Boy time flies! A year ago I was given the privilege of becoming the editor of the April Aesthetic issue of Oral Health. Taking over for Dr. Elliot Mechanic is not an easy task and one that I have not taken lightly. Every April, Dr. Mechanic had successfully assembled articles from some of the best … Read more
The demand for aesthetic dentistry is increasing as more and more patients come to desire the perfect or natural looking smiles. The professional approach of restorative dentistry has changed significantly with the development of new techniques augmented with advanced dental materials, enabling clinicians to achieve aesthetic improvements and aesthetically pleasing results. In aesthetic cases, a … Read more
Introduction Improved materials and instruments help us to produce restorations that are natural looking. Composite systems have been developed that have optical qualities similar to the tooth structure they are replacing. 1 Composite materials with dark opacity and fluorescence are useful to recreate dentin. 2 Enamel replacing materials with added translucency and opalescence give the … Read more
Introduction Each year I have the honor of performing a smile makeover for the winner of the Mrs. North Carolina America and Mrs. South Carolina America beauty pageants. Each of these women go on to participate in the Mrs. America Pageant and each would like for her smile to be the best it can be … Read more
“Accidents will happen”. 1 They appear in our offices most every day. When they do present, our job is to help remedy the situation with the best mechanisms at our disposal. How do you approach these cases in your office? How are you going to restore these situations, and what type of material will you … Read more
Abstract Providing patients with a great aesthetic outcome along with the need for full mouth reconstruction can be very challenging. Full mouth reconstruction is one of the more demanding procedures in dentistry. It draws upon the knowledge and experience of the clinician and relies on the input from a talented laboratory ceramist. The challenges can … Read more
RÉSUMÉ La dentisterie numérique existe depuis plus de 30 ans, mais plusieurs dentistes hésitent encore à intégrer cette technologie dans leur pratique. Pour plusieurs collègues, le numérique n’est qu’un instrument de marketing servant à impressionner leur patient. Pourtant, le numérique est un instrument nous permettant d’améliorer et faciliter nos traitements dentaires. Les laboratoires dentaires, de … Read more
Abstract Digital dentistry has existed for over 30 years, but many dentists are still reluctant to incorporate this technology into their practice. To many colleagues, digital techniques are only a marketing tool to impress patients. Yet, digital technology provides us with ways and means to improve and facilitate our dental procedures. Dental laboratories, for their … Read more
Introduction Once you have been in private practice long enough, you can pretty much expect the unexpected. We become very good at not allowing planning and scheduling mistakes to disrupt our office or inconvenience the patient. In cases of complicated cosmetic rehabilitation, the schedule often depends on patient factors, such as insurance, finances, work schedule, … Read more
Introduction The growth and development of the adult dentition is a sequential process that can be a cause for increased self-consciousness in some children. Children are well aware of when they exfoliate their first baby tooth, and are often critical of their appearance and that of their peers during the time they exhibit mixed dentition. … Read more
It’s easy for us dentists to minimize our own significance in overall patient health. We drill holes, we fill holes. We grind, we restore. We clean, we re-clean. Rewarding work but often becomes just routine for some of us. Instead of “just” filling and restoring, we need to understand that we provide therapy. Don’t minimize … Read more
Abstract In 1987 dentistry changed profoundly when Fusayama introduced the world to “total etch, total bond” and the beginning of current cosmetic dentistry was born. By 1991 John Kanca began his uphill battle to gain acceptance of this ground-breaking technique throughout the profession in North America. As time passed and patient demands emerged, it was … Read more
The use of a diagnostic wax-up has always been beneficial in the planning and execution of restorative and surgical procedures. It serves multiple purposes from treatment planning, communication with the interdisciplinary team and showing patients what possibilities exist for treatment. Traditionally, impressions and a bite record are taken and sent to the lab. Information is … Read more
Tetracylines were introduced in 1948 and are broad-spectrum antibiotics that may be used in very different cases of infections. Every dental practitioner has seen several cases of tetracycline stained teeth. The effects of Tetracycline antibiotics on teeth are well documented. There are four categories of tetracycline stained teeth (Feinman et al. 1989): 1. Mild Tetracycline … Read more
“If you look you up the word experience in the dictionary, it says see mistakes” and at 60 years old you, feel that you have mastered a lot over the years. Consequently, at this stage in life most of us will succeed because of the “experience” we will have gone through. As a dentist I … Read more