Embracing the Peer Perspective

The results are in! Our annual Evaluators’ Choice survey reveals the go-to products and technologies that DPS evaluators rely on to provide the highest level of care to their patients.

evaluators choice awards

Every day, dentists are bombarded with new products and technologies that promise the ability to provide a higher level of patient care. Think about how often you see an ad, read an article, or listen to your sales rep talk about the latest handpiece, composite, or imaging system. But why disrupt your established workflow with a new product? Is it worth retraining the dental team? Will it live up to or break its promises?

Enter the review, a vehicle that drives nearly every decision we make—from trying out a new restaurant to buying just about anything online. In the same way you might look to a restaurant patron to comment on the quality of the food they tasted or the level of service they received, Dental Product Shopper evaluators are constantly testing all the products you’re curious about and sharing how they impact clinical procedures and outcomes.

DPS evaluator Derek M. Draft, DDS, DABFO, admits that he tends to stay loyal to a product—that is, unless another product offers a significant improvement that would make it beneficial to his workflow and patients.

“When I do consider purchasing a new material or technology, I evaluate whether it will improve my quality of dentistry, increase production, or provide cost savings. However, the impact it has on the patient experience will always supersede any other evaluating factor.”

Meeting the Criteria

Dr. Draft is among hundreds of other DPS evaluators who take part in the annual Evaluators' Choice survey—weighing in on their favorites in virtually every product category in dentistry. These evaluators understand, for example, that knowing how easy it is to clean up that new cement you’ve been curious about, or how quickly a curing light can polymerize large restorations, has a significant impact on whether or not a product makes it into your operatory.

Derek M. Draft, DDS, DABFO
"The impact that a product has on the patient experience will always supersede any other evaluating factor."
-Derek M. Draft, DDS, DABFO

Preventive

POWER SCALERS

Hu-Friedy’s PIEZON 250 has a self-contained water delivery system and features a large, ergonomic interface with fingertip control that allows users to easily toggle between 35 individual power increments.

Combining piezo ultrasonic scaling with heated subgingival irrigation, DenMat’s Pro-Select Platinum elevates scaling and root planing. The unit comes with a scaler handpiece, an irrigation handpiece, and 2 LED handpiece lights.

The dual-frequency technology in Henry Schein’s Acclean Ultra accepts 25K and 30K inserts, while a hands-free boost feature provides a temporary power surge. An autoclavable handpiece sheath detaches for easy infection control.

Dentsply Sirona’s tried-and- true Cavitron line of ultrasonic scaling systems includes the Cavitron 300 Series, a reimagined unit with digital touchscreen technology that produces less heat, requires less water, and offers quieter operation than competing systems.

PROPHY HANDPIECES

Dentsply Sirona’s Midwest RDH handpiece has a 360° cord swivel to improve maneuverability and access, and a wider back-end designed for a more comfortable fit in the hand.

SmartMode Technology is at work in Dentsply Sirona’s lightweight yet powerful Nupro Freedom Cordless Prophy System. Cup speed increases as the handpiece is pressed against the tooth and automatically decreases as it is pulled away.

Young Innovations’ Young Hygiene Handpiece is designed with a contra-angled connector and a nose cone that rotates 360˚, allowing it to follow natural movement for reduced wrist and hand fatigue.

PROPHY ANGLES

Young Innovations’ Vera line of disposable prophy angles includes the Vera Contra Petite Web. It has a 17˚ backbend for reduced wrist strain and a Petite Web Cup designed to flex and flare around tooth contours to remove biofilm.

Ultrapro Tx Prophy Angle Ultradent’s Ultrapro Tx disposable prophy angle features an ergonomic shape that helps reduce hand and arm fatigue and a quiet gear design for smooth operation. It is available in Original, Extra, Skini, and Sweep angle types.

Dentsply Sirona’s Nupro revolv line of disposable prophy angles offers ergonomically designed straight and contra angle styles in a wide range of cup options: soft, firm, pedo, tapered brush, and a unique spiral cup designed to reduce splatter and improve interproximal cleaning.

SEALANTS

GC Fuji TRIAGE 3M’s Clinpro Sealant easily flows into pits and fissures. It uses smart color-change technology that allows it to go on pink for easy visualization and cure to a natural white color.

Ultradent’s Ultraseal XT Hydro features hydrophilic properties that eliminate the need to dry the tooth before application and advanced adhesive technology that ensures secure bonding to enamel and reduced microleakage.

A glass ionomer sealant and surface protectant, GC America’s GC Fuji TRIAGE is a self-bonding material that seals and protects enamel while releasing fluoride for up to 24 months.

