If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (October 26 – October 30, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of November 2-6, 2009.

Top Stories of the Week

1) Dentists: Is Your Waiting Room Ready for H1N1? Jim Du Molin & The Wealthy Dentist Blog discussed some of the changes dentists are making within their practices to combat the spread of H1N1…Are you making any efforts to reduce the spread of H1N1 in your practice?

2) Ten Tips for Year-End Dental Tax Planning If you’re not actively engaged in your tax planning, you should be. Tim Lott, CPA, CVA, discusses 10 important tax planning considerations to be thinking about before the end of the year…

3) Is a mouthguard helping New Orleans win football games?If you watched Monday Night Football a week ago today, you may remember the commentators highly touting the mouthguards worn by New Orleans Saints players. Makers of the mouthguard, Makkar Athletics Group, claim that the mouthguard helps Saints players “jump higher and play better”. Read more about the Pure Power mouthguards in this article by Kevin Henry of Dental Economics…

4) The New Role of Today’s Dental Team Linda Miles, founder of Linda Miles and Associates, discusses the importance of consistently displaying high energy levels within your practice in everything that you do to create a great patient experience…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

It’s no secret that the internet represents a great opportunity for dentists to capture new patients. As internet usage continues to increase, this opportunity will become even more lucrative. However, most dentists are unaware of how to properly position their website to capture these new patients.

Don’t Employ the “Wait & See” Approach

Most dentists take the “wait-and-see” approach. That is, they develop a website, publish it to the web, and wait…and wait…and wait for new patients to line up outside their doors. Sadly, new patients never come. Why? Because your website is nowhere to be found in the search engine results pages (SERPS).

Thankfully, there are many techniques that you can employ to increase your position in the SERPS, and be found by patients seeking a new dentist.

Local Business Directories Are Effective

One highly effective technique for generating traffic, and the focus of this post, is submitting your dental practice website to local business directories. Submitting your site to local business directories requires very little time, but has significant upside potential.

Why? Because many of the local business directories that I’ve listed below appear on the first page of the SERPS for local searches.

Here’s Proof

To see what I mean, give this a try: go to Google.com. Once there, search using the following query: “saint louis dentists”(minus quotes). You’ll notice on the first page of the SERPS that several business directories came up, such as: Google local business, Superpages and Citysearch. You can see how a listing in any of these directories would improve your visibility with potential new patients.

I compiled a list below of my 10 favorite FREE local business directories that you should submit your site to in order to increase your online visibility and capture new patients. Without further ado, here’s the list…

Top 3

1. Google Local Business Center

Listing your website in the Google Local Business Center is a must. Your local business listing can include: your business address, website url, maps, location photos, business description, directions, business categories, etc. Your local search listing appears before regular(organic) search listings in the SERPS.

2. Yahoo Local

Submitting your site to Yahoo Local is also very important. Your listing options with Yahoo Local are similar to those in the Google Local Business Center. You shouldn’t expect as much traffic from Yahoo Local as with the Google Local Business Center, but it can be substantial nonetheless.

3. Bing Local Listing Center

Rounding out my top 3 recommendations is the Bing Local Listing Center. Although the Bing Local Listing Center is still in its infancy, people are already receiving significant traffic from it.

Also Recommended

4. Superpages.com

5. YellowPages.com

6. YellowBook.com

7. Yelp

8. Localeze

9. Local.com

10. Hotfrog.com

Stay tuned for future posts highlighting additional powerful tips for positioning your website in the search engines to capture new patients.

Add to the List

Have you found a great free business directory that’s not in my list? Please leave it in a comment below for everyone’s benefit

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (October 19 – October 23, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of October 26 through October 30, 2009.

Top Stories of the Week

1) Why block scheduling is important Watch as Dr. Michael Schuster of The Schuster Center explains the importance of block scheduling to Kevin Henry, editor of Dental Assisting Digest and Assistant Editor of Dental Economics Magazine.

2) Missed Appointments Waste 10% of Dentists’ Time The Wealthy Dentist Blog recently explored the impact of missed appointments on a dental practice. The finding: missed appointments waste 10% of dentists’ time. Read dentist reactions and discover tips for dealing with patients who miss appointments…

3) Does marketing make you feel dirty? It’s no secret, most dentists hate marketing. Most dentists want to focus on what they do best – practice dentistry. If you’re in this camp, and marketing makes you feel “dirty” read on to learn why it shouldn’t…

4) How To PERK Up in a Down Economy
The Dental Coach©, Ronald F. Arndt, explains his “PERK” approach to dental practice management in not only a down economy, but any economy…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

For every well-conceived product out in the market, there are hundreds that make you shake your head in disbelief. I thought it would be fun to collect some dental products that shouldn’t have ever seen the light of day. However, most of them did. See what I mean below…

1. Closeup Flavalicious Chocolate Toothpaste

Image source: Chodka

This sounds both incredibly good and incredibly awful at the same time. I think I’d be tempted to frost a cake with this stuff rather than brush my teeth with it. However, the idea isn’t entirely without merit. Back in 1997, a researcher at Tulane University determined that the cocoa powder found in this toothpaste is an “effective natural alternative to fluoride in toothpaste”. That being said, I don’t see this product catching on any time soon.

2. Bacon Floss

Image Source: mcphee.com

MMM…Nothing spells fresh breath like…B-A-C-O-N…or something like that. To be fair, this product is sold as a novelty item, but I found it fitting to be included in this list nonetheless.

3. Jawels Removable Tooth Jewelry

Image source: Jawels.com

When that giant piece of lettuce stuck between your teeth isn’t getting you noticed enough, try Jawels. Before you know it, you’ll be the talk of the office!

4. Teeth & Hair As Jewelry

Image Source: Coolhunting.com

It’s hard to fault someone for being resourceful, but this is taking it too far. The designer of these disturbing pieces, Polly van der Glas, gladly accepts hair and teeth donations from family members to perfect her craft. Something tells me, we won’t be seeing celebrities wearing these pieces down the red carpet anytime soon.

5. The Kami Kami Sensor

Image source: ubergizmo.com

This modern-day torture device is an electronic bite sensor. It beeps after 30 chews to train children to chew their food well before swallowing. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way your going to get me to smile like the kid in the picture with that contraption on my head.

Any Others?

Have you seen a product that belongs on this list? Give us a heads up in a comment below for everyone to enjoy.

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (October 12 – October 16, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of October 19 through October 23, 2009.

Top Stories of the Week

1) U.S. House passes ADA-backed Red Flags exemption legislation The U.S. House of Representatives Oct. 20 approved by a 400-0 vote legislation to exempt most dental offices from the Federal Trade Commission’s Red Flags Rule. Read more about the vote here…

2) Dental Insurance: Few Fans Among Dentists In a survey recently completed by TheWealthyDentist.com, It was determined that 90% of dentists consider dental insurance as “the enemy.” Watch Jim Du Molin & Julie Frey as they comment on the survey results in this video recap…

3) 7 Effective Ways To Market Your Practice in the 21st Century The marketplace is constantly evolving. Your marketing activities must evolve with the market. Ron Zeisler, CEO of Welcometomypractice.com, lays out 7 important pieces to an effective marketing strategy in today’s marketplace…

4) Results of the 2009 DAD salary survey The 2009 Dental Assisting Digest™ salary survey found that dental assistants salaries are on par with those in 2008…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

Back in early September I put together a list of 30 dental pros I follow on Twitter (Part I). I’ve found following and interacting with these wonderful dental minds to be quite fruitful, and hope that you’ve had a chance to develop a relationship with some of them as well. Since I released that post, I’ve had the pleasure of discovering a number of additional dental folks that you should consider following on Twitter.

20 More Great Dental Pros I Follow on Twitter

1. WealthyDentist
2. DentistIdentity
3. VisibleDentist
4. Madowgroup
5. GetDentistJobs
6. DentalOffice
7. DentalCPAS
8. DLPlive
9. ADANews
10. JoeNeedsDental
11. Etukee
12. Top3dentists
13. DentalTools
14. AAOrthodontists
15. Twentist
16. Dental_News
17. dentistsos
18. Sherryblues
19. DDSBrand
20. edokeefe_2009
31. Oh yeah, don’t forget to follow Dental Heroes as well. dentalheroes

Add to the List

I know there are many more dental pros out there using Twitter. Please leave the Twitter username of any dental pros not on this list in a comment below.

This is a guest post by blogger, Mary Ward. If you’re interested in gaining exposure for yourself or your company by writing for Dental Heroes, sign up here.

We all know about the many foods that are bad for our teeth, but you may not be aware that there are actually several foods that keep your teeth healthy. Eating foods that are high in sugar or carbohydrates can produce nasty bacteria that feed on the bits of food that are left behind. As these bacteria feed, they produce an acid that causes your teeth to decay.

However, a number of different foods that you eat can help you fight off the bacteria. Specific foods are effective in preventing these harmful little critters from producing acid. Once you are able to suppress the acid production in your mouth, you will be able to smile brightly with pretty, healthy teeth.

Here is a list of the top ten foods that can help you keep your teeth healthy:

1. Celery

Celery is an effective weapon against the bacteria inside your mouth. In addition to the obvious health benefits of eating celery, it also causes you to chew more, producing additional saliva. As you generate saliva, it kills the bad bacteria present in the mouth. Celery may not taste as good, but is a healthy alternative to plaque-producing potato chips. The extra water contained in celery is a good way to clean your teeth, sort of like naturally brushing your teeth.

2. Onions

You may not think so, but eating onions is a great way to eliminate harmful bacteria inside the mouth. When you eat an uncooked onion, the substances in the onion work to destroy the bacteria that are eating away at your teeth. You may be concerned about stinky breath, but the benefits are worth it. Simply follow up with some sugar free gum and you are good to go.

3. Shitake Mushrooms

Shitake Mushrooms work similar to onions in destroying the harmful bacteria, but they also prevent the buildup of plaque, which can turn into cavities if you do not take care of your teeth properly.

4. Cheese

A tasty option for keeping your teeth looking great, cheese contains elements that are good for keeping your teeth healthy. Cheese makes you produce additional saliva, which destroys the harmful bacteria inside your mouth. In addition, cheese also works to prevent discoloration of your teeth.

5. Strawberries

Strawberries are a great natural way to whiten your teeth. Brush your teeth daily with strawberries as a healthy alternative to potentially harmful whitening gels.

6. Oranges

Like strawberries, oranges are also fantastic tooth whiteners. Rub a little of the skin of an orange rind on your teeth after brushing to take advantage to the benefits.

