Now that you have fabricated the platform, the next step is to capture the record with the patient. You will need a heat source and a blue Delar wax Pencil.

The first step is to heat the sides of the Master Wax Platform so they are tempered. Take the wax to the patient’s mouth and place it over the maxillary teeth. The anterior edge of the wax should be at the embrasure between the canine and the lateral. Bend the corners over the canines to help with retention. Press the wax against the teeth and ask the patient to close gently into the wax. Cool the wax with your air water syringe, have the patient open, and continue to cool the platform before removing from the mouth.

Using blue delar wax created a small bead where the lower canines have left an impression. Reseat the platform over the maxillary teeth and using bimanual guidance bring the lower canine cusp tips up until they just touch the blue wax. Have your assistant cool the wax with air. After removing the platform from the mouth add Delar wax where the second molars have left a cusp imprint. Then return the platform to the mouth and using bimanual guidance arc the patient into the wax so the lower molar cusp touches, then cool with air.

Your record should now be dropped into cool water. A disposable plastic container from the grocery works great. Write the patients name on it with sharpie marker and add it to their lab pan.

Analyzing a patient’s occlusion is key to providing optimal care. There are multiple ways to take a centric relation bite record, but one of the classics at Pankey has to be utilizing master wax. Easily mounting models in the laboratory is one of the main advantages of this method.

Although a slightly more challenging technique from a chairside perspective, it can still be accomplished with ease. Here is where to start:

Intro to the Master Wax Centric Relation Bite Record

Begin by gathering your necessary tools and materials. Start with a red master wax that looks just like baseplate wax from a standpoint of the size of the wax sheets, although it is different because it’s both softer and tackier. You will also need a blue wax pencil, scissors to cut the wax, a heat source such as an alcohol torch, and a way to light the heat source.

Take a single sheet of wax and temper it in the middle with the intention of being able to bend it in half. Once it is thoroughly tempered, bend it in half without cracking or breaking the wax. Make sure the bend is fairly crisp. After the wax has cooled a little bit, open it back up and cut it in half. Out of every sheet of wax, you should be able to generate two platforms for wax records.

Once again temper the wax halfway in the middle with the heat source. Tempering refers to heating to flexibility but not dripping. Again, fold the wax in half so you have a double thickness sheet. Then, cut the wax into the shape of the platform …

Look for the second part in this series about our master wax technique coming soon. And did you get a chance to read this Pankey Gram blog on enjoying Miami while you visit Pankey? Let us know what you think!

There is always room for improvement in the dental practice, but it can be challenging to know where to start. One of the best places to change things up is with CE on topics you may have never learned before. Another option is to delve into new adjunctive services or work toward providing more comprehensive care.

Adding and Marketing Adjunctive Treatments

For example, how strong is your whitening protocol or treatment options? Bleaching is incredibly popular, but just because you offer it doesn’t mean patients know or understand what is available to them. It’s a good idea to find creative ways of adding or marketing at-home tray bleaching alongside other more complex or involved services.

Another adjunctive treatment that can be a great boost in the practice is Invisalign. It’s a fabulous way to improve the outcome of many comprehensive treatment plans by optimizing tooth position. It also has some serious brand name cachet.

Invisalign can make your treatment plans more conservative because it can lead to requiring less restorative work. Additionally, patients who wouldn’t be willing to try traditional orthodontia will likely be far more interested in the clear Invisalign trays. Invisalign can be a new stream of revenue for the practice. That along with bleaching will noticeably increase profitability.

All in all, adding more services will keep things lively, introduce you to more interesting concepts, and inject some energy into the practice. Patients who trust and appreciate you will be excited to take advantage of previously unavailable treatments. These services will also help attract new patients to the practice or draw the attention of a unique demographic. There are plenty of options to explore!

Curious what makes dental care a valued investment? Check out this Pankey Gram blog we’re loving from Dr. Will Kelly here. And let us know what adjunctive services you offer in your practice …

The small Florida town of Key Biscayne is home to the Pankey Institute and multiple other interesting businesses. It’s a unique vacation spot, with beautiful beaches and a special community. How much do you know about its fascinating history?

Key Biscayne History for Pankey Buffs

As a barrier island, Key Biscayne is little known to most people who aren’t from the Miami area. Before America was ‘discovered’ and colonized, the Key was home to the Tequesta Indians.

Once Spain got to exploring this side of the planet, Key Biscayne was quickly handed off into the possession of the King of Spain. Much later, Florida became part of the United States and the island was sold for a couple hundred dollars combined to a family and the U.S. government.

The first town on Key Biscayne wasn’t introduced until 1839. Growth was slow at first due to the prevalence of pirates. Over time, a coconut plantation was built, which attracted more people to join the community.

Everything began to change as land was partially donated to the public, shopping centers and schools were built. Divided from the mainland, this island paradise began to gain its name and mansions quickly dotted the scenery. The Village of Key Biscayne was officially incorporated at the start of the 90s.

