The rubber dam, a problem for the dentist or the patient?

Although the advantages of rubber dam use are obvious and rubber dam use is established standard of care in many disciplines, its application in general dental practice is low. To assess whether a negative attitude of patients might be the case, 304 patients were asked by means of a questionnaire comments on their treatment under rubber dam. The majority of the patients experienced no hinder, excepted for rubber dam restricting the communication with the dental practitioner. Women experienced more often than men anxiety, whereas smokers more frequently experienced discomfort.     

Why a dentist for identification?

Identification of humans using the unique features of the teeth and jaws has been used since Roman times. Throughout history, various stories have been recorded in which a person's unusual smile, crowded or fractured teeth, or a single darkened tooth have been used to identify a corpse to the exclusion of all other people. Today, dentists are respected widely as a source of valuable data that can be used to answer questions that arise during a death investigation, and forensic dentists can use these data to provide significant conclusions that can initiate, extend, and substantiate the work of coroners, medical examiners, and detectives. By examining the dental traits and characteristics of one or many bodies, it is possible for the odontologist to provide the corpse with its identity and satisfy a basic societal need.     

Defensive behavior in medical care. A lesson for the dentist?

Defensive behaviour in medical care is defined as a clear deviation from the physicians (dentists) usual behaviour and from what he/she considers to be good practice in order to prevent problems in the contact with patients and their families. General practitioners behave defensively in substantial proportion of their referrals to a specialist (15%) and of their ordering diagnostic tests (25%). In both instances varying (clinical and non-clinical) reasons can prompt the physician to refer or to test. Defensive considerations can play an equally varying role within all these reasons, which shed more light on the nature of the daily work in primary care. It is concluded that no reason exists to presume that Dutch dentists are more free either from non-clinical considerations and from defensive behaviour when they treat their patients than general practitioners.     

What does saliva represent to the dentist?

Despite the undoubtedly large impact of saliva on the patient's oral health, little is known about its exact properties and role. More research has been put into serum, when compared to saliva, although that is changing. More and more researchers are interested in the role of certain proteins or electrolytes in an oral disease process. Besides the purely laboratory research, practitioners are also interested in the bacterial colonisation of the oral fluids, especially in assessing a patient's caries risk. The use of bacterial chair-side tests illustrates this aspect of progression in oral health care. For the dental professional, saliva is an important ally in preventing dental caries and mucositis. The lubrication properties and antibacterial/antiviral function of saliva play an important role in the protection of the oral cavity. These aspects may be suppressed in some medically compromised patients. In those cases, the dental professional is faced with a challenge to solve the oral health problems.     

Bar code, good for industry and trade--how does it benefit the dentist?

Every dentist who attentively follows the change in product labelling can easily see that the HIBC bar code is on the increase. In fact, according to information from FIDE/VDDI and ADE/BVD, the dental industry and trade are firmly resolved to apply the HIBC bar code to all products used internationally in dental practices. Why? Indeed, at first it looks like extra expense to additionally print a bar code on the packages. Good reasons can only lie in advantages which manufacturers and the trade expect from the HIBC bar code, Indications in dental technician circles are that the HIBC bar code is coming. If there are advantages, what are these, and can the dentist also profit from them? What does HIBC bar code mean and what items of interest does it include? What does bar code cost and does only one code exist? This is explained briefly, concentrating on the benefits bar code can bring for different users.