Dr. John Flucke is in private practice in Lee’s Summit, Mo. He also serves as technology editor for Dental Products Report magazine and keeps an active blog filled with thoughts and tidbits on the world of technology at blog.denticle.com.

Dr. John Flucke

—I’ve mentioned it here before, but let’s return to it for a bit in this month’s column.

The idea behind the theory of punctuated equilibrium is that evolution doesn’t occur as just a series of gradual, constant little changes. Instead, the theory states, things go along for a good course of time with hardly any change, and then suddenly some outside factor sets off a flurry of changes. Suddenly a species needs to adapt to survive and…bang, the changes begin. Obviously, these changes occur to make the species more viable and protect it from the dangers of whatever just happened in the environment.

One of the great things about the profession of dentistry is its adaptability. In the past several months, we have seen a sudden change to our environment, both inside our practices and outside. These environmental changes have forced us to make alterations in our personal and professional lives that would have seemed crazy to many of us in the summer of 2019.

However, time and the effects of evolution often provide fuel for the engine of change, and since March 2020, that engine has been pretty much running on overdrive.

I’m grateful for the efforts that dentistry made in infection control in the past. Because of them, our profession was not caught flat-footed by the scourge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It seems to me that we just had to tweak our infection control protocols rather than make wholesale changes in that aspect of our practices.

Another positive outcome of our stringent personal infection control protocols is that, because we as a profession did such a great job, it allowed us to focus more on the big picture of prevention.

Since reopening my practice on May 18 of this year, I’ve made one statement to patients, friends, and staff, and now I’ll make it here in print: I feel much safer from SARS-CoV-2 in my office than I do at the grocery store or Home Depot. I won’t mention restaurants because I have not eaten inside one since March.

Statistically, dentistry has to be the highest-risk profession for exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Doctors and team members work well within the bubble of every patient we see. Practically every procedure we perform carries the risk of generating aerosols. In spite of these facts, there is no record of any patient contracting coronavirus disease 2019 in a dental office, and that includes offices in China when the disease had not yet been named.

I think that fact alone speaks volumes about how safe our profession is during this pandemic. We have done an amazing job of keeping things safe from the personal protective equipment (PPE) level; however, I think we owe it to our patients and our teams to continue to work toward not just PPE safety but also environmental safety of the office and/or clinic in general.

By “environmental,” I’m not talking about the carbon footprint. I’m talking about preventing, as much as possible, airborne viruses within the practice’s walls.

We all know that the infection pathway of SARS-CoV-2 is through mucous membranes. Inhaling the virus into the lungs seems to be the easiest way for the virus to get into the body, but it can also enter through the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises those of us in dentistry to protect our mouths, noses, and eyes from viral particles.

The aerosols created during dental procedures get virus particles airborne. There is a great deal of debate about how long they remain in the air. It is generally agreed that fomites, being heavier, settle pretty quickly, but how long smaller particles remain suspended is not known for sure. Thus, many solutions to removing these airborne particles have been proposed, such as UV light or new heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units with strong filters. However, perhaps one of the simplest solutions is to remove these particles as they leave the patient.

For the past few months, I’ve been working with a device from Aegis called the VacStation. This portable, standalone unit contains a very strong brushless vacuum motor. The device has a strong, large-diameter corrugated plastic hose that can be positioned wherever necessary to provide the best angle for removal of air as it exits the oral cavity. It is flexible and can be positioned anywhere the operator wants. Once positioned, the hose remains in place.

A funnel-type adapter attached to the end of the hose/tubing is shaped like a large dome and made of clear acrylic. This is placed in close proximity to the oral cavity and extends that zone of negative pressure around the face, which helps pull anything leaving the mouth into the filtration system.

The system is powerful, with the brushless electric motor pulling 200 m3 of air per hour through the system. The motor is incredibly quiet. One of my concerns before I even began my clinical evaluation was that the unit would roar like a high-powered vacuum cleaner as I tried to communicate with patients in the operatory. I was immediately surprised when we turned the system on and I heard more of a low background hum, much quieter than anticipated.

