Captain Your Ship and Business

Posted on May 1, 2020May 20, 2021 by Jeanette Kern DDS

In the forty-five years that I have been in dentistry, we have been directly hit by some unique storms such as Hepatitis B in the 70’s, inflation rates of 18% in the 80’s, AIDS/HIV 80’s-90’s, Gulf War 1990, 9/11 of 2001, SARS ’02, the Great Recession ’08-09, H1N1 ’09, MERS ’12, and now COVID-19 in 2020. This is not our first American storm; this is more like a tsunami/hurricane/and flood all rolled into a tiny 0.12-micron virus. It is a public health and an economic crisis combination. I pur...

AADP: Sharing a Better Way in Dentistry #Launch2020

Posted on January 24, 2020May 20, 2021 by Julie Kellogg DDS

It’s a new decade and 2020 has a great energy boosting ring to it! Launch your new dental decade and year of 2020 with an inspirational space themed meeting in Orlando with the American Academy of Dental Practice (AADP) March 4-7. I went to my first AADP meeting because I heard it was one of the best kept secrets in dentistry. Intrigued, I had to check it out and AADP did not disappoint. Whatever it is that I need at that point in my life, I find it at AADP either through the wonderful...

The Doctor-Hygienist Hand-Off

Posted on October 25, 2019May 20, 2021 by Jeanette Kern DDS

As a formerly practicing hygienist and now a dentist, I am respectfully sensitive to the time constraints and importance of the information exchange during a periodic exam in the hygienist’s treatment room. My team and I developed, practice, and teach this exchange for thoroughness, patient benefit, and emphasis of our professionalism. When the doctor enters the hygienist’s treatment room, the hygienist is to highlight and summarize her findings in the most efficient and effective verbiag...

What’s Your Excuse?

Posted on August 30, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

It is difficult to understand the resistance by dental professionals to test for the bacteria that cause gum disease. The excuses are numerous including, “I’ve always done it this way”. A variation on this notion is “We were always taught”. Other excuses shift the decision to the patients. “My patients won’t accept it”. Equally unsupported excuses include “We’re already getting good results”, or “I don’t need that”, or “What difference will it make?” Claims of insufficient time are very comm...

Where to Start

Posted on May 24, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

A common dilemma among many dental practices is how to transition the hygiene department from prophylaxis to comprehensive periodontal diagnosis and treatment. Among the concerns is the perception that if we are starting something new, does that imply that up until now patient needs have been inadequately addressed? The simple solution to this dilemma is referring to the constantly evolving knowledge in healthcare. Using phrases such as “Research has shown” or “We now know” can help with the...

3 Surefire Ways To Make 2019 Your BEST Year Ever

Posted on April 26, 2019May 20, 2021 by Tanya Brown, DMD

WOW! How time flies! It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of 2019 is over. Every day there are countless opportunities to enhance our patient care, create more efficiency, increase our production, and improve team morale. If you are one of those people, like me, who enjoys setting goals and celebrating when you reach them; then you will love these 3 surefire ways to make 2019 your BEST year ever! 1. Get the RIGHT People in the “RIGHT SEATS” on your bus! There have been days when...

“Test – and Retest – for Clinical Success”

Posted on November 30, 2018October 27, 2021 by Doug Thompson DDS

Periodontal disease affects over half of the population and expresses itself differently in different people. It is a highly personalized disease. It is initiated by bacteria, yeast, and viruses that live in a layer on the teeth we refer to as biofilm. It is this biofilm that stimulates a unique host response. INDIVIDUAL HOST RESPONSE Each individual’s host response is dictated by combining their genetics with their acquired risk factors. Acquired risk factors are things that they can ...

JP Institute TRANSFORMED! — My New Life As A Hygienist

Posted on August 17, 2018May 19, 2021 by Liz Lundry RDH

I have been a clinical hygienist since 1979. When I earned my degree in Dental Hygiene, I was very happy, idealistic and excited about caring for patients. I felt I was on a mission to improve people’s lives through better oral health. Being young and starry-eyed , I was not prepared for the reality of working in a dental practice. I found, to my great surprise, that most of my patients were not interested in the education about their oral health that I had been trained to provide. They just...

Interview with Dr. Lisa Marie Samaha

Posted on July 27, 2018May 19, 2021 by Lisa Marie Samaha, DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Dr. Samaha: OralDNA® testing has been a standard and integral part of our intake of all patients with periodontal disease since early 2007. Our practice is well known for our protocol of diagnosing and treating periodontal disease and increasing total health profiles. Although I am a general dentist, over 95% of our new patients have some form of periodontal disease, from gingivitis to advanced, aggressive levels and we do ...

Simple Strategies to Enhance Oral & Overall Health

Posted on July 13, 2018May 19, 2021 by Erika Spring RDH, MEd

As dental professionals, we all take the responsibility to present treatment cases to patients. Most often, the dental hygienist presents periodontal treatment plans to patients, but in reality, any team member could present this type of case. For example, if a new patient is seen on the doctor’s schedule and periodontal disease is the diagnosis, the dental assistant could have the opportunity to present the case. It is important that with any case presentation, the team is on the same page....