April 10, 2004

By: Jeremy Bason
Website: http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com

Tooth Decay Instruments – New SmartPrep Instruments Selectively Remove Decay

SS White Burs, Inc., a leading international supplier of dental products, today announced SmartPrep Instruments, a patented, self-limiting technology for conservative cavity preparation that preserves healthy tooth structure. Made of an innovative polymer material, SmartPrep Instruments remove soft decay but stop when they hit hard, healthy dentin.

SmartPrep represents a major innovation in conservative dentistry, said George Freedman, D.D.S. For the first time, the dental industry has an instrument that differentiates between healthy dentin and decayed dentin. We’ve never had this in dentistry previously.

SmartPrep Instruments are self-limiting polymer rotary instruments that remove decay without disturbing healthy dentin. Harder than decay, but softer than healthy dentin, the SmartPrep Instruments’ tiny paddles become rounded and dull when they hit healthy dentin, making them unable to cut healthy tooth structure. As a result, very few dentin tubules are exposed, reducing the need for local anesthesia and allowing dentists to perform same-visit cavity preparations on multiple quadrants.

SmartPrep Instruments are designed to reduce post-operative sensitivity and minimize the risk of inadvertent pulp exposure, which could lead to endodontic treatment. SmartPrep Instruments are designed for adults and children and can be used to treat deep as well as shallow lesions, even during procedures requiring the replacement of existing restorations.

To use SmartPrep Instruments, dentists gain access to the decayed area using a conventional bur and, if necessary, remove an existing amalgam or composite restoration. Once the infected dentin is exposed, the dentist then uses a SmartPrep Instrument, which is inserted into an existing slow-speed hand piece. Operating at 500 to 800 RPM, the SmartPrep Instrument gently brushes away the decay and leaves the healthy dentin intact. Unlike the rotary motion of a carbide bur, which tends to lead the handpiece into the cavity, the SmartPrep Instrument is neutral, giving the dentist total control over its movement.

Dentistry is a very tactile profession and we feel things with our hands, said Howard Glazer, D.D.S. That’s when you first notice the difference using a SmartPrep instrument. With SmartPrep, you know by feel when you’re in decayed areas. It’s almost like it skids off the healthy tooth structure.

But once you grasp the decayed portion of the tooth, SmartPrep’s paddles gently brush it away. This revolutionary new instrument only removes decayed tissue and not healthy tooth structure, making it a vital component of conservative dentistry.

Author Notes:

Jeremy Bason contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com.  Everything you need to know to get a whiter, brighter smile!