A rheostat allows the user to dial down the motor as needed. Of course, a filtration system does no good unless it filters; otherwise, it just moves air around. The VacStation is not only a filtration system, it is a darn good one. This HEPA filtration system works incredibly well at catching small particles such as bacteria and viruses. The device filters anything of at least 0.3 µm with 99.7% efficiency, pulling that 200 m3 of air per hour through 4 types of filtration medium.

First, high-fiber cotton filtration helps stop some of the particles and dries the air as it moves through the system. Next, a fiberglass filter catches dust, fomites, and saliva at an efficiency of 99%. The third layer, activated carbon with KMnO4 and a ceramsite filter, provides adsorption and more filtration.

The fourth type of filter truly amazes me because it is not a filtration medium at all. The fourth filtered area uses high-intensity LED. These 280 nm LED lights use an intensity of 1210 µW/cm2, a wavelength and intensity proved to kill SARS-CoV-2. This wavelength is not visible to the human eye, so even in the dark it is impossible to see the LEDs working, but they are there, killing any viruses that manage to make it through the 3 previous layers. The filters are replaceable and can be purchased through Aegis.

The unit can be easily moved around the office to wherever it is needed most.

Virus transmission in nonclinical areas can be prevented through social distancing, proper mask use (especially N95 or KN95 masks), and frequent handwashing, as well as not touching the face.

When it comes to aerosol-producing procedures, it seems wise to remove pathogens as soon as they leave the body. To accomplish that task, the practice needs a reliable auxiliary vacuum unit with a very high and efficient filtration rate. The Aegis VacStation fits those requirements nicely. By the time this column is in print, an evaluation from a well-known clinical testing facility should show that this unit demonstrates clinical superiority over its competitors. For dentists in search of a solution to the problem of airborne pathogens in the clinical environment, this small, quiet, unobtrusive unit should be on the shortlist.

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SARS-CoV-2 put the spotlight on aerosol-producing procedures and aerosolized particles in dentistry. The VacStation from Aegis could be a powerful ally in the fight against airborne pathogens.

Getting the bugs out

We’ve seen a lot of changes in the past 6 months. In some ways, it seems time truly flies, but with the next breath, you can hear yourself thinking, “Wait, that ‘just’ happened?”

This is a really strange time to be alive. In the short span of 6 months, we have seen our lives and our practices practically turned inside out. So many things have changed that I sometimes feel it’s almost too much to process.

A true story here: Last week, I met an acquaintance whom I had not seen since before the entire coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) catastrophe. He’s a gregarious “big” personality who just lights up any room he enters. He walked up to me and stuck out his hand. There was a brief moment where I just locked up, unsure of what to do. Then, I figured, “This is why we have hand sanitizer,” and I shook his hand. For those of you who know me, I’m a touchy-feely type, a hugger—but I hadn’t shaken a hand in more than 6 months. It felt creepy—the same kind of creepy I’d probably feel if I reached into a mouth without wearing gloves. Until I got back to my hand sanitizer, I was almost painfully aware of my right hand and what might be on it. I sure as heck didn’t get it near my face! As soon as I could, I slathered on hand sanitizer and then sat back to ponder how different this was from just March of this year.

For more than 30 years, dentistry has had an amazing infection control protocol. We have always been on the forefront of keeping our patients and our teams safe. And we ought to be doing these things. I would venture to guess that we probably perform more outpatient services that generate aerosols than any other profession in health care.

I am very proud of what we have done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dentistry has taken huge steps in the last few months to ensure the safety of those we treat and those we employ. Just even walking into most offices now looks totally different than it did 6 months ago and that’s 

 you take into consideration the clinical changes we have implemented.

