Australasian Dentist Issue 92

PRODUCTS 26 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST 1800 806 450 www.amalgadent.com.au Call 1800 806 450 to order or visit www.amalgadent.com.au NEW Award winning Face Shield that can be worn with Loupes & Headlight INTRODUCING Ambience FS Footer #92.indd 1 04-Feb-22 12:12:20 PM Throw your old face shield away: The future of PPE is finally here When Dr Scott Yamaoka returned to his dental practice in Vancouver, three months into the COVID-19 pandemic, he needed to quickly secure high-quality PPE. He soon encountered a problem. Although there were many face shields on the market, they were uncomfortable, had a glare that caused him headaches and eye strain, and none fit his loupes. Frustrated, Dr Yamaoka decided to develop a new design for a face shield in his garage. Dr Yamaoka’s son, Zach who worked as a design engineer in Dyson’s New Product Innovation Lab, saw an opportunity to apply his skills to help create the best face shield possible for all dental professionals. After five months of development and 58 prototypes, the father and son duo created the Ambience Loupe Shield, “The first and only dental-specific protective face shield that professionals say they literally forget is there.” The Ambience face shield is now an award-winning product used in leading dental institutions in North America and dental offices around the world. Ambience’s shield is the winner of the 2022 Top Innovative Products by Dentistry Today and was selected as one of the 2021 Top 5 Editor’s Choice Products by Dental Products Report. After rapidly expanding in North America, Ambience is finally here in Australia to set a better standard for face shields. “The ergonomics of the Ambience ® PPE Loupe Shield is second-to-none. It is fully adjustable resulting in a well-balanced fit. It is engineered for its simplicity to give maximum vision and ventilation without strain on the operator’s body. I highly recommend it to anyone requiring a user-designed droplet spray protective device.” – Dr Kevin Ang, Senior Lecturer at James Cook University Cairns New products from Amalgadent What makes the Ambience face shield so special? u The revolutionary anti-glare visor uses nanotechnology for 10x less reflection than standard face shield visors. u The visor maintains clarity for one year or more with proper care. u The slide feature allows the visor to move forward up to 8 cm to fit any size loupes and headlights. u The unique head harness has two adjustable head straps for comfort and security. u The flip-up feature allows you to work and speak to your patients and co-workers with ease. u The face shield was designed by dentists and a Dyson engineer specifically for dentists, oral health therapists, dental hygienists and assistants. Zach explains, “The feedback we’ve gotten is that the lifestyle change that the Ambience shield offers is what makes it so special. Dental professionals no longer need to choose between comfort and safety when trying to provide their patients with optimal care.” “This faceshield totally changed my perception of what a faceshield should be. It is so comfortable … I don’t feel confined at all … I actually feel quite empowered. The quality of vision is crystal clear. I don’t want to work without it ever again.” – Amber M. RDH The Future of PPE “I believe that face shields will become part of the regular PPE for dentists, much the same way that gloves became part of our protection after the HIV crisis in the ‘80s. Having never worn a shield before, I realised just how much biomaterial was being sprayed or splattered on my face and glasses after wearing one during a surgical procedure and looking at the shield afterward. So, with the quality of Ambience face shield, great optics, and comfortable convenience, I can’t see myself not wearing one as an embodiment of the precautionary principle.” – Dr Yamaoka from an interview for Dentistry IQ. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, dental professionals all over the world are in need of replacing their old, flimsy face shields that they got at the beginning of COVID. These shields were bought quickly and cheaply but now, dental professionals are ready to invest in a more ergonomic face shield to perform their best patient care. Others have wanted to use face shields but after initial poor experiences, they have given up on finding one that does not compromise their comfort and quality of care. Dental professionals across Australia sent a clear signal about the demand for better face shields when they began to pay astronomical shipping fees to get their shields shipped from Vancouver, Canada. Across the ocean, the Ambience team got the message and worked quickly to establish a local fulfillment centre and partner with Amalgadent to make the Ambience shield more accessible to the Australian dental community. Ambience will be reaching out to dental institutes and associations in Australia to help bring awareness of their ergonomic face shield to students and members. Australia is Dr Scott Yamaoka wears the first version of the Loupe Shield and Zach wears the version that dental professionals can purchase now. All images are courtesy of Scott Yamaoka.