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The future of the dental industry
IMS: Uniquely suited to help with
compliance, safety and efficiency
A tradition of collaboration
A man, a vision: the Gracey evolution
How to classify a periodontal biotype
EuroPerio 2015 Edition
Hu-Friedy, a longstanding
partner of the periodontal
community
For more than one hundred years,
Hu-Friedy has led the dental
industry through technological
innovation and peerless quality.
This approach has made us the
obvious and long standing partner
of the Periodontal community.
From the first collaboration with
Dr. Clayton Gracey in the 1940’s,
times have changed, but Hu-Friedy
has continued to re-think and to
reinnovate each of its periodontal
products.
From diagnostic to long-term
treatments, we are constantly
collaborating with research centers,
universities and international key
opinion leaders. By understanding
the emerging needs of clinicians,
Hu-Friedy provides products of the
highest possible quality, supporting
them to perform at their best.
We’re particularly focused on the
practitioner’s perspective, to help
them operate most efficiently and
offer the best treatments for their
patients.
Hu-Friedy is always present and
pleased to participate in the most
important international congresses,
like Europerio, that has become, in
the last 25 years, a world centre
for knowledge, regarding the
science and clinical practice of
periodontology. We are committed
to helping the best perform,
through craftsmanship, dedication
of our customer care and a passion
for supporting the global dental
community.
Cover page:
Dr. Stavros Pelekanos during a
training. He carefully selected
specially designed instruments to
create his Hu-Friedy surgical kit.
HOW TO CONTACT HU-FRIEDY:
European Customer
Care Department
Tel. (Free Call): 00800 48 37 43 39
Fax (Free Fax): 00800 48 37 43 40
info@hufriedy.eu
Hear about the future of the dental
industry and what‘s next for Hu-Friedy
Recently, Hu-Friedy´s Chief Marketing Officer, Patrick Bernardi,
was interviewed by dental industry blogger, Michael Dunn, for
his „5 Questions with...“ series.
N
early four years ago I wrote one
of my first dental industry articles
on this site about Hu-Friedy’s Nevi
campaign. Since then, I’ve been a big
fan of the company, their marketing,
and the ways they support the industry
and dental education. Fast forward
to February 2015 when I had the
opportunity to tour their factory during
the annual pilgrimage to Chicago for the
Mid-Winter Meeting and see firsthand
some of their craftsmanship and
innovation. If you are ever in Chicago, I
highly recommend taking the tour if you
can. And now, I am very excited to share
some insights from Patrick Bernardi,
Chief Marketing Officer at Hu-Friedy, in
the latest edition of 5 Questions With…
Michael Dunn: Everyone in dental knows
the name Hu-Friedy. But where does the
name come from?
Patrick Bernardi:
The Hu-Friedy
name comes from our founder,
Hugo Friedman, who established the
company in 1908 on the Northwest
side of Chicago. Hugo was an Austrian
immigrant, and was incredibly focused
on quality. He held himself and his
employees to high standards, and this
passion for quality continues to be a
huge part of what makes us who we
are more than 107 years later.
An interesting part of Hu-Friedy’s
history is the story of how Richard
Saslow acquired the company from
Hugo in 1959. At 27 years old, Richard
Saslow didn’t know much about the
dental business, but he shared the
same passion for excellence as Hugo.
The two of them made a deal, Hugo
went to Florida for a short vacation, and
was going to teach Richard everything
he needed to know about the business
when he returned. Unfortunately,
Hugo died of a stroke while in Florida.
So, Richard had to learn the business
from the ground up, by asking a lot of
questions.
2 | Hu-Friedy Magazine June 2015 EuroPerio Edition
Asking “why” and questioning whether
there was a better way became a
hallmark of his 40-year leadership,
under which he transformed the
6-person boutique firm into a global
leader in the dental industry. His son,
Ron Saslow, shares this constant drive
for improvement, and as CEO since 2004,
has grown the organization significantly
with this philosophy of listening to our
customers, understanding their needs,
and helping them perform at their best
so they can provide the highest level
of care to their patients.
MD: What has changed in your instrument
manufacturing process over the years and
what has stayed the same?
