The fundamental principles of preventive dentistry are the preservation of tooth structure and the repair of lesions to minimize the risk of progression of oral disease. The management of the dynamic equilibrium of demineralization/remineralization of tooth enamel is key to this process. Acidic attack on dental tissue is most often caused by bacterial sugar conversion … Read more
What a crazy and upside-down world we live in! But if you slow down and pay attention, things may start to come together… About a year ago I decided to make the theme of this issue of Oral Health – oral inflammation and systemic health concerns. Having read much and written a little on the … Read more
Graft materials are used to restore the physiological and anatomical function of diseased or damaged bone tissues via repair and/or regeneration.1-4 There are various graft options available for maxillofacial bone grafting which are divided into natural tissue transplants (autografts from the same individual, allografts from cadavers of same species and xenografts which are from animal … Read more
In recent years, the public’s acceptance of oral implants has been dramatically positive. People are living longer and desire an enhanced quality of life. Being able to eat all the foods they enjoy due to improved mastication, not requiring the full dentures of their grandparents, comfortably eating and speaking at the dinner table not only … Read more
It would be beneficial if there was evidence on how to maintain implants that is measurable and predictable. Much of the information is empirical and based on the assumption that traditional oral hygiene for natural teeth will be the same for implants. In some cases this may be true, but for many it is misguided. … Read more
Periodontitis has now been established as a major chronic inflammatory disease. There exist significant links to systemic health conditions under the umbrella of the “oral systemic link”. Recent epidemiologic research has linked periodontal pathogens to several systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and preterm birth, possibly mediated through markers of systemic infection and inflammation. … Read more
Abstract Collagen repair and regeneration is a continual process. With chronic inflammation, however, collagen and tissue repair are compromised. Not only is the periodontium severely impacted, but systemic health is placed at risk. What causes excessive collagen breakdown and how does this impact oral health? Collagen supplementation (with questionable science) has become a fast-growing trend, … Read more
Introduction Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a potentially debilitating and deadly disease, particularly when diagnosed at an advanced stage.1 Early detection drastically improves prognostic outcomes, making diagnosis a race against time.2 Most cases of OSCC begin as a precursor lesion or condition, classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an “oral potentially malignant … Read more
INTRODUCTION As the COVID-19 pandemic moves across the world, research shows confirmed human to human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 with its symptoms ranging from mild flu-like to severe life-threatening pneumonia.1 At this point, there is no specific treatment available in combating COVID-19. Healthcare professionals use multidisciplinary approaches, including multi-drug treatment and intensified therapeutic measures, that can … Read more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report at the end of 2019 that has been overshadowed by COVID-19. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States 2019 is a wake-up call to health care providers. In the introduction, the CDC Director implores us to “Stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era – … Read more
“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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The world is changing rapidly and shows no sign of slowing down. It often feels like we are completely surrounded by gloom and doom – businesses closing, people being laid off, the nature of so many industries losing their focus and their way… But not so dentistry! In a world that has been turned upside … Read more