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You know those folks on Instagram. The ones always posting picture-perfect lives. Working out their perfect bodies at the gym. Decked out with friends eating Michelin star meals. Perfect holiday family photos. Pristine vacationing pics. Cocktail boomerangs at the newest bar. Even posting provocative photos that don’t leave much for the imagination. They’re the Instagram … Read more
Change for the Better: Don’t let flawed processes hold your team back from experiencing better efficiency, healthier clients, happier employees, and continued practice growth. Challenge My hygiene team has not embraced nonsurgical periodontal therapy, and as a result, a significant number of my clients still face active periodontal disease, even after years of coming to our … Read more
Dental hygienists play a pivotal role in fostering oral health. Yet, the challenge lies in the stark contrast between the brief encounters in the dental hygiene operatory and the year-round responsibility patients bear for oral care. This article explores the complexities surrounding the guilt dental hygienists often feel when appointments extend beyond a single appointment … Read more
While it may not be accurate to say that cybercriminals specifically “love” dental practices, it is true that dental practices, like many other businesses in the healthcare sector, can be attractive targets for cybercriminals. It’s also inaccurate to say that all dental practice owners do not believe in cybersecurity, as opinions and beliefs can vary … Read more
Are you in or out? It has been a “rocky road” between the federal government and the dental profession since 2022. With the media announcements, lack of collaboration and consultancy with dentists, and the unknowns and mystery of what the NDP free dental insurance program really meant??? The 2022 public announcement and the 2023 application … Read more
At some point, dental professionals question why they do what they do and wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. Higher interest rates, shortage of staff, more competition and daily stress take their toll. Dentists sometimes need a compass. The guide below may help dentists when they get to the fork in … Read more
THE WHY: Background Story This month marks a jubilant celebration for Kids Corner, a vibrant pediatric medical and dental clinic in the heart of Oakville, Ontario. At the helm of this thriving practice stand two remarkable pediatric dentists, Dr. Laura Vertullo and Dr. Yili Wang. Their journey began as student acquaintances at the University of Toronto, … Read more
Updated March 1, 2024: Health Canada’s Safety Code 30 (Radiation Protection in Dentistry – Recommended Safety Procedures for the Use of Dental X-Ray Equipment – Safety Code 30 (2022)) now states that lead aprons are not required during routine dental x-rays, with the exception of CBCT procedures. We should stop using lead aprons. That’s what the American … Read more
Dementia is a complex condition that affects over 733,000 people in Canada. It is caused by a decline in a person’s cognitive abilities and can severely impact their memory, behaviour, language and reasoning. While many people recognize that dementia can affect the brain’s ability to function, what is not so commonly known is that it … Read more
Hygiene Spotlight features an exceptional dental hygienist every month. This month we are showcasing Kellie Watson and her extraordinary work in Saskatchewan’s oral health community. Why did you decide to pursue dental hygiene as a career? I have always had a passion for health and wellness, and I love helping people. As a child, I looked … Read more
Change for the Better: Are flawed processes holding your team back from experiencing better efficiency, healthier clients, happier employees, and continued practice growth? Challenge: As part of the administrative team, we encounter a notable challenge in the effective transfer of information from clinicians. Our daily workload is often marked by a bustling environment – clients … Read more
Afew weeks ago, I was delivering a continuing education session to a group of lovely general dentists, and following my lecture I opened the floor to questions. I found myself in an intriguing situation: a dentist in attendance asked if I had heard about patients taking several Tums before receiving local anesthesia to enhance its … Read more
The field of implant dentistry has seen rapid innovation since Per-Ingvar Brånemark1 placed the first screw-retained dental implant in 1965. Yet, the approach to osteotomy creation has remained largely unchanged. Even with the advent of guided implant surgery and drilling innovations,2 patients are still expected to wait anywhere from three to six months for delivery of the … Read more
In addition to financial and physical barriers in accessing care, people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are on a spectrum for their ability to tolerate dental procedures (Fig. 1).3 Oral Health Care Provider’s ability and willingness to treat are factors determining the delivery of oral health care. Many oral health care providers feel they … Read more
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses illnesses of the heart and blood vessels.1 Worldwide, amongst all the CVDs, coronary heart disease (CHD) is leading cause of mortality and loss of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) globally.2,3 In Canada, approximately 2.6 million people aged 20 and above are diagnosed with heart disease.4 Although mortality in patients with known heart disease has … Read more
Epinephrine is the second-most frequently administered medication by dentists as it is present in almost all local anesthetic cartridges. Epinephrine is an endogenous hormone released from the adrenal medulla. Its main function is to support the body in times of physiologic stress by increasing cardiac output and glucose delivery to tissues.1 Within dentistry, epinephrine serves … Read more
Semaglutide, more commonly known by the brand names Ozempic®, Rybelsus®, and Wegovy™ is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that has been used for several years in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ozempic® and its cousins are recognizable names now because of their role in weight loss programs. The first GLP-1 agonist was … Read more
The maxillary nerve (V2) block via the greater palatine canal is a technique for providing profound anesthesia of the hemi-maxilla. However, many dentists lack confidence with respect to administering the maxillary block, as they are relatively unfamiliar with the anatomy of the region as it relates to this method. It has the advantage of obviating … Read more
On December 14, 2023, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) published a document entitled “Best Practices for Orthognathic Surgery in Out-Of-Hospital Facilities” (referred to as the “Best Practices Document” in the rest of this article), in which it specified a recommendation that, “[t]he general anaesthesia is administered by a medical anesthesiologist…” but … Read more
Fear and anxiety toward dentistry are common in all cultures. Such feelings usually originate in childhood, persist through life, lead to avoidance of dental therapy, and contribute to diminished dental health.1 Indeed, psychological factors pose significant barriers to access to oral health care. Dentists are by and large aware that anesthesia and sedation services assist … Read more