Dental Did You Know: Utilization of Dental Services in Canada based on Education Level

Only 38.7% of individuals over 25 years old with less than a high school education used dental services. Those who graduated at least high school used dental services 61.3%.

Source: Quinonez C, Why We Should Care About the Social Determinants of Health, Ontario Dentist, November 2016, Vol 93, No 9, pg 12-13.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Sugar Consumption in Canada

Yes, as you can imagine, Canadians have a daily sugar consumption rate that is very high at about 26 teaspoons per day. The World Health Organization recommends no more 10% of the calories in an average 2000 calorie diet come from sugar (about 12 teaspoons).

Source: Croutze R, Heeding our call on Sugar Reduction, CDA Essentials, Vol 3,  No 5,  pg 7.


Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Temporomandibular Joint Society of Canada

This nice little website set up by Anita Frank lists a number of resources where people can learn more about the disorder and the experiences of people with the condition.

The website can be found here: tmjscanada.ca

Source: CDA Essentials, News and Events, Volume 3, Number 4, p 39

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: ADA releases the Oral Health News Report for the US

Here's the report in a graphical PDF format from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute: Oral Health and Well Being in the United States. It is certainly an interesting read and will likely be similar for the most part to the Canadian experience.

Source: Oral Health and Well Being in the United States, Read June 21, 2016. http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/HPI/OralHealthWell-Being-StateFacts/US-Oral-Health-Well-Being.pdf?la=en

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Cases of Oral Cancer Worldwide

According to Vigilant Biosciences, there are over 600 000 cases of oral cancer every year worldwide. (Incidentally, they are making an oral rinse test to detect biomarkers of this disease. The independent data is not there yet on how sensitive or specific the test will be over the long term.)

Source: Apex 360 E-Newsletter: Posted June 6th, Read June 9, 2016. 
http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/apex360/2016/06/early-detection-of-head-and-neck-cancer-gets-a-boost-vigilant-biosciences-launches-first-of-its-kind-oncalert-labs-oramark-test-in-the-united-states.html?cmpid=Enl_APX_June-7-2016&eid=295478886&bid=1425856


Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: The Reason you Crown Posterior Teeth that have had a Root Canal.

From the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario's PEAK article program:

In a retrospective study of uncrowned endodontically treated teeth, the overall survival rates of molars without crowns at 1, 2, and 5 years were 96%, 88% and 36% respectively.

Yikes! So no matter how conservative the access for the root canal is and the lack of any significant caries, you should crown these teeth within two years and preferably one.

Source: McComb D,  Restoration of the Endodontically Treated Tooth,  (PEAK article), Practice Enhancement and Knowledge, Supplement to Feb/Mar 2008 Dispatch. Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. 

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Initial Newborn Evaluation Protocol-Tethered Oral Tissues

All newborn infants should have an oral assessment as early as birth. Infants having difficulty in achieving a deep, comfortable and efficient latch onto a mother's breast should be examined by a lactation consultant within (24-48 hrs) after birth and should have an evaluation of the oral tissues, especially of the tongue and upper lip attachments completed.

Source: (Modified quote from) Kotlow L, TOTS-Tethered Oral Tissues; The Assessment and Diagnosis of the Tongue and Upper Lip Ties in Breastfeeding, Oral Health, March 2015, Vol 105, No3, pg 64-68.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dentistry in Media: CDA Oasis App

Here's a fantastic app for iOS and Android that has the Canadian Dental Association's clinical and practice information at your fingertips. Unique clinical questions are answered along with the latest news/events/issues and people of note.

Source: CDA Essentials, Vol 2, No 1, pg 9,  Distributed Feb 2015. App is available on the app store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: There are Mutiple Pathways in the Brain when Experiencing Pain

I saw this quick summary about a pain study in the University of Colorado's (Boulder) website (I noted what I thought was very interesting):

A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder finds that when we use our thoughts to dull or enhance our experience of pain, the physical pain signal in the brain—sent by nerves in the area of a wound, for example, and encoded in multiple regions in the cerebrum—does not actually change (my emphasis). Instead the act of using thoughts to modulate pain, a technique called “cognitive self-regulation” that is commonly used to manage chronic pain, works via a separate pathway in the brain.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS Biology this month, show that the processing of pain in our brains goes beyond the mere physical pain signal and underscore a growing understanding among neuroscientists that there is not a single pain system in the brain, as was once believed.

