BDS INSIGHTS

INTRODUCTION : Ectodermal dysplasia syndrome is a large,heterogeneous group of inherited disorders , the manifestations of which could be seen in more than one ectodermal derivatives. Common syndromes : A. Hypohidrotic ED B. Hidrotic ED Etiology :   Ectodermal dysplasia syndrome results from aberant development of ectodermal derivatives in early embryonic life. Symptoms Teeth In the development of tooth buds frequently result in congenitally absent teeth (in many cases a lack of a permanent set) and/or in the growth of teeth that are peg-shaped or pointed . The enamel may also be defective . Cosmetic dental treatment is almost always necessary and children may need dentures as early as two years of age. Multiple denture replacements are often needed as the child grows, and dental implants may be an option in adolescence, once the jaw is fully grown. Nowadays this option of extracting the teeth and substituting them with dental implants is quite co...

Tooth fusion     The phenomenon of tooth fusion arises through union of two normally separated tooth germs, and depending upon the stage of development of the teeth at the time of union, it may be either complete or incomplete. On some occasions, two independent pulp chambers and root canals can be seen. However, fusion can also be the union of a normal tooth bud to a supernumerary tooth germ. In these cases, the number of teeth is fewer if the anomalous tooth is counted as one tooth. In geminated teeth, division is usually incomplete and results in a large tooth crown that has a single root and a single canal. Both gemination and fusion are prevalent in primary dentition, with incisors being more affected.   Concrescence     Concrescence is a condition of teeth where the cementum overlying the roots of at least two teeth join together. The cause can sometimes be attributed to trauma or crowding of teeth. Surgical separation of the teeth may be ne...

A recent survey of practicing dentists by TheWelathyDentist.com gives the breakdown of how many dentists use Facebook for dental marketing, and the ways they use that site to promote their practices. (PRWEB) July 08, 2012 Curious about how dentists are using Facebook in their dental practice marketing campaigns? In a recent survey conducted by dental marketing resource TheWealthyDentist.com (TWD), two thirds (67%) of the dentists who responded said they have a Facebook page for their practice, while only one third reported that they do not. Most of the dentists using Facebook pages practice in suburban locations. The high percentage of dental practices on Facebook is not necessarily surprising, since the site has become a household word --- it has close to 160 million monthly visitors and is second only to Google in total web traffic. Also, since the survey was conducted on the TWD website, it included only dentists who already spend time online. What'...

      The greatest majority of the patients have a huge fear of the shot given by the dentist before an extraction, or before a dental filling is performed. No more fears from now on, because good news is on the way. The DentalVibe is an innovative dentistry instrument patented in the US, which is meant to alleviate the pain felt from intra-oral injections. Sometimes, the dentist needs to make even tw o or three such shots to numb a greater area within the mouth, and now thanks to this advanced technology, the fear of injections should be gone forever. This is a rechargeable and cordless instrument, which actually delivers some micro-oscillations, or vibrations as commonly known, right to the site where the shot needs to be administered. The instrument is designed based on the Vibra Pulse technology, which basically helps blocking the neural pain gate while the shot is administered, thus eliminating completely the feeling of pain. Instead of the dre...

Chloramphenicol ! Yes , thats the drug which comes to your mind .. 1st ( Or rather should come , if pharmacology was nice with you :P )  !! When you read these Letters - GRAY BABY SYDROME                                                  So what is Gray baby sydrome ?! Gray baby syndrome is a rare but a serious side effect that occurs in newborn infants (especially premature babies) following the intravenous administration of the antimicrobial chloramphenicol .                                                    How does it happen !? Two pathophysiologic mechanisms are thought to play a role in the development of...

