One of the most popular articles in dentistry today is written by a pediatric dental specialist at the University of Washington. The article has a long, complicated title but upon reading it, I thought it should have been called “Dentistry 2.0″. Here are some excerpts which point to the new thinking in Dentistry 2.0: Historically, … Read more
This (shocking) statistic was recently released by the US CDC. How does this level of under-treatment compare to untreated diabetes or hypertension, 2 other prevalent chronic conditions in America? A study published in 2011 found that 2.4% of American diabetics were untreated. A study published in Hypertension in 1995 reported that about 30% of American … Read more
Andre Picard, the Globe’s healthcare columnist, recently wrote an article on the aging population’s impact on overall Canadian healthcare. But what about the impact of the aging Boomers on the dental care system? Many of you will already know — the older the patient, the less likely they are regular attenders and the more likely … Read more
Have you been following what Tesla (Elon Musk) is doing to electricity markets with its new Powerwall battery for your garage? This new technology promises to disrupt the source, distribution and use of electrical power and give the household new options as both a consumer and a supplier of electricity. It redefines what we know … Read more
If search engine optimization (SEO) is not working for you, it may be time to review your SEO strategy. However, you should remember that SEO cannot provide an instant boost to your website traffic, and it is a systematic, long-term process to put your website on top of search results. In any case, stay clear … Read more
Andre Picard, the Globe’s healthcare columnist, recently wrote an article on the aging population’s impact on overall Canadian healthcare. But what about the impact of the aging Boomers on the dental care system? Many of you will already know — the older the patient, the less likely they are regular attenders and the more likely … Read more
Your critical area of focus… In today’s fast paced world of change, competition and customer (patient) sophistication, it is critical to focus on your service, reputation and referrals. Also critical, is to know how your patients feel about you, talk about you and express their dissatisfaction. A dissatisfied customer will tell 12 other people A … Read more
A new report on early childhood caries in the UK shows how serious this disease really is: •Tooth extraction, mainly under General Anaesthesia (GA), is the main reason for hospital admissions of 5–9 year old children in the UK •Repeat treatments are frequent (20%-25% of cases). So, the report interviewed 18 family dentists in the … Read more
A new study reports that gum disease is an independent risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at mid life. The study showed those adults between 40 and 60 years of age suffering from periodontal disease, had double the risk of AMD compared to healthy controls. This risk accounted for confounding factors such as hypertension, … Read more
As a busy dentist, it can be very challenging for you to find time to manage your social media networks effectively. The easier way may be to delegate the task to a professional social media management firm or hire an in-house expert to handle your online promotion strategy. However, if you are keen to manage … Read more
How to maintain a good relationship with the patient Making collection telephone calls is critical for past due amounts that are owed to the practice by the patient. The goal of your collection calls should be to maintain a good relationship with the patient while letting them know that you expect payment from them. You … Read more
I am always amazed when I visit the U of T dental school that the biggest room ever is dedicated to drilling and filling. Seemingly hundreds of chairs over which are bent hundreds of dental students practicing their techniques on folks who need low cost care. And I ask myself, is this where the profession … Read more
A new study found that Parkinson’s patients have up to 10 times more untreated decay than a healthy peer. And they live in the community on average for 15 years before being institutionalized. So, most every dental team has a few Parkinson’s patients, or at least, patients with preclinical symptoms to Parkinson’s. A recent study … Read more
Are we beginning to see a change in how dentistry is pitching itself to the community? Perhaps, if this ad in a local newspaper is indicative. The ad says a lot and very little. “Complete health dentistry” is a new brand, one which responds to the overriding preferences of this aging and largely uninsured community … Read more
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law in Ontario that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them. Recognizing the history of discrimination against persons with disabilities in Ontario, the purpose of this act is to benefit all Ontarians by developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards … Read more
The needs and wants of Canadian employers for healthcare benefits are surely changing. Now, it is all about managing chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and obesity. The days of offering a simple drug plan so that employees could take pills for these ongoing problems are long gone. Employers and their insurers are getting … Read more
Your office may have already received a letter from the Ministry of Labour that states it is proactively inspecting professional offices on April 1, 2015. The Ministry inspector will be looking for any contraventions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000, also known as the ESA. This inspection is not necessarily the result of any of … Read more
A new study of middle aged adults in America reports that over 18 months, low risk adults got very little to no decay and high risk adults got between 2 and 3 new cavities. How did the study separate these risk groups? It found the following factors were significant: •visible, heavy dental plaque •frequent snacking … Read more