INTRODUCTIONNice smile, white teeth, youth and wellness: these are the main needs of people in society nowadays. The need for beauty has been studied for years and researchers found that there is a strong relation between beauty and self- confidence, ending with better life styles.1-3 This relation has been studied mainly in relation to cosmetic … Read more
Each case involving the restoration of one or two fractured or otherwise traumatized anterior teeth requires precise diagnosis and treatment planning procedures. Depending upon the patient’s age at the time of presentation, the initial findings and diagnosis could indicate the need for staged, interdisciplinary treatment that spans not merely months, but years. Likewise, the disciplines … Read more
INTRODUCTIONThe demand for tooth whitening continues to increase in the dental consumer marketplace. Whitening is available as an in-office treatment, as a take-home treatment utilizing custom fabricated trays, or with many over the counter products available via retail outlets. Cosmetic dental procedures, such as indirect veneers and direct bonding have been available to the patient … Read more
We are all restoring teeth today with a conscious effort to be minimally invasive. Our preparations are no longer extension for prevention. Everything is conservative. However, even with the decline in dental caries, and the decreased need for restorative treatment, we sometimes are still faced with complex treatment that becomes a bit of a restorative … Read more
INTRODUCTIONThere is no doubt that frenetic pace of advancement in contemporary adhesive technology and dental material sciences in recent years have drastically changed the face of dentistry. As dental clinicians, we are now afforded the tools and techniques to offer highly esthetic, durable direct and indirect restorations that can be delivered efficiently and predictably. However, … Read more
Many cosmetic cases are often performed with a solitary approach to care where the sole provider of care is the general practitioner. However with more complex cases the interdisciplinary approach becomes critical to the overall success and longevity of the case aesthetically and functionally. The general practitioner is instrumental in the outcome of a case … Read more
INTRODUCTIONPlacing composite restorations in the posterior region can be a time-consuming and technique sensitive procedure. Historically, clinicians have used traditional direct composites to complete these restorations, carefully layering, sculpting, and curing 2mm increments. This process, while still used today due to its prevalence, presents several difficulties to the clinician, primarily in the form of polymerization … Read more
As the dental field rapidly evolves with new materials and digital technology, there are some basic concepts that are consistently disregarded with anterior aesthetic dentistry. In this area of dentistry there are ten basic principles that, when overlooked, can compromise the long-term satisfaction of both the patient and the dentist. No one would consider building … Read more
Fixed partial dentures, whether using tooth as abutments or implants as abutments, are one of the most productive and widely completed procedures in dentistry. One of the challenges in this procedure is the design of the pontic sites. In dental school dental students are taught various designs for pontics. Ridge lap, hygienic, and ovate are … Read more
An upper lateral incisor is one of the most common teeth to be congenitally missing.1 Studies have estimated that between one and two per cent of the population are missing either one or both lateral incisors,2 and the agenesis of both laterals being more common than the agenesis of just one.3 When the permanent lateral … Read more
Dentists prescribe a handful of familiar drugs. Maybe we shouldn’t be quite so comfortable with writing those prescriptions. Some of our patients are walking poly pharmacies and dentists are responsible to be familiar with drug interactions and adverse side effects — a daunting task. Enter, the new age of pharmacology software on your personal digital … Read more
Mastication is an essential function for survival of dentate organisms and has long been a subject of study in the dental literature.1-3 For dentists, understanding mastication is of utmost importance. The teeth we repair, restore, move or periodically extract and replace, masticate food for our patients. This mastication provides the initial step in the digestive … Read more
An accurate traditional or digital impression is essential for the precision fit of the permanent indirect dental restoration. Although the use of intraoral digital scanners will inevitably replace using physical impression materials the majority of dental practitioners today are still taking polyvinyl or polyether impressions. These materials begin in a fluid state, are placed in … Read more
ABSTRACTTitle: Efficacy of Alcohol-Free Chlorhexidine in Reducing the Levels of Streptococcus Mutans. Purpose: To compare the antimicrobial properties of Alcohol-Free Chlorhexidine with other antimicrobial mouth-rinses. Methods: Streptococcus mutans (GS5 strain), was grown on agars, and resuspended in a sterile culture medium trypticase soy broth (TSB) supplemented with yeast extract. Four unique experiments were conducted each … Read more
For more than 30 years, posterior composite restorations have been an alternative to amalgam restorations. Although universal in nature, posterior composites statistically have had higher failure rates and more clinical challenges than their competition.1 While improvements have been made, dentists have still been faced with placing posterior restorations that are time and technique sensitive, necessitating … Read more
Esthetic, adhesive restorations are increasingly becoming the restoration of choice for many clinical situations. And ceramic inlays, onlays, veneers, and crowns are a primary treatment option for chairside CAD/CAM systems. CEREC AC (Sirona Dental) and E4D (D4D Technology) systems predominantly utilize ceramic materials for their esthetic qualities, surface finish, and long-term durability.1 A number of … Read more
It seems like each day we find more links to our health problems and sleep breathing disorders. Earlier this year, two studies demonstrated a five fold risk of cancer when a person has sleep apnea (interrupted breathing).1 Everyone is aware of the link of sleep breathing disorders to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. So, pretty … Read more
The problem of substance abuse has emerged as a major issue in society and has become an area of major focus for healthcare professionals. According to the 2007 drug survey interview, the rate of current (past-month) illicit drug use among people aged 12 or older was 19.9 million, representing about 8.0% of the U.S. population.1. … Read more
In 280 BC and 279 BC, King Pyrrhus led his army to victories against the Romans in two separate battles during the Pyrrhic War. Although his armies were victorious, they were also decimated in number and were eventually overrun. Their experience has led to the term “Pyrrhic victory” when recounting battles that maybe never should … Read more
Prosthodontic services have been rapidly growing in dental offices. I have had a long history of gum disease which led to restorative dentistry, and after progressive deterioration, I had to confront the issue of whether I was going to have some kind of plate, partial, total, or prosthodontics. When I started on this journey as … Read more