Journal and Conferences of Dentistry

There is no question that over the last two decades dental implants have revolutionized tooth replacement and the practice of dentistry. The concept of dental implants is not new; the earliest recorded attempts of their use were discovered in the Mayan civilization dating back to 600 A.D.  Today's highly successful dental implants consist of root replacement for a natural tooth, to which a crown is attached, just like the teeth in your mouth when you smile, there is no visible difference. In addition they do not decay and are relatively free from developing gum disease. Treatment modalities in dentistry today, this not only involves scientific discovery, research and understanding, but application in clinical practic. The practice of implant dentistry requires expertise in planning, surgical placement and crown fabrication; it is as much about art and experience as it is about science.  Read more>>>>>>>>

The introduction of adhesive systems for orthodontic bonding has dramatically decreased a time consuming step in fixed appliance therapy. Since the introduction of the adhesive technology by Buonocore in 1955 and the first report of its use in bracket placement by Newman  in 1964, there have been considerable developments in all areas. Enamel etching was first performedwith 80% phosphoric acid but soon changed to a 37% solution, which was routinely accepted by the end of the last millennium. Subsequently the introduction of self-etching primers has again brought a dramatic change in etching technology.  Not only were new etching agents such as polyacrylic acid and maleic acid introduced, but the etchant was combined with the low viscosity composite matrix which potentially enhanced the penetration of the etching relief. Alongside the etchants, adhesives have also evolved. Whereas initially Newman  advocated the use of an epoxy resin, polyacrylic resins filled with...

Missing teeth and lost or defective tooth structures can be restored by various types of fixed prostheses, the retention of which can be achieved by many ways. The most important retention technique is minimizing the convergence angle (CA) to an optimal taper that allows proper seating and retention of the dental prosthesis. The CA, measured in degrees, is defined as the taper of a crown preparation or the angle formed between opposing axial walls when teeth are prepared for crowns or fixed dental prostheses. This term is best described as the total occlusal convergence. CAvalues ranging from 4 to 38 degrees have been measured in the literature by various methods, including using a tool-maker microscope, geniometer, three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner, white-light 3D scanner, digitizer, AutoCAD photographs, Lava design, 3D-inspection software, and a protractor to measure a traced silhouette from a photo of the projection of dies . Only one study mentioned using visual estimation to...

Occupational hazard refers to a risk or danger as a consequence of the nature or working conditions of a particular job. It can also refer to a work, material, substance, process, or situation that predisposes, or itself causes accidents or disease, at a work place. The history of occupational hazard awareness can be traced back to the 18th century when Bernadino Ramazzini, who is referred to as the father of occupational medicine, recognized the role of occupation in the dynamics of health and diseases.Occupational health should aim at the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well being of workers in all occupations; the prevention of deviation from health among workers caused by their working conditions; their protection from risks resulting from factors adverse to health. Healthy practitioners are particularly important for a successful dental practice and well-being of the patient. Occupational health hazards are not uncommon, altho...

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder caused by a trisomy of chromosome 21 with an incidence of 1: 800 to 1:1000 births. In India, it has been reported that the incidence of Down’s syndrome occurs in 1 per 700 births. The syndrome is characterized mainly by mental retardation, cardiovascular, hematopoietic, and musculoskeletal and nervous system anomalies, as well as other phenotypic abnormalities. Numerous oral manifestations have been describedin DS individuals including low incidence of dental caries, high incidence ofperiodontal diseases, mouth breathing resulting in dry mouth, fissured tongueand lips, high incidence of mucosal ulcers, candidiasis and acute necrotizingulcerative gingivitis. Children with Down syndrome may have different dental characteristics such as congenitally missing teeth and microdontia. Often, the teeth are in Angle’s class III relationship with posterior cross bites due to underdeveloped midfacial region.  The tongue has deep fissures and a...

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that forms of tobacco use, including cigarette smoking and water pipe (WP) use, cause a large and growing public health burden. Each year, universal tobacco use is estimated to kill about 5 million people, and is the cause for one in every five male deaths, and one in every 20 female deaths of individuals over age 30. By 2030, it is estimated that yearly tobacco deaths will rise to 10 million. Some argue that the public health burden caused by tobacco use in the Middle East has reached epidemic proportions. Nicknamed“Shisha,” “Muassel,” and “Nargilha,” water pipe smoking (WPS) is especiallypopular among the young populations of the Arabian countries, Turkey, India, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh . A recent study conducted in Jordan showed that among university students, WP use was as prevalent as cigarette smoking, with current use of 30% and 56% respectively, while a survey of students from four universities in Lebanon showed that WP...