Jerald O. Katz

The frequency and distribution of idiopathic osteosclerosis.

Full-mouth radiographs of 1921 patients were examined for the presence of radiopacities that could not be attributed to any known sources of bone formation. A total of 103 patients, or 5.4%, exhibited these foci of idiopathic osteosclerosis. Most lesions were located in the vicinity of the mandibular premolars, and the majority had some connection to the apices of the teeth. No difference in frequency between males and females was detected overall, but a statistically significant preponderance of idiopathic osteosclerosis was found in blacks, with a predilection for black females also noted.

Dental management of the patient with hemophilia.

Classic hemophilia is the most common inherited bleeding diathesis. Recent advances in the management of hemophilia have enabled many hemophiliac patients to receive outpatient dental care on a routine basis. An overview of hemophilia, including etiology, clinical features, and recent advances in treatment, is presented. Guidelines for dental management of the hemophiliac patient are discussed.

Updated quality assurance self-assessment exercise in intraoral and panoramic radiography

This updated self-assessment exercise for the dental team by the Radiology Practice Committee of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology is intended to produce the highest quality diagnostic radiographs while keeping patient exposure as low as is reasonably achievable. To continue to provide the best radiographic services to patients, those involved in dental radiography need to be aware of the latest changes and advances in dental radiography and need to use them in their practice.

Localization of paraoral soft tissue calcifications: the known object rule

The interpretation of panoramic radiographs requires an understanding of the formation of real and ghost images in rotational panoramic radiology. This article illustrates the use of principles of interpretation in panoramic radiology to identify paraoral soft tissue calcifications, which appear as lesions in the third molar-ramus region of the mandible. The known object rule, a variation of the buccal object rule, is presented as an aid in identifying soft tissue calcifications of the region of the head and neck.

The present direction of research in forensic odontology.

Forensic odontology is receiving increased attention in the literature and has become a widely recognized field of expertise with broad ramifications. With this growth, research is needed to solve the most pressing problems of the discipline. The purpose of this paper is to identify current trends in research in forensic odontology. The review consisted of studies using the scientific method and reports of new techniques being tested. Also, abstracts from the annual meeting of the Odontology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences from 1980 to 1987 have been reviewed to determine the current areas of emphasis in forensic dentistry.

Predicting the Anatomical Position of the Palatal Root Apex in Maxillary First Premolars During Surgical Endodontic Treatment

INTRODUCTION Although many studies have reported on the morphology of maxillary first premolars, to our knowledge, there has never been an investigation reporting the anatomic position of the palatal (P) root tip relative to the B root tip in mesiodistal (MD), buccopalatal (BP), and apicocoronal (AC) dimensions. Such information could help clinicians more accurately locate root apices, reduce surgical morbidity, and improve the precision and prognosis of endodontic periradicular surgery for this tooth. METHODS Fifty extracted, bifurcated, human maxillary first premolars were individually mounted and photographed under 10x magnification and oriented to simulate a clinical view. RESULTS The P apex was superimposed by the B apex in 25 of 50 specimens, distal to the B apex in 24 of 50, and mesial to the B apex in only 1 instance. When not superimposed by or mesial to the B apex, the P apex was usually 1.4+/-0.7 mm distal to the B apex. In 98% of specimens, the P apex was positioned palatocoronal or palatocoronodistal to the B apex. CONCLUSIONS This knowledge can be used to clinically minimize the size of osteotomies required to locate P root apices during endodontic surgery.