I understand that it’s mid-February but I’d like to officially wish all the dedicated readers of Oral Health a Happy New Year! If you read the previous editorial in our January issue, we welcomed a new Editorial Advisory Board Member to our team, Dr. James Yacyshyn. I offered him the opportunity to write the first … Read more
Over the last several decades, dental offices have incrementally replaced components of their manual practice management systems with computer-based paperless systems. This means that one-write billing systems, ledger cards, written insurance forms and paper appointment books have, thankfully, become relics of the past in most offices. The final barrier to becoming fully paperless is the … Read more
The one true statement that can be said about working at the front desk of a dental office is that no two days are alike. Regardless of how organized you think you are, how detailed your to-do list is or how amazing you feel ready to take on the day when you walk in, things … Read more
A dentist’s reputation is determined by their clinical success, networking, community involvement and the quality of the content they may publish on their own website, blog or on third party websites as a guest columnist. While academic papers and research work may be sufficient to judge a dentist’s knowledge, they do not necessarily lead to … Read more
Voting for the winners of the first annual Leaders in Practice awards is now open to the public. Leaders in Practice is a national awards program designed to recognize dental health practitioners who are passionate about providing optimal patient care and making a difference in the lives of Canadians. With over 500 nominations submitted from … Read more
The Sunshine Coast of British Columbia is a place where life slows down. A Smart Smile is a family owned business and is located in Gibson’s BC just a short ferry ride from Vancouver. There is a certain blanket of relaxation that hugs this community. Dr. Bland wanted the coastal life to shine through their … Read more
Whether you have been on social media for years, or are just getting started, chances are you’d like to increase your effectiveness. By “effectiveness” I mean, get more likes or followers, expand your visibility, increase interaction, and of course attract new patients. We’ve seen great results for all of these objectives with social media advertising … Read more
When asked to write the editorial for the January issue of Oral Health Office, I wondered what direction to take. There’s so much going on in dentistry, so many changes one could talk about, so many challenges, and yet, opportunity. Whether it’s growth in the services provided, the efficiency in the provision of those services, … Read more
The most important task your office will ever undertake is the hiring of great team members to join you in growing your practice and serving your patients. Hiring new team members is an exciting opportunity but it also often comes with big challenges; especially if you are wanting to attract the A-Players everyone wants. Finding … Read more
Practicing dentistry in 2019 is different than practicing dentistry even five years ago. Perhaps one of the biggest differences is how corporate (or big box) dentistry is impacting the dental profession. Established doctors are selling their practices to these organizations for the dollars and the reduction in operating responsibilities. Further, group practices are enticing new … Read more
Tax and Business Measures Federal Accelerated Investment Incentive – Dentists will be allowed to write-off capital assets (i.e. equipment, leaseholds, computers, software etc.) faster for purchases made after November 20, 2018. Provincial Proposed new Low-Income Individuals and Families Tax Credit (LIFT) to eliminate provincial personal income tax for low income taxpayers with employment income starting … Read more
The dental profession is one that can wreak havoc on your back and cause postural issues if not addressed with appropriate exercises. For all of my clients working in this profession, I begin by talking to them about what their set up is like when treating a patient. I find it is usually a similar … Read more
Introduction In 1980 the results of the SENIC Project (Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control) were published. For the first time this showed that preventing or controlling health care acquired infections was dependent on a thorough understanding of the infections. 1 This was emphasized by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America which … Read more
Paediatric Dentistry and Informed Consent Informed consent is a dynamic process involving a discussion between healthcare provider and patient regarding a proposed treatment. The main goal of this discussion is to confirm that the patient understands the information necessary to make an informed decision regarding his or her treatment. With any dental procedure, there is … Read more
When a child is scheduled to be seen by a dentist, it is important to remember that this visit will likely involve at least two individuals: the child and his or her parents. Today, parents want to play an active role in their child’s healthcare, and will report to the dental office with certain expectations … Read more
In today’s fast paced world where information is available with only a few keystrokes, we must be ready to embrace new ideas, adapt and learn. As dental professionals, we live in an ever-changing discipline of new materials and techniques. Even after we have completed our formal educations, our lives continue in a constant state of … Read more
RE: The Severely Worn Dentition by Dr. Oliver Pin-Henry – November 2018 Oral Health My thanks go to Dr. Pin-Henry for the timely article: The Severely Worn Dentition. As practicing dentists, we do see cases of worn-down dentitions very frequently. These are not always easy cases to treat mainly because unless we address the possible … Read more
Practicing in a profession where our primary focus is the well-being of others, we often don’t take the time we need for ourselves. When I was applying to dental school I repeatedly heard the comment that dentists had the highest suicide rate of any profession and was cautioned by others. Although I don’t believe this … Read more
On behalf of the Oral Health Group, I’d like to thank Dr. Bobby Chagger, Dr. Effrat Habsha, Dr. Mark Lin, Dr. Kevork Manoukian, Dr. Jordan Soll and Dr. James Yacyshyn for participating in our first-ever roundtable for our Data Driven Dentistry series. This comprehensive study was a new creative project for Oral Health, which focused … Read more
