While at the IDS in Cologne, Oral Health’s Senior Publisher, Melissa Summerfield, attended a press conference put on by ADDE (Association of Dental Dealers in Europe) and FIDE (Federation of the European Dental Industry). At this event, they shared some highlights from the recent 2013 survey on market trends in the European Dental Trade. Here … Read more
In the last blog, I referred to a recent ADA review which showed a 10% decline in the number of visits by adult Americans in the last decade (2000 – 2010). This profound decline in demand got me wondering about the supply of American dental professionals. A good forecaster of the supply of professionals such … Read more
Each year the Toronto Academy of Dentistry takes pride in running Winter Clinic, but during the years runs other events , like Ski For Kids, and this year, on February 1st, the event took place at Alpine, in Collingwood. The purpose of the event is to promote commaraderie, but more importantly to raise funds for … Read more
There is no doubt that everyone in the dental community has heard the story of the dentist in Tulsa, Oklahoma who may have infected 7000 patients due to improper sterilization of instruments and having unlicensed workers performing duties that were out of their scope of practice. The coming week many dentists may face yet another … Read more
This blog spends a lot of time on the aging population and specifically the huge numbers of Boomers approaching retirement. It’s personal — it’s my generation and it fascinates me. Moreover, my generation is profoundly influential; typically we represent 1 out of 2 patients in the dentist’s waiting room and have the most need and … Read more
Oral Health’s Senior Publisher, Melissa Summerfield, recently attended the 35th IDS in Cologne, Germany. Held from March 12th to 16th, 2013, this year’s show posted record-setting results. IDS attracted 125,000 trade visitors from 149 countries, an increase of 6% over IDS 2011. This year, 2,058 companies, from 56 countries, presented a wide variety of innovations, … Read more
Providing a safe working environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity is more than just posting a policy. It is necessary to have a continuous program in place that is reviewed annually. The Ministry of Labour takes this very seriously and the potential fines for non-compliance are extremely high and may … Read more
There is a great deal of buzz in the dental community about workplace inspections that are being conducted by the Ministry of Labour. The inspections are occurring and it’s important for all dental offices to prepare for what to expect. Over the next few weeks, these blogs will be addressing the issues surrounding workplace violence … Read more
The #1 Chronic Childhood Disease Pediatric dental disease, more commonly known as severe tooth decay, can lead to malnourishment, anemia, required emergency surgery and life-threatening secondary infections. Severe childhood tooth decay is a multi-faceted epidemic that stems from access-to-care issues, a growing number of families without dental insurance coverage, and individual contributing factors such as … Read more
The Power of Appreciation I officially declare today Dental Staff Appreciation Day! Studies have shown that dental staff are more motivated by a simple ‘thank you’ than they are by financial rewards. Employees need to be validated and appreciated as worthwhile human beings every day. Dental staff need to feel that their contributions are making … Read more
These days it seems the actress Maggie Smith is in our living rooms or movie theatres all the time. Being old is not only topical, perhaps it is cool. At the very least, it sells. And so it should. In the western economies, we are now at the demographic tipping point of being an old … Read more
March 26, 2013 seminar at Exhibition Place’s Allstream Centre in Toronto aims to educate employers about how to accommodate mental health issues in the workplace By David Nesseth As a boss, what do you do if your administrative assistant is clinically depressed? Give yourself a second to think about it. What would you say? And how would … Read more
Insurance companies deliberately make it difficult for patients to receive the benefits that they deserve. These are tactics that insurance providers use to retain as much money as possible in the insurance company and pay out very little in benefits payments. Who is the benefactor of these savings? It is not the patient or the … Read more
To survive and thrive in dentistry, your practice needs to be dynamic and provide consistency of service to your patients. Implementing Standard Operating Policies and Procedures (SOPS) will provide consistency and protect your office in an ever changing environment . Why do you need SOPs? 1. They define process 2. They provide structure 3. They … Read more
“Increasingly, I think the progressive physicians are more focused on the customer experience and how they can differentiate themselves from other physicians, not just from a clinical perspective but from the overall engagement perspective.” That statement sums up an in-depth study of the role of social media in the future of medicine (and dentistry). It … Read more
We hear a lot about bullying and harassment these days, especially when it involves cyber bullying using social media. We also know the devastating effects that may result from excessive bullying. As the victim of workplace harassment, I know firsthand how bullying can affect your life and your health. At that time, I was not … Read more
It’s that time of year to make New Year’s resolutions, regardless of whether or not we intend to keep them. Why not try to make resolutions for your practice that are easy to keep. If you have difficulty making practical resolutions that result in management solutions, here are my top 10 New Year’s resolutions for … Read more
‘ Get beyond the Red Wagons The only constant in life and in business is change. Santa realized that, although the elves were masters at making little red wagon. Changes were happening in the market demand. Video games were in and the workshop crew needed to change the way they operated. Santa knew that he … Read more
It’s not easy being Santa Claus. You may not know this, but Santa has two roles that people rarely associate with him; Santa the Manager and Santa the Leader. After all, he is running a business and he is the boss. There are workers to lead, letters to read, processes to manage, stuff to buy, … Read more
TOTAL RECALLS Hygiene coordinators do not have an easy job. It’s tough calling people and constantly facing the apathy of patients who don’t value hygiene appointments, because after all, it’s just a cleaning, it can wait! If you continue doing things the same way, you are very likely to get the same result. I was … Read more