Restorative Equipment

CARIES DETECTION

DEXIS CariVu KaVo Imaging’s DIAGNOdent uses a laser fluorescence detector to identify fissure and proximal caries and areas of periodontitis, while healthy tooth structure exhibits little or no fluorescence.

Offering images that read like familiar x-rays, KaVo Imaging’s compact and portable DEXIS CariVu uses transillumination technology to make enamel appear transparent while porous lesions trap and absorb light.

With a few clicks, Carestream’s Logicon Caries Detector Software applies an algorithm on all eligible interproximal surfaces within a radiograph to generate a view of existing caries and track probability changes over time.

DIGITAL IMPRESSIONS

Dentsply Sirona’s latest-generation CEREC Primescan is a dynamic-depth scanner that consolidates over 50,000 images per second for faster scanning and a smooth scan flow.

trios Intraoral scanners in Align Technology’s iTero Element family feature TimeLapse Technology that compares a historical scan to a current scan—allowing patients to visualize changes in their tooth wear, tooth movement, and gingiva over time.

3Shape's TRIOS uses Artificial Intelligence technology to remove excess soft tissue from the digital impression, while an open system design allows for easy scan sharing with labs, aligner providers, milling units, and more.

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CHAIRSIDE MILLING

planmill planmill 30s Dentsply Sirona’s CEREC MC milling unit allows for creation of full-contour individual inlays, onlays, crowns, or veneers with block sizes of up to 20 mm, while the CEREC MC X expands treatment possibilities by milling and grinding bridges, abutments, and surgical guides.

A reliable and high-quality milling unit, the Planmeca PlanMill 30S is equipped with a fixed 5-station tool changer that automatically selects the proper tool for each restoration, including crowns, veneers, 6-unit bridges, and hybrid abutment crowns.

Featuring exclusive milling technology used in Glidewell’s own laboratories, the fastmill.io In-Office Mill has a small footprint that integrates easily into any workspace and a high-torque electric spindle that eliminates the need for an external air compressor.

CURING LIGHTS

bluephase g4 Available corded or cordless, Ultradent’s VALO Grand uses a custom, multiwavelength LED to produce high-intensity light. A 12-mm lens and low-profile head allow for quick and easy polymerization.

3M’s Elipar DeepCure-S LED Curing Light offers simplicity with its 2-button operation and one cure mode for all indications. Its charging base has a built-in light intensity meter and battery charge indicator.

Ivoclar's Vivadent's newest-generation Bluephase G4 uses intelligent technology to detect unwanted handpiece movement and alert users if the restoration can no longer be reliably cured.

Restorative Materials

ADHESIVES

3M's Scotchbond Universal Adhesive offers consistent bond strength to both moist and dry etched dentin and to all indirect surfaces without the need for a separate primer.

KaVo Kerr’s OptiBond product line includes OptiBond eXTRa Universal, a self-etch, 2-component universal adhesive that utilizes the patented GPDM monomer for stronger and more reliable adhesion to tooth structure and resin materials.

BISCO’s ALL-BOND UNIVERSAL offers simplicity through its single-bottle delivery. It can be used on wet, dry, or moist tooth structure and is compatible with all light-, dual-, and self-cured materials.

UNIVERSAL COMPOSITES

omnichroma 3M’s strong and versatile Filtek Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative comes in 36 shades and 4 opacities and offers excellent polish retention and wear resistance.

Featuring Tokuyama Dental’s proprietary Smart Chromatic Technology, OMNICHROMA is a one-shade universal composite that esthetically matches every patient from A1 to D4 with a single shade.

Dentsply Sirona’s SphereTEC filler technology allows TPH Spectra ST to easily adapt to cavity surfaces, while enabling faster finishing and polishing and excellent stain resistance.

BIOACTIVE MATERIALS

activa presto BISCO’s TheraCal LC is a light-cured, resin-modified calcium silicate liner with an alkaline pH that protects and insulates the pulp while releasing calcium to stimulate hydroxyapatite and secondary dentin bridge formation.

Offered in 2 shades, Ivory and Dentin, Dentsply Sirona’s Dycal is a calcium hydroxide material with a rigid set that can be used for direct or indirect pulp capping and as a protective liner.

Pulpdent’s ACTIVA product line includes ACTIVA PRESTO, a light-cured composite designed to mimic the properties of natural teeth. The stackable material features a hydrophilic resin that facilitates diffusion of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions.

CEMENTS

Strong and moisture tolerant, 3M’s RelyX Unicem self-adhesive resin cement is ideal for permanent cementation of all-ceramic, composite, or metal inlays, onlays, crowns, and bridges.

