Continuing education is a must for all dental professionals. Not only is it required for relicensing, lifelong learning is essential for staff to keep up with changes in science, technology and state regulations. Providing financial support for continuing education shows staff that their practice office leaders see their value. In turn practice owners receive a hefty return:

Today’s business owners know that social media helps drive awareness. Having a strong social media presence can help your practice stay in contact with patients and create new interest with prospective patients. Creating interesting content and sharing it regularly on your practice’s site shows your knowledge of dentistry and helps your website rank higher on Google, which in turn increases your chances of being found by those in need. Starting a text blog or video blog can provide answers to health questions to current and prospective patients, presenting you as a content expert and helping to drive business your way. DCDS member Stephanie R. Ganter, DDS, MS describes the video blog she started on YouTube with her co-host Robert G. McNeill, DDS, MD.

Are you hiring a new associate? I can only imagine that this can be a scary process for most practice owners, but I can assure you that it can also be a scary and stressful time for the dentist coming in. Having been an associate and a temporary dentist at several offices over the last eight years, I would like to offer my insight from the perspective of the associate to hopefully help the transition be positive and smooth for both parties.

The dental world is not as we have known it! We are experiencing a staffing crisis, and it is difficult to find the right employee. The big question is: where do I to find the applicants for the position I need to fill?

​It was once commonly thought that as a person reaches old age, he or she will become totally edentulous and a denture wearer. Several things have since changed society’s attitude and thought towards dentistry and the elderly. People are now living longer and desire to keep their natural teeth.

July 14, 2020 is the date you must have an amalgam separator installed in your office to comply with EPA amalgam waste regulations. Here's suggestions on what to look for.

Juggling the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge in dentistry. As DCDS member Stephanie Ganter, DDS, MS explains in this vlog, setting limits and looking after yourself can help you achieve the work-life balance that's best for you.

Well my fellow Texans, let’s face it, the word is out — Texas has no income tax and a relatively low cost of living. What does this mean for us locals? On one hand, an inflow of residents means increasing traffic and housing costs; on the positive side, it also means an increase in business. As practitioners of the oral cavity, these new patients from other states may bring with them new oral and systemic health concerns to look out for — so let’s talk marijuana.

It feels like yesterday being in the simulation lab where professors told you what you get use to now will be how you practice in the future. I vividly remember saying to myself, “This is just for the exam, I won’t work like this on a patient in the future.” However, they were right! Dentistry is one of the hardest professions on your body, and you need to be consciously aware of your body all the time to preserve it.

Building and maintaining a successful dental team is somewhat like conducting a symphony with many sections of musicians playing different instruments. A good conductor sets the tempo while directing and shaping the way the musical piece comes together. In order to do so, he or she must have an understanding of how sounds from each instrument blend best and complement each other. Likewise, a lead dentist or practice owner must understand his or her team members’ personality styles in order to create and foster a healthy working environment.

Conferences are a great way to increase skills, exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. Plus they can be out-of-the-ordinary fun for team members that need a break from the daily grind. Going solo may initially be seen as a financial benefit; but there are many more reasons to bring the whole dental team along to the Southwest Dental Conference (SWDC).

Staying healthy in today's viral world means more than simply washing hands and covering a sneeze with a tissue.

Dentistry as a profession has been very successful at establishing a well care model that medicine doesn’t have, and has by nature of a more favorable practice model the opportunity to become an integral part of our patients' well-being beyond traditional dental care.

Take consideration of vitamin D deficiency as a contributing factor that could impact your patient’s dental health and healing after surgery.

With digital workflows, we can quickly get diagnostic information and disperse that information to our entire team quickly.

You have may have seen that JAMA Pediatrics just published a study that hints at an apparent association between fluoride during pregnancy and IQ. The authors of the study note its various limitations and the fact that additional research should be conducted.

As health care providers, it important for dentists to find ways to keep ourselves healthy as well as our families. This involves self-care habits, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress reducing techniques.

Think about how the advice Clooney’s character in Up in the Air gives the unfortunate souls sitting across the cheap office furniture from him relates to our present moment in history. What opportunities may this national crisis offer each of us?

After an eight-week shutdown of dentistry, another hurdle would stand in our way: the challenge of who would be comfortable leaving their homes for a dental visit.

Bisphosphonates are widely known to induce osteonecrosis of the alveolar bone of the jaws. More recently, patients needing antiresorptive therapy for osteoporosis or bony malignancies are transitioning and beginning denosumab.