7. Milk

Milk is a tasty way to keep your teeth healthy. The calcium in dairy products is effective in keeping the teeth strong. In addition, the Vitamin D helps the calcium to be absorbed more efficiently.

8. Meat

Meat, fish and eggs are an excellent source of phosphorus that is needed for tooth enamel formation.

9. Bananas

Bananas are high in magnesium, which is also needed to help the enamel of the teeth form properly. Whole grain foods and spinach are also good sources of magnesium.

10. Carrots

Carrots and other orange-colored vegetables and fruit are great sources of beta-carotene, which is turned into Vitamin A by the body for strong teeth and bones.

Your Thoughts

Are there any foods that you would add to this list? Please leave them in a comment below.

New York, NY (October 16, 2009) Although 72 percent of Americans have fillings, caps or crowns and one in six had a dental emergency during the past 12 months, most are not prepared to deal with a dental emergency, according to a recent survey conducted by Majestic Drug Company, a leading provider of oral care products.

Interestingly, in the national survey of 1,000 Americans, those with a lower income (less then $35,000) were more likely to have had a dental emergency in the past 12 months (vs. 14 percent of those who make $100,000 or more).

Of those who had a dental emergency, 23 percent involved a loose crown or cap, 10 percent involved a lost filling, while 72 percent said their dental emergency involved something else.

Among those who had a dental emergency involving a loose crown/cap or a lost filling, 67 percent immediately went to a dentist, and 14 percent looked for a temporary solution to purchase, while 19 percent did nothing at the time.

“You keep medical supplies on hand for cuts and bruises, but what about your teeth? It’s important to be prepared for a dental emergency in case one happens, especially if the emergency occurs on a weekend when your dentist just isn’t available or you are on the road and cannot seek immediate dental care,” according to Brian Gold, D.D.S., who practices in Monticello, NY.

Dental emergencies can range from a dislodged cap/crown or lost filling to a knocked out tooth to pain or a cracked denture. Majestic Drug Company explains some common dental emergencies and suggestions for treatment.

• Knocked out tooth – If a permanent tooth is dislodged from the socket, try gently replacing it into the tooth socket. Do not scrub the tooth clean—you can damage the fibers needed for reattachment. If that doesn’t work, place the tooth in a glass of milk to keep it moist. Get to a dentist immediately.
• Mouth pain – A throbbing pain from a toothache may indicate an infection and a dentist should be consulted as soon as possible. Tooth sensitivity can be combated by the use of desensitizing toothpaste such as Sensodyne. Irritation from mouth sores can be alleviated by the use of specialized oral pain relief products such as Orajel.
• Lost filling – Rinse out the cavity with warm water. Apply a temporary filling product such as Dentemp® O.S. which can be made into a ball and pressed firmly into the cavity
• Cracked or broken denture – According to Dr. Gold, all denture wearers should have a spare pair to use until the other is repaired. If not, it is good to keep on hand an emergency denture repair kit such as D.O.C. Emergency Denture Repair Kit, available at your local pharmacy.
• Dislodged cap/crown – Apply a temporary dental holding product such as Dentemp® O.S. and gently replace the cap onto the tooth. Make sure you get a proper fit
• Irritation from Braces – Sharp wires can be coated with special dental wax available at your local pharmacy

Remember, temporary dental solutions are just that—they are temporary. Make sure to seek professional assistance from your dentist as soon as possible.

For additional information, please go to MajesticDrug.com or search Dentemp® O.S. on Facebook.

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (October 5 – October 9, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of October 12 through October 16, 2009.

Top Stories of the Week

1) Lares introduces minimally invasive laser periodontal disease treatment Lares recently announced the release of the Lares Powerlase® AT, a laser that utilizes the Nd:YAG and Er:YAG wavelengths to treat both sides of the perio pocket.

2) The Two Most Common Dental Coding Errors Dental Assisting Digest editor Kevin Henry speaks with coding expert Teresa Duncan about the two most common dental coding errors. Are you making these errors in your practice?

3) Removing the money barrier Gary Kadi discusses 3 necessary actions for “future-proofing” your practice.

4) Direct Mail Dental Marketing for Only Half of Dentists (Video) Jim Du Molin & Julie Frey report the results of a recent study that asked dentists about their usage of direct mail marketing.

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

With over 5 years of experience as a web designer/developer, I’ve developed an intimate knowledge of web site “best practices”. Over the years, the most common mistake I see people make is thinking that simply having a web presence is enough. They take the “if you build it they will come” approach. Back in the 90’s that may have worked.

However, the game has changed dramatically since then – in terms of consumer demands, web technologies, and search engine algorithms. No longer can you launch a website and simply hope for the best. You need to constantly evolve your web offering with the changing consumer demands, web technologies and search algorithms to beat out your competition.

Certainly we can’t cover everything that you need to know about dominating your competition online, but I thought it would be a good idea to start with a post highlighting 5 quick, yet powerful tips for improving your existing website.

So, lets get to the tips, shall we?

1. Install Google Analytics

Do you have a counter at the bottom of your website pages? Get rid of it. Sure, it counts the number of visitors to your site. However, this is rarely a good thing. Not only are counters an eyesore, but often the numbers on the counter are embarrassingly low. How do you think that looks to your potential customers? Not good.

So, I recommend installing Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a very powerful and stealthy(unseen to visitors) web-based analytics package that tracks the number of unique visitors to your site, search terms visitors used to find your site, how long they were on your site, and much much more. Best of all, Google Analytics is FREE. If you’re only going to act on one of these tips today, make it this one.

Sign up for Google Analytics

2. Ditch The Flash Intros

If your website greets visitors with a Flash intro, get rid of it.

On its face, I can see why dentists like flash intros. After all, if done well, they can be stylish and captivating. Unfortunately, they’re also expensive, highly irritating, slow loading and scare visitors away. Just get rid of it.

3. Include a Contact Form on your “Contact” Page

Include a contact form on your contact page. The idea here is to make it as easy as possible for your visitors to contact you – accessibility is key. If you’re simply posting your e-mail address and forcing your visitors to e-mail you in order to make contact, you’re probably losing potential patients. Make it easy with a contact form.

There are many places on the web to find contact form scripts. I really like the contact forms available at Woofoo.com. They’re highly customizable, brandable, stylish, and easy to integrate into your site (simple cut n’ paste).

4. Feature Contact Information Prominently

Also important for accessibility is featuring your contact information prominently. I recommend posting your address and phone number(s) both at the top and bottom of each page. This ensures that no matter what part of a particular page your visitor is viewing, they’ll be able to see your contact information. Prominent contact information is also a good idea because it enhances your trust value in the eyes of your visitors.

5. Check for Broken Links

This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people neglect to check their site for broken links. Broken links are bad for a number of reasons – they leave your visitors frustrated and they’re frowned upon by search engines.

Thankfully, you don’t have to click through each link on your site to clean up your broken links. Instead, I use a free program called Xenu’s Link Sleuth. The program crawls your site looking for broken links. Once this process is complete, you will be given a report listing all of the broken links that the program encountered. You can then run down the list and fix or remove the broken links on your site.

Final Thoughts

These tips are by no means comprehensive. However, they’re quick, they’re actionable, and they’re powerful. Do you have disagree with any of my tips? Are you already doing these things on your site? Let us know in a comment below.

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (September 28 – October 2, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of October 5 through October 9, 2009.

Top Stories of the Week

1) When to Fire a Patient DentalProductsReport.com Senior Editor, Renee Knight, discusses ways to prevent problem patients from plaguing your practice. Instead, she focuses on preventative measures you can employ within your practice to avoid firing difficult patients.

2) Dental School Doesn’t Adequately Prepare Dentists 4 out of 5 dentists don’t believe that dental schools are adequately preparing dental students for the real-world practice, according to a recent Wealthy Dentist survey. Watch this video recap to discover why the stakes are higher now than ever.

3) Colgate launches new Colgate Oral Health Advisor program for dental hygienists Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals recently launched an Oral Health Advisor program that aims to provide dental hygienists with powerful tools to help them educate their patients. Read on to Learn more about the program, and how dental hygienists can get involved in this program.

4) Rapid HIV testing in the dental office The oral cavity is one of several places where signs of HIV infection are found. Previously, dentists who recognized these signs in a patient could only refer them to their primary care physician for testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Catrise Austin, DDS, discusses new methods for HIV testing in the dental office…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below

A recent study conducted by the nation’s leading dental benefits provider, Delta Dental Plans Association, found that most American children don’t see their family dentist until they’re well over 2 years old, far later than recommended by most dental professionals.

Children Don’t See Dentist Early Enough

The survey of 914 primary caregivers revealed that the average age children first visited a family dentist was 2.6 years of age. Furthermore, the study found that 34% of those sampled had children under the age of 11 that had never been to the dentist!

Common Excuses

Those surveyed commonly responded that their children were “too young,” or “didn’t have enough teeth” to visit the dentist. A number of others cited a lack of dental insurance as the reason they delayed their child’s dental visit.

According to Jed J. Jacobson, DDS, MS, MPH, chief science officer and senior V.P. at Delta Dental:

“Many Americans don’t understand how important their children’s baby teeth are to lifelong oral health. There’s a continuing need for more education to teach practices that will ensure lifelong oral health. And, since people overwhelmingly prefer the dentist and dental hygienist as their primary oral health information sources, dental benefits that encourage visits to the dentist are crucial.”

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD) recommends that a child go to the dentist by age 1 or within six months after the first tooth erupts.

Baby Teeth Matter

The AAPD also states that proper care of baby teeth are critically important for the following reasons:

• Help children chew properly to maintain good nutrition.
• Are involved in speech development.
• Help save space for permanent teeth.
• Promote a healthy smile that helps children feel good about the way they look.

Proper Care

Furthermore, the AAPD advises caregivers to gently wipe the baby’s gums with a soft, wet cloth after each feeding. When primary teeth begin to appear, they should be cleaned with a soft, child-sized toothbrush and a pea-sized dab of children’s toothpaste, twice a day.

Additional Information

For additional pediatric dental care tips, Delta Dental has a number of educational videos that caregivers of small children shouldn’t miss.

Your Thoughts

Were you aware of these guidelines recommended by the AARP? What are your thoughts?

As a progressive dental professional, you need to take advantage of the communication and networking powers of Twitter. If you’re reading this post, chances are you know this already. What you might not know, however, is that there are a number of mistakes you may be making right now that are preventing your practice from realizing the benefits of Twitter .

