The next topic was going to be selecting teeth whitening concentrations. I still plan on getting to that. But first I wanted to share the events of the past few days at the Utah Dental Association. It is always fun to see all the dentists from Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas and my friends from dental school, see what new products and services are being promoted, and finally to spend a few days away from the office in class learning about something new.

The first day I attended a lecture on cosmetic dentistry. It was well done and I was happy to have reinforced that the way I approach cosmetic dentistry  is the same way this well-respected dentist approaches cosmetic dentistry. I learned a couple of little tweaks to what I'm currently doing that I might consider on my next case. The one thing that was reinforced over and over was the importance of planning and provisionals. Most patients are anxious to get it done and over with. But he shared multiple examples where the planning was abbreviated or attention to detail on the provisionals/temporaries were skipped and the results were less than what the patient wanted. I've been working on an informational page for patients on things to consider when considering cosmetic dentistry. 

The second day I attended a lecture about dental implants. It was good, but it seemed the person teaching really just wanted to sell us a specific brand of implant and dental laser. We spent some time in the afternoon looking at some new products. One that I am particularly interested in using is called Orajel.  It is an ointment that is applied to mouth sores, like cankers, that will decrease pain and speed healing. I have many patients that get these types of sores and I look forward to having one more thing to offer them. We also spent some time upgrading some of our dental hygiene equipment to make cleaning visits even more predictable and comfortable.

 It was a good meeting. Lots of great dentists in Utah. I look forward to getting back to work on Monday to implement some of what we learned.