Our most-read articles from the week, plus your Cuspies vote is needed

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Here at DrBicuspid.com, we’re not only getting excited about the holidays but also that the next round of voting for the Cuspies awards has officially kicked off! You can see the semifinalists in each of the 12 categories and vote by clicking here. However, like the holidays, this round of voting will be gone before you know it, with voting scheduled to end on Friday, December 22, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time). 

This year’s semifinalists are impressive, and every vote counts. I look forward to seeing which names in these 12 groups make it to the finals (with voting on the eventual winner taking place in January). 

One of this year’s semifinalists for dental educator of the year -- Estela Vargas, CRDH -- wrote a great article that was published this week about something every dental practice would love to do … and that’s get rid of troublesome patients. You know, the ones where you see their names on the schedule and just pray the appointment goes off without a hitch, right? Well, what if you could jettison those folks … and be comfortable doing it? Vargas has some great advice in this article. 

Do you know what else would be great to get rid of in dentistry? Misinformation, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do with a new series from Sarah Stream, MPH. She has taken a look at some of the answers given to questions about dental health and safety on social media and cringed, so she decided to set the record straight about needlesticks in her first column. It is well worth your time to read it. 

Want to read up on some famous people with very interesting choices when it comes to oral care? Check out the lengths that the king of England and a former NFL player go to in order to keep smiling. 

Finally, if you need to find an excuse to smile, check out this article about a 7-year-old musical prodigy who created an amazing song about smiling. You’ll never believe what he used to make the song come to life, and the video is a fascinating look into his young, creative mind. 

As always, my editorial team and I thank you for the trust you put in DrBicuspid.com.

Kevin Henry
Editor in Chief