director of sales and marketing for Maxillent wrote a short article about how an implant was developed by the company to alleviate the discomfort associated with sinus lifts. The Israeli company quickly expanded sales to European countries and Hong Kong.