As Technology Evangelist, I’m always on the hunt for better, more efficient, and cost-effective ways to provide better outcomes for our patients and for our practices. One phrase never fails to elevate my blood pressure: “But we’ve always done it that way.” I’m a firm believer that better ways to do things are always waiting just over the horizon. All we have to do is find them.

In the situation we currently face, a great deal of time and treasure has been put toward our protocols for infection control. Our profession has implemented massive changes in our infection control processes and systems, many of which are devoted to decreasing the odds of cross-contamination.

I’d like to discuss, though, a part of the system many of us probably haven’t looked at closely in quite some time: monitoring our autoclaves. I think this is because autoclave use often happens where and when the doctor doesn’t really see the process, and it has become just another standard task that is usually done by a delegated dental assistant.

Currently, most offices are utilizing some type of “sterilization monitoring service.” Such a service works like this:

The monitoring company sells the office a supply of spore test strips. Of each set of 2, one strip is placed into the autoclave and processed in a normal sterilization cycle, while the other strip is not run and is used as the control. Upon completion of the sterilization cycle, the strip is removed from the autoclave and then both strips, properly identified as test and control, are sent to the testing facility.

Once the strips arrive there, both are placed in an environment where the spores they contain can be grown and are monitored. If the control strip shows growth and the test strip does not, the test is considered successful and all is well. However, if both show negative growth or, even worse, both show positive growth, the test is considered a fail.

With a failed test, the dental office must be notified right away. Once notification is received, the autoclave is immediately taken out of service. A second test is run. If this test shows success, the previous test is considered an aberration and all is well. However, if a second failure occurs, something is seriously wrong with the autoclave and it requires service by qualified personnel.

This testing system works, but the real problem is the amount of time involved. If the test results are sent by mail, several days can pass between a failed test and the office’s receipt of the notification. Also, if a second test is required, at least the same amount of time is “downtime” for the autoclave until a “pass” is received back.

Now what if there was a way for the office to know the results of these tests in less than half an hour? Would you be interested? I thought you would.

Two systems—the TerraGene MiniBio and the 3M Attest—have come to market and can do just that. These systems consist of an incubator and test-tube–like devices filled with spores and growing medium that are referred to as biologic indicators (BIs). I’ve been putting both systems through some clinical trials in my practice for well over a month.

In a manner similar to the spore strip test described above, an office takes one BI and marks it as “test” and another from the same box marked as “control.” The test BI is run in a normal cycle. After the cycle, the tube should cool for 10 minutes. Then (in both brands) you break the seals on 2 tubes that mix any spores that are present with a growth medium. Next, you place both tubes, containing the control and test strips, into the incubator. The incubator then warms the BIs and monitors the tubes for fluorescence, which indicates spore growth.

If the incubator detects growth, a fairly loud beeping alarm sounds and the well that contains the failed tube is identified. On the 3M Attest, the failure is shown by a lit-up “+” sign; on the TerraGene, it’s denoted by a red LED light.

Because there is always 1 tube (the control) that will test positive, the alarm will always go off. I think this is a good feature because it lets the user know the system is indeed working.

The TerraGene MiniBio has 3 wells, so it can test 2 autoclaves and the control simultaneously. Positive and negative results are indicated by green and red LEDs, and the device also contains a tiny printer. All results are printed on a thin strip of paper that can be saved for record-keeping purposes. The device definitely has a remarkable high-tech look, and even better, it runs the test cycle in an impressive 20 minutes.

The 3M Attest has 4 wells but lacks a printer. The LED indicators are built into the device’s side. In addition to “+” and “–” for pass and fail, these LEDs also show the time left in the test. This device runs a test in 24 minutes (versus the MiniBio’s 20), so you’ll see “24…23…22…” etc, to indicate the time remaining. 3M definitely went for a ‘less is more’ esthetic with this device.

Each device also has a USB connection that allows results to be downloaded to a computer that runs software created by each company. The office can then digitally monitor and record results for safe, effective long-term record-keeping.

