Rhondium's New QuickConnect Anatomy Band

 

For almost 2 decades, I’ve been friends with Simon McDonald, MSc, BDS, DDPH RCS, a dentist who resides in New Zealand. One of the things I love about him is that he is what I like to refer to as a renaissance thinker. McDonald ponders things, mulls them over in his mind, and comes up with unique solutions. In the early 2000s, he noticed that doctors were having trouble creating ideal composite restorations with Tofflemire systems that were designed for use with amalgam.

In 2003, he founded the company Triodent, and in 2005, they introduced the first sectional matrix with V-shaped tines made of nickel titanium. It was easy to place a wedge in between the V-shape of the tines, and the nickel titanium meant it held its shape over hundreds of uses. The V-Ring Sectional Matrix System exploded in popularity and won numerous awards over the next several years. It became so popular that the system was eventually purchased by a large dental manufacturer.

Rather than sit back and enjoy his well-deserved success, McDonald went back to his inventor roots and developed several other products. The cool backstory on this tale is that by the time you read this, his next product will be available for purchase.

McDonald’s newest company is called Rhondium, and the company is now shipping its QuickConnect Anatomy Band. It is a circumferential matrix that is tightened up around the tooth with a special wrench. The wrench is called the QuickConnect Carrier and locks onto the band so it can be carried to the mouth with no risk of dropping the band. Once the band is tightened onto the tooth, the carrier has a release that allows it to be removed from the band. The restorative material is then placed, and the band can be removed by either the carrier or tweezers.

Once tightened, the matrix stays tightened. It will not loosen or unwind as some other systems do. The bands are color-coded for easy identification, have terrific anatomic contours, and are incredibly thin (35 μm). Although they are remarkably thin, the bands are strong and can be easily placed between teeth with snug contacts. I’ve been evaluating the product for about 2 months and have been very impressed with it.