Don’t it always seem to go/That you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. – Joni Mitchell (“Big Yellow Taxi”) There is an active application to recognize Dental Anesthesia as a dental specialty nationwide. Dental Anesthesia is recognized as a specialty in Ontario as well as in the United States and Japan. This assistive … Read more
Introduction Subcutaneous emphysema is a well-known complication that can occur during dental procedures. It arises when air is forcefully pushed into the submucosal spaces, leading to tissue distension. This trapping of air can progressively spread through the facial spaces, which are anatomical regions of loose connective tissue between muscles and bones. The consequences of subcutaneous … Read more
As dental care professionals, we are all familiar with measuring our patients’ blood pressure. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been several changes in our health care system, some of which have led to the question: is it time we make changes to the frequency of blood pressure measurements in the dental … Read more
Nitrous oxide is an odorless, colourless, inorganic gas that has been used in dental and surgical anesthesia since the mid-1800s. The combination of inhaled nitrous oxide and oxygen provides mild conscious sedation that can effectively manage dental anxiety. Beyond conscious sedation, nitrous oxide is commonly used in medical surgeries requiring general anesthesia in combination with … Read more
The primary function of an automated external defibrillator (AED) is to convert certain fatal non-perfusing heart rhythms back into perfusing heart rhythms (producing a pulse that can provide oxygen to vital organs). They are now a required component of the Basic Life Support (BLS) training courses for healthcare providers such as dentists and dental personnel. … Read more
Abstract Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopment disorder that can present challenging behavioral and airway management during general anesthesia. This case report involves a 25-year-old female patient with CdLS who received a moderate sedation for dental treatment at the Adult Surgicentre, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. CdLS is associated with … Read more
Introduction Rehabilitation of completely edentulous maxillary and mandibular arches should satisfy form, function and esthetics. Such rehabilitations can be carried out either with or without implants. Although contemporary rehabilitation of completely edentulous situations is inclining towards dental implants, the demand for conventional removable prosthodontics is still high owing to surgical, economic and patient’s medical limitations. … Read more
“It’s been too hard living/But I’m afraid to die/’Cause I don’t know what’s up there/Beyond the sky” – A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke. According to Bill Bryson’s book, The Body, there are about 8,000 things that can kill us. Of course, only one cause has to succeed, and at least one will … Read more
Summary This case report provides a review of the use of the intramuscular (IM) injection of glycopyrrolate bromide as an antisialagogue. In this case, copious saliva interfered with the ability to obtain an accurate impression of the tooth preparation. Glycopyrrolate was delivered intramuscularly to the deltoid muscle. Drying was adequate, and a successful impression was … Read more
No, it was not a copy editor who wrote the title of this opinion piece. It was I, Derek, a practising dentist anesthesiologist, who wrote this after having contemplated writing a piece on something rather the opposite. I thought it might be interesting to discuss Evzio, a naloxone auto-injector that is beginning to encounter more … Read more
Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is an intravenous (IV) sedative-hypnotic agent commonly used for the IV induction and maintenance of general anesthesia.1 It has a rapid-onset, provides a rapid recovery even after multiple bolus doses or continuous infusion, and has anti-emetic properties which decreases the incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting.1 These benefits helped propofol become the most … Read more
Keywords: local anesthetic, allergy, diphenhydramine, emergency treatment Abstract Allergy to local anesthetics is a rare condition which poses a unique challenge for dental treatment. In this article, we present a case of suspected allergy to conventional local anesthetics which was managed successfully using 1% diphenhydramine solution with 1:100,000 parts epinephrine as an alternative means of … Read more
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more conscious about their overall health. It is a good moment to discuss tobacco smoking cessation with our patients. Tobacco smoking has overall devastating effects on health. It continues to be the number one cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. An estimated 45,000 Canadians die each … Read more
Local anesthetics are used by dentists extensively and when used erroneously, such as intravenously or above the maximum dose, life-threatening local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) can result. The signs and symptoms of LAST can appear immediately after injection if injected directly into a blood vessel or delayed if the anesthetic is absorbed from the tissue … Read more
Viewpoint: Introduction On August 26th, 2020 Professor Mark Woodhouse, a senior scientific advisor to the UK Government stated the following, “We couldn’t think of anything better to do. Lockdown was a panic measure and I believe history will see that trying to control Covid-19 through lockdown was a monumental mistake on a global scale, the … Read more
Are there limits to the convenience culture? In a world where a click of an app can keep you well read, well fed and cozy in bed, all without leaving the house, consumers have come to not just prefer just-in-time service, but they expect it. Dentistry is not exempt from this sea change in customer … Read more
The American Dental Board of Anesthesiology submitted on July 25 an application and request to the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards to be recognized as the certifying board for the newly approved specialty of dental anesthesiology. The application comes about four months after the National Commission adopted a resolution to … Read more
Governor Doug Ducey is demanding immediate answers and action from Arizona’s Dental Board after an ABC15 investigation revealed a Valley dentist obtained a general anesthesia permit using documents multiple people and organizations said are fake and fraudulent. In a letter sent Monday, Ducey directed the board’s executive director, Elaine Hugunin, to respond to his questions … Read more
The theme of the 10th Annual Sedation Safety Week, which runs today through Friday, is “Awareness.” Sedation Safety Week (SSW) programs and activities are free and open to all oral health professionals. Details are available at www.SedationSafetyWeek.com. As it has each spring since March 2009, SSW – hosted by DOCS Education – aims to remind oral health professionals … Read more
The Alberta Dental Association and College (ADA&C) has permanently suspended single operator sedation. The motion was passed at a meeting on May 24, which states that registered dentists in Alberta can no longer “simultaneously provide deep sedation or general anesthesia and dental treatment.” The motion also requires the ADA&C council to adopt the American Society of … Read more