Contents
This Month’s Features
Restorative Therapy With Fiber-Reinforced, Resin Composite Bonded Fixed Partial Dentures
This case report involves conservative treatment using a fiber-reinforced, resin composite bonded fixed partial denture to replace missing mandibular central incisors.
Treatment Planning for All-on-Four Restorative Care
Douglas W. Beals, DDS, MS, and Thomas A. Caspers, DDS, discuss clinical considerations when planning all-on-four restorative treatment.
Evolving Management of Peri-Implant Disease
New thinking in one of the driving etiologies for peri-implantitis — metallosis — is bringing about a profound shift in management strategies for peri-implant disease.
Enhance Vision and Ergonomics With Loupes and Lights
Clinicians can improve ergonomics, visual acuity and diagnostic accuracy with the proper magnification and illumination.
Continuing Education
Therapeutic Uses for Antimicrobial Peptides in Oral Healthcare
This class of therapeutics may provide effective treatment for oral infections, such as caries, periodontal disease, oral mucosal diseases, and oral cancer.
How Digital Technology Can Mitigate Stress and Burnout
An exploration of how managing technostress while utilizing digital technology may increase productivity and quality of life among dental professionals.
Clinical Signs and Risk Factors for Autoimmune Diseases
Oral health professionals can play a vital role in ensuring that patients who present with signs or risk factors for these serious conditions receive an appropriate referral.
Three Techniques for Mandibular Block Anesthesia
The conventional block, Vazirani-Akinosi block, and the Gow-Gates block can all be utilized to provide profound anesthesia in the mandible.
Departments
Editor’s Note
Battle Over Messenger RNA Technology
The use of messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus marks a revolution in vaccine production. Compared to traditional approaches, mRNA vaccines can be made quickly and easily. But this is just part of the story. This revolution actually started years ago with efforts to develop vaccines against the Zika and [...]
At a Glance
Considerations When Adding Cone Beam Imaging
As patients return to the dental office in force after easing of COVID-19 restrictions, more than ever before practitioners are looking for new ways to attract and retain patients. Offering convenient services and investing in technologies that enhance the patient experience are some of the ways dentists can stand apart from others. “Due to the [...]
Products and Services
Water Flossing Found To Be a Top Tool For Reducing Gingivitis
Research demonstrates the safety and efficacy of water flossers in maintaining oral health.
Newsline + Industry Info
New Technique Helps Researchers Better Understand Acid’s Effects on Dentition
Researchers from the University of Surrey and University of Birmingham School of Dentistry in the United Kingdom have developed a new technique to improve scientific understanding of how acids from the caries process affect teeth at a microstructural level. Working at a particle accelerator facility that accelerated electrons to near light speed, the investigators used [...]
In Memoriam: Periodontal Educator Ray C. Williams, DMD, Passes
Decisions in Dentistry Editorial Advisory Board member and former chair of periodontology and Straumann Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry, Ray C. Williams, DMD, passed away October 28, 2021. He was 77 years old. Williams came to the Adams School of Dentistry in 1994 as a [...]
American Dental Association Provides FAQ on Vaccinations
The American Dental Association (ADA) has published an FAQ on vaccination requirements for dental teams that provides guidance on questions pertaining to paid time off, mask wearing, and other practice areas pertinent to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dentists can learn whether they can request team members to show proof of vaccination, or what they can do [...]
Bridging the Communication Gap Between Primary Care And Oral Healthcare
Together with the Dental Data Exchange Project (convened under the auspices of the Health Level Seven Payer/Provider Work Group), the nonprofit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has developed the first implementation guide to help bridge the communication gap between primary care and oral healthcare. This new publication, the HL7 CDA R2 Implementation Guide: Dental Data [...]
Researchers Explore Oral Health of Underserved Pediatric Populations
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has awarded funding to University of Illinois Chicago researchers for a five-year program that will examine predictors of oral health behaviors and caries risk in low-income urban children. The Coordinated Oral Health Promotion (CO-OP) Chicago Cohort Study will collect data on caregiver-reported and observed pediatric oral health [...]
The Art of Dental Finance and Management
Podcast Hosted by Art Wiederman, CPA.