Wednesday 31 October 2012

Why Continuing Dental Education Is Important

The field of dental education is huge and varied. It covers a lot of different jobs. People can train as general dentists, as specialists, as dental hygienists, dental assistants and also as dental laboratory technicians. The length of time each group has to spend in school varies tremendously.

Dentists obviously have to spend many years training, and will have to do further courses if they then choose to specialize in a particular field such as orthodontics. The training for dental assistants and hygienists is generally only a couple of years. Dental technicians can spend between two and four years doing their initial training. The length of training for all groups may vary from country to country.

Once a dental health professional has qualified they cannot just rest on their laurels. The world of dentistry is fast changing as new technology is being brought in all the time. It is vitally important that everyone keeps up to date, and is able to use the latest techniques and equipment.

It is usual for dental health professionals to be registered in the country where they are practicing. It can be a condition of being registered that they take part in a program of continuing professional development. This usually means that they will have to complete a certain number of verifiable hours within a certain time frame. In order to retain their registration.

The registering body will usually need to collect proof that these hours have been done. Some of the hours have to be collected by learning in a certain way, such as course and seminars. Other hours may be able to be collected by attending dental shows. Dental dat study shows can be a rich source of information as all the major suppliers attend with their latest products.

The hours spent at these shows are easily verifiable as it is usual to have your badge scanned when entering and leaving. The certificate of the hours attended can then be sent to your workplace or home. Additional ways of building up hours include reading dental journals and books. Courses and seminars are a great way to learn a lot of information in a short space of time.

These courses range from being hands on to viewing videos online. While it may seem better for students to physically attend dat practice test courses as they will get a lot out of it, the online courses have much to recommend them. The online courses are often done by leading experts in the field.

Its therefore an excellent chance to see a master at work. If after seeing the course online you still want to physically attend then you will probably get much more out of it as you will have a good idea of what is going on and may be able to ask far more questions than those seeing a procedure for the first time. You will have seen the procedure being done in extreme close up an a screen which will leave you much better prepared for seeing it live.

Its often difficult to make the time to go to courses, and the online option can be great. However it is still nice to attend live courses and you do get a lot out of live dental education. You also get to meet new colleagues and to chat to them which can be invaluable.

Dedicated to helping dental professionals expand and enrich their career, our Online Dat test Courses and Continuing Education Dentistry will provide the knowledge and skills needed for success.


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Monday 15 October 2012

Dental students gain valuable experience during free clinic

Some came to have teeth pulled. Others had loose fillings and painful cavities. A few needed dentures.

Saturday, about 30 Cowlitz County military veterans and their families said "Aaaaaaahhh" for University of Washington dental school students and faculty, who spent the day providing free oral screenings and treatment at the Longview Salvation Army and Kaiser Permanente.

The university has offered free dental clinics for low-income patients in Longview since 1999, but Saturday was the first time UW and its local health partners focused on veterans.

"What we're seeing are people who have not had dental care - not even emergency care - for years," said UW dental hygienist Marilynn Rothen, one of 70 volunteers who participated in Saturday's clinic, including 42 from UW.

According to Helen Reid, auxiliary president of the Kalama VFW Post 10435, veterans' dental care isn't covered by the federal Veteran's Administration unless the veteran suffered mouth injuries during military service or is 100 percent compensated.

Upstairs at the Salvation Army on Saturday morning, Rothen and two third-year dental students examined the mouths of 13 veterans who'd been referred to the program by various agencies. Several pre-dental students, all in scrubs, assisted with paperwork. Along one side of the room, the Cowlitz Free Medical Clinic offered free flu shots.

Longview resident Joe Andes, 39, who served a year in the U.S. Army Reserves before he was discharged for a knee injury in 1990, came in hoping to have a couple of painful teeth extracted. He'd been chewing aspirin to control the pain.

"I figure it'll stop hurting when the nerves die," said Andes, who hasn't had medical insurance in seven years.

He, along with eight other patients screened before lunch, were sent to Kaiser Permanente's dental office on Seventh Avenue to be treated by a team of local and UW dentists and students. Kaiser provided exam rooms, supplies, equipment and staff members for the clinic, which was put on in conjunction with Peace Health, the Cowlitz County Health Department and Regions Blue Shield.