PB:
Good question. Although we
have integrated technology into
various aspects of our manufacturing,
much
of
the
instrument-making
process still involves handcrafting
by skilled artisans. For instance, we
have invested in sophisticated heat
treatment technology that allows us to
have precise control over the heating
process, which is critical to creating
the right mix of strength, flexibility and
corrosion-resistance in a metal. We also
employ advanced robotics to perform
bending operations, which frees up
our skilled craftsman to perform the
more technique-sensitive work, such
as finishing the working end of an
instrument.
Maintaining our strong instrument
making skills is critical for our future
success. That’s why we took the bold
step of developing an instrument
maker apprentice program in 2014. This
innovative, 2-year training program
involves taking four employees out of
their usual roles on the manufacturing
floor, and putting them through
rigorous, in-depth training of all aspects
of making an instrument. The training
covers the manufacturing process from
start to finish – for instance, visiting
Another topic that will continue to
have a major impact on the dental
industry is infection prevention.
The dental industry as a whole
will need to develop products and
systems that ensure overall staff
and patient safety. We are very
proud of our leadership in this area,
and even prouder of our Instrument
Management System.
— Patrick Bernardi
Hu-Friedy’s CMO
a steel mill to understand the raw
material, extensive training by internal
and external experts in metallurgy and
heat treatment, and hands-on training
on instrument finishing, and every step
in the manufacturing process.
It’s a big commitment on our part,
but one that is well worth it given
the importance of maintaining our
instrument making expertise in the
future.
MD: What trends do you think will have
the biggest impact on the dental industry
in the next 5 – 10 years?
PB:
From a product and service
standpoint, the biggest impact will be
technology. Just as we see it happening
in our lives and the world around us,
everything is becoming more digital
and more technology-driven. We expect
more from the products and services we
use every day, and that expectation will
surely be reflected in dentistry. Whether
through products that provide greater
clinical efficacy, improved ergonomics
and patient comfort, or services that
offer simplified interactions and timesavings, integration of technology
will continue to shape the way dental
practitioners care for their patients.
For the industry overall, group
practices are a growing facet of the
dental landscape. This is a relatively
new model for the dental industry,
and will undoubtedly shape the way
practitioners,
manufacturers
and
distributors do business. Additionally,
the orthodontics specialty continues
to grow, as does product innovation,
as evidenced by the popularity of
clear aligner solutions. An opportunity
that Hu-Friedy realized here was for
instrumentation designed specifically
for clear aligners. Accordingly, we
launched the Hu-Friedy Clear Collection,
which consists of instruments designed
to accent, individualize and optimize the
biomechanics of the “invisible” aligner
experience and help practitioners
streamline chairside manipulation of
ortho clear aligners.
I think another topic that will continue
to have a major impact on the dental
industry is infection prevention. As
regulatory requirements change and
dental patients are increasingly aware
of this topic, the dental industry as a
whole will need to develop products
and systems that ensure overall staff
and patient safety. We are very proud
of our leadership in this area, and even
prouder of our instrument management
system, (IMS) which is uniquely suited
to help with compliance, safety and
efficiency.
MD: Hu-Friedy is a big supporter of
dental schools and hygiene programs.
What are some of the ways in which you
support dental education?
PB: We are extremely fortunate to have
developed such strong relationships
with our schools customers. The
instruments a dental or dental hygiene
student uses in school are often their
first real taste of the career they are
embarking on, and we are proud to be
a part of that experience. As the hand
instrument provider for nearly 98%
of dental and dental hygiene schools,
we have a designated customer care
team just for school accounts, who
understand the unique needs of schools
and students.
Our Clinical Education Managers take
a consultative approach to serving our
schools customers. Rather than simply
selling instruments, they try to deliver
industry
information,
educational
content, and work directly with each
individual school to determine which
instruments are best for their program.
We also offer custom kits, which allow
schools to select the instrument
designs and preferred colors for grips/
rings, then our team puts them together
in the exact order in a cassette for each
student, sometimes hand delivering
them for the school.
Beyond this, we are committed
to educating dental practitioners
throughout their careers, offering
a range of continuing education,
professional education and resources to
help clinicians advance their knowledge.
MD: What’s next for you and Hu-Friedy?
What can we look forward to?
PB: We’re always working with our
network of Key Opinion Leaders, dental
educators and customers to stay
abreast of the latest procedures and
clinical developments. As a company,
we’re focused on bringing unique
products to market that solve unmet
needs across all dental specialties.
