Dentistry Will Prevail If It Keeps Pivoting

dentistry will prevail

Without a doubt, 2020 will go down as one of the most unique “leap years” in history: 28 days in February, 100 days in March, and 500 days in April and May. In March, the state of emergency was announced and dentistry closed its doors, ceased all elective dental procedures, laid off employees, notified the … Read more

My Stint as a Pizzaiolo

Clear Aligners

I have a newfound respect for the simplicity of a perfectly made pizza. When done correctly there is total harmony between the definite crunch of the charred crust, the subtle chew of the soft and pillowy centre and the perfect balance of ingredients – fior di latte cheese, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh basil and … Read more

An Historical Overview of Clear Aligner Therapy The Evolution of Clear Aligners

Clear Aligners

Although the clear aligners may seem like a relatively new modality of treatment in orthodontics, the initial concept dates as far back as the early 20th century. It began with the “Flex-O-Tite” appliance by Remensnyder2, from this, Kesling4 in 1945 created a rubber-based tooth positioner appliance and proposed the concept of using them in successive … Read more

Facially Driven Treatment Planning to Manage the Adult Patient with Severe Wear: Virtual Smile Design and Key Diagnostic Components

Non consonant (flat) and Consonant Smile Arc.

The adult patient with deep anterior overbite and extensive anterior tooth wear is especially challenging. Treatment involves many diagnostic questions to which correct answers must be found to ensure successful management and treatment. This type of case is a perplexing problem – how does a clinician manage restorative treatment? Today a multitude of digital diagnostic … Read more

Orthognathic Surgery with Clear Aligner Therapy

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The rise of the digital age has transformed orthodontics as we know it.1 Due to its increasing popularity, Clear Aligner Therapy (CAT) has become a mainstay of contemporary orthodontics.2 This trend is largely due to the growing demand among prospective patients for more esthetic alternatives to traditional brackets and wires, including those presenting with dentofacial … Read more

TMJ Internal Derangements

TMJ

Dentists are commonly confronted with the diagnostic and treatment challenges associated with a person who has TM joint pain, TM joint clicking and limited opening resulting from certain TM joint conditions. Paramount in our approach is the paradigm to “do no harm1” and to achieve this goal, the clinician must understand the nature of these … Read more

Pre-Orthodontic Periodontal Considerations: Establishing a Rationale and Timeline for Periodontal Intervention

Clear Aligners

Introduction: The proliferation of novel appliances in modern orthodontics, that are discreet or even completely undetectable, has encouraged a growing number of patients from adolescents to adults to seek out treatment. While referrals to an orthodontist are often made to address functional problems, esthetic reasons are an equal (if not more common) basis for addressing … Read more

With So Many Materials to Choose, What is the Best Choice for a Single Crown?

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Fixed restorations have come a long way since the early days of cast gold restorations with pyroplast (acrylic) facings. New materials are being developed, techniques simplified, making these advances more economical and user friendly for the dental profession. Beautiful, life-like reproductions of teeth can be created with a variety of different materials such as porcelain … Read more

Can Plant-Based Really be High-Tech?

Clear Aligners

In Combining Botanical Foam with the Latest in LED Innovation, PhotoDynamic is Poised to Revolutionize Home-Based Oral Hygiene for Ortho Patients Moving from research and development to an operationalized business is a milestone for any company but in the case of PhotoDynamic – a small, Halifax, NS-based firm – bringing its Phyto-Light device and foam … Read more

The Power of Asking

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Communication is key if you want to develop long lasting relationships with your patients. Good communication can be accomplished by taking the time to speak with patients during their appointments and conducting follow-up phone calls. Using social media is also a new way to communicate. Once a relationship is formed with your patients, you may … Read more

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2020 Leaders in Practice Nominations Now Open!

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dentalcorp’s annual Leaders in Practice awards celebrate dental care professionals who are passionate about providing optimal patient care and making a difference in the lives of Canadians. Winners in each of the eight categories will receive a cash prize up to $5000 and a full-page feature in Oral Health magazine’s April 2021 issue. Nominations are … Read more

REBUILD: Is Your Practice Pandemic-Proof?

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We are approaching the last quarter of one of the most challenging years in history. Dentistry has finally reopened its doors for non-essential and elective care, while adapting the new operational standards. This new normal includes changes to the facility, training for team members, modifications to scheduling and the implementation of the COVID-19 contactless patient … Read more

High Touch Social Media: Succeeding in a New Dental Era

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Fear stops about 20% of patients from visiting the dentist. This statistic is pre-COVID-19, according to Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, Dean University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine. In a recent webinar, Dr. Wolff shared, “Whether real or perceived, fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect – not to mention fear of … Read more

Dentistry in the COVID Era: Beware of Blind Spots

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Dental practices worldwide have adapted and adopted new processes, protective measures and steps within the patient appointment to align with recommendations, mandates and regulations that experts are instructing to keep doctors, team and patients safe during this time of COVID-19. As practices reopen and begin seeing scheduled patients once again, the questions are beginning to … Read more

Office Space: Life Dentistry

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Life Dentistry is a new 6-operatory, 2,300- square-foot dental clinic located in southeast Edmonton. The partnership of Dr. Brett Shkopich and Dr. Saud Ahmad included a vision that was dynamic in colour with timeless architectural features for their first clinic build. Life dentistry looks to pair life balance with inspiration from nature and integrated technology … Read more

It’s Not Just About New Patients: Tips for Increasing Retention

patient retention

Not everyone will come back. It’s a simple fact that every business owner must come to terms with, but the percentage for dental practices is higher than many industries. According to some reports, an attrition rate above 20% is normal.1 Of course, that means it is higher in some offices and lower in others. Improving … Read more

Caring for Your Back in Dentistry

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Whether you’re a dentist, dental hygienist or assistant, you work in a fabulous profession! Dental professionals take care of people for a living, our industry is relatively recession-proof and the dental field enjoys a well-deserved prestige. While clinical practice can be very rewarding, it can also take a physical toll on our bodies with the … Read more

Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Ending the Employment Relationship

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No employment relationship lasts forever. Sometimes, employees leave of their own volition. People find other jobs, retire, or pass away. At other times, the employee is fired because they are incompetent, unmotivated or a thief. There can be sizeable financial implications to how an employee exits, and the purpose of this article is to assist … Read more