DrBicuspid.com Practice Management Insider

Dear Practice Management Insider,

Faced with a chronic shortage of experienced dental assistants, a Montana dental practice has come up with a novel solution. In this latest Insider Exclusive, we talked to E. Wade Wilde, DMD, who developed a way to produce experienced dental assistants, a profession that is expected to grow 31% in the U.S. by 2020.

In other Practice Management Community news, the ADA has launched a new campaign to address America's dental crisis. Read about the range of initiatives officials proposed to end the "dental divide," including how to divert patients with dental emergencies from hospital emergency rooms to local dentists.

And several organizations, including the ADA and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, are urging federal officials to reconsider the interpretation of the final rule on health insurance premium tax credits. Click here to read their proposal that tax credits should be calculated to include the cost of standalone pediatric dental coverage in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In a related story, the ACA does not lower costs or increase access to dental care, according to an ADA analysis. Read who is expected to get more care and who is not under the new law, and what the ADA says can increase access to dental care.

In other news, embezzlement happens all too often in dental offices large and small. Dentists are more likely to be able to stop it by completing a short questionnaire about the proclivity of employees to steal than by implementing a long embezzlement-prevention checklist, according to an expert in the field.

And the last few years have witnessed a growing problem in the dental industry: the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products. Click here to read how to avoid them and keep your patients safe in the process.

Image also is important -- be it the dentist, the dental team, or the office environment. In the latest installment of our popular "15 Minutes to Excellence" video series, practice management consultant Linda Miles shares her thoughts on how to ensure that you and your team are making the best impression on your patients every day.

And whether you are upgrading your present vendor's practice management software or purchasing a new system, chances are your implementation will not go as smoothly as you would like. Here are some tips to help ensure a more positive and successful experience for all involved.

Finally, although not as well-known as her celebrity chef husband, Iron Chef-restaurateur Jose Garces, a Philadelphia dentist is quietly making her own mark as a dentist committed to providing oral care for poor immigrants. Read how Beatriz Mirabal Garces, DMD, provides free dental care through her family's foundation and the Puentes de Salud's dental program.