Since 1991, Key Biscayne has blossomed into a true community and resort spot. It retains a more laid-back spirit due to the distance from the mainland. The population hovers at around 12,000 people, with seven shopping centers and a diverse population. Not to mention some of the best food in Miami at large!

You can learn more about the history of Key Biscayne here and interesting facts about the Village here. It is a wonderful place we are proud to call Pankey’s home.

Do you know any cool facts about the Key’s history? 

Dentists can feel like they have to do everything and decide everything in the dental practice. After all those years of training, hard work, and practice, it’s no surprise we take the lead.

But even only five years into practicing, doing everything and always being the expert can get pretty exhausting. You may want to provide exceptional care, but you can’t be everywhere at once. That’s when it’s time to start taking on more of a mentorship role with your team members.

Leaning On Your Hygienists and Assistants

If you’ve developed a positive, collaborative practice culture, you’ll likely be surprised by how many of the people you employ jump at the opportunity to learn more and embrace more responsibilities. Some might seem hesitant, but likely this stems not from disinterest but from not wanting to disappoint or threaten their position by messing up.

You actually can’t and shouldn’t do it all. First and foremost, rely on your team to fill in some of the gaps of kindness/emotion/consideration that you may not be able to fill as easily if your schedule is packed. Even if you can’t hear about the patient’s life story, someone on the team should be making an effort to get to know them more personally.

Hygienists and assistants can be trained for many specialties you might not even be aware they are allowed to perform. They can handle impressions, facebows, photographs, sealants, whitening, and oral hygiene instructions and make lucia jigs, quicksplints, and provisionals.

That’s no small amount of tasks. Think of all the time you could save by entrusting more to team members who may already feel complacent in their work. You’ll end up fostering a more engaged working environment.

How do you lean on your dental assistants and hygienists? We’d love to know your tips and tricks!

Key Biscayne has more to it than meets the eye. Though it’s a small place, it also manages to be a prime vacation destination. Along those lines, one of our favorite spots of all on the Key is the Ritz-Carlton.

The Ritz is classy while still being both laid back and accessible. Here’s why you should either stay at or visit this beachside resort:

We Love the Key Biscayne Ritz-Carlton

The Key Biscayne Ritz has three fabulous restaurants to satisfy many different cravings. You can have a quick and easy meal by the water at Dune Burgers on the beach. If you want a more upscale lunch or dinner, head to Cantina Beach for Mexican fare such as tacos and enchiladas. You can then watch the sun set over the beach.

The fanciest of the Ritz’s restaurants has to be Lightkeepers. This swanky oceanfront restaurant offers a pleasing mix of seafood, cheese, and beef. They also have a rum bar and poolside ice cream parlor for a simpler option.

The lobby bar in particular is a Pankey favorite. They have live music and a longtime bartender Geno who has worked there for multiple decades. We sometimes think he knows more Pankey philosophy than almost anyone else on the Key. He also makes the best piña colada in the area.

Between meals and time spent on the beach, head to the Ritz’s 25,000-square-foot spa or their phenomenal fitness center. They provide many luxury experiences designed to make the world fall away completely. You’ll be completely refreshed either before, after, or during a Pankey course.

The Key Biscayne Ritz-Carlton will be the site of the 2019 Pankey annual meeting, so there’s a significant chance you’ll have sand in your toes and a margarita or daiquiri in your hand before long.

Do you have a favorite place to stay while you’re at Pankey? 

QuickSplint has many functions in general practice, but it is also a great resource overall in both diagnostics and restorative dentistry. It’s ideal for patients who grind, those with endodontic issues, and anyone needing a restoration.

QuickSplint to Improve the Patient Experience

Many dentists see patients who have wear on their teeth but don’t think they grind at all. They might have said that they used to grind their teeth, but they believe they don’t anymore. You can use the QuickSplint as a learning experience where the patient is able to recognize the cause of the attrition.

It’s nice to rely on this quick, easy, and inexpensive device. Go ahead and have the patient sleep in it for a little while. The QuickSplint will then reveal whether or not they are clenching and grinding. After the proof is clearly demonstrated, you can have an impactful conversation with your patient.

Another option for QuickSplint use is as a means for handling parafunction and restorative materials selection. Today, we talk a lot about posterior materials when we are doing crowns on first or second molars. Are we going to use high strength ceramics or traditional PFM restorations? Instead of guessing about the patient’s parafunctional risk and how much load they will place on the restoration, you can easily get that information with a QuickSplint.

Additionally, you can use the QuickSplint as a post-op device after an endodontic procedure. You can reduce a patient’s discomfort significantly in less than three minutes and also help the tooth heal without occlusal pressure. You then won’t have to take the entire occlusal table off the problem tooth. This can even work during pre-op for a patient whose tooth appears to need endodontic treatment.

In our Essentials One course at Pankey we use the Quicksplint as an overnight deprogrammer to allow us to capture very accurate diagnostic records.

