Peer-reviewed publications vs. blogs

Peer-reviewed publications vs. blogs

The Second Viewpoint weblogs and boards on DrBicuspid.com are intended to be a fast indicates of upgrading information and starting conversation on choose subjects affecting the exercise of dental care. They also offer a appearing panel for those on the top side collections following recommendations and using products to offer medical care.

Blogs are useful because they can be an efficient way to connect opinion -- opinion that is examined and addressed when there are arguments. In this way, they can be a appearing panel. Blogs do not have the more specific evaluation of content that is offered by the employees publishers, who will take a latest peer-reviewed content and search for "expert" opinion on the credibility and significance of that book.

In inclusion to my efforts to DrBicuspid.com, I also get involved in the peer-review procedure as a medical manager of the radiology area of Oral Surgery treatment, Oral Medication, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology; the radiology manager for Cranio; and the deputy manager of the Worldwide Publication of Computer Served Radiology and Surgery treatment. As such, I am acquainted with the peer-review procedure. Usually, four to six evaluators are allocated any medical document that is regarded worth evaluation, and for at least one of the publications I help modify, the being rejected amount can strategy 85%.

For medical documents, the writers need to extensively evaluation the current literary works and illustrate either a debate that is in need of explanation or a lack of information that needs solving. They then need to create a speculation and legitimate and reproducible indicates of examining that speculation. The conversation and outcomes should be substantiated by the outcomes.

For therapy routines, the biggest way of evidence is produced by potential randomized scientific tests. Very few such research are available for dental therapy that offer high evidence of enhanced medical care outcomes. It should be informed, however, that the lack of powerful medical evidence should never be considered as being the same as a therapy or that the analytic method is worthless. It essentially implies that nobody has yet performed tests that are regarded to be of the finest quality.

For analytic picture, the perfect defacto conventional would be evidence of illness existence or lack in vivo. This is not always easy to accomplish as one usually does not wish to draw out tooth (for example) basically to figure out whether proximal dental caries is existing or missing. Surrogates are therefore sometimes applied for analyzing picture methods. For dental caries, this often includes produced tooth placed in plaster with a spread method to signify soft-tissue outcomes.

Such in vitro research never completely signify the in vivo scenario. When natural illness is used, this is a affordable "rough and ready" information for evaluating modalities; however, when patches are simulated by a bur, they only signify recognition of bur falls rather than noniatrogenic illness.

It is the part of the peer-review procedure to identify credibility of statements in a medical document and especially to make writers add appropriate caveats when required.

So what is the part of the blog? It is mainly to conversation places that are questionable and offer personal opinions concerning problems that cannot be made the decision by technology. It should be used carefully, and where evidence is available, this should be recommended. Blogs should not be used as a activity title to goad, irritate, and offend. Yes, people will have different opinions on many problems. This is the place to air such variations and create the justifications for and against each perspective based on the best evidence.

Remember: The weblog is not peer-reviewed and has an approval amount nearing 100%. But when it comes to weblogs and boards, you need to act as your own "peer reviewer" and query everything that is offered before following the recommendations that are made.

Health reformers set attractions on dentistry

Health reformers set attractions on dentistry

Despite all the jawboning about health proper care change in Washington, DC, these days, political figures have said very little about tooth. That shouldn't surprise anyone. Oral treatment has lived outside the main body of U.S. health proper care almost provided that there have been doctors. But now that's starting to change.

Perhaps for the first time, the prominent dental wellness companies are seeking a larger govt role in dentistry. And in response, members of The legislature have allegedly gone as far as suggesting a verbal benefit in Medical health insurance.

"The main point here is that dental wellness is critical to our wellness and that dental wellness should be involved as an element of our wellness change," said Caswell Evans, D.D.S., M.P.H., who heads the Oral Health Action Partnership, a coalition of the 12 largest U.S. dental wellness companies (see sidebar).

So far the coalition hasn't agreed on any specifics.

And a split is emerging between those groups who think health proper care change should include insurance coverage for everyone and those who aren't so sure. Still, the fact that so many companies want dentistry to be involved in health proper care change is remarkable in itself.

Dentists successfully lobbied to be omitted from Medical health insurance when it was established in the Sixties. Even as recently as 15 years ago, many of these companies had little taste for the process. "Under [President Bill] Clinton, there were dedicated efforts to keep dentistry out of the debate," said Dr. Evans, a University of Illinois at Chicago College of Oral treatment associate dean and a power behind the 2000 Office of the Physician General's "Oral Health in America" report.

