Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Horses, helium, and hope: A dental equipment story you have to hear to believe

What happens when you drop a Valo Grand curing light from 100,000 feet in the air back to earth in a 10-year celebration? Let's just say it involves a few things that go wrong along the way that led to a story of disappointment, perseverance, and, ultimately, triumph. Kevin Henry talked with a team from Ultradent Products to get the story you have to hear to believe.


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Understanding the 3 most important terms in dental claims filing

No one wants to receive a returned claim in which the services provided were "disallowed" by the insurance company. It is vitally important to understand the claim language to understand the steps to follow to appeal the payment decision, notes Dr. James Anderson. He explains what you need to know to file an insurance claim correctly.


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Calif. bill aims to clamp down harder on teledentistry

California is taking a deeper stab at controlling companies that offer teledentistry services, such as clear-aligner company SmileDirectClub, by introducing a new bill that would require dentists to conduct in-person visits with patients before they receive any services remotely.


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Monday, February 3, 2020

5 things to learn and 5 things to unlearn in the next 5 years

Dentistry is evolving at a rapid pace, and what you do and how you think about your practice in the next five years will have a profound effect on your long-term success, write Kim McGuire and Fred Joyal in the second article of a yearlong series by Fortune Management.


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Transitioning from sim lab to clinic

As a first- and second-year dental student, it’s easy to lose perspective of what dentistry really entails. You get caught up in the intricacies of how to do a crown prep or knowing the anatomy of the floor of the mouth. As the pre-clinical courses came to an end, I found myself constantly scrambling in the simulation lab, as any other second-year dental student can relate. Whether it was to finish countless buildups and crown preps or receive approval on removable work orders for partial dentures, second year was a constant state of chaos. It was in the midst of all this chaos that we started getting our first patient: denture patients.

When I saw that I’d have my first appointment with a patient in less than a month, it dawned on me that the patient presentations we had been doing in the sim lab in front of the instructors would finally become reality. The next time I would ask medical history questions would be to my patient.

Upon transitioning from simulation lab to clinic, we won’t be doing these things just to run in line and get a piece of paper checked off; we will be delivering care to a trusting patient who has taken the time to receive health care from us. While the first two years of dental school involved creating a database of information upon which to base clinical decisions and how to perform clinical procedures, the third year involves applying all the knowledge from previous years, in addition to patient management and professionalism. The third year is about upholding the high standards we’ve learned so far and, to me, it’s more rewarding than the first and second year combined. It is the reason I chose to attend dental school.

It is only in retrospect that I can appreciate how much progress I made and realize how much progress I have yet to make. When I first started doing crown preps my second year, it took me three hours to do one. By the end of the year I was doing a prep with a temporary restoration in half that time. It is an exciting journey where there is still a lot to learn, and I am nervous to experience the challenges that will come with clinic, but also excited to see how I overcome them and progress as a clinician.

~Rajvi Bhagat, Texas A&M ’21

Eat to improve overall heath, including mouth health

A breakfast sandwich with egg and processed cheese, a glass of juice, and a donut may sound delicious, but it's far from healthy, according to Dr. Alvin Danenberg. Eating this way will damage your gut bacteria and change the bacteria and acid levels in your mouth, putting you on the road to gum disease and tooth decay. He shares better options for both your overall and mouth health.


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Do's and don'ts for conflict: Choose cooperation, not conflict

Performing your tasks well is one thing. Working well with others is another equally important part of job performance. As happens in any group, friction will occasionally occur. When it does, take a positive approach, advises Dr. Roger P. Levin. Work with teammates to resolve any conflicts rather than letting them linger and cause stress.


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