Is your saliva ejector tip or suction mirror loose, or in some cases, falling out of the saliva ejector (SE) valve?  If so, here’s the simple fix for that problem.  Most SE valves have a rubber tip on the end, and over time, that rubber tip gets worn out and can no longer hold anything…

Links – eBay air polisher – Air N Go Pearl calcium carbonate powder – Wide Mouth HVE tip – Isolite mouthpiece – Kona Adapter system Video Mark Frias, RDH

I’ve been using the eBay Air Polisher (shown below) for a few years now and overall it has performed relatively well, except for one major problem.  The problem is that one of the o-rings wears out very quickly and causes water leakage.  To fix the problem you will only need to replace the o-ring with…

I work in an office where everything (handpiece connections, air/syringe, HVE valve, saliva ejector valve, space to place instruments, etc.) is at the 12 o’clock position.  The patient chair is only a patient chair.  There is nothing connected to it.  As you can imagine, this sucks for ergonomics.  I work out of 8 chairs (6…

I’ve been using the free Voice Memo app that comes with my iPhone to perio chart alone when a dental assistant is not available.  This app, or a similar voice recording app, should be available on most smart phones.  My apple earbuds (with mic) work very well even when there is a lot of noise…

You can easily convert an eBay air polisher into a nice microetcher by simply switching from the standard sodium bicarbonate powder to aluminium oxide powder.  As a dental hygienist, I use this setup to clean and etch (I acid etch too)enamel surfaces prior to placing sealants. I’ve been using 50 micron Danville aluminum oxide powder in one…

I find that the Isolite dental mouthpiece’s bite block does not fit as well around braces, which doesn’t allow the mouthpiece to sit as well.  One easy solution to this problem is to trim the outside walls of the bite block.  See photos below. End