The Lancet Published:July 20, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31146-8

 Oral diseases are among the most prevalent diseases globally and have serious health and economic burdens, greatly reducing quality of life for those affected. The most prevalent and consequential oral diseases globally are dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal disease, tooth loss, and cancers of the lips and oral cavity. In this first of two papers in a Series on oral health, we describe the scope of the global oral disease epidemic, its origins in terms of social and commercial determinants, and its costs in terms of population wellbeing and societal impact. Although oral diseases are largely preventable, they persist with high prevalence, reflecting widespread social and economic inequalities and inadequate funding for prevention and treatment, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). As with most non-communicable diseases (NCDs), oral conditions are chronic and strongly socially patterned. Children living in poverty, socially marginalised groups, and older people are the most affected by oral diseases, and have poor access to dental care. In many LMICs, oral diseases remain largely untreated because the treatment costs exceed available resources. The personal consequences of chronic untreated oral diseases are often severe and can include unremitting pain, sepsis, reduced quality of life, lost school days, disruption to family life, and decreased work productivity. The costs of treating oral diseases impose large economic burdens to families and health-care systems. Oral diseases are undoubtedly a global public health problem, with particular concern over their rising prevalence in many LMICs linked to wider social, economic, and commercial changes. By describing the extent and consequences of oral diseases, their social and commercial determinants, and their ongoing neglect in global health policy, we aim to highlight the urgent need to address oral diseases among other NCDs as a global health priority.

J Clin Periodontol. 2019 Jul 4. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.13165.

Abstract

AIM:

To assess periodontal and dental conditions in individuals in maintenance care after periodontal therapy in private practice, and identify risk factors for recurrence of disease and tooth loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

100 patients attending a routine recall visit were included. All had been treated for periodontal disease and were in maintenance since ≥2 years.

RESULTS:

Examinations took place 18.0 (±8.71) years after the start of periodontal therapy. 40.1±22.5 recall visits were registered during this time. 91% of the participants had an initial diagnosis of chronic, 9% of aggressive periodontitis. The average participant was 46 years old and had 26 teeth. 283 of 2549 initially present teeth were lost, half of them being molars. Periodontal and endo-periodontal complications accounted for only 16 lost teeth. The prevalence of all probing depth (PD) categories decreased significantly. The longer the time, the more frequent the recall visits, and the more was spent during the maintenance phase the greater was the reduction. Multivariate analysis rendered BMI and smoking as factors influencing number of sites with PPD ≥4 mm and BOP.

CONCLUSION:

Tooth loss and periodontal tissue damage can be contained over prolonged periods if periodontal disease is treated and patients attend regular maintenance care.

Are you curing your composites?
Curing composites does not mean turning on the curing light and assuming since the top layer is hard everything has been done properly.  There are many importation aspects to properly curing all of the materials that we use in our daily workflows. Since about half of our procedures require a curing light. From bonding agents, composites and core materials all of these require proper cure times based on the power output of the lights along with excellent technique.  Incomplete curing causes a host of problems for both the patient and dentist.

There is a new product on the market that is more then just a radiometer and its from a company called Blue Light Analytics.  They have a device called checkUp. Using Bluetooth the device connects to an app on your smartphone. It looks like a small hockey puck and not only measures the power output of your curing light but uses artificial intelligence to query its database of materials to guide you on the proper curing times for all your materials.

Here are some screenshots of my recent use of checkUP. One of the interesting things I have found out is my brand name barriers actually reduce my output by approximately 100mw/cm2.

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International Orthodontics