Incorporating DryShield into my practice has been a game changer; it has improved efficiency, work quality, and patient satisfaction.
I don’t like placing a rubber dam clamp around a tooth that isn’t anesthetized because of the risk of pinching the gingiva and I don’t feel cotton rolls and/or dry-angles provide sufficient Isolation. I also prefer to work with the tongue retracted and a bite block in place so that the patient doesn’t accidentally close at an inconvenient time. DryShield solves all of these problems because it combines a bite block with suction and isolation that makes life easier for me, my assistant, and my patients.
Before DryShield, I used to hate sealants, but now it is one of my favorite procedures. With a DryShield in place, I don’t have to worry about my patient’s tongue accidentally touching the etchant or saliva contaminating the sealant right as I’m about to light cure. Instead, my patients can comfortably watch TV with their jaw and tongue in comfortable positions while I get to work under near-ideal conditions.
When performing operative dentistry procedures with a rubber dam, I used to have to worry about the clamp getting in the way of the matrix band or sectional matrix system- that’s never a concern with DryShield . I also dislike pausing to have to suction under the rubber dam- yet another problem that DryShield solves.
I purchased DryShield for sealants and operative, but I’ve found it to be surprisingly helpful for crown and bridge. I frequently use it during crown preparations and I even keep it in for final impressions with an intraoral optical scanner. Crown preparations and digital impressions on #18 and #31 have never been easier. Because of the great isolation that DryShield provides, I don’t have to take additional precautions to prevent old amalgam restorations from popping out and falling to the back of the mouth, and my operating field is completely dry when taking impressions or when cementing indirect restorations.
DryShield is also incredibly helpful if I ever have to work without an assistant. On days where we are short staffed, DryShield allows me to maintain the same work quality and remain on schedule despite sometimes having to work solo.
DryShield is a fantastic product and I always recommend it to my colleagues when given the chance.