We do extensive market research and
customer preference work to ensure
that every new product is delivering
on our promise of helping practitioners
perform at their best.
Of course, we do much more than
provide products. Developing new
programs and services is another way
we provide value to our customers.
We know that proper maintenance and
sharpening is the best way to extend
the life of a high quality instrument, and
we also recognize that time is scarce in
a dental practice.
This article originally appeared online
on www.jmichaeldunn.com.
3
Instrument Management System (IMS) Uniquely
suited to help with compliance, safety and efficiency
How to increase safety, efficiency and productivity by combining instrument processing
and infection control into a simplified and implemented workflow.
IMS Infinity Collection Kits
I
nstrument cassettes have been widely
used in hospitals, and most US and
European dental school uses them to
train students today. In recent years,
cassette usage has become popular in
private dental offices, as well.
The advantages of having an Instrument
Management System, such as Hu-Friedy´s,
which utilises stainless steel cassettes,
are numerous. Because sharp instruments
are contained within, there is less handling
of contaminated instruments during
instrument reprocessing — resulting in
a reduced potential for percutaneous
sharps injuries to clinical personnel.
However, there are other advantages of
the IMS system that significantly affect
busy dental offices, resulting in greater
productivity for the entire dental team
and increased savings of both time and
money.
A complete instrument setup
at your fingertips
The next Generation of Hu-Friedy IMS
Infinity cassettes are available in a variety
of configurations and allow for different
specific procedures. For instance, a
setup for a surgical procedure may be
larger, allowing a greater armamentarium
than for an operative procedure and a
periodontal scaling and root planning
arrangement may require a larger
cassette than for a simple hygiene
procedure.
With the Hu-Friedy IMS Solution, a dental
assistant needs to retrieve only one
item — the cassette itself — as opposed
to gathering instruments from different
drawers or operatories. With a complete
set of instruments at her fingertips, the
assistant may stay with the dentist in the
operatory, focusing more on patient care.
Surgical Implant & Sinus Lift Kit
Exam Perio Kit
Minimised instrument wear
and tear
Hu-Friedy IMS Infinity cassettes contain
instrument rails to hold instruments
securely in place during cleaning and
sterilisation. The innovative silicone
rails system allows less instruments
contact (around 60% less) for more flow
through while protecting the instruments
from scratching and damage during
reprocessing.
It is interesting to note the difference in
mirror faces that have been placed into
an ultrasonic in cassettes versus loose
in the instrument basket. Zigzag shapes
and pitting may often be seen on mirrors
that have scraped against sharp dental
4 | Hu-Friedy Magazine June 2015 EuroPerio Edition
Root
Planing Kit
IMS Infinity Series Collection kits feature
a compilation of clinicians most popular
procudural set-ups.
Instruments are securely held in
place to prevent sharps injuries and
instrument damage. I recommend
the use of New IMS Infinity
cassettes to save time, increase
efficiency, protect instruments
from damage and reduce handling
of contaminated instruments by my
staff. IMS Solution creates a well
organised system for transporting,
cleaning, sterilising and storing
instruments.
—Dr. Carlo Ghezzi
Milan-meg-educational.com (Italy)
instruments such as explorers while loose
in an ultrasonic.
These defects may impair the clinician’s
use of indirect vision through mouth
mirrors. This ultrasonic scratching
may lead to damage of all surfaces of a
dental instrument as well as the dulling
of instruments with sharp cutting edges.
Thus, with IMS cassette usage, the
longevity of dental instruments will be
enhanced as the need to replace damaged
instruments will be reduced.
Less searching for missing
instruments
I n s tr u m e n t c l e a n i n g by u s a g e of
cassettes involves a reduced manual
handling of dental instruments. The
infection-control implication of this is
fewer occupational injuries for those
involved in instrument reprocessing.After
instruments have been replaced in the
IMS cassette, there is no need to touch
them again until they are ready for use.
A cassette may be pre-cleaned by use of
a product like Hu-Friedy Enzymax Spray
Gel. This pre-cleaner may be applied to
the working tips of the instruments to
prevent the drying of blood, saliva and
dental materials on instruments. Another
option for pre-cleaning includes soaking
the entire cassette in an appropriate
disinfectant, detergent or enzymatic
cleaner. The use of automated cleaning
equipment, such as an ultrasonic cleaner
or thermodisinfector, is safer and more
efficient than manual cleaning.
