Have a Merry Christmas and our Holiday Hours

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks for a record breaking year in terms of patients, procedures and gifts! (wow!). Jodie, Gloria and myself are truly blessed to have a great pool of patients. We are adding another hygienist to accomodate our growth as well as new computers in 2010. Our new flat screens (long anticipated.... should be a reality this year for our operatories). You'll be able to listen to a vast selection of music and shows as well as watch the Raptors and Leafs lose in stunning HD while having a procedure done.

On a more serious note, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Treasure your time with family and friends, life is very fast and getting faster by the day!

Just a reminder that we are closed the 25th and 26th and will return with limited hours on the 28th. We are closed on 29th and 30th as well as the 1st of January. Limited hours continue that week also, (we are closed on the 5th and 6th). Normal operations begin on the 7th.

Have a great holiday!

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

Ministry of Health Website for Health Professionals and Consumers

Hi everyone,

The Ministry of Health in Ontario has a nice website directed to health professionals and consumers that has a wealth of information. I've given a partial screenshot below.

Source: http://www.health.gov.on.ca

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 Family Health Teams On The Way

December 11 - Ontario is creating 19 new Family Health Teams across the province to provide better access to family health care.

December 4

Ontario Expands Flu Immunization Program

December 1

New Law Increases Access to Health Care

November 29

Ontario Expands Access to Cancer Drug

November 27

Join the Resistance Ad Campaign

Dental Did You Know: Dentists in Canada

Hi everyone,

Some quick facts about dentists in Canada:

1. There are over 18 000 dentists in Canada
2. Approximately 76% of Canadian dentists are male
3. Over 80% of Canadian dentists are 40 years of age or under

Source: Scotts's Dental Directory Profile Page, From the Publishers of Oral Health Journal and Dental Practice Management

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

Second hand (Passive) Smoking and Caries

Hi everyone, I saw this review of a study comparing children exposed to passive smoking (PS) and those that were not. It was found that:

1. The PS group had few caries free children
2. PS children had a mean DMFT (decayed, missing and filled teeth) score two times higher
3. PS children had higher counts of S Mutans and lactobacilli
4. PS children had declines in salivary pH, flow rate and buffering capacities

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Cigarettes and Cavities, Ontario Dentist, Nov 2009, Vol 86, No 9, pg 14-15.

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 York Times Dental Article: A Dental Shift: Implants Instead of Bridges

Hi everyone, I saw this article in the New York Times Online. Here's the teaser quote:

If I have one serious regret about my age, it is that my permanent teeth developed before New York, my hometown, got fluoridated water. I first lost a permanent molar to decay in my early 20s, and the resulting bridge has had to be replaced several times in subsequent decades, ultimately as a four-part apparatus.

Now that has to go as well. Because I could not floss and clean properly under the bridge and between the supporting crowns, I developed a severe periodontal infection.

Dr. Michael Zidile, the young periodontist I consulted, took one look at my mouth and said: “This is not how we do restorations nowadays. A bridge is not a permanent solution and makes it too hard for most people to keep their gums and underlying bone healthy. Now we do implants and individual crowns where needed.”

Read the rest of the article here: A Dental Shift: Implants Instead of Bridges

Source: New York Times, A Dental Shift: Implants Instead of Bridges, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17brod.html?_r=1&ref=health Read on Nov 20, 2009

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: Lung Cancer Risk After Quitting Smoking

The risk of lung cancer is reduced by 50% in recent quitters and 83% in long-term quitters.

Source: Smoking Cessation Rounds Vol 3, Issue 4 (Table 1) 2009, Available at http://www.smokingcessationrounds.ca

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: Dental Services Most Valued by Canadians 40+

Hi everyone,

In a survey on dental services most valued by Canadians 40+ as reported in October's Oral Health Journal:

1. 75% wanted fillings for cavities
2. 74% wanted to prevent gum disease
3. 63% wanted treatment to prevent cavities
4. 40% wanted implants
5. 25% wanted cosmetic treatment
   

Source: Tenenbaum H et al, What Your Older Patients Want from Their Dental Services, Oral Health Journal, Oct 09, Vol 99, No 10, pg 42-53.

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

Web article: How to keep treats from doing scary things to teeth

Hi everyone,

I saw this article online on the CBC.ca website, here's the teaser quote:

Here are a few things to keep in mind before allowing children to dig into a bag of tasty treats.

Read the rest of the article here: How to keep treats from doing scary things to teeth

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/10/29/f-halloween-dental-health-candy.html Read on Nov 2, 2009.

