Why did the device crack?  (was: How can we order the SNAP acrylic?)

 ChairsideSplintStore.com provides a direct link (CLICK HERE) to order SNAP on-line from Parkell.  We no longer warehouse the acrylic and monomer.  Dr. Boyd  highly recommends the use of the ThermoPlasticBead material and encourages practitioners to become proficient at its use due to the potential cracking of the NTI shell due to exposure to the liquid monomer in the SNAP acrylic.  Pre-2008 protocol included the use of SNAP acrylic to re-line the devices, but warned that the acrylic mix must be in its "damp and doughy" stage, to prevent the device's exposure to the liquid monomer.  Newly formulated SNAP's monomer appears to be even more "attacking" than before.    

Why doesn't anyone answer the phone? 

       In 2001, when the NTI first began being sold direct to dentists, there was no on-line commerce. Buying anything "over the internet" was foreign and potentially risky.  All orders were wither taken over the phone, or were fax'ed in.  Today, the vast majority of orders are submitted on-line, beginning early in the morning on the east coast and lasting until the late afternoon on the west coast, a near 12 hour duration.  The limited number of actual phone calls and the extended hours of ordering make a person dedicated to "man the phone" counterproductive. 

How can I actually talk to someone?

     Voice messages left on ChairsideSplintStore.com's toll-free number (877-4-NTI-TSS) are immediately transcribed and sent to the ChairsideSplintStore.com staff as an email.  Your phone number is hyperlinked, allowing your phone call to be returned efficiently.  To speak to Dr. Boyd, send an email to Help.ChairsideSplint@gmail.com and provide as much detail in your question or concern.  Include your phone number, as this allows Dr. Boyd to call you at his first available opportunity (which is usually no more than 10 to 15 minutes).

Can't I just call in and ask that we order what we've ordered before?  We can't remember exactly what it was.

     If your previous order was before January 1st, 2013, then your prior ordering history resides with the previous distributor, which we don't have access to.  However, we are happy to review the products with you and figure out what you'd like.  Send an email with your request and as much description as you can remember to Help.ChairsideSplint@gmail.com.  We'll either send a link to the kit of devices that matches your description right back to you, or call you back and figure it out.

How can we review our prior ordering history and paid invoices from ChairsideSplintStore.com?

    Clink on My Order Look-up link in the menu at the top of the any page. Enter your email address and a previous order number.  If you don't have your previous order number, email us at Help.ChairsideSplint@gmail.com and we'll send you your previous order number(s). 

I received the Free Samples.  Where are the instructions?

    The email reply to the request for free samples includes the link to the basic protocol page.  Here it is.  

What happened to the yellow page that included the patient's instructions? 

The Informed Consent sheet and the Patient's Care of the Device sheet have been combined into one document, the Patient's Informed Consent.  While the provider is preparing a device for delivery, hand the Informed Consent sheet to the patient and ask that they at least initial it after they've reviewed it. Place a copy of the document in the patient's chart and provide them with the original (when the provider has a copy, then the original could only be with the patient).

Is there BPA in the NTI device?

Short answer:  Yes.   From WebMD:  "In 2008, the possible health risks of the Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a common chemical in plastic -- made headlines. Parents were alarmed, pediatricians inundated with questions, and stores sold-out of BPA-free bottles and sippy cups....The FDA maintains that studies using standardized toxicity tests have shown BPA to be safe at the current low levels of human exposure"  ( WebMD article here).  (click here to review the MSDS of the Lexan in the NTI shell)  The FDA has placed no restrictions on the material used to manufacture NTI devices.   Lexan is a USP Class 1 plastic, as the NTI only contacts mucosal surfaces for a limited (less than 24 hours) time.   The current provider of the type of Lexan used to manufacture NTI devices advises that this Lexan is FDA food contact compliant, but recommends that it not be used for implantable devices that require cellular compatibility, which does not apply to the NTI.    The laboratory fabricated NTI-plus by Keller Lab contains NO BPA.