Lots of dental offices cherish their freedom. "Let's make sure we FLY UNDER THE RADAR of that entity we call the govt for provided that possible!" had written one dental professional, posting on a DrBicuspid.com forum. "Look what they have done to medicine and their plans."

So what has changed? For one thing, studies have linked periodontitis to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other sometimes critical diseases, forcing a growing emphasis on the importance of dental health proper care in retaining wide spread wellness.

Surgeon Common Bob Satcher in 2000 called attention to differences in dental proper care, directing out among other facts that 2.5 periods as many people absence insurance coverage as absence insurance coverage.

News reports have focused on such impressive images as patients lining up the night before a medical center offers a day of services. And nothing has modified behaviour about dental proper care more than the case of Deamonte Driver, the Doctor 12-year-old who died of an abscess in 2007 after his mother couldn't find a dental professional who accepted State health programs. "Boom Time for Dentists, But Not for Teeth," read a title in the New York Times, directing an blaming finger at dentists' rising earnings.

So nearly all the dental wellness companies agree that the govt has to get more involved in solving these problems. They just haven't come together on how far the solving should go.

Humana offers personal dental insurance

Humana offers personal dental insurance

The ADA wants the govt to pay attention to the lowest -- what Bill Prentice, home of the company's California, DC, workplace, calls "fixing the torn safety net."

High on the ADA's plan are a rise in Condition medicaid applications compensation and compulsory dental advantages for adults on Condition medicaid applications. Many declares have never offered adult dental protection through Condition medicaid applications, and others terminate it in a down economy -- as several declares are positioned to do now.

The ADA also wants the govt to invest more in non-urban wellness facilities and applications such as the Nationwide Health Assistance Corps that bring dental practitioners to areas where they are limited. It would like the feds to help provide more precautionary applications, such as sealants and fluoride, and to improve dental wellness attention through school curricula and community service reports.

Many other organizations, such as the Academia of General Dental proper care, the Organization of Condition and Territorial Dental Administrators, and the Nationwide Organization of Dental Plans have defined similar main concerns in their plan claims.

What these claims don't address is the $48 billion dollars question in health proper care reform: How to help individuals who can't afford their own insurance strategy but still make too much money to be eligible for a Medicaid?

Prentice claims that most dental treatment is relatively affordable. "If someone can't get the dental treatment they need, that's a problem that needs to be resolved," he said. "It's something we need to think about. But as a first step, it's important to pay attention to those in most need."

Already the ADA has determined an approach it doesn't want to see: dental advantages in Medical health insurance. The organization had written to Sen. Mark Bingaman (D-NM), who is working on a health proper care modify program, to disapprove the idea after reading a set up of a bill the senator was writing, Prentice said. (Queried by DrBicuspid.com, the senator's workplace dropped to opinion.)

"Fundamentally, it is a matter of asking govt to use its restricted sources in a manner that provides those with the least first, and Condition medicaid applications -- not Medical health insurance -- is where those restricted sources are needed most," Prentice told DrBicuspid.com in an e-mail.

The ADA isn't actually compared to seeing insurance strategy included in some other sort of community program, but would source opinion until particular regulation comes out, Prentice said.

Meanwhile, a few other organizations have indicated what they don't want to see. In its plan declaration, Delta Dental is contrary to "any program that erodes current, extensive dental benefit applications already in position in the group advantages market" and "any program that removes the role of third-party directors by developing a single-payor, government-sponsored program."

For one and all

Others, meanwhile, are forcing definitely to cover everyone. "What a number of us want is worldwide wellness insurance strategy plan that does consist of a dental program," said Honest Catalanotto, D.M.D., a School of California Higher education of Dental proper care lecturer who is chair of the Legal Panel of Oral Health America and a member of the American Dental Education Organization Legal Advisory Panel. "It should be part of the program."

How would dental practitioners be compensated? "However the medical is paid for," Dr. Catalanotto said. "I would believe a mixture of personal and company, and the govt would pay for those who can't pay for themselves."

Hardly anyone, such as Dr. Catalanotto, is getting much more particular than that. "It's not the dental wellness community's position to say how it gets done," said Port Bresch, the ADEA's head of legislative plan development. Oral wellness, after all, accounts for only 5¢ of the U.S. health proper care dollar.