Kuraray’s flagship PANAVIA line of cements includes PANAVIA SA Cement Universal, which uses a unique coupling agent called the LCSi monomer that allows it to adhere to virtually every material without the need for a separate primer.

Ivoclar Vivadent’s self-curing and optional light-curing Ivoclar Multilink offers a strong hold when permanently cementing restorations made of silicate and oxide ceramics, such as IPS e.max.

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Digital Imaging

SENSORS

Building on its platinum predecessor, KaVo Imaging’s DEXIS Titanium sensor captures consistent, high-quality images with improved tissue contrast, while integrated SMART technology allows for motion-activated image capture.

Offering broad choices in sensor sizes and cable lengths, Dentpsly Sirona’s Schick 33 captures consistently crisp, detailed images with an industry-leading theoretical resolution of 33 lp/mm.

Carestream’s RVG 6200 intraoral sensor offers 3 anatomical image enhancement modes, a user-friendly sharpness filter with dynamic slider bar, and a newly designed reinforced cable that is 20% thinner than previous RVG sensors.

2D IMAGING

Designed to meet the extraoral imaging needs of most general dentistry practices, KaVo Imaging’s Gendex GXDP-300 combines panoramic imaging and bitewings with simple operation and a compact body design.

Dentsply Sirona’s Orthophos XG 5 uses an ASTRA software algorithm to improve the quality of 2D panoramic and ceph images by minimizing black margins around metal fillings and getting rid of excessive contrast that could lead to caries misdiagnosis.

Featuring the latest software processing algorithms, Carestream’s CS 8100 minimizes spinal column shadows and produces clear, sharp digital images that are ready to view almost immediately.

Air Techniques’ ScanX Classic uses flexible, wireless ScanX PSPs, which are 30 times thinner than wired sensors and have a 100% active surface area to capture more anatomy and deliver crisp, sharp images in seconds.

CBCT

orthophos sl3d Part of the wide-ranging Planmeca ProMax imaging family, the ProMax 3D Mid is an all-in-one CBCT unit that includes 3D imaging, 3D photo, digital 2D panoramics, and cephalometry. It offers volume sizes and resolution modes to match every clinical application.

Dentsply Sirona’s Galileos Comfort Plus has an integrated Facescanner that plots the patient’s facial surface to create a realistic illustration of treatment. A versatile 2D/3D hybrid unit, the Orthophos SL 3D features a Low Dose function that produces 3D images in the dose range of a 2D x-ray, and an HD function that yields HD images with up to 80 μm resolution.

Vatech’s PaX-i3D offers 4 multi field-of-view sizes ranging from 5x5 to 12x9 and 3 ceph image size options to reduce unnecessary x-ray dosage and scan the ideal area of cranial anatomy for better diagnosis and treatment planning.

Read The ROI of Digital Restorations for more information on the glidewell.io In-Office Solution

Why the Peer Perspective Makes a Difference

Andrew Fundo, DMD; Forest Hills, NY “In this day and age of online shopping, there is a tremendous benefit in being able to read product reviews from hundreds of people before committing to buying a product. I became a DPS evaluator because it is a great way for dentists to be able to sort through the plethora of new and innovative products and gadgets that are constantly being developed. Having the ability to read what other real-life dentists have to say about a product has an enormous benefit. For me, it’s even more beneficial than reading the manufacturers’ claims.”

Shohreh Sharif, DDS; Fairfax, VA “I became a DPS evaluator after years of reading and loving the magazine’s content. Offering insight and streamlined feedback on dental products allows me to be a direct part of the process that betters our profession. It is so important to share our experiences with colleagues, and DPS offers a platform that reaches many.”

Nathan Vassiliades, DDS; Gilbert, AZ “There are myriad new dental products being thrown at dentists with promises of fixing x, y, and z. These products are expensive, so I think that it is important to have our peers try out these products and give an unbiased opinion. With this, we can see which products will provide benefits for us as providers as well as for the patient.”

Check out the complete list of 2020 DPS Evaluators’ Choice Survey Winners!