FISH, a local charity, provided pain medications or antibiotics patients needed following treatment.

In addition to helping the disadvantaged, UW's free clinics gives dental students real-world experience with those who haven't had access to dental care, and to teach the students compassion, said clinic coordinator Darlene Smolen, a healthcare consultant.

"We touch people's lives and they touch our lives," she said.

For the last two years, female UW dental students have done dental screenings at the Emergency Support Shelter for battered women and children in Kelso. The idea of helping veterans came about when the Longview Community Health Partners wanted to find an opportunity that wouldn't exclude male students, Smolen said.

Before the 20 dental and eight pre-dental students saw any patients Saturday, Dr. David Meyers, a dentist at Lower Columbia Mental Health, briefed them on what life is like for low-income and homeless veterans in Cowlitz County.

Third-year dental student Charmaine Felix, 26, of Seattle wasn't sure what to expect, but she thought most patients would have "an entirely bombed-out mouth."

Instead, she was surprised to see the veterans had been trying to maintain their teeth and generally just needed some teeth pulled.

"After this experience, I'm even more enthused to ... reach out however I can," Felix said.

Article Source: http://tdn.com/news/local/article_450ef23c-ea16-11df-ba67-001cc4c03286.html

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Tuesday 2 October 2012

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

Andy Alas is a different kind of dentist. He gives you something to smile about before he goes to work fussing over your cavities and your failure to floss.There on the walls of his La Verne practice are handsomely framed photos of him with former first lady Barbara Bush, Barbara Eden (“I Dream of Jeanie”), Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner and the gyrating Chubby Checker, inventor of the “Twist.” A check in his vast library of photos will show he’s met every U.S. president from Nixon through Clinton.

For anxious patients, looking at fun celebrity photos sure beats thumbing though old issues of Prevention, Family Circle and Good Housekeeping magazines, the usual stock and trade of most dental offices.

Dr. Alas’ gallery of stars numbers in the hundreds. It is so extensive in fact that he has to regularly rotate the photos.

What’s his secret to gaining access to so many celebrities? Was he a former bodyguard, CIA operative or Secret Service agent before becoming a dentist? It’s really no mystery at all. After dental school, the erudite doctor began attending books signings, first just a few, then a flood.

Now, he and wife Cindy attend some 30 or 40 a year.

“It’s a passion,” Alas said, with a photo of the “Happy Days” cast nearby.

Passion is probably too mild a word to describe his obsession. He once flew to London for a book signing. Another time, he waited in line 14 hours to have Hillary Clinton sign a book. He had waited in line so long he practically finished her tome by the time she signed it.

His biggest “get” or thrill, however, was when he met Margaret Thatcher, former English prime minister, at the now defunct Brentano’s book store in West L.A.

“The Secret Service was there, Scotland Yard was there and the L.A. County Sheriff’s was there,” Alas recalled.

Alas is hardly your average celebrity-chasing dentist, though. He actually sits on the board of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (http://www.uacc.org/), which has been around since 1965. It is the largest autograph organization in the world with members in more than 20 countries. The nonprofit organizes signings for Apollo astronauts and other luminaries.

“The thrill for me,” Alas added, “is I get to meet people that I would normally not get the chance to meet. Where else am I going to meet Barbara Bush or Margaret Thatcher?”

He’s right because Tuesday through Friday, he’s amiably ensconced in his office, improving the dental hygiene and oral health of his patients, arresting gum disease and providing extractions, fillings, bridges, crowns, implants, partial and full dentures, root canals and other dental services. Part of his practice is dedicated to cosmetic dentistry, improving smiles with teeth-whitening trays, porcelain veneers and other aesthetic enhancements.

Dentistry, his patients quickly discover, is indeed his primary passion.

After graduating with a degree in chemistry at Cal Poly, Pomona, a university he absolutely adored, he headed off to UCLA dental school for four years before passing his boards and earning his doctorate of dental surgery or DDS. After working as an associate and then as the owner of his own practice, he purchased his current La Verne practice in December of 2004.

