“Sixty new patients per month with the new dental sign!” said one dentist.

“A mini dental implant ad can help many people with denture problems," offered another dentist. "Oh yeah, and my campaign brought in thousands in restorative revenue."

“My radio ad with dental website support led to over 200 calls in 4 days!" boasted an Illinois dentist.

Read more about this dental patient marketing survey: Dental Marketing Campaigns

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Many dental practices are closed on Fridays. "On Friday, if the weather was nice, patients always cancelled," said one dentist. "We work Tuesday evenings instead. The staff and I love 3-day weekends. Nice quality of life. I highly recommend it."

But for some, the economic reality is a harsh wake-up. "With the new economy, I will need to start opening on Fridays and take what I can get," said another dentist. "Going broke in Alaska!"

If a patients wants or needs evening and weekend hours… and you don't offer them… then that patient will find a dentist who does.

Here are some comments from dentists:

• "Early morning hours are good." (Connecticut dentist)
• "Patients like afternoon hours." (Athens Greece dentist)
• "Evenings are popular." (Maryland pediatric dentist)
• "Saturday morning and early afternoon appointments are very popular with our patient population." (Ohio prosthodontist)
• "Friday is a highly productive day because I see only high production cases without all of the small procedures interrupting my case."

Read more - Dentist Schedules: Time Management Meets Dental Management

Russian-born Dr. Val Kolpakov's collection includes a stunning 1800 toothpastes and tooth powders from across the globe. Here are some of the more unusual types he's gathered:

• Hazelnut Chocolate Toothpaste gift set from Italy
• Scotch Whiskey 6 Proof Toothpaste
• "Breath Palette" toothpaste in 31 flavors including: Indian Curry, Cola, Cafe au Lait, Sweet Salt, Pineapple, Green Tea, Honey, Kiwi Fruit, Bitter Chocolate, Caramel, Pumpkin Pudding, Fresh Yogurt, and Lavender
• World War II era toothpaste Doramad, containing an active radioactive compound. "During those times, some people believed that radiation can revive dead tissues and that radioactive toothpaste can revive your gums," explains the dentist.

The dentist, a denture specialist, displays part of his collection at his denture clinic.

His toothpaste collection spans centuries and includes dental care samples from across the world. He's particularly fond of unusual flavors, mis-printed tubes, and historical samples.

Good luck trying to find a dentist who knows more about toothpastes! Read more about the toothpaste collection or visit the doctor’s “Toothpaste World” website

However, some patients keep their dentist even after moving hundreds – sometimes thousands – of miles away.

“I’m a specialist," said one periodontist, "so we have quite a few patients from the coast, which is 90 miles away."

Agreed a dental implant dentist, "Many of our patients travel up to 4 hours by car for their treatment." An orthodontist seconded this, saying, "I have had a few patients who have travelled 150 miles one way to come to my office." 

"Including the guy who comes from Palm Beach?" asked a New York oral surgeon. "Not enough patients come from far away!"

Maybe it's New York… “I have both an active local clientele and an international clientele,” boasted a prosthodontist from that state.

Read more about this dental management issue: Dental Patient Travel Distance: Dentist Survey Results

Facebook is the clear leader; half of dentists use it professionally, and 4 out of 5 are on Facebook for personal purposes. One in three dentists uses Twitter professionally, and one in three is on Linked In.

“I believe they will and have had a great impact on dental marketing," predicted one dentist. "It remains to be seen exactly how this will impact patients actually using these sites to select their dentists."

“Social Networking is FREE," raved a website designer. "It gives your dental websites visibility that they would not otherwise have. Most everyone under 50 use the internet for everything. Print is gone, and the internet social media is free right now, so why not take advantage of this?"

