Prosthodontic Principles in Dental Implantology: Adjustments in a Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic-Battered Economy.

More patients are requesting fixed prosthesis to replace missing teeth. More than 5 million dental implants are placed annually in the United States. This number will decrease in 2020 owing to the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. The edentulous patient has a decreased quality of life. Prosthodontic rehabilitation/reconstruction of edentulism improves overall quality of life. Patient-reported outcome measures are subjective reports of patients' perceptions of their oral health status and the impact that it has on their quality of life. This chapter contains a variety of prosthodontic principles for the reader to help satisfy the needs and expectations of the patient.

Updates of Topical and Local Anesthesia Agents.

As described in this article, there are many advances in topical and local anesthesia. Topical and local anesthetics have played a great role in dentistry in alleviating the fears of patients, eliminating pain, and providing pain control. Many invasive procedures would not be performed without the use and advances of topical/local anesthetics. The modern-day dentist has the responsibility of knowing the variety of products on the market and should have at least references to access before, during, and after treatment. This practice ensures proper care with topical and local anesthetics for the masses of patients entering dental offices worldwide.

Treatment planning for restorative implantology.

In this article, current literature on fixed and removable prosthodontics is reviewed along with evidence-based systematic reviews, including advice from those in the dental profession with years of experience, which help restorative dentists manage and treat their cases successfully. Treatment planning for restorative implantology should be looked at in 4 sections: (1) review of past medical history, (2) oral examination and occlusion, (3) dental imaging (ie, cone-beam computed tomography), and (4) fixed versus removable prosthodontics. These 4 concepts of treatment planning, along with proper surgical placements of the implant(s), result in successful cases.

Why is dental treatment of the gravid patient regarded with caution? When is the appropriate time for care--be it emergent or routine--in the gravid patient?

There are myths surrounding pregnancy and the oral cavity, such as, "having a baby causes your gums to swell and your teeth to weaken," or "I don't need to see a dentist, there's nothing wrong with my teeth" or "with each child say bye to a tooth or two." All these myths are just that, myths. During pregnancy, women may experience pregnancy gingivitis or may suffer from pre-existing periodontal disease. The myth of tooth loss during pregnancy, according to the ADA (American Dental Association), has "no histological, chemical or radiographic evidence to support [it]". The biggest myth or misconception is that dental care is unnecessary during pregnancy, and until problems arise, some gravid women draw back from seeking dental treatment. Also, professionals sometimes shy away from care of the gravid patient for reasons associated with teratogenicity and fetotoxicity. Teratogenic effects take place from three to eight weeks after conception, and fetotoxicity can occur at the latter end of the initial trimester on to delivery, according to Donaldson and Goodchild, authors of Pregnancy, breast-feeding and drugs used in dentistry in JADA's (The Journal of the American Dental Association) August, 2012 issue. This article includes reasons dental treatment is regarded with caution; therefore, appropriate timing of dental care and suggested clinical recommendations as they relate to the pregnant patient are reviewed.