The key to improving patient satisfaction…… People are porous. They tend to absorb and reflect the atmosphere and motions around them. According to Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, we experience approximately 20,000 individual moments in a waking day. Each moment may only last a few seconds, but each is important. Dr. John Gottman’s pioneer research … Read more
What new challenges are you willing to face every day to ensure continued growth and prosperity for your business? Who are the key players on the team that determine the success of your day? These are all unconscious questions that you probably ask yourself on a regular basis. However, unconscious competence begins with mastering conscious competence … Read more
Last month, I posted a blog entitled “How often for dental x-rays?” The thrust of the blog was a new study which showed that visual inspection of the teeth by the dentist was as accurate a method of determining caries as dental x-rays. This is also the position of the US Food and Drug Administration. … Read more
The easiest and most effective way to highlight your commitment to oral health… Last week, we discussed that the future growth of the hygiene department is based on the foundational truth that oral health is the gateway to overall body wellness. You can’t have a healthy body without a healthy mouth. When you consider the … Read more
One silent issue in the dental industry is affordability. Surgical care is so expensive that it has restricted dental visits over the past few years and, in turn, driven down dental incomes by more than 20% since the start of the Great Recession (2008). Over the Holidays, there were more reports about this affordability problem … Read more
Dental hygiene has changed dramatically from a serious shortage of hygienists leading to high wages and a lack of choice for dentists to choose. Today, there is a vast over-supply; competition between job candidates and existing high-wage hygienists must earn their position with proper billing, periodontal care and overall patient service. The hygiene entry wage … Read more
As of 2015, for the first time, Canada has more people over the age of 65 than under 15. The age group that now encompasses the boomer generation – 50 to 69 – makes up 27 per cent of the population, compared with 18 per cent in that age group two decades ago. The number … Read more
Two new studies involving older people, show that the following chronic diseases significantly increase the odds of dental decay: cardiovascular disease, rheumatic disease, mood disorders and eating disorders. The connection between diseases, is four or more medications taken regularly; this level of polypharmacy is the threshold for poor salivary flow. Saliva is a preventive agent … Read more
Each day in North America, about 11,000 Baby Boomers retire. Most have no dental plan, most are taking more than 3 medications daily for chronic diseases and thereby are experiencing dry mouth, and most have all of their teeth with lots of gum recession. This is a perfect storm for 2 things: dental decay at … Read more
A new study of the contribution of the periodontal microbe, P. gingivalis, to inflammation of heart tissue is just one more step to justifying closer integration of dental services with medical services. The study reports certain byproducts of P. gingivalis regulate the inflammatory cascade which gives rise to atherosclerosis. Good science for sure, but what … Read more
Could it happen in your practice? A common topic for our speakers is what dentists misunderstand about embezzlement. Here is our list: MYTH #1 — Embezzlers only steal cash, and it is difficult for thieves to monetize other forms of payment. FACT — It is simple for a thief to turn a check, credit card … Read more
“People today are about 10 percent heavier than people were in the 1980s, even if they follow the exact same diet and exercise plans.” This was a disturbing conclusion of a recent study of American adults, which has also been reported in The Atlantic. What might be the reasons? First, people are exposed to more … Read more
Two reports crossed my desk recently, which raised some possible serious concerns about how we go about delivering dental care. First, a report suggests that anaesthetics are linked to permanent tooth failure in younger patients. The study authors concluded that it is possible for local anesthetics to inhibit pulp cell growth for still-developing permanent teeth. … Read more
Rheumatoid diseases, a subset of arthritis, are associated with poor oral health. Studies show that if you have rheumatoid disease you likely have other chronic diseases, are older, and have dry mouth and far more dental decay. It’s a package. This association may be bidirectional. It has been reported that gum disease may contribute to … Read more
As the population ages and science marches on, we are seeing significant connections between chronic diseases. One big one is diabetes and dental decay — diabetes increases the risk of having oral health problems two-fold. And another is chronic inflammatory bowel disease and dental decay. A new study which tracked Swedish adults for several years … Read more
The number one reason patients do not accept treatment plans is lack of perceived value; how the dental treatment plan or recommendations will relate to them or their individual health goals. The lack of value is often expressed by patients with the most repetitive question asked in a dental day: “Does my insurance cover it?” … Read more
“British Columbia’s population now has 31 people 65 years old or over for every 100 working-age persons. In a decade, the ratio will be 41 to 100. Ten years later, in 2035, the ratio will be 48 to 100, according to a recent paper from the Business Council of British Columbia. Put another way, the … Read more
As the old saying goes; “If you’re not growing, you are dying”. Constant and never-ending progress is the root cause of all success and fulfillment. The one percent of the population who succeed at the highest level all have one thing in common; they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. … Read more
As gum disease originates from an unbalanced film of bacteria under the gum line, why don’t we use local or systemic antibiotics to treat this chronic disease? Turns out that is what the studies are starting to suggest. Besides mechanical debridement (called scaling and root planing) of the “wound” (the inflamed gum pockets), the scientific … Read more
Drugs to relieve mood disorders (depression, anxiety) are the most prescribed medications for Canadians in their 30s, 40s and 50s, according to data published by Green Shield Canada. An American study published in 2005 showed that adults taking antidepressants had significantly more fillings and crowns than healthy controls — as much as 60% more when … Read more