Got ‘Til It’s Gone
Don’t it always seem to go/That you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. – Joni Mitchell (“Big Yellow Taxi”) There is an active … more
Dental Pharmacology
Prepare to Win
“It’s been too hard living/But I’m afraid to die/’Cause I don’t know what’s up there/Beyond the sky” – A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam … more
Case Report: Use of Intramuscular Glycopyrrolate Bromide for Hypersalivation
Summary This case report provides a review of the use of the intramuscular (IM) injection of glycopyrrolate bromide as an antisialagogue. In this case, copious … more
Opinion: Dentists Who Do Not Provide Sedation Should Not Be Required to Carry Naloxone
No, it was not a copy editor who wrote the title of this opinion piece. It was I, Derek, a practising dentist anesthesiologist, who wrote … more
A Brief History of Propofol and the Introduction of Remimazolam as a Potential Heir Apparent
Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is an intravenous (IV) sedative-hypnotic agent commonly used for the IV induction and maintenance of general anesthesia.1 It has a rapid-onset, provides a … more
Diphenhydramine as a Local Anesthetic: Case Report
Keywords: local anesthetic, allergy, diphenhydramine, emergency treatment Abstract Allergy to local anesthetics is a rare condition which poses a unique challenge for dental treatment. In … more
Tobacco Cessation and Dentistry
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more conscious about their overall health. It is a good moment to discuss tobacco smoking cessation with our … more
Lipid Emulsion Treatment for Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity
Local anesthetics are used by dentists extensively and when used erroneously, such as intravenously or above the maximum dose, life-threatening local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) … more
The Problems with the COVID-19 Test: A Necessary Understanding
Viewpoint: Introduction On August 26th, 2020 Professor Mark Woodhouse, a senior scientific advisor to the UK Government stated the following, “We couldn’t think of anything … more
Reviewing Contraindications to Nitrous Oxide
All practitioners who deliver nitrous oxide to their patients should be intimately familiar with the relative and absolute contraindications to its administration. Relative Contraindications Nasal … more
Mandibular Anesthesia: Troubleshooting and Overcoming Failure to Anesthetize
Abstract When difficulty in obtaining adequate mandibular anesthesia is encountered a systematic approach incorporating the evaluation of patient factors and operator technique will substantially improve … more
Assessing BONES May Give You Moans, But it Can Help Manage Oversedation
Pre-operative airway assessment and management is essential to successful dental treatment under procedural sedation. In the event of oversedation, defined as the transition from an … more
Evidence-Based Guidelines and Regulations?
“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign/Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind/Do this, don’t do that/Can’t you read the sign?” – Signs by The Five Man … more
Biomechanical Implant Failures Management of an Implant Failure: A Case Report
Introduction The goal of modern dentistry is to restore the patient’s oral health to normal contour, function, aesthetics and speech. 1 The era of dental … more
Supplemental Oxygen in an Acute Myocardial Infarction
You are about to begin dental treatment on your healthy 65-year-old male patient when he suddenly develops severe chest pain. You suspect he is having … more
The New Standard (and Why We Should Comply)
“Gotta hit the club/Like you hit them hit them hit them angles” – Nice For What (clean version), Drake On November 15, 2018, the Royal … more
Putting the Risk in Context
Sedation and anesthesia for dentistry has come under scrutiny in the past few years due to a few tragic events where patients experienced harm. These … more
Barriers of Access to Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia as Identified by Ontario Dental Patients
There are various indications for deep sedation and general anesthesia (DS/GA) in dentistry, including anxiety associated with dental treatment, pre-cooperative age, traumatic or extensive dental … more
Codeine: Are We Prescribing the Right Opioid to Our Patients?
Given the epidemic of narcotic abuse in Canada, it is important we discuss choices when prescribing opiods. We should be both more pensive prior to … more
What Do You Do?
So, what do you do?” is a question often asked at social gatherings. Everyone has a story. Few of us have actually thought one out. … more