The Silent Pandemic: Dentistry in the Time of Opioids

Opioids

On a Friday afternoon, a dentist’s mind raced. Her patient was asking for a fifth refill of Percocet. The dentist was positive that the pain from a third molar extraction had passed and feared the patient had a substance dependence disorder. The patient complained of stabbing shoulder pain in addition to a residual ache in … Read more

Office Space: One Dental

One Dental

THE WHY: Owner’s story One Dental is a music-inspired practice located in Kelowna, BC that weaves lifestyle and rock ‘n’ roll aesthetics into its dental healthcare facility. Co-owners Dr. Don Macrae and his dental therapist wife Kim Macrae are partners in life as well as in various successful dental practice ventures over the years. The … Read more

Artificial Intelligence: New Technology vs. the Old Me

Artificial Intelligence

“Alexa, give me the number of new patients in January 2022.” “Siri, play my patient’s favourite music.” “Hey Google, tell my patients some jokes.” “Alexa, start the timer for the dental sterilizer.” Who are these people that we always speak to? I suppose “who” is not the right word, but rather “what”. These are all … Read more

Making an Impact by Giving Back, One Smile at a Time

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As healthcare professionals, we are passionate about positively impacting our patients’ lives and giving back to the communities we serve. With April being National Oral Health Month, many Canadian dental practices will be celebrating in different ways. dentalcorp, the organization I work with, recognizes National Oral Health Month by donating their time and skills through … Read more

Coming and Going: Dealing With Staff Mobility

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The ebb and flow of staff has always existed. Babies are born, people move cross-country, practices downsize, and often the grass is simply just greener elsewhere. But never, ever has it been like we have experienced for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Revolving door syndrome Many practice owners are describing the … Read more

Turks, Philippines, Sint Maarten, Oh My! Expanding Dental Outreach Programs

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Remember October 2021? Outbreaks. Masks. Variants. Vaccines. Tests. Lockdowns. Mass resignations. Shortages. Inflation. Politics. Anger. Blame. And in that context, a group of Canadian dentists and support staff, mostly strangers, left home to provide free dental services to the impoverished locals of Turks & Caicos – a tiny Caribbean island known for its accessibility to … Read more

Dentist’s Guide to Online Reputation Repair

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It is often said that word of mouth is the best advertisement. That may be true, but only if people are saying good things about your dental practice. Otherwise, it can become a PR nightmare. Furthermore, the modern version of “word of mouth” is actually the written word, which is widely shared across social media … Read more

Top Considerations for Your Practice Transition

practice transition

Having a long-term plan ensures the hard work you put into building your business continues to pay off when you’re ready to transition and sell your practice. To make sure your team and patients are well cared for, keep these key considerations in mind. What involvement would you like to have in the practice after … Read more

Office Space: McAllister Dentistry

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THE WHY: Owner’s story McAllister Dentistry is located in the heart of Ottawa and is the brainchild of Dr. Jessie McAllister. She initially had concurrent aspirations of being a medical doctor. Drawing inspiration from her physician grandfather and artistic mother, she ultimately decided to choose dentistry as the exciting path that would allow her to … Read more

The Key to Creating a Powerful Team in Your Practice

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Being a boss is hard! Ask any business owner in any industry the most challenging aspect of running a business and they will all give you the same answer: people. As dentists, our focus is on seeing patients and we can easily overlook the most important aspect of being a hands-on business owner, which is … Read more

Thinking of Selling? Check Yourself… Legally

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Selling your dental practice now or in the next 5 years? Get yourself checked now – legally that is. Otherwise, it could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus delays and aggravation when you do go to sell. Let’s start your self-check: grab the following: Your professional corporation’s (“PC”) minute book (that’s the big … Read more

Ways to Use Patient Data to Improve your Service Offerings

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Data is driving business in all industries. Not even dental care is immune. The insights made possible through data collection enable better service, so professionals of all backgrounds are flocking to this resource. Fortunately, modern practice management software and other data-driven tools make using patient data to improve your service offerings simple. These are some … Read more

When a Dentist Gets Oral Cancer

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When you see you it, you don’t forget it. Cancer. It’s as scary to look at as it is to tell a patient that they have something suspicious in their mouth – something that may be oral cancer. What if you saw the lesion in your own mouth? Would you say, “It can’t be cancer. … Read more

The Rules Have Changed…How to Write Great Page Titles in 2022

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When your dental website appears in search results, the first thing viewers will notice is the page title. Therefore, it has a significant impact on your CTR (click-through rate), as well as the first impression that your practice makes. Getting the titles right is essential, and Google recently made it a bit more challenging. Let’s … Read more

Office Space: Bitehaus Dental

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THE WHY: Owner’s story Bitehaus Dental was built in 2018 as a result of a dream in the hearts and minds of Dr. Aisling Whitaker and Dr. Anand Iyer (who are married and parents of one young child). Their journey to practice ownership began after meeting during dental school in Ireland. Dr. Whitaker was born … Read more

Should We Be Talking About Women in Dentistry?

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I don’t get it. Why are we talking about women in dentistry? More females are graduating dental school than males, and females are increasingly owning dental practices, becoming specialists, influencing, educating and leading dental organizations. In fact, several provincial dental associations have female presidents and the next president of the Canadian Dental Association is female. … Read more

Finding Your Breath in a Busy World

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You’re half an hour behind and you have three hygiene checks to perform. Mrs. Brown’s implant crown popped off while an assistant was taking an impression, not to mention the servers are down and the receptionists are panicking. Your heart is pounding, you’re getting heart burn, and your stress is overwhelming. What do you do? … Read more