Do you use QuickSplint in your dental practice? Tell us your best tips for using this handy little tool!

We don’t always want to take an Uber across the Rickenbacker Causeway into Miami for a day out. If you’re visiting Key Biscayne before or after a Pankey CE course, why not explore more of the island and get to know this beautiful vacation destination?

You can walk the entire length of the Key – from Calusa Park to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park – in under an hour if you’re particularly industrious. It’s a fascinating, self-contained place that manages to distinguish itself from the intensity of Miami. It’s also a lush location for beach lounging, ocean wildlife sightseeing, unique food, golfing, and relaxation.

So what’s the best way to see Key Biscayne? By foot can be a bit too exhausting, so why not try a bike …

Exploring the Key by Bike

Key Biscayne is officially a ‘bike friendly’ community. Because it’s such a small area, cars are less of a disturbance. You can now pick up a bike all over the Key for a refreshing ride about town. Just download the Lime bike share app on either Google Play or the App Store and get to pedaling.

Lime bikes are much more convenient than most public bike systems since they have no official docking station you have to show up at. Use the app to search for a bike nearby and you’re good to go.

After multiple days of learning at the Pankey Institute, a bike ride outside is just what most us need to digest it all. Cover some serious distance and stop at our favorite food spots along your path. Wind through neighborhoods with buildings old and new, extravagant mansions and humble family homes. Catch a glimpse of the bay and inhale a whiff of salt air.

When you’re ready for a rest, you can park your bike wherever you want to end up.

What’s your favorite way to sightsee? 

Miami is an energetic, enormous city that is easy to travel to and from. The minute you touch down at one of the two closest airports, you’ll experience the distinctly Florida vibes featuring international influences and diverse people. Plus, a decent helping of ocean breezes!

Both Miami International and Ft. Lauderdale airport are good options depending on your preferences for travel and distance to the Key. They offer different experiences for those suited to bustle and others who prefer a slower, more relaxed atmosphere. Here’s our perspective on the best ways to visit the Pankey Institute with the least stress and most ease:

Airport Travel to the Pankey Institute

MIA

Miami International airport is an American Airlines hub, which makes it a great choice for those who rack up the AA miles. Otherwise, you should know it’s the fastest way to get to the Key. MIA is a 25 minute drive from Key Biscayne. You’ll be driving over the Rickenbacker Causeway seeing the Miami skyline and blue Biscayne Bay before you know it.

They have Uber, Lyft, taxis, and private car services readily available. It’s a big, busy airport, with a lot of international travel. Allow extra time for security and getting to and from your gate on the way out.

Bonus Tip: Baggage commonly has delays or long wait times at MIA. If you can travel with only your carry-on, you’ll save a lot of hassle.

FLL

Ft. Lauderdale is a Southwest airlines hub. It’s also a smaller airport with a slower pace. Security will be faster and it’s a much better option if you plan to check bags. Car services, Uber, and Lyft are available, as well as Super Shuttle. The downside is it’s an hour drive from Key Biscayne. Traffic can be a pain depending on the time of day.

We always recommend you arrive at least the night before your course in case there are any travel hiccups and to connect with faculty and other participants as we always plan some social time. It will also make traveling less hectic and give you a little more time to appreciate your drive through the bright lights and activity of Miami. If you can avoid rush hour, even better!

Like with any big purchase or expensive commitment, it’s not surprising patients would want to try on a new smile before going all in. You wouldn’t expect someone to purchase a sports car without first riding it around the dealership, would you?

Think of your cosmetic treatment as a high-end experience and your patients will too. Even the most hesitant spenders will be much more interested in moving forward if they’ve gotten a taste of how beautiful their smile really can be. This is where the ‘trial smile’ comes in.

Cosmetic Case Acceptance: Let Patients Try Their Smile

There’s no need to feel daunted by the process of creating a trial smile. Patients want to find a dentist who will offer them the kind of care they feel they deserve and who are willing to give them exactly what they want. You’d be surprised how hard it can be to find someone who will listen to a patient’s expectations instead of delivering what they personally feel is best.

With esthetics, the patient should have the primary say. Invite your patients who have given indications of wanting cosmetic treatments to communicate their preferences in a very tangible manner. All you have to do is first conduct a co-discovery appointment complete with high-quality digital images and an occlusal exam as well. Then, temporarily put composite on their unprepared teeth.

With this strong foundation already in place, your patient can see the potential outcome of smile design. When you pitch a trial smile to them, you can even call it a ‘demo.’ If the patient loves what they see, it’s no problem to move on to a diagnostic wax-up using a model of their demo smile.

What case acceptance techniques do you find most effective? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Photo courtesy of Matt Roberts CDT, CMR Laboratory.

The Aesthetics Course taught by Matt Roberts, CDT, Dr. Frankie Shull, Dr. Susan Hollar, Dr. JA Reynolds and Mr. Michael Roberts is just the place to learn to use digital technology to help patients want an aesthetic makeover.