Dental Academics Research Articles

The size of occlusal rest seats prepared for removable partial dentures

Objective The aim of this study was to test whether rest seats cut by a group of general dental practitioners for a removable partial denture differed in size and shape from those prepared by either a group of postgraduate students or their academic teachers. Method The occlusal surfaces of a number of plastic teeth were scanned by a laser profilometer. Each tooth was then placed in a set of articulated phantom head dental arches. 30 dental practitioners, 16 postgraduates and 11 dental academics were asked to cut a rest seat preparation in the mesial marginal ridge suitable for the construction of a removable chromium cobalt partial denture. The tooth was removed from the models, rescanned, and this data converted to grey level images for measurement of the width, length and area of each rest seat. Depth was calculated as the difference between the pre and post preparation scanned profiles. Results There was a wide variation in the size of the individual rest seat preparations. There was no significant difference between the measured parameters from the images of the preparations made by academic staff and postgraduate students. The two sets of data were therefore combined. The length, width and area of the rest seats prepared by the staff and postgraduate group were significantly greater than those cut by the dental practitioner group. However, there was no significant difference in the depths measured. The outline form of the rests prepared by the dental practitioners was often round with sharply defined margins contrasting with the smooth triangular preparation the staff and postgraduates prepared. Conclusion A 'refresher' in tooth modification for GDPs designing partial dentures would improve the long term success of the prosthesis.

The size of occlusal rest seats prepared for removable partial dentures

The aim of this study was to test whether rest seats cut by a group of general dental practitioners for a removable partial denture differed in size and shape from those prepared by either a group of postgraduate students or their academic teachers. The occlusal surfaces of a number of plastic teeth were scanned by a laser profilometer. Each tooth was then placed in a set of articulated phantom head dental arches. 30 dental practitioners, 16 postgraduates and 11 dental academics were asked to cut a rest seat preparation in the mesial marginal ridge suitable for the construction of a removable chromium cobalt partial denture. The tooth was removed from the models, rescanned, and this data converted to grey level images for measurement of the width, length and area of each rest seat. Depth was calculated as the difference between the pre and post preparation scanned profiles. There was a wide variation in the size of the individual rest seat preparations. There was no significant difference between the measured parameters from the images of the preparations made by academic staff and postgraduate students. The two sets of data were therefore combined. The length, width and area of the rest seats prepared by the staff and postgraduate group were significantly greater than those cut by the dental practitioner group. However, there was no significant difference in the depths measured. The outline form of the rests prepared by the dental practitioners was often round with sharply defined margins contrasting with the smooth triangular preparation the staff and postgraduates prepared. A 'refresher' in tooth modification for GDPs designing partial dentures would improve the long term success of the prosthesis.

Who cuts the better occlusal rest seats? GDPs versus academics

Objective The aim of this study was to test whether rest seats cut by a group of general dental practitioners for a removable partial denture differed in size and shape from those prepared by either a group of postgraduate students or their academic teachers. Method The occlusal surfaces of a number of plastic teeth were scanned by a laser profilometer. Each tooth was then placed in a set of articulated phantom head dental arches. 30 dental practitioners, 16 postgraduates and 11 dental academics were asked to cut a rest seat preparation in the mesial marginal ridge suitable for the construction of a removable chromium cobalt partial denture. The tooth was removed from the models, rescanned, and this data converted to grey level images for measurement of the width, length and area of each rest seat. Depth was calculated as the difference between the pre and post preparation scanned profiles. Results There was a wide variation in the size of the individual rest seat preparations. There was no significant difference between the measured parameters from the images of the preparations made by academic staff and postgraduate students. The two sets of data were therefore combined. The length, width and area of the rest seats prepared by the staff and postgraduate group were significantly greater than those cut by the dental practitioner group. However, there was no significant difference in the depths measured. The outline form of the rests prepared by the dental practitioners was often round with sharply defined margins contrasting with the smooth triangular preparations of the staff and postgraduates. Conclusion A 'refresher' in tooth modification for GDPs designing partial dentures would improve the longterm success of the prosthesis.

Initial stages in the development of valid criteria for the replacement of amalgam restorations

Objectives: Replacement amalgam restorations account for the largest single cost in the General Dental Services in Scotland. There is little practical advice available to practitioners on the maintenance and replacement of amalgam restorations. A distance learning package is being prepared for distribution to general dental practitioners in Scotland and this paper describes the initial stages in the development of the policy statements for the proposed package. Methods: In the first stage proposals are being developed by a panel of dental academics using a modified Delphi technique. This technique is designed to produce a consensus view. Seventeen statements have been set out by the expert group. Results and conclusions: While agreement was rapidly reached that ‘ditching’ of amalgam restoration margins did not justify their replacement and that repair was preferable to total replacement, some difficulty was experienced in arriving at a consensus view on the correct management of ‘white spot’ lesions at restoration margins and dentinal staining adjacent to amalgam restorations. The next stage in the development will be to present these statements to a selected panel of general dental practitioners and to develop their consensus view of the proposals, again using the Delphi technique.

Changes and challenges in Canadian dental faculties

Canadian dental faculty were surveyed to determine changing career interests, sources of satisfaction, and professional development needs. The respondents indicated a desire to change the proportion of time allocated to their major responsibilities in ways that could create serious problems for dental faculties, i.e. more time on research, with less time on teaching and administration. While most reported teaching as a source of satisfaction and happiness, relatively few reported it as recognized and rewarded. The different status accorded to teachers, clinicians, and researchers, as reflected in the division of workload and rewards have created dissatisfaction among faculty, perhaps contributing to the fact that over 50 percent of respondents reported considering leaving academia. Faculties of Dentistry must determine what is required to reestablish a productive and enjoyable balance among their roles as teacher, researcher, and clinician and to determine what type of environment will best support the development of today's dental academics and tomorrow's dentists.