Most of you reading this are wondering what the heck APSR is, not just what kind of shape it is in.APSR stands for Automated Payroll, Scheduling and Reporting.99% of dental offices have automated their billing functions but still do most management functions manually. The irony here is that most managers end up spending most of their time doing these paper based chores manually, instead of actually managing the office. And in small offices, the dentist (or their spouse) has to complete these tas...
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Since mid-2003, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), a national copyright collective that works on behalf of its 70,000 members --- songwriters, composers and publishers --- has escalated its efforts to collect royalties for music from professional workplaces such as dental/medical offices, skating rinks, and government departments.In the past, the ODA has made information available to its members regarding music use in dental offices. This action was prompte...
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If there is a really hot potato that divides SEO experts and Web designers, this is Flash. Undoubtedly a great technology to include sounds and picture on a Web site, Flash movies are a real nightmare for SEO experts. The reason is pretty prosaic – search engines cannot index (or at least not easily) the contents inside a Flash file and unless you feed them with the text inside a Flash movie, you can simply count this text lost for boosting your rankings. Of course, there are workarounds b...
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With the power of the internet, and more eyes watching than ever, it’s important for a dental practice to communicate its unique message clearly. The easiest way to recognize a dental practice and distinguish it from others is by its logo. Below, we go through common logo design mistakes that you should avoid if you want to create a successful and professional logo.
Designed by an amateur
Avoid websites that promote ridiculously cheap logo packages. You get what you pay for.
A d...
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A new line of professionally inspired daily toothpaste featuring clinically proven technologyColgate-Palmolive, a world leader in oral care, proudly introduces Colgate® PROCLINICALTM - an exclusive, new line of professionally inspired daily toothpaste formulated with clinically proven technologies. Engineered by Colgate's scientists and dental professionals, Colgate® PROCLINICALTM empowers consumers to achieve their ultimate smile by brushing daily with professionally inspired formulas i...
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Colgate-Palmolive announced today additional developments and actions by the Company to protect consumers against possible risk from recently reported counterfeit toothpaste. The Company yesterday warned consumers that the counterfeit toothpaste, which has been found in some small, independent dollar-type discount stores, may not contain fluoride and could contain Diethylene Glycol, an ingredient not used in Colgate toothpaste anywhere in the world.The additional developments and actions taken b...
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What the dentistry boom says about our priorities in an economic downturn.One guy in the waiting room is 63 years old, has lost his job at a health insurer and is afraid he'll never find another one. The other guy has three kids—one in college—and lost his construction job before Christmas. The stress of trying to make ends meet has them grinding their canines and molars in the sleep. Which is how they both wound up in the office of Dr. Woody Oakes, a dentist in the New Albany, Ind.,...
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New York City - There's at least one profession the recession isn't taking a bite out of: dentistry. Dental offices had higher profit margins than any other industry in '08, according to Sageworks, a US-based firm that tracks private company financial performance. With average profit margins at 17 percent, dentistry outperformed accounting, tax preparation, legal services, payroll services and mining support services among the top five performing professions in '08.According to the Time/CNN stor...
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There are about 80,000 AIDS cases in India and 1.5 million people infected with HIV, according to the statistics from the WHO and the Indian government. According to experts, if the trend continues, India could have as many as 30 million people with HIV by the year 2010- about twice today’s worldwide count.AIDS specialist David Bloom had mentioned in his speech, "Many experts believe that India will soon have the unfortunate distinction of being the AIDS capital of the world."AIDS, or Acqu...
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If the eyes are the windows into the human soul, electronic communications are the windows for the soul of a business or dental practice. That's why it's so important that when people call your office they get a great view into the quality of service your office provides.
There's an old and very true saying that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Too often, we think this refers more to meeting and interacting with them in person and forget that first impressions...
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Dentpedia Network and our partner MediaMed offers you over 100 comprehensive easy to understand patient education videos, explaining a wide range of dental procedures. Each dental procedure video is less than four minutes long and covers risk, benefits, and alternatives.
The compelling videos are a combination of stunning 3D animation, HD footage of actual dental treatments and multi-lingual voiceovers. Currently available in Spanish, English, and French.
Dental Patient Education includes...
