I read with great interest the article by Dr. Rashid and colleagues, as it provided valuable information to oral health care providers on celiac disease (CD). The authors state that CD is hereditary and caused by an autoimmune mechanism in those who are genetically susceptible to the disease. Read more

I wanted to thank Dr. Dabuleanu for authoring the audiovisual presentation on treating calcified canals ¹ on the JCDA.ca website. It was very informative and clear. I am a recent graduate who can make use of those great tips! Read more

In her article on soft tissue lasers and nonsurgical periodontal therapy,¹ Dr. Matthews concludes “there is no evidence that any laser system adds clinical value over and above SRP [scaling and root planing] and conventional surgical treatment.” Read more

I read with interest the article on temporary anchorage devices.¹ Unfortunately, the discussion of the potential complications of treatment made no mention of thickening of the sinus membrane or possible sinus infection. Given the type of anchor used, the depth at which it is screwed and the amount of bone on the buccal aspect of the maxillary molars, one could argue that the anchor will pierce the membrane and cause sinus complications. Read more

I would like to share with JCDA readers what I have found to be a very useful clinical technique—to have a patient relax his or her shoulders (and thus the pharyngeal and facial muscles) to make the inferior alveolar block a more comfortable and effective injection. Read more

I disagree with Dr. Nestor Shapka’s position that water fluoridation is unsafe.¹ Along with the use of amalgam fillings, fluoridation of drinking water is one of the longest running, most widespread health programs in existence. Dr. Shapka’s unreferenced comment that “one should never ingest fluoride, as fluoride is a toxin to all other bodily tissues and organs” is the kind of statement that is trotted out by antifluoridationists time and again. Sodium chloride is a toxin as well, and the amount found in a salt shaker would kill a person if it were ingested all at once. Read more

I read your article on erythema multiforme¹ with interest, as I have suffered from this condition for the last 30 years. I had 2 cold sores in my dentistry graduation picture. Around the time I was married, almost 28 years ago, I went on to erythema multiforme major, maybe even Stevens-Johnson syndrome. I was not able to eat for days or weeks due to the sores in my mouth and elsewhere. Read more