/oss/taxonomy/term/4266/all en /oss/article/medical-contributors/hey-doc-im-hard-freeze <p>Let’s face it, dentistry is not an easy job. Besides the clinical knowledge and expertise required, managing patients' fear is an essential part of being a good dentist. Anticipation of pain during dental procedures, whether based on past experience or related stories is perhaps the most common fear for patients. And while one can appreciate this prior to the introduction of local anesthetics (LA), today the vast majority of treatments should be painless.</p> Fri, 03 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Mark Grossman BSc, DDS, Contributor 9936 at /oss /oss/article/medical-history/not-laughing-matter <p>When I was growing up, “looning” meant one thing. You would fill a balloon with water and throw it at a target that usually did not welcome such activity. Today, “looning” has taken on another meaning. At music festivals and at raves, those eardrum-blasting, strobe-lighted parties frequented by the under-thirty crowd, it is not unusual to see dancers raise a balloon to their lips. But they are not blowing into it. They are inhaling the gas it contains. It makes them all giddy, justifying the name by which the gas is known. Laughing gas!</p> Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:03:58 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9700 at /oss /oss/article/medical-contributors/blood-thinners-and-dentistry <p>Here’s a tip. If you don’t like blood, don’t go into dentistry. Dentists see a lot of blood, and often get their (gloved) hands full of it. Bleeding is common and of little concern during many dental procedures as is the occasional bit during routine brushing and flossing. While rare, uncontrolled bleeding, during or following dental treatment, is one of the most distressing situations for both dentists and their patients.</p> Fri, 23 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Mark Grossman BSc, DDS, Contributor 9553 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19/dentistry-age-covid-19 <p>It’s definitely a lousy time to have a toothache. The recent pandemic has severely restricted access to dental care with most practitioners limited to practicing tele-dentistry, which surprisingly has been quite efficacious. Given the very intimate nature of the profession, reopening of dental clinics will entail many new protocols in order to maximize safety for both patients and staff. Fortunately, dentists are adept at employing infection control protocol, as current guidelines are already very strict. So how will things look in what will certainly be the new normal?</p> Tue, 05 May 2020 19:15:56 +0000 Mark Grossman BSc, DDS, Contributor 8235 at /oss /oss/article/antibiotic-prophylaxis-and-dentistry <p>As most dentists can attest, the mouth can be a scary place. Despite impassioned assurances from patients, we know that not all flossers are created equal. Lurking in this often-hostile environment are all kinds of nasties including bacteria, fungi and viruses. While some microorganisms in the mouth are described as “good,'' others…. “not so much.” Among these pathogenic villains are certain bacteria that when allowed to thrive wreak all kinds of havoc like bad breath, cavities and bleeding gums.</p> <p><b>History</b></p> Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:20:51 +0000 Mark Grossman BSc, DDS, Contributor 8073 at /oss