So instead, dental wellness organizations are concentrating most of their initiatives on telling associates of The legislature to consist of dental wellness -- in some form -- as they come up with a strategy.

For now, the shape of that overarching strategy remains uncertain. But a few wide describes are starting to appear as The legislature mulls what's politically possible, said Burton Edelstein, D.D.S., M.P.H., a Mexico School Higher education of Dental Medicine lecturer and creator of the Kid's Dental Health Project. He said associates of The legislature have resolved on the following criteria:

Keep it simple, because Hillary Clinton ran into so much trouble when she suggested a complicated health proper care modify strategy in the 90's.
Build on what individuals already have, so they don't feel like they're giving anything up.
Leave details to individuals and organizations that provide the advantages.
Get support from drug organizations and insurance strategy providers who scuttled the Clinton strategy.
Parcel out the bills to a variety of committees rather than dealing with one extensive piece of regulation.
Given that strategy, Dr. Edelstein believes the modify in dental health proper care protection will come in slow amounts, such as the Kid's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other state-run applications. "Overall, I don't think we're going to see any impressive modify," he said.

The 3 (unexpected) keys to successful e-mail marketing

The 3 (unexpected) keys to successful e-mail marketing

Isn't it hard to keep writing all these e-mails? And can you have someone else do it for you?

Let me use this column to talk about some of the objections to what I suggested in a previous column -- that is, to e-mail as often as once a day if possible, to be very informal, to bring up and deal with anxiety and negatives, and to close every e-mail with an offer.

First, the matter of frequency. It is a fact that some people hate getting an e-mail from you every day. In fact, they will unsubscribe from your list if you mail them every day.

Yet, mailing every day is the single most effective thing most dentists can do with their list.

Why?

First, people build a relationship with you because they hear from you so often.

Second, they remember when they subscribed. They are not likely to complain about your e-mail to their e-mail provider, so you are less likely to be blocked.

Third, and most important, your buyers are people who will like and trust you. By turning off some people through frequent e-mail, you will turn on others, who will like you a lot.

Frequency is a fantastic tool for effective e-mails.

Now, about how hard it is to write these e-mails. I suggest you dictate into a USB recording device. Or use a service like zetadental.com.au that lets you dictate into your cell phone, then they transcribe and e-mail for you. So easy!

In fact, you should write like you talk. People will love you. Or they'll hate you and unsubscribe. Big deal. You want to be polarizing so you get those rabid fans. And you can only do that by being really, really you.

Dental patients see you as their friend (or not). It's a relationship to them and to you. If they like you through your e-mails, they will like you in person. And you will like them. The only way to have this honest mutual like is for you to really project your personality. And that means some people off will be turned off.

Take my articles. Some people hate them. They think I am a big promoter and that I encourage doctors to oversell to their patients. These folks hate selling. But other folks like my articles, and they like doing business with me.

I polarize and that way I have passionate customers. I also turn off some people, and they stay away, which is fine with me.

Get it?

This leads to the third question: Do you have to do this all yourself?

I have figured out a way for you to subcontract the whole kit and caboodle, this matter of list building and e-mail marketing and all. But you really should do it all yourself.

I'm going to put on a free webinar soon in which I will share everything I know about advertising and e-mail marketing. Then you really can do it yourself.

E-Woo launches new digital imaging systems

E-Woo launches new digital imaging systems

Equipped with a next-generation complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, PaX-Primo delivers diagnostic panoramic x-ray images equal to digital photo quality, according to the company.

The PaX-Primo(i) offers optional automatic layer selection algorithm (ALSA) functionality to produce optimal digital diagnostic images by using Vatech's proprietary area adaptive mode (AAM) solution, the company said. The AAM solution captures and instantly processes multiple oral trough layers during a single panoramic scan, and intelligently reproduces a final diagnostic image by selecting the optimal single layer in different image regions to minimize image distortion.

Vatech & E-Woo also recently introduced the Master 3DS, the newest member of its dental cone-beam CT family. With a new graphics processing unit solution, 3D reconstruction time has improved to less than 35 seconds with even less 3D CT scan time: 15 seconds for normal and 24 seconds for high definition, the company said.

The field-of-view (FOV) selection provision enables the user to select the optimum FOV size (20 x 19/20 x 15 cm, 16 x 10 cm, 16 x 7 cm) and limits the radiation dosage to only the necessary level for examination contained to the region of interest.

