ABSTRACT Objectives: Lichen planus is a mucocutaneous disease that can manifest in the oral cavity. Although commonly described as bilateral reticular lesions on the buccal mucosa, there are 6 oral subtypes of oral lichen planus. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of oral lichen planus including differentiation from oral lichenoid lesions, proposed … Read more
ABSTRACT The use of Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) has increased in healthcare professions due to its expanding range of applications. The reported case series, demonstrated a decrease in masticatory myofascial (muscle) pain. A narrative review of the literature in the past five years was subsequently completed which supports the use of Botox in the … Read more
Mouthwashes represent a huge business in the oral care industry, and a great deal is still not known about their effects on the human body and in particular the oral cavity. Topic 1 – Antimicrobial Mouthwashes: An Overview of Mechanisms and What We Still Need to Know?1,2 Authors: Zoe Brookes, Colman McGrath, Michael McCillough Mouthwashes … Read more
Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) mouth rinse preserves the commensal (good) oral bacteria. It also is surprisingly efficacious at killing oral pathogens-even the really bad guys.1-5 What makes HOCl a super-hero is its compatibility with our physiological needs.11,13 Our fragile, essential oral microbiome can be affected by many things including oral products, antibiotics, diet, health which can indirectly contribute … Read more
“You think you’re stressed? I’ll tell you about stress…” It almost seems like a competition these days, as if the amount of stress we can endure is a badge of honor. Every one of us experiences stress. Stress can come from all sorts of circumstances we perceive to be frightening, dangerous, or threatening in some … Read more
It’s no secret that Americans are getting sicker, quicker, as evidenced by the alarming statistics of chronic disease reaching even into our youngest population. Today 48.9% of Americans are on at least one pharmaceutical drug, 23.1% on 3 or more and 11.9% on 5 or more.1 More alarming is that 1 in 5 children are classified … Read more
Dental hygiene is about so much more than just “cleaning teeth.” Yet, that seems to be all we focus on in our dental health recare appointments. We can and should do so much more because the health of the mouth is a reflection of the health of the body. It’s time to truly educate our … Read more
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