Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) programs received national re-accreditation from the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) this month. At a meeting on February 2, the commission granted the accreditation status of approval without reporting requirements to the school’s pre-doctoral program and four advanced specialty programs. This is the highest designation … Read more
A new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association shows that dentistry’s share of antibiotic use in healthcare has grown significantly. In 1996, dentistry accounted for 6.7% of antibiotic use. By 2013, its share was 11.3%. This results from both a decline of antibiotic use in medicine and a real growth in dentistry. … Read more
The primary goal of your online dental marketing campaign should be to disseminate information, educate the readers and deliver real value. When the focus is on helping the patients through your dental website, blog, social media and other online efforts, it will eventually help build a robust online reputation, build relationships, and translate into growing … Read more
After 30 years in the Dental Community, as a Dental Speaker lecturing in North America and internationally, I retired in 2015. Following my wonderful career, I wanted to give back and volunteer with women. Good Shepherd offered me the opportunity to donate my time and energy to its Women’s Services program. I didn’t realize how many women need … Read more
New studies are identifying the key microbes and their interactions which cause a cavity. Essentially, we now know that dental decay is a “poly-microbial disease”, meaning the destruction of the tooth is caused by many different microorganisms and their complex interaction. Very promising stuff. We also know that a person experiencing a cavity or needing … Read more
Dental hygienists and therapists have been empowered by legislators in Canada, the UK and increasingly in the US to deliver dental services outside of the dental practice. There has been a boom in independent hygiene and this will only grow as patients seek more affordable preventive care. In the UK, for example, the reformed National … Read more
So here’s the thing… A patient in his 50s, on 2 antidepressants and another med for CV disease, breathing through his mouth at night because of a mouth appliance and experiencing recurrent decay. Even with Prevora’s protection. What else might be happening to challenge this topical drug? Well, sucking on throat lozenges on a frequent … Read more
Imagine if you shopped at Walmart and there was only one size of sweater, one variety of milk, or when you went to buy cereal, all it carried was Corn Flakes.And you grumbled to yourself that you would like some prices more in keeping with your family’s budget and needs.That is the approach taken, by … Read more
American doctors will increasingly be paid according to the outcome of the healthcare services they deliver. Just seeing the patient will no longer be sufficient for payment by the insurer or Medicare/Medicaid. Rather, it is the results from medical services which matter. Recently, a panel of federal government and insurers released seven groups of measures, … Read more
Very recently, there have been 2 announcements in the US about training physicians and nurse practitioners to look after oral health problems. The first announcement emanated from the University of California at San Francisco and the latter announcement from Harvard and Northeastern Universities. Serious stuff. The reasons behind this development appear to be twofold: (a) … Read more
A new study reports that among American individuals newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a periodontal intervention is associated with lower total healthcare costs (-$1799), lower total medical costs excluding pharmacy costs (-$1577), and lower total type 2 diabetes-related healthcare costs (-$408). The study will be published in the next quarter so details are not … Read more
A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine summarized various initiatives in the US to improve the delivery of cancer care by examining all procedures (including drugs) for: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. The thrust of this assessment is to improve treatment outcomes, to pay for those procedures and drugs which have … 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
A new study in the journal Medicine reports that the bacteria initiating dental decay is also found on the heart valves of patients with heart disease. Nothing new here. Other studies have shown that Streptococcus mutans to be the dominant microorganism in diseased arterial plaque. (The picture above has blue chains of bacteria which are … 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
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
A new study reports that nearly half of falls by older folks are caused by an infection. Falls are one of the leading cause of death for those over 75 years of age, due to complications arising from a fracture. So what kind of infections are involved? 44% were urinary tract infections, 39% were bloodstream … 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