Week in Review: Questions for your marketing firm | Dental exam | Kids' bad breath

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

As a practice owner, you want your marketing to convey the right image. But how do you know if a marketing firm is right for you? Dr. Mikaeya Kalantari understands your concerns and specifies seven questions to help you wisely spend your marketing budget.

Thousands of your colleagues have already tried our new Dental Exam feature. This is a free online, interactive study tool that features diagnostic images and sample questions formatted specifically for the upcoming Integrated National Board Dental Exam. Dental Exam is another benefit of your membership with DrBicuspid.com and is a feature you won't find anywhere else. Get started at dentalexam.drbicuspid.com.

In clinical news this week, kids may have bad breath for many reasons, including diet, lack of oral care, and others. Now researchers have identified that an increase in the activity of a specific salivary enzyme, β-galactosidases, also is a culprit. These findings may help you better understand bad breath and how it can be treated.

Finally, a new review concludes that a zirconia implant may look better than a titanium one, but research has yet to show that it is a suitable alternative. This doesn't mean you shouldn't use these implants, however. A high rate of success is possible if you thoroughly plan and choose the appropriate patients for the treatment, the review author noted.