The following are 5 mistakes dentists should avoid on Twitter:

1. Doing Nothing

Sounds obvious, right? Well, not to everyone. In fact, an estimated 20% of Twitter accounts held by dentists or other dental professionals are empty. This is clearly the most damaging mistake you can make if you want to use Twitter successfully. Beyond that, consider how this looks to your patients or potential patients. An empty Twitter account says to them, we’re lazy, uncommitted and unfocused. In short, if you’re not going to use Twitter, don’t sign up. Similarly, if you signed up already, and don’t tweet on a regular basis, you’re better off calling it quits and deleting your account.

2. Too Much Self-Promotion

A little self-promotion can go a long way. In fact, nothing will get you un-followed faster than constant self-promotion. Frankly, I don’t want to hear about your low pricing in every one of your tweets. I get it, you have good pricing. Now, tell me something I don’t know.

That’s the secret. If you truly want build a steady stream of new followers, focus on providing value. Engage with your followers by connecting with them on a personal level and providing them with information that can impact their lives in a positive way. Do this consistently, and you’re followers will return the favor many times over.

3. Failing to Connect with People

Many dentists perform a monologue instead of engaging in a dialogue with their followers. Get to know your followers. Show that you’re interested in what they have to say. Asking questions and utilizing the retweet function are great ways to do this.

4. Using One Twitter Account for Both Personal & Business Use

Do you want your friends and family to know when you’re brushing your teeth or bathing the dog? If so, then who am I to tell you to stop? But, do your patients or potential patients want to know about this? Probably not – wait, definitely not. I recommend creating separate Twitter accounts – one for personal use and one for business use.

5. Tweeting Too Much

Most dentists don’t have this problem, but enough do that it warrants mention. Tweeting too much, even if you’re following the above recommendations is not a good thing. Not only does too much tweeting dilute your message, but it’s downright annoying for your followers to see your avatar every time they sign into Twitter. Like most things in life, moderation is key.

Your Thoughts

Do you agree with these tips? What would you add to the list?

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (September 21-25, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of September 28 through October 2, 2009.

Top 5 Stories of the Week

1) Paperless vs. chartless and the Red Flags Rules Kevin Henry discusses some of the newest electronic issues with Banta Consulting’s Laci Phillips.

2) 12 Green Products/Companies You Should Know I’m no Al Gore (thankfully), but I’m of the belief that being “green” is a good thing. If you do as well, check out this post which highlights 12 products and companies that can help your practice “go green”.

3) BPA Safety in Dental Sealants Worries Some Dentists The Wealthy Dentist discusses in this video post a recent survey of dental professionals found that one dentist in four reports being very concerned about the issue of bisphenol-A (the problem chemical in water bottles and baby bottles).

4) American Dental Association Launches Podcast Program for Public The ADA launched a new video podcast series focused on providing oral health care information to the public. Read more about the podcast in this post…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below

Do your teeth make you self-conscious? Do you avoid conversations with others because you’re embarrassed to smile? 1-800-Dentist wants to help. The popular dentist-matching service recently launched the My Smile Bites! $30,000 Smile Makeover Contest. One lucky winner will receive a winning smile that they can’t help but show off!

Step 1: Submit Video

To enter the “My Smile Bites!” contest, 1-800-Dentist asks that you submit a 2 minute video of yourself discussing what you like about your smile, and what you don’t like about our smile. Additionally, you should discuss how your smile affects your self-image and interaction with others. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to smile!

Step 2: Promote Your Video

Once you have received confirmation that your video has been received successfully, it’s time to start promoting your video. Each contestant will have their own video page complete with a short bio. Have your friends and family visit your personal page and cast their vote each day beginning at noon on 11/10/09 until noon PST on 12/01/09.

How Judging Works

Be prepared to win over the hearts of your fellow Americans because they’re going to determine your fate. Once the top contestants have been selected, 1-800-Dentist will select the winner of the $30,000 smile makeover on December 15, 2009 at noon PST. “As the winner, you must be willing to have your smile makeover process captured on film, including dental visits and before and after experiences(1800dentist.com).

Enter Now

Ready to enter? Visit the My Smile Bites! $30,000 Smile Makeover Contest Page on 1800dentist.com to review official contest rules and submit your entry.

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (September 14-18, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of September 21-25, 2009.

Top 5 Stories of the Week

1) Five Steps You Need to Follow To Protect Your Practice From a Network Disaster Technology fanatic, Lorne Lavine, DMD, discusses in this post three primary reasons dentists do not back up their data, and five simple steps for hopping aboard the backup train.

2) I dated a patient Renee Knight, Senior Editor of DentalProductsReport.com, explores in this steamy post the right way to date a patient. Yes, apparently there is a right way…

3) Linda Miles & Dr. Rhonda Savage on Dental Benefit Plans This informative post over at Dentalblogs.com explores the frustration that both staff and doctors share with regards to dental benefit plans. However, the authors also provide a template for minimizing some of this frustration when dealing with insurance patients.

4) Dentists Want a Dental License That’s National The Wealthy Dentist Blog reports in this post that 86% of survey respondents indicated that they are in favor of “universal licensure” for dentists. Read on to see what respondents cited as their reasons for promoting a national dental license…

5) Understanding “Return on Investment” The Azimuth Dental Blog tackles the confusion surrounding the acronym, ROI, or Return on Investment. Think you know exactly what that means, read this post to make sure…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

If you’re anything like me, you like to try products before you buy. This is especially important within the context of your dental practice. You want to know that the products you use on a regular basis are of high quality and safe for your patients, right? Beyond that, it’s just plain fun to play with new products, especially when they’re free! For these reasons I put together a list of five websites where you can request free dental product samples – available only to dental professionals.

5 Websites with Free Sample Offers

1. Efficient Dental Technologies™

Efficient Dental Technologies™ is offering a number of free product samples to dental professionals, including: EZ-CROWN™ & NU-CROWN™ temporary crown kits, NU-CORE™ crown build-ups, NU-BLOCK™ U-shaped mouth props, TEMP TRAY™ impression trays and the TrioDent™ composite restoration system.

To order complimentary samples, fill in the Efficient Dental Technologies™ sample request form.

2. AXIS Dental Corporation

AXIS Dental Corporation currently offers 4 free product samples to licensed dental practitioners. This includes: UltraGloss™ composite polisher, Diamond-Zyme™ cleaning solution, NTI® Turbo Diamonds and QwikStrip™ Serrated Strips.

To order complimentary samples, fill in the AXIS Dental Corporation sample request form.

3. AllPro, Inc

AllPro, Inc., offers dental professionals the opportunity to request a large number of samples – 18 in all. The extensive selection includes: instrument cleaners, prophy paste, prophy brushes, disposable protective eyewear and much more…

To order complimentary samples, fill in the AllPro, Inc. sample request form.

4. Water Pik, Inc.

Water Pik, Inc. is currently offering licensed dental care practitioners a free trial pack of Waterpik™ UltraThin 5% Sodium Fluoride Varnish.

To order a complimentary trial pack, fill in the Water Pik, Inc. sample request form.

5. Dux Dental

DUX Dental offers a number of free product samples including: PeelVue+ sterilization pouches, Lubricoat lip and skin emollient,
Lubricoat, Identic Fast-Set Alginate and several other quality products.

To order complimentary samples, fill in the Dux Dental sample request form.

Any others?

Do you know of other companies currently offering samples to dental professionals? Please share in a comment below.

You may remember a poll we ran several weeks ago asking Dental Heroes readers if they like the current website redesign. Nearly 60% of you said that you indeed do like the current DentalHeroes.com Blog design. However, 31% of you say the design is just “OK,” and 11% simply don’t like it.

What do these numbers mean?

The numbers above mean that Dental Heroes is good, but not great. To make it great, I need your help. I developed a short survey to discover what you want to see in the next version of the Dental Heroes Blog. Your responses will play a big role in shaping Dental Heroes for the future – so don’t hold back. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to help out the Dental Heroes Community.

Start the Survey

Thanks so much for your help!

If you missed last weeks review post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (September 7-11, 2009). Without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of September 14-18, 2009.

Top 5 Stories of the Week

1) Dentists Ready for a Dental Union The Wealthy Dentist Blog recently surveyed a number of dentists to determine whether now is the right time to form a dental union. You may be surprised that 49% of respondents said, “Yes”. Watch the video recap for an analysis of the results.

2) Dentistry’s new magic wand With amazing resolution and applications for almost every facet of dentistry, optical coherence tomography imaging could be a technology that changes everything…

3) Curve Dental Wants to Change Dental Software In this post, dental technology guru, John Flucke, explains how Curve Dental plans to revolutionize the dental software market with web-based software solutions…

4) Gratitude as a Marketing Tool Joseph J. Portale, DMD, MAGD, discusses a number of tips for establishing lasting, loyal relationships with your patients. Robotic dentists are out,. Real, personable, relationship-minded dentists are in…

5) Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Performs First MOOKP Procedure in USA Sharron “Kay” Thornton has just regained her sight in first-in-the-U.S. procedure known as Modified Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (MOOKP). Put simply, the procedure involved implanting the woman’s eyetooth in her eye as a base for a prosthetic lens. Read more in this recent DentalBlogs.com post…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

Most of you know the Dental Product Shopper as a wonderfully helpful dental product review and information resource for the dental professional. What many of your probably don’t know, however, is that they also know how to run a kick-butt sweepstakes.

Ultimate Office Sweepstakes

The Dental Product Shopper’s latest sweepstakes is what they’re appropriately calling the “Ultimate Office Sweepstakes”. As the name suggests, Dental Product Shopper is trying to hook up your dental practice with great dental gear. The collective estimated value of the Grand Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize is $293,500!. Click on the links below to view the prize packages that you can win:

1) Grand Prize Package – estimated value ($280,000)
2) Second Prize Package – estimated value ($10,000)
3) Third Prize Package – estimated value ($3,500)

Who’s Eligible to Enter

Before you take the time to enter, keep in mind that “you must be a (i) licensed dentist, (ii) dental hygienist, (iii) dental assistant, or (iv) an office manager that has been employed at a licensed dental office during the entire six (6) months immediately prior to entry(dentalproductshopper.com)” to enter. For a full listing of the official rules, check out the sweepstakes rules page.

How to Enter

Dental Product Shopper has made entering the “Ultimate Office Sweepstakes” real easy. Oh, and did I mention that it’s free to enter? No? Well, it’s FREE TO ENTER. Simply fill out the official sweepstakes entry form to be eligible for almost $294,000 in prizes.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow DentalProductShopper.com on Twitter (@DentalProducts).