Having natural pink color gums is very important for good smile. Smile looks beautiful if one has beautiful teeth with natural looking pink gums. But that is not always possible. Generally the gums color is same as the skin color. The people from the west are fair and their gum color is also pink mostly. Dark gums are mostly seen in dark skinned people.  The gum discoloration may be present in patches.  The extent of gum discoloration and the intensity is different for different individuals. Dark pigmented gums don’t mean that they are unhealthy and are not an indication of a disease.   What are the causes of Dark Gums: Racial or physiological gingival pigmentation: It is seen as the genetic trait. The main culprit behind this is the black pigment known as Melanin. The production of melanin increases manifolds in the presence of sunlight. At the same time it is more in the persons having complexion towards darker side. The individuals who are i...

Martin Jones, a 42-year-old builder, was left blind after an accident at work more than a decade ago. But a remarkable operation - which implants part of his tooth in his eye - has pierced his world of darkness. The procedure, performed fewer than 50 times before in Britain, uses the segment of tooth as a holder for a new lens grafted from his skin. Mr Jones, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, married his wife Gill, 50, four years ago. By that time he had already spent eight years without his sight after a tub of white hot aluminium exploded in his face at work in a scrapyard. He suffered 37 per cent burns and had to wear a special body stocking for 23 hours a day. He also had his left eye removed. But surgeons were able to save the right eye, even though he was unable to see through it. At first specialists in Nottingham tried to save his sight using stem cells from a donor but the attempt failed. It was only when a revolutionary new operation was pioneered at ...

Who is a Candidate for Braces?   Why Do I Need Braces?   These are some of the questions, which we will be answering in this article. Who is a Candidate for Braces? Some  recommend that children should be seen for their first orthodontic consultation no later than age 7. While the age of 7 may seem unusually early to consider braces, this pre-screening will give the orthodontist the opportunity to use preventative measures to possibly correct situations that may lead to braces in the future, and /or advise the parent on future orthodontic treatment planning. Adults seeking orthodontic treatment may consult with their dentist at any time, since it is never too late to consider correcting your teeth. The initial consultation with the orthodontist is typically a visual evaluation of the patient’s teeth and facial structure, with discussion to follow. If the orthodontist requires more in-depth information, or the patient agrees to begin treatment, dia...

Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is a valuable radiographic tool in endodontic diagnosis. With traditional 2D radiography, you see only a coronal view. Historically in endodontics, we have taken the shift shots to try and give us an "angled" view of the tooth. Remember the rule of SLOB? With CBCT, you can evaluate the tooth from sagittal, coronal & axial views. You also have a volume of data that can be manipulated by the computer to rotate the tooth 360 degrees and look at the tooth from any angle. The longer I use this technology, the more convinced I become of its importance and value. The following case demonstrates the benefit of CBCT in endodontic diagnosis. This patient presented to Superstition Springs Endodontic s with chief complaint of "pressure to biting and sensitive to brushing". Root canals on #14 and #15 were done approximately 10 years ago. Our exam found mild palpation tenderness over #14 and #15. Both teeth were pe...

A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium , used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth. Materials used : Metals - stainless steel                Cobalt-chromium-molybdenum based                                    Titanium and its alloys                Surface coated titanium Ceramics - Hydroxyapatite                    Bioglass                    Aluminum oxide  Polymers and composites Others- Gold,ta...

From being a centre-point of village gatherings to gracing plush joints in metros, the hookah has made a comeback in social space. But its return has sparked concern among cancer experts who say Indian youth are getting addicted to the hubble-bubble in the mistaken belief that it is a healthy alternative to cigarettes. According to the Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2009-10, India accounts for over seven million hookah users among a total of 274.9 million tobacco users. While tobacco is the leading cause of cancer deaths in India, experts say hookah smokers are prone to lung cancer, oral cancer, heart diseases and respiratory disorders. "Over the last two years, hookahs have penetrated urban space and gained enormous popularity among youngsters. Without knowing the harmful effects, youth are addicted to the hookah because of a fashion quotient associated with it," said Dhirendra N. Sinha, regional advisor, Surveillance (Tobacco Control) at the World Healt...

