Drug addicts target dental offices; female dentists battle misconceptions

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The deaths of actor Heath Ledger and model Anna Nicole Smith in recent years have put a spotlight on the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. More recently, there has been speculation that pop icon Michael Jackson was abusing prescription meds obtained from dentists before his death last month.

In fact, as the general public's use of prescription meds has increased, so has the number of addicts trying to get dentists to write prescriptions for them. How can you distinguish between patients who are legitimately in pain and those who are "shopping around" for meds? Read more.

In another sign of the times, contributing editor Rosemary Frei notes that although women now account for nearly half of all U.S. dentists, misconceptions about their ability to balance family, life, and career remain a challenge. Read part I of her two-part series on women in dentistry by clicking here.

Meanwhile, in clinical news, a team of Harvard University researchers has developed what they say is an easy-to-use system for evaluating individual teeth that could help standardize caries assessment, simplify treatment planning, and improve outcomes. Read more.

And over on the Second Opinion page, Dr. Sheri Doniger urges the entire dental team to look more closely, and more often, at their work environment through "patient eyes," while marketing guru Richard Geller shares another secret weapon for attracting new patients to your practice.