Thomas Giacobbi, DDS By Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

If Oprah Went to Dental School



Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD
Editorial Director,
Dentaltown Magazine
Oprah Winfrey and I have many things in common. We both enjoy speaking with people every day, we are both involved with magazines, people often only call us by our first names and we both could stand to lose a couple pounds. Now I’m adding one more thing to the list of similarities – my favorite things. With the holiday season just around the corner, I have decided to share a few of my favorite things that have become part of my practice.

L.E.D. PortaLite by Designs for Vision: Clipping this lightweight headlight to the bridge of my glasses has improved every procedure I’ve performed. To make this simple, I would recommend this device to any dentist who works on molars. Completing a difficult restoration, a root canal or surgical extraction with this light is a pleasure. Great visibility removes some of the stress associated with these procedures.

KaVo Diagnodent: This device is old news to many and I have owned my unit for five years. The Diagnodent is standard equipment at every new patient exam in our practice. I enjoy using this laser explorer as the objective evaluator for any questionable teeth.

V-ring Sectional Matrix System by Triodent: Firm, anatomic interproximal contacts can be an elusive necessity when placing a Class II composite restoration. I discovered this Townie invention on Dentaltown.com, and it is one of the best systems available. The rings, matrices and wedges work very well together.

Canon EOS 30D Digital Camera: I have loved using the intra-oral camera throughout my career and it has become required equipment for every new patient exam and emergency patient visit. However, when it comes to aesthetic procedures or communicating a difficult shade to the lab, a digital camera is necessary. For many years, I managed well with an off-the-shelf camera, but I finally bit the bullet and purchased a ‘dental camera kit’ from Norman Camera.

Implant Parts Organization: This might sound silly, but I’m willing to bet there are other general dentists out there who keep their implant parts in a loosely organized tub, only to sift through their collection when an implant case is on the schedule. In our practice we see patients from many different specialists and from different areas throughout the country, so it is imperative that we are prepared to deal with many of the implant systems that are on the market. Much to my chagrin, each company insists on their own screw head design requiring multiple driver tips, torque wrenches and impression copings. For us, the solution was simple; sit down for an hour with a Stanley storage container and a label maker, and catalog each part.

Nintendo Wii: Everybody needs to unwind at the end of a long day and I discovered the Wii by chance at my local Costco on Father’s Day. Of course this game system is a great outlet for my kids, but I enjoy playing just as much as they do. The Wii has been described by many as the game system for non-gamers, or to put it bluntly, anyone can enjoy the Wii.

Looking ahead to 2008, I will be keeping a close watch on lasers and CAD/CAM technologies. Many of our readers have already adopted these wonderful technologies and I might soon join the party. If you have a favorite product you would like to share or a burning issue in your practice, please send me an e-mail: tom@dentaltown.com.
Sponsors
Townie Perks
Townie® Poll
Who or what do you turn to for most financial advice regarding your practice?
  
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2025 Dentaltown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450