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Planning to choose some new music for your patients to hear while they are on hold? Ideally, no one would ever have to wait long enough for music to be necessary, but we all know that just isn't so. Indeed, researchers tell us that the average person spend almost 45 hours per year waiting on hold!Though music played on hold is meant to soothe, it actually drives people nuts - and some of the music you might think is best may well have scored on the top 10 most annoying on hold tunes. One study o...
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Serve at room temperature is one of those lines in recipes that lead one to wonder…whose room? How hot or cold should it be to keep the food tasty without risking spoilage? How long can the food be left out?
Even though they're not in the same class with edibles, the same questions apply to patients. Unfortunately, there probably isn't a single good answer. And the number of people in your waiting room at any given time further influences the temperature—the more people, the ...
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The management of bruxism has been the subject of a large number of studies. A PubMed search, using relevant MeSH terms, yielded a total of 177 papers that were published over the past 40 years. Of these papers, 135 were used for the present review. Apparently, research into bruxism management is sensitive to fashion. Interest in studying the role of occlusal interventions and oral splints in the treatment of bruxism remained more or less constant over the years: between 1966 and 2007, approxima...
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Poor oral health can adversely affect a person’s quality of life. Pain, missing teeth, and infection can influence the way people speak, eat, and socialize, affecting their physical, mental, and social well-being. There is an association between oral disease and health problems such as diabetes and pneumonia, and there might be a link between oral disease and heart disease, stroke, and preterm and low-birth-weight (LBW) babies. Gingivitis, the mildest form of periodontal disease, is charac...
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A comparison between articaine HCl and lidocaine HCl in pediatric dental patients.PURPOSE: Three identical single-dose, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled multicenter studies were conducted to compare the safety and efficacy of articaine HCl (4% with epinephrine 1:100,000) to that of lidocaine HCl (2% with epinephrine 1:100,000) in patients aged 4 years to 79 years, with subgroup analysis on subjects 4 to < 13 years. METHODS: Fifty subjects under the age of 13 years w...
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term optical, chemical and morphological changes in Invisalign appliances. METHODS: One 'as-received' Invisalign aligner, one 'as-received' Invisalign aligner immersed in artificial saliva for 14 days and 10 Invisalign aligners worn by 10 randomly selected patients for 14 days were used. Fourier'transform infra-red microspectroscopy was used to characterise any molecular changes on the surfaces of the appliances, spectrophotometry was used to evaluate any chan...
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Let’s face it - people do judge a book by its cover. A quality brand increases the likelihood of someone contacting your practice for more information. If you want to attract patients, make sure your brand is memorable. Competition for patients is escalating. #1 Dental Brand Identity A brand identity is a basic business essential that is central to your marketing effort. This myth is aligned with the myth that your practice doesn’t need marketing. Not having a brand makes your pract...
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Gracco A, Mazzoli A, Favoni O, Conti C, Ferraris P, Tosi G, Guarneri MP.Department of Orthodontics, University of Ferrara, Italy.
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the short-term optical, chemical and morphological changes in Invisalign appliances.
METHODS:
One 'as-received' Invisalign aligner, one 'as-received' Invisalign aligner immersed in artificial saliva for 14 days and 10 Invisalign aligners worn by 10 randomly selected patients for 14 days were used. Fourier'transform infra-red microspectr...
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Dental Implant Horror Story - NY Medical Malpractice...
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By Karen Norris
Buying a dental practice is most likely one of the most critical financial decisions a dentist will make. An informed and thorough decision can lead to a successful career and financial stability. A misinformed or hasty decision can cause financial distress and a career with unnecessary emotional stress and struggles. It is no longer an assurance of success in the dental industry to graduate with exemplary clinical skills. A dentist must also focus on the business operations a...
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When you’re thinking about buying a practice, here are some things to consider:
1. Make a list of the reasons why you want to buy all or part of a dental practice. Think about each reason and write down the benefits you hope to realize. Talk about your list with one or more trusted advisors to see if your hopes are realistic.
2. Determine the best timing for your purchase. To do this, you need to know what type, size and location of practice is right for you and what clinical and busines...
