In my commitment to expanding the horizons of dentistry, I’m using this week to present an overview of dental implants in periodontal therapy. Over the last 30 years, research has validated the success of osseointegrated implants as a viable alternative to fixed or removable dentures. Today’s periodontists are extensively trained in surgical procedures to treat…
Staggering statistics aside, there are endless reasons to prescribe Lava™ Zirconia. Not the least of which is the explosive growth in patient demand for a crown or bridge with no metal in it. Add that to the look when a patient sees beautiful Lava zirconia where a large amalgam once was and you’ll see the face…
Ideally, what you want for crowns and bridges is a system that does not require you to change preparation and/or impressioning methods. We simply can’t ask you to turn your practice upside down to accommodate our lab. The optimal system would use supragingival preparations where less tooth structure is removed, as compared with porcelain fused…
For more than seventy years researchers and clinicians have been seeking the solution to the weak-link in restorative dentistry: Adhesive bonding of the replacement material to a natural tooth. This search has taken many interesting turns over the years and many a promising lead has often turned into a dead end road. The story, however,…
It was once good enough for teeth to merely be healthy and functional, but during the past twenty-five years patient expectations have changed considerably. With the increasing popularity and availability of veneers, aesthetics now play an important part in the choice of dental restoration. No longer are veneers restricted to the entertainment industry, as they…
The science base in oral health has been evolving at a staggering pace over the past half century. Initial research in this area was primarily in the basic sciences, investigating mechanisms of normal development and pathology in relation to dental caries and periodontal diseases. Prevention research has included controlled clinical studies, with and without randomization,…
No matter how skilled the dentist or how well they are made, from time to time a tooth will veneer fractures or fall off. There are several reasons why this happens, from the kind of veneer to the type and application of the adhesive. There are, as we know, two main types of veneers; composite…
There is more than ample evidence, garnered from numerous studies in various populations, to support a conclusion that in adult smokers periodontitis is found some three times more than in non-smokers. There’s ample evidence smoking affects dental health, increasing rates of periodontitis. If you just account for the most severely affected patients, the connection between…
Outside of techniques like whitening, and general dentistry, dental implants are one of the hottest topics in the dental sphere. For that reason, I’m presenting a case from Sweden, where a study was conducted on adults with resorbed mandibles. Material and Methods: A new, 4-mm long Straumann SLActive supporting a fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) in…
Implants have been around, in some way or another, for centuries. Only recently did they become a seriously viable option for restoring a smile. A lot of patients aren’t aware of the benefits of implant dentistry, or come into the practice with misconceptions. I’ve drawn up an FAQ, which could be helpful to patients and…
