When obtaining a panoramic film, one must be aware of the importance of following proper technique and carefully positioning the patient's skull between the X-ray generator and the film. Rotation of the film and radiation source often occurs along a...

Intra-oral radiography can provide sufficiently diagnostic information regarding a dentition and also, in many instances, also yield the necessary pre-surgical planning information for implant surgery. If panoramic radiography is not available...

Because any form or radiation can impose a risk, patient history and clinical examination should be performed first to ensure that the right kind of imaging is sought and unhelpful imaging is avoided.
The four main types of imaging tools utilized, and...

Physiological salivary output is 0.75 to 1.5 liters per day, with most originating from the submandibular glands. Saliva is a lubricant and has a complex set of protective and healing functions for the oral cavity. It adheres instantly to...

Epithelial desquamation in the oropharynx limits bacterial accumulation, except on the tongue dorsum and in the tonsillar crypts. Loss of teeth dramatically reduces the load of periodontal pathogens except for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and to a...

Radiographical check-ups to evaluate bone levels cannot be repeated too often to avoid unnecessary radiation. Monitoring the overlying soft tissues may help to identify eventual problems of the underlying bone, although the correlation...

Saliva plays a significant role in the preservation and maintenance of oral health and function. It supports digestion by preparing food for mastication and swallowing, contributes to taste perception, facilitates speech communication and provides oral tissues...

The gingiva is tightly connected to the underlying periosteum. It is globally keratinized and has a stippled surface. Its color varies from pink to brown or even black, depending on race and/or melanin deposits. It can be distinguished from alveolar mucosa, which...

Most patients’ mouth opening readily permits access for routine prosthodontic and surgical treatment interventions. Limited mouth opening or microstomia is encountered in patients exposed to sclerodermia, diffuse systemic...

Optimal esthetic treatment outcomes require a harmonious reconciliation between lip morhology and teeth positioning. Lips provide a picture frame for the anterior teeth that support them; with mouth size and labial contours depending on genetically...

Relevant risk factors for implant treatment:

• Children and adolescents (during ongoing bone/skeletal development), unless in selected anodontia patients. However, implant placement for orthodontic treatment purposes is indicated.
• Uncontrolled metabolic diseases such as Diabetes Mellit...

Radiotherapy

Rehabilitation of patients with oral cancers is usually done in a combined way with surgical, chemo- and radio-therapy. Radiotherapy predisposes to fibrotization, ischemia and xerostomia. The latter side-effect renders mucosally supported dentures even more difficult to...

A steroid is an organic compound and a type of lipid substance. Steroids play a critical role in metabolism, for example, as the dietary fat Cholesterol, as bile acids or as steroid hormones (e.g. Cortisone/Glucocorticoids, Estrogens, Testosterone). The more complex...

A critical side effect in the oro-maxillo-facial region observed in patients undergoing administration over a long period of time and especially intravenously, bisphosphonate therapy may predispose to ‘bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the...

Bisphosphonates (BP) inhibit osteoclast activity and remain in the bone for a prolonged period. Bisphosphonates are the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat osteoporosis, bone fragility disorders, like Paget’s disease, osteogenesis imperfecta...