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Spear Digest Dental Articles

A Tip to Increase Wear Time of an Anterior Appliance
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A Tip to Increase Wear Time of an Anterior Appliance

As it is taught in as taught in Spear's Occlusion workshop, partial coverage appliances like NTIs and anterior bite planes can be wonderful appliances...

| 9 years ago
Creating Models and Restorations Without Impressions

Creating Models and Restorations Without Impressions

Wouldn't it be great if we could get all of our dentistry done without ever taking impressions? I think most of us are nodding yes right now.

| 9 years ago
Can We Talk Contact?

Can We Talk Contact?

We have all been trained to seat restorations with a solid contact to adjacent teeth. We usually determine this with the 'snap' of the floss. It's a happy...

| 9 years ago
The Occlusal Plane Guide
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The Occlusal Plane Guide

When communicating the desired tooth position to the dental technician for a diagnostic wax-up, the more accurate and detailed the information provided...

| 9 years ago
Anterior Open Bites: Part IX

Anterior Open Bites: Part IX

The easiest open bite to correct is one that was caused by tooth wear from erosion, not attrition or grinding, and where the anterior tooth position didn't...

| 9 years ago
Composite for Managing Wear and Altering VDO
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Composite for Managing Wear and Altering VDO

In general, the use of composite is significantly more common in Europe than the United States.  Let me clarify that by saying that although composite...

| 9 years ago
But Doc, Can’t You Just Fix My Broken Tooth?
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But Doc, Can’t You Just Fix My Broken Tooth?

While we all want to help patients in this situation as quickly as possible, it is important to ask ourselves what caused the broken tooth. In this particular...

| 9 years ago
Bite Registration Material Setting Too FAST? Chillax…
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Bite Registration Material Setting Too FAST? Chillax…

When selecting bite registration materials to be used for interocclusal records, some characteristics that we'd like to see are: Accuracy No resistance...

| 9 years ago
Segmenting a Full Mouth Diagnostic Wax-Up
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Segmenting a Full Mouth Diagnostic Wax-Up

Generally for me, all complex cases start with a diagnostic wax-up. Once this wax-up is done, I can base my preparations and provisionals off of this...

| 10 years ago
Group Function Isn't a Dirty Word
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Group Function Isn't a Dirty Word

Bilateral canine guidance is great when it is appropriate, but sometimes it just isn't possible. So what happens in these cases? Do the teeth break...

| 10 years ago
The Appliance as a Diagnostic Tool
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The Appliance as a Diagnostic Tool

The oral orthotic appliance has almost as many uses as a diagnostic aid and for treatment as it has names – splint, bite splint, guard, night guard,...

| 10 years ago
Just Blame It on Your Dental Assistant
1

Just Blame It on Your Dental Assistant

Remember the last time you were preparing a tooth for a crown and couldn't see at all because your mirror was soaked?  And your patient's head was turned...

| 10 years ago