10.
Title: The most common lies dentists tell themselves
Word count: Approximately 1,500
Reading time: Under five minutes
Favorite line: How would you feel if you were boarding a flight to London and overheard the pilot say, “We don’t need a flight plan today; we can just ‘wing’ it?”
Comment: Ted Schumann, who has another one of his articles on the “should have made it” list below, contributed this one during the summer months, providing a list of 10 self-deceptions that dentists do to themselves. White lies do matter, of course, especially when they affect staff and patients down the road.
To read the article, click here.
9.
Title: Reassure patients of your safety procedures
Word count: Approximately 2,000
Reading time: Under 15 minutes
Favorite line: Having plans in place for incidents such as the Tulsa event should be part of your infection control plan. You can help patients understand the measures you take and reassure them they are safe in the dental environment.
Comment: On the Easter weekend when the story broke about the Tulsa, Okla., oral surgeon being investigated for violations of infection control protocols, we asked Noel Kelsch to help dental professionals prepare for the following Monday, especially since the event garnered national headlines. Kelsch came through quickly, and, of course, there was the reminder to “Don’t do that!” in terms of borderline infection control compliance.
To read the article, click here.
8.
Title: Health effects of e-cigarettes
Word count: Approximately 600
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: Some ask that it might make sense to encourage those smokers to switch to a less harmful alternative until more research is completed.(7) Hopefully the upcoming FDA ruing will help with those decisions.
Comment: Maria Perno Goldie, in a June issue of RDH eVillage Focus, commented on the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, soon after the Food and Drug Administration announced its intent to regulate the market. The evidence that e-cigarettes are safer is too skimpy. It’s a short article, but you may want to spend a minute studying an interesting chart about “the atomizer.”
To read the article, click here.
7.
Title: Dental hygienists scramble for health insurance
Word count: Approximately 700
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: A veteran hygienist added, “In almost 40 years in dentistry, I have only had benefits about half of the time, yet have always worked full time, five days a week.”
Comment: Admittedly, we have not heard much about dental hygienists enrolling in Obamacare this fall. But the lack of health insurance is a frequent lament among staff members in staff salary surveys. This article from March 2013 detailed the nationwide search among dental hygienists for financial protection from health issues.
To read the article, click here.
6.
Title: The latest dental assistant salary numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor
Word count: Approximately 150
Reading time: Under 30 minutes
Favorite line: Through a very detailed breakdown of salaries in both urban and rural locations throughout the United States, you can see exactly what dental assistants are making everywhere from Los Angeles to the hills of rural West Virginia.
Comment: Yes, it’s a very short article. But as the “favorite line” implies, readers can download an array of federal statistics on dental assisting salaries. Even a shortcut to your neighborhood can lead to multiple downloads and page views to get the full picture of what dental assistants earn locally.
To read the article, click here.
5.
Title: Hygienists strongly believe there are too many hygiene schools, too few jobs
Word count: Approximately 600
Reading time: Under five minutes
Favorite line: “I am sickened by the thought of possibly losing my job of 27 years if our office production does not improve. Jobs in this area are very difficult to find, especially full-time.”
Comment: As is the case with No. 7 above, this article was released in August as another installment of a dental hygiene salary survey. The focus of the survey was about how dental hygienists view the job market. Lots of nervousness was expressed, even among those with jobs.
To read the article, click here.
4.
Title: Pay raises in dental hygiene: A national overview
Word count: Approximately 400
Reading time: Under five minutes
Favorite line: As a hygienist, it impossible for me to even consider asking for a raise when I spend days with less than three patients.”
Comment: This is another dental hygiene salary survey that centered on the frequency of pay raises given to dental hygienists. This May 2013 article indicated raises are a thing of the distant past, dating back to when the economy was churning along a little more steadily.
To read the article, click here.
3.
Title: Making painful sinus lift dental implants a thing of the past
Word count: Approximately 900
Reading time: Under 15 minutes
Favorite line: Sinus lifts can be a particularly unpleasant experience for patients. The procedure takes more than an hour and involves significant trauma. Patients need to rest at home for three to 10 days due to the pain, discomfort, and severe, unattractive facial swelling and bruising.
Comment: An employee of a company wrote this February 2013 article. Based on the “favorite line” above, we’re guessing that many offices are sympathetic to the discomfort experienced by patients. So the description of the related product that minimizes the symptoms received many page views. A link appears in the article for a video of a product demonstration. Don’t click on it; the company apparently has removed it for viewing purposes.
To read the article, click here.
2.
Title: No bad dentist jokes allowed. Here are Hollywood's 25 best lines about oral care
Word count: Approximately 1,200
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: "Holy molars! Am I ever glad I take good care of my teeth!"
Comment: I wrote this one in March. Someone probably said something like, “Remember that line from Marathon Man (or Little Shop of Horrors)” and off I went, researching the better lines about dentistry that were written into scripts for TV shows or movies. I’d like to think this was not the most significant article I wrote this year, but I’m glad readers liked it. I am still waiting, though, for dental professionals to tell me what their favorite lines are.
To read the article, click here.
1.
Title: Why dental hygienists require special exercise
Word count: Approximately 500 words
Reading time: Under 20 minutes
Favorite line: … certain generic exercises, Pilates routines and gym equipment can actually throw hygienists into the vicious pain cycle.
Comment: The “favorite line” above is a hint. The headline and the overall popularity of this January 2013 article that originally appeared in RDH eVillage Focus might suggest that hygienists like to exercise. If they do, they need to exercise in a certain way, according to Bethany Valachi, a physical therapist specializing in dentistry. The article itself is short, but the reader should spend some time checking out the illustrations and related links.
To read the article, click here.
And 10 that should have made the list
1.
