Learning About and Applying the Latest Materials

Desai started working as a dental assistant at the age of 15, and when she enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California, she spent time almost every week at the dental school, where a counselor suggested that she pursue a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene. "He said that I could use it as a stepping-stone to gain experience prior to dental school, and that was probably the best advice I have ever received," she says. "All throughout dental school, I continued to work every Saturday as a hygienist, so I maintained my skills and chairside manner."

After dental school, Desai worked as an associate at private practices, and she completed as many continuing education courses as possible. "I never wanted to lose my mindset regarding lifelong learning or my ability to adapt to the changing nature of dentistry," she says. Ultimately, however, she became frustrated by the limitations of not owning her own practice. "I would come in on a Monday morning excited to apply what I had learned in continuing education courses, but I was not always able to do that," she says.

Eventually, Desai opened her own practice, Luminous Smiles of Newport Beach, in Newport Beach, California, from scratch. "I had a vision of what this practice should be—down to the logo—and how we would treat our patients," she says. "I wanted it to be an esthetic/cosmetic practice without the typical stuffy environment. Our patients would feel at home, we would treat them like family, and we would exceed whatever their expectations were." As Luminous Smiles' 5-year anniversary approaches, Desai is thrilled about what she has achieved. "I cannot believe that we have accomplished so much," she says. "I am surrounded by team members who are just beyond genuine. I feel extraordinarily lucky to be around people who trust me, believe in me, and push me to another level."

Practice ownership has also afforded Desai the opportunity to continue feeding her thirst for knowledge and to use that acquired knowledge to continuously reinvent her workflows and processes. In January, she became accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). "AACD accreditation really tests your eyes, your journey, and your passion and drive to achieve excellence in cosmetic dentistry," she says. "Performing at the highest level with mentors and colleagues whom you respect so much is an unbelievable experience." Desai is also a member of a mastermind group that meets once per year for presentations and stays in contact constantly. "We all try to stay focused in terms of our goal of becoming the best clinicians that we can be," she says. "Finding people with that mindset is not easy, but being around like-minded individuals is very contagious."

It was at a mastermind group meeting that Desai was introduced to Evanesce^™ Nano-Enhanced Universal Restorative from Clinician's Choice^®. Truly universal for both anterior and posterior composite restorations, Evanesce features ideal, slump-free handling and beautiful shade matching to the VITA shade guide. "I was in love from the beginning," she says. "It has the perfect texture and feeling, and the shades are magnificent. I love doing composites. Because I treat patients of all ages, matching the wide range of dentin and enamel shades can be difficult with some systems. I found it hard to believe how easy it was with Evanesce, and the way that it polished was beautiful. It took my breath away."

Although Evanesce is slump-free, the material is also not too stiff, which Desai says is important. "When composites are too stiff, placing them can feel like a wrestling match between your instrument and the tooth," she says. "You do not have this issue when you are forming the Evanesce composite onto the lingual matrix and then layering it thereafter. It stays where it is supposed to stay and does not stick to your instrument, so you avoid any mess. That is important to me because the more you start to wrestle with a composite, the more air bubbles you create, which can produce flaws in the end result. With Evanesce, we are minimizing the air bubbles, the texture looks phenomenal, and it is really easy to polish, especially with Clinician's Choice's A.S.A.P.^® All Surface Access Polishers."

Desai utilizes a resin wetting agent for every composite bonding case that she does, and she says that ResinBlend LV Composite Blending Resin from Clinician's Choice complements the Evanesce system well. "It provides a nice way to fully smooth out the composite, even though Evanesce does not need much," she says. "It just smooths out really nicely and finishes wonderfully."

Of course, these products are also backed by top-notch support from Clinician's Choice. "The company is beyond phenomenal," Desai says. "They are so prompt and on point every time. They are super structured, very organized, very professional, and very kind people." Products like these are a big part of the reason why Desai enjoys learning about new materials and technologies so much, and why she opened her own practice to be able to apply them. "Today's materials offer a way for us to adapt, change, and learn with the end goal of delivering better patient care," she says.

Key Points

• Evanesce is a simple, strong, and beautiful nanohybrid composite with excellent putty-like handling.

• Provides an excellent shade match, polishing fast to a high shine and blending beautifully with natural dentition.

• Available in 22 VITA shades, 3 bleaching shades, and 3 opacities.

• Use, optionally, with ResinBlend LV, a HEMA-free unfilled wetting resin, for advanced adaptation of any composite.

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