(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 …
Articulation – Prevention’s Best Kept Secret
(by David Harris) When we use the word “articulation” when speaking with a dentist, inevitably we evoke an image of the mandible and maxilla functioning in harmony. There is a second concept of articulation in dentistry, and it is one that most dentists have not been exposed to. This second articulation, which is labeled “financial articulation” is a quick and …
Prioritize Wellness as a Dental Practice Owner
(by Valerie Woo, DMD) How dental owners can understand rest, boost productivity, stay calm, build sustainability in practice leadership & wellness. Understanding Rest vs Burning Out As a dental practice owner, you may think rest is something you “get to” after you’ve burned out: once all the emergencies are handled, once every patient is scheduled, once the books are balanced, once you’ve worked …
The Many Benefits of Merging Dental and Electronic Health Records
(by Ann-Marie C. DePalma, CDA, RDH, MEd) Integrated electronic health records can bridge dentistry and medicine – enhancing care, coordination, and outcomes through global collaboration and standardized oral health data. I received an email several weeks ago from the FDI World Dental Federation that included a consensus statement on integrated electronic health records (EHRs.) Since I have an interest in …
Wait… AI Just Referred Me?
(by Vanessa Emerson, FDSI) This week, something surprising happened. Twice. Two different professionals – unrelated, on different days, in different states – shared with me that they’d asked ChatGPT how to get started speaking in dentistry. And guess who the AI recommended? Me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m honored. And delighted. And I’ll admit, it made me giggle-snort a little (because …