Dear DrBicuspid Member,
We're through another week, and we've learned another thing that dentists and team members should be on the lookout for in the battle against COVID-19.
A rash inside the mouth may be the newest symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a research letter published online July 15 in JAMA Dermatology. The mucocutaneous lesions appeared in patients at a mean of about 12 days after other virus symptoms began.
While COVID-19 has affected all dental practices in different ways, we wanted to find out how practices had changed their setup and way of doing business. In a recent podcast, we spoke to one Oregon dentist who explained how she turned her operatory into a "clean room" and what that meant for her, her team, and her patients.
In other virus-related news, HIV on its own does not increase the risk of children getting caries; instead, a weakened immune system, stemming from other diseases, affects cavity prevalence, according to a study published on July 2 in Scientific Reports.
The effects of COVID-19 have not only shown the way for new infection control and prevention procedures but also revealed what kind of leadership was at work within the dental practice before, during, and after the pandemic. This week, Dr. Dennis Pezzolesi broke down the five different styles of leadership that he has seen in his dental career and the good and bad that each can bring to the business.
Finally, I'd like to wrap up my thoughts with a positive article from the past week. Dr. Bill Dischinger shared an emotional time of despair and hope with our readers. He described how improving someone's smile through the use of clear aligners helped with her recovery and also a renewed spirit to help others attempting to overcome similar obstacles.
I hope your summer is going well and your family and friends are staying safe. Thanks, as always, for reading DrBicuspid.com!