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

H1N1 Update

Hi everyone,

OK, here's the official update from the Government of Canada's official flu website: www.fightflu.ca

High Risk Groups:

1. Children under 5
2. Women who are pregnant
3. People with chronic conditions such as: heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma and chronic lung disease, liver disease, blood disorders, severe obesity, immunosuppressed people, neurological disorders

Protect Yourself:

1. Wash your hands frequently (for 20 seconds or use an alcohol based sanitizer)
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
3. Cough and sneeze into your arm
4. Get your H1N1 shot
5. Keep common surfaces clean and disinfected
6. If you get sick...stay home!

For more information, including how to recognise symptoms, go to the Government of Canada's H1N1 Website

Source: Government of Canada website and brochure http://www.fightflu.ca, read on Oct 30/09.

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

Diazepam (Valium) Usage in Dentistry: Basic Facts

Diazepam (Valium), a longer acting sedative, has been used on anxious patients to allow dental procedures to be done in a more reliable fashion. The usual use of Diazepam are as follows:

1. Dose range: 2-20mg
2. Tablet form: 2, 5, 10mg
3. Oral Solution: 5mg/5ml and 5mg/ml
   
4. Onset: 20-40 minutes
5. Half Life: >24 hours
6. Best used: in the evening before a sedation appointment and can be followed on the appointment day

Source: Bhalla J, Anxiety and Dental Management, Ontario Dentist, Vol 86, No 8, pg 20-23.

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

Shortage of Dentists for our American Friends?

Saw this article in the Canadian Medical Journal Website regarding the possible shortage of dentists in the US. Here's the teaser quote:

Residents of the United States who need teeth extracted may soon have to do it the old-fashioned way — with pliers, whisky and elbow grease — because there may not be enough dentists to go around.

The number of practicing dentists is projected to start declining in 2014, which will likely exacerbate an existing problem: the unwillingness of many to practice in rural areas. Further compounding the problem are such factors as a continuing migration from general practice to specialties like orthodontics, the closure of dental schools, a decrease in the size of graduating classes, the forthcoming mass retirement of older dentists and the growing number of female dentists, who tend to work fewer hours than their male colleagues.

You can read the rest of the article here: United States Faces Dentist Shortage

Source: Canadian Medical Journal Website http://www.cmaj.ca/earlyreleases/21oct09_dentist_shortage.shtml Read on Oct 27/2009

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

Triazolam (Halcion) Usage in Dentistry: Basic Facts

Triazolam (Halcion), a shorter acting sedative, has been used on anxious patients to allow dental procedures to be done in a more reliable fashion. The usual use of Triazolam are as follows:

1. Dose range: 0.125-0.5mg
2. Tablet form: 0.125, 0.25mg
3. Onset: 15-30 minutes
4. Half Life: 1.5-5 hours
5. Best used for: short to moderate length dental appointments (2-4 hours)

Source: Bhalla J, Anxiety and Dental Management, Ontario Dentist, Vol 86, No 8, pg 20-23.

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

Ativan Usage in Dentistry: Basic Facts

Lorazepam (Ativan), a sedative, has been used on anxious patients to allow dental procedures to be done in a more reliable fashion. The usual use of Ativan are as follows:

1. Dose range: 0.25-4mg
2. Tablet form: 0.5, 1.0, 2.0mg
3. Liquid form: 2mg/ml
4. Onset: 30-60 minutes
5. Half Life: >8 hours
6. Best used for: longer dental appointments (3 hours)

Source: Bhalla J, Anxiety and Dental Management, Ontario Dentist, Vol 86, No 8, pg 20-23.

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

Chewing Gum...It Really is Good for you!

Saw this article in the Science section of the www.canoe.ca website. Here's the teaser quote:

London researchers have found the simple act of chewing gum helps people with Parkinson's swallow, reducing a major problem for those with the debilitating disease.

Researchers believe repeated chewing leaves a lingering memory in the brain that can help patients cope a bit better.

"It was very helpful in terms of improving drooling and swallowing," Dr. Mandar Jog, London Health Sciences Centre neurologist and director of the Movement Disorders Centre, said yesterday.

You can read the rest of the article here: Chew gum, it's good for you

Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2009/10/23/11497311-sun.html Read on October 23, 2009, Chew Gum, It's Good for you.

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

Poor Hygiene and Orthodontic Treatment Times

Studies have shown that when your dentist marks "poor oral hygiene" in your chart 3 or more times during orthodontic treatment, that it correlates to an increased treatment time of 1.2-2.2 months.

