There once was a time when a single practitioner could hang up a shingle and drill-and-fill the local community all the way to a successful career. But of course, the profession has evolved. Factors like the Great Recession, dental service organizations (DSOs), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), student debt, and digital technology all have affected…
Image Advertising Attracts Long-Term Patients
Advertising is as old as a merchant in ancient Babylonia crying out the value of his wine, bread, or silks. Even then, the intent was to get passersby to purchase on the spot—or at the very least, soon. Today, advertising works best when it’s applied to consumer products and services. The purpose is still to…
How to Build a Practice That’s Less Dependent on Dental Insurance
Are insurance companies killing your profits and scaring away your potential patients? I recently spoke with a doctor who told me about a patient who came into his office and needed a lot of treatment dental handpiece. The doctor made a diagnosis and created a treatment plan that was submitted to the insurance company. Then,…
Dentists Give Back While Serving in the Army Reserve
Many dental professionals want more than a salary as they look for ways they can dedicate their work to a higher purpose, a goal recognized on National Service Day on September 11. Based in Garden Grove, Calif, the US Army Reserve 185th Dental Company seeks to help underserved communities while providing hands-on training for its…
Mycobacterial Outbreak Teaches a Hard Lesson About Infection Control
The Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) now reports 48 cases of mycobacterial infection—15 confirmed, 33 probable, with all 48 hospitalized at some point—involving children between the ages of 3 and 9 years receiving pulpotomies at the Children’s Dental Group facility in Anaheim between March 1 and August 5, 2016. More cases may await, however,…
Use “Social First” Digital Marketing to Win New Patients
Social platforms are quickly becoming the gateway for brand discovery. Their use is no longer limited to fun and friendship. Social media is connecting people in new and numerous ways, not just with other people but also with digital brands. Along with driving people-to-people conversations and brand interactions, social sites are being used more for…
NYC’s Student Athletes Get Free Custom Mouthguards
Effective mouthguards are essential in ensuring both safety and performance in athletics. But many kids don’t have access to personalized gear and have to settle for off the shelf solutions, if they have mouthguards at all. GuardLab, which uses digital scanning technology to create custom mouthguards for athletes of all levels, teamed up with Henry…
Better Angulation Gives Celebrities Their Winning Smiles
Philosophers have been debating the definition of beauty since the dawn of time dental vibrator. But clinicians who deal with patients demanding a better smile need more data and less poetry to succeed. Researchers recently responded by exploring whether deviations in the angulation discrepancy between the intercanine line, which connects the tips of the canines,…
Clinicians Discuss Dentistry’s Showing on Recent “Best Jobs” Reports
Dentistry has seen some tumultuous times lately, with new regulations, a shifting economy, and cutting-edge technologies all changing the single-practitioner drill-and-fill model. Perhaps that’s why US News & World Report and CNNMoney/PayScale have released a pair of “Best Jobs” reports, with similar pay and job growth expected, but drastically different overall rankings for the profession.…
The Top 7 Digital Marketing Predictions for Dental Practices in 2017
2017 is just around the corner, and the big question for dental practices is how it will shape the digital landscape. The biggest disruption could come in the form of Trumpcare. Will the President-elect introduce minor changes to the Affordable Care Act, or will he completely revamp the American healthcare system micro motor? While it…