What do you think?

What do you think of the prize packages? Which product(s) do you currently use in your practice?

Check out the new Colgate Wisp if haven’t done so already. This nifty, compact(3-1/2″ long) tool sports a toothbrush on one end and a soft interdental pick on the other.

However, the coolest Wisp feature is the “freshening bead” planted in the center of the toothbrush. Upon contact, the bead releases a fresh liquid that freshens your breath – all without the need for water.

Let’s Get Creative

In the following parody, you’ll learn about a number of creative uses for the new Colgate Wisp. Who knew that watermelon sculpting could be so easy?

What do you think?

Have a creative use of your own for the Colgate Wisp? Share your ideas with other Dental Heroes readers in a comment below. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some tires to detail…

It’s time for the fifth installment of “Dental Blogs: The Week in Review.” If you missed last weeks post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (August 24-30, 2009). So, without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of September 7-11, 2009.

Top 5 Stories of the Week

1) Is the ADA more interested in Dental Specialists than General Dentists? The Wealthy Dentist Blog asked dentists this question in a recent survey. You may be surprised by the results…

2) Marketing your dental practice without taking a bite out of your budget Dr. Gary Solomon suggests ways to market your practice that require thought and creativity, not money.

3) The hole truth about tooth worms Richard Palmer discusses how the Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) has shed new light on these mysterious figures.

4) Why you should stop trying to sell to your patients Read why the Azimuth Dental team recommends that you stop trying to sell to your patients. This is sure to be controversial, but thought-provoking as well.

5) 10 factors that contribute to staff satisfaction Rebecca Boartfield and Tim Twigg share with us the results of numerous employee satisfaction surveys. Is your practice focusing on these factors to attract and retain your employees? If not, start immediately.

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

The following is guest post by Monica Cross, author of  UrgentDentalCareServices.com. Interested in guest posting on Dental Heroes? Have a look at our guidelines and sign up.

There is no doubt that today’s economy has had a profound effect on industries across the board. Consumer spending is way down due to heightened unemployment, salary cuts and the housing crisis. While the dental industry has proven to be recession-proof in the past, fears of losing jobs and/or insurance benefits have made many consumers reluctant to pay for dental treatments.

Don’t Cut Back

While common sense is telling many business owners to cut back during this time in order to manage costs, the recession actually presents a great opportunity for dental professionals to stand out from their competitors. Although things seem bleak now, everyone agrees that the economy is going to recover eventually and when it does, you want your practice to be in the best shape possible. By investing when your competitors are downsizing and cutting back, your money can go much further in improving your practice.

5 Recession-Busting Tips

There are several simple steps you can take not only to help your dental practice weather this economy, but also to move ahead of the competition:

1. Invest in New Equipment

Take advantage of the economy’s silver lining. Now is a great time to consider investing in new equipment or a bigger office. Interest rates are at an all-time low, making these types of investments much more affordable than they would have been a few years ago. Consider investing in the new dental imaging technology, which can help your procedures run much more quickly and efficiently. Moving to a new location can also help to improve your customers’ perception of your office.

2. Offer Flexible Financing Options

Losing health care benefits is just one problem facing consumers who have recently lost a job. But just because someone can’t afford a root canal, doesn’t mean they don’t need one. Offering customers a chance to finance procedures during this difficult time will not only help you retain business, but will also build customer loyalty when the economy turns around. Many dentists are working with local banks to develop payment plans and so far, these plans have a relatively low default rate.

3. Offer Referral Incentives

Now is a great time to rethink your office strategy, and looking at your customer base is the first step. Older customers, and those without children, are more likely to have discretionary income and view dental procedures as a necessary part of maintaining their health. Consider offering customers who fit this profile an incentive for new referrals. Not only will this help to stimulate your customer base and improve loyalty among existing customers, but it’s also likely that you’ll receive new customers who fit this profile.

4. Educate Patients

If patient bookings are down, use this as an opportunity to increase the business you are getting. Spend the extra open appointment time educating your current clients about their dental health. Really explain the benefit of the treatment plans you recommend for them. Your goal here is to help them see their oral health as a priority and understand that maintaining it is a necessity.

5. Market Your Practice Online

Pay attention to how your practice is marketing itself. Spending a little extra money here can go a long way to set you apart from your competition. The Internet is an excellent place to focus your efforts, because the majority of new potential clients use this route when looking for a dentist. Consider hiring an Internet marketing consultant to ensure your website looks professional and inviting. These consultants can also help push your practice’s page up in search results to increase the chances that new customers will find you. Investing in this area now can help to build a strong brand that will continue even as the economy climbs its way back up.

What do you think?

Are you employing any of these tips within your practice? Are you seeing significant results from doing so? Let us know in comment below.

More and more people (or Tweople, technically) are making the decision to engage in the Twitter conversation these days. Some people simply join to update friends regarding their daily activities, others use it as a social network, and another group utilizes Twitter for business purposes.

Whatever the reason may be, Twitter’s reach is undeniable. Some companies have replaced their corporate website address with their Twitter address on advertising materials. Major news networks are engaging with viewers via Twitter live on the air. I’ve even had a number of people provide their Twitter username in their e-mail signatures. I could go on and on.

If you have not yet taken the leap to join Twitter, I would caution you to evaluate whether doing so will be beneficial for you. Many people reluctantly sign up because everyone else is doing it. That’s not a good reason to get involved. You’ll just end up frustrated and abandon the service within a couple of days. Why waste your time?

However, for those of you who are already actively engaging with other people on Twitter, I’ve compiled a list(in no particular order) of 30 great dental pros I’m following on Twitter (You should too).

30 Great Dental Pros I Follow on Twitter

1. drbicuspid
2. SteffanyMohan
3. OralHealthcare
4. jablow
5. AnastasiaRDH
6. DentalProducts
7. DentistryIQ
8. Dentrix
9. practiceworks
10. DPRlive
11. Identalhub
12. TheAACD
13. nicedentist
14. webdental
15. Dentra
16. GetDentistJobs
17. markoborn
18. dentalcompare
19. therabreath
20. Dentistnet
21. dentalinsider
22. AboutDentistry
23. DenTek
24. teresaduncan
25. PERI_Educates
26. top3dentists
27. jflucke
28. kgh23
29. 1800DENTIST
30. dentaladvisor
31. Oh yeah, don’t forget to follow Dental Heroes as well. dentalheroes

Add to the List

I know there are many more dental pros out there using Twitter. Please leave the Twitter username of any dental pros not on this list that you think should be in a comment below.

It’s time for the third installment of “Dental Blogs: The Week in Review.” If you missed last weeks post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (August 16-23, 2009). So, without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of August 24-28, 2009.

The List

1) Sonicare To Launch Flexcare+ @ ADA Meeting In Hawaii – Teresa Duncan, of The Dental Implant Blog, announced the launch of Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus electric toothbrush at this year’s annual session of the American Dental Association in Hawaii. Clinical studies have shown some promising results…

2) ADA Membership? Not for One in Four Dentists Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey, of TheWealthyDentist.com recently conducted a survey asking dentists about their ADA membership status. You’ll see in the video recap of the study results that dentists across the country have very different opinions regarding the ADA’s usefulness and agenda…

3) Dental Practice Transition Planning Learn the numerous factors that must be taken into account when planning a practice transition, and why its more important than ever do your due diligence.

4) Reality in this appropriately titled post, John Gammichia, DMD, FAGD, author of The Daily Grind and general dentist offers his “real” take on the toll this economy is having on his practice. Many of you can empathize with Dr. Gammichia, I’m sure…

5) Marty Jablow, DMD, and author of the Dental News and Technology Blog provides us with a nice summary of the new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) data security requirements…

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

What is the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign?

Most of you are probably familiar by now with the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign spearheaded by the Dental Trade Alliance in early July. If you’re not yet familiar, the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign is an industry-wide initiative to warn consumers about the risks of postponing regular checkups and neglecting recommended treatments in this down economy. Furthermore, the campaign aims to encourage dental professionals to proactively educate their patients about the potential overall health problems that can develop as a result of avoiding the dentist.

There’s no doubt that this is a tall, but necessary task as most dentists report a drop in patient visits over the past 6-12 months. I’m not going to go into a whole lot of detail about theOral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign because that information is already available on a number of sites. However, if you would like more information about the campaign, the sites/video listed below are great resources.

Website Resources
1. Official Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Website for Dental Professionals
2. Official Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Website for Dental Consumers
3. Dental Trade Alliance Website

Video Resource
Dental Economics managing editor Kevin Henry talks to Dental Trade Alliance CEO Gary Price about a new campaign aimed at dental teams, patients, and the dental trade.

Thank You Lanmark Group

The Lanmark Group, the dental industry’s largest advertising, marketing, and public relations agency, is graciously contributing their efforts to the campaign by developing the overall strategy, creative concepts, and tactical execution on a pro bono basis (dentaltradealliance.org).

One major benefit of the integrated marketing strategy employed by the Lanmark Group to promote this campaign is the number of marketing materials that they’ve made available for you to use in your own promotion of the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ initiative. Below, I’ve listed a number of materials that you can and should download for FREE and integrate into your marketing plan.

Free Marketing Materials to Download Now

• Press Release
• Letter to the Editor
• Newsletter Article
• Public Service Announcement (15 Second Spot)
• E-mail Template
• Patient Education Brochure
• Patient Education Posters
• Local Newspaper Ads
• Patient Recall Card
• Mailing/Postcard
• Official Campaign Logos A) PDF 2) Zip File

How Can You Effectively Market the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign?

1. Get your team on board.
You MUST get your team on board if you want to effectively promote this campaign. You not only need to introduce your team to the campaign, but you also need to underscore your commitment to the campaign as a collective unit. Finally, it’s imperative that you ensure your team understands how this commitment will effect their day-to-day responsibilities.

2. Use these materials in your correspondence with patients.
Chances are, you’re already sending out recall cards, regular mailings and perhaps even e-mails to your patients. Try substituting your regular marketing materials with these. The key is to repeatedly and consistently get this message in front of your patients. If you want to customize these materials for your business, the Dental Trade Alliance has teamed up with PrintingForLess.com to do this for you quickly and at a fair price.

3. Discuss this initiative with your patients.
When patients come in for their appointments ask them if they saw your mailing, e-mail, recall card, etc. Regardless of their response, educate them about the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ campaign and reinforce your commitment to the initiative. No need to ram this down their throats. A short, informal discussion is all you can reasonably expect to have with most patients anyway.

