Industry Clinical IMPLANT TRIBUNE | October 200826

Zimmer Dental launches CopiOs Pericardium MembraneZimmer Dental Inc., a leading

provider of dental oral rehabilita-tion products and a subsidiary ofZimmer Holdings, Inc., is pleasedto announce the U.S. release of theCopiOs® Pericardium Membrane.Sourced from bovine pericardialtissue, CopiOs Pericardium Mem-brane provides the characteristicsof natural tissue, coupled with theease-of-manipulation, conforma-bility and strength required tomeet high clinical expectationsand facilitate successful surgicaloutcomes.

As the latest addition to ZimmerDental’s broad range of comple-mentary regenerative membranes,the CopiOs PericardiumMembraneoffers remarkable tissue compati-bility, and is ideal for guided boneregeneration procedures such asblock graft coverage and largeridge augmentation where a mal-leable, drapeable and long-lastingbarrier is desired.

Product quality is preserved withthe unique Tutoplast® process,which thoroughly removesunwanted impurities while main-

taining the tissues’ natural quali-ties and biomechanical stability.

Customers who have been

unable to obtain the Puros® Peri-cardium Allogaft Membrane due tolimited quantity and high demand

will have access to the CopiOs Peri-cardium Membrane to meet theirclinical needs.

Both products undergo the Tuto-plast preservation process and con-sist of pericardial tissue; howeverthe Puros membrane is sourcedfrom human donor tissue while theCopiOs one is derived from bovine(i.e., cattle) tissue.

CopiOs Pericardium Membraneis designed to work seamlesslywith Zimmer Dental’s Puros familyof bone grafting products.

Under the brand nameTutodent®, more than 50,000 ofthese bovine pericardial mem-branes have been implanted inpatients in Europe and Asia since2000. Zimmer Dental is proud tocarry on this tradition with theCopiOs Pericardium Membrane.

Contact your Zimmer DentalSales Consultant or Customer Serv-ice at (800) 854-7019, (760) 929-4300 (for outside the U.S.), or visitwww.zimmerdental.com for moreinformation.

(Source: Zimmer Dental)

By Martin B. Goldstein DMD

The following e-mail is typical ofthe trials and tribulations that doc-tors and staff encounter whenattempting to add digital occlusalshots to their new patient exam pro-tocols.

“My staff and I are still havingproblems with getting decent occlusalpictures. We even bought the newerocclusal mirror with an attached han-dle and the lip lifter. We already hadmirrors, both large and small, with-out handles. It seems to be a problemwith getting a good clear picture backto the second molars, and of course,the lower is even harder than theupper. We blow air on the mirror toclear the fog. Perhaps the problem isthat the patient is not reclined back inthe chair enough, or is not openingwide enough. Should we be taking thepicture from in front of the patient, orfrom behind? We take it from thefront. Gagging is a problem all thetime. I need some advice.”

Occlusal images may indeed betough to get. Assuming your camerais properly set up, the following tipsmight help regardless of whetheryou are using auto or manual focusto take your occlusal shots. (Note:manual focus might be more pre-dictable with respect to magnifica-tion and illumination, but auto-focuswill certainly speed up the process).

It’s important to retract the cheekswhen taking occlusal shots. Wireretractors may aid the cause as mir-

rors can slide through them ratherthan bump into them as they do withthe solid plastic retractors

It helps to pull the retractors upand out when shooting the maxillaand down and out when shooting themandible. This 45 degree tug willexpose the second molars.

The patient is usually reclined toabout 30 degrees with the photogra-pher shooting from the front of thepatient. (If you are shooting withmanual focus, use 1:3 magnifica-tion.)

We often ask the patient to movehis or her tongue behind the mirrorwhen taking the occlusal shots. This

often helps to clear the field.Air is essential to defog the mirror

and a bit of indirect lighting from theoverhead light will help the camerato lock in focus.

Sounds crazy, but the wide end ofthe occlusal mirror goes in first, notthe small end. (You’d be surprised atwhat I see at my hands-on seminars.)

Attempt to get the image as closeto a perpendicular to the occlusalplane as possible; the bigger themouth, the easier it is.

If I can’t get a good occlusal shot,I’ll take quadrant shots to make upfor this using a smaller mirror

Finally, realize that mirrored shots

taken like this will need to be “mir-ror-flipped” vertically with imageediting software to properly orientthe arch prior to presentation.

I hope these tips are helpful. Prac-tice makes perfect.

‘Those troublesome occlusal shots’

Dr. Martin Goldstein, a member of theInternational Academy of Dento-FacialEsthetics, practices general dentistryin Wolcott, Conn. Noted as a DentistryToday C.E. Leader for the last fiveyears, he lectures and writes exten-sively concerning cosmetics and theintegration of digital photography intothe general practice. A regular con-tributing editor for Dentistry Today, hehas also authored numerous articlesfor multiple dental periodicals both inthe United States and abroad. He canbe contacted at martyg924@cox.net.His current speaking schedule can befound at www.drgoldsteinspeaks.com.

About the authorIT

Example of an occlusal mirror view.

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