Dental Did You Know: Survival Rate of Zirconia Crowns

In a recent study, the cumulative 5 year survival rate of zirconia crowns was 88.3%.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Oral Hygiene Damage, Ontario Dentist, Sept 2013, vol 90, no 7, pg 24. 

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 Rate of Infections at Pediatric Emergency Room Visits

47% of all dental-related attendances at pediatric emergency rooms in the United States were due to dental abscesses.

Source: Jundt J and Gutta R, Characteristics and Cost Impact of Severe Odontogenic Infections, PEAK, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, Supplement to May/June issue of Dispatch Magazine.

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: Pedialyte and the Preservation of Knocked Out Teeth

Yes, storing avulsed (knocked out) teeth in Pedialyte solution showed a significantly higher periodontal ligament (PDL) cell survival (p<0.001) versus tap water. It also supported less bacterial growth.

Source: Macway-Gomez S and Lallier TE, Pedialyte Promotes Periodontal Ligament Cell Survival and Motility, J Endod 2013;39: 202-207.

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: Dollars Spent on Tooth Whitening in the US

It was estimated that over 1.4 billion dollars annually was spent on tooth whitening in the United States.

Source: Lowe R, Tooth Whitening: Opening the Gateway to Treatment, Oral Health, April 2013, Vol 103, No 4, pg 42-50.

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: Relative Failure Rates of Dental Implants at Various Locations in the Mouth

Dental implant failure in the maxilla is twice the rate of the mandible while posterior sites have a higher failure rate than anterior sites.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Ontario Dentist, Vol 90, No 3, April 2013, pg 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

Dental Did You Know: The Protocol When Faced With Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

Bisphosphonate drugs are used commonly in the orthopedic and oncology fields. One of the severe side effects is necrosis of the jaw, a difficult condition to treat. The author of this article recommends that general practitioners:

1. refer to an Oral Surgeon
2. chlorhexidine 0.12% rinses
3. appropriate pain control
4. treatment with antibiotics (Pen VK) due to the presence of Actinomyces (Clindamycin if allergic)
5. minimize any attempt to remove bony spicules
6. no attempt to manipulate soft tissue to cover the exposed bone

Source: Zosky J, Bisphosphonates or Other Drug-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, Oral Health, Vol 103, No 5, May 2013 pg 63-67.

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: TMD and Digestive Problems

Temporomandibular Disorder (Jaw Joint Disorder) is associated with 112% more digestive complaints on average (in terms of the cost of medical treatment) as compared to a normal group.

Source: Hill L, An Introduction to Mastication Analysis in General Practice, Oral Health, March 2013, Vol 103, No 3, pg 20-26.

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: Using Straws After Oral Surgery

Contrary to what most dentists were taught, the use of straws after third molar extractions did not affect the percentage of patients developing dry socket or alveolar osteitis, a very painful condition. 15% of both the test and control groups having mandibular (lower) wisdom teeth out had this complication. No maxillary (upper) sites were affected in either group.

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Ontario Dentist, March 2013, Vol 90, No 2, pg 20-21.

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

Dentistry in the Media: Dental Questions Answered on NPR

The Science Friday show on National Public Radio in the US had a nice segment on common dental questions. Here's the teaser quote:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. And, it turns out, the dentist -- because that fibery skin is good for your teeth. Dentists Mark Ryder of the University of California San Francisco and Mark Wolff of New York University answer your toothy questions in this episode of our "Ask an expert" series.

Listen to the podcast here: Ask a Dentist: Facts to Sink Your Teeth Into

Source: National Public Radio (Science Friday) Aired on Feb 22, 2013, viewed on Feb 27, 2013
http://www.sciencefriday.com/segment/02/22/2013/ask-a-dentist-facts-to-sink-your-teeth-into.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

The clinic is on our vacation schedule

The clinic will be on a limited schedule until January 31st as various members of our staff enjoy their vacations. As such, primarily emergencies will be handled currently and messages on our voice mail will be taken care of at the end of the day/evening.

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: The Eruption Time of Permanent First Molars

It takes 12-18 months for permanent molars to erupt to occlusion.

Source: Antonson D, Imagine a World Without Occlusal Caries: Are Glass Ionomer Sealants the Answer, Oral Health, Dec 2012, Vol 102, No 12, pg 31-36.


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 Eruption Time of Premolars

It takes 3-6 months for permanent premolars to erupt to occlusion.

Source: Antonson D, Imagine a World Without Occlusal Caries: Are Glass Ionomer Sealants the Answer, Oral Health, Dec 2012, Vol 102, No 12, pg 31-36.

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: Success Rates of Veneers vs Composite Buildups

A small study has revealed that the 5 year survival rate of direct composite buildups was 79% (which was lower than the 6 year survival rate of veneers of 92%).

Source: Sevels I, Clinical Abstracts, Ontario Dentist, Dec 2012, Vol 89, No 10, pg 20-21.

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

Nice Dental Website: Region of Peel Oral Health Website

The region of Peel (Mississauga and area) has an informative oral health website. I'll quote from their press release:

This resource has been designed to provide parents/caregivers with clear messaging to guide proper brushing patterns as well as direct parents/caregivers to the Region of Peel oral health website (www.peelregion.ca/dental). At this website they will find additional information on caring for children's teeth and information on Region of Peel dental services including the Children in Need of Treatment (CINOT) Program and the Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) Program.

I've added a screenshot of the website below:

Screenshot of the Peel Region Oral Health Website (www.peelregion.ca/dental)

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

Added a New Blog to my Reading List: JCDA's Question and Answer Blog

Added the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association's Clinical Question and Answer Blog to our blog reading list. It is a tremendous resource for clinicians and worth a view from patients if you are so inclined. We are also honoured to be recognized by them as a top dental blog. Thanks!! :)

Source: Canadian Dental Association's Clinical Question and Answer Blog: http://www.jcdablogs.ca/, read Dec 7, 2012

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: Colon Cancer and Proposed Breath Screening

A small study from Italy has determined that it is possible to use breath analysis of volatile compounds to identify people with colorectal cancer.

Source: CBC News website, http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/12/04/colon-cancer-breath-test.html, first posted Dec 5, 2012, read Dec 6, 2012.

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

End of Year Reminder: Take Advantage of your Dental Insurance Benefits!

Just a reminder to everyone with dental insurance benefits that renew in January:

Take advantage your benefits by scheduling your hygiene or restorative appointments before the year is up to preserve the full amounts of your insurance for the following year. Statements for this year's dental expenditures for tax purposes will be ready anytime after January 1st, just phone Jodie with your request.

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: Obesity and Dental Health

Men and women with a BMI over 30 regardless of smoking or diabetes status had a greater risk of developing periodontal disease than those with a healthy body weight.

Source: Ward W and Fritz P, Obesity and Periodontal Health: What's the Link? Should I be Concerned? Oral Health, Oct 2012, Vol 102, No 10, pg 80-83.


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: Research Impacts of Dental Journals

The research impacts and influences of the three most prestigious medical journals are approximately 10 times greater than those of the three most frequently cited dental publications. (New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Associations vs. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Journal of Dental Research, Oral Oncology)

Source: Hardie J, Why Research Findings are Usually Wrong, Oral Health, Vol 102, No 9, September 2012, pg 40-51.

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: Lack of Brushing and Dementia

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and summarized in the National Post newspaper showed that those reporting to brush less that once a day had a 65% increase in the incidence of dementia versus those who brushed daily.

Source: National Post Online, http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/08/21/good-oral-health-linked-to-reduced-risk-of-dementia/, read and published on August 21, 2012.

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