The Dental Insider

Just added The Dental Insider to the list of dental blogs that I follow.

Source: http://dentalinsider.wordpress.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

Dental Did You Know: Sleep Bruxism (Grinding)

About 8% of the general population suffers from sleep bruxism (tooth grinding).

Source: Lavigne G, News and Updates, JCDA, Nov 2008, Vol 74, No 9, p 775.

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

Health 2.0 and the Wikipedia Entry

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 and 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

Dental Did You Know: Dental Museum at Temple University

Temple University Dental School has a fantastic dental museum including a recreation of a Victorian dental office complete with life-sized figures.

Source: http://www.temple.edu/dentistry/museum/museum_photos.htm and
http://www.temple.edu/dentistry/museum.htm

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

Excellent Article on Universal Dental Care

Love this article on universal dental care (which I support) in the University of Toronto Magazine. The link is below to the online summary. Here's the teaser snippet:


Canada's Universal Healthcare System stops, for a series of complicated and unpalatable reasons,at the gum line – a boundary not recognized by the human body. According to Jim Leake, a U of T professor emeritus of community dentistry, this artificial dividing line leaves tens of thousands of Canadians – especially low-income families, First Nations people and children – without adequate dental care.

Read the rest of the article here:

Gum Control :http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/08autumn/leadingedge.asp#gum


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: Premolar Morphology

Most mandibular first premolars (two teeth in front of your lower molars) have a single root and a single (nerve) canal, 24% have greater than 2 canals. Typically, people from the African-American, Turkish and Chinese populations have an increased incidence of multiple canals.

Source: Cleghorn BM et al, The root and root canal morphology of the human mandibular first premolar: a literature review, J Endod 2007, Vol 33, pg 509-516.

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: Stem Cell and Regeneration

It may soon be possible to regenerate injured/diseased dental pulp (nerve and nutrient transport system) by using stem cells from a disposable source (i.e. baby teeth). These damaged areas are the primary reason for the need of a root canal procedure.

Source: Cordeiro M et al., Dental Pulp Engineering with Stem Cells from Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth, J Endod, Vol 34, pg 962-969.

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 Gentle Reminder to take Advantage your Insurance Benefits

Hi everyone,

Hopefully everyone has recovered from a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday, the weather was just fantastic!

I just wanted to give everyone a reminder that with the end of the year fast approaching, any outstanding work should be done before Dec 31st to take advantage of any remaining insurance coverage. Most insurance plans are based on the calendar year, the exceptions being teacher and university/college student plans.

Call Jodie to schedule an appointment for your hygiene, restorative, crown or whitening appointment.

Cheers,

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: The Nerves Regulating Taste

The sensation of taste is mediated by 3 cranial nerves:

1. The facial nerve (VII)
2. The Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX)
3. The Vagus nerve (X)

Source: Klasser G et al, Taste Change Associated with a Dental Procedure: Case Report and Review of the Literature, JCDA, June 2008, Vol 74, No 5, pg 455-460.

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: Sensory Innervation of the Tongue

The trigeminal nerve (V) provides general sensory innervation to the tongue.

Source: Klasser G et al, Taste Change Associated with a Dental Procedure: Case Report and Review of the Literature, JCDA, June 2008, Vol 74, No 5, pg 455-460.


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 Sport Guards from Caley

Hi everyone,

our orthodontic lab (Caley Labs) now offers multicoloured sport guards and retainers sporting the colours of your favourite (or hated) hockey team. We’ve scanned their brochure to give you a sense of the options they offer. As always, custom lab-fabricated guards are $50. These guards are a must-have to prevent damaging and expensive sports-related injuries to the mouth.

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: The Number of Dentists in Ontario

As of 2007, there are 7400 dentists in Ontario and 933 in the area of the practice (Halton-Peel).

Source: Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, 2007 Annual Report.

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: Cavities and Age

The prevalence of dental caries (cavities) increases with age, ranging from 21% of those aged 6-11 to 67% among adolescents 16-19 years of age.

Source: Peak Enhancement and Knowledge, Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations for the use of Pit-and-Fissure Sealants, A Report of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, Supplement Aug/Sep 2008.

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: Alcohol Percentage in Mouthrinses

The concentration of alcohol in mouthrinses can be 20% or more.

Source: Gerlach R, Practice Implications of Therapeutic Mouthrinses, Oral Health, July 2008, Vol 98, No 7, pg 40-42.

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

Dental Did You Know: Patient Hygiene Averages

Only 72% of patients with teeth routinely brushed twice a day. While only one-fifth or so flossed daily. The average brush time is less than a minute.

Source: Gerlach R, Practice Implications of Therapeutic Mouthrinses, Oral Health, July 2008, Vol 98, No 7, pg 40-42.

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

Dental Did You Know: Oral Cancer Mortality Rate

The rate of mortality from oral cancer has not significantly changed in 50 years, even with our advancement in clinical therapies.

Source: Benjamin S, It's More than an Oral Cancer Exam, It's a Quality of Life Exam!, Oral Health, July 2008, Vol 98, No 7, pg 36-38 & 62.

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 Cancer Survival Rate

Even with today's technology, five year survival for oral cancer is less than 50%.

Source: Benjamin S, It's More than an Oral Cancer Exam, It's a Quality of Life Exam!, Oral Health, July 2008, Vol 98, No 7, pg 36-38 & 62.

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

Technology Rules for a Dental Practice

Hi everyone,

I saw this mantra in the latest issue of Oral Health.

Once a new technology is acquired:
the entire dental team must adopt it. Then its parameters should be adapted for individual clinicians in the office. Finally, the dental team must work to be adept at the technology or process.

Hmmm...adopt, adapt and adept. Great key words

Source: Freedman G, New Technology: Do I need it? Strategies for the Successful Practice, Oral Health, July 2008, Vol 98, No 7, pg 3.

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 Sign!

I've always hated the tombstone-style sign just in front our practice. Thankfully, through the help of management (especially Dean Amini) and the cooperation of all the health practitioners in our building, have a new sign:

I'll be looking to improve the signage at street level in the near future too.

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

Great Dental Quote

From Dr. Sam Kherani:

The best and cheapest dentistry is when the right thing is done extremely well the first time and it lasts.

Source: Kherani S, Being a Star Dental Professional in the New Millennium, Aurum Ceramic Continuum Vol 21, Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2008 pg 4-6.

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