Product Watch

Technology evangelisT

Beyond the
big brands
It doesn’t take a massive company to produce a quality
dental product, and I’ve found Vector research &
development to be a small firm producing big things.
by D r . John Fluck e

AbOUT ThE AUThOR
John Flucke, DDS, is
Technology Editor for Dental
Products
Report and
dentistry’s
“Technology
Evangelist.”
He practices in
Lee’s Summit,
Mo., and has
followed his passions for both
dentistry and technology to
become a respected speaker
and clinical tester of the
latest in dental technology,
with a focus on things that
provide better care and better
experiences for patients. He
blogs about technology and
life at blog.denticle.com.
As doctors we are responsible
for a myriad of things. our professional
lives are frequently divided between pro-
viding the best care possible, continuing
education, staff management, facilities
management, payroll, and don’t forget
managing our practices as a business.
That last one has become a bit more
stressful lately, don’t you think? since
the downturn in the economy, many
people i’ve spoken with have seen down-
turns in their practices. Many offices
are experiencing lower production, and
some are seeing holes in the schedule
when that just wasn’t happening a few
years back.
Needs despite economy
of course, life being what it is, there
will be times when a piece of equipment
needs replacing and yet your budget is
telling you that this just isn’t the time.
Then there’s also the point of expanding
your menu of services. By offering your
patients more services in-house such as
endodontic treatment or implant place-
ment, you can help keep your practice
busy in times when your schedule could
use some help.
The problem is how do you do this
and stay within your budget? as we all
know, replacing or adding equipment to
your armamentarium comes with a cost.
how can you provide your best services
while keeping equipment costs in line?
The answer to this question could
very well be to look at equipment with
lower costs. We all know that name
brands come with some added expense.
however, i’ve been using some equip-
ment from a company who prides them-
selves on high quality products while
working on keeping costs in line. i’ve been using three pieces of their
equipment for a while now. They are the
Lower cost options lil’ Beaver Ultrasonic scaler, the leD
one of these companies is vector Research Turbo curing light, and the MD Tech-
& Development (vectorusa.net). nologies implant Motor system.
vector Research & Development
was founded in 2001 by Brent Bigler. The scaler
he had been in the dental industry for The lil’ Beaver Ultrasonic scaler has
awhile as his dad owns a dental supply proven itself to be a solid performer in
company. in 2001 Brent saw an oppor- our hygiene department. The device
tunity to provide equipment with quality accepts both 25K (long) and 30K (short)
and still maintain prices lower than you inserts and automatically adjusts to any
would expect. style, brand or frequency.
The company offers many pieces of it can be mounted either horizon-
equipment including: highspeed hand- tally or vertically, has front-mounted
pieces, lowspeed handpieces, replace- controls, and has a durable aluminum
ment turbines, handpiece couplers, housing. however, the one feature that
magnetostrictive scalers, ultrasonic my hygiene department really likes is the
inserts, implant motors and curing lights. two-position foot pedal. a light press of

LiL’ BeAver 2.0

MAgNeTosTricTive scALiNg UNiT
Designed for hard working durability, this scaling unit is packed with clever features
such as 25K/30K auto-frequency adjustment that allows use of all 25K and/or 30K
“Cavitron™” type inserts; and a two-position “Turbo Boost” foot pedal that allows users
to press lightly to begin scaling and then press more firmly for higher power scaling
without adjusting the power dial. The outer housing of the handpiece is removable and
can be sterilized. With a front-mounted power switch, the unit lays flat or mounts verti-
cally in the provided vertical mounting stand.

54 DENTALPRODUCTSREPORT.COM | November 2011

 Product Watch
Technology evangelisT

MD TechNoLogies
iMpLANT/sUrgicAL MoTor sysTeM
Compatible with all brands and all types of implants, this motor system is oper-
ated via a full-function, variable speed foot pedal. The 50,000 rpm high-torque
handpiece features a 32:1 push button contra angle. The control box can save
settings for angle reduction, speed, torque, rotating direction and irrigation pump
flow for up to 10 memory settings. The easy-to-use and install on-board irrigation
pump for sterile water or saline provides consistent and predictable on demand
water flow.

LeD TUrBo cUriNg LighT

With more than 2,100 mW/cm2 of curing power, this powerful curing light is an economical
option that can cure up to 3 mm in 3 seconds. The LED Turbo emits blue light primarily in
the 440 to 490 nm range, which will polymerize all camphor quinine (CPQ) type materials.
With its compact size, light weight and ergonomic pistol-grip design as well as large raised
switches and buttons, the light is easy to operate and comfortable to hold, even when wear-
ing gloves. The charging base quickly recharges the light gun and provides up to 1 hour of
curing time on a full charge.

the pedal provides normal power that is fine for most
clinical situations. When more power is needed, push-
ing the pedal firmly results in “turbo” power boost.
This is a nice feature when a hygienist is faced with
areas of tenacious buildup.
The curing light
The vector leD Turbo curing light is a small “gun
style” curing light that features an output of 2,100 mW/
cm2, which is quite powerful. The device has a built-in
battery that is designed for a rapid charge.
This means that in one hour on the included charg-
ing stand, the device will receive a 90% battery charge.
The battery also has a long lasting charge that allows
for a fully charged battery to deliver 1,200 three-second
cures before recharging is needed.
The implant motor
last, but certainly not least, is the MD Technologies
MT-32seT implant motor and handpiece system.
This is an entire implant delivery system in one box.
The electric torque controlled motor is variable up
to 50,000 rpm and comes with a 32:1 push button
contra angle.
The device also comes with a built-in irrigating sys-
tem so sterile coolant can be used during implant proce-
dures. The system uses a pump that can be varied from
0 to 75 ml/minute.
The controller box is variable manually, but also
comes with 10 memory functions that can be preset
for the procedures or implants you do routinely. and
by programmable, i mean you can set the irrigation
amount, bur direction, speed, torque and angle reduc-
tion. These programs can be cycled through on the
controller box or the foot control.
speaking of the foot control, it’s variable speed con-
troller, meaning that the more pressure you apply, the
faster it goes. it also has buttons across the top that allow
for cycling through the programs, control of rotation
and water control.
so if tough economic times are afiecting your practice
in ways that require you to cut costs, i feel you can do so
without sacrificing quality. it may take a little investiga-
tion, but there are ways—and companies—to help you.
in my time with the vector products mentioned here
i’ve found them to perform well.

November 2011 | DENTALPRODUCTSREPORT.COM 55

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