A Hands-on Approach

With roughly 50,000 new cases of oral cancer being diagnosed each year, dental clinicians play a pivotal role in providing initial identification of and enabling optimal treatment for this potentially fatal disease. Screening increases the probability of detecting oral cancer early, when it is more likely to be curable.

Our first continuing education (CE) article in this issue not only discusses the future of oral cancer diagnosis, including emerging technologies and methodologies, but it also exhorts dental professionals to be proactive in helping patients be free of this serious illness. Emphasizing early detection, the authors explain the human papillomavirus and head, neck, and oral cancers while examining oral tissue fluorescence, the use of salivary biomarkers, and the concept of metabolomics.

In our second CE, a technique is described for increasing primary dental implant stability. Osseodensification utilizes bur technology that compacts and autografts bone tissue in osteotomy sites rather than traditional bone "cutting." The preparation technique is a unique means of preserving healthy bone volume within the osteotomy.

The CE articles are followed by a trio of interesting case reports/series. One involves occlusal rehabilitation in a complex case of constricted chewing pattern; another demonstrates the use of mini dental implants in areas of deficient ridge width and/or interdental space. Lastly, the Kois Center Case shows the use of orthodontic intrusion as a key part of a six-phase treatment approach to a full-mouth reconstruction.

As clinicians, it should be our nature to be "hands-on," always thinking of ways to help our patients sooner rather than later. This could be said of Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD, who passed away on March 6 at the age of 80. A pioneer in periodontal research and a leader in the broad recognition of the perio-systemic link, Dr. Genco was a long-time colleague and cherished friend of AEGIS Dental Network, the publisher of Compendium. He was a protégé of D. Walter Cohen, DDS, the journal's founding editor, and served as a valued advisor to our publication offering his many insights regarding oral biology and the prevention of periodontal disease. Bob Genco had a strong influence on my career. He was one of my mentors. I will miss him personally, and will miss the wise counsel he provided me through the years. The dental industry at large and the Compendium family in particular mourn his loss.

Sincerely,

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