Who knew? Apparently plaque endures decomposition better than hair and nails so scientists no longer have to destroy bone to perform chemical testing for DNA or other compounds. Skulls from humans that had bad hygiene provide a whole new material to test. One that lasts and is hard to remove – that’s right: plaque! Scientists at the University of Nevada can now test the protein found in the plaque to determine dietary habits of humans whose remains that date back to medieval times. Us dental peeps have had run-ins with tenacious plaque but this 1000 year old collection gives new meaning to the term! Click here to read the PR from the University of Nevada.  (pic courtesy of this press release)

The Anaheim Group has released “China Connection—2012,” a 611-page compilation of the products shown at the 2012 China South Dental International Expo meeting in Guangzhou, China. This report covers products and services from more than 700 high-tech dental firms and laboratories based in China, Korea, and Taiwan.

“China Connection—2012” provides each company’s contact information, along with color pictures of its products. The products highlighted range from lasers to dental units to disposable hand pieces. Dental company executives looking for an offshore supplier or wanting to understand or anticipate their competition will find this a valuable, time-saving reference.

The report is offered as a download for $150 or on a CD for $175, which includes shipment anywhere in the world.  If payment is not made by credit card at time of order, there is an additional $10 handling charge per order.  To order, email dentalfax@dentalfax.com or send fax to 866-634-9332.

AAID Challenging Constitutionality of State Restrictions on Advertising Dental Implant Credentials

CHICAGO, May 2, 2012 – The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Austin seeking to invalidate a Texas regulation that severely restricts dentists from advertising their bona fide AAID credentials in implant dentistry.  In 2009 and 2010, AAID won judicial verdicts overturning similar rules enforced by state dental boards in Florida and California.

AAID’s chief legal counsel, Frank Recker, JD, DDS, informed the Texas Board of Dental Examiners in writing about the unequivocal judicial precedents and hoped to convince the Board to rescind its restrictions and avoid litigation.  “The Board did not respond to our communications for two years.  Since AAID’s credentialed members continue to be in jeopardy if they advertise their credentials, the Academy decided to pursue legal action,” said Recker.  Two Texas dentists holding AAID’s dental implant credentials, Dr. Jay Elliott of Houston and Dr.  Monty Buck of Galveston joined the lawsuit as individual co-plaintiffs.

AAID is seeking a permanent injunction and declaratory judgment to strike down the Texas regulation, which allows unrestricted advertising only for dental credentials and accreditations issued by organizations recognized as dental specialties by the American Dental Association (ADA).  Dentists with bona fide credentials not issued by ADA-recognized specialty organizations are required to include lengthy disclaimers in their advertising in Texas.  This limitation, contends AAID, is burdensome and prohibits dentists from advertising true statements about credentials in implant dentistry earned from AAID and American Board of Oral Implantology (ABOI).  In Florida and California, the presiding judges ruled that such advertising restrictions violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which protect freedom speech and equal protection of the laws.  Recker said the legal precedents solidly favor AAID and Drs. Elliott and Buck.

“Consumers in Texas have no ready means of learning which dentists practicing in their state have significant substantive training in implant dentistry,” said Recker.  “Awareness of AAID’s dental implant credential provides consumers with objectively verifiable information regarding a dentist’s knowledge, proficiency and experience.  The Texas advertising restriction prevents highly qualified implant dentists from differentiating their training and education.”  Recker added that in Texas dentists with no training in placing implants are permitted to engage in implant dentistry and advertise that they perform this service.  This makes it almost impossible for consumers to objectively evaluate a dentist’s qualifications to perform implant procedures.

In the 2009 Florida decision, Circuit Court Judge Frank E. Sheffield ruled that a state law restricting how dentists can advertise credentials issued by bona fide professional organizations is unconstitutional.  The Florida statute prevented advertising of membership in or credentials earned from any dental organization not recognized by the Florida Board of Dentistry (FDB).  Florida’s dental board only recognized specialty credentials issued by the ADA.  Dentists who wanted to advertise their AAID credentials had to include an onerous disclaimer that implant dentistry is not a recognized specialty of ADA or the FDB and that AAID is not a recognized specialty accrediting organization.

The Court decided the advertising restrictions were unconstitutional on many grounds.  They violated the Florida constitution’s guarantee of the right to be rewarded for industry or professional achievement and First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of free speech and equal protection of the law.

In a clear and unequivocal verdict issued in 2010, Judge John Mendez, writing for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, ruled that credentials issued to dentists by AAID are bona fide and legitimate, and state laws that prohibit or restrict advertising them to the public are unconstitutional.  He struck down a state law that effectively prevented dentists from advertising credentials issued by AAID and said that AAID and the American Board of Oral Implantology (ABOI) “are bona fide credentialing organizations whose standards are rigorous, objectively clear, and verifiable.”

The Texas Board for Dental Examiners has not responded publicly yet to the AAID’s legal action.

About AAID:
AAID is the leading professional society dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of implant dentistry through research and education.  The Academy’s annual meeting is the field’s leading venue for cutting-edge, evidence-based implant research presentations and demonstrations of state-of-the art implantation techniques.  AAID is based in Chicago and has more than 4,500 members.  It is the first organization dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of implant dentistry by supporting research and education to advance comprehensive implant knowledge. AAID can help consumers find a local credentialed implant dentist at www.aaid.com.

