Recently my daughter had her wisdom teeth extracted. The day before she asked me to buy her pineapple juice. I replied, “Pineapple juice? Why do you want that? You don’t even like pineapples.” She said, “I saw on TikTok that drinking pineapple juice before getting your wisdom teeth out reduces pain and swelling.” Uggghh! Another … Read more
You’re no longer special just because you offer implants, cosmetics and orthodontics. Moderate-to-complex care dentistry is rapidly becoming less of a differentiator among dentists. The differentiator among dentists in this decade and following is when they make patients feel well-cared for. This differentiator exerts its greatest influence during the new patient experience and treatment presentation … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected an unbelievable percentage of the population since it caught fire in the first quarter of 2020. Being an essential service, you may believe the field of dentistry to be untouched by the pandemic, but that is far from true. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the dental industry, just as … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story While the world was experiencing a global shutdown, many practicing dentists utilized the luxury of time to explore their entrepreneurial opportunities in dentistry. Due to the many well-understood influences of the pandemic on working associates, the idea of opening a new practice and naming it Confluence Dental came to light. Dr. … Read more
I remember going to Expo ‘67 in Montreal when I was 10 years old. In one of the pavilions, they showcased a push-button phone where you could see the person you were talking to on the other end. I thought, wow this is magical. It was just like watching “The Jetsons” or “Star Trek”. This … Read more
Up-and-coming social media platform TikTok has well over 1.29 billion active users who post and view short clips on a plethora of different topics, including dental and oral hygiene. Unfortunately, as trendy and popular as these videos are among Gen-Zers, they are all too often based on a poor understanding of dental science. This means … Read more
Dental practices nationwide are facing shortages in qualified staff, in large part because of the pandemic that’s resulted in more people having second thoughts about their careers. In fact, in a survey published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene, 8% of dental hygienists have left the industry since the onset of the pandemic. While there’s … Read more
Q: If a patient has lost one tooth to periodontitis and there are an additional four teeth treatment planned to be extracted due to periodontitis, do these extractions also count as being lost to periodontitis and potentially increase the patient’s stage? A: Yes. The AAP considered that when the worst affected tooth is lost, severity … Read more
The best advice comes from people who have lived it, so we asked a few of our editorial board members to share their words of wisdom as you embark upon your dental career. Bruce Pynn, MSc, DDS, FRCD (C), Thunder Bay, ON Be compassionate to the patient and their family. Provide good comprehensive care and … Read more
Dental school, like any professional educational program, is challenging. Students are expected to develop their manual dexterity skills and maintain a heavy course load, which makes it difficult to maintain the balanced and healthy lifestyle that they know is important. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that a high occurrence of depression, anxiety and … Read more
Social media is a blessing and a curse, but either way, it’s the way of the future (and so are you!). Caps off to you! You’re about to graduate during a global pandemic, and as you patiently await the ink to dry on your diploma, you’re perhaps contemplating switching your personal social media platforms over … Read more
Like any profession, stepping into the real world of dentistry after graduation can be intimidating. Building a plan for your development now will help set you up for a successful and rewarding dental career in the long term. While dental school provides you with a strong foundation, a significant proportion of the knowledge and skills … Read more
Graduating from dental school is a monumental accomplishment. It is usually accompanied with huge loans/debt ranging from $250,000 – $500,000 depending on if one graduated from a Canadian or foreign school. Panoramic Perspective Consider: If you wish to own your practice, when and where If you would prefer being a long-term associate or leaning towards … Read more
What’s my biggest regret – dental school. I don’t regret going; I regret not doing it right. I would go through dental school all over again … and pay for it. Why? You see, I was an unlikely dental student. I never dreamed of being a dentist. In fact, I applied at the last minute … Read more
Each year, Oral Health invites us to contribute a piece to their student issue, and the article tends to be focused on our organization, the Federation of Canadian Dentistry Student Associations (FCDSA). However, in light of the pandemic, I have opted to use this as an opportunity to highlight the perseverance and dedication of dental … Read more
The learning curve for recent graduates transitioning into private practice is steep and very rewarding for those who prepare themselves for thriving in a profession that is under rapid transformation. After four challenging and rewarding years, you will anxiously await the arrival of your licence. It will be an exciting time, filled with considerations and … Read more
It’s been over a year since we have been asked to lead our teams through the crisis and attempt to dismantle the disruption. Much progress has been made, but it’s never made alone and no one can forecast exactly how we will emerge. Based on the last major disruption of the world, the commercial advent … Read more
I read with great interest the response letter written by Dr. Mark Antosz to my editorial published in Oral Health in the June issue of this year. Dr. Antosz’s letter appeared in the August issue. The purpose of my editorial was to comment on the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on oral and maxillofacial … Read more
Dr. Chandan Advani Co-CEO of Brush Dental Clinics, Toronto, Ontario What is one thing you know now that you wish you had known at the start of your career? The one thing I appreciate now is just how valuable and precious time is. This lesson makes it vitally important to spend time balancing professional growth … Read more
Introduction It is well known that current strategies for managing peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis are highly varied, and in many cases, unpredictable. This is an important issue since evidence suggests that the prevalence of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis range from 22–43 percent of implants placed.1 In most cases, the existing model for treating chronic periodontitis … Read more