The system also features a selection of voxel sizes. The smaller voxel size (0.164 mm) offers the highest image quality while normal voxel sizes (0.3 mm, 0.4 mm) are suitable for diagnostic images with less reconstruction time and smaller file size, according to the company.

In addition, the new Master 3DS offers three types of patient positioning: standing, seated (optional chair), and wheel-chair-confined patient accessibility.

Ronald J. Hunt, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry, was installed as the president of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) on March 18 at the 2009 ADEA Annual Session in Phoenix.

Dr. Hunt spent the past year serving as ADEA president-elect and has served on other ADEA committees and with other dental organizations, according to outgoing ADEA President Charles Bertolami, D.D.S., DMedSc.

Dr. Hunt has been dean of the VCU School of Dentistry for nine years, and was previously the dean of academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles about epidemiological surveys, clinical research, health services research, and educational research. Dr. Hunt also has been active in the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and was section officer in geriatric oral research.

Lantis Laser gets exclusive rights to NIR imaging

Lantis Laser gets exclusive rights to NIR imaging

Lantis Laser has signed an exclusive agreement with the Regents of the University of California for a light-based technology referred to as near-infrared (NIR) transillumination imaging of early dental decay, the company announced.

The technology is the subject of a patent pending application and was researched and developed over the past five years under the direction of Daniel Fried, Ph.D., a professor of biomaterials and bioengineering in the department of preventive and restorative dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry.

"NIR imaging is the perfect technology to integrate with Lantis' OCT dental imaging system, currently under development, as it can be used to screen for decay and defects in teeth, and OCT can then be used to obtain more detailed microstructural information to aid in diagnostic decisions," said Stan Baron, president and CEO of Lantis, in a press release.

OCT can generate images of both teeth and gums, while NIR can only be used to image teeth above the bone line, the company said.

Research indicates that NIR imaging as a screening modality provides significantly more detailed information, particularly on the occlusal (biting) surfaces, than currently used x-ray (digital or conventional), added Craig Gimbel, D.D.S., clinical director at Lantis.

"We have been aware of the benefits of NIR technology for some time and recent advancements in sensor technology now make commercialization possible, at an economic cost," Dr. Gimbel said in the press release. "We feel that we have reached the point where the full potential of light-based diagnostic imaging technology can now be exploited to create highly advanced and economical diagnostic imaging modalities for dentistry."

Lantis expects the NIR imaging system to be commercially available in 2010. It will be integrated with the company's OCT dental imaging system and be available as a standalone system.

A Michigan judge has ruled that the University of Michigan must pay $320,990 in attorney's fees to the law firm that represented former dental student Alissa Zwick, according to a story in the Ann Arbor News.

The $320,990 is in addition to the $1.72 million awarded to Zwick last December after a jury determined that she had been wrongly dismissed from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 2005. Zwick had sued the school claiming she was the victim of infighting between two faculty members and the school's associate dean.

The faculty members involved in the dispute subsequently filed a motion asking for a new trial or a reduction in the jury's award, plus $500,000 for emotional distress.

Fluorescence discovers mercury in oral amalgam

Fluorescence discovers mercury in oral amalgam

Researchers at the School of Pittsburgh have designed what they say is a simple and easy means for discovering mercury in oral amalgam, according to an excellent news launch.

The strategy includes a neon material that shines ruby when it comes into contact with oxidized mercury, the scientists review in the present online version of the Publication of the United states Substance Community. The concentration of the shine indicates the amount of mercury present.

Developed in the clinical of Kazunori Koide, a chemical make up lecturer in the university's School of Artistry and Sciences, the new strategy can be used on location and can identify mercury in 30 to 60 moments for oral tooth fillings, Koide described.

To analyze for mercury draining in oral amalgams, the research group pushed a fabric onto a tooth containing an amalgam stuffing for one moment, then revealed it to a mercury-detecting broker. The causing fluorescence came from the response of mercury ions with hydrocarbons known as alkynes; the alkyne is transformed into a ketone and makes a neon compound.

The scientists also sunken two amalgam-filled tooth in the protein cysteine to imitate sulfur-rich foods, which are thought to increase mercury seepage from amalgam. Again, the cysteine remedy converted ruby when the signal was included, indicating that this strategy could also be used to observe mercury draining due to sulfur-rich food.

Koide recommended that his strategy could also be used to analyze office wastewater for mercury content on location without delivering examples to systematic labs.

