tips and tricks

Dry the teeth after cementing a crown to find excess cement sticking to hard tissues. These will scrape off with a carver. After setting, rub the soft tissues with a moist cotton pellet to remove cement.

Got to use an electrosurgery unit today to lower the gingival margin to expose a restorative margin, a few tips I learned: -There is a pad that must be placed under the patient's back to complete the circuit. This can be outside of their clothes -Use a plastic mirror to avoid electric shocks -The cutting setting cuts gingiva like butter, be very careful and practice your motions before you press the button down - A sweeping motion in one direction with the tip at an angle to the gingiva is best to lower the marin -Get the teeth numb. If you touch the tooth with the electrosurg the patient will feel the electric shock?

The finger technique involves the patient holding the film intraorally while it is exposed, this simplifies the process, gives the patient more control of the situation, may be more comfortable for the patient. On the other hand it is less reproducible, more chance for error as we are relying on the patient positioning the film, expose their hand to radiation and can have some infection control risks with the saliva on their hand. -Use the hand that is opposite the side of the arch you are exposing. - index finger for upper posteriors, thumb for anteriors and lower posteriors -They should be applying just enough pressure to hold it in place -Lower posteriors are difficult but you place the film first, then YOU apply downward pressure while they provide pressure against the tooth. This should be enough to hold it in place while you expose the film -A hemostat can be useful on the occlusal aspect of the film to give them a platform to press onto