The day your dental website goes live is an exciting milestone. Everything has been approved, reviewed for errors and optimized for Google. However, the website is not finished. Why? Because a website is never finished. It needs to grow and evolve with technology, as well as changes in your practice. Is your information still accurate? … Read more
There are seven key distinctions that set the bar for consistently delivering an ideal new patient experience and increasing satisfaction, retention, and referrals. Making a “distinction” involves refining one’s thinking. Dentists are good at making clinical distinctions. For example, recognizing subtle aspects of occlusion that may alter restorative material decisions is a clinical distinction. However, … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story Canary Dental has a unique story consisting of a hardworking husband and wife team who overcame multiple challenges to build their vibrant dream practice. Dr. Komal Lamba is the principal dentist and co-owner. She is an empowered and fearless female entrepreneur who balanced her business operations, Covid lockdowns and zoning challenges, … Read more
Is creativity important to you? Are you a creative person? If so, in what way? What defines you as creative? What makes you creative or increases your creative potential? How do you define creativity? Is creativity something that is just inherent to the way you operate, planned and strategic, or organic in that it just … Read more
What dental hygienists need to know to help save lives Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by upper airway collapse during sleep. OSA is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders and is potentially fatal, affecting approximately 4-9% of the adult population.1 Like most sleep disorders, OSA is unrecognized, underdiagnosed and undertreated with … Read more
At the age of 26, I decided to go back to school and become a RDH. I sought a change from retail management and wanted to do something that provided greater job opportunities and greater job satisfaction. What has taken more than a decade to achieve has been a tough but fulfilling journey and I … Read more
Would you rather: 1) do your taxes, 2) use a restroom with broken locks, or 3) listen to a young child learn how to play the violin, rather than approach your employer for a raise? In the field of dental hygiene, many of us find it challenging to assert ourselves and discuss money. It makes … Read more
When you stabilize your internal economy, your practice can weather the most volatile economic storms. The Canadian Dental Hygiene Association (CDHA) con-ducted a nation-wide survey in the fall of 2020 to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on its members and found that one-third of the nearly 3,600 respondents had seen a reduction in their working … Read more
Can you regress a patient’s Stage? A stage can only regress under one condition: when surgical intervention eliminates a complexity factor like Class II and III furcations or vertical defects. So, if a patient is a classified as Stage III due to these complexity factors and has them surgically repaired, they can regress to Stage … Read more
Well, it’s been a year. Most of us would agree that the current pandemic is not something we had ever imagined we would live through. What have we learned through this past year? How will our lives, our careers, our relationships benefit from this chapter in our history? Dental hygiene garnered a top spot in … Read more
This editorial is dedicated to Dr John Miner, a dear friend and a colleague who has served the dental community since 1966. His positive energy and intellectual input will never be forgotten. Dr Miner was an active member of the Ontario Dental Association and the Ottawa Dental Society for 54 years. May his soul Rest … Read more
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the current pandemic has had many negative impacts on dentistry. As discussed last month, revenue has been down while costs are up. Despite the many hurdles you have had to face, we would also like to explore the potential opportunities that have emerged during the last year. … Read more
Biotensegrity is a new word. An explanation of its origins opens the door to a new and unfamiliar world which seems to have nothing to do with orthodontics. Does it merit spending time on it or is just another distraction in an overcrowded schedule? Is it an attempt to sell another piece of equipment? This … Read more
Viewpoint: If you believe that everything has been just peachy in dentistry, don’t read this. This article isn’t for you. Of late, dentist owner/operators have been getting the short end of the stick. Poor public perception. Negative media attention. Threats of public health units shutting offices down and warning patients to get tested. Costly changes … Read more
Case study: January 2021 For four years, as dental students enter the four walls of their respective faculties, they are taught how to protect and save the teeth and smiles of their patients. Today, dentists continue to do what they were taught, some decades ago. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic highlights areas not taught regarding … Read more
Abstract Mouthwashes are aqueous topical medications that function by rinsing and gargling inside of the mouth. There are multiple mouthwashes available over the counter and by prescription with a wide range of active ingredients that can be used as an adjunct to aid in the multifactorial management of complex oral conditions, including halitosis, gingivitis, periodontal … Read more
Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a product you could just paint on a tooth to stop caries, prevent caries and decrease tooth sensitivity? Well, it exists and it’s called silver diamine fluoride (SDF). It is inexpensive, easy to apply, painless and does not create aerosols. SDF can be used on patients of all … Read more
Abstract Orthodontic clinical practice has used static forces for tooth movement and to modulate osteogenesis of craniofacial sutures for more than one hundred years. However, research has demonstrated that cyclic forces at 0.2 Hz delivered for 10 min/d over 12 days (120 cycles per day) evoke more craniofacial growth and osteogenesis in the premaxillary suture … Read more
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are the most common non tooth-related reasons for chronic orofacial pain, affecting 5-12% of the population with 75% of the population presenting at least one sign and 35% presenting at least one symptom of TMD. Women are twice as likely to experience pain symptoms due to hormonal, biological and psychosocial factors. A … Read more
Brian Hunter and Shad Treadaway of tinyRHINO share their expertise on behavioural science and the role it can play in accelerating new patient growth Social Media Marketing 101 has been one of my top subjects for courses, lectures and articles for 10 years. So, you can imagine my excitement in introducing the next generation of … Read more