INTRODUCTIONEdentulism is considered to be a disability and a major oral health problem worldwide.1,2 Replacing missing teeth with complete dentures does not restore the masticatory efficiency of natural dentition, even though a well-designed and fabricated removable dental prosthesis can, and often does, satisfy the patient who has both an acceptable amount of soft/hard tissues and … Read more
1You have been using an intra-oral scanner in your practice for more than a year. Can you tell us what your reasons were for investing in this new technology? Dr. Leishman: I felt it was time to upgrade to a digital impression system to streamline my workflow with dental laboratories and improve my clinical efficiency. … Read more
The good news is that many sports participants, both young and old, have been educated (or perhaps required) to wear sports mouth-guards during contact and non-contact games. These guards prevent countless impact and shock injuries to the teeth and the TMJ. Only decades ago, it was unusual to see a hockey player with unbroken front … Read more
Petsmile is a revolutionary new pet toothpaste that eliminates the hassles of brushing your and your patients’ dog’s teeth. Petsmile was developed by the humans who brought you Supersmile, hailed as the “#1 Whitening System” recommended by cosmetic dentists. Petsmile Professional Toothpaste reduces plaque, fights gingivitis, and virtually eliminates “doggie breath”. Unlike other canine toothpastes, … Read more
Leaders in Technology Innovation
My son and I were in Las Vegas at the Nascar Sprint race and the Richard Petty Driving Experience this past March. Besides watching Jeff Gordon set the top lap time, driving the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 190mph, we were also fortunate enough to take the cars out on the track ourselves, following a … Read more
he article by J. Koziebrocki and D. Litwin (Oral Health, April 2015) discusses why being of good character is a requisite for licencing dentists. The authors suggest that regulatory bodies charged with assessing the good character of the Dalhousie dental students should consider the following: “does the activity in question, weighed against all of the … Read more
In February of 2012, many Canadians became aware of an issue that had been lying dormant for many years: drug shortages. Sandoz, a division of the Swiss giant pharmaceutical company, Novarits International, and located in Boucherville, QC, was forced to close much of its production due to regulatory pressure by the United States Federal Drug … Read more
AbstractElectronic cigarettes have seen a rapid rise in usage since their introduction. A vigorous debate is currently underway in healthcare and regulatory circles with regards to how they should be received. Worldwide regulatory bodies have taken a wide range of stances and there is conflicting advice from several authorities. This paper aims to focus on … Read more
Various mucosal abnormalities can be identified in the posterior oral cavity and oropharynx. It is not uncommon for individuals to identify lesions and bring it to the attention of their dentist. Often, they seek advice as the area causes discomfort, or simply because they are concerned for the potential of malignancy. This article reviews some … Read more
The diversion of opioid medications used for non-medical purposes is a currently a major public health problem. For example, since 2002, the prevalence of high school seniors in the United States using opioids for non-medical purposes has been 10 percent for hydrocodone and five percent for oxycodone.1 Such abuse can potentially lead to addiction and … Read more
One of the most common procedures in oral surgery is the removal of third molars. Third molars may be erupted, partially impacted and completely impacted. The removal of these teeth is not without risks and complications.22 One of the more serious complications with removal of the lower third molars is injury to the inferior alveolar … Read more
Low back pain in the dental profession is quite prevalent. I have written oLn the pervasiveness of this, and the development of it, in previous issues of Oral Health. The implications of such a development within the dental professional can lead to quite an amount of aggravation and pain. In previous articles written in Oral … Read more
The circumstances surrounding the recent controversy involving thirteen Dalhousie dental students should serve as an important wake-up call about the importance of comprehensive ethics education, and ensuring that the ideals of professionalism are understood in the early phase of academic training for all health care practitioners. By now the story of thirteen male dental students, … Read more
Oral Health’s roundtable of dental professionals discuss dentistry as a commodity, the impact of maldistribution and the need for differentiation. Kathleen Bokrossy, RDH, has been bringing engaging energy to the dental profession for the last 30 years. Kathleen is the founder of D-Sharp Dental Instruments, rdhu, RDH Portfolio Manager and QA Coach where her vision … Read more
Debate is healthy. It clarifies issues and it allows us to look at situations critically and with differing perspectives. In endodontics, as with the entire dental profession, debate has been present since its inception. Gutta percha vs. silver cones vs. paste fillers. Fill to the apex, ½ mm short, 1 mm short. V-shaped instrumentation vs. … Read more
Hi Janice, Firstly, having now read the March issue of Oral Health, I congratulate you on producing such a comprehensive high quality issue. It truly is a landmark and confirms my opinion that Oral Health is much the most adventurous journal in Canadian dentistry. James Gavin, DDS Hi Janice, I never thought I’d see the … Read more
The ultimate goal of endodontic treatment is the prevention and/or treatment of apical periodontitis; such that there is complete healing and absence of infection1 while the overall long-term goal is the placement of a definitive, clinically successful restoration and preservation of the tooth. Successful endodontic treatment depends on a number of factors, including proper instrumentation, … Read more
The main objective of endodontic treatment is the prevention and/or the elimination of apical periodontitis. This is achieved by instrumentation, disinfection, and obturation of the root-canal system in three dimensions. Gutta-percha is the most widely used and accepted obturation material because of its biocompatibility, inertness, dimensional stability, compactability, plasticity when heated, and ease of removal … Read more
Dentin chips, pulp tissue fragments, necrotic tissue, microorganisms and intracanal irrigants may be extruded from the apical foramen during the root canal treatment.1 This may be of great concern since material extruded from the apical foramen may be related to post-operative endodontic pain and/or endodontic flare-up.2 There have been several studies that have evaluated the … Read more