Dental hygienists are a key part in ensuring that patients are satisfied with their visit at the dental practice. As a hygienist, you not only assist your patients with their oral hygiene, you also are responsible for helping educate them on oral diseases and how they can better care for their mouth. Here are 4 … Read more
What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is an awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.1 Research has revealed that mindfulness has helped nurses reduce stress levels, increase relaxation, and a practice of self-care.2 A practice of mindfulness includes a practice of self-acceptance, self-understanding, and self-care. This can include a practice of … Read more
Still confused about the 2018 AAP Periodontal classification. Never fear! The next few monthly columns will review some of the most important updates made to the industry’s global periodontal guidelines to help hygiene teams achieve the highest level of care. Once we have exhausted this topic we will move onto other questions about the process of … Read more
Upon reviewing my Editorial from the April 2020 issue, I had discussed what motivated any of us to continue to practice dentistry on a day-in, day-out basis. Little did I know what was in store for us all by the time the editorial came out in print. As I sit here at my computer pondering … Read more
It’s been over a year since COVID-19 shutdown the world. The closures left many dentists uncertain about their future and finances. In response, the government introduced several financial vaccines, including the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA), Canada Emergency Recovery Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). A … Read more
It would seem that the roll-out of vaccine to combat COVID-19 in Ontario and indeed Canada is lagging behind other jurisdictions. Now that the vaccines are becoming more available, the next step is how to deliver them quickly and safely to the population. One of the bottlenecks is the availability of properly trained professionals to … Read more
The speed of advancement in the world of digital technology has made a tremendous impact in dentistry. The way we look at this advancement is quite important. With the influx of artificial intelligence powered robots, robots may perhaps augment humans by doing the work that humans don’t really want to do. Doing so would free … Read more
Abstract The anterior single unit implant can present a challenging dilemma to both the restorative dentist and the surgeon. Several factors may present that can adversely affect the final restorative outcome of cases such as these. Appropriate planning and execution are crucial for a pleasing result to both the patient and clinical team. Digital tools … Read more
Increasingly, more dental professionals are embracing digital dentistry and the technologies that accompany it. Pivoting to digital dentistry streamlines many processes while increasing convenience, comfort, and creating better clinical outcomes for patients and practitioners alike. With the inevitable march of dental technologies, restorations and dental procedures are being completed rapidly and efficiently, without middlemen nor … Read more
Introduction For many dental students the first-year class focused on Dental Anatomy and Morphology is their initial “real” introduction to a life-long, in-depth professional relationship with teeth. While the lecture portion of the course may closely resemble the format of many biology classes encountered in college, the laboratory component traditionally introduces one of the most … Read more
New opportunities are one of the many reasons people immigrate from Canada from all over the world. The same is true for our patient who arrived in Winnipeg in 2013 from Adama (formerly Nazareth), Ethiopia. This 37-year-old female was seen as a new patient during an initial hygiene appointment. What immediately struck us was the … Read more
Immediate restoration of teeth that are not worth preserving, with implants in the aesthetically demanding anterior region, is a challenge in everyday practice. The case study described here shows an immediate implantation to replace the right upper incisor with persistent apical inflammation in 2005. Since then, the patient has come to our practice at least … Read more
The dental implant is a prosthetic device delivered through a surgical process. It allows clinicians to replace one or multiple missing teeth without damaging the remaining dentition. Many attempts have been made in the literature to define the success, failure, and the factors that will influence the outcome. As clinicians, our focus should be on … Read more
With rapid progression in the science of restorative dentistry, particularly since the advent of ‘adhesive’ techniques, it is irrefutable that the demand and interest in cosmetic restorations has increased both from dentists and patients alike. Numerous materials and techniques are at our disposal in this modern age of dentistry, giving us the ability to work … Read more
It is that time again! Time to take a look at what we can expect from the upcoming Ontario Dental Association’s Annual Spring Meeting. ASM21 will begin on Thursday, May 6 and complete on Saturday, May 8. This year, the event will look and feel different as the event will be hosted virtually due to … Read more
Being asked to quarantine throughout much of 2020 reshaped much of our common life together, including how we as clinicians pursue continuing education. As we all continue the transition out of “crisis mode” toward the “new normal,” I wanted to sit down with two people who had a front-row seat to dentists’ changing habits and … Read more
The original Hippocratic Oath, one of the oldest binding documents in history, dates back to the fourth century B.C. A 1943 translation of the Oath reads, “What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment … I will keep to myself.” Much has changed in the 2,500 years … Read more
This past year has been the true test for many practices as to their efficiency, organization and marketing skills. Most survived. Many survived well. Some are still working on it. What is the biggest secret to flourishing and prospering against all odds? There are many, many vital parts to running a successful practice, such as … Read more
Part 2 – A Two Part Series Part 1 of this article introduced the benefits of several third-party software integrations. Part 2 continues by describing additional applications. Recall management The most effective applications target overdue and inactive hygiene patients with progressive messaging (multiple touch points) as their overdue (perio, recall and insurance interval) status changes. … Read more
This article is based on a review of the literature, personal communications with heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) experts, building contractors as well as information obtained from regulatory bodies. The goal is to create awareness on how construction of temporary walls and doors for aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) can cause inadvertent problems with air … Read more