Today, we are fortunate to be interviewing Dr. Eugene Casagrande, the Director of International & Professional Relations, Milestone Scientific.

Gene it's a pleasure to have you with us! Milestone's claim to fame is that they invented The Wand. For those that don't know about The Wand, could you please tell us a little bit about it?

Briefly, the Wand was introduced to dentistry in 1997 as the first computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system. The Wand's core technologies are a disposable plastic Wand handpiece - which provides unprecedented needle control and accuracy - and a precise and consistentflow rate below the patient's pain threshold. Along with new injectiontechniques, these features enable a dentist to easily and routinely givemore comfortable injections, often using less anesthetic and not producingcollateral numbness to the patient's lips and face. Improved productfeatures were added to two subsequent versions of the Wand, the CompuDentand the STA (Single Tooth Anesthesia).

Gene,you are a dentist according to the DDS after your name! Are you a"wetfingered" dentist? How did you get involved with Milestone?

I graduated from and was on the part-time faculty of the USC School of Dentistry and practiced general dentistry in Los Angeles for over 30 years. The dean at USC knew the CEO of Milestone Scientific, suggested that I contact him, and recommended me to the company. Understanding and experiencing the many benefits the Wand provides to dentists and their patients and wanting to share this knowledge with my colleagues was my motivation to join Milestone Scientific as the Director of International and Professional Relations almost 10 years ago

Where is Milestone located and is that where your products are produced?

Thecorporate headquarters of Milestone Scientific is located inLivingston, NJ, and the products are manufactured in the Chicago, IL area.

Who invented The Wand and what is the story behind the idea?

A dentist in New York discovered the fastest flow rate of anesthetic whichwas below a patient's pain threshold, even when delivered in the palate. Dr. Mark Hochman, a periodontist/orthodontist from New York and the Clinical Director for Milestone, was the major designer/developer of the original Wand, the CompuDent, and the STA. Using the Wand's technologies, he and Dr. Mark Friedman of Southern California discovered two new palatal block injections, the AMSA and the P-ASA, which anesthetize multiple teeth and related gingival tissue while not producing collateral anethesia to the lips and face.

Milestone has an innovative new product called STA, which stands for Single Tooth Anesthesia. Could you please tell us all about STA.

In addition to the technogies, features, and benefits of the previous Milestone Scientific products, The WAND and CompuDent, the STA also uses a new technology called Dynamic Pressure Sensing (DPS). Functioning similar to an apex locator, the STA informs the dentist, in real time, when the needle has arrived at the proper site for a successful and comfortable intraligamentary injection, the periodontal ligament space. It also informs the dentist if the needle has moved out of the site, if the needle has been blocked, and if too much pressure has been applied. In many cases, Mandibular Blocks and Maxillary Infiltrations can be replaced by using the STA for an intraligamentary injection to anesthetize any tooth.

What is Milestone's business philosophy?

Milestone Scientific strives to continue to be the world's leader in computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (C-CLAD), by providing dentists and their patients the many benefits of innovative products relatedto greater patient comfort, increased practice productivity, and improved anesthesia techniques.

How do Milestone's products differ from other similar products?

There are a few other products that produce a controlled flow of anesthetic, but none have the ability to control the needle and have the non-threatening appearance of the Wand handpiece. No other device has Dynamic Pressure Sensing to successfully anesthetize a single without using an invasive procedure such as an intra-osseous injection.

What advice do you have for DCA members who are trying to bring in patients who are looking for a more comfortable experience in thedental office?

It is well established by many clinical studies and by the dentists who have been using devices such as the STA for the last 10 years that injections are more comfortable with a C-CLAD system. Patients appreciate the fact that their dentist has utilized the most innovative technology and injection techniques for a more comfortable patient experience, and they routinely refer their friends and family to the practice. The STA is a tremendous practice builder.

What one adjective describes Milestone?

"State of the art"

Many of us have looked into Milestone's products before and they always sound so expensive. How can we justify an expense like The Wand or STA when our budgets are already stretched to the max--especially when we can buy a syringe for so much less?

Comparing a dental syringe and the STA is like comparing a lime to a watermelon. In reality the STA pays for itself in improved practice management, increased patient referrals, decreased cancellations, improved productivity, etc. And unprecedented patient comfort and satisfaction, which is priceless!

What famous quote do you have that is relevant to DCA members?

"In my experience CCLADs make it easier to more comfortably deliver those injections that are 'difficult' to deliver painlessly". Dr. Stanley Malamed

What do like best...and least... about your job?

Best - Sharing the C-CLAD technology and injection techniques with my colleagues.

Least - There is nothing negative about my job. I love doing what I do.

Most important lesson learned?

Dental injections can be routinely administered more easily and more comfortably with a C-CLAD device than with the syringe.

Person most interested in meeting?

I would like to discuss the future and humanitarian issues with Bill Gates.

Characteristic most admired? Least admired?

Most = Integrity 

Least = Dishonesty

Question you want answered?

What is the cure for cancer?

What would someone be surprised to know about Gene Casagrande?

That I have a "dental gene" in my family. I have 11 nieces and nephews, a brother, 2 brothers-in-law, a daughter, and a son-in-law that are dentists. Including me this makes 17 dentists, and this doesn't include dental hygienists

Gene, thanks again for helping the DCA members learn about you and about Milestone Scientific's products.

Scientific's products.