All About Teeth

Mini Dental Implant Concerns & Implant Course for Dentists

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:39:41 +0000

Mini implants are thin implant posts that can be placed in the jaw in a 30-minute procedure. Placing four mini implants to anchor a denture takes about an hour. Dentists can attend weekend-long courses held by implant manufacturers to learn how to place mini implants, but some professionals don’t think the short training is enough. The American Academy of Implant Dentistry supports more extensive training for mini implants, as is required for traditional implant dentists. Former AAID President Dr. Kim Gowey states that dentists should be “well versed in implant dentistry before using mini implants,” in an article at www.marketwatch.com. She goes on to explain that there aren’t shortcuts for learning how to properly place implants, whether traditional or mini. Knowledge of techniques and the healing process are essential for an implant dentist, according to Gowey.

Mini implants require a less invasive procedure than traditional implant surgery, thus the implant site heals faster. Mini implants are also less expensive than traditional implants. According to a report in Compendium Dental Journal (February 2008), mini implants have a 95% overall success rate. However, current AAID President Dr. Jamie Lozada says that for an implant to be placed an extraction site, a traditional implant is best. The force a single crown incurs with daily biting and chewing may be too much for a mini dental implant to support. Dr. Olivia Palmer, and AAID fellow from South Carolina, says the pressure could negatively impact the bone to cause bone deterioration and failure of the implant. However, for dentures, mini implants work well as stabilizers, according to Lozada.

The AAID offers a respected and well-known credentialing program that provides significant training and information for dentists who want to place traditional or mini implants. MaxiCourses® are held at universities in the United States and abroad. They include more than 300 hours of instruction, lab, lecture, and surgical demonstrations, as well as “home/office” assignments. In most cases, MaxiCourses are held over 10 months, with one onsite meeting per month. The end of the course includes the written AAID Associate Fellow Membership Examination. Learn more about the AAID and MaxiCourses a this website: www.aaid.com.

Original post by Administrator

Health 2.0 and the Wikipedia Entry

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:17:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Well it finally happened…I made my first wikipedia entry (actually, just a small addition) to the Health 2.0 entry. I decided to add the great definition by my friend and colleague Dr. Ian Furst to the webpage:

Health 2.0 is participatory healthcare characterized by the ability to rapidly
share, classify and summarize individual health information with the goals of
improving health care systems, experiences and outcomes via integration of
patients and stakeholders.

I have to say, adding content to wikipedia is really not that hard. I’ve been toying around the idea of creating a dental wiki to formalize and organize a lot of the dental tidbits and facts of the blog. we’ll see if it comes to fruition.

Take care everyone

Sources: Health 2.0 wiki

Dr. Furst’s Wait Time and Delayed Care Blog: http://waittimes.blogspot.com/

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental Health Group in Mississauga
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada
(1/2 km north of the QEW in the Dome Building)
(905) 273-7100

Original post by Hans Skariah, B.Sc. DMD

A New Storm is Brewing

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:02:00 +0000

The phone that I’ve been waiting for is finally here. I’ve been a Blackberry addict for years but my thumb really doesn’t like the side thumbwheel very much. The first touchscreen Blackberry, the Storm, goes on sale today, and even better is that’s from my current provider, Verizon Wireless. I’ll have a full report once I have a chance to actually buy one

Original post by Dr. Lorne Lavine

End of an Era

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:19:00 +0000

One of my all-time favorite magazines, PC Magazine, announced that they will no longer publish a print version after January, 2009. Instead, it will be online only. This is a sad day for not only computer publishing, but publishing in general, and I think you’ll see more and more magazines go this route in the coming years.

Original post by Dr. Lorne Lavine

Dentists, Doctors Putting Patients’ Private Information at Risk

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:24:46 +0000

An article published today at MedicalNewsToday.com says US patient security guidelines, even with HIPPA, are lax compared to Europe’s. Even so, digital devices such as PDAs, cell phones, and laptops are being used by medical professionals worldwide to store patient records, medical images, and other private information that shoud be secured. The article, “Patient Information Could Be Left To Haemorrhage From Mobile Devices, Survey Shows,” says that in the UK, one fifth of healthcare workers use personal electronic devices to store work-related information. Simple password protection, which 35% of UK respondents in the survey admitted to using, is not sufficient security. Six percent claimed to not even use a password, and in the US it’s worse, at 18 percent. The transatlantic survey that revealed this information was based on responses from one thousand healthcare employees. Check out the full article here, which features tips from Credant Technologies for securing information in electronic devices.

