August 1, 2016

In the anterior region where esthetics are paramount, certain complications can preclude the use of all-ceramic material. The task then becomes finding a material worthy of the anterior with the durability to meet precise standards. Obsidian Lithium Silicate Ceramic Pressed to Metal (Prismatik Dentalcraft Inc.; Irvine, Calif.) puts an innovative spin on PFMs, with traditional porcelain passed over for lithium silicate ceramic.

July 27, 2016

The patient goal of shortening orthodontic treatment time is not new. It has only been in the last several years that orthodontists have had practical, cost-efficient options to meet this long-held patient desire. I view offering accelerated treatment as critical to the future success of my practice, particularly at a time when adult starts are outpacing slow growth in overall treatment starts.

July 25, 2016

In real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. In dentistry, it’s also about location, and that certainly was the case for Dr. Monica Garnache. Many dentists who own or work with an Aspen Dental-branded practice join Aspen after getting a taste of private practice. But Garnache took a different route on her way to owning multiple Aspen Dental practices.

July 22, 2016

Technology is one of the biggest investments that a dental practice will make, and intraoral sensors are among one of the first tools dentists invest in before going 100 percent digital. There are many considerations when choosing a sensor: size/sizes, integration, service and support, return on investment, and cost. To protect your investment, ongoing sensor care and maintenance are critical right from the start.

July 19, 2016

Today’s new and innovative technologies hold a great potential to improve oral health and advance dental care. One of those budding technologies is evident in the ACTIVA BioACTIVE product range (Pulpdent, USA). As part of a new class of esthetic, bioactive restorative dental materials, it offers an alternative to traditional composite restoratives and delivers direct benefits to dentists and patients.

July 6, 2016

The existence and preservation of attached keratinized gingiva around natural teeth and dental implants plays an important role in periodontal and peri-implant health. This article describes a novel surgical technique that addresses multiple adjacent Miller Class II and III recession defects in a predictable one-staged surgical procedure. The goals of treatment are to improve esthetic outcomes and gain clinical attachment and keratinized tissue levels in addition to possible root coverage.

June 23, 2016

It surprises me how often I meet orthodontists who bring up the challenges of hiring great employees for their practice. Finding and retaining good people can be hard. In fact, mis-hiring is far more costly than most of us realize. For example, you hire someone who leaves after only four months on the job; you may think that your loss is the four months of salary for that employee.

June 22, 2016

Most dental professionals, by now, should be well aware of the rapid changes altering the dental playing field. The market-driven changes, such as corporatization of the industry and oversupply of new dental graduates, have been well highlighted in professional publications, and despite an increase in the frequency of dental caries, particularly in young children, after decades of decreasing incidence, the dental profession, unlike its medical counterpart, relies on the ability to treat just a handful of diseases.