(by Catherine Murphy, DDS, MSD ) Dentistry demands empathy, compassion, and dedication from its practitioners. Dentists often find themselves immersed in the daily challenges of alleviating pain, restoring smiles, and improving oral health. However, amidst the pursuit of serving patients, there lies a silent struggle known as compassion fatigue. The world renowned traumatologist, Charles Figley, who referred to compassion fatigue …
Medical Protocols for Periodontal Therapy
(by Kathryn Gilliam, BA, BSDH, MAAOSH, HIAOMT) When I thought about the ulcerated epithelial lining being an open wound, I finally questioned: Why we don’t treat it like medical practitioners treat wounds? And in fact, why are we not using more medical protocols in general? As a practicing dental hygienist, I’m always looking for new techniques, technologies, products, and knowledge …
What Software Reports Should I Look At?
(by David Harris) A friend who is a dental CPA and practice management speaker asked us the other day what reports from practice management software should be reviewed by a practice owner. Here is our answer: Using PMS Reports to Monitor Your Practice Obviously, there is no report called “Is embezzlement happening?” in any PMS, so this is really about …
How to Divide Duties Between Team Members
(by David Harris) There have been a lot of articles written that give dentists vague encouragement to allocate duties between team members as a way of lowering embezzlement risk. However, what most of these articles are lacking is any practical advice on how do do this. This lack of clear direction leaves a dentist in a predicament; they intuitively realize that …
Ancient Tongue Diagnosis for the 21st Century Dental Hygienist
(by Kathryn Gilliam, BA, BSDH, MAAOSH, HIAOMT) The earliest known text entirely dedicated to tongue diagnosis is Ao Shi Shang Han Jin Jing Lu (Ao’s Record of the Golden Mirror of Cold Induced Disorders). This text was published with 36 color illustrations during the Tuan Dynasty (1271–1368).1 Tongue diagnosis is a principal practice in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and there is increasing …
The Bombardo
(by Dr. Lori Noga) A dear friend called me last week, and I could hear the shell shock in his voice before he even said hello. He had just sold his dental practice. His youngest had just left for college. He sold his dream house. Moved to a new state. And started working in a totally new capacity. In other …
Oral Cancer Awareness: Why Early Detection and Education Save Lives
(by Dr. Parul Dua Makkar) Oral cancer remains one of the most devastating yet overlooked cancers worldwide. Each year, tens of thousands are diagnosed, often too late—when treatment options are limited, survival rates are lower, and quality of life is drastically impacted. Unlike other cancers with widespread awareness campaigns, oral cancer still lags behind. The truth is simple: early detection …
Shift Your Energy to Shift Your Burnout
(by Laura Brenner, DDS) Do you ever feel burnt out by burnout? The word is everywhere these days. I’ll admit, as someone who loves helping others reduce burnout, even I get sick of hearing it. There’s a reason this word gets so overused though. Burnout is a pervasive problem that we, as a profession, still struggle to solve. During my …
Grief Without a Village: A Journey Through Loss, Healing, and the Signs That Guide Us
(by Parul Dua Makkar, BSc, DDS, FACD) When I lost my younger and only sibling, Dr. Manu Dua, my world shifted in an instant. I didn’t have the comfort of a village of grief to wrap around me — no circle of people to act as a buffer from the pain. My parents were in another country, holding on to …
Leadership Practice: Create a Failure Resume
(by Michael G. Neece) I recently spent several hours creating a failure resume. It helped clear away a lot of cobwebs from my past and firm up my ideas on good work, good leadership, and good living. I had no idea what a failure resume was until Kristen Hadeed recommended it during her two-day #HumanLeadershipProgram. Essentially, you make a list …