Oral Health

Moving Dentistry Forward with Virtual Reality Promethean Dental Systems’ Futuristic Technology Brings a Lifelike Experience to the Handpiece

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It feels real. Virtual reality and haptic technologies are providing more lifelike experiences in niches from sports training to video games to surgical procedures. Promethean Dental Systems customized the game-changing technology for the dental space with the virtual reality-haptic simulator called the Simodont Dental Trainer. The device promotes skill building, repetition boosting and end-to-end workflow … Read more

Baby Food Pouches ‘More Sugary Than Coca-Cola’, Dentists Warn

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Many popular baby food pouches are more sugary than Coca-Cola, dentists have warned, amid an “epidemic” of tooth decay among young children. A survey by the British Dental Association (BDA) of 109 pouches aimed at children under 12 months old found that more than a quarter contained more sugar by volume than Coca-Cola. Fruit-based pouches … Read more

Shapeshifting Microrobots Can Brush and Floss Teeth

A shapeshifting robotic microswarm may one day act as a toothbrush, rinse, and dental floss in one. The technology, developed by a multidisciplinary team at the University of Pennsylvania, is poised to offer a new and automated way to perform the mundane but critical daily tasks of brushing and flossing. It’s a system that could be … Read more

Kellogg’s Fails in Court Challenge Against UK High-sugar Cereal Rules

Kellogg’s has failed in a legal challenge against regulations that would ban it from promoting sugar-filled cereals with buy one, get one free (Bogof) offers. The company, whose brands include Corn Flakes, Coco Pops and Frosties, had argued the government’s inclusion of Kellogg’s cereals among “less healthy” foods was unfair because it did not take into account … Read more

Paid

Finding a Place for Universal Composites in Esthetic Dentistry

Often in dentistry, patients present with concerns that they want solved but are not necessarily easy to address. Esthetic concerns are the most difficult ones for us clinicians to understand as a patient’s idea of esthetic is very subjective and sometimes difficult for them to express. However, these ideas can be revealed through careful questioning … Read more

Study Quantifies the Effect of Early Free Sugar Intake on Dental Caries

Free sugar consumption was measured in children enrolled in the Barwon Infant Study at age 18-months and 4-years. The exposure, free sugar intake was quantified as continuous and binary variables indicating less than 5% of total energy intake (TEI) at 18-months and 4-years of age. The prevalence of dental caries was obtained from dental records. … Read more

Canadians Not Pleased with Provinces on Health Care: Survey

A majority of Canadians are not pleased with how their provincial governments are handling health care, according to a new survey from the Angus Reid Institute. The non-profit research organization polled more than 5,000 Canadians earlier this month and found that nearly three quarters, or 72 per cent, were critical of their provincial governments when it comes … Read more

Researchers Propose New Strategy for Prevention and Treatment of Dental Caries

One of the most common biofilm-related infections is dental caries which affects more than 60% of children and almost all adults around the world. The pathogenic bacteria, Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), induce cavities based on the formation of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and their survival in acidic environments. The plaque biofilm formed has the characteristics of water … Read more

Severe Gum Disease is Associated with Impaired Lung Function

Lung function declines with increasingly severe gum disease, according to research presented at EuroPerio10, a world congress in periodontology and implant dentistry organized by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP). “Our study indicates a link between periodontal disease and lung function meaning that good dental hygiene may benefit both oral and respiratory health,” said study author Dr. Anders Røsland of … Read more

Improving Dental Care by Linking Medical and Dental Records in Health Information Exchanges

Dental professionals require access to each patient’s complete electronic health record – including laboratory test results and current prescriptions – so they can provide the best care possible; care that is safe for the patient, promotes preventive management and improves dental treatment outcomes. This unprecedented access would aid all types of dental professionals, including general … Read more

NIDCR Director to Deliver Lecture on State of Oral Health at UB

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine will welcome Rena D’Souza, DDS, PhD, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), to deliver a report on the status of oral health in the United States and to discuss the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion within the biomedical sciences. The lecture, … Read more

Lessons Learned

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I’m sitting at my desk on a Sunday afternoon in March, contemplating the past 24 months. It was around this time in 2020 that I travelled to Malaysia for an annual academic meeting at IMU, our partner university in Kuala Lumpur. I had a slight concern about a newly emerging respiratory virus but believed that … Read more

Chairside Chats: A Word With…Dr. Edmund Wong

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Dr. Edmund Wong South Point Dental Centre, Surrey, BC How would you define or summarize your practice philosophy? My practice philosophy is simple. I’m treating more than just a mouth – I’m caring for a person. By keeping this vision clearly at the forefront, everything else I do falls into place from helping patients make … Read more

Altered Facial Sensation: Diagnostic Considerations

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Introduction Altered sensation in the head and neck can be associated with a broad array of local, regional, and systemic etiologies. Though there are multiple cranial and cervical peripheral nerves supplying the craniofacial region, neurosensory disturbance of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN), its terminal branches, and the lingual nerve are most likely to present in … Read more

Medication-related Osteonecrosis in the Oncology Patient: Inter-professional Communication in Addressing Lesion Stability May Be More Important in Management Than Lesion Resolution

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Abstract Patients who are diagnosed with MRONJ while being treated with bone modifying agents(BMAs) at oncologic doses, there is insufficient evidence to support or refute the discontinuation of BMAs. Administration of the BMA may be deferred at the discretion of the treating physician, in conjunction with discussion with the patient and the dental specialist. The … Read more

Tumors and Pseudotumors of the Temporomandibular Joint

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The mandible is the only movable bone of the facial skeleton, as the condyle portion articulates with the temporal bone to form the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A myriad of benign and malignant lesions (Tumours/Pseudotumours) may affect the TMJ, and many remain undiagnosed until they become symptomatic or are incidentally discovered through imaging. Further complicating diagnosis … Read more

Congenitally Missing Teeth: A Prosthodontic Case Report

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Introduction The maxillary lateral incisors are the most common congenitally missing teeth after the upper and lower second premolars. Gender differences are negligible, with women slightly more affected than men.1 Agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisors presents a significant challenge to clinicians since it negatively impacts dental and facial esthetics. Furthermore, this condition impacts function … Read more