Rate your favorite products; are digital records safe? And, alternative latex is here!

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

These days, before they plunk down their hard-earned money, savvy consumers are increasingly turning to Amazon.com, Yelp.com, and other Web sites to see what fellow shoppers are saying about their favorite -- and not so favorite -- products and services.

Now you can do the same on DrBicuspid.com.

This week, as part of our rapidly expanding Buyer's Guide, we've launched our newest feature: a product rating tool. This feature allows you to rate and review the various products and services offered in the DrBicuspid.com Buyer's Guide, plus provide feedback on these products to help both your colleagues and the manufacturers.

Just go to the Buyer's Guide, click on a product category, scan the products listed there, and click on any product you want to rate or review. The rating system appears alongside each product listing. Give it a try!

The digital debate

The decision of whether or not to go paperless in your practice is a very personal and complex one. This past week our General Dentistry Forum has hosted a lively debate on the topic of digital dentistry, prompted by Dr. Helaine Smith's column, "Dear ADA: Enough with the 'wait and see'!" Read what your colleagues are saying -- and add your two cents -- here.

This week Dr. Smith turns her attention to the media's portrayal of dentists and the role these perceptions are playing in the drive to improve access to care for underserved populations. She also suggests her own solution to the problem. Read more.

In other practice management news, Michael Uretz, a 30-year information technology veteran, offers some tips to help dental practitioners ensure that their IT services provider delivers on their promises. And in Marketing Madness, Richard Geller ponders the question: Is e-mailing your patients daily an effective marketing tool? Read more.

On the clinical front, an alternative latex is now making its way into dental products, and latex allergy sufferers are thrilled. And while numerous studies have shown the ability of caries-detection tools to enhance the detection of occlusal lesions, new research suggests they can also trigger more aggressive treatment choices. Read more.

Finally, don't forget to check out the latest addition to our Video Gallery: how to do root canal therapy in a mandibular premolar with three roots, from Tomas Lang, D.M.D.