Multiple intraosseous cervical pneumatocysts: A case report of a rare incidental finding on cone-beam computed tomography.

This report presents a case of cervical pneumatocysts as an incidental finding on cone-beam computed tomography. Pneumatocysts are gas-containing lesions of unknown etiology. They usually present in the ilium or sacrum, adjacent to the sacroiliac joint. In the literature, 21 case reports have described cervical pneumatocysts. Cervical pneumatocysts should be differentiated from other lesions, such as osteomyelitis, osteonecrosis, and neoplasms, as well as post-traumatic and post-surgical cases. Computed tomography, cone-beam computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are appropriate tools to diagnose cervical pneumatocysts.

Identification of supernumerary teeth in 2D and 3D: review of literature and a proposal.

Supernumerary teeth occur in both syndromic and nonsyndromic patients, and dental professionals are likely to encounter such teeth in their professional careers. There are three main numbering systems used to identify teeth today: the Universal/ National, the Palmer/Zsigmondy notation, and the Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) numbering systems. However, a review of the literature suggests that none of these three consistently addresses the identification of supernumerary teeth. Being able to communicate the location of supernumerary teeth is important for dental professionals, especially in interdisciplinary situations. This article proposes a guideline to locate and identify supernumerary teeth in two and three dimensions, which may reduce treatment errors and improve communication among health care providers and third-party administrators.

Intraoral digital radiography: elements of effective imaging.

Intraoral digital imaging has evolved from an experimental and sometimes disparaged technique in the mid 1980s to a reliable and ubiquitously used technology today. There are many advantages for use of digital radiographic techniques in dentistry, one of the chief ones being patient dose reduction. However, as important as dose reduction is for safe and effective radiography, practicing dentists would also like to understand the fundamental differences between digital system configurations so they may be able to make an informed choice as to which system best fits their needs. In addition, there has been considerable debate on the following topics: sensor technology; factors associated with image display; optimum techniques for image manipulation; and image storage, retrieval, and archiving. This article provides insight into these and other elements of effective imaging in intraoral digital imaging.

Use of virtual patients in dental education: a survey of U.S. and Canadian dental schools.

The use of virtual patients in dental education is gaining acceptance as an adjunctive method to live patient interactions for training dental students. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which virtual patients are being utilized in dental education by conducting a survey that was sent to sixty-seven dental schools in the United States and Canada. A total of thirty dental schools responded to the web-based survey. Sixty-three percent of the responding dental schools use virtual patients for preclinical or clinical exercises. Of this group, 31.3 percent have used virtual patients in their curricula for more than ten years, and approximately one-third of those who do use virtual patients expose their students to more than ten virtual patient experiences over the entirety of their programs. Of the schools that responded, 90.5 percent rated the use of virtual patients in dental education as important or very important. An additional question addressed the utilization of interactive elements for the virtual patient. Use of virtual patients can provide an excellent method for learning and honing patient interviewing skills, medical history taking, recordkeeping, and patient treatment planning. Through the use of virtual patient interactive audio/video elements, the student can experience interaction with his or her virtual patients during a more realistic simulation encounter.

Ethics and the electronic health record in dental school clinics.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a major development in the practice of dentistry, and dental schools and dental curricula have benefitted from this technology. Patient data entry, storage, retrieval, transmission, and archiving have been streamlined, and the potential for teledentistry and improvement in epidemiological research is beginning to be realized. However, maintaining patient health information in an electronic form has also changed the environment in dental education, setting up potential ethical dilemmas for students and faculty members. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the ethical issues related to EHRs, the advantages and concerns related to the use of computers in the dental operatory, the impact of the EHR on the doctor-patient relationship, the introduction of web-based EHRs, the link between technology and ethics, and potential solutions for the management of ethical concerns related to EHRs in dental schools.

The Arizona model: a new paradigm for dental schools.

The traditional method for the delivery of didactic instruction and patient care in dental schools has come under fire from a number of sources over the past several years. The American Dental Education Association and others have outlined numerous issues impeding the swift progression of student learning through the dental curriculum. Declining state revenues allotted to dental education, the increasing shortage of dental faculty, and the management of student learning in an already overcrowded dental school curriculum have led to the investigation of strategies that address solutions to these and other shortcomings in the current milieu of dental education. To address these deficiencies, strategies for change have been suggested. This article describes the development, implementation, and assessment of a new dental school that addresses these and other challenges to the education of today's dental student, thus creating the Arizona Model. Following seven years of operation, outcomes analysis at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health has shown positive trends in controlling educational costs, a shift to a modular curriculum, increasing student clinical experiences, and, consistent with the mission of the school, producing dentists who are well prepared for dental public health service.

An evaluation of cone-beam computed tomography use in postgraduate orthodontic programs in the United States and Canada.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in postgraduate orthodontic residency programs. An anonymous electronic survey was sent to the program director/chair of each of the sixty-nine United States and Canadian postgraduate orthodontic programs, with thirty-six (52.2 percent) of these programs responding. Overall, 83.3 percent of programs reported having access to a CBCT scanner, while 73.3 percent reported regular usage. The vast majority (81.8 percent) used CBCT mainly for specific diagnostic purposes, while 18.2 percent (n=4) used CBCT as a diagnostic tool for every patient. Orthodontic residents received both didactic and practical (hands-on) training or solely didactic training in 59.1 percent and 31.8 percent of programs, respectively. Operation of the CBCT scanner was the responsibility of radiology technicians (54.4 percent), both radiology technicians and orthodontic residents (31.8 percent), and orthodontic residents alone (13.6 percent). Interpretation of CBCT results was the responsibility of a radiologist in 59.1 percent of programs, while residents were responsible for reading and referring abnormal findings in 31.8 percent of programs. Overall, postgraduate orthodontic program CBCT accessibility, usage, training, and interpretation were consistent in Eastern and Western regions, and most CBCT use was for specific diagnostic purposes of impacted/supernumerary teeth, craniofacial anomalies, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

A pragmatic approach towards single-use-disposable devices in dentistry.

Disinfection and decontamination including sterilization of devices take a lot of time. For the sake of convenience and hygiene, there are many non-sterile and sterile single-use-disposable supplies available for safe provision of dental care. Some reusable devices cannot be adequately cleaned and therefore sterility may not be assured, therefore, single-use-disposable devices play an important role in replacing such reusable devices. Single-use-disposable devices are commonly used in dentistry as they are easy to use and can be discarded after one use. All devices/instruments/supplies that enter the oral cavity should be sterile reusable items or sterile or non-sterilie single-use-disposable items. In this paper we address comprehensively the rationale for use of such devices and also the pragmatic use of such devices in dentistry.