4. Place patient education posters around your practice
Pick appropriate, highly trafficked spots to place patient education posters around your practice.

5. Embed the official Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Youtube video on your site or blog.
You can find the embed code on this video’s Youtube page. Below is what the official video looks like.

6. Write about the campaign online
Publish a post on your blog if you have one, create a Facebook update, create a tweet on Twitter, discuss the initiative in online forums, etc. Again, don’t go overboard here. Doing so will effectively diminish the odds that you will captivate you audience.

7. Place the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ logo on your site to show your support.
Download now:1)PDF 2) Zip File

8. Officially pledge your support to the campaign
To pledge your support, contact Dental Trade Alliance CEO Gary Price at 703-379-7755.

9. Engage with like-minded dental professionals on the campaign’s official Social Media sites

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Youtube

Final Thoughts

These 9 marketing tips cover the essentials for effectively marketing the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign for your practice. However, as you’ve probably noticed, options are also available for those of you with larger budgets that seek greater involvement with the campaign. These options include: public service announcements, local newspaper ads, press releases, letters to the editor, etc. The marketing possibilities are really only bound by your creativity. See what you can come up with.

Your Tips

How is your practice marketing the Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait™ Awareness Campaign? Are you doing something unique that could benefit others? Please share in a comment below.

It’s time for the third installment of “Dental Blogs: The Week in Review.” If you missed last weeks post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (August 9-15, 2009). So, without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of August 16-23, 2009.

The List

1) Working Interviews: Dentists, Beware the Pitfalls! – Human resource advisor Barbara Freet, PHR, presents a special feature about how working interviews for hiring dental professionals can be a lot more complicated than it might seem…

2) Air Techniques Spectra Receives FDA Approval John C. Flucke, DDS, Editor of Dental Products Report magazine, noted that Air Techniques Spectra just received approval by the FDA. Dr. Flucke reports that the Air techniques Spectra is the only high-tech device that can find decay visually. For more Spectra information, visit the Air Techniques website.

3) What medical can do for dental Renee Knight, Senior Editor of DentalProductsReport.com, explains in this post why dentists should run their practice in accordance with the evidence-based medical model.

4) The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons(AAOMS) Position on Diprivan (Propofol) Shawn Watson, Dentistry Guide at About.com, discusses the AAOMS position regarding the drug, Diprivan (Propofol). Shawn underscores mounting concerns over the availability and administration of agents of this nature. You may remember that this drug has been linked to the death of the late Michael Jackson.

5) Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait…The New PSA Kevin Henry talks to Gary Price, the CEO of the Dental Trade Alliance about a new campaign that is targeting dental teams, patients, and the dental trade. For more information about this campaign, visit the Oral HealthCare Can’t Wait website.

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

Totalbeauty.com recently approached Irwin Smigel, DDS., founder and president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics(ASDA) and creator of Supersmile, to define a set of criteria that he believes makes for good teeth.

Dr. Smigel responded with the following:

Regular dentist visits, not smoking, minimizing your coffee, soda and red wine intake, and brushing and flossing. Other factors, like having hard water or a dry climate, can also stain teeth or create a dry mouth (which can hurt gums)(totalbeauty.com).

With these criteria in hand, Totalbeauty.com analyzed data from cities across the U.S. to determine the 14 cities with the worst teeth.

The 14 U.S. Cities with the worst teeth

1. Biloxi, Miss.
2. Huntington, W.Va.
3. Mobile, Ala.
4. Tulsa, Okla.
5. Baton Rouge, La.
6. Bristol, Tenn.
7. Greensboro, N.C.
8. Houston, Texas
9. Atlanta, Ga.
10. Las Vegas, Nev.
11. Miami, Fla.
12. St. Louis, Mo.
13. Little Rock, Ark.
14. Albuquerque, N.M.

Read the Rest of the Story

To read a detailed breakdown of the study results, visit Totalbeauty.com.

Your Thoughts

Was your city on the list? Do you agree with the study results? Were the criteria sufficiently comprehensive? Please share your thoughts in a comment below.

If you enjoy podcasts(or you’re obsessed like me), then you’re sure to love these great free dental care podcasts I recently downloaded to my trusty iPod Nano.

For those of you who aren’t sure what a podcast is, have a look at Wikipedia’s definition to get up to speed.

Note: The easiest way to download the following podcasts is to subscribe to them on itunes. If you don’t have iTunes installed, you can download it for free on the Apple Website. If you’re not sure how to proceed after downloading iTunes, check out this Youtube Video illustrating the process.

1. The Wealthy Dentist Podcast

Jim Du Molin, of The Wealthy Dentist, is known for his powerful, yet pragmatic methods of increasing dentists’ profitability. Jim has tapped into the power of podcasts to spread his message.

The Wealthy Dentist podcasts are free, and cover topics such as: dental practice management, dental continuing education, dental care issues, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, dental marketing and several others.

Download The Wealthy Dentist Podcasts

2. American Dental Association(ADA) Podcast

The ADA has been developing podcasts since 2006. Since then, they’ve churned out 19 episodes focusing on topics ranging from reducing stress within your practice to identifying emerging trends in dental care.

Download ADA Podcasts

3. Dental Insider Podcast

DI and Associate Q(Speakers) boast 40+ years in the dental care industry and have worked in every facet of the industry from sales (wholesale and retail), marketing, dental equipment repair and consulting. Unfortunately, the pair made the tough decision to discontinue regular updates on The Dental Insider Blog, but don’t let that discourage you from checking out their timeless podcast episodes.

Download Dental Insider Podcasts

4. Henry Schein Podcast

Henry Schein podcasts feature “leading industry consultants and experts discussing the latest dental trends, clinical techniques and technologies. Current and future podcasts available through the Dental Podcast Center include Practice Design, Practice Marketing, Operatory Ergonomics, Cone Beam 3D Imaging, Laser Dentistry, Digital Radiography and more(dentalpodcastcenter.com).”

Download The Henry Schein Podcasts

5. DentalCast Podcast

The DentalCast Podcast strives to bring dental professionals the latest information about dental technology and clinical techniques.

Download The DentalCast Podcasts

Any Others We Should Know About?

I know there are a number of dental care podcasts out there that are not on this list, but the majority seem to be heavily promotional in nature and not as broadly applicable as those in this list.

However, if you know of a podcast that should be on this list, please leave the name and url where people can download episodes in a comment below.

Last Weeks’ Poll Results

The results of last week’s Dental Heroes poll did not surprise me at all. 71% of respondents indicated that they do not consider dental amalgam to be safe. Just 14% consider dental amalgam to be safe, and another 14% were not sure whether dental amalgam is safe. I expected most people to think dental amalgam is unsafe in light of the discussions I’ve seen around the web, and with dental professionals offline. However, the debate is far from over. When new developments emerge, you can trust that we’ll report them here on Dental Heroes.

New Poll

In this weeks poll, we’re interested in your opinion regarding a lighter topic: the Dental Heroes website. That’s right, we want to know if you like the Dental Heroes redesign? Your responses will be used to craft a future survey to make Dental Heroes even more useful for you, our valued readers.

I just found a coupon good for $5 off the WP-100 Ultra Dental Water Jet on Waterpik’s website. If you’re not sure what a dental water jet(commonly referred to as an oral irrigator or water pick) is, you can find a good description on a post I published a while back called “Oral Irrigators 101: The Essentials“. If, however, you’re in the market for an inexpensive oral irrigator that does the job well, this is a model worth looking into.

Waterpik WP-100 Ultra Dental Water Jet features:

• Proven to remove 99.9% of plaque in a USC Study
• More effective at removing plaque than standard dental floss
• Removes bacteria deep between teeth and below the gumline where brushing and flossing will not reach
• Massages and stimulates gums to help prevent gingivitis and improve oral health
• Includes 6 tips – 3 standard jet tips, 3 tongue cleaners, 1 PikPocket tip & 1 Orthodontic tip
• Clinically proven safe with implants and on individuals with diabetes, according to WaterPik
• Contemporary compact design – Looks great and takes up little room on bathroom counter
• Isolated motor and pump – Quietest operation ever
• High-volume, covered reservoir – Keeps reservoir clean and prevents spilling

Official Waterpik Video

Buy Now from Amazon.com

Print $5 Coupon

Please note that this offer expires on 10/31/2009.
$5 Coupon for Waterpik’s WP-100 Ultra Dental Water Jet

Your Thoughts

Have you tried the Waterpik WP-100 Ultra Dental Water Jet? What were your thoughts?

It’s time for the second installment of “Dental Blogs: The Week in Review.” If you missed last weeks post, you can view it here: Dental Blogs: The Week in Review (August 9-15, 2009).

So, without further ado, here’s the weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of August 9-15, 2009.

The List

1) Are dentists wealthy? They don’t think so(Video) – TheWealthyDentist.com recently asked dentists if they consider themselves to be wealthy. Two out of three dentists who responded to the survey said “no”. Watch the video for an analysis of the findings by Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey.

2) Three common words and phrases to avoid during patient interaction Roger P. Levin, DDS, lists the top 3 words you should avoid using when interacting with your patients, and offers his rationale for each.

3) Dentists Step Up Marketing as Patients Skip Their Visits The Wall Street Journal posted an interesting article highlighting the importance of focusing, or perhaps re-focusing on marketing as we weather the current economic storm. There’s even a few tips in there that you may not have thought about.

4) Fluoridated Water Under Serious Scrutiny Dentalblogs.com recently published a post regarding the highly controversial fluoridation issue. While this is not news, I did discover a number of fluoridation “facts” that I had not seen before.

5) Best places to be a dental assistant DentistryIQ.com wanted to know which state was best for dental assistants? Their answer: Minnesota. Find out how the rankings were determined, and see where your state placed in the rankings.

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

I stumbled upon this clever video on Stumbleupon the other day. This had me laughing-out-loud. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Your Thoughts

I have to believe that this video was scripted, but brilliant nonetheless. Which masterpiece was your favorite?

This week, we want to know if you believe dental amalgam is safe?

Most of you are probably very familiar with the dental amalgam controversy that has intensified once again in recent weeks following the FDA ruling that dental amalgam is safe for adults and children ages 6 and above.

Need more information?

• Wikipedia: Dental Amalgam Controversey
• FDA’s current stance on dental amalgam as of 8/11/2009

If you have a second to weigh in, please do so. Thanks!

