COVID-19 has been met with a global “tele” response as industries grasp for ways to stay operational amid the shutdown. Workers telecommute, friends telesocialize, and doctors lean on telehealth to remotely connect with patients. Dentists find themselves uniquely limited in the teleworld, since patient care typically requires hands-on techniques. “if you need a filling, you still need to go see a dentist face to face,” says Dr. Christine May, an Australian-based clinician and founder of the teledentistry marketplace ViDe. “We haven’t worked out how to do that via remote consult robotics yet. I’m sure in ten years we might, but we’re not there yet,” she chuckles, later adding “I really feel that teledentistry is going to disrupt the way we’ve been doing dental care to date.”

There remains a growing belief among clinicians that obturation is to blame for endodontic failures. This notion has more recently fallen under scrutiny as researchers have discovered that the most thorough obturation can only reflect the quality of the cleaning and shaping of the canal. In fact, a number of researchers point to the thorough use of irrigants—making sure that the debris, and irrigant itself is lifted completely out of the canal, not forced out the apex—as the most important determinant in the long-term success of an endodontic procedure. The right irrigants, when used properly, eliminate harmful microorganisms and bacteria in the root and tubules, and prevent recontamination, even long after the RCT (root canal therapy) is complete. The recently acknowledged vital role of irrigants stands to reason, as RCT itself was born out of the necessity to treat the infected, and very often painful, dentinal tubules and roots that traditional restorative dentistry couldn't address.

Ideal for removing superficial white and brown decalcification stains due to enamel mottling from fluorosis, Opalustre 6.6% hydrochloric acid slurry contains silicon carbide microparticles. This combination provides chemical stain removal along with gentle mechanical abrasion. Opalustre, along with OpalCups, can be used to quickly remove unsightly enamel decalcification defects that are less than 0.2mm in depth.

Three words come to mind when describing world renowned dentist and lecturer Dr. John Graeber: progressive, passionate, and expert.

If you’ve ever logged onto Pinterest or any other social media platform, you’ve no doubt seen some of the many trends, tricks, and recipes for easy, cheap, "do-it-yourself teeth whitening” treatments.

Think of a diode laser as the Swiss Army knife of dentistry. There are many procedures that can be completed with a diode laser. Owning one brings an incredible amount of utility to a clinician. Most offices purchase a diode laser primarily for troughing but end up finding more and more reasons to use it. Essentially, any soft-tissue work that needs to be done can be completed with a diode laser because it makes the work so simple! You only need to grab the laser, attach a new tip, and get to work. The utility in owning a diode laser is the number one reason dental offices should own at least one! Buying a soft-tissue laser for your dental practice is a big investment, but if it’s made wisely it can reap huge payoffs.

Michelangelo took four years to paint the Sistine Chapel and two years to complete the sculpture of David. Masterpieces take time, which is a luxury most dentists aren't typically afforded. Creating art within the real-world constraints of a dentist's schedule is a daunting task—but tools exist that can help professionals of varying skill levels create highly aesthetic restorations consistently and efficiently.

Article courtesy of Dr. Douglas Harvey Critical to the success of every root canal treatment is establishing and maintaining a clean, dry, isolated field. Preventing the introduction of oral bacteria into the root canal space cannot be over-emphasized. The use of a rubber dam is the standard of care, however, maintaining a complete seal around the tooth can often be a challenge, especially with a badly broken down tooth. The result could be saliva contamination of the access cavity and/or the leakage of root canal irrigants, such as sodium hypochlorite, into the oral cavity with disastrous consequences.

When Ultradent started manufacturing the VALO dental curing light in 2009, we aimed to produce the best curing light on the market, crafting each from a single piece of aircraft grade aluminum. So, it felt like destiny when the aeronautical DNA took over and we let a VALO light take flight.

Back in the 1950's, Michael F. Buonocore discovered that resin filling materials adhere to etched enamel. He might not have fully appreciated the significance of his discovery at that time, but his work has earned him the title of "Father of Adhesive Dentistry". Today, the enamel etching technique that Dr. Buonocore pioneered is still in use. Additionally, we’ve come to learn how important it is to etch dentin for achieving a quality bond.