As for costs—which we must consider—I find both of these products to be incredibly affordable for the peace of mind they deliver. My best current information is that each incubator sells for around $600. The BI tubes cost around $4 each for the MiniBio and $5 for the Attest.

The biggest plus is the speed at which you get the results. Gone is the era of waiting days for them. Now, you can run a test quickly and extremely accurately in your office, anytime you would like, and have those results in less than half an hour. Again, I’ve been using both devices for more than a month and have been very impressed with the performance of both.

In a world where we are trying as hard as possible to ensure the strength of our decontamination, protection, and sterilization processes, in-house monitoring of a critical system such as this is essential. I can’t imagine going back to the “old” way.

In the midst of stricter infection control protocols, autoclave monitoring is often overlooked. The TerraGene MiniBio and the 3M Attest can change that.

Outside-the-box sterilization monitoring

Let’s face it, there is no perfect system. As I’ve said many times, striving for perfection is admirable.

It’s what we as health care specialists are challenged to do on a daily basis. However, expecting or demanding perfection is the definition of insanity. No matter how good the systems, the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that things naturally tend to go from order to disorder.

You may think that improvements in our processes and workflows naturally have the ability to eliminate problems we’ve dealt with in the past. But you cannot routinely count on technologies to solve problems that we cannot solve on our own. For example, I’ve had people tell me they were investing in a digital impression system because they “wanted their preps to be better.” While seeing your preps magnified x30 on the screen can help you identify areas that need improvement before milling or sending the scan to a laboratory, simply thinking a digital scan will improve things with no effort on your part is a fallacy.

Don’t get me wrong. Technology can do incredible things for your practice. It can make you a much better operator. However, it will not fix your mistakes. It will just help you make mistakes faster.

As Technology Evangelist, my mission is to push the envelope, find what is possible, and then report to you my discoveries. There are so many amazing technological advancements available to the profession today that it can be daunting to keep up with them. For this month’s article, let’s explore ways we can use technologies currently on the market to improve clinical outcomes for our patients.

Since we first used CEREC in the 1980s, digital impression systems have come a long way. It’s incredible to me when I think back and consider what progress has been made. 

I started my journey into digital impressions in the late 1990s with CEREC 2, which booted the machine…wait for it…with a floppy disk! The images were shown on the monochrome screen in 1 dimension. The mill used a diamond cylinder and diamond wheel to fabricate the restoration. The camera took individual pictures that were captured by pressing a foot switch. When you consider where we are today, it’s a wonder that it was ever considered “state of the art,” but it was.

At that point in time, the acquisition unit and the mill were both contained within the same unit. While sometimes it was good for marketing for patients to watch the machine working, separating the units in the next generation, CEREC 3, was a better idea.

I remember discussing with engineers at Sirona Dental Systems the possibility of sending data to a lab for fabrication of the restorations. I knew there would be some doctors who didn’t want to learn how to design, and there would be cases better off in the hands of a human being. Unfortunately, the technology of the late 1990s and very early 2000s wouldn’t support that dream. There simply wasn’t a readily available high-speed data connection that could send files of the size the machine generated. Sending a crown would have taken hours, if it could have been sent at all.

Now with the proliferation of high-speed data connections, almost every office can send a digital scan in just a few minutes. This has several advantages over analog impression systems. Scans can be delivered to a lab so quickly that the doctor can call the lab and discuss complicated cases while the patient is still in the chair. This results in better communication with the lab techs, and then better results for the patients. It also allows preparation refinements recommended by the lab tech to be made and sent out during the same appointment, which means that patients don’t have to return to have the prep refined. It’s a tremendous time saver for the practice and the patient.

Seating appointments also are much less stressful. Current digital impression systems are so accurate that it is rare to spend a lot of time adjusting. In fact, in my office we have come to expect that the actual adjustment time (if any is needed) to be 5 minutes or less. This helps keep the schedule running smoothly and patients happy.

