Critical Thinking in Dental Students and Experienced Practitioners Assessed by the Health Sciences Reasoning Test.

To date, there has been a lack of published studies examining the validity of the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) to assess critical thinking among dental students. The aim of this study was to examine the construct validity of the HSRT using a novice-expert model consisting of first-year dental students as novices and experienced general dentists as experts. Novice cohort subjects were recruited from all 105 students in the first-year dental school class at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio during a regularly scheduled course in August 2015.

A Combination of Various Technologies in the Fabrication of a Removable Partial Denture--A Case Study.

Digital dentistry is increasing prevalent throughout general dental practice. Scanned impression systems, CAD/CAM software, milling units, and 3D printers are becoming used with regularity by some private practitioners. This case report describes a combination of multiple technologies including intraoral scanning, 3D printing, and traditional impression and processing techniques used for fabricating a removable partial denture.

Case report: immediate dentures in an HIV positive patient.

A 35-year-old patient with a previous history of recreational drug use, mainly cocaine, presented to the UTHSCSA Dental School with grossly carious remaining dentition. The pattern of the wear and caries on the teeth also indicated other recreational drug such as methamphetamine over a long period of time. He was planned for extractions of the remaining teeth and placement of immediate dentures considering the patient's wish for not being edentulous for the healing period.

Alternatives to traditional complete dentures.

Specific alternatives to traditional complete denture therapy have been controversial because of the uncertainties surrounding effectiveness of retention. This article addresses the importance of retention, border molding, diagnosis, and treatment planning, and the meticulous attention to detail required throughout the treatment course of these alternative modalities. Indications, advantages, and limitations are also presented.

Effects of pretreating preparations with sodium hypochlorite on bonding composite resin restorations.

This study sought to determine whether using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as a pretreatment in bonding composite resins has a detrimental effect on bond strength. Previous studies have addressed pretreating dentin with NaOCl after etching; however, little research is available concerning pretreatment before etching. This study examines pretreating dentin with NaOCl prior to acid etching when fourth generation bonding systems are used.

Long term success of 6 implants supporting a mandibular screw-retained fixed dental prosthesis: a clinical report.

Dental implant therapy has become successful with improved surgical and prosthodontic techniques. However, most clinical trials, even though well controlled, are limited in longevity. There are few clinical reports that show long-term results with dental implants.

Dental implants in the older adult.

A need for dental implant treatment in the older population is recognized considering the prevalence of partial and complete edentulism and the positive predictability of implant therapy. Even with a number of barriers to overcome for the older adult seeking implant care, dental implants provide stabilizing support for removable dental appliances and have been shown to be successful in that population. In this paper, we describe quality of life, systemic, surgical, and prosthodontic considerations of this prosthetic treatment along with maintenance challenges.

A 5-year prospective multicenter clinical trial of non-submerged dental implants with a titanium plasma-sprayed surface in 200 patients.

Background: Endosseous dental implants are a popular treatment to replace missing teeth. Although many advances have occurred and affected the macrogeometry and surface characteristics of dental implants, among other aspects, it is important to document how the implants perform in patients over time. Such evaluations are helpful not only to document the clinical survival of the implants but also patient satisfaction over an extended period.

Removable partial dentures--treatment now and for the future.

The use of a removable partial denture (RPD) in clinical practice remains a viable treatment modality. Various advancements have improved the quality of a RPD, subsequently improving the quality of life for the individuals that use them. This article describes four removable partial denture treatment modalities that provide valuable treatment for the partially edentulous patient.

Fabricating a custom earpiece for hand-held radios.

This article describes the fabrication of a custom earpiece for use with hand-held radios. The technique can be used to fabricate custom earpieces, as a public service, for law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, and others, improving safety and providing a valuable benefit to the community.

Immediate placement and immediate provisional abutment modeling in anterior single-tooth implant restorations using a CAD/CAM application: a clinical report.

A patient underwent immediate implant placement and immediate provisional restoration with nonocclusal loading in the right central incisor area. A provisional custom abutment and a cemented provisional restoration were fabricated. At the impression appointment, an implant level impression was made and the provisional abutment was scanned for fabrication of the definitive custom abutment.

Prosthetic management of implants in the esthetic zone.

The purpose of this article is to review and project treatment procedures for areas of esthetic concern. The authors were participants in a consensus conference sponsored by ITI and held in August 2003 in Gstaad, Switzerland. This article deals with the basic prosthetic/restorative aspects in implant esthetics.

Soft liners.

The article provides a background for understanding the properties of soft liner materials, describing associated problems, and discussing clinical applications of soft liners in dental practice. Although not a panacea, soft liner materials provide the practitioner with a variable tool in providing excellent clinical care for patients.

Evidence-based practice in removable prosthodontics.

This review of selected articles has discussed the best evidence from clinical studies pertaining to removable prosthodontics. The goal was to correlate recent literature in context with what is clinically significant for the general dentist practicing removable prosthodontics. The focus of this limited review should encourage more interest in seeking valid literature to support and incorporate evidence-based practices into daily prosthodontic treatment decisions.

Proximal contour modifications for fixed partial dentures: a clinical report.

An often-neglected aspect of fixed prosthodontics is the contour of the tooth adjacent to the cast restoration. The adjacent surfaces should be surveyed to reveal compatibility with the path of insertion of the restoration. Adjacent contacts may have to be altered to permit the placement of the fixed partial denture and to ensure proper contact size/shape and embrasure size.

The importance of considering spatial attributes in evaluating estuarine habitat condition: the South Carolina experience.

The South Carolina Estuarine and Coastal Assessment Program (SCECAP) was initiated in 1999 to assess the condition of the state's coastal habitats using multiple measures of water quality, sediment quality, and biological condition. Sampling was subsequently expanded to include components required for the National Coastal Assessment (Coastal 2000) Program. Habitats are classified as either "tidal creeks" (< 100 meters in width) or larger "open water" bodies.

Developing an effective generic prescription drug program.

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) use a variety of pricing strategies. When employers have a thorough knowledge of those strategies, they can use them to their advantage to help manage pharmacy benefits. This article discusses PBM strategies in terms of what employers need to know, the questions employers need to ask and goals employers must keep in mind in order to secure the affordable cost and quality prescription drug management programs that they and their employees need and deserve.