Interestingly, for 11 years in addition to his dental practice, he worked as a state dental board examiner, administering the four-day dental exam to hundreds of aspiring dentists.

“That was great,” Alas, fondly recalled. “Five years previously I was taking the exam and five years later, I was giving the exam.” Test-takers have to score 75% or higher to pass their boards. They can fail one of the exams, but often that one sub-standard score sinks their average below the 75% threshold.

“The tests are extremely fair,” Alas said. Examiners never actually see the would-be dentist. “As the grading examiner, you have no idea who the dentist was, where they came from, what they looked like or anything. You just see the patient.”

The examiners don’t get much feedback from the patients, either. “They’re usually numb, so they are not going to be too talkative,” Alas noted.

For the most part, Alas’ patients are very talkative. Mostly, they’re curious about the doctor’s growing family. In January of 2010, he and Cindy adopted Nicole, a 10-month-old baby girl from China, an adoption process spanning almost five years. A bulging three-ring binder filled with documents chronicles that long bureaucratic process.

For years, patients followed their dentist’s painstaking progress and were delighted to learn he was finally bringing the precious Nicole back home to the states. They sent cards and brought gifts. “It was amazing and very heart-warming,” Alas said about the outpouring of affection from his patients.

Indeed, Alas has that special bond with many of his patients. He’s attended their weddings, graduations and other celebrations. “As you share things, hobbies, interests and things going on in your life, then people share with you,” Alas said.

When patients learned that he was adopting a baby girl, some of his patients shared they had been adopted or had adopted children of their own. Added Alas, “We were blown away by the number of people who told us, ‘You know, I was adopted.’ It was mind-blowing.”

Usually, when Dr. Alas is asking his patients to open their mouths a little wider, it’s not to invite extra communication, but to finally hunker down to work. And the work and line of patients never seems to cease, many due to unpredictable events.

Although Dr. Alas’ official office hours are Tuesday through Friday, he’s come in many weekends and late nights, often with only his wife at his side, to help patients in sudden distress. “I’d like to think I’ve seen everything, but every once in a while something surprises you,” he said. In the middle of the night, he’s raced to his office from his Chino Hills home to help motorcyclists, baseball players, and skateboarders who have had teeth knocked out.

“One thing I’ve learned is that cheerleaders like to throw other cheerleaders in the air,” Alas said. “The problem is when you catch them with your elbows instead of your hands.”

Patients can see him less often if only they report for regular check-ups (twice a year is still the norm unless the patient has gum disease) and practice a little more common sense.

“Don’t chew ice,” Alas warned. He also advised that tongue-piercers substitute plastic balls instead of chrome balls. He doesn’t recommend the practice, but realizes the piercing and tattoo craze isn’t leaving the popular culture any time soon. “That metal ball thrashes all around; it’s great for breaking teeth,” he said.

Whatever the procedure, Dr. Alas has a great clerical and medical staff assisting him. They include Lisa who handles the front desk and Lydia, an extended function dental assistant, a designation that allows her to perform many procedures beyond the pale of a regular assistant. She is one of only about 50 in the state. Several hygienists, many with young families, also work part-time in the office.

Dr. Alas’ practice is family dentistry practiced at its best. His patients are well cared for and frequently entertained. To many of his patients, he’s a hero.

They just might ask for his autograph, or he might ask them for theirs.


Dr. Anderson Alas is the pioneer of dental treatment. He believes that the smiling face or fun photos can ease the anxiety of the patients.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Drive on to get teeth in Great Shape!

NEGRIL, Westmoreland: STUDENTS OF Green Island Primary School in Hanover were on Wednesday treated to free dental check-up and gifts through Great Shape! Inc and Sandal Foundation’s community-based free dental sealant programmed.

The programmed is also in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and is designed to reduce dental cavities in Jamaican children by half.

Several health facilities, as well as schools in Hanover and Westmoreland, will benefit from the programmed. Great Shape! Inc volunteers will be leaving most of their dental equipment with local health facilities, thus cutting cost and raising the availability of the sealant programmed to as many Jamaican children as possible.
The Gleaner was at the school on Wednesday to watch the sealant programmed in action. Yvonne Nelson, a nurse from the Green Island Health Centre, said the programmed is beneficial, as she and other health professionals have learnt new techniques and have also been sensitized to new technology in dentistry.

