Specialist in Restorative Dentistry, Amardip Kalsi talks about the key pieces of surgical equipment he relies on most
Amardip Kalsi is a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry and a Specialist in Restorative Dentistry & Periodontics. Taken from his NSK podcast, Amardip talks about the specialist treatments he provides, the training courses that he runs and the equipment that he relies on most for successful treatment outcomes.
In my role as Lead for Restorative Dentistry at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, my focus is primarily on the rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients and patients with cleft lip and palate. It’s quite a complex role, the cases are very specific and the department is small, meaning the acceptance criteria is quite strict.
The majority of cases I meet need complex multidisciplinary care which is coordinated with my other consultant colleagues in oral & maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics as well as liaising with other specialities such as head and neck oncologists. It’s a very varied and interesting role and you need to think outside the box to find new ways to deal with compromised situations. There’s a significant surgical aspect associated with it, especially in terms of dental implant treatment, but the cases are generally quite different to those you see in practice. It’s very rewarding and luckily, the patients are extremely appreciative as well, so that really helps.
Surgical equipment
As I specialise in restorative dentistry which covers prosthodontics, periodontics and endodontics, I use a wide range of surgical equipment, but there are key pieces of equipment I rely on more than most.
The first is the Surgic Pro, NSK’s surgical motor that is an industry-standard. I’ve been using the Surgic Pro since my speciality training at the Eastman Dental Hospital and it is one of those items you never really have to think about in terms of set-up or changing functions as it’s all so straightforward. It works consistently and reliably and I’ve never had any issues with it, you just know it’s going to work every time.
Similarly, the NSK VarioSurg3 piezo ultrasonic bone surgery system is really handy for sinus lift procedures or when you need to harvest or make cuts in bone without any damage to soft tissue. The VarioSurg and Surgic Pro link together using just one foot control which is ideal for procedures such as external sinus lifts where I use the surgical motor and handpiece to do the majority of bone removal and then swap to the piezo, so you get the best of both worlds. It’s a very smooth process and it’s easy to move the equipment around, which is important especially if you’re limited for space.
One of the specialist training courses I run is a three-day sinus lift and block grafting course at the Evelyn Cambridge Surgical Training Centre, which is hands-on, intensive surgical exposure using cadaver heads and where NSK provides a lot of the essential equipment, including the Surgic Pro and VarioSurg3.
Something I use a lot in my courses is the NSK Volvere i7 portable micromotor which although essentially designed for use in dental labs, is great for doing adjustments on acrylic and for practical exercises on models for implant placement.
I also love the compact NSK Vivamate G5 portable LED micromotor which I use for adjusting and polishing dentures. Designed for mobile dentistry, you can either connect it to your dental chair, or using the rechargeable battery without it having to be plugged in in any way.
Implant dentistry essentials
The Osseo 100+ osseointegration device is a very nifty instrument for implant dentistry. It carries out a resonance frequency analysis to give an immediate quotient reading on implant stability and can guide you in terms of loading protocols, which is especially important when working with shorter treatment times or managing high risk patients. There are so many decisions to make in implant dentistry so this is a useful piece of kit to help you with decision making, whether to do an immediate restoration of an implant or if it would be more prudent to leave it to heal for a little longer. It is easy to handle and utilise and can be used with all major implant systems.
Probably my favourite piece of kit for implant dentistry is the NSK iSD900 cordless electric screwdriver. I absolutely love it. I’m surprised that it’s not more widely used and that many clinicians are not aware of it. Primarily I like its safety aspect as there is no chance of the patient inhaling or swallowing the screw driver as it is firmly connected in the latch grip connection.
Unlike using a torque wrench where you often have to crank it around, making it harder to avoid causing trauma to the patient’s soft tissue, the iSD900 is much slicker. A lot of the patients I deal with have trismus, limited access or the anatomy is compromised and this enables you to work more consistently. It’s very straightforward to use if you’re working with different implant systems or need to do salvage work on implants you may not have placed, and there is no need for a separate torque wrench each time. In my opinion, if you do a lot of implant work, especially if you work in different practices, this is an essential piece of kit.
Outstanding customer support
NSK is a company that innovates with equipment that is very reliable and very consistent. If you’re going to buy something from NSK you know it’s going to be a quality product. What is also important when it comes to choosing equipment is customer support, and the customer support I receive from NSK has been outstanding.
They have strongly supported me with equipment for my cadaver courses, coming in beforehand to make sure everything is set up correctly and working well. My NSK rep, Mark Beckwith, has been excellent, going above and beyond to make sure the right kit is available and if there are any issues, which is very rare, they are dealt with straight away. When you have a number of delegates all using the same products, you get a flavour of what people’s feelings are about them and they are inherently extremely positive about NSK.
To find out more about Amardip Kalsi’s Sinus Lift & Block Grafting Cadaver Course please visit https://www.amardipkalsi.co.uk/cadavercourse