For anyone who owns a digital impression system or is thinking of purchasing one, I highly recommend a diode laser. While retraction cord is still a viable option in fixed prosthetics, diode lasers are faster, easier, kinder to the tissue, and more reliable when it comes to eliminating problems with retraction.

One of the problems with retraction cord is that the moment you pull the cord, the tissue naturally begins to rebound to its original state. This always throws the team into a game of “Beat the Clock” to either fill the void with impression material or scan the area before the tissue rebounds sufficiently to close off the margin. This can especially be problematic in multiple unit cases. If you are using traditional analog impression techniques, 1 bubble on the margin means you are right back to square 1, packing cord, wasting time, and then playing round 2 of “Beat the Clock.” Some operators choose to use a 2-cord technique to help prevent the above scenario, but that is more time, more effort, and still not guaranteed to rectify the situation.

Because a diode laser ablates the tissue, there is no rebound. That means there is no clock running in your head on how long you have before the potential for problems sets in. Multiple units are simple because once exposed, the margins stay exposed until the body rebuilds the tissues that were ablated.

The margins are quickly and easily exposed, usually taking about 1 minute per tooth. The tip on these lasers is between 300 to 400 microns, so they are minimally invasive while still allowing room for impression materials or allowing the digital scanner to see well past the margin. Some doctors feel that deep margins cannot be read by digital scanners, but that isn’t true. Deeper margins are more difficult for the camera to see, due to the need for the camera to have straight line access visually to the margin. Because light travels in a straight line, a laser does a phenomenal job of dealing with these situations. I have yet to come across a margin that our iTero Element scanner cannot read, if properly exposed.

Using lasers leads to almost no post-operative pain for the patient, meaning that even very deep margins that require greater ablation than normal heal uneventfully. Lasers have so many unique ways of solving everyday problems in fixed prosthetics that there is no way I could practice without them.

One negative I sometimes hear about lasers is their cost. However, time savings and quality of treatment are just two of the benefits that come from diode laser usage in everyday dentistry. Lasers have become quite affordable in the last few years. The Picasso diode lasers from AMD (amdlasers.com) are used by many doctors who understand the value of lasers but are not enamored of units with a high price tag. AMD has created a market of high-value hardware for a very reasonable price.

Bonded restorations frequently require troubleshooting. While there are many factors that can contribute to postoperative problems, one of the most common is the curing light.

In an attempt to get better depth of cure and greater procedural efficiency, many companies have increased the power of their lights. This creates the problem of the “double-edged sword.” While the increased power does provide better penetration of the photons, which gives better depth of cure, the increase in power also creates increased heat.

While you cannot overcure a composite, multiple curing cycles with an intense light can cause pulpal tissue to be thermally affected. Many operators, attempting to get the best cure possible, use multiple curing cycles. However, by doing this, the tooth becomes a heatsink, and the pulp absorbs the excess energy. An increase of 5° C can result in pulpal inflammation, which can cause the dreaded post-op sensitivity we all try to avoid.

The best way to avoid this with high-intensity lights is to slow down between curing cycles and give the tooth a chance to cool. However, there are a couple of lights coming to the market that may provide better depth of cure than multiple curing cycles.

PinkWave from Apex Dental Materials (apexdentalmaterials.com/pinkwave) uses an array of multiple LEDs that emit light in four different wavelengths. This gives the PinkWave the ability to cure all photoinitiated materials but with less heat. The device utilizes two types of LEDs to create the standard blue wavelengths needed for light curing, but also uses a pink wavelength and a near-infrared wavelength to provide better depth of cure and less volumetric shrinkage. In addition to lower heat output, less volumetric shrinkage can also decrease cuspal flexure during curing, thus minimizing postop sensitivity.