Packaging solutions:
The IMS Wrap is engineered to withstand the harsh conditions of sterilisation.
The unique compilation of textiles is designed to be strong and soft for easy wrapping and durability.
On the right Sterilization Containers with a IMS Infinity Container cassettes inside.
Finally, as instruments are packaged and
stored, they stay enclosed, with sharp
tips protected. Thus a dental practice can
utilise a “no-touch” system throughout
the entire reprocessing system.
Immediately after use, the instruments
a re p la ce d d i re c tly b a ck i nto th e
c as s et te, maintainin g a co m p lete
instrument setup. Once the cassette is
securely locked, instruments cannot be
misplaced or separated from the setup.
This drastically reduces the search time
for a favorite or missing instrument.
T h e cl i ni c a l te a m will b e a ll ot te d
Function and fashion combine to create
Hu-Friedy’s IMS Infinity Series Cassettes.
New ergonomic
latch with positive
locking mechanism
Sophisticated and
revolutionary new hole
pattern design: with 1/3
more open area allows for
improved cleaning and
sterilisation. Designed for
use in thermodisinfector.
High quality,
electropolished stainless
steel provides a protective
sheet against corrosion and
a professional appearance.
Innovative silicone
rail system:
less instrument
contact for more
flow through
while protecting
the instruments
through
reprocessing.
Smooth Round Corners
and Slotted Edges:
increase drainage and
reduce drying time.
5
more time with patients — helping to
generate revenue instead of being stuck
in the sterilisation room organising
instruments or in other operatories
searching for missing items.
A place for everything, and everything in its place
New Hu-Friedy IMS Infinity cassettes
have a revolutionary hole pattern design
that creates 30% additional open area
for more access during cleaning and
sterilisation, and is compatible with
current cleaning equipment, including
automated washers. After cleaning
cassettes must be packaged in order to
protect instruments from contamination
and maintain sterilisation during storage.
Packaging materials must be FDA or
CE-approved and compatible with the
sterilisation process. Hu-Friedy has
different solutions for packaging: wraps,
pouches and containers are acceptable
products to package cassettes, and the
choice is a personal preference.
When my practice converted to
IMS Solution, we found that the
initial start-up cost was quickly
offset by the benefits of the
system, especially when it comes
to efficiency and productivity.
Enzymax Spray Gel prevents residue to dry on
your instruments before cleaning.
Cassettes are much more convenient
to store and retrieve than instrument
pouches, given that they stack easily, and
are easily identified and quickly retrieved
due to their size and markings.
Conversely, instrument cassettes are
typically stored on shelves and are
neatly organised. In conclusion, the
advantages of Hu-Friedy IMS Solution
are not limited to infection-control issues.
—Dr. Koray Feran
Pouches with a clear plastic covering allow
clinicians to visualise the instruments
within; however, solid wrappings do
not. Wrap sheets, which are available
in a variety of sizes, may be labeled
with markers, pre-printed procedure
sterilisation tape or colored sterilisation
tape to distinguish various procedures
or clinicians for which or whom the
cassette was prepared (Hu-Friedy IMS
monitor tapes). For example, composite
and amalgam setups may occupy similar
cassettes, but they may be differentiated
by pre-marked colored tape enclosing
the wrap. And although hygiene setups
occupy identical cassettes, a certain
hygienist may have a preference for a
specific scaling instrument — thus her
cassettes may be labeled accordingly.
To know more about Hu-Friedy and our network
of Key Opinion Leaders, visit www.hu-friedy.com
Are You Ready to Be More
Productive, Effective and Safe?
Every dental office can benefit from the IMS system. Hu-Friedy is able
to provide the IMS Total Hygiene Solution: it helps your practice to meet
stringent infection control standards with:
1.
BDS MSC FDSRCS, London (UK)
Increased efficiency, standardisation of
operating processes and procedures and
improved organisation all contribute
to an environment characterised by
safety, efficiency and productivity.
These improvements lead to savings
in cost and time, as well as an increase
in staff and patient satisfaction.
