The Lateral Lingual Foramen of the Mandible: Its Impact on Implant Surgery The lateral lingual foramen, a small but significant anatomical structure in the mandible, has profound implications for dental implant surgery. In many ways it is very similar to the canalis sinuosus in the maxilla. Where is the lateral lingual foramen? This foramen is […]
Category Archives: Dental Professionals
What is an occlusal analysis device? Occlusal analysis devices measure the sequence of occlusal contact and the force of the occlusal contacts. What systems for occlusal analysis are available? This technology is not widely in use in dentistry. Part of the reason is cost and part of the reason is the lack of need for […]
What is first bite syndrome? First bite syndrome is an orofacial pain condition that does exactly what is says. The patient feels pain when they first bite something or first taste something. It usually comes after surgery to the parapharyngeal space. Other difficult conditions in dentistry that may be similar to first bite syndrome. This […]
ADA dental code changes for 2021 Information about new ADA code changes for 2021. 2020 codes are in another post. What are some of the major changes this year? There are some COVID changes. A lot of new codes about taking x-rays but not reading them. Nomenclature changes like changing chairside to direct and lab […]
PVS dental impression problems Dental impression problems will arise no matter how experienced you are or what material you use. However, with experience and knowledge the number of issues decreases significantly. Dental impression problems that have to do with materials These can be unavoidable. Perhaps the material was in an area of the office that […]
Best methods for dental aerosol evacuation Dental aerosol evacuation or reduction is a major issue with the COVID-19 virus and dentists are buying up all kinds of filtration devices without any testing or knowledge of effectiveness. Why is dental aerosol dangerous? Dental aerosols are small droplets which remain suspended in air and consist of blood, […]
The bifurcated inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) Bifurcation of the inferior alveolar nerve is a common anatomical variance but can be difficult to detect. There are reports of bifid, trifid, and even quadrifid. How common is a bifurcated IAN? It most likely occurs between 13-37%, which you can find in Yoon Gen Dent 2018. This is […]
ADA dental code changes for 2020 Information about new ADA code changes for 2020. 2019 codes are in another post. What are the changes this year? A lot of the changes have to do with re-cementing space maintainers or orthodontic appliances and could have been left the same. Many deal with titanium crowns, which I […]
What causes initial crestal bone loss from implant surgery? Crestal bone loss from an implant surgery is inevitable. Some of the bone will die from the trauma of the surgery. Where and how much is not totally in our control, but we can to some extent predict high risk areas. Note the crestal bone loss […]
Retrograde peri-implantitis of dental implants Retrograde peri-implantitis, or implant periapical lesion, is a radiolucent lesion at the apical portion of a dental implant. Typically one will develop in the first few months post insertion. What is the cause of retrograde peri-implantitis? The cause is bone death and or infection and is multi-factorial. We believe this is […]