What’s New to Explore in Dentistry?

– Dr Nupur Shrirao, Editorial for DentalReach January 2022 (Volume 5, Issue 1)

Issue theme – What's New to Explore in Dentistry?

It is the first month of 2022, the new year! Honestly for most of us, 2021 has zoomed by with such a lightening speed, that it feels like last year was 2020! But facts are facts and it is a new year. ‘New’ – if you scout a dictionary for this word, it gives us two meanings.

1. Not existing before; made/introduced/discovered recently for the first time.
2. Already existing but seen/experienced/acquired recently for the first time.

This means that living in a dynamic scientific society, you will always stumble upon things that didn't exist before, or those that did exist but you experienced or learnt about just now.

We dentists are part time explorers – but the question is- is there anything new left to explore in dentistry?

The answer is Yes- very much so! And here are 6 unexplored things!

1. Dental Practice & Entrepreneurship

Both dentistry and entrepreneurship are very different from each other and yet, when merged, show a perfect symbiosis for each other. Find out how you can adopt the modern day mantra of success and become a ‘dentist-preneur’ in the new year!

2. Craniofacial medicine : understanding its role in dental medicine

Anomalies of the craniofacial complex are of major concern, not only for oral health but also for mental health and social well being. They need to be identified and treated with a multidisciplinary team approach – and a dentist should be aware enough to know that he/she is a crucial part of this team in diagnosis and treatment. Understand your role in craniofacial medicine and give an edge to your practice this year!

3. All about ‘Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus’: a bacteria-eating bacteria for antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is a reality today. CDC estimates that over 23,000 die annually in the USA as a direct result of antibiotic resistance. If antibiotics are not working, what if we make biotics battle with biotics? In the midst of this global crisis, the discovery of Bdellovibrio resulted in the birth of a new research – identifying their potential value in exploiting them as ‘living antibiotics’.

4. Why to add clear braces in your practice?

Clear aligners, or the more popular term Invisalign®, is a rage today and is here to stay! If patients, especially adults, seek orthodontics, the clinician should offer clear aligner therapy and be clear about its advantages and disadvantages.

5. Forensic Odontology: A Brief Overview

As crime dramas and thrillers caught our eye on Netflix last year, we realized how important forensics are and how unexplored forensic dentistry is. Time to use our magnifying loupes for something else!

6. Viral Articles of 2021 – A Recap

We wouldn't know what's new and unexplored, unless we throwback to what’s old! Visit the memory lane of DentalReach and read all our top articles of 2021!

Be prepared for easy-to-read, instant packets of learning in 2022! If you want to be a part of our viral articles in 2022, please send in your articles to me : editor@dentalreach.co.

Here’s wishing you, your family and your work team a very happy 2022 from the entire DR team! Hope we grow together this year!