Endocrown case reflection

The “mechanical dentist” in me has doubts on the survival of this case due to a distinct lack of mechanical retention, however with modern bonding measures and careful attention to the force vectors it will be interesting to see how this lasts. Should I see failure I would hope to have lost minimal to no […]

Align, Bleach and Bond (James Bond)

I was fortunate enough to find the IAS Academy running a course from Edinburgh, and am delighted to find a shared thought process on the approach to managing crowding and wear to teeth. The IAS Academy are known for their Align (straighten), Bleach (whiten) and Bond (composite additions) approach to crowding and tooth wear. Once […]

And… relax

“Are you aware of any clenching or grinding?” “No! I never do that! Absolutely not. Though I used to, but I stopped. My jaw hurts often and my teeth are breaking but that’s because of crusty bread. Absolutely not grinding though.” Sound familiar? I spend much of my day talking about clenching and grinding, and […]

Map to Crown Town

There can be many ways we may lose teeth, the most well known being decay, gum disease or infection. This said, it is also extremely common to lose teeth via cracks/fractures. It is therefore important to identify early signs in a bid to protect teeth BEFORE they break. However, sometimes they break! In some cases […]

Dam…you never go back

A rubber dam exists to isolate teeth, retract tissues, protect the airway and improve moisture control. It stops water and debris from gathering in the mouth and allows the patient to breathe comfortably. Procedures can become much quicker and easier with a bit of practice in dam placement. So why don’t people use it? Some […]

Hemisection case study

I was recommended to a patient recently who had been through retreatment of molar teeth and had, on continuation of symptoms, been recommended extraction +/- implants. The presenting teeth: As you can see, there were issues restoratively here and we must wonder about the coronal seal of the UR6. There is also a strange appearance […]

Test driving the Unica anterior matrix and ASAP polishers

All photos taken with intent to share and permission given to do so. The presenting case. This patient had a forward positioning of their lateral incisors which made them look short compared to the neighbouring teeth. The upper left lateral had fractured and the patients routine dentist had placed a crown which was in better […]

Welcome to the underside of the bus

While indulging my social media addiction this evening I came across a post by a dentist who lamented that the patients usual dentist had failed to take photos of existing restorations and recommend replacements. This COULD have been an excellent post highlighting the value in photography for consent, monitoring and treatment planning. Instead it came […]

March of the coneheads

I like prepping teeth for crowns and onlays, it’s a type of treatment that offers an instant gratification at the fit stage and when I get labwork back in a box it feels like I’m unwrapping a present or opening a jewellery box. So naturally I’m quite protective when it comes to the technique I […]

When? And why?

I haven’t posted a blog in a little while, as I’ve had a great deal going on taking on a new post and feeding my addiction to continuing education. Yesterday I had the privilege of listening to a very engaging speaker who really helped me put a lot of what I know (and think I […]