Maximum infection control: Innovative IMS Infinity Series Cassettes
2.Advanced-formula cleaning products:
Enzymax Spray Gel for precleaning; Enzymax Earth for ultrasonic
cleaning or pre-soaking of cassettes and instruments, environmentally
friendly cleaning solution.
3. Maintenance & Care of Instruments: Instrument Lubricants ILS, IPS
and Shine reNEW, to keep instruments as new and efficient
4. Innovative Surface Disinfectants: SporeClear formula is effective
against spore, virus, fungi and bacteria within 1 minute
5. Superior personal protection: Special utility gloves
6. Sterilisation procedure control: Hi-Quality wraps, bagettes,
sterilisation container system, monitor tape, Class V Integrators.
6 | Hu-Friedy Magazine June 2015 EuroPerio Edition
A tradition of collaboration
Dental instruments are a critical extension of each practicioner´s skill. Hu-Friedy has a long
tradition of working closely with and listening to private practicioners, dental schools and
leading educators.
C
ommencing with the formation of
Hu-Friedy instrument manufacturing
company by Hugo Friedman in 1908,
Key Opinion Leaders have driven the
innovation and development of our
primary instrumentation. We are proud
to continue this history with the Opinion
Leaders of today. Our team of more the
800 people worldwide continues to
seek out and work with the best dental
professionals to bring unique offerings
and solutions to practicioners all over the
world.
Back in 1940s, Dr. Clayton Gracey, a
dentist and professor at the University
of Michigan, had an idea: he designed a
series of instruments that would remove
deposits from the deepest and least
accessible periodontal pockets with
minimal tissue trauma. Together with
Hugo Friedman they developed the first
area-specific Gracey Curette set.
trials that accelerate new treatments
or techniques to market. And they help
health authorities understand the value
that a treatment provides to the patient
community.
Hu-Friedy engages thought leaders in
many ways: we consistently work in
partnership with dental professionals
to create and improve instrumentation,
often naming the resulting products after
the Key Opinion Leader or University. We
develop education material for use as
course and lecture support and create
a large on line video library including
instructional material and webinars on
relevant and timely topics.
We emphasize a collaborative relationship
between our company and dental
practitioners, whether they are at the
beginning of their carreer or an already
established clinician. We encourage their
input. Our policies and procedures for
collaboration are well established: our
team of craftsmen, engineers and product
specialists can quickly and efficiently
evaluate potential opportunities.
Hu-Friedy has enjoyed its position as a top
producer and seller of dental instruments
in the world for decades. We recognize
the importance of our collaboration with
Key Opinion Leaders as vital to continue
our leadership and success.
Dr. Gracey – one of our first Key Opinion
Leaders - helped us understand what is
the innovative element we could add to
an already existing product. Therefore we
were able to develop a trend in dentistry
and create the need of the market. This
project made us the absolute leader
in our sector and, for almost 70 years
since, Gracey curettes have been taught
in schools all over the world and have
forever changed the practice of dental
hygiene.
Today, Hu-Friedy works closely with over
600 global opinion leaders. More then
60% of our products are developed
in partnership with these important
professionals, their institution or
university. We listen carefully to their
indications and they strongly impact
the way we shape, design and produce
our instruments and have an important
influence on bringing the innovations.
They are a precious resource that provide
counsel and understanding on what
treatments and support materials most
benefit patients. They are an integral part
of any product’s life-cycle, from research
and development, such as helping
design relevant, outcomes-based clinical
Prof. Leonardo Trombelli, while developing Single Flap Approach technique, ideates the kit for
simplified surgical procedures for periodontal regeneration.
7
A man, a vision: the Gracey evolution
Always the innovator, our history of partnering with key opinion leaders stretches
back 70 years to our first collaboration with Dr. Clayton Gracey to develop the
landmark, industry-changing Gracey curettes.
Excerpt of the “Hu-Friedy
Incorporated Dental Art
Catalogue”, 1958
Dr. Clayton Gracey
- designer of the famous Gracey curettes
I
n the mid 1940s, an innovative dentist
from the University of Michigan had a
vision. Clayton Gracey wanted to “give
every dentist the possibility to treat even
the deepest and least accessible
periodontal pockets simply and without
traumatic stretching of the gingiva.“
Dr. Gracey brought his idea to Hugo
Friedman, the founder of Hu-Friedy, who
supported his concept.
