A dire need for additional dental educators is emerging. This article reflects on the heavily skewed age groups of our current dental educators and the lack of sufficient new faculty to undertake the tasks of faculty members. A literature review is presented of previous studies monitoring the current demographics of dental faculty, projected trends, and factors that influence an individual's career choices concerning dental education involvement. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors are explored to offer potential avenues for interesting, recruiting, and retaining qualified individuals as dental faculty. The goal of this article is to stimulate thought-provoking discussions and/or solutions within academic dentistry in regard to the question: Who will be our dental school faculty in the next decade?

Purpose: A significant concern with computer-assisted desigdcomputer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM)-produced prostheses is the accuracy of adaptation of the restoration to the preparation. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of operator-controlled camera misalignment on restoration adaptation. Materials and Methods:A CEREC 2 CAD/CAM unit (Sirona Dental Systems, Bensheim, Germany) was used to capture the optical impressions and machine the restorations. A Class I preparation was used as the standard preparation for optical impressions. Camera angles along the mesiodistal and buccolingual alignment were varied from the ideal orientation. Occlusai marginal gaps and sample height, width, and length were measured and compared to preparation dimensions. For clinical correlation, clinicians were asked to take optical impressions of mesio-occlusal preparations (Class 11) on all four second molar sites, using a patient simulator. On the adjacent first molar occlusal surfaces, a preparation was machined such that camera angulation could be calculated from information taken from the optical impression. Degree of tilt and plane of tilt were compared to the optimum camera positions for those preparations. Results:One-way analysis of variance and Dunnett C post hoc testing (01 = 0.01) revealed little significant degradation in fit with camera angulation. Only the apical length fit was significantly degraded by excessive angulation. The CEREC 2 CAD/CAM system was found to be relatively insensitive to operator-induced errors attributable to camera misalignments of less than 5 degrees in either the buccolingual or the mesiodistal plane. The average camera tilt error generated by clinicians for all sites was 1.98 f 1.17 degrees. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEIt is unlikely that camera misalignment is a major source of error during the fabrication of simplistic CEREC 2 CAD/CAM restorations.

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A 36-year-old white woman presented with a recent history of an upper respiratory tract infection and concurrent urinary tract infection. Her past medical history was significant only for hypertension. Her antibiotic regimen consisted of ciprofloxacin 250 mg twice daily for 14 days, 1 dose of nitrofurantoin 200 mg followed by 100 mg once daily for 7 days, and clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily for 6 days. Concomitant therapy included iron and ramipril 2.5 mg once daily. Following 1 week of antibiotic therapy, the patient developed a painful, odoriferous oral cavity. Oral examination (Figure 1) demonstrated a yellowish-white plaque on the tongue's dorsal surface. The plaque was easily removable, revealing an erythematous underlying surface. A clinical diagnosis of oropharyngeal candidiasis (i.e., thrush) was based on examination and history of recent antibiotic use. She was successfully treated with 1 dose of fluconazole 150 mg orally without symptomatic recurrence. Candida spp. can often colonize the oropharynx without any symptomatology or complications. However, alterations in host immunity, changes in microflora (often secondary to antibacterials), or disruption of the mucosal barrier may result in significant increases in the Candida spp. population with subsequent invasion into areas such as the oral soft tissues and vagina. In severe cases, Candida spp. can cause serious invasive disease. Oral candidiasis manifests as 3 forms: pseudomembranous, erythematous, and hyperplastic. Pseudomembranous is the most common oral presentation and is termed "thrush." Thrush presents in the mouth as a curd-like leukoplakic plaque that is easily wiped away to reveal a red, raw epithelial surface underneath. Patient symptomatology can include a mild burning sensation, altered taste, and odor. Clinical diagnosis of thrush is commonly made by examination of the oropharynx. A definitive diagnosis may be obtained by microscopic evaluation and microbiologic examination. Treatment is with either topical (e.g., nystatin, clotrimoxazole) or systemic antifungal agents administered orally (e.g., fluconazole, itraconazole). If the patient also wears an oral prosthesis such as a denture, a topical application of antifungal medication must be placed on the porous surfaces of the prosthesis for resolution. Intravenous therapy is generally reserved for patients who are severely immunocompromised or who have esophageal involvement.