Here’s the poll

If you’ve followed Dental Heroes over the past several weeks, you may have noticed my posts entitled “Ten Fantastic Dental Care Posts I Read This Week,” and “10 Great Posts I Read This Week.” These posts featured news headlines and blog posts from around the web that weren’t necessarily current, but new to me.

While I received some positive feedback for those posts, I’ve decided to take a slightly different direction with them. From this point forward, I’ll be focusing a weekly post(such as this one) on recapping interesting posts from around the Dental Blog Community for that week. This is just another way that Dental Heroes is keeping you connected with the larger Dental Care Community.

So, without further ado, here’s my weekly roundup of interesting blog posts from around the Dental Blog Community for the week of August 2-8, 2009.

The List

1) Top 10: Best Dental Schools in the US and Canada(Ranking) – The Top Ten Blog reviews their top 10 picks for top dental schools in the US and Canada as of 2008. As you’ll see in the post comments, this post struck a chord with a number of readers.

2) Dentists Can Survive and Thrive in Economic Downturn – Poor economic times like this require dentists to re-evaluate their priorities and be more focused on managing their business. This post by DentalBlogs.com provides some good tips for doing just this.

3) Dentistry “Cash for Amalgam”: Now Declared Safe by FDA – Jim Du Molin, of The Wealth Dentist, posted a good roundup of the hotly debated dental amalgam issue. You can see by the comments to this post, that the FDA decision is largely unpopular and by most accounts strictly political in nature.

4) A Pictorial History of Dentistry This post from the Dental Assistant Blog chronicles the major events in the history of Dentistry – with pictures. We love pictures, right?

5) Join the Tribe Linda Zdanowicz, of the Exceptional Dental Practice Management blog discusses the practical application of legendary marketer, Seth Godin’s concept of “Tribes”(Free 228 page PDF) to dental practice management.

6) Red Flag Rule Not Such a Bad Idea: Mistress Allegedly Steals Wife’s ID for Dental Work – Teresa Duncan, of the Implant Blog, points to a real-world example that highlights the importance of the November 1st implementation of the Red Flag Rule.

7) Fake Dentist Reviews Going Around DoctorBase discusses the disturbing trend circulating the dentist/doctor review sites: fake reviews. My advice: look up your name on Google, Yahoo, and Bing and look for reviews of any kind. If you can determine that a number of dentists have nearly identical reviews to your own – too identical to be a coincidence – get in touch with the company running the site. Collect as much evidence as you can, in particular you’ll want to provide them with the urls(website address) on which the identical reviews reside, and the text of the review. If the company running the website has any integrity and desires to stay in business, they’d be smart to address your concerns. At this point they can locate the ip of the offender’s computer and hopefully pull down the ads after they’ve determined them to be fraudulent.

…and there you have it. There’s a look at the top stories coming out of the Dental Blog Community this week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Are we missing anything?

Did you read an interesting dental-related blog post this past week? I certainly can’t hit on them all, so please share what you found in a comment below.

Academy of General Dentistry supports FDA ruling on dental amalgam
The AGD has long supported amalgam as a safe and effective dental restorative material…

Hey, I told you previously that I’m a sucker for good causes, and the fantastic dental charities that I’ve listed below are no exception. Sadly, the ironic thing about our poor economy is that more people are in need of these charities’ services than ever before, yet fewer people are in a position to ensure that these charities remain funded. In any event, I believe it is important that we’re aware of these charities so they’re more accessible to those in need. Without further ado, here’s the list:

1) The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation

The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation “is the only independent non-profit national children’s health organization exclusively focused on supporting delivery of comprehensive oral healthcare for economically disadvantaged children(ncohf.org)”. Their 10-year plan includes educating and screening 20+ million children, and treating $5 million of those throughout the U.S. and globally.

Link: www.ncohf.org

2) American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Charitable Foundation (AACDCF)

The AACDCF is quite unique in that a portion of their mission is dedicated to providing dental care services at no cost to survivors of domestic abuse. You’ll also see the AACDCF providing much-needed dental work to victims of natural disasters. If you use Twitter, you can follow them (@TheAACD). I follow them myself – real good people.

Link: AACD.com

3) Healthy Smiles Healthy Children

Founded in 1987 by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Healthy Smiles Healthy Children’s mission is to “support and promote education, research, service and policy development that advance the oral health of infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs(aapd.org).”

Link: AAPD.org

4) National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped (NFDH)

The NFDH is a charitable affiliate of the American Dental Association that’s dedicated “to arranging comprehensive dental treatment and long-term preventive services to needy disabled, elderly or medically compromised individuals through a national network of direct service programs that involve
more than 12,900 volunteer dentists and 2,700 volunteer laboratories(NFDH.org).” The NFDH claims to provide $15 of dental services for every $1 they spend!

Link: NFDH.org

5) Oral Health America

Oral Health American differs from the other organizations on this list because their primary focus is advocacy. Their mission is “to improve public health by eliminating oral disease, especially for the country’s most vulnerable citizens. OHA works to accomplish this by educating and empowering communities to provide access to care, and by advocating for policies that create oral health parity(OralHealthAmerica.org).” Over the years, Oral Health America has been responsible for a number of notable oral care awareness programs including: National Smile Month; the National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP); Smiles Across America®; the Special Olympics Special Smiles.

Link: OralHealthAmerica.org

Share Others You’re Aware Of

I realize that this list is just scratching the surface. There are hundreds of charitable organizations with similar goals making a difference in people’s lives every day. That’s where I could use your help. If you know of others that Dental Heroes’ readers should check out, please leave the name of the organization and their website address(if applicable) in a comment below. Thanks!

The new Dental Heroes reader poll is up!

This week, we want to know if you currently have some form of dental care coverage?

In light of the current economic downturn and the healthcare reform bill nightmare that’s taking place in Washington, we think this question is quite prudent.

If you have a second to weigh in, please do so. Thanks!

Here’s the poll

Periodontal disease and risk of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease
Increasing evidence supports the notion that periodontitis is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis…

The “Dental Heroes Deal of the Week” for this week is $5 off a Rembrandt 2-Hour Whitening Kit. Rembrandt promotes this product as the “only at-home whitening kit on the market that visibly whitens teeth in just 2 hours!” Does it work? I have yet to personally try this product, so I can’t say for sure. However, I found a glowing review on youtube.

Review of Rembrandt’s 2-Hour Whitening Kit on Youtube

Product Features

• One teeth-whitening kit containing three 2.47-milliliter syringes and two mouthguards (7.41 total milliliters)
• Dramatically whitens teeth in only one, two-hour session
• Contains two syringes — one for a two-hour session, and one for a touch-up; features a fresh mint flavor
• Be ready in a flash and feel confident about your white smile before important dates, interviews, or meetings
• Over 50,000 dentists dispense Rembrandt’s clinically proven teeth-whitening products

Where to Buy

Dental Heroes recommends purchasing this product from Amazon.com.

Retrieve $5 Off Coupon

Visit the 2-Hour Whitening Kit page on Rembrandt’s site. Then, simply click on the “$5.00 Off” image and fill in the short form. Enjoy!

We just published a new poll and would like to know where you fall on the fluoride debate that has been getting louder for several years now.

If you’re unaware that this issue is even being debated, or want more information with regards to both sides’ arguments, check out their respective websites below.

Pro-Fluoride: Ada.org
Anti-Fluoride: Fluoridedebate.com

Here’s the poll

About a week ago I received an e-mail from a Sara at an organization called “The Fresh Air Fund” asking me to spread the word about their cause. While this isn’t what you might expect on a dental blog, what can I say, I’m a sucker for good causes!

Who is The Fresh Air Fund

A not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences in the country to more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada through the Friendly Town Program or attend Fresh Air Fund camps(FreshAir.org).

Naturally, not-for-profit organizations such as The Fresh Air Fund rely heavily, if not solely on fundraising and donations. That’s where Dental Heroes readers, and anyone for that matter can help. Sara specifically wanted to draw attention to the upcoming New York City Half-Marathon. Last year, Fresh Air Fund racers raised more than $125,000 to help the agency fund memorable summer experiences for thousands of children.

This year, The Fresh Air Fund hopes to raise even more money for disadvantaged children. However, The Fresh Air Fund is still looking for runners and sponsors to join our Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Half-Marathon on August 16th. Friendly Town hosts are also needed for next month.

More Information

If you’re interested in joining the Fresh Air Fund-Racers, visit http://freshair.kintera.org. If you have additional questions or want to become a sponsor please contact Kate at runners@freshair.org or call or call (800) 367-0003 ext. 8890.

It’s time once again to run down the list of the top 10 dental-related posts I read last week. If you missed last weeks post, you can find it here: 10 Great Posts I Read This Week. That post was so popular that I’m going to continue to put together these weekly recaps until you tell me to stop.

So, without further ado…here’s this weeks list:

The Top 10 List

1) Operation Smile: Making the World Smile One Child at a Time (DentalBlogs.com)

2) How dirty is your toothbrush?(Complete w/Photos) (howdirtyisyourtoothbrush.com)

3) Photo ID may soon be required at the dentist’s office (kndo.com)

4) Managing erosion caused by everyday beverages (medicalnewstoday.com)

5) Teeth and gums also benefit from the healing power of aloe vera (medicalnewstoday.com)

6) Congress must not overlook dental coverage (newjerseynewsroom.com)

7) Dental clinic treats 1,400 patients for free (ketv.com)

8 ) Many Americans would drop employer dental insurance if taxed (dentalplans.com)

9) Dental floss still #1 choice for cleaning between teeth (thewealthydentist.com)

10) Dentists dread Universal Dental Care (thewealthydentist.com)

…and there you have it. There’s my top ten blog post/article list for the week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Am I Missing Anything?

Have you read a particularly interesting dental-related blog post or website article lately? Please share.

According to TMZ.com, the gossip juggernaut, Michael Jackson frequented dentists to feed his anesthesia addiction.

As we have already reported, medical professionals have told TMZ Jackson was an “anesthesia addict,” who would would seek out Propofol and other drugs that would sedate him or knock him out. Law enforcement is aware of this, sources say, and dental offices are part of their investigation (TMZ.com).

In fact, TMZ reported as late as today that the Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA) in fact contacted a number of pharmaceutical companies in an effort to identify the individual(s) responsible for purchasing the powerful anesthetic, Propofol, which is believed to have killed Jackson. Apparently this will be no small task as each vial of Propofol is marked with just a lot number. There’s potentially a thousand vials in a lot.