Original post by Administrator

Dental News: Mercury’s Coming Out of the Dark

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:42:50 +0000

Mid-year, the FDA released a new statement about safety issues associated with mercury found in amalgam fillings. Basically, the FDA stated that fetuses and children could suffer adverse effects on the nervous system as a direct result of mercury poisoning. Furthermore, pregnant women and people with mercury sensitivity or a high mercury level are also warned to beware of amalgam fillings. The FDA changed its stand, which for years had approved of amalgam fillings, after a law suit by a Moms Against Mercury. This has caused a stir about mercury.

In addition, environmental agencies tell us that some ocean dwelling fish show a high mercury content, which could pose problems for us humans who consume them.

Researchers at University of Pittsburgh delved into the mercury problem and came up with a fast way to detect mercury in fish and in dental samples. The team developed a fluorescent substance that, when it contacts alkynes in mercury, glows bright green. Oxidation has been a problem in former methods of mercury testing, but that’s not so with this new procedure.

For detecting mercury in dental fillings, the process takes about half an hour or an hour, and the test can be performed in a dentist’s office. The research also tested mercury leeching from fillings, and it may be used to detect mercury in dental wastewater in the future.

SOURCE: Findings originally published in Journal of the American Chemical Society. This article was created from information at MedicalNewsToday.com.

Original post by Administrator

Blast from the Past

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:47:00 +0000

Viruses. Hate them. Really…I do. I do everything in my power to prevent from being infected for both myself and my clients. Buts, some get through and many are really nasty. Many of these are famous (or infamous) for the damage they caused. Here’s a really good read on the 10 Worst Computer Viruses of All Time. How many have you been affected by? (I’ll be honest and admit to two of them).

Original post by Dr. Lorne Lavine

Ortho Patients Expand Dining Possibilities

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:03:42 +0000

Wearing traditional braces as an adult comes with a list of “cons” that barely outweighs the “pros.” Dietary restriction is one such con. More than one million adult braces wearers in North America will be pleased to learn that now there’s a cookbook just for them. Two cookbooks, actually.

The Braces Cookbook 2: Comfort Food with a Gourmet Touch by Pamela Waterman and Amee Hoge features delectable dishes that won’t put orthodontic devices at risk. With entrée, dessert, and appetizer dishes, including ideas for vegetarians, The Braces Cookbook expands dining horizons for braces wearers. Tips for eating out and how to wear braces with sophistication and style are also included. The whole family can eat - and enjoy - meals planned from the book.

The first in the set, written expressly for teens, was entitled The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You (and Your Orthodontist) Will Love. It won the Best Arizona Cookbook Glyph Award and was honored with the Good Parenting Seal. Both cookbooks are published by The Discovery Box, and you can find them online at Amazon.com. (The second comes out in December.) Or visit www.bracescookbook.com to learn more. If you’d like to purchase the books for your office, special case pricing is available.

Original post by Administrator

How Suite It Is

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:50:00 +0000

I’m not normally a fan of Internet Suites, as they are costly and usually drag down the systems with all their processing overhead. However, I may have found one I like. It’s called Comodo. I’ve used their excellent firewall in the past and they now offer a free version of their suite. It hasn’t seemed to affect my system speed at all and while it’s missing a few features of the Pro version, but most users won’t need those anyway. Definitely worth checking out.

Original post by Dr. Lorne Lavine

Dental Lasers 101

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:37:43 +0000

DentalCompare has added some exciting features to the company website this year. While reading the DC newsletter, I came across this month’s DentalCompare Presents: Power of Lasers in Dentistry. The webpage is dedicated to providing photos and product information about many types of dental lasers, including products from HOYA, Sirona, BIOLASE, Ivoclar, and Millennium. You can watch videos and request information about any of the featured lasers.

In addition to the product information, featured articles range on topics from soft tissue and ortho applications to cosmetic laser dentistry to gingivoplasty and “the basics.” There’s also an interview entitled “Dental Lasers: It’s Time to Get On Board” with Dr. Tony Hewlett, President Elect of the Academy of Laser Dentistry. Events and educational opportunities are listed, as well, with links to the programs for more information. If you’re on the fence about laser dentistry, you’ll only find pro-laser contributors here. Nevertheless, the information is worthy of review if you are a new laser owner or are considering a laser purchase.

Original post by Administrator