Here are some more comments from dentists:

• “It seems a little non-professional, but I don't knock those who do. I'm personally annoyed with my chiropractor's posts, so skip over them. I imagine my patients would do the same.” (Texas dentist)
• “Too new…not sure of impact.” (Pennsylvania orthodontist)
• “I think all of these sites are a huge time killer!" (Alabama dentist)
• “No online social networking personally or professionally anymore. Most of it is a waste of time. I'd rather spend the valuable time with my wife and kids.” (Ohio prosthodontist)
• “I have begun to use LinkedIn for contacts across the nation for my orofacial myology business.” (Nebraska dental hygienist)

Read more: Dentists & Social Media for Online Dental Marketing

Hundreds of denture patient lawsuits are being consolidated in federal court. The manufacturers of zinc-based denture creams are accused of failing to warn consumers about the health risks of long-term zinc exposure.

Glaxo maintains that its products are safe when used as directed. However, when dentures don't fit well, patients may compensate by using extra cream. After years, this can lead to neurological problems

Zinc was approved by the FDA 15 years ago for use in denture cream. Prior to 2008, manufacturers did not disclose the zinc content of their products.

Read more about denture care: Glaxo to remove zinc from denture cream

“We treat kids, but most of our dental marketing is geared toward adults 35-65," said one dentist. "We don't turn kids away, but we don't encourage them either."

"Family dentistry is more fun!" declared a pediatric dentist. "Dentistry for children leads to orthodontics which leads to wisdom teeth which leads into restorative and cosmetic dentistry."

Read more about pediatric dentists: Does your dental practice encourage pediatric patients?

“2010 has arrived,” Jim says. “While the president talks about the state of the union… what about the state of dentistry?

"Is dentistry stuck in the same hole as the rest of the country?” he asks.

“Pretty much, folks,” he continues.

“Our surveys tell us that the average dental practice production is down from 15% to as much as 50%…

“But the real culprit is unemployment.

“The President tells us that unemployment is at 10% nationwide and our country’s #1 problem. But if you dig deeper, looking at all the numbers… the real unemployment number is closer to 17.5%.

“How does this translate to dentistry? Roughly speaking, this 17.5% – and all their family members – are out of the dental market, unless they are in pain… at which point they turn into an emergency appointment, one that does not convert into a full treatment plan, because they don't have the money!

“If dental implant, cosmetic dentistry and braces patients have been a little scarce lately in your practice… it's simple. These are highly discretionary services. No one is in pain here, and money is tight.

“Now at this point, as a dental management guru, I'm supposed to kick your tush and tell you to get out there and spend some money on marketing for new patients.

“Well, I'm not going to do that.”

Want to know what Jim suggests? Just go to www.TWDU.info to view the video and learn more.

On the other hand, half think we still need more research. "The ADA must respond only to true science," one dentist declared.

BPA, an ingredient in some dental sealants and dental composites, has been getting a lot of bad press… this could be a serious dental management issue for cosmetic dentistry in the not-too-distant future.

When asked if the ADA should take a stand against dental bisphenol A, here’s what dentists had to say:

• "The ADA should conduct a thorough Scientific Study so we do not have another 'amalgam controversy.'" (Kentucky dentist)
• "Whatever the studies show, the ADA needs to get that PR out to the public… If we say nothing, then the only voice the public hears will be other voices." (General dentist)
• "Look into this more fairly before alarming everyone, perhaps unnecessarily." (New York dentist)
• "I think that we need all appropriate in vivo experimental and clinical studies in order for the proper authorities to rule one way or the other."
• "BPA is linked to female issues. We need to be preemptive, even if there is a doubt. What are they waiting for, a return to amalgams?" (Michigan dentist)
• "I have a one year old and we make sure never to have him use bottles or other items made of BPA. Most companies that produce products placed in babies mouths are removing BPA from them (bottles, pacifiers, etc). Therefore, why should dentists continue to use dental sealants with BPA? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense." (Ohio prosthodontist)
• "It is my understanding that BPA itself is not an ingredient in composite materials, but bis-GMA, which is made from BPA. The amount of unconverted BPA in dental materials is almost undetectable and has not been shown to be a health threat. There is also no better alternative material for long-term restoration of the dentition."

Read more: Dental BPA: ADA Stance on Bisphenol-A Divides Dentists