My Take

What’s disturbing to me about this case is not that Michael Jackson was addicted to illegally-obtained anesthetics, rather the widespread corruption within our medical/dental communities. Stories like this place a negative stigma on hard-working, honest doctors and dentists. In this case, it was even reported that Jackson’s use of dentist’s as a source of anesthetics was widely known. Yet, no one thought had the guts to report this to authorities. Sadly, I’m not surprised.

Source: TMZ.com

The Special Libraries Association has recently name The Journal of the American Dental Association, commonly known as JADA, to the list of the top 100 most influential journals of biology and medicine.

In Good Company

JADA was the only dental journal to make the prestigious list. JADA is joined by other well-known professional medical journals such as The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), The New England Journal of Medicine, The British Medical Journal, etc.

According to the ADA, the following describes the selection process:

As part of its centennial celebration this year, SLA’s Biomedical and Life Sciences Division conducted a poll of its 686 members of record to come up with the list. For the sake of uniformity and fair comparison, only journals of original research and professional practice were eligible. Results were announced in June(ada.org)

Congratulations goes out to everyone involved with JADA.

Your Thoughts

Are you an ADA member whom regularly reads the JADA Journal? What are your thoughts?

I don’t know about you, but some days I feel like there’s just not enough time to read through all of the e-mails, tweets, rss feeds that we receive. On the off chance that I do have time, I undoubtedly spend a great deal of it wading through less than worthy information.

Since I’m sure you don’t like your time being wasted either, I’ve decided to add a new weekly feature to Dental Heroes.

Each week I’m going to feature a list of the top 10 dental-related blog posts or articles I’ve read for that week.

Here’s the top 10 for this week:

1) At Home Tooth Whiteners Differ in Effectiveness (Consumer Reports)

2) As rating sites grow, doctors voice concerns (azcentral.com)

3) New treatment for receding gums (medicalnewstoday.com)

4) Nanotechnology may increase longevity of fillings (sciencedaily.com)

5) Russian dentist has unusual artistic talent (dentalblogs.com)

6) Orange juice worse for teeth than whitening agents (sciencedaily.com)

7) What should dental health care look like in a reformed health system? (rollcall.com)

8 ) Cities with the cleanest and dirtiest teeth (aolhealth.com)

9) Change your breath from bad to good (webmd.com)

10) Dental students play video games to learn implant procedures (dentalblogs.com)

…and there you have it. There’s my top ten blog post/article list for the week. Look for a brand new list next week!

Am I Missing Anything?

Have you read a particularly interesting dental-related blog post or website article lately? Please share.

Unfortunately, for those of you hoping to see something akin to “Girls Gone Wild” only with dentists instead of girls, then I’m sorry. You won’t find that here. But, if you find it elsewhere let me know. Only kidding.

In fact, the reason I chose that title is because I found it rather fitting for a piece written by Reader’s Digest in the July issue. In that article, Reader’s Digest collected candid thoughts from 22 dentists around the country regarding what they truly think about when they examine your teeth. Some of their comments were really pretty surprising.

Here’s a few that I found especially interesting:

If your breath is bad, we won’t tell you unless you ask.
– Gary Herskovits, DDS, family dentist, Brooklyn, New York

Kids with dental problems often struggle in school. They’re distracted and easily agitated. Teachers will say they have behavior problems, but they really have toothaches.
– Winifred J. Booker, DDS

If you want to reduce the bad bacteria in your mouth, you should be all over xylitol [a sugar substitute found in chewing gum]. It changes the chemistry of your mouth. Six or seven pieces of xylitol gum every day will help keep cavities away.
– Chris Kammer, DDS

For a lot more of these dentist “confessions” you can find the original article entitled, “50 Dentist Secrets: DDMs Share Hygiene Advice on Teeth, Gums, & More,” on the Readers Digest website.

Let’s face it, the economy stinks right now. Unemployment levels are the highest we’ve seen in years, people are losing their homes, and many people are forced to forgo important medical or dental procedures. In fact, nearly 100 million Americans are living without some form of dental insurance. For those 100 million Americans these tough times are especially painful. The staggering number of uninsured is particularly troubling in light of the news in recent years highlighting the probably connection between dental health and overall health.

However, a lack of dental insurance doesn’t mean you have to go without much needed dental care. In fact, dentists across the country have recognized this need and have organized free clinics to help the uninsured cope with high dental care costs. Below, I’ve compiled some tips for locating free or low cost dental care in your area.

Tips for locating free or low cost dental care

• Clinical Trials – The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research(NIDCR) periodically performs clinical trials targeting specific dental, oral, and craniofacial conditions. Researchers may provide study participants with limited free or low-cost dental treatment for the particular condition they are studying. For a complete listing of NIDCR clinical trials, please visit the clinicaltrials.gov website.




• United Way – The United Way may be able to connect you to low cost or free dental care resources in your community. Call your local chapter for more information.




• Dental Schools – While dental students are still learning their craft, you can take advantage of their low rates. Don’t worry, a skilled instructor will be watching their every move so you’ll be in good hands. For a listing of dental schools around the US, visit the ADA.org website.




• State Dental Associations – Contact your state dental association for recommended free or low cost dental care resources. To contact your state dental association visit the ADA.org website.




• U.S Department of Health & Human Services(HRSA) – The HRSA can help you locate a local federally-funded health center that offers reduced-fee dental care. At these centers you pay what you can afford. To locate a local health center enter your details into the HRSA search engine.




• Medicaid Services – Most states provide limited emergency dental services for people age 21 or over, while some offer comprehensive services. For most individuals under the age of 21, dental services are provided under Medicaid(nidcr.nih.gov). Visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid website for more information.

Additional Resources to check out

A number of helpful websites maintain listings of available low cost and free dental care clinics around the US. I’ve listed some below for your reference.

• Dentistry from the Heart
• Free Medical Camps
• Free or Low Cost Dentistry Resource Guide

Final Thoughts

If you are in need of free or low cost dental care services I hope you find these resources valuable. If you know of someone with such a need please pass along this post. If you are aware of additional resources that I haven’t listed above, please submit a comment and I’ll add it to the list.

If you’re a dedicated Dental Heroes reader you’ve probably noticed that I’ve yet to post a book review. Well, today’s a first in that regard. I recently had the pleasure of reading a great book by David Snape entitled, “What You Should Know About Gum Disease”. The book is actually quite different from most dental books in the sense that this book was written by a layman, not a dental professional. David is just a regular guy with a compelling story.

David’s Story

The inspiration for this book according to David was a fateful visit to the dentist during which he was diagnosed with mild to moderate periodontal disease(gum disease). David’s dentist informed him that they’d have to perform a scaling and root planing procedure to save his teeth. At this point, most people, often uninformed about the disease would proceed with the recommended treatment. Not David. In fact, David walked away that day determined to inform himself about gum disease and subsequently fight the disease with this knowledge that he was about to learn. Months later after implementing what he learned about fighting the disease(also detailed in this book), David returned to the dentist. To the dentist’s amazement, David had defeated gum disease and no longer needed the scaling and root planing procedure. The information that David used to defeat gum disease is detailed in stunning clarity in “What You Should Know About Gum Disease”.

What is Gum Disease

Gum disease, in general terms “refers to a number of inflammatory diseases affecting the periodontium — that is, the tissues that surround and support the teeth(Wikipedia).” This is of course just a simple definition of gum disease. However, “What You Should Know About Gum Disease” explores gum disease in much more depth.

Why should I care?

If you’re a dental professional you already know that gum disease is quite common. However, most people don’t know how common. According to David, the number could be as high as 80% for adults. Surprised? I sure was. Not only is gum disease common, but it’s also very serious. In an increasing number of research studies conducted over the past several years gum disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke, lung infections and most recently rheumatoid arthritis. The number of conditions tied to gum disease will surely climb in the coming years as more studies are conducted.

Who should read “What You Should Know About Gum Disease”?

Everybody. Whether you’re a dental professional or a regular person, you owe it to yourself to read this book. Dental professionals will benefit from David’s insights into educating their patients about the preventative measures they should be incorporating into their daily routines to prevent gum disease. As a patient himself, David’s insights are invaluable to any dental practice.

Regular people, like myself will benefit from reading this book because David has meticulously covered gum disease from top to bottom. He covers everything from the indicators of gum disease to risk factors associated with gum disease to actionable steps that will help to prevent gum disease. All of these topics are covered with uncommon clarity and a real understanding of the disease.

Chapter Listing

To get a better idea of the specific content you can expect in “What You Should Know About Gum Disease” I’ve provided a chapter listing below:

• Chapter 1 – Discovering an Unwanted Guest: Gum Disease
• Chapter 2 – Professional Care
• Chapter 3 – Home Care
• Chapter 4 – Questions about Gum Disease
• Chapter 5 – The Fight Against Gum Disease Continues
• Chapter 6 – The Mind-Body Connection
• References and Resources
• Gum Disease Resources
• Other Health Resources

What have others said about the book?

“David Snape really gets it…Drawing from his own in-depth experience and knowledge on the subject, Snape enables his reader to go easily beyond the minimal care offered to most Americans. The results will empower his readers to take charge of this vital, yet often-ignored aspect of good health and wellbeing. I only wish I had this book twenty years(and several lost teeth) ago.” – John Corso, MD, author of Stupid Reasons People Die

“This book should be in dentist and doctor’s office waiting areas an health clinics…” – Hillary Yasmer Shemin, RDH, BSDH

How do I order “What You Should Know About Gum Disease”?

To learn more about his book or to purchase “What You Should Know About Gum Disease”, visit David’s personal website, GingivitisKiller.com.

What’s that smell?

I’d like to start this post with a little exercise. Begin by holding you hand(palm facing you) approximately 3 inches in front of your mouth. Now blow a full breath into your hand. While keeping your hand in place, take a whiff of the air in front of your hand. What do you smell? Hopefully nothing, or better yet, something pleasant. For those of you less than happy with what you’re smelling right now, this post may prove to be particularly prudent. I say that half-jokingly because we all know that anyone at any time can have bad breath. Heck, I’m quite diligent with my oral care routine and I still have bad breath from time to time. That being said, I believe we can all benefit from the advice in this post.

