At the turn of the twentieth century, most people could expect to lose their teeth by middle age. That situation began to change with the discovery of fluoride, and the observation that people who lived in communities with naturally fluoridated drinking water had far less dental caries than people in comparable communities without fluoride…
A successful implant system cannot be determined by one single feature alone. As with nature, many interdependent features must work together to create a cohesive whole. Biterite, a facility certified in utilizing the Astra Tech Implant System™, directly integrates aesthetics into the implant system design. This system works together with nature supporting the natural healing…
Studying the diseases and disorders affecting craniofacial tissues can provide scientists with models of systemic pathology. Because some craniofacial tissues such as bones, mucosa, muscles, joints, and nerve endings have counterparts in other parts of the body and these tissues are often more accessible to research analysis than deeper-lying tissues. Researchers studying craniofacial tissues can…
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,…
