AGD annual meeting.

Things are going pretty good at the Gammichia house.
Hilda is still up and down.
But doing pretty good.
Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart.

Charlie Wilson's War, very very good.
I told you I would like.
I only found one person that didn't like it but she is kinda weird anyway.

I saw a couple of people at the AGD annual meeting that I wanted to talk about.
First, I saw John Kanka.
He had an all day lecture on adhesive dentistry.
You know (....pondering.....) I really liked this guy. He thinks the way I do (or I think the way he does... It's my blog damnit).
He is passionate about teeth. He is passionate about filling teeth.
So what makes him so good, you ask? Well, first and foremost he is a clinical dentist. He is what they use to call a wet fingered dentist.
But, he does a lot of research...
I don't know if he has a lab in his office or he is affiliated with a school but he does a lot of research.
Like he was saying this certain technique is the best way. Then he would back this statement up, not by a bunch of bar graphs, but by cutting a tooth in half and showing the infiltration of die (or no infiltration of die in this case). Real research.
Very likable guy.
I saw him about 6 years ago and I didn't like him. I thought his ego was getting in the way of his lecture. I mean big time.
This time he kept it in check.
Maybe his ego is not as big. Because you all know that this profession (and life in general) has a way of knocking you off your high horse.
In this lecture, he broke down all his techniques and walked you through all his procedures.
He is a very good clinician and wants his audience to be good at it too.

He is my thing about Dr. Kanka.
He endorses products. I am totally okay with endorsing products that you are passionate about.
I am also okay with endorsing a product that you think is okay.
For example, when he talked about a product made by a company that you are being endorsed by (my opinion), he would say, "You should have a look at this product."
He didn't say, "This product is AWESOME you must have it" just "have a look at it."
I am totally cool with that.
It is when the lines are blurred is when I start having a problem with it.
For example, he owns or is part owner of a dental products company.
It is called APEX.
He has his own bonding material.
So what material do you think he talked about the whole lecture. You guessed it...HIS.
Now, it may be the best thing since etching but...
Then he talked about how he sat down with Gordan Christiansen last week (for those of you non dental people Gordan is close to the most trusted guy in product review) and Gordan loved the product.
So no documentation of this "sit down" or the studies that you guys did, I just have to take your word for it that Gordan liked it.
Oh, I almost forgot. He had another bonding material that his company made 6 years back and in that lecture all he talked about was how great this product was.
This time he talked about his old product with not nearly as much fervor.
So was it not so good then or is he just more excited about this product or does he make more money from this product?
See what I mean, blurred lines.
I really think his heart is in the right place but...

And the other thing about his lecture is things like this....
He talked about procedures that I have never heard before. I have seen alot of CE in my day (please see the FAGD at the end of my name) and I read quite a bit, and if I have never heard of it, I start to wonder.
For instance, what product do you use if you have a pulp exposure?
Dycal?
Vitrebond?
Just seal over it?
He says Duralon. Yes, I said Duralon. Like the temporary cement.
Then he flashes up a studies and some slides of pulpal response to Duralon.
One problem...the study was from 1978.
Now here is my thing. If it was so great, why are you the ONLY one advocating it.
And if it was so great, why hasn't there been any research on it since 1978?
I want to believe it. Trust me I want to be confident that I am doing the best thing I can for the patient.
But, here is the good thing. On his company website he started a forum.
He use to be a HUGE dentaltown guy and has since been turned off by it (I beat him by about 4 years).
He says he is the moderator of it and he answers all peoples questions about techniques and products.
The website has videos of procedures. Meaning if you buy his product you can watch a movie instead of reading instructions. I like that.

So all in all I liked the lecture and I like him.
About his bonding agent, I wrote to Reality (I told you about these guys before, a product rating company. Realityesthetics.com) and asked them about his products.
I will let you know what I find out.
If you get a chance to see him...check him out.

Hope you are having a good Monday,
John Gammichia DMD FAGD (it still is cool to write)