Open to everyone! Join us on Monday May 7th @ 8pm EDT

Budget Basics for the Dental Team Presented by Christine Taxin

Setting up your budget is the first in many steps you need to take to protect your business.  Whether you’re a participating provider with several plans, not participating at all, or wondering whether you should a budget in advance is your key to success.  Knowing what you overhead is and what your goals are to meet the numbers will change the way you practice.
What you will learn to:

• Know what your expenses will be.
• Understand how to break up the expenses you forecast.
• Determine production goals for each team member
• Work with a calendar to determine the amount of work days
• Develop a work calendar with goals set for each day
• Estimate what your overhead is for new year
• Maintain your budget and worksheet to follow it daily, weekly monthly.
• Work with your software to obtain the reports you need to follow.

Register here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/454913034

Neoss Inc. is pleased to announce the prelaunch of the new Neoss Tapered Implant at the AO in Phoenix, AZ on March 1. Following on from the success of the Neoss ProActive® surface, the Neoss Tapered Implant is also compatible with the existing components of the Neoss range. Neoss, who pride themselves in research and development, have developed the tapered implant based on customer feedback and
expert engineering.

Neoss will be hosting an evening presentation in conjunction with the AO to introduce the Neoss Tapered Implant to the market. The presentation will give attendees the chance to hear John B. Brunski, PhD, a world renowned engineer and researcher, discuss the benefits of the tapered implant and its integration into the Neoss Implant System. Also attending will be Neoss co-founder and engineer, Fredrik Engman, as well as Neoss co-founder and research director, Prof. Neil Meredith.

“When designing the Neoss Tapered Implant, I wanted to create a product that connects with the current Neoss range,” said Fredrik Engman. In keeping w ith Neoss’ drive for science and simplicity, the Neoss  tapered Implant shares the same abutment connection as the Neoss ProActive® system, giving surgeons, technicians and prosthodontists greater freedom throughout the implant procedure. “We’re looking forward to releasing the Neoss Tapered Implant onto the American market, not only are we giving our customers what they want, we’ll be able to encourage new customers by offering a complete, simple tapered implant system.” says VP of US Sales, John Williams.

The Company founded in 2000 by Doctor Neil Meredith and CTO, Fredrik Engman is head quartered in the Harrogate, in the United Kingdom and has operations in USA, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Australia and
New Zealand and is represented in Switzerland, Ireland, Croatia, Poland, Turkey, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan by exclusive distributors. Neoss main investors are MMC Ventures, Delta Partners, Brian Souter Investments and Medtronic Inc. Further information is available at www.neoss.com

April 9, 2012 8:00 – 9:00 PM EST Click here to register

Where does the “WOW” approach start? At the first “Hello”, at the first “Hand Shake”, at the first “Smile”? If your practice wants to be able to convince clients to say “YES” to high end dental treatment, than this Webinar will help you think outside the box.

Clients today want to look and feel good about themselves, and that means they are ready to pay for high end dentistry, but they also expect the “SPA” service.  Please tune into this Webinar with an open mind and you will learn about giving clients the “SPA” treatment.

About our speaker:

Vavi Bohbot, a graduate of a Dental Assisting Carrier Program, has spent the past 29 years working in the dental industry. Having over 18 years of clinical experience, she has worked with various specialties. She has been involved in every aspect of a dental office; Assisting, Dental Secretary, Purchaser, Office Management and Treatment Coordinator. She is now the Eastern Regional Manager with BioHorizons Canada.  She is an ADIA Fellow and the ADIA’s 2011 Educator of the Year.

Click here to register

Rita Zamora just wrote a great post about the value of your Facebook fans. The situation she describes is happening more and more with dental office Facebook pages as doctors and managers turn to marketing techniques that focus on quantity vs. quality. Our industry is – and should remain – a relationship-focused one. Read what Rita has to say – true words of wisdom. Click here to read it

Interesting. Just found this in my email – from TMZ : 

‘Extreme Makeover’ Dentist — I Secretly Collect the Teeth Of My Celebrity Patients

5 minutes ago by TMZ Staff

Dr. Bill Dorfman – a world famous dentist who treats some of the biggest stars on Earth — tells TMZ he keeps a “secret stash” of the teeth he’s plucked from the mouths of his famous patients … in the hopes of eventually selling them on eBay.

Dorfman — who recently treated Lindsay Lohan and whose website features Jessica Simpson, Usher, Ozzy Osbourne, Anne Hathaway and Eva Longoria – was outside Rock & Brews in El Segundo yesterday when he revealed his secret.

“I actually save famous people’s teeth when I pull them … but I can’t tell you [their identities] ’cause it’s like patient confidentiality.”

He continues, “There have been a few really famous people and I thought one day maybe I could sell this on eBay.”

Dorfman insists he always offers the teeth to his patients first … but they often decline, “So I put it in the back and i just hold on to it.”
We’ve spoken with several dentists who tell us it’s not illegal to keep the teeth — but most dentists either throw them away or give them to dental schools for research purposes.

One dentist told us, “What Dorfman is doing is just sick.”

Tune in to TMZ on TV weekdays Monday through Friday (check http://www.tmz.com/videos for syndicated/local listings at the bottom of the page)

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Jeez – we always disposed of the teeth in a safe way. It’s usually only the patients that want to save the teeth – not dental personnel. We see enough!

The group Concerned Dentists of Washington State (CDWS) have just posted on their Facebook page news of their latest interaction with the Washington Dental Service (WDS). The CDWS have asked to discuss matters regarding insurance decisions with the WDS. However WDS has asked for each dentist at the meeting to sign a non-disparagement clause. Read all about it on their FB page. 

The change is coming whether you’re ready for it or not! Let Lanmark360 walk you through how to create your page’s Facebook Timeline. Wouldn’t you rather be ahead of the curve than catching up to it?

Lanmark360