Characteristics Identified for Success by Restorative Dental Science Department Chairpersons.

The primary aim of this study was to determine the characteristics that current chairpersons in restorative dentistry, general dentistry, prosthodontics, and operative dentistry departments in U.S. dental schools feel are most relevant in contributing to their success. The secondary aim was to determine these individuals' rankings of the importance of a listed set of characteristics for them to be successful in their position. All 82 current chairs of the specified departments were invited to respond to an electronic survey. The survey first asked respondents to list the five most essential characteristics to serve as chair of a department and to rank those characteristics based on importance. Participants were next given a list of ten characteristics in the categories of management and leadership and, without being aware of the category of each individual item, asked to rank them in terms of importance for their success. A total of 39 chairpersons completed the survey (47.6% response rate; 83.3% male and 16.2% female). In section one, the respondents reported that leadership, vision, work ethic, integrity, communication, and organization were the most essential characteristics for their success. In section two, the respondents ranked the leadership characteristics as statistically more important than the management characteristics (p<0.0001) for being successful in their positions.

Basic principles of maximizing dental office productivity.

To maximize office productivity, dentists should focus on performing tasks that only they can perform and not spend office hours performing tasks that can be delegated to non-dentist personnel. An important element of maximizing productivity is to arrange the schedule so that multiple patients are seated simultaneously in different operatories. Doing so allows the dentist to work on one patient in one operatory without needing to wait for local anesthetic to take effect on another patient in another operatory, or for assistants to perform tasks (such as cleaning up, taking radiographs, performing prophylaxis, or transporting and preparing equipment and supplies) in other operatories. Another way to improve productivity is to structure procedures so that fewer steps are needed to set up and implement them. In addition, during procedures, four-handed dental passing methods can be used to provide the dentist with supplies or equipment when needed. This article reviews basic principles of maximizing dental office productivity, based on the author's observations of business logistics used by various dental offices.

Prophylactic third molar extractions: US dental school departments' recommendations from 1998/99 to 2004/05.

OBJECTIVE: To review the recommendations by dental faculties regarding prophylactic removal of third molars (PR-3M) and to determine if the recommendations at institutions differed and whether there have been changes since 1998/99. METHOD AND MATERIALS: In 1998/99 and 2004/05, a questionnaire was sent to department chairpersons of oral surgery, orthodontics, and restorative dentistry/prosthodontics of US dental schools. They were asked to characterize their department's PR-3M recommendations for adolescents (< 21 years of age), young adults (21 to 35 years), and adults (> 35 years). Third molars were categorized as fully erupted, semierupted, and unerupted. Participants also were to indicate their rationale for PR-3M. Nonparametric and independent t tests were applied to the data (P

How to integrate CAMBRA into private practice.

The traditional dentistry approach treated the disease with a limited surgical strategy aimed at removing carious lesions on teeth. Today, the dental profession is refocusing its efforts to include risk assessment with evidence-based diagnosis while also treating the biofilm component of the disease. While there is compelling science to support CAMBRA, there are fewer articles with practical direction regarding how to integrate CAMBRA diagnostics and treatment into clinical practice, which this article addresses.

Prioritization for elective dental treatment under general anesthesia.

This paper describes the process and outcomes of an initiative to develop a system to prioritize operating room bookings for children who require elective dental treatment. This initiative had 3 objectives: to improve the timeliness of treatment in the operating room based on medical and dental need, to provide a means to identify and expedite the highest-priority cases when operating room time became available, and to document the prioritization of cases as a quality assurance measure. Each patient booked for treatment in the operating room was assigned a priority ranking based on a combination of their medical risk and dental status. Measures of interrater reliability between clinician raters were moderate to good. Use of the prioritization system demonstrated improved timeliness of treatment for urgent cases and the effects of additional measures taken to reduce the waiting list.

Computer methods for automating preoperative dental implant planning: implant positioning and size assignment.

The paper presents computer-aided methods that allocate a dental implant and suggest its size, during the pre-operative planning stage, in conformance with introduced optimization criteria and established clinical requirements. Based on computed tomography data of the jaw and prosthesis anatomy, single tooth cases are planned for the best-suited implant insertion at a user-defined region. An optimum implantation axis line is produced and cylindrical implants of various candidate sizes are then automatically positioned, while their occlusal end is leveled to bone ridge, and evaluated. Radial safety margins are used for the assessment of the implant safety distance from neighboring anatomical structures and bone quantity and quality are estimated and taken into consideration. A case study demonstrates the concept and allows for its discussion.

[Management of dental records: an example of the Department of Restorative Dentistry of the School of Odonto-Stomatology in Abidjan]. / Gestion de la fiche dentaire: exemple du service d'odontologie conservatrice de la Faculté d'Odonto-Stomalogie d'Abidjan.

The patient's file is often mismanaged because of the crowd and the frequency of emergencies caused by pain. The practitioner is worrying about handling it in first place. The objective of this work is to recall the importance of a good management of the dental records and to suggest a charting system. The interest of the dental chart, fundamental part of the patient dental file, is described before developing the implications related to an adequate management. The charting system of the service of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics of Abidjan Dental school is described. It translates the target of a good dental records management, which presents appreciable assets for practitioner, patient and administration.

A survey of paediatric dental anaesthesia in Scotland.

A postal survey of NHS hospital-based anaesthetists providing out-patient anaesthesia for dental procedures in children under 10 years of age was conducted in February 1999. Information was sought about quality of care and common practice in Scotland. The experience of the anaesthetists involved in such work was substantial, but the monitoring used did not meet current standards, with only 16% of respondents indicating use of a full range of standard devices. Separate recovery facilities were available to 99%, and all had access to a defibrillator, but the qualifications of dedicated assistant and recovery staff were lacking in 14 and 30%, respectively. Intravenous access was not obtained routinely after inhalational induction of anaesthesia by up to 71% (49%, never; 22%, sometimes). Systemic analgesia or local anaesthesia was used by 88%. Discharge times ranged from 10 min to 6 h.

Consultant services in restorative dentistry.

Since restorative dentistry was established as a specialty in the UK in 1973, consultant appointments in the field have largely centred around the dental teaching hospitals with a considerable shortage of posts in the district general hospitals. This article explains the growing demand for restorative consultants and calls for the expansion of the hospital restorative dental service.