Musculoskeletal disorders are unfortunately affecting many dental professionals. A recent systematic review shows the prevalence of general musculoskeletal pain ranging from 64%–93%.⁵ This issue happens as a result of the awkward positions that are held for 6-8 hours during a typical workday. Additionally, there are several other risk factors that come with working in the … Read more
Q: I am an experienced, technically-sound dental hygienist, so why do I have so many periodontitis clients that still have active disease on a three-month maintenance interval? Their plaque control is excellent, there is no detectable subgingival calculus, and I feel I understand endpoint. What am I missing? A: The more experienced you are, the … Read more
When I returned from my first trip over seas since 2019, I realized the true price of what we do for a living. After spending ten days in Italy drinking wine and travelling through the beautiful countryside, I realized that I was tired from how hard I had been working over the last two and … Read more
Oral Health is pleased to share the results of our annual Data Driven Dentistry survey! The purpose of the survey was to understand what dental practices are currently doing to thrive, grow and prosper, with a focus on themes of continuing education, the use of dental labs, transition planning and staffing. We will share the … Read more
A 9-year-old female patient visited the orthodontic office for an initial consultation. She presented with a Class II malocclusion, crowding, and high/blocked out canines on the panorex. (Fig. 1A) The patient was placed on a reassessment schedule and returned 16 months later. She presented with an improved arch form that resulted in decreased crowding. A … Read more
We are all aware that treating children in our dental practice can be extremely challenging. Whether it be their inability to sit long enough to complete their dental treatment or their anticipation or generalized anxiety, these factors and many more add to the difficulty in treating our pediatric patients. Not only is the experience difficult … Read more
Dens invaginatus, also known as dens in dente, is an embryological anomaly that occurs during tooth formation. The condition results in invagination of the amelodental structure within the pulp that can look like a ‘tooth within a tooth’ on radiographic evaluation, hence the nomenclature.1 The reported prevalence of adult teeth affected with dens invaginatus is … Read more
Abstract Orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) is a chronic inflammatory condition with unclear etiopathogenesis that presents with recurrent and/or persistent swelling in the orofacial region. This article describes a case of 14-year-old female with a chief complaint of recurrent swelling of the lips, hyperplastic maxillary anterior gingivae, angular cheilitis, and painful linear ulcerations. The lesion was biopsied, … Read more
Odontomas represent the most common odontogenic tumor, with a prevalence that exceeds that of all other odontogenic tumors combined.1 The designation of odontoma as a tumor is misleading; the entity is in fact a hamartoma with limited growth potential. Growth of the lesion ceases following maturation of the lesional tissues.2,3 Odontomas arise from both odontogenic … Read more
INTRODUCTION Can you feel it? We all feel the stress of doing our next endodontic treatment to one extent or another. Why is that?Stress is present because endodontics is the only dental discipline where we “do it in the dark,” and doing dentistry blind is stressful for any dentist. After entering an endodontic root canal … Read more
As a consultant who is exposed to many new technologies, I can sense that this innovation from Lura Health is going to have a significant impact in dentistry. This ingenious company will soon debut a Bluetooth-enabled salivary diagnostic sensor that can be imbedded into orthodontic appliances such as aligners, retainers, and bands, or bonded to … Read more
Patient experience is the most important part of any healthcare business. An excellent experience doesn’t just mean that you are likely to retain a patient – it can also help you to attract more patients through word of mouth. As well as this, all healthcare professionals strive to give the best treatment, and a patient’s … Read more
Two, Four, Six, Eight! Maximize and Appreciate! This article is the second in a three-part series that reviews some of the major considerations in preparing for practice ownership transition and comprehensive retirement planning. In the previous article, we discussed the two most common ways in which a dental practice is sold and four ways to … Read more
The new Liberal-NDP agreement suggests implementing a national dental care program for low-income Canadians. Such a program could result in the most considerable augmentation of the nation’s public healthcare system in decades. The new “supply-and-confidence” agreement between the Liberals and NDP incorporates a commitment to implementing a sustainable dentistry program. Instead of acting solely on … Read more
Practice overhead is one of the most critical metrics to track. What is your net profit? Where should it be? How you get this number is what truly matters. General practices should be at a net profit of 40% (higher is possible), yet reports show dentists are lucky to see 30% net profit these days. … Read more
THE WHY: Owner’s Story Dr. Elena Kalmantis is the proud owner and principal dentist of Loft 32 Dentistry. Her practice is strategically situated in the quaint nature-inspired town of LaSalle, a beautiful bedroom community next to the City of Windsor, Ontario. Upon graduating from Western University in 2012, she practiced as an associate for 9 … Read more
When I speak about preservation planning, I often hear, “Paul, tell me what can go wrong. What could possibly be my critical event? I am financially secure, in good health and insured for negligent acts. Preservation planning is not on my radar.” That’s a tough question to answer; we do not have a crystal ball … Read more
Because of the special relationship that exists between a healthcare provider and a patient, dental practices must be dedicated to the well-being of their patients. The duty of healthcare providers obligates the entire dental office team to treat patients with dignity. Unlike the transactional relationships that may exist in non-healthcare retail sectors, clinicians and team … Read more
A few months ago, a patient of mine sat down and proudly informed me she had “swimmer’s mouth.” It was the first time I had ever heard that term, but having only been practicing dental hygiene for 3 years, I assumed it was something I had perhaps missed while in school. Upon further inquiry, I … Read more
Wikipedia defines neurodiversity, neurodivergence, or neurovariance as “Variations in the human brain and cognition, for instance in sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions.”1 The term was first coined in the 1990’s by sociologist Judy Singer and tended to be used when discussing autism spectrum disorder and attention hyperactivity disorder within the self-advocacy movement. … Read more