General Practice

Mastication is an essential function for survival of dentate organisms and has long been a subject of study in the dental literature.1-3 For dentists, understanding mastication is of utmost importance. The teeth we repair, restore, move or periodically extract and replace, masticate food for our patients. This mastication provides the initial step in the digestive … Read more

An accurate traditional or digital impression is essential for the precision fit of the permanent indirect dental restoration. Although the use of intraoral digital scanners will inevitably replace using physical impression materials the majority of dental practitioners today are still taking polyvinyl or polyether impressions. These materials begin in a fluid state, are placed in … Read more

ABSTRACTTitle: Efficacy of Alcohol-Free Chlorhexidine in Reducing the Levels of Streptococcus Mutans. Purpose: To compare the antimicrobial properties of Alcohol-Free Chlorhexidine with other antimicrobial mouth-rinses. Methods: Streptococcus mutans (GS5 strain), was grown on agars, and resuspended in a sterile culture medium trypticase soy broth (TSB) supplemented with yeast extract. Four unique experiments were conducted each … Read more

For more than 30 years, posterior composite restorations have been an alternative to amalgam restorations. Although universal in nature, posterior composites statistically have had higher failure rates and more clinical challenges than their competition.1 While improvements have been made, dentists have still been faced with placing posterior restorations that are time and technique sensitive, necessitating … Read more

Esthetic, adhesive restorations are increasingly becoming the restoration of choice for many clinical situations. And ceramic inlays, onlays, veneers, and crowns are a primary treatment option for chairside CAD/CAM systems. CEREC AC (Sirona Dental) and E4D (D4D Technology) systems predominantly utilize ceramic materials for their esthetic qualities, surface finish, and long-term durability.1 A number of … Read more

It seems like each day we find more links to our health problems and sleep breathing disorders. Earlier this year, two studies demonstrated a five fold risk of cancer when a person has sleep apnea (interrupted breathing).1 Everyone is aware of the link of sleep breathing disorders to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. So, pretty … Read more

The problem of substance abuse has emerged as a major issue in society and has become an area of major focus for healthcare professionals. According to the 2007 drug survey interview, the rate of current (past-month) illicit drug use among people aged 12 or older was 19.9 million, representing about 8.0% of the U.S. population.1. … Read more