Background Even with the declining prevalence of dental caries in industrialized countries during the past decades, predominately due to fluoride use, 1 dental caries is still a major problem in most industrialized countries, affecting 60% to 90% of children, and the vast majority of adults. 2 Also, there is mounting international evidence that this decline … Read more
Occlusal decay and its consequences have a major impact on the dental health of our patients. It is the single most common chronic childhood disease world-wide 1 and its results affect our patients throughout their lives. Molars and premolars are vulnerable, especially during their eruption phase. Deep pits and fissures provide an ideal environment for … Read more
I first began using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in my private pediatric dental practice in 2015. Minimally Invasive Dentistry is a topic near and dear to my heart as a mother and advocate for improving children’s oral health and safety. My own daughter having surgery under general anesthesia at just nine months coupled with experiencing … Read more
The concept of using amputation to treat an infectious disease was last used by the medical profession to treat gangrene in the late 1800s. The pharmacological management of dental caries aims to leave most caries in situ, killing the bacteria and enabling infected dentin to heal as arrested caries. A way of achieving this is … Read more
Keywords Minimal Invasive Dentistry, Tooth whitening, White spot lesion, CPP-ACP, MI Paste Abstract This article discusses the philosophy behind the clinical protocols to achieve enhanced results in tooth whitening, and the successful reversal of enamel white spot lesions. External tooth whitening has long been recognized as having successful but variable results. An often-unintended consequence of … Read more
Introduction Approximately 90% or more of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). These often begin as potentially malignant oral lesions such as a white patch (leukoplakia; Fig. 1), or red patch (erythroplakia; Fig. 2), 1 which progress to an invasive cancer.1 Although the term “premalignant” is widely used for such lesions, the term “potentially … Read more
What an amazing world we live in – constant information at our fingertips…news…views…and more…till we plead for a break. We are constantly plugged into some device spewing data and opinion at us, so that we start to confuse opinion for fact and our own opinions become suspect. What are they really based on? The 24/7 … Read more
There has been an overwhelming response to the Leaders in Practice award program. In just two months, over 500 dental health professionals were nominated for their contributions to the industry and their communities. It is exciting (but not surprising) to see so many in the field valued for their commitment to excellence and integrity, two … Read more
In order for implant therapy to be successful there is a need for the dental implant to be adequately integrated into host bone in the proper position in three dimensions. For this to be achieved, adequate height and volume of alveolar bone is required. However, the alveolar ridge is prone to resorption following extraction of … Read more
Keywords Composite Resin, Gloss retention, Tooth Brushing, Surface Roughness Abstract The surface gloss and average surface roughness (Ra) of eleven RBCs was measured after brushing with Colgate Optic White toothpaste. It was found that toothbrushing with a dentifrice had the least effect on the surface of Mosaic Enamel and Filtek Supreme Ultra composites, and the greatest … Read more
Introduction Non-sterile clinical gloves are a key component of Standard Precautions. It was envisaged that their use, when there was a risk of direct contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin or mucous membranes, would prevent potential pathogens in those locations from being transmitted to other patients and, therefore, assist in reducing healthcare associated infections. … Read more
There are many systems that can be implemented in a dental practice to enhance time management between dentists and hygienists. Although these solutions are relatively simple and easy to implement, they require the cooperation of all members of the administrative team. Let’s look at managing hygiene exams and assessments. The first question to ask is, … Read more
Do you ever request your patients to close on the saliva ejector to evacuate fluids from their mouths? If so, when was the last time you effectively cleaned out the valve? When a patient closes on the saliva ejector or the tip becomes occluded, backflow may occur due to a temporary drop in vacuum pressure. … Read more
The public’s perception of saliva is low indeed. The act of spitting on someone is considered a vile act, one of disrespect, and even hate. Yet, in some cases, spitting can be done in a joking manner, as in a Canadian produced comedic program where residents of one town, upon hearing the name of their … Read more
Do you find that each of your instrumentation kits typically contain the same instruments? Are most of your instruments similar to what you were taught in school? I usually start my instrumentation presentations by asking the audience these two questions. More times than not, the majority of the room agrees that their kits are the … Read more
It’s that time of year. The alarm goes off and you get out of bed to start the day. You peek outside the window and surprise – it’s still dark. Your motivation to get the day started is lagging. You pull yourself together and head to work. You manage to have a successful and productive … Read more
As a society we are in the midst of a popular growing obsession with mindfulness as the secret to health, happiness and success in any field of human endeavour, including dentistry! What was a fringe movement in our busy society is now becoming an increasingly prominent part of our cultural landscape. Cultivating “mindfulness” into your … Read more
Introduction Looking at online forums that discuss dental implants, one cannot help but notice a heavy emphasis on the surgical aspect of implant prosthodontics with the prosthodontic phase often overlooked or barely discussed. It is our opinion that this line of thinking often results in multiple (sometimes unnecessary) surgical procedures that may yield outcomes that … Read more
Introduction The severely worn dentition often poses a challenge to the restorative clinician. Diagnosis and treatment planning involve multidisciplinary and in-depth evaluation of etiological, esthetic, occlusal, functional and preventive factors. Modern dentistry has made tremendous progress in areas of decay prevention, treatment of periodontitis and preservation of the natural dentition. Patients in general are more … Read more
Introduction With ever-evolving digital technologies in dentistry, the level of sophistication and accuracy that can be accomplished today is unsurpassed. Dental laboratories seem to be leading the charge as they embrace the predictability of CAD/CAM generated fixed restorations. Similarly, many clinicians are replacing traditional impression materials with intraoral scanners. However, the consistent management of the … Read more