The only thing I did well in dental school was make a lot of friends. I was slow to pick up clinical skills. I never made the honour roll. I failed a course in first year. But making friends – that was the easiest part. It was also the best part. My dental school experience … Read more
Last week, I had two dentists share with me a similar sentiment, “My team doesn’t support me.” When I asked them for more details, they both indicated that their teams got very upset whenever they decided, spur of the moment, to “squeeze in” more dentistry or more patients than they had originally scheduled. One of … Read more
In the hundreds and hundreds of dental practices we at Jameson have had the opportunity to work with over the past three decades, we have seen high-performing practices and low-performing practices. We have seen teams that work as an aligned group of leaders and we have seen teams that don’t look or behave like a … Read more
Things have changed since March 2020 in many respects. The way we practice, the way we communicate with our clients, and what is expected of us as dental professionals has also changed – are you doing enough to keep up? We need to look at what our clients need and how we can best serve … Read more
The first time I heard Dr. Bradley Bale, MD, and Dr. Amy Doneen, DNP, speak about their latest research and the effect of oral health on arterial disease was at a 2016 AAOSH conference. From that point, I began to view my role as a dental hygienist much differently. It opened my eyes up to … Read more
There are two types of hygienists, and it’s not whether they are partnered with a dentist or independent. Let me explain from my own experience as a patient what the two types are. A BIT OF BACKGROUND I never saw a hygienist until I was about 21 because our family dentist always did a bit … Read more
Q: I just started working in a practice where restorative dentistry has been the primary focus and periodontal therapy has been neglected. How do I begin to make the transition toward a more perio-focused process of care? A: Chances are that most patients in your new practice have active periodontal disease, and a standard “cleaning” … Read more
I would like to tell you a story about a woman who was a great leader. Her name is Ione Miller, and she just happens to be my mom. Mom was a city girl who, at the age of 19, married a country boy (my dad Clem) and moved to a farm. She raised seven kids, … Read more
Definitions Confidence and competence are two words that are neither synonymous nor interchangeable. Confidence must be earned, as when it is simply imagined it can lead to a false sense of security in one’s abilities, which results in, you guessed it, incompetence. Why do we as dentists struggle so much with our confidence and question … Read more
Dr. Sam Kherani Chief Dental Officer at 123Dentist What are the two key qualities you look for in a new team member? Attitude and good self-esteem. Attitude cannot be taught, but an individual who already has a good attitude can be taught most of what one needs to know. Good self-esteem makes sure that the … Read more
Not only have practices been struggling to attract new staff, but many practice owners are having trouble retaining current staff as well. In fact, 35 percent reported they had staff members voluntarily leave their practice last year. Most dentists took to the obvious solution of increasing wages to keep staff happy, and that is a … Read more
New and potentially disruptive technologies come to market each year, proclaiming to improve on what came before. Many of these newcomers have virtually no evidence-based research to support claims of better, easier, or faster. Oftentimes, these new brands are merely copies of existing products, launched by dental companies in search of market share. That said, … Read more
INTRODUCTION “Change is the only constant.” The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited for speaking one of nature’s absolute rules about time and change. However, perhaps because events and things like inventions were slow to change 2,500 years ago, Heraclitus did not mention the rate of change. In April 2021, the rate of change is becoming … Read more
The unceasing innovations and iterations in dental technologies and materials has taken the sophistication of treatment modalities to an historic level. However, when we are focused on the newness, the thrill of the outcome, we fail to pay attention to the purpose of the activity. Case in point; dental implants were initially considered the gold … Read more
keywords: surgical root canal procedures, histopathology, biopsy, non-endodontic lesions, guidelines Abstract The aim of this study was to identify clinical parameters used by endodontists to determine the need for histopathological assessment of periapical tissues collected during surgical root canal procedures, the proportion of these tissues being biopsied, and if there is a need for established … Read more
Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a clinical symptom experienced due to exposed dentin from either enamel loss (erosion, abrasion, abfraction) or removal of cementum exposed through gingival recession. DH is seen commonly in patients with gingival recession, dental erosion, toothbrush abrasion, or following dental bleaching. Aside from the discomfort experienced from eating, drinking, or exposure to … Read more
Endodontics has changed considerably over the past 60 years, yet the core principles remain unchanged: Instruments are still sequentially used to shape canals, irrigation is still passively delivered into the canals, and canals are still obturated with gutta-percha (GP). As endodontics grew in popularity, manufacturers continued to refine the armamentaria. The trend was a big … Read more
The results are in! After receiving over 800 nominations and 22,000+ votes from across the nation, the annual Leaders in Practice award winners were announced in Oral Health’s April issue. Click here to view the 2021 award winners Designed to recognize Excellence in Dentistry, our Leaders in Practice award program celebrates dental care professionals who … Read more
In March 2020, Oral Health published my most-viewed article. Surprisingly, it wasn’t about preparing, marketing and selling a dental practice. Apparently, in-depth talks about taxes, practice values, employment contracts and leases aren’t that sexy. It actually was a weight-loss piece entitled “Paying It Forward: 8 Ideas That Helped Me Lose 50 lbs in 6 months”. … Read more
Most professionals in today’s busy world face a challenge when it comes to maintaining a healthy work-life balance. More so, if you run a dental practice! You need to juggle offering high-quality dental services and the demands of running a business as well as finding some me-time. A quick life audit will tell you if … Read more