Handling unhappy patients can be an unfortunate reality of practice ownership. On the rare occasion anger escalates to aggression, be mindful of your obligation to provide a safe working environment for your employees. Follow guidance for safe and appropriate de-escalation tactics.
Questions arise regarding if and when dentists should consider dismissing patients. Recent calls to TDIC’s Advice Line showcase the unique complexities of dismissing patients prior to completion of treatment.
A variety of situations can prompt patients who are not local to seek dental care while they are temporarily visiting or residing in your area. As the “secondary“ general dentist, you have more liability exposure than the dentist who is performing their routine dental care. Discover how to mitigate risk when you choose to treat these patients.
As of Jan. 1, 2022, California-licensed dentists who administer or order the administration of general anesthesia, moderate sedation and minimal sedation are subject to new requirements under legislation signed into law in 2018. Dentists can now apply for the new permits.
Is it ever okay to date patients? The unqualified answer is simply no. When it comes to matters of the heart, however, objectivity can be compromised. Read a case study from The Dentists Insurance Company, and learn steps you can take as a practice owner.
The California Oral Health Literacy Toolkit is a new digital resource to help oral health care providers learn or review the basic principles of oral health literacy, including the importance of communicating clearly and with cultural humility and creating a welcoming environment for patients.
The October 2020 issue of the CDA Journal, which explores COVID-19 connections in oral health care and dentistry, has been awarded a Maggie Award in the category of Best Digital Edition or ePublication/Consumer, Trade, Association.
Researchers are examining the link between periodontal disease and COVID-19-related respiratory complications, and early research findings suggest that dental professionals may need to shift their focus to preventing underlying conditions, such as periodontitis, that promote systemic inflammation.
Healthy People 2030, a 10-year national plan to promote and improve public health and prevent disease, launched Aug. 18 via webcast with experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaking on health equity, well-being and business partnerships.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on June 12 approved the HPV vaccine Gardasil 9, produced by Merck, for the prevention of oropharyngeal and other head and neck cancers.
Dentists now have a new resource they can use to work with their physician colleagues to improve oral health. The American Academy of Pediatrics developed an Oral Health Prevention Primer to help pediatricians and other medical professionals identify patients with oral health needs in their practice, collaborate with oral health allies and advocate to prevent dental disease.
Maria Ladd can cite many examples of good patient outcomes from her eight years and counting as a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, but she has a couple of favorites. One involves a first-time patient, age 80, who resided in an assisted living center. The patient’s daughter had contacted Ladd to request a teeth cleaning on her mother’s behalf.
