For 10 years during his tenure as chair of the MDA’s Committee on Constitution,Bylaws and Ethics, Dr. Jack Churchill wrote a continuing feature report for Northwest Dentistry called “What’s a Dentist to Do?”, in the process becoming the de facto “ethics guru” for the dentists of Minnesota and beyond. It is the “beyond” that brings Jack back into our pages for this interview. Read More »

This article will describe the various elements of color and how color is perceived physically and psychologically. It will also describe the various methods used to communicate color matching to the laboratory (for porcelain), as well as the other physical compositions that affect color perception. The artistic components will be described, as well as the scientific methods by which color can be manipulated to obtain clinically acceptable matches, utilizing both composite resins and porcelains. The applications are broad across direct and indirect restorations and include all porcelain materials as well as various composite resin systems. By breaking color components into hue, value, chroma, and translucency (contrast ratio), a common sense approach to describing a desired color match will be rationalized. Read More »

MINNEAPOLIS, MN— The Minnesota Dental Association recently held its annual House of Delegates meeting at the Hilton Airport Hotel in Bloomington where new officers were elected. Read More »

The following article is based on a 2013 winning CaseCAT (Critically Appraised Topic) poster presentation from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry program to promote student understanding of evidence-based dentistry and make evidence-based decisions in their clinical practice. Read More »

This paper comes from research into the science of color and from the teaching of color matching to 42 years of dental students and by application of these principles in formulating porcelain restorations. By understanding the science and artistry behind color matching, the dentist can more accurately inform a dental ceramist of what is required to match a color in language that is easily understood. Read More »

Let’s say a new family moves in down the street, and the neighborhood throws a barbeque so everyone can get acquainted. During the evening, the new neighbor says, “I need to find a really good dentist for my kids. Is there anyone you would recommend?” How many of the assembled throng do you suppose would not only remember your name, but be able to clearly talk about what makes your office so special? Read More »

The Minnesota Dental Association and the Minnesota Dental Foundation hosted its Minnesota Mission of Mercy on July 25 and 26, providing free dental care to children and adults who face barriers to accessing dental care. This third Mission of Mercy event held in Minnesota delivered free dental care valued at $900,000. Read More »

Enamel craze lines are a common clinical finding, especially in older patients and in patients who brux. These craze lines frequently are discolored and may present as clear in color, grey, or brown. The clinical question is, when do enamel craze lines need restoration and when should we leave them untreated? Read More »

Venturing out to start your own dental practice can be very exciting — and overwhelming. It is important for any
dentist/owner to start developing a team of dental professionals from the very beginning to help navigate the
process. Understanding that all aspects of dentistry are specialized and that dental clinics are not typical projects, working with the proper team will save time, money, and headaches. Read More »

The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient’s perceived pain response to injection and anesthetic deposition for the greater palatine nerve block. This prospective, single-blind study evaluating three injection techniques to reduce posterior palatal injection pain to a control injection method showed no significant reduction in pain with any of the three techniques. Furthermore, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane placed with pressure for 10 seconds appeared injurious to the oral mucosa. Read More »