In the last issue of Oral Hygiene, the introduction to this topic and Secret #1 was revealed. If you missed it, be sure to look back at this article. Secret #2: Be a Leader Being indispensable at a dental practice means taking on a leadership role. A leader is a visionary who motivates and encourages … Read more
Q: How do I stage and grade Necrotizing Periodontal Disease (NPD) and Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Diseases (PMSD)? A: NPD and PMSD fall under the classification of “Periodontitis” in the new 2018 America Academy of Periodontology (AAP) global classification. (See Table 1.) However, the guidelines don’t recommend staging and grading these types of … Read more
Confession. I eat chocolate every day and I don’t feel guilty. I also don’t make my clients feel guilty about having a sweet tooth. That’s because I know how to decrease the harm from sweets on my teeth and I tell my clients how to do the same. We all have bad habits that we … Read more
If you think that providing clear aligners is a complex and unpredictable process, it’s time to get Candid with your patients – literally. CandidPro is a clear aligner platform that provides oversight and integrated orthodontic treatment planning with licensed orthodontists. The platform is simple to use, and the opportunity to obtain support from orthodontists brings … Read more
Bite changes have been a most exciting topic in dentistry over the last 20 years. We now know that our skulls are changing in shape as our brains have enlarged and our diets have softened. According to the research of Lieberman,1 Corrucini,2 Weston Price3 and Nestor,4 our midfaces are retruding due to epigenetic factors. The … Read more
Abstract This case report presents a novel intramuscular injection directed at the lateral pterygoid muscles as a potential treatment for Tinnitus in a TMD-related pain patient. The authors present a clinical case of a chronic TMD-related pain patient with chief complaints of jaw pain and tinnitus. The patient presented with additional symptoms, including ear pain, … Read more
Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses lasting longer than 12 weeks and accompanied by pathologic symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, nasal congestion, and facial pain/pressure. Symptoms of nasal obstruction, nasal discharge, and hyposmia or anosmia become more prominent when CRS is complicated by nasal polyposis (NP).1 NP complicates a quarter to … Read more
We have all been there before, at some point in our career when we realize we are missing the right tool for the job. Whether it’s working on a house project, cooking a meal or, as dentists, operating on teeth. Lasers have been around for many years in medicine and dentistry however, we are now … Read more
Abstract Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a broad term for pain and/or dysfunction in the masticatory musculature, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and associated structures. Limitations in jaw mobility sound arising from the TMJ and orofacial pain are common reasons patients may seek dental care. While symptoms of TMD may be common, the pathophysiology of this condition is … Read more
In the recent years, and more so since the introduction of OpenAI’s Dall-E and ChatGPT, the terms “artificial intelligence” (AI) and “machine learning” (ML) have become commonplace. What was considered as science fiction for many years is slowly becoming a reality, and in fact, we are surrounded by artificial intelligence almost every moment of our … Read more
Letter to the Editor: What is palatal expansion? If you search it on the internet, a palate expander – also called an orthodontic or palatal expander – is an oral device used to widen a narrow upper jaw. The inference is that the upper jaw just widens in a two-dimensional or along an axial plane. … Read more
According to our survey respondents, most dentists are still using external dental labs and have no immediate plans of adding an in-house lab to their practice. This is to be expected as starting up and running a dental lab requires high costs and a lot of work. Essentially, it is committing to running another entire … Read more
If you grew up in the ’70s and ’80s like me, “The Terminator” movies portrayed artificial intelligence (AI) and robots as something to be feared. We all rooted for Sarah and John Connor in the war for the survival of humanity against the rise of Skynet’s synthetic intelligence. These self-aware military machines, able to learn … Read more
This pandemic assault on us all has turned our world as we’ve known it into a new reality. The anxiety levels can be felt, seen, and measured. The current economic climate further amplifies this undercurrent of constant assault: climbing interest rates, increased inflation, the cost of housing, and wars. In this time of enormous change, … Read more
3D printing has made its mark on nearly every industry in recent years. From automotive to education, almost every sector can find ways to put this technology to use – including dentistry. Today, dentists can 3D print aligners, retainers, and even dental implants at a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing methods. That’s something … Read more
Technological developments have transformed how healthcare is performed for as long as healthcare has existed. As digital technologies become more widespread and more sophisticated, they will continue to reshape the world of healthcare. Digitalization is improving productivity and efficiency across all industries – and healthcare can see some of the biggest benefits of digital technology. … Read more
NAP is a marketing acronym, which means name, address, and phone number. The short answer is that NAP consistency is the accuracy and uniformity of your dental practice’s basic information. The long answer revolves around local SEO (search engine optimization), which is what it takes to put your dental practice on the map. The foundation … Read more
THE WHY: The Owner’s Story Oris Dental Clinics is in Richmond Hill, Ontario. It is the first location and the dreamchild of a planned expanding network of practices. The four doctors (Masoud Varshosaz, Behnam Bohluli, Ali Shakib, and Maziar Shahzad Dowlatshahi) are not only proud business partners but also highly experienced practicing clinicians with an … Read more
News flash! There is no such thing as the “perfect” dental practice. Despite our best efforts, “stuff” happens, and these “pop-up” situations can temporarily keep us from having a practice that is fun, fulfilling, and financially successful. Good news? The S.O.A.P. format we learned in dental school to diagnose “patient dental problems” can be used … Read more
Q: This is a constant a debate among the hygienists in our practice. Do you provide nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) for children? A: If they do not fall within the parameters of health, then yes, they need nonsurgical periodontal therapy. The term “child” is defined as a young individual below the age of puberty or, … Read more