From the Editor
Dear Readers,
This month, Inside Dentistry examines what is taking place when it comes to diagnosing and assessing patients for caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer, craniofacial pain and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), erosion, and dry mouth. To ensure the comprehensive nature of this dialogue, we revisit what has been done in the past and look ahead to what the future holds in each area.
It’s About Doing No Harm. Our patients expect us to alleviate their dental problems and provide necessary and elective treatments in the most beneficial—or at least in the least harmful—manner possible. We must thoroughly examine our patients and weigh their needs and desires against the potential risks in key areas, such as biomechanical, periodontal, functional/occlusal, and dentofacial. Further, any treatment considered should be based on sound, clinically proven science. We must also be aware of our limitations and be open to referring out when it seems necessary.
New Ways of Planning & Providing Treatment. As we become equipped to know more about our patients as individuals, we will simultaneously be enabled to manage risks to their oral healthcare and provide them with treatments in new ways. Dentists have an opportunity to move to the forefront of helping their patients maintain optimal health by quickly intervening with appropriate detection, diagnostic, and prevention therapeutics.
Sooner, Easier, Better. Manufacturers, scientists, and researchers are continually introducing innovations designed to enhance our ability to assess patient risk. An understanding of disease processes is the basis for new, clinically proven diagnostic and detection technologies. By evaluating and incorporating these tools, dentists can provide their patients with a higher standard of quality intervention that could result in more conservative therapies. As our interviewees suggest, risk assessment of key aspects of oral health will be the foundation of quality care for our patients.
We hope you enjoy this issue and find that it delivers relevant and enlightening information about patient risk assessment. We encourage you to send us your feedback to letters@insidedentistry.net. Thank you for reading and, most of all, thank you for your continued support.
With warm regards,
Associate Dean for Research
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Boston, MA
gkugel@aegiscomm.com
