ROEN0210

Fig. 1_Visual inspection confirms the symptoms of a cracked tooth. Fig. 2_Multiple cracks become clearly visible and help determine treatment options. Fig. 3_Occlusal decay. Visual inspection shows need for treatment. Fig. 4_Preparation confirms progress of decay far into dentine. Fig. 5_Magnification allows tissue- friendly treatment. Fig. 6_Precision through vision. 42 I I meetings _ ESMD 2010 _Give me the top five reasons that a dentist would NOT wish to buy an operating microscope: 1. Iamnotanendodontist.Ireferclientswhorequire endodontic treatment. 2. I have always worked like this, with the naked eye. No patient ever complained! 3. Microscopes are a fad; the hype won’t last! 4. Microscopes are very expensive and don’t gener- ate income. 5. I have plenty of work. I don’t need to invest to attract new patients! Now, let us take a closer look at these arguments: 1. Iamnotanendodontist.Ireferclientswhorequire endodontic treatment. Many endodontists will agree that a microscope is only useful in the coro- nalthirdpartoftherootcanal.Afterthefirstcurve of the canal, you can’t see anything, not even with amicroscope.Therefore,allotherdentaldisciplines have far more advantages using a microscope because all dental surfaces are clearly visible. 2.Ihavealwaysworkedlikethis,withthenakedeye.No patient ever complained! Would you feel the same way about your cardiologist observing your heart valveswithoutanechocardiogramoryourwife’sgy- naecologistfollowinguponherpregnancywithjust astethoscope? 3. Microscopes are a fad; the hype won’t last! It did last with ophthalmologists, otorhinolaryngolo- gists,gynaecologistsandsurgeons.Iadmititwas- n’t such a success with psychiatrists, but believe me, microscope magnification is here to stay. 4. Microscopesareveryexpensiveanddon’tgenerate income. Money isn’t all that counts. Consider the financial benefits, joy in your work, well-informed and motivated patients and team—no money can buythem,butyoucertainlycanwithamicroscope. 5. I have plenty of work. I don’t need to invest to at- tractnewpatients!Indeed.Sothetimetoinvestin a microscope is when you have neither patients nor income?! You know better than that! It is time to invest when things are going well. The main reasons for rejecting the idea of an op- erating microscope are comfort zones and fear of change. Starting to work with a microscope in your dentalofficerequiressomemotivationandanopen mind. Patients’ reactions are rewarding. They feel like someone is finally taking their teeth seriously. Imagineyougototwojewelleryshopswithyour mother’s family jewels to have their value esti- mated. The first jeweller takes the rings in his hand, shakes them like dice, looks at them from afar and tells you what they are worth. At the jewellery shop next door, the jeweller measures the rings, weighs them and inspects them with a magnifying glass. He has you look at them too with the magnifying glass,pointingoutthestones’cutandtheirqualities and defects. Finally, he comes up with a value that differs from that given by the previous jeweller. Honestly, whose expertise would you most value? We as dentists realise that teeth are the natural jewels of the mouth. Any motivated patient will ap- preciate your treating his or her teeth as such. Of course, working with an operating microscope requires some training. However, any dentist can learn this and taking courses in this will speed up the process tremendously. The European Society of Mi- croscope Dentistry aims to provide training and lec- tures for both the experienced microscope user and the beginner. The enthusiasm of the lecturers is such thattheyreadilygiveadviceevenin-betweencourses. See for yourself and join us at ESMD 2010, to be held on 16–18 September 2010 in Vilnius in Lithuania. ‘SEEING IS BELIEVING’._ roots2_2010 Why worry now? Author_ Dr Philippe Van Audenhove, Belgium Images_ Dr Stephane Browet, Belgium ESMD Secretariat ViaConventus Olimpieciu Str.1–34 09200Vilnius Lithuania Tel.:+370 5 2000778 Fax:+370 5 2000782 E-mail:info@esmd2010.com | ph.va@wol.be Websites:www.esmd.info | www.esmd2010.com _contact roots