The use of COX-2 inhibitors for acute dental pain: A second look.

Background: On the basis of their perceived better safety profile compared with other analgesic agents, cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have been prescribed frequently as first-line agents to treat acute dental pain. However, recently identified cardiovascular adverse reactions associated with these drugs mandate a reappraisal of their use in dental practice. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED.

The medical oncology patient.

Chemotherapy may be either an effective alternative to surgery or a valuable adjunct to surgery and/or radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The care of medical oncology patients is a multidisciplinary effort. Oral health care providers can expect to be called on to care for patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

The comparative efficacy of stabilized stannous fluoride/sodium hexametaphosphate dentifrice and sodium fluoride/triclosan/copolymer dentifrice for the control of gingivitis: a 6-month randomized clinical study.

Background: Antimicrobial agents such as stannous fluoride and triclosan have been incorporated into dentifrice formulations and have been shown to be effective in reducing gingivitis. The objective of this study was to compare the anti-gingivitis efficacy of a 0.454% stannous fluoride/sodium hexametaphosphate dentifrice to a positive control triclosan/copolymer dentifrice.

Fracture of a fixed partial denture abutment: a clinical report.

Commonly observed complications associated with a conventional fixed partial denture (FPD) include loss of retention and tooth fracture. This report describes the occurrence of an unusual FPD abutment fracture and subsequent treatment. The distal abutment of an FPD developed severe periodontal disease with mobility.

Custom sports mouthguard modified for orthodontic patients and children in the transitional dentition.

Young athletes with ever-changing transitional dentitions and those wearing fixed orthodontic appliances can benefit from custom-formed protective mouthguards. Modifications of the traditional vacuum-forming method are useful to fabricate mouthguards for such patients and extend the useful life of these devices. The purpose of this case report is to document fabrication of custom-formed protective mouthguards for a 10-year-old boy wearing fixed orthodontic appliances and a 9-year-old girl with a fixed palatal expander in place.

The patient with an odontogenic infection.

The routine use of antibacterial agents for the management of odontogenic infections has not been shown to be effective and is inappropriate. Most of these bacterial infections can be resolved satisfactorily through an approach that incorporates debridement (primary dental care) in conjunction with local anesthesia. Odontogenic infections are polymicrobial.

Nutrition and dental caries.

Promotion of sound dietary practices is an essential component of caries management, along with fluoride exposure and oral hygiene practices. Scientific discoveries have lead to better understanding of the caries process, the ever-expanding food supply, and the interaction between the two. Fermentable carbohydrates interact dynamically with oral bacteria and saliva, and these foods will continue to be a major part of a healthful diet.

Fluoride varnishes.

Fluoride varnishes are available in the United States, and the Federal Drug Administration has approved a fluoride varnish for use as a cavity preparation lining varnish and as a tooth desensitizing agent. The literature, however, supports the use of fluoride varnishes to inhibit tooth demineralization and enhance remineralization. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of literature and make recommendations according to the available scientific evidence.

Internet resources for dentistry: utilization of the Internet to support professional growth, decision making, and patient care.

The use of computers as an information resource in dentistry has grown dramatically over the past ten years. Fueled by the availability of more powerful computers, societal acceptance of computer-based resources, and the development of the Internet, millions of documents now provide a tremendously important repository of information for healthcare providers. Those involved in delivery of dental care need to know how to access and use this information for their professional development and to support clinically related activities.

Internet resources for dentistry: government and medical sites for the dental professional.

As society transitions deeper into the Information Age, Information Technology has become a critical tool that supports all facets of the global economy. The Internet, via the World-Wide Web (WWW), has become a major component of business operations for corporate and educational organizational entities. An estimated 10,000 or more health-related websites are providing information for both consumers and healthcare professionals.

Internet resources for dentistry: computer, Internet, reference, and sites for enhancing personal productivity of the dental professional.

At the onset of the new millennium the Internet has become the new standard means of distributing information. In the last two to three years there has been an explosion of e-commerce with hundreds of new web sites being created every minute. For most corporate entities, a web site is as essential as the phone book listing used to be.

How the licensure process will evolve.

Background And Overview: All aspects of dental licensure are continuing to evolve. This article describes the changes that are occurring in the licensure process and projects the direction and magnitude of future changes.

Conclusions: The author predicts that national board examinations will continue to move away from recall of facts and toward assessment of basic science and clinical principles as they apply to clinical decision making and delivery of care.

Provisionalization for a single cementable dental implant restoration.

This article presents a procedure for refining margins of provisional implant crowns. This procedure uses an analog of the implant and abutment. This procedure allows functional and esthetic considerations such as emergence profiles, symmetry, diastemas, embrasures, size, contours, position, angulation, and relation to other teeth to be evaluated.

Clinical usefulness of two-dimensional reformatted and three-dimensionally rendered computerized tomographic images: literature review and a survey of surgeons' opinions.

Purpose: This study compares the usefulness of axial computed tomography (CT) with two-dimensional (2D) reformats and three-dimensionally (3D) rendered CT data in the treatment planning and management of patients.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-nine patients who had been studied with CT were grouped into the following four clinical problems: 1) temporomandibular joint assessment (n = 8), 2) growth and development assessment (n = 4), 3) posttrauma and postoperative assessment (n = 13), 4) "other" (n = 4). The clinicians who treated these patients were surveyed for their opinions of the usefulness of CT with and without 2D/3D reformatting.

Nitrous oxide: a serious look at laughing gas.

The purpose of this manuscript is to review the history, indications, and contraindications of nitrous oxide/oxygen as a conscious sedative agent. Included is a discussion of its addictive potential and the implications of its utilization with individuals who are recovering from addictive diseases. Additional discussion is devoted to the myeloneuropathies resulting from sustained "recreational" use.

Reimbursement for the oral health care of cancer patients.

Oral conditions related to cancer therapy, which are largely preventable, continue to result in considerable morbidity, dysfunction and lost quality of life. Therefore, it is important for dentists to be knowledgeable about the problems of reimbursement for the oral health care of cancer patients and become involved in the issue of access to oral health care for cancer patients.