Product Insights by Thomas Walker

The endless choices  can be very confusing and tedious in researching the best products to offer our patients. The supply reps and companies bombard us with sales pitches that are self serving for their bottom line and often we buy the product and end up with a sour taste in our mouth and lighter in the wallet.

We have to rely on our colleagues and researched articles from well known clinicians to help us make our choices. Personally, I want to know about the worth of a product from a dentist that is in the trenches and uses the products on an every day basis. Now, not to sound like a commercial, but Dental Product Shopper (DPS) fulfills the requirements for recommendations for new materials or equipment.

I try and test the products DPS asks me to evaluate with scrutiny and absolute honesty and hope it helps my fellow clinicians in making choices on new products and materials. The evaluators for DPS are not paid or compensated for evaluating the products. I enjoy and respect the opinions and evaluations in DPS and many of my study clubs members do also. It helps eliminate the BS from the reps and companies that only want your dead presidents. So, if you are an 'in-the-trenches' dentist, I solicit and welcome your feedback on anything in dentistry that makes our job easier and improves the quality of care we provide for our patients.

Tom G. Walker, DMD, has been in private practice for 27 years and currently has a dental office in Trussville, Alabama. He is also a Product Evaluator for Dental Product Shopper.