The device has a white LED so that, in addition to a curing light, the PinkWave also becomes a highly efficient transilluminator. This helps with diagnosing problems such as “cracked tooth syndrome,” as well as recurrent caries and other clinical problems that can be a bit difficult to visualize without transillumination. Having a curing light that doubles as a transilluminator gives doctors a 2-in-1 device that makes practicing more efficient.

Another curing light coming on the market is the Monet from AMD. The Monet is the industry’s first handheld curing laser. Lasers kickstarted the concept of high-speed curing back in the 1990s. Unfortunately, those lasers were huge boxes that required a cart, were noisy, and were incredibly expensive (I paid $8,000 for mine). However, the smart folks at AMD have turned those large boxes into a standard handheld curing footprint…amazing!

Because the Monet is a true laser, the beam is collimated, so it stays focused in a straight line. This allows all the photons generated to be applied to the target. Lasers also are incredibly bright, meaning it better penetrates into the composite. The device provides a depth of cure of 5 to 8 mm, depending on composite shade, with a 3-second cure cycle. Applying the high energy beam for short cycles allows for tremendous curing with minimal heat generation. Restorations can be built up with fewer incremental layers, speeding up procedures. The Monet provides stronger composites and ensures less sensitivity.

Throughout my career, I’ve learned that technology provides incredible tools, along with better and more choices. It is rare for me to find a new device that completely eliminates the need for its older sibling. I may not use the older device very often, but I still find that the toolbox keeps growing. I don’t throw tools away; I just don’t use the older tools as often.

Everything we do in life and in dentistry carries inherent risks. Those risks can be linked to problems, and those problems can be studied and evaluated, then those problems linked to solutions. Technology has allowed us to do incredible things in dentistry, but it will never eliminate problems or miscalculations. However, technology can make rectifying those situations easier and less stressful on both the patient and the team while also improving clinical outcomes. And at the end of the road, that’s what we’re all striving for, right? See you next time!

Technology can’t eliminate problems or miscalculations, but it can make rectifying those situations easier and help improve clinical outcomes.

Using Dental Technology to Troubleshoot 

I’d be willing to bet that as you read this, almost all of you have gone back to work. Now, work is a relative term. I’ve always told my family that I go “to the office” instead of “to work” because I really 

 what I do. Work always brings to mind the idea of doing something that you don’t like/want to do and that doesn’t apply to me when I’m in my office.

Don’t get me wrong, there are the occasional days when I’d rather own a bait shop, but all in all I cannot think of a better career than being in dentistry. We get to help people, we sometimes get to change lives, we make a decent living, and we are in a sector of healthcare that pretty much still allows us to call our own shots. There are not a lot of our healthcare colleagues that can check all of those boxes.

Of course, one of the other things I truly love about our profession is the constant influx of new science, new ideas, and new devices that arrive on a regular basis. Dentistry is practically on a “creative assembly line” that makes it appear almost as if we are releasing new things as fast as they can be assembled. It has become incredibly difficult to even keep up with the amount of progress that the industry is making. One thing I noticed during the industry shutdown is that instead of stopping and taking time off, dental manufacturers and R&D shops just kept innovating.

That means that now we are going to see a fairly interesting influx of products that have been waiting for their moment of introduction to the profession. Also, some companies looked at the dental landscape and pivoted knowing that, due to COVID-19, the industry will be looking for products to fill niches that didn’t exist in January of 2020.

One of the really admirable things about dentistry is that, for more than 30 years, we have had a tremendous reputation for infection control. In many ways dentistry led the way during the HIV crisis of the mid 1980s. Patients took notice and then began to expect that their dental visits were going to be different than in the past. And by different, I mean better. Infection control became better than any other healthcare visits outside of operating rooms and outpatient surgery centers.

I was barely out of dental school when all of these changes were taking place and there was a time when patients were concerned about our infection control. Some patients asked about sterilization procedures and some even asked to physically see the office autoclave. However those times didn’t last long. Before very long patients realized all of our extra precautions were protecting them and they became raving fans of the profession and all we had done to make things safer for them.

