The British Dental Association is calling on newly-elected officials to seize the unique opportunity they have to address the poor state of the nation’s teeth and mouths. Northern Ireland currently suffers worse oral health than the Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. The BDA Northern Ireland 2007 manifesto for dentistry stresses the possibility for … Read more
Dentistry, like medicine before it, has become a commodity, one not all can afford. I’m sure you know the story. It was all over the papers, television, radio and the Internet: a 12-year-old American boy, Deamonte Driver, died recently when bacteria from an abscessed tooth entered his brain. His mother was uninsured and his family … Read more
There has been an emphasis over the last decade in dentistry to make evidence-based treatment decisions, that is to use documented research rather than anecdotal evidence that a particular treatment is advantageous to a patient and that treatment is then customized to a patient’s particular needs and the conditions that they present. This philosophy seems … Read more
When was the last time a trip to the dentist was considered a pleasurable experience? It is unlikely that patients would associate such a visit with the relaxing sounds of waves lapping the shore, surrounded by cool breezes at their favourite sun destination. But what if on their next trip to the dental chair the … Read more
Ontario’s Health Minister George Smitherman could dramatically improve the dental care of low-income residents in the Toronto region by spending $2 million a year on treatment clinics in community health centres, says Toronto’s chief dentist. Dr. Hazel Stewart, who runs the public health dental department, says, “With $2 million in the region, we could start … Read more
Several years ago, a software engineer named Paul English, tired of the frustration he suffered when calling companies with automated phone systems, so he decided to fight back. He made a list of the 10 companies that frustrated him most and then developed a cheat sheet to bypass the systems and get to a human … Read more
Excellent customer service is often the final ingredient needed for dentists to take their practices from good to great. Superior customer service does not happen by accident. It is a system. It is about how practices treat every patient every hour every day. Patients must feel special from the moment they walk into the office, … Read more
The T Scan II Occlusal Analysis System (Tekscan, inc. Boston, MA) is a clinical adjunct that precisely measures occlusal contact timing sequences in real time, as well as, the occlusal forces contained within the sequenced occlusal contacts. It is a Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Corp. Tukwila, WA) compliant diagnostic computer workstation that requires an IBM compatible … Read more
This case study is presented as a long term approach to a rare condition not often encountered in everyday practice. Transposition of the maxillary canine to the central incisor position is an extremely rare phenomenon. The occurrence of all transpositions of the maxillary canine is about 0.4%. Canine to central is one of six possible … Read more
Using essential oils in the dental office is fun and useful. I started using essential oils in my general dental practice after taking a rigorous program of study. I feel it is not necessary for a dental practitioner to have a certificate of study, to include essential oils in a practice, but, must be aware … Read more
It’s 9:15 am and Mrs. Millward has arrived for her dental appointment. Today’s visit will involve some cosmetic tissue re-contouring with your surgical laser followed by a closed flap laser osseous re-contour in preparation for immediate impressions and temporaries. Your focus is on minimally invasive aesthetic dentistry and your investment in dental laser technology allows … Read more
Dentists and oral surgeons often encounter problems that do not respond to traditional allopathic therapies, or may require special preparations that are not commercially available. Nutritional deficiencies can affect the integrity of the oral mucosa. Supplementation to replace deficient vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes, as well as the use of specially-formulated medicated dosage forms … Read more
The topic of complementary health care may be new or unfamiliar to some. Therefore, the basic concepts of the philosophy and thought behind this kind of care will be introduced first. Knowledge of the basis of this philosophy helps one understand that holistic methods treat individuals and not populations (this is the basis behind the … Read more
ABSTRACT Since their introduction in the early 1980s, porcelain laminate veneers have become a popular treatment in the cosmetic dentist’s armamentarium. Porcelain laminate veneers can be used to alter the color of the anterior dentition, to close multiple diastemas caused by tooth size/jaw size disharmonies and correct misshapen teeth to a more ideal form. Porcelain … Read more
April 26-28, 2007 Metro Toronto Convention Centre (SOUTH BUILDING) *NEW LOCATION: All clinical presentations and exhibits will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (South Building), 222 Bremmer Blvd., Toronto, Ontario. Registration – Level 600, Sessions – Level 700 and 800, Exhibits – Level 800 Save the Meeting Dates/Times: SESSIONS Thursday, April 26, Friday, … Read more
1) Carefully study the tooth before beginning treatment. Anticipating clinical challenges and developing strategies is always far preferable to dealing with iatrogenic problems after they occur. 2) Always use a rubber dam, always. If the patient will not tolerate one, the tooth should be extracted. 3) Break treatment into a number of smaller steps, each … Read more
Dentists sometimes react to a patient’s complaint to the RCDS by wanting to strike back and take court proceedings against the complainant for having libeled them in the complaint letter. Apart from the fact that usually the best advice is to tell the dentist to keep his/her eye on the ball and just deal with … Read more
The SLSA program is based on current, referenced literature and consists of 40 questions, answers, rationales and references. Answers appear in the following issue at the end of each quiz. Dentists who complete the 15 question quiz in the November, 2007 issue of Oral Health may be eligible to receive continuing education points. The names … Read more
While practice management gurus extol the advantages of practice team building, electronic office systems and patient marketing in order to the further enhance a rewarding practice, everyone knows that these all pale against the predominant factor contributing to our success as clinicians: our command of scientific knowledge and clinical skills, and the ability to combine … Read more