What did Dr. Clayton Gracey hope to
do when he approached Hu-Friedy‘s
founder with an idea for new periodontal
instrumentation?
Together, Hugo Friedman and Dr.
Gracey developed a series of 14 singleended area-specific instruments for the
successful removal of deposits from root
surfaces. Today, Gracey curettes are
double-ended but the working ends are
made to the same specifications as the
originals, including the blade and shank
designs. Dr. Gracey’s designs laid the
groundwork for the new instruments of
today. Over the last 65+ years, Gracey
curettes have evolved as double-ended
instruments with multiple handle
choices and a variety of style options for
different clinical applications.
The blade design with only one lower
cutting edge permits adaptation to
a specific tooth surface. The Gracey
curettes feature a blade that is offset
from the shank at 70° to the side. The
shank design enables the blade to be
used on a specific group of teeth. The
blade of a Gracey curette is correctly
adapted when the lower cutting edge
is against the tooth, and the terminal
shank is parallel to the tooth surface
being scaled.
As the dental industry grew and changed
over the years the need for specialized
instrumentation surfaced. With the
development of After Five, Mini Five and
Micro Mini Five Gracey curettes, up to the
latest edition of BioGent curettes, HuFriedy offers a wide range of solutions
for every practicioners needs.
Original single-end Gracey design
8 | Hu-Friedy Magazine June 2015 EuroPerio Edition
GRACEY COMPARISON CHART
Standard
vs.
Rigid
Standard
vs.
After Five
Standard
vs.
Mini Five
Standard
vs.
Micro Mini Five*
Standard
vs.
BioGent
SG1/2R9
SRPG1/29
SAS1/29
SMS1/29
SG1/29LC
1980: AFTER FIVE GRACEY CURETTES
2008: MICRO MINI FIVE GRACEY CURETTES
In the 1980s, Dr. Pete Fedi and Sherry
Burns of the University of MissouriKansas City found the inaccessibility of
instrumentation in deep pockets to be
problematic in periodontal therapy, so
they sought out Hu-Friedy to help.
After Fives feature a terminal shank that
is 3mm longer than standard Gracey
curettes. The longer terminal shank
allows better access to deep pockets and
areas with recession. The blade is also
10% thinner to allow for less distention
when accessing deeper pockets.
Designed and engineered by Hu-Friedy in
2008, the Micro Mini Five Gracey curettes
are the third alteration to the standard
design. With the same terminal shank
as the After Fives and the same shorter
blade as the Mini Five, the uniqueness
of the Micro Mini Five is in the thinness
of the blade -it is 30% thinner than the
Standard (20% thinner than the After
and Mini Fives) to help reduce tissue
distension and ease gingival insertion. It
is available in four popular patterns -the
1/2, 7/8, 11/12 and 13/14.
1990: MINI FIVE GRACEY CURETTES
2011: BIOGENT CURETTES
Introduced in 1990, the Mini Five Gracey
curettes have the same 3 mm longer
terminal shank and 10% thinner blade
of an After Five Gracey curette, but
they also feature a 50% shorterblade.
The short blade makes the instrument
easy to maneuver in deep, narrow
pockets, smaller roots, furcations and
developmental grooves.
In 2011 Dr. A. Labriola and Dr. P. Cortellini
identified a need for a more tissue-friendly
approach. Therefore they designed
instruments that are slim enough to
provide enhanced pocket access: this is
how the basic kit of BioGent curettes was
developed. Their blade is shorter and
thinner with different angulation between
the shank and the working end.
The Gracey evolution
9
Do you know how to classify a periodontal biotype?
Try with Colorvue Biotype Probe
We had the pleasure to meet Dr. Rasperini during the launch of the new innovative Biotype Probe developed in
partnership with Dr. Testori. More follows in this exclusive interview.
QUESTION: Dear Dr. Rasperini, why is it
important to evaluate the biotype?
Doctor Rasperini: The soft tissue texture,
contour, color and thickness plays a key role
in dental esthetic.
Q: In which cases or dental fields is it important
to classify the biotype?
Doctor Rasperini: Being a periodontist
myself, I would say in Periodontology it
is absolutely vital to be able to classify
biotypes. This knowledge then allows the
clinician to determine when you should or
Q: How many systems are currently available
on the market to diagnose biotypes?
