WITH MINDY OK, DMD, FAGD
What does FirstFit allow you to do that you could not do before?
The FirstFit guided prosthetics delivery system allows me to offer same-day veneers. I didn’t have the capability to do this previously because I don't have a CAD/CAM machine in the office that would allow me to produce an esthetic, same-day veneer. My only option was the traditional method—having a patient come in, preparing their teeth, taking 2 hours to fabricate temporaries, waiting 3 to 4 weeks with the temporaries, coming in and removing the temporaries, then doing the final pigmentation. FirstFit now gives me a chance to offer my patients who don't want to wear temporaries an option that is esthetically pleasing and durable.
How easy is the FirstFit system to use in your practice?
When the whole case comes in for seating, it comes with a 3D-printed prep guide, case-specific bur, and an all-in-one delivery tray preloaded with the final veneers. I use the FirstFit handpiece I received with my certification and insert into the prep guide while the bur allows me to precisely cut the tooth in a specific area, so I am not over- or under-reducing. Instead of spending money on continuing education around the variations of veneer prep, the FirstFit system is ideal because you don't actually need to know how to do preps. It gives you the guide and shows you exactly where to do the preparation. I also think that the FirstFit system is perfect for new graduates who might not be comfortable with veneer preparation yet.
What has the patient reaction to FirstFit been like?
A bride-to-be, who was getting married in 6 to 8 weeks, wanted to have a whiter, brighter, and prettier smile. She felt she could never get her teeth to whiten sufficiently, had worn down the edges of her front teeth, and insisted on no temporaries because she was a therapist who speaks with patients all day and had concerns about how her speech could be affected. I presented her with FirstFit Veneers and told her that she could have final veneers in one day in any color/shade. After accepting the treatment on the uppers, we placed the veneers and the patient was extremely pleased with her smile transformation. The patient’s only regret was not having both the uppers and lowers done at the same time, and ended up making another appointment to have the lowers done after her wedding. The whole FirstFit experience was easy for both me and the patient.
