Dental Product News

Posted: 14 February 2012

Zaki Kanaan’s ‘I couldn’t do without…’

Author: Zaki Kanaan

BACD vice president Zaki Kanaan gives a run down of his top five essential pieces of equipment in his practice

1. Zoom & NiteWhite

Why Zoom? The answer is simple, because it works and patients come in asking for it by name. I always carry out combination whitening and give the home kit directly after the Zoom procedure for top up and maintenance. Simples!

2. Leica Dental Microscope M320 F12

Vision is everything in dentistry. A common myth is that a dental microscope is only for endodontics! It is not. Although my main field is implants, I use the Leica to carry out all aspects of dentistry, allowing me to practise to the highest levels of precision. The latest in dual LED technology gives shadow free, bright illumination with no fan, sound or heat and 60,000 hours of light. Expensive, but worth it!

3. NV Microlaser

The soft tissue laser has come of age; no more cumbersome wires or stripping of fibre tips. I use it for a multitude of tasks including troughing around crown preps, implant recovery gingivectomy, crown lengthening, ulcer treatment, frenectomy, operculectomy and scar revision amongst others. A blood-free environment not only simplifies treatment, but also improves healing and postoperative discomfort. Being cordless with 18 presets makes this my number one choice for soft tissue lasers.

4. Schick Intraoral Camera

Photo documentation is essential in modern practice. The first question I always used to ask when starting a new associate job was whether they had an intraoral camera that I could use. If they didn't, I wouldn't take the job! The Schick is the simplest and most affordable intraoral USB plug-in camera available. Reliability is superb, never malfunctioning once in over 10 years at a previous practice. I always give the patient a 'tour' of their mouth during a consultation and document treatment before, during and after - patients love it!

5. NobelActive Implant

I have used many implants, but this one has all the characteristics that I want: platform shifting, internal connection and double spiral thread design giving exceptional primary stability and immediate restoration, as well as the TiUnite surface for enhanced osseointegration. Patients are also pleased knowing that this is a market-leading worldwide brand.