Preparing for the journey to South Africa, plus this week's top stories

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

On Tuesday, I will start the journey to Pretoria, South Africa, to take part in the 2024 South African Dental Association (SADA) Congress and Exhibition. I have the honor of being one of the leaders of the dental assisting track at the meeting, as well as speaking to dentists and team members from the main stage before I make the journey back to my home in Colorado.

This is the second time I have spoken at SADA, with my first trip being in 2018. During that trip, my wife and I stayed in South Africa for three weeks with a dear friend and colleague serving as our driver as we spoke along the route to several dental study clubs between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Add in a safari before that drive began and it was truly one of the time periods that I will never forget on many levels.

Here is the video I made for SADA to promote my time there, and I hope you can see my excitement about the upcoming trip.

During my travels to South Africa in 2018, Tony Edwards, a dear friend (and former editor in chief here at DrBicuspid), asked me to write for DrB about what I saw and the differences between South African dentistry and the profession in the U.S. This is one of the articles, and reading it was a good reminder of what I need to be prepared for when it comes to my talks and working with my audiences.

While I will be in another time zone next week, I'm going to bring you along with me through a series of video blogs and podcasts. I want to make sure DrBicuspid readers see that, despite the miles between Jacksonville, FL; Joplin, MO; and Johannesburg, there are plenty of reasons why all of you in the dental industry are fighting the same battles, no matter your nationality.

I will talk to you next week from the air. I can't wait for that.

Stories you should know from the past week

Are dental practices taking things too far on social media? When it comes to bypassing infection control standards in the pursuit of likes and follows, Mary Govoni thinks it's time to take a step back and consider the bigger picture.

A 58-year-old healthy man with stellar oral hygiene and dietary habits developed carious lesions on almost every posterior tooth adjacent to where he habitually held a sugar-free nicotine lozenge, according to a recent case report.

Looking to see how other dental practices are handling the current staffing shortage? Beth Gaddis asked some dental service organization leaders how they're navigating these uncharted waters. Here are their answers.

Sleeve gastrectomy may improve periodontal health in patients with and without type 2 diabetes largely due to a significant reduction in inflammatory biomarkers, according to a recent study.

Video footage of a dental practice employee reading the private journal of a patient undergoing cancer treatment aloud to other team members went viral last week.

Following an emergency dental procedure during the NBA playoffs, a member of the Boston Celtics and Team USA in the recent Olympics is now a brand ambassador for the practice.

Have a fantastic weekend. On behalf of my entire amazing editorial team, I thank you for reading DrBicuspid.com.

Kevin Henry
Editor in Chief