Clinical Cosmetic Dentistry

Systems, technology let practices deliver profitable, emergency cosmetic dentistry

When opportunity knocks, is your practice ready to answer? As dentists we have opportunities every day to help our patients and contribute to improving our bottom line by being ready to provide emergency cosmetic dental treatment. Working such patients into our schedule generates treatment fees at a higher-than-normal profit margin, and helps generate longer-term business.

Right ‘touch’ helps patients envision new smile

The Smile Guide Touch iPad application that helps dentists identify a patient’s cosmetic preferences is being re-branded as the Smile Guide Touch Pro. The change announced earlier this year was needed to differentiate the professional version of the app from a new basic version of the app released in February — Smile Guide Touch Basic.

Advances in teeth whitening

Dentistry’s primary concerns are establishing and maintaining optimal patient oral health. Our responsibilities include identification and control of disease, patient education, clinical and radiographic examination, health and family history evaluations, risk factors, bacterial identification and a constellation of treatment modalities. How does whitening fit into our professional responsibilities?

Unique maxillary frenectomy with a diode laser

There are many opinions, both in favor of and against, the utilization of lasers in periodontal therapy. There are also many reports of the different surgical techniques utilizing sharp metallic instruments for exacting predictable and desired results. The use of a laser to achieve these results does not mean that there are not other efficient, “classical” procedures that would accomplish the goal.

Facial esthetics treatment for every dental practice

I am asked all of the time what the next big thing is going to be in dentistry. What new technology or technology is going to change dental practice? We certainly have made huge advancements in a number of areas, such as restorative therapy, implants and esthetic dentistry. I believe the direction of the next great thing in dentistry is actually going to take place in the oral-systemic connection.

Interview: Maximum intervention with minimal invasion

Take less and achieve more. That could sum up the dentistry philosophy, both professional and financial, advocated by Graeme Milicich, BDS. The Hamilton, New Zealand, dentist has earned a global reputation for protecting and restoring smiles while doing as little damage as possible to otherwise healthy tooth structure. Milicich had his “epiphany moment” with minimally invasive dentistry 16 years ago, and said, “It changed the way I practice dentistry forever.”

Moving beyond classical shade guides to achieve natural restorations

Color results from the relationship between light and an object and, therefore, restorative composite materials must show optical properties similar to those of the natural dentin and enamel. Enamel is surely the most important structure for this relationship with light, because it covers the dentin structure as a fiber-optic system.

Life-saving treatment includes complete maxillary and mandibular dentures

Michael Boyd, a 55-year-old male, lived a life of many challenges. By age 52, Michael had a diabetic medical emergency and upon recovery was relieved of his job. At that point his diabetes had already caused him to lose one foot and a portion of his other foot. Getting around was a challenge, but it didn’t stop him from helping others.

Biomimetic principles applied to cosmetic dentistry

Biomimetic dentistry is based on the philosophy that the intact tooth in its ideal hues and shades and, more importantly, its intracoronal anatomy, mechanics and location in the arch, is the guide to reconstruction and the determinant of success. This approach is conservative and biologically sound and in sharp contrast to the porcelain-fused-to-metal technique in which the metal casting with its high elastic modulus makes the underlying dentin hypofunctional.

Healthy and harmonised function via computer-guided occlusal force management

The minimally invasive (MI) concept was initially introduced in physical medicine and adopted into dental medicine in the early 1970s with the application of diamine silver fluoride to teeth.1 This was followed by the development of preventive resin restorations (sealants) in the 1980s2 and the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) approach3 with Carisolv (MediTeam) in the 1990s.4 Since its inception, the focus of MI dentistry has been caries detection and treatment.5

Take a cosmetic practice to the next level with facial injectables

Minimally invasive cosmetic facial procedures are quickly becoming the most exciting and controversial topic in cosmetic dentistry. In my mind, there is no better clinician with the capabilities and qualifications to provide these procedures than the dental professional. Over the last three to four years, we have trained hundreds of practitioners in the art of facial injectables.

Alternative treatment options with nanohybrid composites

In the past few years, the economic condition of many of our patients has changed, thus limiting their options when making dental treatment choices. In situations where lab-processed restorations may be the optimal long-term option, patients may be forced to choose dentistry that will transition them, not only spreading out treatment over a longer period of time, but choosing restorations that require less immediate cost.