Impression Materials—Alginates

Dentsply Sirona - Jeltrate
KaVo Kerr - Identic Alginate & Kroma Faze
GC America - COE Alginate

Impression Materials—VPS

Dentsply Sirona - Aquasil
3M - Imprint 4 VPS
Kettenbach - Panasil

Bonding

3M - Scotchbond Universal
KaVo Kerr - OptiBond
BISCO - ALL-BOND UNIVERSAL

Glass Ionomers

3M - RelyX Luting
GC America - FujiCEM 2
DOXA - Ceramir Crown & Bridge

Cements (Temporary)

KaVo Kerr - TempBond
Premier - Next Temp
Dentsply Sirona - Integrity TempGrip
3M - RelyX Temporary

Cements

3M - RelyX Unicem/Ultimate
Kuraray - PANAVIA
Ivoclar - Multilink

Bioactive Materials

Bisco - TheraCal LC
Dentsply Sirona - Dycal
Pulpdent - ACTIVA

Universal Composite

3M- Filtek Supreme Ultra Universal
Tokuyama - OMNICHROMA
Dentsply Sirona - TPH Spectra ST

Flowable Composite

3M - Filtek Supreme Ultra Flowable
Dentsply Sirona - SDR flow+
Shofu - Beautifil Flow/Beautifil Flow Plus

Bulk Fill

3M - Filtek Bulk Fill
Dentsply Sirona - Surefil SDR flow+
Kerr - SonicFill

Core Build-Up

DMG - LuxaCore
Pentron – Build-It
DenMat – Core Paste XP

Desensitizers

Kulzer – Gluma
Zest – MicroPrime G
Tokuyama – Shield Force Plus

Curing Lights

Ultradent - VALO/VALO Grand
3M - Elipar Deep Cure-S LED
Ivoclar Vivadent - Bluephase Style

Lasers

AMD Lasers - Picasso Plus/Picasso Lite Plus
Biolase - Waterlase/Waterlase Plus
DenMat - NV Microlaser

Caries Detection

KaVo Imaging - DIAGNOdent
KaVo Imaging - DEXIS CariVu
Carestream - Logicon

Isolation

Zyris - Isolite, Isodry, and Isovac
DryShield
Zirc - Mr. Thirsty One-Step

Electric Handpieces

KaVo Kerr
NSK
Dentsply Sirona Midwest

Air-Driven Handpieces

KaVo Kerr
Dentsply Sirona Midwest
DENTALEZ/Star Dental

Digital Impressions

Dentsply Sirona - Omnicam/Primescan
Align Technology - iTero Element
3Shape - TRIOS

Chairside Milling

Dentsply Sirona - CEREC MC/MX
Planmeca - PlanMill 30S/Planmill 40S
Glidewell - fastmill.io

Intraoral Cameras

DEXIS - DEXcam 4
Digital Doc - IRIS
MouthWatch Intraoral Camera

CBCT

Dentsply Sirona – Galileos
Dentsply Sirona - Orthophos
Planmeca - ProMax 3D
Vatech - PaX-i3D

Sensors

KaVo Imaging - DEXIS Platinum/Titanium
Dentsply Sirona - Schick 33
Carestream - RVG 6200

2D Imaging

KaVo Imaging/Gendex - GXDP 300/700
Dentsply Sirona - Orthophos XG
Carestream - CS 8100
Air Techniques - ScanX

Headlights

Orascoptic
Designs for Vision
Ultralight Optics

Loupes

Orascoptic
Designs for Vision
SurgiTel

Microscopes

Global Surgical
Seiler
Carl Zeiss

Practice Management Software

Henry Schein One - Dentrix
Patterson - Eaglesoft
Carestream – CS Softdent

Website Design

ProSites
Officite
The Online Practice

Patient Communication

Lighthouse 360
Solutionreach
Weave

Implants

Nobel Biocare
Straumann
Zimmer Biomet

Abutments

Straumann
Implant Direct
Nobel Biocare
Zimmer

Whitening - In-Office

Phillips Oral Healthcare - ZOOM!
Ultradent - Opalescence Boost
Evolve - KöR Whitening

Whitening – Take-Home

Ultradent - Opalescence PF
Ultradent - Opalescence Go
Phillips Oral Healthcare - NightWhite ACP/DayWhite ACP

Clear Aligners

Align Technology - Invisalign
ClearCorrect Clear Aligners
Dentsply Sirona - SureSmile

Prophy Angles

Young Dental - Vera
Ultradent - Ultrapro Tx
Dentsply Sirona - Nupro revolv/Nupro Freedom

Prophy Paste

Dentsply Sirona –- Nupro
Premier - Enamel Pro
Young Dental - D-Lish

Prophy Handpieces

Dentsply Sirona - Midwest RDH
Dentsply Sirona - Nupro Freedom
Young Dental - Young Hygiene Handpiece

Power Scalers

Dentsply Sirona – Cavitron
Hu-Friedy - Piezon
DenMat - Pro-Select Premium
Henry Schein - Acclean Ultra

Varnish (In-Office)

Premier - Enamel Pro
Colgate-Palmolive - PreviDent
3M - Vanish 5% NF

Sealants

3M - Clinpro
Ultradent - Ultraseal XT Plus/XT Hydro
GC America - GC Fuji TRIAGE

Cement resin