A patient comes into your practice complaining of a toothache, so you perform a careful examination and take radiographs. But what happens next puzzles you. There is no clinical evidence that something is wrong with the tooth, yet the patient is still in pain. Is the person crazy? Not always, according to Kenneth Moore, DDS, and John Orsi, DDS, two orofacial pain and sleep medicine experts from the University of
One concern when using CAD/CAM milled restorations for mandibular first molars is the potential loss of volume during preparation compared with conventionally fabricated restorations. But does this concern stand up to scrutiny? A new study put five types of restorations through their paces to find out. Researchers found that conventionally fabricated and CAD/CAM restorations showed similar volume loss after preparation, potentially eliminating this concern. The study was published in the
Can you identify the “never events” in dentistry — patient care incidents that safety experts agree should never happen? The concept of these never events is familiar in medicine, but its use in dentistry is more limited. An international team of researchers developed a list of dental never events that goes beyond wrong-tooth extraction. The group methodically created a list of never events and then sought input on their suitability
Dear Practice Management Insider, You likely use practice management software, but do you know how to make the most of it? Practice management expert Lee Bentz outlined how dental practices can analyze their success using key performance indicators at the recent California Dental Association’s CDA Presents 2018 meeting in Anaheim, CA. Read more here. When you are considering taking the step into multipractice ownership, what does it take to get
How does your office detect early caries? This is the question Ron Kaminer, DDS, asked of an audience at last week’s California Dental Association’s CDA Presents 2018 meeting in Anaheim, CA. Watching may not be an option, but many currently used diagnostic methods have their shortfalls, he noted. “We need more direction in early caries diagnosis,” he said. Dr. Kaminer practices in Hewlett and Oceanside, NY. Not-so-sharp explorers Dr. Kaminer walked the
Dear DrBicuspid Member, ANAHEIM, CA – If you are unable to attend the California Dental Association’s CDA Presents 2018, HuangshanDental.com has you covered. Here are some of the highlights of events and presentations at the meeting. Our coverage will continue into next week. In a dramatic keynote address on Thursday, former tobacco researcher Victor DeNoble, PhD, recounted how he fled a top-secret laboratory in 1985 with a desk drawer and
A highlight of the California Dental Association’s upcoming CDA Presents 2018 meeting in Anaheim, CA, will be the many new products on display in the exhibit hall. Here we bring you a preview of these products. Our exhibit hall preview includes endodontic, hygiene, practice management, restorative, and software products. The new Gutta-Smart devices. Image courtesy of Dentsply Sirona Endodontics. Endodontics Dentsply Sirona Endodontics debuts cordless obturation device Dentsply Sirona Endodontics
How successful are dental implants inserted with low torque? Do they provide sufficient stability for early-stage loading? To find out, researchers retrospectively examined short-term outcomes of treating edentulous maxillary arches with four implants supporting an immediate fixed prosthesis. They analyzed results from 83 patients who received 332 implants at one clinic using the All-on-4 treatment protocol concept (Nobel Biocare). The results indicated that implant success with lower insertion torque was
Previous research has indicated a link between higher levels of tooth decay and children who are abused or neglected. But if a child sees a physician, not a dentist, can the physician recognize the oral health signs that might suggest neglect is taking place? Many children in the U.K. do not have a dental home, so these at-risk children may be seeing a general physician before they see a dentist.
Dear DrBicuspid Member, Previous research has indicated a link between higher levels of tooth decay and children who are neglected. But if a child sees a physician, not a dentist, can the physician recognize the oral health signs that might suggest neglect is taking place? The results of a new study suggest this is not the case. Learn more here. Dental trauma requires prompt treatment to save teeth, yet 20%
Are there any ways to prevent minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, also known as canker sores, in your pediatric patients? Do hygiene habits, practitioner preventive protocols, or psychosocial factors contribute to its occurrence? A new study examined these relationships. Researchers performed intraoral exams on children between the ages 5 and 12 and also interviewed them and administered a questionnaire to the study participants. They found associations between minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis
As dentists, we know the impact of oral health on overall health. As specialized doctors, we have an implicit responsibility to provide quality care for our growing population of aging patients — one highly vulnerable to the consequences of poor oral health — and we must understand how their needs differ from the average patient. To adapt our practices to aging patients, we must look at common clinical problems this
