Have you ever heard your mother say, “You are what you eat”? Well, it turns out she was right about that too! As humans, we are more bacteria than we are human, which makes sense considering the first form of life on earth was bacteria. Yes, bacteria existed way before humans, even the dinosaurs. In … Read more
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a pain condition discussed in the dental literature as a disorder isolated to the mouth, but it is more easily understood as part of a larger family of burning syndromes that have unique features and locations because of the type of nerve cell that is malfunctioning. In BMS small, C-type … Read more
The first questions we should ask are always how, when, and why. This discussion is about the how, when, and why of chronic systemic disease and, until only recently, the truth hiding in “plain sight.” The association of oral health to systemic health has a very long history, starting at least 3200 years ago with … Read more
What are you doing with your one and only life? Research has demonstrated that a strong sense of purpose protects your mortality and cognition. Having a passion, an overall arching set of values and drivers may even be more important as we age. Last fall I had the opportunity to be involved with the inaugural … Read more
I don’t know what to do. I feel like an idiot for admitting that after practicing dentistry for over 20 years. My 12-year-old patient has a large carious lesion on the occlusal of tooth 46. Should I remove all the caries and risk pulp exposure? Is it okay if I leave some caries behind? What … Read more
Various rinses are commonly used in dental practices as an in-office preprocedural mouth rinse (PPMR) and for patient homecare to achieve oral bacterial and infection control in the post-surgical initial healing phase.1 Clinicians, healthcare workers, and patients potentially come in contact with bio-aerosols which originate from various sources. These and the potentially pathogenic nature of … Read more
Bite changes have been a most exciting topic in dentistry over the last 20 years. We now know that our skulls are changing in shape as our brains have enlarged and our diets have softened. According to the research of Lieberman,1 Corrucini,2 Weston Price3 and Nestor,4 our midfaces are retruding due to epigenetic factors. The … Read more
Abstract This case report presents a novel intramuscular injection directed at the lateral pterygoid muscles as a potential treatment for Tinnitus in a TMD-related pain patient. The authors present a clinical case of a chronic TMD-related pain patient with chief complaints of jaw pain and tinnitus. The patient presented with additional symptoms, including ear pain, … Read more
Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses lasting longer than 12 weeks and accompanied by pathologic symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, nasal congestion, and facial pain/pressure. Symptoms of nasal obstruction, nasal discharge, and hyposmia or anosmia become more prominent when CRS is complicated by nasal polyposis (NP).1 NP complicates a quarter to … Read more
We have all been there before, at some point in our career when we realize we are missing the right tool for the job. Whether it’s working on a house project, cooking a meal or, as dentists, operating on teeth. Lasers have been around for many years in medicine and dentistry however, we are now … Read more
Abstract Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a broad term for pain and/or dysfunction in the masticatory musculature, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and associated structures. Limitations in jaw mobility sound arising from the TMJ and orofacial pain are common reasons patients may seek dental care. While symptoms of TMD may be common, the pathophysiology of this condition is … Read more
In the recent years, and more so since the introduction of OpenAI’s Dall-E and ChatGPT, the terms “artificial intelligence” (AI) and “machine learning” (ML) have become commonplace. What was considered as science fiction for many years is slowly becoming a reality, and in fact, we are surrounded by artificial intelligence almost every moment of our … Read more
If you grew up in the ’70s and ’80s like me, “The Terminator” movies portrayed artificial intelligence (AI) and robots as something to be feared. We all rooted for Sarah and John Connor in the war for the survival of humanity against the rise of Skynet’s synthetic intelligence. These self-aware military machines, able to learn … Read more
Most dentists prefer to avoid lawsuits, regulatory complaints, medical emergencies or, for that matter, any clinical adverse events. Such incidents, at a minimum, cause stress, consume time, and erode profits. At worst, adverse events morph into traumatic career altering experiences. Fortunately, there is a tried-and-true antidote that helps clinicians prevent and mitigate such unfortunate events. … Read more
Approximately 20 percent of the general population have impacted teeth, the majority of which are third molars.1 Therefore, the removal of impacted teeth is one of the most common procedures to be performed in oral surgery practices.2 It is also a procedure that instills fear and anxiety in many patients. Third molar removal can range … Read more
Viewpoint: If you believe that everything has been just peachy in dentistry, don’t read this. This article isn’t for you. Of late, dentist owner/operators have been getting the short end of the stick. Poor public perception. Negative media attention. Threats of public health units shutting offices down and warning patients to get tested. Costly changes … Read more
Case study: January 2021 For four years, as dental students enter the four walls of their respective faculties, they are taught how to protect and save the teeth and smiles of their patients. Today, dentists continue to do what they were taught, some decades ago. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic highlights areas not taught regarding … Read more
Abstract Mouthwashes are aqueous topical medications that function by rinsing and gargling inside of the mouth. There are multiple mouthwashes available over the counter and by prescription with a wide range of active ingredients that can be used as an adjunct to aid in the multifactorial management of complex oral conditions, including halitosis, gingivitis, periodontal … Read more
Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a product you could just paint on a tooth to stop caries, prevent caries and decrease tooth sensitivity? Well, it exists and it’s called silver diamine fluoride (SDF). It is inexpensive, easy to apply, painless and does not create aerosols. SDF can be used on patients of all … Read more
Abstract Orthodontic clinical practice has used static forces for tooth movement and to modulate osteogenesis of craniofacial sutures for more than one hundred years. However, research has demonstrated that cyclic forces at 0.2 Hz delivered for 10 min/d over 12 days (120 cycles per day) evoke more craniofacial growth and osteogenesis in the premaxillary suture … Read more