Title: Why do I have to pay when the doctor didn't do anything?
Word count: Approximately 1,000
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: The receptionist attempts to collect the patient’s co-pay for an office visit, but the patient argues that he shouldn’t have to pay because the “Doctor didn’t do anything.”
Comment: In this January 2013 article, Theresa Sheppard points out that even during basic dental appointments that the entire staff does “something.” A lot of elbow grease goes into an appointment, so be wary of implying to patients that “we didn’t do anything.”
To read the article, click here.
2.
Title: 10 daily practice statistics every dentist should review
Word count: Approximately 600
Reading time: Under five minutes
Favorite line: Many times we will hear from a dentist that they have a high no-show or cancellation rate. Often, upon investigation, we will find no real statistics but rather a feeling by doctor or staff.
Comment: Schumann in this August article pointed out 10 statistics that every dental practice owner should know about the business. This is not a textbook, just a short article. But it’s worthwhile to do the homework in tracking down the numbers. The success of the business may depend on knowing the answers to these 10 statistics.
To read the article, click here.
3.
Title: Dentalcodeology: 2013 CDT Bottom Line Changes for Insurance and Dental Hygiene
Word count: Approximately 1,200
Reading time: Under 20 minutes
Favorite line: Hygienists do not often consider codes in the restorative section. This is no longer the case with CAMBRA and changing technologies.
Comment: Patti DiGangi wrote a book titled “Dentalcodeology,” and this February 2013 article was a hint of what would appear in the book. She highlighted some CDT code changes of particular interest to dental hygienists.
To read the article, click here.
4.
Title: Thursday Troubleshooter: Piercings and tattoos on dental office employees
Word count: Approximately 500
Reading time: Under five minutes
Favorite line: However, according to a 2012 Harris poll among those without tattoos, inking portrays one as less intelligent, less healthy, and less attractive.
Comment: In 2013, DentistryIQ.com introduced “Thursday Troubleshooter.” A reader would write in with a question about a problem, and two or three consultants would weigh in with their solutions. In this article, a dental assisting instructor is asking about the large number of students with piercings or tattoos.
To read the article, click here.
5.
Title: Creating productive dental hygiene departments via the power of probing
Word count: Approximately 600
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: At the hygiene appointment, a complete periodontal evaluation is performed which reveals early periodontal disease requiring periodontal therapy. The patient’s reaction very often is: "I was just in to see the dentist. He said "all was fine"....the dentist didn’t say I had periodontal disease.”
Comment: In this January 2013 article, Colleen Rutledge provides tips about the periodontal evaluation of adults, which should be occurring at every appointment. Instead of constant miscommunication throughout the office about this important evaluation, she offers suggestions on making sure the team is on the same page.
To read the article, click here.
6.
Title: 5 ways to reduce failed appointments
Word count: Approximately 700
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: We hear this in just about every office we walk into — “Today’s schedule was beautiful when we left yesterday, but then the phone started ringing today…”
Comment: In September, Denise Ciardello wrote about five steps she thinks will help keep patients motivated about appointments …thinks will help keep patients motivated about appointments …thinks will help keep patients motivated about appointments … Well, it’s Ciardello’s idea to keep repeating the information.
To read the article, click here.
7.
Title: The use of stem cells in dental implant site development
Word count: Approximately 900
Reading time: Under 15 minutes
Favorite line: Guided bone regeneration is the term used to describe those procedures aiming at regenerating bone, via the use of barrier membranes, in areas with alveolar ridge deficiencies, thus allowing implant placement in an appropriate angulation.
Comment: This short research based article by Dr. Julio Carrion explains the important role of mesenchymal stem cells in guided bone regeneration. Studies have pointed out that regenerated membrane “may be promising for the clinical treatment of delayed and insufficient bone healing.”
To read the article, click here.
8.
Title: Thursday Troubleshooter: Is it a HIPAA violation to email radiographs to other dentists?
Word count: Approximately 800
Reading time: Under 10 minutes
Favorite line: … it is a violation if that email is intercepted and/or read by someone without authorized access. The emails that most dental practices use (Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) are not encrypted, and in fact, some of these companies actually read the content included in your emails.
Comment: The question in this October 2013 “Thursday Troubleshooter” centered on the emailing of radiographs from one dental office to another. All three consultants weighing in on this issue provided insightful answers.
To read the article, click here.
9.
Title: The most undervalued appointment in a practice: dental hygiene
Word count: Approximately 700
Reading time: Under five minutes
Favorite line: Eliminating the word “cleaning” is one step toward building value for the hygiene services. The next is changing patients’ perceptions so that they recognize this is a real medical appointment.
Comment: Sharyn Weiss explains how the dental office can change the culture surrounding the dental hygiene appointment. Eliminating “cleaning” from the vocabulary is the first step, but Weiss offers several action steps in this September article on DentistryIQ.
To read the article, click here.
10.
Title: Barrett's esophagus to esophageal adenocarcinoma: Are you at risk?
Word count: Approximately 700
Reading time: Under 15 minutes
Favorite line: In the past, there has been a lack of consensus among experts regarding the diagnosis and management of Barrett's esophagus. Hopefully the new guidelines will assist practitioners in both prevention and intervention messages and strategies.
Comment: In an April issue of RDH eVillage Focus, Maria Perno Goldie discussed recommendations by Texas researchers to closely check for Barrett’s esophagus as a preventive step to catch “progression of esophageal adenocarcinoma from its premalignant lesion.” One of the two illustrations is hard to view without moving closer to the computer screen, but both are worth the examination.
To read the article, click here.
Mark Hartley is the editor of RDH magazine and a frequent contributor to DentistryIQ.com. The articles above are rated based on reader popularity.