Economic system dampens Patterson Oral sales

Economic system dampens Patterson Oral sales

The recession is constantly on the effect dental supply companies. The newest to experience lower-than-expected revenue and earnings is Patterson.

Sales of Patterson Oral, Patterson's biggest organization, improved to $537 thousand in the second one fourth of financial season 2009 (end-October 25), up from $535 thousand in the second one fourth of 2008, according to the organization.

The organization considers the smooth revenue are due mainly to sufferers deferring some therapies, which has affected its consumables organization.

Sales of usable dental resources and printed office products were $309 thousand for the one fourth, down from $310 thousand for the same one fourth a season ago. Sales of dental devices and software improved 1% from the year-earlier period to $171 thousand, up from $169 thousand last season.

"Second-quarter managing results of our Patterson Oral device were below expected levels due, we believe, to the effect of the difficult economy, particularly in Oct, on its organization," said Wayne W. Wiltz, chief executive and CEO, in an argument. "Available proof indicates that dental sufferers started deferring advanced level and optional services, which mostly included the smooth revenue of usable resources in the one fourth."

While dental devices revenue were more powerful during the one fourth, most of this development was produced by purchases placed prior to the second one fourth, he included. In addition, "We believe it is possible that the extension of complicated financial circumstances may effect the devices buying choices of dental offices at least over the near-term," he said.

As a result of the lower-than-expected displaying in the one fourth, Patterson has placed a lock up on choosing (except for sales) and income.

Patterson is certainly not alone; recently, opponent Gretchen Schein said it would cut 300 tasks and close several small features in an attempt to website.

Competitors for residencies warms up

Competitors for residencies warms up

Are you friendly with any oral learners looking for residencies? You might want to begin taking any post -- or at least providing any advice -- you've got to help out.

By Nov 21, would-be orthodontic citizens must publish their positions of residence applications to the Dental Go with, the U.S. postdoctoral oral related system. The due date for common exercise and other areas of expertise isn't until Jan 9. But already there are symptoms that competition will be warmer this season.

Last 30 days, Newark Michelle Israel Medical Center declared plans to reduce several applications with its oral medical center and residencies among those on the potential cutting block. The medical center mentioned "Drastic Medical health insurance and State medicaid programs compensation failures and the increasing requirements for charitable organisation proper care services with reducing charitable organisation proper care compensation."

Postdoctoral applications come and go. In fact, Delta Dental of Might last 30 days promised $3 million to begin a high level knowledge in common dental proper care system at Wichita State School. And it's too early to tell whether the healthcare problems has hit other residence applications. But numbers from the Dental Go with display increasing symptoms and symptoms of overall lack.

The Dental Go with, run by the Nationwide Matching Assistance, efforts to reunite each candidate's position of residence applications with each residence program's position of candidates.

While more individuals are finishing from oral university and applying for residencies through the Dental Go with, the variety of roles available has not kept speed. From 2004 to 2008, the variety of candidates in the match improved by 14%, while the variety of roles offered improved only 8%, leading to 15% more unrivaled candidates.

Next season, expect the same design, said Elliott Peranson, chief executive of the Nationwide Matching Assistance. "Right now it looks like the variety of candidates is going up a bit."

Not every residence system takes part in the Dental Match; some make direct offers to their candidates. Total research on oral university graduating and residence system registration are not yet available for 2007, let alone the current season.

But research for previous years, gathered by the ADA, display a similar trend. From 2005 to 2006, the variety of oral university graduate students improved by 37 while the variety of learners registered in a postdoctoral system reduced by 49.

"More individuals have just gone out into practice" without finishing postdoctoral training, said Todd Thierer, D.D.S., M.P.H., a School of Rochester affiliate lecturer of dental proper care and v. p. of the Authorities of Medical centers and Innovative Education Programs.

The pressure may install. "There has been a lot of interest in making a postdoctoral season compulsory for common dental practitioners," said Dr. Thierer. New You are able to and De already require dental practitioners to complete a residence as a condition of licensure. Other states, such as Florida and Nyc, offer learners the option of finishing a residence instead of passing a licensure examination.

The strength in this direction has run into a backlash, Dr. Thierer said, partially because oral learners finishing with huge debt can ill afford to spend a season doing a residence for low or no pay. Some oral educational institutions are providing more working experience at community treatment centers.

But for specialised exercise, the residence is already required. With less available per candidate, more dental practitioners may have to give up goals of concentrating on orthodontics, kids, or gum area.