Dentists on products in a practice; Levin on insurance; air-abrasion powder performance

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In a competitive and challenging marketplace, new ways of working with your patients to increase their compliance, improve their oral health, and help your practice thrive are needed. One solution is to bring consumer products into a practice. DrBicuspid.com talks with two established dentists who share their experiences of offering products in their practices.

Dental insurance is a complex issue for many practices. It can require a great deal of administrative time, and team members may find it challenging to provide proper information and customer service to patients. But practices that assist patients with insurance issues will be viewed very favorably -- something that's essential for patient retention, according to Dr. Roger Levin.

Rotary instruments can damage enamel when it's time to remove a failing resin composite restoration -- but there's a better way. Researchers compared two air-abrasion powders to gauge their performance in selectively removing restorative material while leaving enamel unharmed. Read Associate Editor Rob Goszkowski's article here.

In the latest in our Leaders in Dentistry series, DrBicuspid.com talks with Dr. Kianor Shah, chairman of Dental Equities, about his experiences coming out of dental school, what he believes are the advantages of private practice, and where group practices may go wrong. Read more of this interview here.

We're very pleased to welcome Philips as the sponsor for the Hygiene Community. Click here to read more of our in-depth coverage of hygiene issues.