Is Diversity in Dentistry Good for Patients?

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Ralph Ellison’s 1952 masterpiece novel, Invisible Man, compares and contrasts being black in America in the South and the North. Towards the end of the story, the protagonist asks, “Whence all this passion toward conformity anyway? – diversity is the word. Let man keep his many parts and you’ll have no tyrant states.”1 Fast forward … Read more

Chairside Chats: A Word With…Dr. Frederic Poirier

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Dr. Frederic Poirier The CLEAR Institute, Varennes, Québec What have you observed to be the biggest change to the dentistry profession since you began your career? The interest in dental treatments has increased drastically in all population groups in the past ten years. When I started practicing 26 years ago, it was sometimes tricky to … Read more

Letter to the Editor Re: “Dental Implant Failure and the Association with Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)”

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Letter to the Editor: As a practitioner, who spends a good deal of time embedded in Implant Dentistry, both chair side, and in the educational realm, I was curious to see the latest findings in the article, entitled, “Dental implant failure and the association with proton pump inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.” There is … Read more

Failed Mandibular Anaesthesia: Aberrant Nerve Pathways

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Failed mandibular anaesthesia is a burden on both patients and dental practitioners, as lack of profound anaesthesia can result in pain, apprehension about dental visits, and rescheduling of appointments. When considering factors such as the provider, patient, and techniques used, the incidence of failed mandibular anaesthesia has been reported to be as high as 50%.1 … Read more

An Update on the Current Opioid Crisis in Canada and Opioid-free Analgesia

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In Ontario, dentists are the third largest group of opioid prescribers after family physicians and surgeons, and therefore are possible contributors to the opioid crisis.1 The opioids commonly dispensed by Ontario dentists are codeine combination products (76.4%), oxycodone combination products (18.4%), and tramadol (2.8%).2 As recommended by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario … Read more

Introduction to Oral Sedatives: Benzodiazepines

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Dental anxiety is a common phenomenon among Canadians. All clinically active dentists have anxious patients in their rosters. The simplest choices available to you for anxiolysis are nitrous oxide and oxygen or oral benzodiazepines. If your office does not offer nitrous oxide sedation or if nitrous oxide alone is inadequate for patient management, it might … Read more

Shifting Risks in Dental Radiography Using Artificial Intelligence

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We are living in a new chapter of human development. Known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it represents a fundamental change in how we live, work and relate to one another.1 This change is enabled by extraordinary technology, which blurs the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both prodigious progress and potential … Read more

Let’s Get Excited About Medical History Forms

Additional Factors to Consider When Treatment Planning Medically Complex Patients 5 *Medication-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

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

OraQ: The Power of AI with Thousands
of Mentors at Your Side

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How amazing would it be if you had thousands of knowledgeable and trusted mentors to confer with for each patient? That collective knowledge would undoubtedly raise the level of evidence-based care for your patients. Even better, imagine what that could mean for your case acceptance and overall production. OraQ, an AI-based, clinical decision support system … Read more