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Step 1
Hire a professional web design compay to build a website for your practice. Make sure that the content is written with search engine optimization in mind, so prospective patients will find you when searching the web.
Step 2
Write and send a monthly newsletter to all your patients via email or mail. Include useful information that educates your clients while promoting your dental practice.
Step 3
Create a referral program that rewards patients for sending you new clients.
Step 4
Req...
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Unlike traditional veneers, with LUMINEERS, there are no shots, no drilling of sensitive tooth structure, and no pain. They’re even reversible, so you have nothing to lose…and a beautiful smile to gain. LUMINEERS – beautiful smile, beautiful you.
Click here to view video.
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- Approximately 64 percent of Canadians aged 12 and over visited a dental office in 2003. Statistics Canada, Community Health Survey, 2003 - Average spending on oral hygiene products per household in 2001 was $63. Survey of Household Spending in 2001. Catalogue #62F0031. Statistics Canada - Fifty percent of Canadians visit their dentists once or more every six months. Canadian Dental Association, Pollara Public Survey, January 2005. - The lifetime probability of developing o...
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• Gillian M. McCarthy, BDS, M.Sc. • John K. MacDonald, MA •
Abstract
Comprehensive, standardized data on the sociodemographic characteristics and workload of dentists in different provinces and territories in Canada are not available. The authors mailed a survey to a stratified random sample of dentists (n = 6,444) with three follow-up attempts. The response rate was 66.4%. Significant provincial and territorial differences in sociodemographic characteristics included gende...
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They need it, but don't want it. They want it, but can't afford it now. They walk in excited about the dream, and leave bewildered about the fees. How can you get the right mix of ready-to-accept-treatment smile makeover clients? You've done everything the way they say and it's not paying off. You're presenting the smile possibilities, offering payment plans, and doing advanced cosmetic dentistry CE. You have all the shiny dental technology, the stylish new dental practice, and the greatest dent...
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How do you feel when a business acquaintance asks about your family or a social acquaintance asks about your work? If you're like most of us, the answer is, "I feel good…like those people see me and care about me as a person."
Because being seen as an individual is a powerful experience that can strengthen bonds,your patients will feel good about themselves and about you when you remember to ask about their families and careers.
Keeping track of family members' names and pati...
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Is your dental staff exhausted from trying to organize and keep track of all the information your patient folders contain? Would you like to be able to access patients' records without handling bulky paper folders that test your patience? How about having an online collaboration with other dentists?
You can do all of this and more with Web-based software that provides 24/7 access to all your files in a secure environment. This kind of computer program also allows you to easily redefine o...
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When patients enter your office, they should feel welcome—almost as if they were entering a friend's home. A cold, sterile front desk environment will have exactly the opposite effect. At best, such an environment will make patients feel like they've just entered an unpleasant place. At worst, they won't come back for more.
To judge how welcoming your office is, ask a friend whose judgment and forthrightness you can trust to come in and give you a candid opinion. You may als...
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Hanging pleasing artwork in your dental office adds to the sense of being welcome that patients feel. It also provides them with something to look at, which in turn can give them something to think about other than the dental procedures that triggered their visits.
This last can be especially important for patients coming in for root canal or other dental procedures they secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) dread. The idea of pain is often worse than the actual pain itself, especially sin...
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Everybody's got email these days, but very few dentists are taking full advantage of that fact to grow their practices. Stand out from the crowd by communicating with your patients via email as well as by phone and in person, and you'll stand to make a lot more money!
Be sure to have your dental staff ask for patients' email addresses each time they come in. This may sound redundant, but it really isn't—sometimes people change Internet providers in order to get a better ...
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$300,000 could triple number of needy kids treated
A downtown University of Toronto dental clinic that cares for children from low-income families could treat many more if it received ongoing government funding, says the dentist who runs the program.
The pediatric dental surgery centre got a $250,000 boost from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. The funding will pay for a year-old expansion of its surgical centre, saving children who need dental work under anesthesia from waiting mon...
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Visiting a professional will be more expensive, and reality is the majority of the methods available to Dentists, such as Toothpastes and Bleaching-kits, are accessible to the common man via the internet, mail-order and even over the counter from drugstores and supermarkets. The obvious exception would be in the case where you selected structural changes to your teeth, like Porcelain Veneers or Bonding - which actually alter the shape and size of your teeth. These techniques can cost you anywher...
