The use of adhesive dental procedures has become well established for direct and indirect restorations in anterior and posterior regions, and the involved materials continue to evolve. Despite improvements in materials and techniques, postoperative sensitivity following direct composite restoration still remains a problem, particularly in posterior teeth. As outlined within this presentation, new self-etch adhesives such as BeautiBond, with its favorable adaptation and bond strength, enable practitioners to achieve predictable adhesion and minimize clinicians’ concerns regarding postoperative sensitivity. This ensures a comfortable, aesthetic result for dental patient and practitioner alike.

Bruxism. It is no laughing matter to about 45 million Americans who suffer from bruxism and related dental concerns. One factor may be the economy. The other may be just be general stress.

The use of vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) matierals have become routine becuase they are easy to use, accurate, and fgaster setting then impression matierals dating back to the age of rubber base.

There is an old expression that "everything old is new again" and another that says "just when you think it can get any better... it can" In the case of this newly released version of Gluma Desensitizer PowerGel, both are quite true.

It has been quite a while since the days of "Painless Parker," and dental anesthesia has come a long way in being a more comfortable procedure. Key to that advancement has been the use of a vibrational device attached to the anesthetic syringe.

White spots: We all see them, and often wonder what we can do about them. It is reasonable to say that every clinical dentist will see a fair number of patients who have white spot lesions on their anterior teeth. The dilemma is how to treat these spots. Certainly, there are invasive methods such as "prepping" the white spot and then restoring the area with a composite filling material. Or, perhaps you may provide the patient with a direct or indirect laminate veneer. Or even more dramatic, some may consider preparing the tooth for a full coverage restoration.

There are no "standard" techniques in place for finishing and polishing composite resins. "All roads lead to Rome" is a phrase often used when discussing the creation of a proper high-shine polish for composites because there are so many different methods available to achieve this goal. Composite surfaces are finished and polished to improve their aesthetic quality, and for protection against the aggressive oral microorganism environment that can colonize in rough and improperly polished surfaces.

Size does matter—but so does shape! In order to help us create the ideal esthetic result, we need a proportional combination of both size and shape. Stephen Chu, DDS, a well-known prosthodontist, developed a set of instruments that will be of great assistance in design and treatment planning for esthetic case management. This set of esthetic gauge instruments helps determine proportion and the amount of crown lengthening needed (if any) and includes a sounding gauge to determine the location of the bony crest before, during, and after the crown-lengthening procedure

Prep, etch, bond, fill, finish, and polish. You know—all that jazz! Anyway, that last step just got easier with the new polishing series Jazz Supreme Polishers. SS White Burs, Inc., who previously brought us the minimally invasive, conservative Fissurotomy bur and the Great White Ultra Carbide series, now offers a selection of conventional and diamond-impregnated composite and ceramic polishing sets. The Jazz Supreme Polishers lead off this series of polishers.

It is well accepted that no dental examination is complete without an examination of the oral mucosa for oral cancer. The incidence of oral cancer is on the rise amongst women, younger adults, non-alcoholics, and non-smokers. Oral cancer can be as fatal as melanoma (skin cancer) or cervical cancer. Since these "new-comers" do not fit the "typical" profile we were taught in school, we must be more vigilant.

We have all heard the 80/20 rule applied to various situations; within dentistry, we can apply this "rule" to crown fabrication. In my practice, as well as in many of my colleagues’ practices, it seems that 80% of the crown and bridge procedures involve single crowns and the remaining 20% are multiple units. Further discussion with fellow dentists around the world tells me I am underestimating the percentages, and that it is more like 85% of all crown and bridge procedures are single units. If we accept this hypothesis, then perhaps we should rethink how we can provide this relatively uncomplicated service for our patients in the most efficient and comfortable manner.