Clinical experience, misunderstood concepts and frequently asked questions. Notes from many years of practice.
A 249-patient daily diary mapped the curve precisely: on day 1, 63.5 per cent rated their worst pain severe and 85 per cent had trouble chewing; by day 6 chewing trouble was down to 19 per cent, and swelling fell from a peak of 61 per cent on day 2 to 10 per cent. What to expect, day by day.
Resin infiltration outperformed both no treatment and fluoride varnish in a meta-analysis of 11 studies covering 1,834 teeth in 413 patients. White spots are usually demineralised enamel, not surface staining.
Where osteoporosis meets dentistry: in a cohort of 89,115 denosumab and 389,536 alendronate initiators, denosumab was associated with 36% fewer hip and 43% fewer non-vertebral fractures. What each drug means for implant and extraction planning, and what the dental team must know first.
A meta-analysis of 64 studies covering 3,509 metal-ceramic and 8,051 all-ceramic single crowns reported five-year survival of 96.8 percent for monolithic zirconia and 97.3 percent for veneered designs. The real difference is in failure mode: monolithic crowns chip and fracture significantly less.
Success depends on how strictly you measure it: pooled results from 42 longitudinal clinical studies put primary root canal therapy at 92.6% under loose radiographic criteria, where the lesion shrank, and 82.0% under strict criteria, where it fully healed. What the treatment involves, start to finish.
Across 29 studies, pooled survival at 10.4 years was 96.13% for feldspathic and 96.81% for lithium disilicate, but technical complications ran 41.48% against 6.1%. A veneer covers only the front surface.
Suitability is broader than most people assume and it has numbers behind it: a systematic review of 18 prospective studies put 10-year implant survival at 96.4 percent, with 91.5 percent in people aged 65 and over. Which conditions need planning rather than exclusion.
The zygomatic bone shapes the cheek and part of the eye socket. Its anatomy, the four joints it forms, and how a cheekbone fracture is repaired.
Sensodyne Repair & Protect is a different toothpaste in the US than in the UK. Which brands carry which active ingredient, and what the trials measured.
