Caring for Patients Like Family

Ataii's practice has five operatories, an in-house endodontist, and an in-house periodontist. Early in his career, Ataii tried various specialties; therefore, the multidisciplinary nature of the practice may stem from his own experience. "I did not know what aspect of dentistry I liked best," he says, "so I did everything from the daily ‘drill ‘n' fill' to endodontics and oral surgery. Fast-forward 25 years, and I now gravitate toward the more basic treatments, such as easy restorative or combination clear aligner cases."

Ataii focuses on providing those services at the highest level, and part of doing that is utilizing the best materials on the market. For about the past 6 years, the office's materials of choice have come from Shofu, including polishing stones, finishing burs, cosmetic restoratives, and even a digital camera, Shofu's EyeSpecial.

"I really like the therapeutic properties of Shofu's Giomer Technology restorative materials," Ataii says, "These products are clinically proven to inhibit plaque, neutralize acid, and eliminate secondary decay. Giomer restoratives are easy to use and highly esthetic, and they possess a superb level of polishability. The proven antibacterial effect and acid neutralization demonstrated by Giomer restoratives help keep the main causes of periodontal disease at bay. It is great that I can use restorative products that have a healthy impact on my patients but also provide the high quality that I expect from today's premium restorative materials."

Shofu's Beautifil^® Flow Plus X, BeautiBond^®, and Super-Snap^® polishers make Class V procedures quick and predictable, which is particularly important to Ataii. "Our office caters to patients of all ages from pediatric ones to those in our senior outreach program that helps meet the dental needs of the elderly," he says, "and Class V is an everyday procedure. I love utilizing the self-etching bonding agent. Some dentists may not know that BeautiBond has dual adhesive monomers that achieve a high bond strength to both enamel and dentin with a single coat and that its extremely low film thickness makes marginal stain lines nonexistent."

Meanwhile, Shofu's FIT SA^™ material has proven to be effective for preventive resin restorations in pediatric dentistry cases. "The benefit of the FIT SA restorative is that it has a unique bonding agent within the flowable composite that limits the need for the traditional etch and bond," Ataii says. "Once the enamel is prepared, we can directly apply and cure. Many of our pediatric patients do not have the temperament for a long dental procedure and require expedited treatment. FIT SA helps us meet the needs of that portion of my practice."

Ataii treats all of his patients like family, but in one recent case, that concept was more literal. His son broke off two-thirds of his right central incisor.

"Beautifil Flow Plus^® F00 (zero flow) with Giomer Technology can be manipulated into the preparation without running or slumping, quickly and easily filling it," Ataii says. "I finished the final restoration by using the Super-Snap polishers to contour and polish the composite. It seamlessly blended with the surrounding tooth structure and did not undergo any future staining. My son's tooth is more than 3 years old now, but it still appears as polished as it did on the initial day I restored it for him."

In addition to helping Ataii provide the highest quality treatment, Shofu's products enable him to maintain a thriving business. "The main factors in dental material selection for our office are based on reducing the likelihood of needing to redo procedures, such as from secondary decay, as well as eliminating the postoperative sensitivity for each patient treated," he says. "In my opinion, a dentist's technique is only as good as the materials that he or she uses. It is a bonus that Shofu products are also economically priced, which results in a higher ROI for my practice."

However, Ataii's priority is still to always provide the best possible care and maintain a sterling reputation within the community. "The primary impact that Shofu products have on my practice is that they help make procedures quick and easy with esthetics that my patients and I expect," he says.

Key Points

• The Beautifil resin composite products contain Shofu’s bioactive Giomer Technology, a proprietary filler particle that actively releases six therapeutic ions to inhibit plaque, neutralize acid, and eliminate secondary decay.

• With no metal hub, Super-Snap polishers feature a completely flat surface that will never harm a restoration and that provides more surface area for faster polishing.

• BeautiBond has an exclusive chemistry with unique dual adhesive monomers that deliver equal bond strength to both enamel and dentin.

• FIT SA, a self-adhesive flowable composite that has eliminated the need for technique sensitive bonding procedures, is great for pediatric patients. Indicated for use as a liner, preventive resin restorations, and Class III and V procedures.