Blogs

The Gum Guardians believe dental professionals can be perceived as “healers” rather than “cleaners” by using  9 questions to guide their patient discussions. By initiating conversations with patients during dental visits that reinforce their role as gatekeepers for their patients’ health, dental professionals can be recognized, not as tedious teeth cleaners, but as valued healers. … Read more

What are you putting on your teeth?

Dentist puts the squeeze on toothpaste hype New York, NY –  When you go to your local drugstore, there is a dizzying array of options to choose from when it comes to selecting the right toothpaste.  Whether it’s Crest, Colgate or one of the new, dentist-designed toothpastes, such as BriteSmile or GoSmile, the myriad of … Read more

Dental Tourism: An Untapped Revenue Opportunity

According to Patients Beyond Borders, about 1.2 million Americans will travel abroad for health and dental care in 2014. Commonly called “dental tourism,” the news media is promoting how patients can save money on dental work done in Mexico and other foreign countries—where costs for even the most complex procedures are up to two-thirds cheaper … Read more

showing Canada’s retirees that dental care is worth it

A new employer survey reports that the days of Canada’s retired workers having a dental plan, are rapidly passing. More than half of Canada’s employers do not offer healthcare benefits (including a dental plan) to their retirees, and another third are looking at reducing or eliminating future retirement benefits. It is no secret why — … Read more

Seeing is believing and motivating

A wonderful series of pictures of dental plaque has been published in the UK’s Daily Telegraph. Two pictures are excerpted below. They show the infectious nature of dental disease. Both caries and periodontal disease are biological in origin and in progression. That is why we encourage brushing and flossing but also why we need to … Read more

Want to get fit? Then get your gums in shape!

Imagine if you were an influential on the physical fitness of your patients. You can be. A new Brazilian study shows that younger men with gum disease (indicated by bleeding gums amongst other symptoms) were in much poorer shape than those with healthy gums. This finding adjusted for age, weight and regular exercise. Gum disease … Read more

Calling all diabetics

Imagine if your dental practice could make the following claim: A visit to your hygienist can significantly reduce your blood sugars. So says a new Indian study which found that one hour of scaling below the gum line not only significantly improved the health of gums for those with gum problems, but also reduced blood … Read more

A difficult discussion with the patient

In a recent story on National Public Radio titled “For Better Treatment, Doctors And Patients Share The Decisions”, the case was made that the patient should be told about the chances for success of a possible treatment or a side effect. In doing so, the story argued that there would be more informed decision-making and … Read more

Prevention is The Name of the Game!

The National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council Annual Status Report was released July 1. The report highlights advancement in implementing the National Prevention Strategy (NPS) and reaching its goal of increasing the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life.2 The NPS pictures a prevention-oriented society where all segments recognize … Read more

What has chronic kidney disease got to do with building my practice?

Good question. As it turns out, just about everything. Let me tell you why. This week I posted on social media a study linking periodontal disease to chronic kidney disease. The response?  It is the first time our Facebook page for Partners in Prevention got 100 “likes” in 24 hours. There were also 41 “shares”. … Read more

Healthy Lunches For A New School Year

Back to school for kids is always a nervous and exciting time for children and parents alike. What teacher will they get? Will their friends be in the in class with them? One often overlooked item is school lunch and their associated snacks. Most schools these days have certain policies of trying to be more … Read more

13 Characteristics of Patient Value

 How do you rank? After decades of coaching thousands of dental practices in North America to be their best, via patient retention, new patient growth and case acceptance, I have created the following list of characteristics that patients value most, in order of importance, about their dental experience. These characteristics are essential for patient loyalty, … Read more

The new “3Ds” of dental care

This past week I met with several dental teams and asked them about the “3 Ds” which now characterize their patient caseloads: Do you have diabetic patients? Do you have patients on diuretics? Do you have patients with a dry mouth? In all meetings, there was instant agreement that many patients have one or more … Read more

Loose Tooth Makes Philly Kids Smile Highlighting National Need For Dental Checks

1 in 5 low-income kids go without needed dental care; Pennsylvania receives a “D” for how it’s addressing this need (worse than 41 other states) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMYXaTZOkTo&list=UUsyy8lzxdKTUwK_CMs3dN7g Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia Gentle Dental offices and their tooth mascot, Sir Floss A Lot, hit the streets to raise awareness about children’s dental health risks and the importance of … Read more

sleeping pills

A recent article in the NY Times talked about weaning older patients off of nightly regimens of sleeping pills. Why “de-prescribe” these medications (benzodiazepines) such as Ativan, Ambien, Halcion, Lunesta and Valium? There are many good reasons but one which pertains to oral health, is the side effect on salivary flow. In 2008, a study … Read more

Assess the Risk of Workplace Violence in Your Dental Office

By now, dental offices likely have their policy regarding workplace violence posted on the Health and Safety board, reviewing it annually. An important part of your health and safety program is performing a workplace risk assessment that identifies the risk of workplace violence that may arise from the nature of the workplace, type of work … Read more

“It’s like driving through a stormy night!”

Recently, National Public Radio featured a story on stress felt by American adults. It featured a survey by the Harvard School of Public Health which found that 1 in 4 had a great deal of stress in the previous month, and 1 in 2 in the past year. How is this stress manifest? Look at … Read more