1,000 smiles

A sealant is a clear liquid material that a dental professional paints on to the surface of permanent molars. The procedure is painless, quick and effectively seals out bacteria that cause cavities. The programmed uses sealants and fluoride treatments to cut the occurrence of cavities in half, helping children maintain healthy teeth for life.

The idea for a sealant pro-gramme was developed among volunteers for Great Shape’s 1,000 Smiles programmed the world’s largest international humanitarian dental project. Since 1000 Smiles’ eight-year partner-ship with the Sandals Foundation, the charity arm of Sandals Resorts International, volunteers have observed the powerful benefits of sealants.

Great Shape! Inc dental pro-fissional have partnered with the Sandals Foundation to train local health professionals to implement and continue the programmed in order to promote sustainability.


Sunday 1 July 2012

Schools participating in Seal a Smile

The program is put on by the state and Walworth County Health and Human Services. Information and permission forms are sent home for students and their parents. If families are interested in participating in the program, dental hygienists who come to the school will apply sealants to the teeth of second and fifth graders. The students for Dat Canada also learn how to brush their teeth properly.

The three elementary schools in the Delavan-Darien School District are participating in a Seal-A-Smile Program for second and fifth grade students.

The program is put on by the state and Walworth County Health and Human Services. Information and permission forms are sent home for students and their parents. If families are interested in participating in the program, dental hygienists who come to the school will apply sealants to the teeth of second and fifth graders. The students also learn how to brush their teeth properly.

Following the exam, the students receive a goodie bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste to take home.
The program is free for students and their families. The dental experts bring the dental chair, lights, and tools to the school, making it easy for the students to receive the treatments. The photos were taken at Darien School. Check out for DAT test preparation.

Here’s more about the Seal-A-Smile program.

Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile(SAS) is a statewide sealant program that offers grants to local school-based programs targeting underserved children. These community efforts involve a variety of health care professionals including public health, school nurses, dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants. A combination of volunteers and paid professionals organize SAS programs. Some programs include dental cleanings, retention checks of dental sealants and topical fluoride applications.

The grant funds are used for a variety of program activities. Some SAS programs are sustained by very high numbers of volunteer staff and use their funds to buy supplies. Other SAS programs have in kind donations of disposables, sealant material, and supplies so their funds may be used to offset staffing expenses. The SAS program offers flexibility to accommodate unique community needs.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) contracts with Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin to manage the SAS Program.

• SAS is funded through State of Wisconsin General Purpose Revenue (GPR), HRSA funding and supplemented by community in kind support and donations.

• In accordance with Governor Doyle’s Kid’s First Initiative – SAS GPR state appropriations increased from $60,000 to $120,000 in 2005. In addition, DHS allocated a HRSA workforce grant of $82,000 per year from 2006-2009. From 2009-2012 HRSA funding was increased to $241,000 annually. Delta Dental of Wisconsin provided $241,000 annually for two years as a match to the HRSA funding
• The Wisconsin SAS Program is in its 11th year of operation.

• Grantees for 2009-2010 include the following local health departments: Adams/Marquette, Bayfield, Clark,
Dane/Madison, Eau Claire, Juneau, Kenosha, Portage, Price (Iron/Ashland), Sauk, Shawano, Sheboygan, Vilas (Forrest/Oneida), Walworth, Waupaca, Waushara and Wood County Health Departments. Additional programs are being administered by Brown County Oral Health Partnership, Columbia St. Mary’s Seton Dental Clinic, CESA #11-Rural Health Dental Clinic( Polk/Barron/Burnett/Washburn/St.Croix/Dunn/ Chippewa/Price Co’s), Door County Memorial Hospital, Ft. Atkinson Community Health Clinic, In Health Community Wellness(Grant/Crawford Co’s), Janesville School District, Lakewood Community Health Center (Oconto), Neenah Healthy Smiles, Pembine Schools, Preferred Dental Associates of Wisconsin LLC (Racine), Superior Schools, and the Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic.

