Clinicians today seek continuing education not only to improve their skills, but also to broaden the array of procedures they can offer their patients. This second issue of the revitalized Chairside^® magazine aims to supplement the clinician’s educational interest with topics on a number of the innovative fields, methods and technologies shaping the science of dentistry.

One way dentists are diversifying their practices is by providing patients with options to treat sleep apnea. Dental sleep medicine is one of the fastest growing segments in the dental field. In this issue’s featured Q&A, sleep dentistry expert and general dentist Dr. Suzanne Haley discusses how clinicians can become involved with dental sleep medicine and build referral-based relationships with diagnosing physicians.

Dentistry has also seen the release of innovative new restorative materials. This issue celebrates Obsidian^® lithium silicate, the versatile ceramic released by Glidewell Dental in 2013. Dr. Mayuri Kerr presents summarized long-term clinical data of Obsidian Fused to Metal restorations, having compiled the results of more than 200 restorations placed in-vivo over a three-year period. Another article recounts the talents of dental ceramic engineer Rodolfo Castillo and how he made Jim Glidewell’s vision of Obsidian lithium silicate a reality.

In her photo essay about BruxZir^® veneers, Glidewell clinician Dr. Anamaria Muresan underscores the benefit of continually evolving one’s understanding of the tools and materials available. With continuing development of the esthetic qualities of BruxZir monolithic zirconia, this material now affords versatility that extends to the smile zone. With the help of newly developed bonding methods, we can now offer our patients translucent zirconia veneers with BruxZir Anterior.

Implant placement and restoration have become an important facet of everyday dentistry. This issue features a number of implant-focused articles, including a continuation of Dr. Randolph Resnik’s series on implant occlusion, the story of how Dr. Vincent Foring approached placing his first conventional implant, as well as my latest article about implant spacing and selection in the posterior residual ridge.

It is our hope with Chairside magazine that we are able to place the spotlight on cutting-edge aspects of esthetic, restorative and implant dentistry to provide the practitioner with current educational content.