Week in review, plus honoring assistants and more

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Welcome to March! On this first day of a new month, I am in the Dallas area attending the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference. I have been invited to be part of a panel discussing the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in dentistry and what lies ahead. I’m excited about not only sharing my thoughts on this hot topic but also hearing what others believe is the future of AI in our industry. 

As March begins, I want to take a moment to give a huge thank-you to all the dental assistants who make a difference for their patients and practices every day. On Sunday, Dental Assistants Recognition Week officially kicks off, and DrBicuspid will tip our hat to assistants by showcasing articles throughout March highlighting the important role these valuable team members play. That series kicks off today with this insight from a longtime dental assistant about why she stays at her practice and in the industry. 

While we are talking about important team members, I want to point out these thoughts from author Kim McCleskey about why dental service organizations could provide opportunities for assistants and those in the front office to take the next steps in their careers. 

This past week was dominated by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare and the impact it has had on dental practices. I am beyond grateful to my dear friend Teresa Duncan for pointing out the importance of this crisis and taking time over the weekend to record her thoughts on how dental practices are being impacted. This article and video have been shared by countless people, and I hope you take a few minutes to listen to Duncan’s advice. 

Also in the news this week are some viral jaw-defining trends that have gathered not only attention from social media users but also from concerned dentists about their effects. 

Finally, I’m excited to announce that DrBicuspid will be working with the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) on a series of articles focused on topics of interest to dental hygienists. Look for those articles soon. During the recent Chicago 2024 Midwinter Meeting, the AAP announced a dental hygiene engagement initiative to further collaboration between periodontists and hygienists. You can learn more about that here, and you can also see five other things (from whitening to ergonomics) that stood out to me at Midwinter by clicking here. 

As always, thank you for reading DrBicuspid. Here’s to a fantastic start to March for you, personally and professionally. 

Kevin Henry
Editor in Chief