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Having perfect and healthy teeth is the demand of everyone these days. The reason is that people are turning towards a healthier lifestyle and are willing to put extra efforts to look all the more beautiful with cosmetic dentistry. A smile is the best medicine that can heal all ailments and this has made it mandatory for patients suffering from dental defects, to go for cosmetic dentistry procedures. Whether you happen to stay in NYC or visit this place, your dental defects can be easily cured w...
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A new marketing for dentistry opportunity has developed in the last several years about which most dental practices have absolutely no idea. It presents an excellent dental marketing plan. Did you know that sixty percent of patients do some form of online checking before showing up for their first dental visit? Even when new dental patients are referred to you by one of their trusted friends, they tend to do some form of online validation.
When new dental patients search online for you with t...
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Practice Management is not the Answer
Being a good practice manager is not the answer.
In fact most dentists don’t even think much about practice management. Or practice leadership.
I searched the few dental message boards on the internet for some signs of activity in these areas. It seems dentists aren’t too interested in these areas. There is some interest in practice management but no searches or sites for leadership for dentists.
We like to read about things like bonding...
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In many dental offices across America, the new year means “Doctor, it’s time for my automatic annual raise!”
Many dentists across the country start dreading this phenomenon at the beginning of the holiday season. Staff raises without increased production and collection can mean only one thing: the doctor’s salary decreases. This often alienates both doctor and staff, especially if the annual raise is very low.
This concept is known as the money tree. I'll bet you do...
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Athena Consulting is all about you: your needs, your goals, your dreams, and how our team can get you there – wherever “there” may be.
That’s been our mission from the beginning. And that’s what makes us unique.
So many doctors, dental associations and vendors have asked the question, “What makes you different from other consultants?” The difference is in our approach.
Of course, we do the things the others do. We consult with an office, spot the thi...
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Few things are more frustrating than a Web site that looks hip, slick and cool but doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Unfortunately, I see this happening with dental Web sites all the time.
They have fancy graphics and all the latest Internet "bells and whistles," but they never seem to accomplish their intended goal, which is generate patient traffic and help the dentist grow his or her practice.
Why? Because most of these sites are built by Web designers who have no understandi...
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Conducting an appraisal is always the first step when listing a practice for sale. It is the blueprint for developing the selling price and the written practice description that are used to sell a practice successfully.
Here are the key components of a professional appraisal, which typically is a seven- to 10-page document.
History of the practice. This section provides background on the dentist and the practice, including the length of time the practice has been in existence; current and pr...
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In order to sell your dental services and develop lasting relationships with your patients, it's absolutely critical that your dental staff members develop excellent communication skills.
Why? Because communication is the first step on the road to persuasion, and patients must be persuaded to buy your services. The five stages of persuading someone are to take the person from unawareness to awareness, then to comprehension, conviction and action.
These stages apply to literally any dec...
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Dentpedia and our partner MediaMed offers you over 100 comprehensive easy to understand patient education videos, explaining a wide range of dental procedures. Each dental procedure video is less than four minutes long and covers risk, benefits, and alternatives.The compelling videos are a combination of stunning 3D animation, HD footage of actual dental treatments and multi-lingual voiceovers. Currently available in Spanish, English, and French.Dental Patient Education includes over 100 lessons...
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Starting April 1, 2008, Veterans Affairs is reimbursing dentists up to 100 percent of the current ODA Suggested Fee Guide for VAC-covered services. VAC's dental program is designed to provide basic preventive services and prosthetic care within the limits of dollar amounts and time frequencies. Dentists should become familiar with VAC's dental program and all its limitations to determine exactly what services are covered. Any fees for treatment services not covered by the VAC dental program ar...
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On April 18 2008, the Federal Government announced its intention to ban bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles. Health Canada's risk assessment report on BPA concluded that BPA released from dental sealants and composites is extremely small in comparison to other sources. Any restrictions or regulations on products that may release BPA will focus on polycarbonate baby bottles and infant formula containers, and not dental materials. Source: ODA...
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