Source: http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2015/01/12/study-finds-experience-pain-relies-multiple-brain-pathways-not-just-one (Read on Jan 18/2015, Original web article produced Jan 12/2015)


Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: The Incidence of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Damage after Dental Anesthesia

Although very rare, the incidence of nerve damage due to anesthesia via inferior alveolar block is about 1:26762 and 1:160571. In more than 85% of the cases, the symptoms resolve within about 8 weeks, with a poor prognosis after this time period.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Inferior Alveolar Nerve Damage, Ontario Dentist, Nov 2014, vol 91, no 9, pg 16.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Update to Survey of Canadian Dentists: Determinants in Choosing a Dentist

Dentist rated personal referrals from patients (81%) and proximity (12%) as the top two determinants in patients choosing a dentist.

Source: (direct quote) Levin L, Update to Survey of Canadian Dentists, CDA Essentials, Vol 1, Issue 5, pg 14-15.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: The Percentage of Female Students in first year at the University of Toronto Dental School

The number of female students in first year at the University of Toronto Dental School was 53.8% in 2012.

Fantastic News! :)

Source:  Embrett C, The Changing Face of Dentistry,  Ontario Dentist, Sept 2014, Vol 91, no 7,  pg 16-18.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: How Often Do Teeth Have Root Fractures?

Root fracture injuries affect 0.5-0.7% of permanent teeth.

Source (Direct Quote): Keceli T et al., Preserving Alveolar Bone Growth Following Cervical Root Fracture: A Case Report, CDA Essential Vol 1, Issue 3, 2014, Full Text Article Online: jcda.ca/article/d158 (Read Aug 3, 2014)

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Codeine for Pediatric Pain is now an Unsafe Practice

As of June 6th 2013, Health Canada released an update recommending that codeine not be used in children less than 12 years of age. It appears that the use of NSAIDs (Advil) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol) along with Morphine (in cases of severe pain) are the recommended routes to treat pain in pediatric cases.

Source: Wong M, Prescribing Codeine for Pediatric Pain: An Unsafe Practice, Oral Health, June 2014, Vol 104, No 6, pg 62-66.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: The Best Time After a Root Canal to Restore a Tooth

It is always better for the tooth to restore it immediately to prevent leakage of oral fluids into the root canal space. If this can not be done due to the length of the procedure or patient comfort, then a seal over the root canal area and a restoration as soon as possible is recommended.

Source: Glassman G, Bioactive Endodontic Obturation: Combining the New with the Tried and True, Oral Health, May 2014, Vol 9, No 4, pg 18-28.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Root Supported Overdentures

The idea of retaining the roots of teeth and putting a denture (overdenture) over them was first described over 150 years ago. The benefit of this technique is the significant reduction in bone loss vs. the complete removal of teeth.

Source: Ettinger R, Do Root Supported Overdentures Have a Good Prognosis in General Dental Practice?, Oral Health, March 2014, Vol 104, No 3, pg 22-26.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: Enamel Erosion

Enamel erosion is directly related to excessive soft drink or fruit drink consumption, dry mouth, acid reflux, medications and genetics. Additional physical factors include abrasion, malocclusion, bruxism (grinding) or trauma.

Source: Trost L, The Reality of Missing Enamel, Oral Health, April 2014, Vol 104, No 4, pg 88-92.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (226) 656-1000

Dental Did You Know: 100th Anniversary of Dental Care at Sick Kids Hospital Toronto

Yes, the 100th anniversary of the Department of Dentistry at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (SickKids) was celebrated in May 2013. Congrats to this fantastic hospital and department! The hospital itself was established by a group of women led by Elizabeth McMaster in 1875.

Source: Kenny D and Wencer G, Dentistry at SickKids, Toronto, Ontario Dentist, March 2014, Vol 91, No 2, pg 14-19.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Number of Day Surgeries for Early Childhood Cavities

There are approximately 19 000 day-surgeries to treat early childhood caries (cavities) in children under the age of 6 every year in Canada.