Doctor Rasperini: The most commonly
used technique to classify the biotype is
the clinical judgment by the operator. This
technique is user sensitive and therefore
delivers inconsistent results. To assess
the biotype by means of a cone beam CT
scan is very invasive and expensive for the
patient and it doesn’t make sense ethically
and clinically. Some clinician’s use a
dicotomic “yes or no” way using the tissue
should not graft with connective tissue
or soft tissue substitutes in periodontal
plastic surgery. However, more importantly
to be able to assess the proper biotype
is a key element within Implantology.
The knowledge of biotype also helps in
restorative esthetic dentistry to better
plan and address the clinical solutions
available. In Orthodontics it is important to
classify the biotype before a buccal tooth
movement to prevent gingival recessions. It
is also important for the hygienist to select
the appropriate toothbrush and brushing
technique according to the biotype, and
according to the biotype, the hygienist
will select the type of curette, mini,
micro or regular for the non surgical and
maintenance treatment phase.
10 | Hu-Friedy Magazine June 2015 EuroPerio Edition
transparency when a periodontal probe is
inserted in the sulcus: visibility of the probe
indicates a thin biotype, however, if the
probe is not visible then the biotype is thick.
There is another system which is also
very sensitive, but requires anesthesia, is
expensive and not practical for everyday
use.
The Hu-Friedy biotype probe is the first
instrument, specifically designed to assess
the biotype in a reliable and reproducible
way, handle friendly, not invasive and
cheap.
Q: What are the advantages for the clinician
when using the Colorvue Biotype Probe?
Doctor Rasperini: The clinical advantage is
for different fields of the dental science: in
Periodontology we can finally know when to
add a connective tissue graft to a Coronally
Advanced Flap in periodontal plastic
surgery in case of gingival recession.
In restorative dentistry it provides
information on the tissue about where we
are able to hide margins of the restoration.
In Orthodontics they tell us about the risks
to predispose or induce gingival recession
during orthodontic treatment so we can
prevent it.
In Implantology, according to the biotype we
can choose to add a connective tissue graft
or not in order to create esthetic and stable
soft tissue contour.
In Professional Hygiene, to select the best
curette dimension to prevent soft tissue
shrinkage. In Domestic plaque control, to
select the best tools and techniques.
Q: How does this tool work?
Doctor Rasperini: This method is very easy.
You will receive three plastic probes and
each one will have a different colored tip,
white, green and blue. The probe must then
be stabilised on a specific handle.
The probe is flat and very thin so it doesn’t
hurt the patient.
Using this tool you will be able to classify the
periodontal biotype as thin, medium, thick
and very thick. The white, green and blue
tip is always visible trough the marginal soft
tissue when the biotype is thin. When the
tissue thickness is medium the white tip is
not visible, while the green and the blue are
visible through the tissue. When the only the
blue is visible the biotype is thick. If none are
visible the biotype is very thick.
TIZIANO TESTORI, MD, DDS, FICD
GIULIO RASPERINI, DDS
Dr. Tiziano Testori received his medical
Dr. Giulio Rasperini received his degree in
and dental degrees from the University
dentistry and specialised in Orthodontics.
of Milan. He currently serves as the
He is an active member of the Italian Society
Head of the Implant Dentistry and Oral
of Periodontology, the European Academy
Rehabilitation in the Department of
of Esthetic Dentistry, and is an ITI fellow. He
Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Science
serves on the Editorial Boards for several
IRCCS Galeazzi Institute University of
publications, including the International
Milan. He is also an associate clinical
Journal of Periodontics and Restorative
professor at University of Milan’s School of Dentistry, and
Dentistry and the Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical
has been a visiting professor at New York University. Dentistry. Dr. Rasperini has written several publications focused
Dr. Testori has authored over 200 scientific articles, and is a
on Periodontology and Implantology, and has won awards for his
member of the Editorial Boards of The International Journal
research—most recently, the Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration
of Maxillofacial Implants (IJOMI), the European Journal of
Award from the American Academy of Periodontology. He is a
Oral Implantology (EJOI), and the International Journal of
professor in Milan, Italy and Michigan, United States, and maintains a
Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry (IJPRD).
private practice specialising in periodontics and implant therapy.
11
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