Week in Review: Dentures found in patient's throat | 5-year plan | Access to patient records

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

An older patient comes to your practice days after surgery, citing pain, bleeding, and swallowing difficulties. Is your first thought that your patient might have a respiratory infection, or should you check for something blocking the throat -- like maybe their dentures?

While the need to remove dentures before surgery seems basic, the above story is a good reminder that sometimes steps are missed during procedures. I imagine every reader of DrBicuspid.com has a story to share of a similar circumstance.

Also this week, developing a five-year plan is one of the most powerful exercises you can undertake, writes Dr. Roger P. Levin in his latest Practice Success tip. This plan is about more than your practice; it's about where you want to be in five years in all aspects of your life.

Many dental practices feel excluded from patient information held by insurers. Now one insurer, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has launched an online tool that gives dentists access to a patient's medical history and current prescriptions. The new Dental Patient Health History portal is designed to help dentists improve patient outcomes and, hopefully, reduce costs.

We'll finish with a report about the discovery of a new population of stem cells that holds the possibility of innovative dental treatments. The research is still in its early stages, but it may signal new directions in treating tooth decay, caries, and trauma in the future.