More from the CDA meeting: sports dentists, cancer diagnostics, and new products

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

More DrBicuspid team coverage from the California Dental Association (CDA) fall meeting in San Francisco last week:

• Sports dentists can play a vital role in protecting athletes' oral health, said Howard Chi, D.M.D., M.A., a University of the Pacific sports dentist who also serves as team dentist for a number of college and professional sports teams. Click here to read his recommendations on mouthguards and treating sports-related injuries such as enamel fractures and lost teeth.

• With the prevalence of skin cancer growing at an alarming rate, dentists and hygienists can aid in the early diagnosis of the disease by knowing the signs and symptoms of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, according to Shannon Nanne, R.D.H. Read more.

• The CDA meeting also served as a launching pad for a number of new products, such as the PracticeWorks Pearl, a mobile data access application designed for iPhone and Blackberry users that enables dental professionals to tap into their practice management systems from anywhere to read or update patient charts, check their schedules, view diagnostic images, order prescriptions, contact referring doctors, and more.

And stay tuned for more DrBicuspid conference coverage this week, from both the CDA meeting and the American Academy of Periodontology meeting taking place in Boston.

Finally, Second Opinion columnist Dr. Sheri Doniger offers some tips on how to enhance your relationship with your patients by offering them general health advice and related services, while the newest addition to the Coaches Corner, Dr. Ronald Arndt, shares his top 10 time management techniques.