AAWD president interviewed; dental sleep medicine evolves; Levin on communication

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The president of the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD), Dr. Tawana Lee Ware, draws on her diverse experience working in public health and private practice to teach her students at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. Dr. Ware would like to see more women in leadership roles in dentistry and the development of equipment that is ergonomically designed for women dentists. Read Features Editor Donna Domino's interview here.

The dental sleep medicine landscape is rapidly evolving. Dentists are now taking advantage of home sleep testing technology and networks of certified sleep physicians who can provide interpretation and diagnosis. Patients with sleep apnea can now get an effective oral appliance quickly, according to John Nadeau of Sleep Group Solutions. Read more about this growing field here.

Everything you do as the practice leader involves communication with your team, your patients, and the larger community. By improving your communication skills, you become a better leader, the team becomes more effective, and the practice is positioned to increase production, according to Dr. Roger Levin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test for women 25 and older that can be used to determine whether these women should have additional diagnostic testing for cervical cancer. The test can also provide information about a patient's risk for developing cervical cancer in the future. Read more here.

Today, DrBicuspid.com is running another New in Brief about dentists and other healthcare professionals filing their federal taxes and finding out that someone has already filed taxes under their name and identification number. Your office might be beyond compliant with all professional clinical standards, but are you up to standard on preventing identity theft? Has a colleague, or have you, experienced identity theft? What steps do you take to protect your practice and yourself?