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…
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…
How do you answer your patient when they ask you why their TMJ clicks? The truth is that the answer is not very clear, and there hasn’t been any consistent research to tell us why. Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) can present with pain, limited jaw mobility or clicking sounds. The most common thought is that malocclusion…
The twice a year routine is the hallmark of modern day prevention in dentistry. Despite its origins, the 6-month interval has become a timeline for care, which is adjusted by the dentists depending on the patient’s caries and/or periodontal risks in order to establish and maintain oral health. During a dental visit, patients medical and dental history are…
“Brace yourself, a 5-year old is coming for a filling.” Treating a pediatric patient can go one of two ways: a) average without any special events, or b) horribly wrong. There is no in-between. When your sweet little 5-year old patient transforms into the monster that turned the operatory upside down, you can only promise…
When placing implants in the esthetic zone, the response of the peri-implant soft tissue is just as important as the final restoration. What creates a pleasing smile is not only the size and shape of the teeth, but also the frame that they’re held in – the gingiva. The margin, color, texture, and height of…
Clinical Case Report A 30-year-old woman presented to the dental clinic to improve her smile, because of multiple spaces between her anterior teeth. The patient is a heavy grinder, leading to generalized attrition and uneven anterior incisal edges. The patient had discolored cervical bonding on multiple anterior teeth. The patient did not report any medical…
The most common indication for the removal of third molars is pericoronitis, non-restorable caries or internal resorption. Yet, when a third molar is close to the inferior alveolar nerve, the risk of nerve injury is high. So the practitioner is put in a tough spot, having to accept the high risk of eventual parasthesia or…