The use of behavior management techniques will greatly assist the practitioner in obtaining cooperation and compliance of the patient with dementia, particularly in the early stages of the condition. Many patients, who are in earlier stages of dementia than Mrs. K, can be managed by: Providing a friendly and caring atmosphere (smiling, approachable demeanor); Offering a reassuring and comforting approach (tone of voice, gentle touching, etc); Making eye contact and facing the patient; Speaking in a calm, deliberate manner; Eliminating/minimizing distractions (noises, quick movements, etc); Allowing the caregiver to be present, if appropriate; Avoiding forcing the patient to comply; consider rescheduling as a "desensitizing" or "familiarizing" opportunity; and Assessing usefulness of psychotropic medications, such as Ativan (lorazepam) or Xanax (alprazolam), to provide mild sedation, in consultation with the patient's primary care provider. Patie...

Gate Control Theory implies a non-painful stimulus can block the transmission of a noxious stimulus. Is based on the premise that the gate, located in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, modulates the afferent nerve impulses. The SG (substantia gelatinosa) acts as a modulating gate or a control system between the peripheral nerve fibers and central cells that permits only one type of nerve impulse (pain or no pain) to pass through. Serving in a capacity similar to that of a “switch operator” in a railroad yard, the SG monitors the amount of activity occurring on both incoming tracts in a convergent system Opening and closing the gate to allow the appropriate information to be passed along to the T cell. Impulses traveling on the fast, non-pain fibers increase activity in the SG. Impulses on the slower pain fibers exert an inhibitory influence. When the SG is active, the gate is in its “closed” position and a non-painful stimulus is allowed to pass on to the T ce...

Avocados could be a weapon in the fight against ageing and disease, say scientists. Oil from the fruit was shown in tests to combat free radicals – dangerous molecules said to have a hand in everything from ageing to heart disease and cancer. These are particularly common inside mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses in our cells that turn the food we eat into energy. Oil from the avocado could have huge health benefits and slow down the ageing process   Many ‘antioxidant’ chemicals in vegetables and fruits such as carrots and tomatoes can mop up free radicals – but they can’t make their way inside mitochondria. Those in avocados can, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s annual conference heard. Researcher Christian Cortes-Rojo said: ‘The problem is that the antioxidants in [other] substances are unable to enter mitochondria. ‘So free radicals go on damaging mitochondria, causing energy production to stop and the cell to collapse a...

There is a tendency for parents to treat baby teeth as being dispensable since we all know there will be a second set of adult teeth replacing them anyway. However, baby teeth (also known as the deciduous teeth or the primary dentition) are important and are necessary to serve several functions. This is why we need to take care of them and make sure they last until the adult teeth (permanent teeth or secondary dentition) are ready to come through. The first of the permanent teeth do not appear in the mouth until a child is about 6 years old and the last permanent teeth (not including the wisdom teeth) will appear by about 12-13 years. Therefore a child's primary teeth need to last anywhere between 5-12 years. To ensure that they last, parents need to help children look after their teeth and inculcate good oral hygiene practices from young. The Functions of Baby Teeth 1. Biting and Chewing The most obvious function of the primary teeth is obviously for biting and chewing food...

Pleomorphic adenoma is a benign salivary gland tumor that exhibits wide cytomorphologic and architectural diversity. The tumor has the following 3 components: An epithelial cell component A myoepithelial cell component A stromal (mesenchymal) component Identification of these 3 components, which may vary quantitatively from one tumor to another, is essential to the recognition of pleomorphic adenoma. This tumor is also referred to as a benign mixed tumor. Epidemiology Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common salivary gland tumor in both children and adults. In most series, it represents 45-75% of all salivary gland neoplasms; the annual incidence is approximately 2-3.5 cases per 100,000 population. Pleomorphic adenoma occurs in individuals of all ages. However, it is most common in the third to sixth decades; the average age at presentation is between 43 and 46 years. Pleomorphic adenoma is seen more often in females than in males (2:1 ratio). Location Among the m...