Ever Improving

Clinicians practicing in the US are at various stages of their careers. Some are recently out of dental school and just embarking on their profession, others have been practicing for 30 years or more, and many are somewhere in the middle. Yet, most, if not all, have at least one thing in common: a desire to continually improve their skills.

This month’s issue of Compendium, while featuring a variety of topics that will appeal to a wide range of clinicians, contains a common thread throughout: helping clinicians get better at what they do. Our first continuing education (CE) article, for example, describes advances that have been made in the correction of gingival recession. In discussing root coverage procedures, the authors explain the benefits of using acellular dermal matrix grafts versus conventional subepithelial connective tissue grafting and demonstrate a laser-assisted vestibuloplasty approach that helps prevent recurrent recession after surgical correction.

Our second CE aims at helping the restorative dentist achieve exceptional implant esthetics. Whether employing immediate placement with immediate loading or delayed placement with delayed loading, the restorative dentist—as “captain” of the implant team—ultimately controls and is responsible for the esthetic outcome. The article discusses diagnostic keys and various implant placement scenarios.

As our Special Report on CAD/CAM dentistry points out, dentists sometimes get comfortable with the “routine” of procedures they perform regularly. However, for clinicians who wish to learn new techniques and engage in innovative methods, CAD/CAM is capable of impacting a practice in a powerful, and potentially profitable, way. This report, along with our Practical Applications article, provides sound advice for using this increasingly popular technology.

Several cases presented also describe techniques to help clinicians improve outcomes. Case report topics range from taking a digital approach to achieve esthetics with minimal tooth preparation, to controlling cement around implant-retained restorations, to conservatively treating congenitally missing teeth.

We hope you find this issue of Compendium helpful as you strive to ever-improve your practice. Our website, www.dentalaegis.com/cced, is also a highly valuable resource for practical clinical content, including CE—be sure to make good use of it.

Sincerely,

Louis F. Rose, DDS, MD
Editor-In-Chief
lrose@aegiscomm.com