I feel we face a similar situation currently. Of course patients are concerned about their safety, but when patients walk into an office now and see wholesale changes in our infection control protocols, they immediately realize how much effort we are putting into their safety.

Let’s face it, it’s very easy to see full length gowns, face shields, hair covers, and potentially different masks, if your N95s have a different appearance.

The last three months have brought an amazing amount of human ingenuity to bear on the unique problems we face. When the CDC recommended the general public wear some type of cloth face covering, it seemed like everyone here in the Midwest was wearing one in a matter of a few days. Folks with the talent to sew churned out masks in amazing numbers. Currently it’s almost impossible to see someone out and about without some type of custom mask. Here in the Kansas City area, red masks adorned with arrowheads are all the rage (in support of the Super Bowl champions). When you consider the fact that no one had ever made those before, the numbers that appeared seemingly overnight is truly amazing.

The same goes for face shields. In mid-April I was struggling to find a source for them and then suddenly, in what was truly a number of days, they were appearing from a number of companies. The incredible part was that most of those companies had never made face shields for healthcare previously. They created them because they knew there was a need and felt obligated to help healthcare providers who were desperate for a source.

In my case, we were really lucky. I was approached by a local plastics company the week before we reopened that wanted to help. Within a couple of days we had prototypes. However, they wouldn’t fit over our surgical scopes. Working over the weekend, they cranked out enough face shields for my entire clinical team that solved that problem and worked like a charm. They delivered them the morning before the first scheduled patients on May 18.

I’m also currently working with a custom snow ski company that realized it would be pretty easy for them to make face shields. They reached out to me and I’ve been working with some of their prototypes for a couple of days as I write this. Why would a ski company start making face shields? The owner of the company told me he knew there was a shortage and they wanted to help. How awesome is that?

As protocols began to evolve and become known, I knew having and using non-contact thermometers was going to be an important part of the patient intake process. I was still a month out from reopening, but I thought I should probably start to acquire some of the gear I knew I would need.

Donning my mask, I headed down to my local Walgreens. When I walked in the door, one of the helpful associates asked me what I was looking for. When I told her non-contact thermometers she told me, “They would be at the end of aisle nine… if we had any. But don’t waste your time. We haven’t had any for over a week and we have no idea when we will get more.” Needless to say, that was a tad depressing.

I headed home and logged into my Amazon account, only to find basically the same situation. Sold out with no indication of when more would be available.

Fortunately, I happen to own a few diode lasers and one of them is an AMD Lasers Picasso. Because of that, I am on the AMD email list. About a day or so after my fruitless thermometer search, I received an email from AMD. The company was announcing that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had made the decision to begin selling a line of personal protective equipment (amdlasers.com/collections/protective-equipment). And one of the products they were selling was non-contact thermometers. I promptly ordered three and they were in my office a few days later. 

Once again a company saw a need in the industry and quickly found a way to serve that need. AMD Lasers had never before sold PPE, but when they saw that the industry was in dire need, they made a decision to help and quickly scaled up to help dental offices find products that even the mighty Amazon was having trouble sourcing.

I’ve always been fascinated and thrilled with innovation. That’s probably why I have always been in love with technology. The innovation surrounding the current pandemic is not only a great sign of the indefatigable human spirit, it’s also incredibly inspiring.

I love the fact that so many people saw the need to help and then did so without a second thought. The pandemic has been terrible on so many levels for so many people. Yet, in the midst of fear, suffering, and loneliness has come hard work, creativity, and caring for others. Problems have been addressed and some even solved by people who only did so because it was “the right thing to do.” I firmly believe we are all called to help one another and I’m proud of those who in so many ways have answered that call.

Innovation surrounding the current pandemic is not only a great sign of the indefatigable human spirit, it’s also incredibly inspiring and we should be proud of those who’ve stepped up to answer the call. 

Author | Dr. John Flucke

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