Dental Info

  I attend Study Clubs about three times per month. These occur after work at an office of one of the members. The purpose of our study clubs that are run using a "Spear" Model is to have  presentations  that are interactive that encourage our members  to  ask questions and share their related experiences.  Our members understand that its best  tnot to be critical of other attendees but they are free to politely disagree and explain why. The purpose our clubs is to help improve the skills and knowledge of our attendees. This should help them become more effective and able to achieve more predictable dental outcomes.  Since all dentists occasionally experience non ideal outcomes,  it is important for us to analyze why they may happen and how to avoid them in the future. I have been participating in Spear study Clubs for more than 13 years and it has helped me become a better dentist. Currently I lead my own club 10 times a year ...

 The answer is simple... to remove plaque  a long the facial and lingual surfaces of the teeth. No other technique will accomplish this as well as using a tooth brush properly . Plaque consists of colonies of bacteria attached to the teeth with a mucopolysaccharide matrix. It is like the colonies of bacteria that are grown in petrie dishes, soft, slimy and relatively easy to remove.  Yesterday I was treating one of my patients, a young man with rampant decay through out his mouth. He comes in weekly for me to clean out cavities and place " medicated fluoride releasing fillings" . These needed treatments are the result of years of neglect on his part and poor oral hygiene.  Even though he should be sufficiently motivated he still seems to be not brushing properly. Yesterday I disclosed his plaque using some chewable disclosing tablets that stain plaque red and then I asked him to go to the bathroom and brush it off. He was able to get a lot of it off and I gave hi...