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First bite syndrome

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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 codes 2021

ada dental codes 2021

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 […]

Impression issues

dental impression failure

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 […]

Dental aerosol evacuation

surgically clean air Dental aerosol evacuation

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, […]

Bifurcated IAN

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The bifurcated inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) Bifurcation of the inferior alveolar nerve is a common anatomical variance but can be difficult to detect. How common is a bifurcated IAN? It most likely occurs between 13-37%, which you can find in Yoon Gen Dent 2018. This is a wide range and there is almost certainly going […]

ADA codes 2020

ADA dental code 2020 changes

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 […]

Retrograde peri-implantitis

retrograde peri-implantitis dental implant

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 […]

Dental pins

dental pins for crown

Dental pins, or dentin pins, for crowns and fillings Dental pin use is way down with the widespread use of composite bonding. However, there is still a place that they can be useful. Dental pins for crowns This is probably the most common use today for dental pins. There are times when a tooth has […]

Dental pulp calcification

dental pulp calcification

Causes of dental pulp calcification Dental pulp calcification has several causes.  This page is for dentists to use as a quick reference for the non-traditional reasons, usually a medical condition. What do calcified dental pulp chambers look like? If you are a dentist this section is not important, as I am sure you are well […]