SADAnet: Welcome to the South African Dental Association

Sink your teeth into your health care

Researchers have found that lack of dental care may have
life-threatening implications.

New research from the University of Bristol shows that admissions for the surgical treatment of dental abscess have doubled in the last 10 years despite the fact that these serious infections are preventable with regular dental care.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal today, could
reflect a decline of oral health, changes in access to dental
treatment or changes in attitudes to dental care.

The analysis was conducted by Dr Steve Thomas and colleagues from the Division of Maxillofacial Surgery and Department of Oral and Dental Science using routine NHS data on hospital admissions and was prompted by three complex cases of dental abscess that presented over a six-month period in 2006. The case studies, provided in full below, highlight the serious and potentially life-threatening consequences of dental abscesses. In two of the cases the patients needed to be admitted to a hospital critical-care unit; none of the three was registered with a dentist.

Download the full article

On 30 and 31 August 2008 the SA Medical Association will be hosting a congress with the theme "The future of healthcare in South Africa -how will it be provided and funded?" This congress is vital to anyone involved in healthcare in the country. See our website for details: http://www.samedical.org/samaconf2008/index.html
SAMA Conference 2008 Registration Form (PDF format - 56KB)

World Association of Laser Therapy Congress,
19-22 October 2008, Sun City South Africa

World Association of Laser Therapy Congress
(word doc 25.5KB)
Announcement WALT 2008 (PDF format - 128KB)
Walt Conference Flyer (PDF format - 156KB)

CODE 8560 – COST OF CERAMIC BLOCK
It has come to our attention that some dentists using CEREC technology are charging a range of prices for code 8560 which are far higher than the cost of the block.
Code 8560 was created not as a procedure code but to enable practitioners to recoup the actual cost of direct materials [the cost of the manufacturing process and other consumables is catered for within code 8570].
It is therefore required to charge for a ceramic block at the
`exit price`, to which a handling fee of 26 % may be added
[code 8025].
This applies irrespective of whether your patient is on a medical aid or whether you deal directly with schemes or not.

Drug Allergy for Clinicians
A one day seminar for clinicians working with drug allergies 1 MAY 2008 • Governors Hall, St Thomas’ Hospital, London

For more info click here (PDF format - 172kB)

Registration form (PDF format - 104kB)

DN4 - Ultra Sonography DVD

The Dental Network DVD on Ultra Sonography was not posted with the October SADJ, and appologise for any inconvenience. Please keep the October SADJ with the questions as the DVD will be circulated with the November SADJ.

Should you have any further queries, please contact E-Doc on 012 345 4307.

Click here to:

Do online tests
On-line Certificates
(Note: This is only for tests done via sms or online)

Make sure you have pre-registered to access the above by phoning 012 345 4307. Your username (also refered to nickname or login) and password is the same as for Members Only.

Analyse your smile

And you thought a smile is a smile is a smile! Not at all – your mouth is the first point of contact when interacting with people and apart from the eyes, the mouth is also where various emotions are first visible (a grin, a smirk, unhappy, and so on). According to the South African Dental Association (SADA) there are two ways regularly used analyse your smile - the emotional evaluation and the objective analysis.

Below is a simple list of questions using each approach that you can do on your own in the convenience of your own home.

The Emotional Smile Evaluation
The emotional smile evaluation is based on each individual's subjective perceptions of his or her smile. The questions below are designed to help reveal a person's inner feelings about the manner in which their smile affects their self image, how it impacts interactions with others, and how it influences the quality of their relationships.

Do you love the appearance of your teeth and smile?

Do you ever turn your face when smiling or hold your hand up in front of your mouth when talking to others?

Have you ever found yourself looking at models or other people with beautiful smiles and wishing you had a similar smile?

Have you figured out a way to use your lips to cover any aspect of your smile?

Are you embarrassed to visit a cosmetic dentist due to the condition of your teeth or the length of time since your last visit to a dentist?

How does your smile make you feel? Confident?

Do you shy away from showing a full smile in front of other people, especially strangers?

When taking pictures, do you tend to smile with your lips closed instead of flashing a happy smile?

Have you ever held back a laugh because you felt uncomfortable about your smile?

How would a beautiful new smile make you feel?

What would you like to change about your smile?

The Objective Smile Analysis
For the objective analysis, the best thing is for you to stand in front of a mirror. Now, smile at yourself using your ‘normal’ smile. Next, look at the mirror and think of a hilarious moment in your life and give a big, laughing smile. This big smile is probably a much larger smile than you feel comfortable using much of the time if you are not happy with your teeth. When your smile is improved, however, your big smile appears much more spontaneously because you look (and feel) great! So let's figure out what's holding your big smile back -- what it is that bothers you about your teeth.

Are all of your teeth brilliant white or are they somewhat yellow, dark, or stained?

Are there spaces between any of your teeth?

Are you missing any of your teeth?

Do you have teeth that are crooked, uneven, or out of line?

Do the biting edges of your upper teeth follow the curvature of your upper lip?

Do any of your teeth appear short and fat or too small or too large?

Are the edges of any of your teeth even with the rest of your teeth or are they too long or too short?

Do your teeth (as a group) slant one way or another?

Is the midline of your two front teeth centred with your face and nose?

Are the edges of your canine teeth too long, sharp, or look out of line?

Do you grind your teeth or are any of the biting edges on your teeth chipped or worn down?

Do you have a "gummy" smile -- showing too much gum tissue or having gums that are too thick?

Are your gums even and in line and symmetrical or irregularly shaped -- higher on some teeth and lower on others?

Have your gums receded or do they appear red or puffy?

Do you have any grey, black or silver dental fillings in your teeth?

Do you have any old crowns that have dark edges at the top or that don't really look natural?

If you answered yes to MOST of the above questions, we can help give you a better, more beautiful smile, so visit your Dentist today!

Brought to you by the South African Dental Association (SADA) in the interests of healthy teeth, a healthy mouth and a healthy smile. Contact: SADA on 011 484 5288 or Share-Call 0860 110 725 or email : nadiar@sada.co.za