Dental equipment

Re: Dental equipment

Rob Davis — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:45:50 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Don't get your dental disposables from a veterinary wholesaler: they rarely carry a good stock and they don't know what they are selling. (Well, to be fair, maybe Dunlops are better now they are tied up with Henry Schein. But I have a grudge against Henry Schein).[/quote]

Dunlops are pretty good now (I have no grudge against Henry Schein!). Dr Shipp's Laboratory is also good - American company so prices depend on exchage rates, but they have an excellent selection including a very nice tiny gingival flap retractor which I had been trying to replace for years.

Re: Dental equipment

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:26:11 GMT

Don't get your dental disposables from a veterinary wholesaler: they rarely carry a good stock and they don't know what they are selling. (Well, to be fair, maybe Dunlops are better now they are tied up with Henry Schein. But I have a grudge against Henry Schein).

Kent Express are a good dental supply house.

Re: Dental equipment

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:21:47 GMT

Learn one extraction technique and stick with it. I am convinced that luxation is the best, so I have a set of Svenska luxators and rarely use anything else.

On the other hand, I believe Colin Baxter has a set of Wiggs winged elevators and rarely uses anything else. So, it's what suits you.

I would suggest that you get yourself a set of Svenska luxators and learn to use them properly. Above all, sharpen them yourself and never let anybody else use them.

If you have dinky little hands like me, also look at the new chunky-handled elevators that Vet instrumentation have started selling. I have a set of these.Although they are called elevators, they are almost as thin in the blade as luxators, and the smallest size is better than the smallest Svenska.

Classic elevators are little more than slightly-modified bone gouges, much too thick: bin them.

There are on or two new makes out of shorter, stubbier-handled, good elevators which might suit you, but I still find them too thick. The winged ones might suit you, but they didn't me. The wings are supposed to stop the instrument slipping off, but I prefer now just to be careful.I have some Wiggs winged elevators which I never use: I thought they were hopeless and I couldn't get on with them at all.

Forceps: most, even so-called "small breed" forceps, are far too large. The smallest ones that Kruuse do are ideal.

You need a decent periosteal elevator for occasions when you need to do flap surgery. Ceramicolor ones are really good, either a no.9 or a Goldman Fox: have a look at both if you can.

Invest in your own kit and don't let anyone else use it. Did I mention that?

Of course you will get nowhere without a good dental unit so that you can section teeth. I think the practice will have to provide that but make sure someone has responsibility for cleaning and maintaining it.

Probably the finer paste is better to use but I'm not convinced the grade of paste is the most important thing in small animal dentistry. You can buy individual single-use pots, but more economical is to buy a big pot and use Hawes prophy rings: they are little cups that hold enough for one treatment, and you put one on a convenient finger to keep dipping into.

Re: Dental equipment

Rob Loxley — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:57:18 GMT

[quote user="SER"]Also, I'm thinking of buying my own set of dental elevators as the selection we have at work isn't great.[/quote]

If they're blunt/minor damage then sending them off to be properly sharpened would be a good start, and would help everyone.

Re: Dental equipment

Rob Davis — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:35:52 GMT

[quote user="Louise Alexander"]We have a huge selection of dental equipment which never gets used.[/quote]

In my experience many practices seem to have quite a collection of dental elevators (and occasionally luxators), but unless there is somebody with an interest in dentistry, they generally haven't been sharpened in years and are next to useless. It's not surprising that so many vets seem to dread dentistry when they're faced with using useless instruments!

Re: Dental equipment

Louise6732 — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:31:18 GMT

We have a huge selection of dental equipment which never gets used. When I'm doing a dental, all I use is a pocket probe, forceps/pliers (not sure the technical term, the things you use to pull the teeth out!) and winged stubby handled elevators.

I also use a periosteal elevator for surgical extractions (small one for cats and a larger one for dogs), get a good one and don't let others abuse it! There's nothing worse than cutting the gingival flap because the periosteal elevator is so crap.

Louise

Re: Dental equipment

Rob Davis — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:22:12 GMT

We use a fine paste called Nupro which comes in individual small plastic containers. We use Dunlops and get it through them, not sure about NVS, though I believe Kruuse sell it as well.

[quote user="SER"]Also, I'm thinking of buying my own set of dental elevators as the selection we have at work isn't great. The only problem is that there is a huge selection: short handled, smaller handled, winged, straight, modified tip! Kruuse do some sets which I have been considering. [/quote]

I'm becoming a bit of a serial collector of dental instruments of various shapes and sizes.... If you're starting a collection (though you're probably not a sad as me!) I would suggesting purchasing some decent luxators first (?Svenska). Never let anybody else use them as they are delicate and easilly abused. Sharpen them EVERY time they are used. I tend to use luxators initially in most extractions (ensure you have a good range of sizes) and sometimes switch to elvators once I have started to cut the periodontal ligament. I generally prefer winged elevators, but everybody will have their own preference. The handle should fit snugly in your palm as this will give you much better feel and control. Although I have relatively large hands I prefer the shorter handled instruments.

Don't buy cheap and do buy a decent sharpening cone and learn how to use it!