• Grants for 2010-2011 range from $1,500-$100,000.
• During 2000-2010:

1. Number of Children who have been Screened: 71,540
2. Number of Children who have received Sealants: 46,031

• According to the SAS Program Report for 2009-10:

1. Of the 16,950 children screened, 10,206 had sealants placed and 6,235 children were referred for further dental care.
2. o36.7% of participants had untreated decay.
3. o5.8% of participants were referred with urgent dental needs.
4. 21,983 students received oral health education through SAS.
For more information please visit www.chawisconsin.org or contact Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin: Matt Crespin – Oral Health Project Manager, 414-292-4002, or mailto:mcrespin@chw.org

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Monday 11 June 2012

Live Dental Symposium on Endodontics

Dat practice examsManav Rachna Dental College proudly announced APEX 2010 - Live Dental Symposium on Endodontics today at MRIU campus, Faridabad. BRIG Dr. Anil Kohli Padm Bhushan, Padamshree, Ex President, Dental Council of India was the Chief Guest for the event. The conference aimed at increasing general awareness, popularizes the utility and advantages of modern Endodontics amongst the masses and updates them on the contemporary trends in Dentistry. It was followed by a hand on experience session on Endodontics.

While highlighting the need for such symposiums speaking at the conference, Dr. Anil Kohli, eminent Endodontist said, “Both the private and public sector Endodontists are challenged to meet the needs of an ever-growing number of Indian populations who cannot regularly access oral health care,”. “Endodontic measures provide important foundations for long-term and lasting tooth retention. In light of an aging society, this dental discipline is becoming increasingly important. With evidence-based success rates of up to 85 per cent for treatments performed legeartis, Endodontics have long been an established fixture in the range of therapies offered by general dentists, while at the same time offering a rich field of work for specialists,” he further added.

Keeping in mind the inherent advantages associated with Endodontic treatment, Manav Rachna International University’s Dental College took this initiative to generate awareness about Endodontics and its advantages through a lecture series followed by live surgical demonstrations to the final year students and budding post graduate students. The sessions also showcased the technically improved availability of instruments available at Manav Rachna Dental College.

“Endodontics is one of the most exciting dental specialties in today’s time and deals with the tooth pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of a tooth. Endodontists perform a variety of procedures including root canal therapy, Endodontics treatment, surgery, treating dental trauma”, said Dr Pankaj Dhawan, Conference Organizing Secretary.

Primarily, it is essential to the health of your mouth, which can assist you in evading excruciating infections. Too many cavities can be hazardous, and those cavities that transform into boil can lead to even worse troubles such as root canals or teeth extraction. Secondly, good dental hygiene leads to enhanced breath and whiter teeth, makes one feel healthier.

Speaking at the conference, Dr. Neetu Pulwani, Oral Radiologist Mahajan Imaging Centre said, “Surgery may be used in diagnosis, if one has persistent symptoms but no problems appear on their x-ray, their tooth might have a tiny fracture or canal that could not be detected during nonsurgical treatment.”

Dr. Vivek Hedge, Head, Dept of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Rangoonwala Dental College, Pune said, “The latest methods employed in the conservation therapy includes manual or mechanized root canal preparation, efficient rinsing methods during disinfection and modern instruments and materials for obturation. Even the treatment of front teeth with fractured crowns and roots is possible today through the use of advanced root pin systems, among other techniques.” And if a root canal revision should become necessary, the endodontic specialists have a range of minimally invasive microsurgical concepts up to the treatment of complex Endo-periodontal lesions available to them. The impressive scientific and technological progress in the field of Endodontics has improved the odds of long-term tooth retention tremendously and puts this speciality at the centre of a prophylactic-conservationist approach to dentistry.

Appreciating the overwhelming response, queries addressed, quest for knowledge of the students as well the audience, Dr. O.P.Bhalla, Hon'ble Chancellor MRIU, said, “The primary aim of Manav Rachna Dental College is to produce competent dentists, specialists, and super specialists. Manav Rachna Dental College has well-established special clinics in Dental Implant, Advanced Dental Centre and Rural Health Centres. Moreover, many Rural Dental Health Camps and school children Dental Health Camps are routinely undertaken by the College. The ultimate aim behind such initiatives is to bring this Institute at par with the best in the world, so that our trained doctors become the global players of tomorrow.”