Source: Brown D et al, Systematic Evaluation of Patient Oral Hygiene for Orthodontic Patients, Oral Health Journal, Sept 2009, Vol 99, No 9, pg 52-58.

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 Care During Pregnancy

Hey everyone,

I was just reading some of the latest findings/summaries in the Ontario Dentist Journal about pregnancy and dental care. Some interesting points:

1. 50% of women experience gingivitis during pregnancy due to increased hormone production
2. Roughly half of those women do not seek dental care
3. A study of 823 women at 13-21 weeks did not show any adverse fetal outcomes when periodontal disease was treated by scaling and root planing using local anaesthetic
4. Local anaesthetics are generally safe during pregnancy. However proper aspiration is particularly important to prevent inadvertent intravascular injection
5. Health Canada recommends that amalgam fillings should not be placed or removed during pregnancy. This approach is conservative since studies have failed to show an increased incidence of birth defects, spontaneous abortions, neurologic or infertility problems.
6. Prenatal x-rays are a small dose of radiation that has not been shown to be associated with any adverse fetal abnormalities

Source: Feferman I, Ontario Dentist, OD Healthline, Sept 2009, Vol 86, No7, pg 16-17.

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

Cosmetic Makeover in a few Pictures: Part I

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to give everyone a sample of how we do a nice cosmetic case. In this case, our patient had missing upper laterals that were replaced by some bonding a number of years ago. She was not confident in her smile, and therefore wanted her front 6 teeth redone with two bridges. Here's the before photo (and yes, those devices around her lips are just lip retractors...thanks to Deborah for the photos):

Notice the poor contour of the teeth, not to mention the lack of strength this type of restoration has. It will be much better with two bridges cemented in. After a consult with the patient, as well as getting all necessary hygiene appointments done beforehand, we had a few goals in mind with this case:

1. Improve the shape of the teeth to a more natural contour
2. Make the teeth larger for a more youthful look
3. Improve the colour so that the teeth look whiter
4. Improve the contacts so that we have a good chance at having the gingiva (gums) nicely fill in the space in between teeth.

So with the help of Krest Labs, we treatment planned the case.

Coming up in Part 2: The preparation of the teeth and the shape of temporary teeth.


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

Unfortunate Terminology: CBC.ca article - Will face masks protect you from the flu?

Here's an unfortunately worded article in regards to dentistry (Will face masks protect you from the flu?). While I have no issue with the premise and conclusions of the article with regards to the H1N1 flu, I wonder what this statement is doing in the article:

"Not all masks are created equally, either. Surgical masks — the kind your dental hygienist might use while inflicting a cleaning on you — offer some help, but they won't filter out smaller particles and don't provide a good seal."

Huh? Inflicting a cleaning on you? So much for preventive dental care. C'mon CBC you can do better!

Source: Will face masks protect you from the flu? April 28th, 2009. Read Sep 1, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/28/f-flumasks.html

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: Oral Appliances

According to the latest RCDSO (Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario) guideline publication, 40% of patients with myogenous (muscle-based) jaw issues who had a placebo oral appliance (guard) experienced remission or noticeable improvement.

Source: Klasser G and Greene C, Oral Appliances in the Management of Temporomandibular Disorders, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario PEAK Publication, Aug 2009.


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

TWiD: This Week in Dentistry (Episode 2)

Hi everyone!

Sorry about the delay in posting. I was on vacation in Europe (it was *fantastic*). I just wanted to acknowledge everyone's patience while I was gone and especially thanks to Jodie and Gloria for keeping things together while I was away. Anyways, this week had a few items of dental interest:

1) Do Redheads Feel More Pain?
A new study has found that redheads are more than twice as likely to avoid a visit to the dentist - possibly because they are more sensitive to pain. But does hair colour really mean more discomfort in the dentist chair?

(Wow, this is news to me...apparently redheads may need as much as 20% more anesthesia for the same affect...I think I'll wait for corroborating studies before I take it as canon)

Source: BBC online, Aug 11, 2009, Do Redheads Really Feel More Pain? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8195177.stm
Read: Aug 18, 2009

2) Canadians Reducing Dental Visits During Recession

The economic downturn is delivering a beating to Canadians' health as well as their wealth, a new poll shows. 25 per cent said they have cancelled or delayed a dental appointment to save money

(This is not a surprising result given the recession, it is unfortunate though)

Source: The Globe and Mail Online, Aug 16, 2009, Poor economy hammers Canadians' health, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/poor-economy-hammers-canadians-health/article1254083/
Read on Aug 17, 2009



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