Thanks to referrals of pediatric trauma cases from a pedodontist I work with I have had to get good at quick efficient ways to restore anterior trauma cases in composite. One of the greatest tips is to make a silicone matrix off a wax-up done on a model. I actually have two waxing units, one at home and one at the office. It's fun and it is quick and Read More
Dr. Lou’s Quote
One of my all time favorite quotes speaks to the difference the timing of information has to the perception of the person receiving it. Many times in life when we explain something after a negative consequence it is perceived as an excuse or explanation. The exact same information shared ahead of time as something that might possibly happen is perceived as Read More
Dress & Grind Diamond
The Dress n Grind Diamond is a great tool from Brasseler that I use to reshape polishers and finishing diamonds. You hold the Dress n Grind in your hand and with the bur int eh hand piece you can refinish the tip, or reshape a stone or silicone polisher to the shape you need to get into small interproximal or subgingival spaces. Read More
Dental Office Systems Assessment
I use an office system assessment as a way to go back and see what systems are still working int he office and what ones might need attention. At an office meeting we make a list of all the systems and then grade them as to how they are working to accomplish our goals. Then we can look at the ones that didn't get excellent grades at subsequent meetings we Read More
Dental Rest Position
We talk a lot about patients who clench and grind. The reverse is the dental rest position and having the teeth separated. Have you ever thought of discussing this with your patients. Creating an awareness of the three criteria of dental rest can help patients diminish their own parafunction. Read More
Staff Appreciation Gram
All of us strive to create a high performing team where all the daily tasks get done exquisitely, with smiles on every face and patients feeling cared for. There are lots of pieces of creating this kind of trusting effective work environment, and one of the critical ones is that team members know they are appreciated. In our office a team member came up with Read More
Lower Anterior Esthetics
Have you ever taken a continuing education course just on designing lower anterior esthetics? Probably not as they are sometimes the forgotten stepchild of esthetic dentistry. The problem with this is that lower anteriors are seen, and are the teeth most seen when we speak. Our lower anterior display also increases as we age. Speaking to patients about the Read More
Kids & Apnea
Apnea is a mainstream conversation today for adults as well as healthcare providers. One of the questions is at what age do we start to worry about this, can we help kids who show the signs of apnea early and prevent life time problems. Do your pediatric patients snore, this is a telltale sign. Learn about a great app that can record sleep sounds and help Read More
Digital Photo Management
Digital images are a key piece of patient communication, clinical diagnosis and documentation. Once you start routinely taking images you will need to solve the dilemma of file storage. Read More
Painless Palatal Injection
Palatal injections are every patient's worst nightmare, which means we hate having to give them. What if you could do them when you need and not worry about a bad patient experience? Read More