Eminent speakers discussed developments in this field along with faculty from Manav Rachna Dental College and shared advances, perspectives, new ideas, ways and means to avoid failures and breakthrough concepts in Endodontics.

Endodontics:
Endodontics is one of the most exciting dental specialties of our time and deals with the tooth pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of a tooth. Endodontists perform a variety of procedures including root canal therapy, Endodontic retreatment, surgery, treating cracked teeth, and treating dental trauma. Root canal therapy is one of the most common procedures. If the pulp (containing nerves, arterioles, venules, lymphatic tissue, and fibrous tissue) becomes diseased or injured, endodontic treatment is required to save the tooth.

This is a fantastic get together of dental specialists from different countries around the world. The conference is all about Endodontics. Read more about the conference at: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/live-dental-symposiumendodontics-apex-2010-at-manav-rachna/417136/

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Wednesday 30 May 2012

A Natural Tooth versus Dental Implants

No evolution in the knowledge of dental implants existed during the 1980s and so patients who needed to have some teeth replaced could not be offered this option. There has been an increase in the use of implants to replace missing teeth since the research that started in Sweden in the 1970s was introduced to the American dental community 20 years ago. Root form implants refer to the vast majority of dental implants being used in the United States today. Made to resemble the tooth root are these metallic posts or screws usually made from titanium.

Ligaments anchor the root of a natural tooth to the jawbone while sticking out above the gum line is the crown. Between a tooth and an implant, the difference is in the manner by which they are connected to the jawbone. From the root surface, there are a lot of small protruding ligaments which anchor the root to the bone. The tooth is allowed to move slightly by the v that is created here which also serves as a cushion for the tooth. In this case, there are no ligaments because there is direct contact between the implant and the bone. You need to visit this site to learn about implant dentistry.

There is some drill work involved in the process of placing a dental implant where a narrow, cylinder shaped hole is created in the jawbone and then the implant is screwed into place. For 2 to 4 months, the metal surface fuses with the surrounding bone and afterwards the final prosthesis or restoration can be attached. From the medical community, the biologic principles surrounding these procedures have been derived and this is because of the similarities in the materials used to make the dental implants with the ones used for bone plates and screws used in orthopedic surgery.

What dental implants can do is replace everything from a single tooth, to several teeth, and even a whole arch of missing teeth. Dental pulp or damage to the tooth nerve is a risk taken by the young individual who engages in a procedure involving the cutting down of intact adjacent teeth. Eliminated here is the damaging of teeth which are free of fillings or cavities. Involved in the replacement of one tooth is a three part system.

When it comes to a crown, root, or cap being replaced, aside from using an interconnecting piece known as an abutment a metallic restoration covered with porcelain is also used to replace the actual crown. Removable partial or full dentures may not satisfy some patients and if this happens they can go with fixed in dental implants instead. The best service that implant dentistry can provide is assistance to anchor a loose denture. There is a point when dentures become loose after years of being worn because the size of the underlying jawbone is reduced. Offered by dental implants is to make your prosthesis solid and functional not to mention more stable for they provide two or more anchor points. If you’re on the hunt for top gingivitis treatment information, make sure to visit them.

Needed so that a patient can experience a predictably good treatment result are several requirements. It is important that the width and height of the jawbone is adequate enough before the implant is placed. The age of the patient, if and for how long dentures or partial dentures have been worn, and the location and size of certain anatomic structures such as the sinuses in the upper jaw and the nerve canal in the lower jaw can influence the suitability of the jawbone to receive dental implants.

When deficiencies in the size of the jawbone exist, there are procedures which can increase the size of the bone receiving the dental implants. This can be less successful of a procedure for those who smoke, have glandular or bone metabolism abnormalities like osteoporosis, or have active infection present in the mouth.

Considering the practice of implant dentistry, no specialty is recognized by the American Dental Association. The training for general dentists is received after graduation from dental school through postgraduate courses while dental specialists receive advanced training from residency programs. The era of implant dentistry has made an extremely positive impact on the lives of many dental patients, and in the proper circumstances is rapidly becoming the recognized standard of care in which to replace missing teeth.


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