Source: Adams A, Trends in Paediatric General Anesthesia in Canada, Oral Health, Feb 2014, Vol  104, No 2, pg 38-41.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Oral Cancer in Canada

Oral Cancer is now the 13th most common type of cancer in Canada, with an estimated 4100 people diagnosed in 2013.

Source: Wilson C, Schmorgasbord ow la Catherine! (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, Feb 2014, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Average Onset of Eating Disorders and their Dental Impact

In a small scale study, the average onset of eating disorders was 16 years of age with an average duration of 4.4 years. Patients with eating disorders had more severe dental erosion, gingival bleeding and decayed, missing or filled teeth as compared to controls.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Oral Health, July/August 2013, Vol 90, No 6, pg 44-45.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dentistry in the Media: Are Actor's Teeth too White and Straight?

Found this article in the Globe and Mail to be quite humorous! It was a discussion that certain actors have straight white teeth in roles that you wouldn't expect them to be.

Here the link:  Molar Opposites: Why I'm Blinded by Actors' Pearly Whites in this Years Top Films

Source: Adams J, Globe and Mail Online: Jan 8/2014, Read Jan 9/2014, Molar Opposites: Why I'm Blinded by Actors' Pearly Whites in this Years Top Films   
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/why-im-blinded-by-actors-pearly-whites/article16242383/

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Spending on Hair Care Products vs. Dental Care Products for Americans

Americans spend $100 billion annually on hair care products and only $2 billion on dental care products

Source: Wilson C, Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up, Never Give Up (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, November 2013, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Rate of Anaphylactic Response to Penicillin

Anaphylactic responses to Penicillin occur once every 10 000 courses administered.

Source:  Bronstein D and Suzuki J, How to Utilize Microbiology in the Treatment of Periodontitis, Oral Health, December 2013, Vol 103, No 12, pg 43-51.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: How to (Self) Check for Bad Breath

How do you check for bad breath? Lick your wrist, let it dry for 10 seconds and then smell it.

Source: Wilson C, Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up, Never Give Up (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, November 2013, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Dental Did You Know: Total Length of Floss You Should Use in a Year.

If done properly and daily, the length of floss used in a year should be 122 yards. Only 18 yards are sold per person.

Source: Wilson C, Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up, Never Give Up (Editorial), Oral Hygiene, November 2013, pg 5.

Hans Skariah, B.Sc., DMD
Promenade Court Dental
2233 Hurontario St., Mississauga, ON, Canada (905) 273-7100
Plattsville Dental
43 Albert St. West, Unit 8, Plattsville, ON, Canada (519) 998-7153

Reminder: Insurance year is almost up!

Just a reminder that for most people their insurance year is almost up. Call Jodie to schedule your hygiene or restorative appointment before your benefit year runs out! (905) 273-7100. As always, evenings and weekend appointments are available.

Take care,

Hans

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: Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis

"Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis (HGF) is a rare benign, slowly progressive inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia of the maxillary and mandibular gingiva"

Essentially, it's a genetically related puffiness/hyper-growth of the gums. (An image search for Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis on Google will provide a number of images)

Source: Philips E, Functional and Aesthetic Rehabilitation of a Patient with Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis, Oral Health Labs, pg 14-15, Fall/Winter 2013. 


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: CDA Position on Breast Feeding and Early Childhood Caries.

The quote below is now the position of the Canadian Dental Association as of June 2013:

The Canadian Dental Association supports breastfeeding as it provides nutritional benefits to the infant and is recognized as an effective preventive health measure.

In the absence of daily oral hygiene care, breastfeeding is one of the many risk factors that may contribute to the development of dental caries. Therefore, it is vital that mouth cleaning or tooth brushing be part of the daily routine for all infants, including those who are breastfed.

CDA Board of Directors - Approved June 2013

Source: CDA Board of Directors, Does Breastfeeding Increase Risk of Early Childhood Caries, JCDA, June 2013, Vol 79, No 5, pg 280-281.

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: Gingival Recession (Gum Loss) Rates in the General Population

It's been estimated that at least 20% of the population presents with one or more teeth that has gingival recession (gum loss) with possible root sensitivity as a consequence.

Source: Kryshtalskyj et al., Clincial Application of the Mucogingival Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft, Oral Health, Oct 2013, Vol 103, No 10, pg 18-30.

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