Today I’d like to look at a few disorders which are chronic and can cause a variety of pains or disabilities. Oral, dental, or craniofacial signs and symptoms play a critical role in autoimmune disorders such as Sjögren’s syndrome and in a number of similar conditions. Sjögren’s syndrome is one of several autoimmune disorders in…
Dentists will be no stranger to how to a systemic condition can affect a patient’s overall health, and they may be familiar with how it can affect their oral health too. Today I’m going to talk about the unique challenges presented by a patient with diabetes mellitus. Type 1 (insulin dependent) and Type 2…
In my dedication to discussing and expanding the horizons of dental discussion, today I’d like to talk about more systemic conditions. It’s a fact a significant portion of the population must deal with a systemic condition, and their access to dental care is as valuable as those without. A comprehensive periodontal evaluation of your patient…
Recently, while discussing implant treatment assessment and procedures, we looked at a problematic female patient. Today, let’s look at a 45 year old man with a maxillary fixed partial denture which is failing. The patient expresses a desire to have a new prosthesis in the same manner as the original, but with “more teeth showing.”…
There has been much written about factors influencing the long term success of dental implants and the many variations in prosthodontic design and application. But patients don’t care about the number implant designs available. They do not care whether implants are coated with hydroxyapatite, and nor do they care where the implants were manufactured, and…
In light of recent news about the changing approach to dental care providers with HIV/AIDs being permitted to participate in care again after a long ban, I thought we could focus today on discussion immune system disorders in the patient. Immune System Disorders Some forms of periodontal disease may be more severe in individuals affected…
Today I’d like to discuss some of the less prominent, but still important, contributing factors to oral health, starting with olfactory and sensory organs: Sensory and Motor Functioning Sensory nerve endings in the craniofacial tissues are well-preserved in aging and, for the most part, have the capacity for life-long near- functioning. The exception is olfaction,…
We’ve been discussing a lot of different topics in dentistry, and today we’re hitting on a subject not often broached, even in mainstream health discussion: craniofacial developmental disorders. Developmental Disorders Craniofacial birth defects include manifestations like cleft lip or palate, eyes too closely or widely spaced, deformed ears, eyes mismatched in colour, and facial asymmetries.…
We’ve been speaking recently about the dental implant treatment process. Today, let’s look at an actual patient, her initial evaluation and treatment. The patient, a white 65 year old female, is a heavy smoker and a heavy drinker. Previous dental care in the maxillary arch is failing; radiographs reveal no salvageable teeth, but adequate bone…
Understanding oral health means understanding the most basic root of most oral health problems, from the basic to the advanced: gum disease, or gingivitis. I hope this article is illuminating on this most important of dental subjects. Gingivitis The effects of early gingivitis, as dental professionals are aware, are reversible with adequate oral hygiene, although…