Bad Breath Causes

Before I get to the preventative tips, it’s important to understand where bad breath comes from. Bad breath, or Halitosis as it’s formally known, stems from a variety of common sources. The following are common sources of bad breath:

• Certain food such as garlic, onions, fish, meat, cheese, etc.
• Poor general oral hygiene
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Fasting
• Nasal and sinus infections
• Throat infections
• Faulty dental restorations
• Periodontal disease
• Xerostomia(dry mouth)
• Other underlying health conditions

7 Tips for Preventing Bad Breath

Knowing the causes of bad breath can help us to understand the measures we need to take to prevent it. In no particular order, here is a list of preventative measures you can take starting today to reduce the likelihood that you will have bad breath:

1) Brush & Rinse(with water) After Each Meal – Some of you may think I’m crazy for suggesting this. Sure, you may have to get creative if you don’t want to be seen brushing your teeth at work, but this is one of the best ways to ensure that food particles do not get stuck in the pockets surrounding your teeth.

2) Floss at Least Once Per Day – Flossing is equally important as brushing in my opinion. Just like recommendation number one above, flossing is intended to remove food particles from between the teeth. This will, in turn, create an unfavorable environment for bacteria growth. That’s exactly what we’re after.

3) Brush Your Tongue – The tongue carries approximately 50% of the total bacteria in your mouth. Where there’s bacteria, there’s odor. Whack this bacteria by brushing your tongue with toothpaste for at least 10 strokes. The middle 1/3 of your tongue is most prone to bacteria growth so pay special attention to that area. You may also want to try Dr. Weider’s Original Tung-Gel. This is specifically formulated for cleaning the tongue and removing bacteria.

4) Chew Sugarless Gum – Chewing sugarless gum can increase the flow of saliva and reduce the chances you’ll experience dry mouth-related bad breath. If gum isn’t your thing you can also try sugarless throat lozenges to create the same effect.

5) Drink Plenty of Water – This recommendation follows the same lines as the above suggestion. Drinking plenty of water reduces the occurrence of dry mouth by stimulating saliva production. Stick to water as alcohol and caffeinated drinks can lead to Xerostomia.

6) Swap out Your Toothbrush Every 3-4 Months An old toothbrush is a bacteria-riddled toothbrush. Gross, right? Bad breath or not this is a good tip to remember.

7) Quit Smoking – This is easier said than done, I’m sure. However, smoking caused nicotine and tar(among other nasty chemicals) to build up on the cheek walls, tongue, and teeth surfaces. It comes as no surprise that bad breath is nearly inevitable if you smoke. However, following the above tips can minimize your risk for developing bad breath.

Give us your tips

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it covers my top tips for preventing bad breath. Please share any others that you’ve had success with.

Do you incorporate both brushing and flossing into your daily oral hygiene routine yet still have people telling you your breath stinks? It’s really more common than you might think. So, what’s the likely culprit? Your tongue. In fact, many sources now claim that close to 50% of all bacteria in our mouth resides on the tongue – and bacteria spells smelly breath.

Bye, Bye Bacteria

You may be wondering if it’s sufficient to rub your toothbrush on your tongue to remove bacteria. Sure, it is. However, I recently had the opportunity to review a product that does an even better job of ridding your tongue of odor-causing bacteria.

The product is Dr. Weider’s Original Tung Gel. Tung Gel is specifically formulated to do one thing – to clean the tongue. With the incorporation of bacteria-fighting zinc, this product means business. In fact, after just two weeks of sampling this product personally, I’ve decided to incorporate it into my daily routine.

Tasty & Fresh

What’s so good about this product you might be wondering? Two things set this product apart from other tongue cleaning products on the market: taste and effectiveness. Hands down, Dr. Weider’s Original Tung Gel is the best tasting tongue cleaning product that I’ve personally tested. The minty taste is both fresh and refreshing. Secondly, this product is just plain effective. Not only does my mouth feel fresher longer into the day, but my wife’s complaining about my breath far less often. That’s a win in my book.

Product Features(Provided by Dr. Weider)

• Dentists and hygienists now recommend tongue cleansing as an
  essential part of complete oral care.
• Light gel rinses off the tongue cleaner than toothpaste
• Unique great-tasting formula leaves tongue feeling tingly and fresh
• Sudsing helps to remove bacteria and debris from the tongue

Notes

I recommend using the Tung-Brush along with the Tung-Gel to maximize the product’s effectiveness. The Tung-Brush resembles a dental mirror – only short bristles replace the circular mirror portion. This maximizes surface area coverage for optimal tongue-cleaning.

Disclaimer

This was an unpaid review. The Tung-Gel and Tung-Brush were sent to me purely for evaluative purposes.

Have you tried Tung Gel yourself?

What are your thoughts about this product?

Who says dental care can’t be funny? Not me. I dug up 5 of the best dental comedy videos of all time to prove that dentistry has a lighter side. Don’t believe me? Check out these hilarious videos.

#5. McDonalds Dental Ad

I can safely say that next to the Michael Jordan VS Larry Bird “Nothin’ But Net” commercials of the 90’s, this is my favorite McDonald’s commercial of all time.

#4. David After Dentist

This video is one of the most controversial videos of the year posted to Youtube. Appartently, some folks equate this video to child abuse(Read the Today Show’s Analysis of the video). I disagree. In my mind the video is simply chronicalling a funny event in David’s life that the family can look back on and have a good laugh with in the future. I do, however, admit that uploading the video to Youtube while apparently unaware of the viral nature of the site is downright naive and stupid. Nevertheless, lighten up and laugh.

#3. Bill Cosby at the Dentist

In this video, Bill Cosby entertains the crowd with his depiction of a visit to the dentist. Excuse me while I go look for some Cosby Show reruns on TV.



#2. MadTV’s Lorraine Goes to the Dentist

While this is the racier of the videos on the list, it’s just too funny to pass up. If you think you’ve seen nightmare dental patients, check out this video.



#1. Tim Conway – The Dentist on the Carol Burnett Show

I’m sure most of you have seen this epic comedy sketch from the Carol Burnett Show. The dynamic duo, Tim Conway and Harvey Corman provide non-stop laughs in what has the be the #1 dental comedy video of all time.



Your Favorites?

Which video did you like the best from this list? Do you have a favorite not on this list? Please share.

Which Whitening Product is Best?

I get asked quite often which whitening product works best? Frankly, there isn’t a right answer to this question. The whitening product that works best is the one that works best for you. Of course you won’t know which product works best for you without trying them out. Luckily, most major dental product manufacturers realize the intense competition in the market and frequently offer deep discounts to entice you to try THEIR products. Recently, Aquafresh® got into the act with their White Trays® Pro Gentle System™ product.

Aquafresh® White Tray® Pro Gentle System™ Facts

The Pro Gentle System™ is different than normal whitening strips because it includes Pro Gentle™ toothpaste that prepares teeth and helps minimize whitening-related sensitivity. You simply brush with the Pro Gentle™ toothpaste twice a day for 2 weeks prior to whitening and then during your 1 week of whitening. The great thing about the white trays is that you only need apply them once per day for 1 week to experience full whitening benefits.

Aquafresh’s website claims that the White Tray® Pro Gentle System™ whitens 30% better and 25% faster than Crest® Whitestrips® Premium.

Specs:

• Enamel safe
• Visibly whiter teeth in as little as 3 days
• Features Aquafresh® Pro-Gentle™ Sensitive Toothpaste 3.2oz
• Flexible, pre-filled whitening trays for no mess application
• 14 pre-filled whitening trays

Claim $7 Rebate

To claim your $7 rebate on Aquafresh® White Tray® Pro Gentle System™, simply fill out the rebate form on Aquafresh’s website.

Buy Now

If you’d like to purchase the Aquafresh® White Tray® Pro Gentle System™, I recommend Amazon.com.

The Back Story

According to HeraldTribune.com, a Florida mother has been booked on felony child neglect charges for failing to seek proper treatment for her daughter’s severe tooth decay.

The little girl dealt with tooth pain for more than a year before her grandmother suggested to the offender, Tamika S. White, that she take the child to the dentist. Heeding her mother’s advice, Ms. White took her daughter to see a dentist about her tooth pain. The dentist diagnosed the child’s condition as “bottle mouth,” a common form of tooth decay found in infants and toddlers. At this point, Ms. White was informed that Medicaid coverage would not pay for the treatment – which is incidently quite common these days.

Ms. White refused to attempt to collect child support payments from her child’s father. Furthermore, she failed to search for specialists who could treat her daughter that did accept medicare. Privy to this information, the authorities arrested Ms. White on felony child neglect charges.

My thoughts

I’m admittedly struggling a little with assessing blame in this case. On one hand, it seems incomprehensible that a parent would allow their child to suffer without exhausting all treatment and payment options. This case certainly does seem like outright abuse on its face. However, another part of me wondered if Ms. White had the resources to seek a specialist whom accepted Medicare. I also don’t know what the situation is with Ms. White and her child’s father. There could be something there preventing Ms. White from contacting him to ask for child support payments? We don’t know that part of the story.

Your Thoughts

Should Tamika White be in jail on child neglect charges? Is this case black and white, or is there a gray area that we have to consider as I suggest?

Ultimate Dental Health Makeover

Dear Doctor and their sponsors are at it again! That’s right, they’re once again running the Ultimate Dental Health Makeover Contest.

What can I win?

The rules haven’t changed. Whether you need crowns, implants, veneers, orthodontics, periodontics, etc. your expenses will be covered! For a complete list of rules that you should read prior to entering, visit the contest rules page.

Contest Sponsors

The sponsors that will make the 4th Annual Ultimate Dental Health Makeover possible include: Biomet 3i, Osteohealth, Nimbus, Nuvora, Invisalign, OralCDx, Serenity Smiles and Dental Ceramics, Inc. So please thank these fine sponsors by checking out their products.

Where to Enter

To enter, simply visit the official Dental Contest Page on DearDoctor.com and fill out the contest form. However, you’ll have to hurry because the contest will end on May 31, 2009. Good luck!

Most of you can answer this question with a simple “yes” or “no”. You either floss your teeth everyday, without fail, or you don’t. For those of you who floss your teeth everyday, bravo. For those of you who don’t floss your teeth everyday, you need to start.

As I’ve preached in previous posts, your oral health depends on regular flossing – simply brushing is not enough. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of flossing, my friends at About.com Dentistry have put together a nice article on the topic, “Flossing Teeth – How often Should I floss my teeth?“.

If you don’t currently floss your teeth, or you’re having a hard time doing it consistently, I recent came across a new website that can help you to remember. The site, flossedtoday.com, allows you to enter your cell phone number to receive a daily notification reminding you to floss your teeth. Oh yeah, it’s FREE. To receive your daily reminder, visit the flossedtoday.com sign up page. Happy flossing!