Meeting review: 2019 Greater New York Dental Meeting

Robert Selleck (DTA)

Thu. 5 December 2019

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NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Whether exhibitors were at the Greater New York Dental Meeting for their first year or their 95th, the missions were the same: Grab some attention in the packed exhibit-hall aisles with a great looking booth, fun or practical giveaways, can’t-miss deals, innovative products and services — or by deploying all of the above.

The strategy held as true as ever for the 95th edition of the meeting, with examples around every corner of the expansive exhibit hall.

Dentagrafix was at its first GNYDM with a proprietary product available nowhere else: a thermoformable plastic material with integrated graphics that can be used by dental practices or labs to make retainers, mouthguards and aligners that are custom decorated for individual patients. Choices in graphics include soccer balls, footballs, baseballs, basketballs, skulls, unicorns, paw prints, peace signs and more.

Another unique product in the exhibit hall was Ansell’s ERGOFORM Design Technology, MICROFLEX Ultraform, the first ergonomic examination glove to be offered in half sizes. According to the company, the gloves provide every wearer with a personalized fit; and the thin, lightweight nitrile material provides protection and tactile sensitivity. The company was handing out half-size samples so attendees could test out the tailored fit.

Attendees on the hunt for major discounts had to look no further than RGP’s booth, where the company was offering eye-catching percentage discounts, a free standard “ultraleather” upgrade and a rebate offer on every chair purchased at the meeting. Plus, every purchase includes a 30-day trial period and a lifetime warranty on mechanical components.

Dentists scoping out the various raffles that highlight many of the booths were able to enter a drawing for a Wand STA instrument from Milestone.

Time to buy

With its proximity to the close of the tax year for many attendees, the GNYDM has long been known for its “good-time-to-buy” schedule on the calendar. But with its size and four days of exhibits, the meeting also is frequently used as an effective launching pad for new products, services and other innovative advancements.

New or improved offerings could be found throughout the 2019 exhibit hall.

In the COLTENE booth, attendees could find the new UC150 Ultrasonic Cleaner from COLTENE. The Swiss-designed unit can accommodate a wide variety beakers, baskets as well as three medium-size instrument cassettes,

Biolase was displaying the industry’s first laser designed for dental hygiene procedures. The Epic Hygiene Diode laser is expected to receive FDA clearance by early 2020, if not sooner. Attendees giving the device a test drive in New York received a free scarf. And those who bought a unit received a hotels.com gift card and an Away carry-on luggage piece.

Septodont was in the exhibit hall with its Dentapen, a new generation of powered injectors. The device, which fits in the palm of your hand, has no cords, no console, nor any long tubing. According to the company, it’s actually smaller and lighter than many traditional syringes, and it enables dentists to deliver slow, consistent injections that reduce patient discomfort and pain.

Designs for Vision was at the meeting with its IR Series HDi headlights that feature touch-free operation to eliminate cross contamination. They’re available in ‘WireLess’ and corded designs.

Other new products included the Trios 4 Move + intraoral scanner from 3Shape; the first laser curing light for the everyday dentist, the Monet, from AMD Lasers; and the Microflex Soft White Nitrile TQ-601 exam glove with patented ‘Hydrosoft’ skin moisturizing technology, from Ansell).

Educational offerings

Workshops and courses in the classrooms bracketing the GNYDM exhibit hall were busy throughout meeting, and the demonstrations in the Live Dentistry arena on the exhibit floor saw the usual standing-room only crowds.

The exhibits area complemented the meeting’s comprehensive selection of educational sessions that cover virtually every sector of dentistry and oral health.

The live-dentistry sessions in the exhibit hall on Monday were: “Blending New Technology for Predictable Dentistry,” sponsored by Shofu and featuring Ron Kaminer, DDS, explaining how he uses the Shofu EyeSpecial digital camera and digital scans to boost patient acceptance and predictable outcomes.  Next was “Guided Veneer Delivery System” with Frederick Solomon, DMD,  and closing the day was “The Light Dentistry Concept — Invisalign Go and DSD Direct.”

Two more live demonstrations were scheduled for Tuesday: Sunil Thanik, DMD, demonstrated the LANAP protocol (for teeth) and LAPIP (for implants). At 2 p.m., it was Justin Chi, DDS, with “Modern Materials in a Digital Era.”

The Wednesday live-dentistry schedule included “Executing Accurate Aesthetic Dentistry” with Michael Apa, DDS, and “Guided Implant Surgery” with Aeklavya Panjali, DDS.

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