Features Archive - Page 81 of 214

Presentation of a Mandibular Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Study Report

Abstract Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare vascular lesions composed of arteries and veins with congenital structural defects. Their ambiguous clinical and radiographic presentations make their recognition and diagnosis challenging for dental professionals. A healthy 14-year-old male presented to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Ontario with a chief concern of hematogenous malignancy that … Read more

Paediatric Anaesthesia Neurotoxicity: Bring Back the Papoose Board?

Every day children of all ages are sedated or anaesthetized for dental treatment both in the hospital and more commonly now in the dental office. The use of physical restraint for a dental procedure in a child has largely been replaced or significantly reduced with the use of sedative or general anaesthetic drugs. Previously it … Read more

Early Orthodontic Treatment

Arat-Thumbnail alternate text for this image

Early orthodontic treatment refers to orthodontic intervention before the eruption of permanent dentition (except third molars) is complete.1 In orthodontic literature, the benefits of early orthodontic treatment have been a topic of much debate.2-10 Some clinicians may prefer to defer orthodontic treatment to the adolescent age period, however many others attempt to intervene in the … Read more

Keep Calm and Don’t Vape

It is difficult these days to walk down the street and not have a cloud of smoke engulf your face from a nearby electronic vaping device. My first response to this occurrence is to hold my breath or attempt to dodge the cloud altogether. When I am unable to do so, I am always shocked … Read more

Paid

Leaders in Practice Awards – Cast Your Votes Today!

Designed to recognize Excellence in Dentistry, the Leaders in Practice awards celebrate dental care professionals who are passionate about providing optimal patient care and making a difference in the lives of Canadians. The shortlist of up to 10 nominees in each of the eight categories—including Practice Principal and Associate Dentist —is available on the Leaders … Read more

Winter Blues: Navigating Patients’ Loneliness

It’s been said that there is no health without mental health—the truth of this statement is difficult to refute. Mental illness presents a serious barrier to receiving good health care and dental care is no exception. The enormity of this public health concern becomes clear when you consider that, at any moment in Canada, mental … Read more

Planning for the Next Decade, and Beyond

Happy New Year! Now that 2020 has arrived, it is a perfect time to reflect on the highlights of the past decade and plan for the future. I realize that planning is likely low on the list of fun things to do but, before you turn on that Netflix series, know that the effort spent … Read more

Braganza Periodontics

Braganza-Front_Desk-Full-thumbnail alternate text for this image

Dr. Annabel Braganza had long envisioned moving her practice to a brand new space in her own new building in Peterborough, Ontario. Not only would this be a good investment in real estate, but it would afford her the luxury of designing the office of her dreams, totally state of the art, in a way … Read more

How Not to Market Your Dental Practice: Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid

There was a time not too long ago when dentists relied on word-of-mouth referrals. Marketing was virtually unheard of, as most people just went to the same local dental practice that their friends and family use. Oh, how times have changed! Today, there is not a local dentist, but dozens of them in most cities. … Read more

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2020

Did you set any goals or New Year resolutions? Did you feel that by the time 2020 arrived you would have achieved or accomplished certain things? Have you reflected on why you have or haven’t succeeded? When the New Year rolls around, I always find it’s a time I catch myself reflecting on the year … Read more

Proactive Intervention Dentistry: Nurturing the Oral Environment

“Environment” is a real buzzword in the news today. Pollution, climate, sustainable, maintainable, crisis, emergency. Do we have control or not? One area where we as dental professionals have some control is the oral environment! We are the custodians of our patients’ oral environment. Of course, things can spiral out of control when our patients … Read more

BOPT: For Sustainable Periodontal Health and Optimal Esthetics

Conti-14-C alternate text for this image

The challenge currently facing reconstructive dentistry is how to obtain excellent esthetic results while preserving the biological structures involved as much as possible. Today, the clinician and the technician have materials and procedures at their disposal which make it possible to recreate esthetics and function in a simpler and more predictable way.1,2,3 One of the … Read more

Neutrophils: Potential Culprits in Tooth Decay

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly all adults have dental caries at some point in time.1 Resin composite is the most used restorative material in dentistry;2 most resin composite restorations are placed due to secondary caries or recurrent caries that cause restoration failure at a cost of $30 billion a year in North America.3 … Read more

Partial Extraction Therapy: An Approach to Preserve the Buccal Plate

Single dental implant placement immediately post extraction for the rehabilitation of esthetic areas is a predictable procedure characterized by high survival rates in the short and long terms.1,2 However, this is challenging to achieve as the restoration is required to mimic the natural profile in near perfect symmetry along with the contralateral tooth present.2 To … Read more

Case Study: Anterior Composite Rehabilitation: A Minimally Invasive Approach

OH-Dec-Anterior-Composite alternate text for this image

Introduction Many patients present in their mid-forties with shortened anterior teeth. While not severe enough to warrant crown placement, early composite augmentation restores cuspid guidance and incisal length before wear destroys anterior teeth, flattens posterior cusps and exposes dentin generally throughout the mouth. This article, written by Dr. Peter Walford, a general dentist and dental … Read more

Fibre Reinforcing Composite Resins

Many restorative procedures are limited by the relatively low fracture toughness of composite resins. Improving the fracture strength of these materials enables dentists to provide their patients with a possible alternative to indirect restorations that inevitably require further tissue preparation and tooth loss. Fibre reinforcing of composite resins is not a new idea and several … Read more

Guided Implantology: The SMART Guide

Antal-36-OH-Dec alternate text for this image

The tremendous proliferation of implant services worldwide has created a need for simplified and more predictable treatment guidance modalities. There are currently a number of surgical guide platforms available, but most systems are strictly limited to specific implant catalogues, typically the products sold by the surgical guide sponsor. Other surgical guides are “open systems” and … Read more

Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning in Dental Radiology: A Way Forward in Point of Care Radiology

Introduction The introduction of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to dmf (dentomaxillofacial) radiology in the late 1990s transformed the way the profession as a whole analyzes the oral and maxillofacial complex.1 Dental providers, who previously were limited to two-dimensional (2D) images of three dimensional (3D) anatomical structures, now had the ability to visualize the hard … Read more

Dental Service Organizations: They’re Not All The Same

The dental industry in Canada is evolving. With over 24,000 dentists and 14,000 practices across the country, today’s market is highly saturated and fragmented. The fragmentation, along with increased expectations of consumers, has given rise to a new business model: Dental Service Organizations (DSOs). DSOs can be thought of as independent business support centers that … Read more

Data Driven Dentistry: 2019 Round-Up!

DDD-April-Intromain alternate text for this image

Smile! Your Patients Are Watching You Your front desk staff are the first point of contact with your practice for many patients, so it makes sense they have such an influence over first impressions. Make sure you’re hiring friendly administrative staff who provide the most positive experience for your patients, whether it’s over the phone … Read more