“The gingival flap distal to an erupting molar, an operculum, can cause a lot of havoc.” An operculum can lead either to pain caused by the occlusion of the opposing maxillary molar or by local inflammation/infection (pericoronitis) because of food debris and plaque accumulation between the tooth surface and the gingival flap. The painful and/or inflamed/infected operculum…
The following presentation is part of three case series on management of macrodontia of fused anterior maxillary incisors. Tune in each week as we discuss each unique scenario. Part 2 As we discussed in our last week’s article, fusion of teeth occurs between two adjacent tooth germs, making physical contact and attempting to merge into a…
As shown by Professor Heitor Cosenza, the surgical visit begins with local infiltration of anesthesia in the vestibule and in the palate. Care is taken not to inject intrapapillary or intrasulcularly, especially because of the use of an epinephrine-infused anesthetic, so as not to compromise vascularity to those areas during or after the surgery. The…
The following presentation is part of three case series on management of macrodontia of fused anterior maxillary incisors. Tune in each week as we discuss each unique scenario. Part 1 Macrodontia of anterior teeth may be an isolated condition or occur as a result of fusion, gemination, or concorcense of teeth. Just to refresh: Fusion of…
Conventional extraction techniques, using only elevators and forceps cause immediate and long-term changes to ridge integrity. Immediately following extraction, we see buccal plate fracture in 10% of cases, dehiscence in 28% of cases, and even buccal plate loss (4% of cases). In the long-term we can see ridge collapse 23% of the time. All these…
Did you know? During mandibular implant placement the most frequently injured nerve is the IAN at 64.4% follow by the Lingual nerve at 28.8%. Implant placement can effectively improve patient quality of life by restoring aesthetics, form, function. Some cases can be challenging specially in the mandibular region where IAN lies. Here are some tips to help avoid complications of…
The primary goal of any dental treatment is to preserve the pulp or reverse any damage to it. In mature teeth, when there is a carious pulp exposure, the usual treatment is pulpectomy or root canal therapy. The consensus is that pulp capping (most often performed using calcium hydroxide), whether direct or indirect, doesn’t lead…
For the treatment of areas of missing teeth dental implants have become the golden standard of care. Hygienic and comfort factors contribute to its popularity amongst patients and practitioners alike. Similar to most other treatments in dentistry, dental implants must be managed on a case-by-case basis and are sometimes susceptible to complications. The wise dentist…
Case Presentation A 19-year-old man presented to the dental office with pain and swelling around tooth 4.6. The tooth had a history of an initial root canal treatment, 5 years ago, due to a diagnosis of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. The tooth was retreated two times by endodontists, due to continued symptomatic apical periodontitis. Intraoral examination revealed a…
During the initial work up assessment of dealing with an orthodontic case, considerations must be made for physiologic growth status of patient in order to adequately manipulate bone and tooth structures to bring about a good occlusion and a nice aesthetic smile. Technicalities aside, a practitioner is dealing with aesthetics, which is subjective to the patient…