As part of our collaboration with the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Sachin Pendharkar, Associate Professor of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. CADTH conducted a comprehensive health technology assessment on Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The assessment was later used as the basis to develop a set of recommendations by CADTH expert committee. Dr. Pendharkar helped develop the recommendations for the CADTH report. I hope you find the interview informative. If you have questions related to OSA, email us at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca Chiraz Guessaier, CDA Oasis Manager ...

It’s always exciting to learn more about new research that makes it possible for breakthroughs to happen. That was my interview with Dr. Luiz Bertassoni and Ms. Avathamsa Athirasala who developed a process to engineer new blood vessels in teeth, creating better long-term outcomes for patients and clinicians. We will certainly follow the progress of their research and invite them once again on Oasis Discussions to tell us about it. We wish them all the best in their endeavours! Chiraz Guessaier, CDA Oasis Manager Read the full-text article: A Novel Strategy to Engineer Pre-Vascularized Full-Length Dental Pulp-like Tissue Constructs (PDF)  Highlights The requirement for ...

I had the pleasure to speak with Dr. Jean-Marc Retrouvey and view his presentation on the craniofacial implications of osteogenesis imperfecta. This is a disease that causes weak bones that break easily. It is also known as brittle bone disease where bones sometimes break for no known reason. OI can also cause many other problems, such as weak muscles, brittle teeth, and hearing loss. Dr. Retrouvey delved into the implications of treating patients that suffer from OI and what the possible treatments are. Chiraz Guessaier, CDA Oasis Manager Highlights Dr. Jean-Marc Retrouvey presents various craniofacial aspects of osteogenesis imperfecta. This is ...

Drs. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis and John B. Perry from the University of Manitoba spoke with Dr. John O’Keefe about a recent article they published in the Journal of the American Dental Association: Successful treatment of generalized refractory chronic periodontitis through discontinuation of waxed or coated dental floss use: A report of 4 cases.  Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis is associate professor, the division head, and the postgraduate program director of periodontics, Department of Dental Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. (Bio at the end of this post) Dr. John B. Perry is an associate professor and the division head of oral pathology, Department of ...

Dr. Tim Wright and Ms. Malavika Tampi spoke with Dr. Chiraz Guessaier about the American Dental Association’s clinical practice guideline titled, “Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants”. The guideline was informed by an accompanying systematic review, and both manuscripts were published in the August, 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. This project was a collaboration between the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Tim Wright is Distinguished Professor of Pediatric Dentistry and the Director of Strategic Initiatives, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, at the University of North Carolina ...

This summary is based on the article published in the Journal of Endodontics: Comparison of the Anesthetic Efficacy of Mepivacaine and Lidocaine in Patients with Irreversible Pulpitis: A Double-blind Randomized Clinical Trial (September 2016) Ana Maria Antonelli da Veiga, Amanda Carneiro Cunha, Daniele Masterson Tavares Pereira Ferreira, Tatiana Kelly da Silva Fidalgo, Thomaz Kauark Chianca, Kátia Rodrigues Reis, Lucianne Cople Maia Context  Pain sensation is difficult to define as it varies in patients based on their emotions, experiences and pain thresholds. Both mepivacaine and lidocaine, amide-based local anesthetics, are very common in dentistry due to their history of safety and efficacy in achieving regional ...

Dr. Alyssa Hayes, Assistant Professor, Dental Public Health in the College of Dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan, speaks about the Community Grants Application Program of the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future. Download the application (Word) Highlights The ACFF is a global initiative launched last year in North America. The community grant application process is the first initiative that hopes to promote inter-professional and collaborative care. This is an excellent opportunity for additional funding for research projects and the application process is straight forward. Because many children with caries and high caries risk often present to other medical professional before dental professionals, ...

Dr. Isabel Mello, from Dalhousie University, spoke with Dr. Suham Alexander about a recent study she published with her colleagues in Oral Health.  Read the article here Highlights Irrigation protocols have changed in recent years, but Canadian endodontists are up to date in the way irrigation is performed. Sodium hypochlorite, while an effective irrigant, performs better when combined with other irrigants, such as EDTA, which remove the inorganic components of dentin. Ex vivo studies have shown that irrigants can enhance the outcome of endodontic treatment but, studies have not shown that irrigation, alone, impacts endodontic treatment success rates. You can ...