Microwaving of Dentures to Disinfect and Sterilize

Found this blurb in the International Journal of Prosthodontics:

Microwaving dentures for 6 minutes at 650w either sterilized or promoted the disinfection of the appliances. Inserting the denture in a plastic autoclave bag avoided both sparks and scorching of the base material.

(my summary)
Hmmm, not sure that I will recommend this technique yet, due to its inherent dangers.

Source: Int J Prothodont 19:288-293, 2006 via Ontario Dentist: Vol 84, No 6, July/Aug 2007 p 18.

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

New Tech Upgrades for the Practice

Bought a nice laptop for the main operatory. It's a Dell Inspiron 6400 (see image), with a number of multimedia bells and whistles. It will allow us to stream video to the (future) flat screens for patient education and entertainment. We also obtained a nice Samsung flat screen (17 inch) for Jodie at the reception area to give her more room, a better screen and quite frankly a better/high tech look to the front desk area.

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

Changing our Hours for your Convenience

Promenade Court Dental is proud to announce that due to our continued growth and requests from our patients, that we are changing our Thursday hours (starting Aug 1st) and opening them up as full clinic hours. The new hours of operation will be 2-8pm on Thursday to reflect the great need for afternoon and evening hours. Thanks to everyone for making this possible!

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

Dental News Update: Oral Fluid HIV Test

As reported in the Academy of General Dentistry Impact Magazine (July 2007): Vol 35, No7, p26

McGill University Health Centre (Canada) and the Mahatma Ghandi Institute of Medical Sciences (India) have successfully tested an oral swab HIV test that is 100% accurate. The test involves rubbing a swab against gingiva twice to collect oral fluid. The applicator on the stick then detects blood HIV antibodies in 20 minutes or less.

(my paraphrasing)
What a great advancement in HIV testing (especially for the third world, which usually has limited access to high tech labs and equipment).


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

Dental Did You Know: Salivary Glands Part 1

A bit of Dentistry 101:

There are basically 3 types of salivary (spit) glands and secretions they produce:

1. Serous (watery); mostly in the parotid gland (the largest salivary gland, its duct comes out at the level of the upper second molar) and glands of von Ebner
2. Mucous (thick); in the palatine and posterior lingual glands. They generally aid in swallowing.
3. Mixed; in the sublingual glands, submandibular glands (the most prolific producer of saliva), and the anterior sublingual glands. These glands (generally) secrete around the tongue.

Source: Crossley H, Unraveling the mysteries of saliva: Its importance in maintaining oral health, General Dentistry, Vol 55, No 4, July/Aug 2007, pg 288-296.

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

Pediatric Trauma and All Terrain Vehicles

It has been reported that in pediatric trauma centres, 40% of all terrain vehicles (ATVs) crash victims are fatalities, many of which are head and neck injuries.

Source: Humber C et al., Maxillofacial Injuries Associated with an All-Terrain-Vehicle Accident, Oral Health, June 2007, Vol 97, No 6, pg 35-42.

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

A Quantum leap for treating tooth decay?

I saw this article in today's Toronto Star about cavity detection without x-rays. It initially sounded similar to Diagnodent, which has issues detecting caries (cavities) in between teeth. I'm still waiting for more details before I form an opinion. Here's the teaser quote:

Once a cavity has formed and exposed itself on the surface, it's too late – it has to be cleaned out and filled.

Abrams says the industry needs to take a more preventative approach, and this is where Quantum Dental enters the scene. The company's research team, based out of the University of Toronto, has developed a prototype of a laser device that uses heat and light waves to detect tiny, below-surface lesions in teeth without exposing a patient to potentially harmful radiation.

A commercial prototype is scheduled to be launched next summer and, after a year of clinical testing, the company hopes to begin selling the device in the fall of 2009.

Dentists will still need x-rays to look at jawbone structure, but Abrams believes Quantum's device has the potential to be a fixture in every dentist's office. The absence of radiation means it can be a standard offering whenever someone gets in the dentist's chair, improving the chance of catching early-stage tooth decay before it becomes a bigger problem.

Read the rest of the article here:A Quantum leap for treating tooth decay

Source: A Quantum leap for treating tooth decay, July 2, Toronto Star, Business Section B, pg 1.

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