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Showing posts from October, 2021

Some things change but some things stay the same?

Dentistry is constantly evolving and an excellent dental practitioner has to be committed to life long learning.  I maintain a perfect five star rating on Google, teach at NYU College of Dentistry and really enjoy treating my patients. I continue to actively participate in over 100 hours of continuing education each year and I am a leader of a Spear Study Club that meets almost every month.   The writing on the wall clearly shows that our profession is transitioning away from making our patients porcelain fused to metal crowns as  practitioners are making a greater portion of their crowns all ceramic ( mostly either lithium disilicate or zirconium crowns).  I have become adept at utilizing these newer style restorations and am enjoying teaching the newer techniques to fourth year dental students at NYUCD.  Keeping up to date is an important part of producing predictably excellent results for our patients and during my lengthy career I have witnessed big changes in how dentistry is pe

A Stich in Time Saves Nine?

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We all are familiar with this cliche about the importance of early detection. Unfortunately because of their  COVID 19 concerns,  more people are delaying their recare dental visits, often waiting to schedule an appointment only when they notice a new dental symptom. Their choice may be  putting them at greater risk for infections and  the need for more extensive treatments.  In addition, many of the businesses that are located in Manhattan (my neighborhood) have not yet had their employees return to their offices for work full time.  Many of  my patients, who come in for  their checkup and cleanings,  are traveling from home which may require longer travel times to get to our office. Even if they are coming in to their offices part time, they may be loathe to take time off to visit us if cuts into their in person office hours. Not surprisingly when they do come in, my examinations are detecting more problems at more advanced stages than before the Pandemic.  Even if , as some exp

Why Zirconium crowns are replacing Porcelain fused to metal crowns?

Why are monolithic Zironium crowns becoming the most popular type of crown for posterior restorations? Probably because they exhibit of a number of obvious advantages . These include the fact that cadcam zirconium crowns have more affordable lab fees, are more resistant to fracture, require less tooth preparation and more biocompatible than porcelains or the metals used in most dental restorations.  While earlier versions of full contoured zirconium crowns were often too opaque and less esthetic than a well made porcelain fused to metal crown, newer versions are more translucent and are esthetic enough to satisfy most patients who need posterior crowns. In addition, when their margins are supragingival, no grey collar is visible as often is the case with ceramometal restorations. Their margins can be placed either supra or sub gingival and unlike lithium disilicate restorations they can be cemented with resin modified glass ionomer or traditional dental cements without  sacrificing th