Q&A with Dr. Dzon – Life with DryShield

Now I’ve been practicing for 19+ years and absolutely love what I do. Of course I was using rubber dam and cotton roll isolation on my patients; it’s just a very old standard that’s been around for over 100 years. I’ve had some tough days with it but you get used to the challenges and assume that’s just part of dentistry. What made me decide to try modern isolation was when a good friend and fellow dentist strongly recommended DryShield to me. He was raving about this new isolation system that made dentistry so much easier. It simultaneously retracted the tongue and cheek, had strong suction to keep the mouth dry, a bite block for patients to rest, and could be placed in seconds. On top of all that, it was autoclavable so made sense from an economic standpoint. I volunteered myself to be the first to try it at my office. I knew right away this had the potential to make my daily work so much easier. There’s always a bit of a learning curve with any new technology, but I was off and running with DryShield literally within minutes. I was reminded by my staff how much our patients hate the rubber dam so this alternative is going to make them so happy. Did I mentioned how much a pain the rubber dam clamp is on teeth, gums, short/submerged teeth, etc.? Boy, has this changed the way I practiced dentistry.

Well, since I had a strong recommendation from a colleague, I was predisposed to DryShield. I did look around though, and the consensus seemed to be that DryShield had some innovations that were a significant advance on other systems. It’s beautifully designed and the firmer interchangeable bite block and soft flexible mouthpiece are notable improvements. But probably the most distinctive aspect to the DryShield system is the autoclavable nature of the mouthpieces. This makes the cost per use a game changer and makes modern isolation a no-brainer.

DryShield has become absolutely integral to our practice. We use it on almost every procedure – it would be painful to practice without it. There was a very brief learning period initially but now it’s like an extension of myself. We lay out a couple mouthpiece sizes before each procedure so we can get a perfect fit – the beauty of DryShield being autoclavable is that if one size doesn’t fit, you just try another and it’s no big deal. The insertion of the mouthpiece takes seconds. I usually do a quick intro for the patient before it goes in, and then we’re off! Our assistants love it because they don’t have to hover at my elbow with the suction; they can be prepping or otherwise multitasking.

That’s a hard one because I use DryShield on almost every patient. I would say my favorites are cleanings, sealants, fillings, and crown preps and seat. I think it’s hands-down the best isolation for crown preps. DryShield guards the tongue and throat, retracts the cheek, and provides continuous suction of the environment. There’s a huge reduction in prep time. The big surprise for me was using it for my extractions and implant surgeries. It is amazing how well the retraction and isolation is kept and it frees my assistant to do more things. No more throat packing for surgeries and implants now that we use the DryShield. Same goes for sealants – they’re easier to place and there’s a reduction in placement time.

Probably the number-one benefit is the greater productivity. The time savings are quite significant, typically 20-30% of the overall procedure time. That adds up over the course of the day and gives us more latitude to add a last-minute patient to our schedule. Shorter procedure times also make our patients happier as well. A second, underrated benefit is the flexibility it gives to the assistants. Our assistants are highly trained professionals and their talents are much better utilized when DryShield allows them to multitask without being stuck by my side. They can focus on getting everything set up so there are no delays. Finally, my patients are enjoying better dentistry. I’m doing better work when I can focus and not worry about cheek and tongue retraction. DryShield protects the soft tissues and keeps the tongue and cheek out of the way for me. The procedure is more comfortable for patients because their airway is protected from liquid and debris, and they have control over their own suction.

My initial reaction was, “Finally! It’s about time!” I knew right away it had to be designed by a practicing dentist who had run into the problems experienced every day by practicing dentists. Autoclavable instruments are just part of the normal workflow of dental practices. There was just no reason why you’d have to throw away the mouthpiece after each use. We don’t throw away mirrors, explorers or burrs after every use. You get your ROI on DryShield very quickly, especially when you factor in the time savings. DryShield is a beautiful solution that fits the economics and workflow of how real dentists work.

I never realized how stressful dentistry was until I got DryShield and found that life as a dentist didn’t have to be that hard. You know, dentists get used to a certain variability – you think the rough days are just part of being a dentist. But a lot of that variability goes away with good easy isolation, so I can focus on great dentistry.

With DryShield, I’m enjoying my work more! I love that it helps my office stay on schedule, patients are in and out, and the best part is my staff and I look forward to going home on time. And, of course, my family is happier, too.