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Spear Digest Dental Articles

Oops I Did it Again! Insufficient Reduction
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Oops I Did it Again! Insufficient Reduction

It's regrettable to me that after preparing and impressing a tooth for a crown, the laboratory will notify me that the tooth had insufficient reduction....

| 10 years ago
Endodontics: Advocating Smaller Canal Preps

Endodontics: Advocating Smaller Canal Preps

In July of this year, I posted a Digest article in which I posited that removing tooth structure accidentally, or perhaps, needlessly, as some advocate...

| 10 years ago
Ankylosis Part IV:  The Use of Decoronation
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Ankylosis Part IV: The Use of Decoronation

Typically when managing ankylosis in permanent teeth in children, it is advisable to remove the ankylosed tooth prior to significant growth so that the...

| 10 years ago
Ceramic Restorations: Why Do They Break?
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Ceramic Restorations: Why Do They Break?

All ceramic restorations can break, even IPS e.max lithium disilicate, which has a flexural strength of 400 mPa. The two most common reasons for ceramic...

| 10 years ago
Impression Materials: Pesky Air-inhibited Layer!
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Impression Materials: Pesky Air-inhibited Layer!

Here's a tip I learned the hard way—twice! Before I used preparation guides and reduction guides for veneer and crown preparations I would make my provisionals before...

| 10 years ago
Fifty Shades of Gray: Matching Single Centrals
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Fifty Shades of Gray: Matching Single Centrals

Not the book – and hopefully not that single central you are trying to match. However, we do occasionally have to shade a single central with a...

| 10 years ago
Light-Curing Solution for Provisional Restorations

Light-Curing Solution for Provisional Restorations

During the fabrication of provisional restorations, it's not uncommon to use a visible light-curing oven, such as Triad or Procure from Great Lakes. These...

| 10 years ago
Treatment Planning 101: Part III

Treatment Planning 101: Part III

In Part I and Part II of this series, I discussed what research is showing us about periodontal disease; how it impacts the overall longevity of our patients'...

| 10 years ago
Basic Endodontic Diagnosis Course Now Available

Basic Endodontic Diagnosis Course Now Available

An endodontic diagnosis, or any type of diagnosis, made when treating patients is important because it informs the intention to treat. Clinicians need...

| 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
Provisionals with Ease and Accuracy
1

Provisionals with Ease and Accuracy

At the 2014 Spear Summit, a dentist asked me what was the most predictable, easy and accurate way to make provisionals for single units or 3-4 unit...

| 10 years ago
Treatment Planning 101: Part II

Treatment Planning 101: Part II

In the first article of this series, I began to discuss treatment planning and the importance of knowing how research can and should impact our treatment...

| 10 years ago