You probably know that time and money spent marketing your dental practice is one of the wisest investments you’ll ever make – if it is effective. However, these marketing missteps can render your efforts ineffective, or worse. Legal and Regulatory Violations When most marketers discuss “rules,” they are referring to Google requirements, social media … Read more
As you go about your day-to-day, you probably notice the multitude of dental offices, seemingly on every corner. Do you often find yourself wondering how they all survive? Maybe, you conclude, it all comes down to fantastic marketing strategy, each office figuring out how to uniquely brand and stand apart from the competition. Would it … Read more
As I sit at my desk writing this month’s editorial, I can’t help but be slightly distracted by the 2018 Winter Olympics and keeping an eye on where Team Canada sits in the standings. I’m willing to admit that I’ve been glued to my TV this past week watching my favourite figure skaters climb (or … Read more
Sedation and anesthesia for dentistry has come under scrutiny in the past few years due to a few tragic events where patients experienced harm. These events have raised several questions: are these just isolated incidents due to negligence in clinicians’ practices; did these patients pose unforeseeable challenges; and ultimately, what is the safety of dentistry … Read more
What better way to learn how to be successful than through the experiences of your peers and colleagues. Throughout our lives, we draw from our own experiences to make decisions and conclusions. Making informed decisions is a quality that will help you lead the life you want and more importantly, become as successful as you … Read more
Introduction For dentists who have a keen interest in Cosmetic Dentistry, it is exciting when a patient expresses an interest to change their smile. It allows us to perform and deliver dentistry that can be immensely rewarding and life changing for a patient. Patients who have high esthetic demands can be a challenge but also … Read more
Preamble Since the appearance of HIV/AIDS in the mid-1980s, clinical dentists, academics and the profession’s regulatory agencies have been concerned about the possibility of an HIV/AIDS positive patient transmitting the infection to the attending dentist. A recent report in the American Journal of Infection Control categorically refutes this possibility. Prior to discussing these new findings, … Read more
Clinical Problem A 63-year-old female visited the dental clinic at the Jewish General Hospital with chief complaints of jaw pain, bilateral clicking, limited mouth opening, had migraine of 8 years duration, feeling fatigued and unrefreshed in the morning. The patient complains of TMD pain symptoms that began two years ago, involving both sides of the … Read more
Traumatic injuries to teeth and their supporting structures comprise approximately five percent of all traumatic injuries.1 Clinical and radiographic examinations are integral parts of diagnosis and treatment planning. Occlusal and periapical images have been suggested to determine the extent of damage to dentoalveolar structures. Due to their limitations as two-dimensional imaging modalities, it is necessary … Read more
There are various indications for deep sedation and general anesthesia (DS/GA) in dentistry, including anxiety associated with dental treatment, pre-cooperative age, traumatic or extensive dental procedures, and cognitive impairment or motor dysfunctions.1–3 Although many of the patients who fall into these categories require DS/GA in order to facilitate dental treatment, not all of them are … Read more
Given the epidemic of narcotic abuse in Canada, it is important we discuss choices when prescribing opiods. We should be both more pensive prior to picking up our prescription pad and more careful when prescribing opiod analgesia to our patients. It now goes without saying that we should optimize all means of non-opioid analgesia to … Read more
So, what do you do?” is a question often asked at social gatherings. Everyone has a story. Few of us have actually thought one out. How might we answer? Does the simple response “I’m a dentist” tell us anything about who we really are? Might it even arouse unpleasant thoughts? The unfortunate reality is that … Read more
Honesty is such a lonely word – Billy Joel Bias and integrity are strange bedfellows. They are two qualities that we speak of in absolute terms although there is no absolute measure for them. Both qualities force us to look at ourselves critically, an exercise often avoided because all too often we end up not … Read more
It is one of your worst nightmares. Public health officials get a complaint from one of your patients. They storm into your office and shut you down for having inadequate infection control practices. Bad as that may sound, it gets worse. They then send a letter to ALL of your patients, notifying them of the … Read more
Lessons in leadership show up in unlikely places. As the mother of two rough and tumble boys, one of life’s greatest gifts was unexpectedly having to raise my niece, Carrie, from the age of five. While I’ve cheered at baseball games, marveled at snowboarding feats, and watched with one eye open at the motocross competitions … Read more
The Surprising Link Between Your Teeth, Real Food, and Life-Changing Natural Health It is said that awareness is the key to change. Awareness however, is simply not enough. We must take the new knowledge learned and actually do something with it! This requires effort, change, boldness, and a willingness to take consistent, persistent action … Read more
The signs and symptoms that may save a life We are all familiar with the signs and symptoms of gripping chest pain, radiating to the jaw and arm for males, but do we know the difference for women’s heart attacks? Recently, many articles and television programs have been highlighting the very different signs for … Read more
“I’m sorry… we have not received your claim.” “Why did I get a statement? I have already paid your office my co-payment!” Ah, the wonderful effects of non-communication. Nothing is more frustrating for a dental office than a patient or insurance company who misunderstands what we are trying to communicate to them. The most important … Read more
They say a lady always know when it’s time to leave and so it is with mixed emotions I tell you that I am retiring from the dental group and Newcom Media as of March 29th, 2018. I’ve only worked for two publishing companies (many, many owners) since 1986, a feat unto itself in the … Read more
What is public relations, anyways? It’s defined as “the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution; also: the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved.” In relation to your dental practice, an effective public relations strategy goes a long way in bolstering your marketing efforts. Many people are … Read more