A common challenge that all of my colleagues and I face is to make sure that our patients’ medical and pharmacology histories are up to date and accurate. This is important because many of the common services offered by dentists are surgical in nature. And any surgery must be performed with exact information in hand. … Continue reading 4 Possible Consequences of Not Having A Current Medical History

Despite the many challenges and changes each year brings (and 2016 has been no exception), we can always think about what we have to be thankful for. For me personally, this includes becoming a grandfather for the first time! But I've also been able to continue practicing dentistry and serving my patients' needs, and I … Continue reading Top Five: Why I’m Thankful to be a Modern Dentist

When I see a patient and I have questions about a medical history, I want information right then at the point of care.  As a dentist with a focus on caring for patients with special needs, the health histories I encounter are usually complex. Having information to read about a disease is important, but sometimes … Continue reading How To Speak To Your Diabetic Patient’s Physician

Halloween is lurking just around the corner so how do we keep our teeth safe from sugar monsters just waiting to attack?! Here are our 5 favorite tips from the American Dental Association for keeping our mouths healthy this Halloween. Time It Right Eat Halloween candy (and other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production … Continue reading Safety from the Sugar Monsters!

Your website should respect the time and needs of your patients, and provide them easily accessible value. Can your website quickly process new patients with digital forms? Does it work well on all devices? Is all of your important information front and center? These are the questions you need to ask yourself when you evaluate … Continue reading Does Your Website Respect the Needs of Your Patients?

I, like many dentists in private practice, am presented daily with a number of professional reading options: printed journals and newsletters, online journals and online communities offering blogs, articles and advertisements.  Hopefully altogether these provide a group of learning sources that keep one clinically sharp, enlightened and stimulated and this range of information from systematic reviews to opinion and surveys … Continue reading Identifying “Predatory” Journals

I’ve witnessed incredible progress made in dental care options over my career, and it continues to keep my work interesting and rewarding. If I had written a “day in the life” thirty years ago it would be very different. Here is a taste of my average work day now: My day begins as I walk … Continue reading Day in the Life of a Modern Dentist

As a long time practitioner with a focus on special needs patients, I have run the gamut when it comes to dealing with patient medical histories. Systematically breaking down complex ones into manageable issues helps determine if I need to modify my standard procedures, and this is so important in providing safe, effective care. This requires … Continue reading RED ALERT: Uncontrolled Bleeding

My new patient has arrived and presents her medical history. Let’s see….there are checks by these history questions: diabetes, heart disease, heart surgery, angina, bleeding disorder, neurological problems, lung disease and prosthetic joint replacement. She takes nine medications and reports an allergy to penicillin. A history with this complexity might seem destined to increase my … Continue reading Complex Medical History = Time and Stress?

As a long time practitioner with a focus on special needs patients, I have run the gamut when it comes to dealing with patient medical histories.  I have experienced and learned the importance of being systematic when dealing with patient’s medical histories and to break them down into issues that are manageable. This requires a specific … Continue reading Red Alert: Susceptibility for Infection