SPEAKER PROFILE
Dr Craig M Erskine-Smith
BDS (Adel)
General Dentist
AUSTRALIA
Professional Memberships
Dr Erskine Smith BDS, FPFA graduated in Adelaide and established a new practice in Neutral Bay in 1980, in which he was a principal for 32 years. During that time, he saw the transition from amalgam to composite and lived through the era of post-operative sensitivity, and evolved from a “bondodontist” to a born-again glass ionomer user.
It did not take long to realise that new materials are not necessarily better, and to keep a healthy scepticism regarding both accepted wisdom and new theories. He developed a strong and growing respect for good mechanical retention and a distrust of adhesives …which he believes should mainly be used to augment and supplement mechanical retention. He helped develop several cosmetic techniques including the world’s first gingival coloured restorations, the W prep, class 6 and 7 cavity forms, was one of the 1st in the world to do full composite resin veneers when composite was “only to fill holes”. He was an early up taker of bleaching, porcelain veneers and Maryland bridges.
He travelled the world widely to dental conferences seeking out information on improved cosmetic and functional dentistry and was the founding president of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Society of Dental Aesthetics in 1990 and lectured widely across Australia New Zealand and Singapore on advanced restorative dentistry, bleaching and simple GP periodontal surgical techniques.
In 1992 he founded a dental importing company - Erskine Dental - after being frustrated with the unavailability of many highly useful, leading dental products, commonly used overseas. This led to the development in 2001 of his first manufactured product, the cracked tooth model, made in Brookvale NSW, which was quite successful worldwide and inspired the creation of further original products such as Dentaguage, Foamies eye protection for patients, Preeben brushes and then Piksters and Supagrips. Many of the products were acknowledged in America as products that dentists “can’t live without” in a leading clinical research newsletter and some of them were hailed as the product of the year – including the reverse focus brush, voted by the UK dental profession as the best product of 2015.
The company he founded now exports to 35 countries, employs 65 staff in Australia with the Piksters brand known worldwide and a household name in Australia with 82% market share in interdental brushes. Dr Erskine-Smith is the author of at least 20 patent applications and is an authority in oral care products, sitting on the International Standards Organisation as the Australian nominated expert in toothbrushes, interdental brushes and flossing devices. He now divides his time between a farm in the Hunter Valley, living in the city and enjoying travel to international conferences and exhibitions, as well as developing many new products, and enjoys conducting hands-on courses and sharing his knowledge.
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Professional Memberships
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Professional Biography
Dr Erskine Smith BDS, FPFA graduated in Adelaide and established a new practice in Neutral Bay in 1980, in which he was a principal for 32 years. During that time, he saw the transition from amalgam to composite and lived through the era of post-operative sensitivity, and evolved from a “bondodontist” to a born-again glass ionomer user.
It did not take long to realise that new materials are not necessarily better, and to keep a healthy scepticism regarding both accepted wisdom and new theories. He developed a strong and growing respect for good mechanical retention and a distrust of adhesives …which he believes should mainly be used to augment and supplement mechanical retention. He helped develop several cosmetic techniques including the world’s first gingival coloured restorations, the W prep, class 6 and 7 cavity forms, was one of the 1st in the world to do full composite resin veneers when composite was “only to fill holes”. He was an early up taker of bleaching, porcelain veneers and Maryland bridges.
He travelled the world widely to dental conferences seeking out information on improved cosmetic and functional dentistry and was the founding president of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Society of Dental Aesthetics in 1990 and lectured widely across Australia New Zealand and Singapore on advanced restorative dentistry, bleaching and simple GP periodontal surgical techniques.
In 1992 he founded a dental importing company - Erskine Dental - after being frustrated with the unavailability of many highly useful, leading dental products, commonly used overseas. This led to the development in 2001 of his first manufactured product, the cracked tooth model, made in Brookvale NSW, which was quite successful worldwide and inspired the creation of further original products such as Dentaguage, Foamies eye protection for patients, Preeben brushes and then Piksters and Supagrips. Many of the products were acknowledged in America as products that dentists “can’t live without” in a leading clinical research newsletter and some of them were hailed as the product of the year – including the reverse focus brush, voted by the UK dental profession as the best product of 2015.
The company he founded now exports to 35 countries, employs 65 staff in Australia with the Piksters brand known worldwide and a household name in Australia with 82% market share in interdental brushes. Dr Erskine-Smith is the author of at least 20 patent applications and is an authority in oral care products, sitting on the International Standards Organisation as the Australian nominated expert in toothbrushes, interdental brushes and flossing devices. He now divides his time between a farm in the Hunter Valley, living in the city and enjoying travel to international conferences and exhibitions, as well as developing many new products, and enjoys conducting hands-on courses and sharing his knowledge.
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