introduction C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 9 , Nº 3
Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction: Thinking Beyond the Dental Complex in Diagnosis and Treatment Dennis Song, DDS, MD
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” — Francis of Assisi
GUEST EDITOR Dennis Song, DDS, MD, is a diplomate in the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology and a fellow in the American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists and International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He is Chief of Dentistry at Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, an adjunct associate professor at the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry, and in private practice in San Francisco. Dr. Song also serves on the CDA Government Affairs Council. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
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omprehensive patient care involves opening the mind to new diagnostic possibilities and therapeutic interventions. What may have been on the cutting edge of research while in school or training, even recently, may have become accessible to mainstream dentistry today. Health care is a team concept where the primary provider, whether a dentist or a physician, bears tremendous responsibility to stay abreast of the literature. Much of the disease and pathology in dentistry is microscopic in origin, which directly impacts the prognosis and treatment. A familiarity with etiology, diagnosis and appropriate treatment modalities is essential to successful communication with our patients. Our discussions need to provide them with comfort, hope and information they can understand.
The dental profession has come a long way from clients getting teeth extracted in a barber’s chair. Our dentist predecessors came to understand the microbial basis for dental disease and pioneered the use of anesthesia for surgical care. Beyond infectious microbes, dentistry must be prepared to treat disease resulting from changes at the cellular level: squamous cells, osteoclasts, mucous secreting cells and even synovial lining cells. There are many variables to be considered. A patient presenting with head pain from a failed occlusion, whether from rampant caries or periodontal failure to genetic predisposition or even lack of access to care, is often one of dentistry’s most interesting challenges. Dr. Rishi Gupta and colleagues present a guided prosthosurgical approach to reconstruction of short-span restorations to complete aesthetic rehabilitation M ARC H 2 0 2 1
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