Birner Oral income up

Birner Oral income up

Birner Oral Control Services, which functions the Ideal Tooth sequence of dental methods, revealed income of $677,000 for the one fourth finishing April 31 on income of $9.0 thousand.

By evaluation, the organization created $518,000 on income of $8.9 thousand in the same one fourth last season.

The organization said its dental workplaces had improved income from specialised dental care by $94,000 on the workplaces it already possessed last season and created an additional $45,000 from a new office. It knowledgeable a $46,000 loss of income on common dental care.

Birner gets, produces, and controls dental professional systems in choose marketplaces in Denver, New South america, and Phoenix. The organization currently controls 61 dental workplaces with 113 dental practitioners.

Union Oral Holdings, a organization that functions and controls a system of dental practitioners throughout the U.S. for partnership associates, revealed a benefit of $7,400 for the one fourth finishing April 31, on income of $589,026.

By evaluation, Union Oral created $61,001 on income of $709,595 in the same period last season, the organization said.

Many dental practitioners think that a palatal hypodermic injection has to harm no matter what they have tried. This does not have to be true. In dental university, we were all trained to provide gradually. The problem is that when providing a palatal hypodermic injection individual instinct takes over. The affected person wants the hypodermic injection to be finished easily and the dental professional wants to conform.

So here are my suggestions for a relaxed palatal hypodermic injection. First, external is a must. I use either benzocaine or EMLA (eutectic combination of lidocaine and prilocaine). You must first dry the mucosa before putting the external. I then protect the external with gauze and have the individual chew down. This way the external remains in position. I set a clock for two moments and hang on for it to go off.

Now here is where technological innovation can help. Accupal is an assortment power operated, portable system developed to precondition palatal cells prior to an hypodermic injection. The go of the Accupal system is placed against the taste (where the external was placed) and turned on. It will light up the area and start to shake. You then position the hook through the opening in the go of the gadgets. Slowly putting the hook into the mucosa and treating gradually. In most situations the individual never even seems the hypodermic injection.

Minn. goes midlevel company law

Minn. goes midlevel company law

Minnesota has become the first situation in the U.S. to complete control allowing the qualifications of midlevel oral health and fitness suppliers.

The New you are able to city House and Us us senate absolutely accepted Us us senate Computer file 2083, a bill creating the professions of oral professional and impressive oral professional company. New you are able to city Gov. Tim Pawlenty completed the bill into law on May 16.

The bill was the ending of nearly two years of execute advancing by situation Sen. Ann Lynch (D-Rochester). In its unique form, the bill -- which was actually an assortment of two individual items of control, one offered by Rep. Kim Norton (D-Olmstead) and the other by Rep. Cy Thao (D-Ramsey) -- suggested the growth of two types of midlevel providers: oral physicians (OHPs) and oral practicioners.

While some in the oral team were involved that the educational specifications were not tight enough, most in comparison circumstances in the bill that would have allowed the OHPs to complete or take resilient teeth without the on location assistance of a qualified oral practitioner.

But the other day, oral experts and law creators obtained a deal, and the bill -- with enhanced language designed to address the training and learning and scope-of-practice problems -- quickly made its way through the House and Us us senate and onto Gov. Pawlenty's table.

"This is really an exciting piece of control, not just for New you are able to city but for the whole country," Sen. Lynch informed DrBicuspid.com the other day. "I feel we've done great execute for New you are able to city, but also that we've offered to health care change in this country."

"The power verified by Sen. Lynch, Rep. Thao, and their co-workers who proved helpful properly on this effort is to be suggested," said Diann Bomkamp, R.D.H., B.S.D.H., us president of the United states Dental Hygienists' Organization, in an discussion launched today. "Forging contract on employees problems is never easy, but New you are able to city is a show to others throughout the country that solutions can be developed and used. The moving of the control in New you are able to city is truly historical."

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.

Zila faces tough financial times

Zila faces tough financial times

The current economic crisis continues to wreak havoc with the financial results of many dental product suppliers. One of the latest to report tough times is Zila, the manufacturer of the ViziLite Plus oral cancer screening product.

Zila announced this week that it failed to make a convertible note interest payment due January 31 and may have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection unless it can resolve its debt.

Zila reported a net loss of $25.3 million on revenues of $8.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 (end-January 31), compared to a net loss of $4.7 million on revenues of $10.5 million in the same quarter in 2008.

The loss was due primarily to a $23.2 million noncash charge required under accounting rules, Zila said. The decline in revenues is being attributed to the global economic downturn and customer concern about its viability as an ongoing business, according to the company.

"We are making every effort to conserve our cash," said David Bethune, chairman and CEO of Zila, in a press release. "We have, among other things, continued salary reductions for a number of management personnel, further reduced headcount throughout the organization, eliminated the employee stock purchase plan and its associated costs, furloughed certain manufacturing production personnel, reduced the number of seminar programs and streamlined the cost structure of these programs, and reduced tradeshow expenditures."

As a result of the technical default and sales declines, the company stated that it has substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

"In order to continue as an ongoing business and fund our operations over the next 12 months, we will require additional funds and need to restructure our senior secured convertible notes," Bethune said. "We have had discussions with a number of potential investors, all of whom have required, as a condition of their investment, that the senior secured convertible notes be repaid from the funds provided by the investor(s) and that this repayment be at a substantial discount from the $12.0 million principal outstanding to reflect what they believe to be the current market value of those notes."

Levin Group announced that it has formed an alliance with ABEL Dental Software, a Buffalo, NY-based practice management software firm. ABEL will work with Levin Group's Total Practice Success practice management consulting division and its Total Practice Success training division.

Levin Group will provide training for ABEL Dental Software customers on Power Cell Scheduling, a scheduling system developed by Levin Group to maximize dental practices' efficiency and productivity. The training program will be custom-designed around ABEL Dental Software's products to help its customers fully understand the products, leading to maximum utilization.

In addition, ABEL is sponsoring Levin Group CEO Roger Levin's Total Success Seminar for general dentists in Toronto this May. The seminar is designed to teach dentists and dental teams the Levin Group Method, which the company describes as a results-driven approach to practice development that addresses core issues, redesigns outdated systems, and provides customized solutions based on a practice's needs.

Dentist and reviewer battle it out in court

Dentist and reviewer battle it out in court

The case of a Foster City, CA, dentist who is suing the parents of a patient for a review they posted online is now in the hands of a Superior Court of California judge.

Lawyers for both sides presented their arguments in court Tuesday.

Yvonne Wong, D.D.S., sued the parents of a young patient after the father posted a negative review on zetadental.com.au. Dr. Wong contends that the review defames her by implying that she didn't inform the boy's parents about alternatives to the use of amalgam and nitrous oxide and didn't spot other cavities needing treatment.

The key issue in this case is whether the review stepped over the line from discussing a topic of public interest to defamation.

Dr. Wong's lawyer, John Ter Beek, thinks it does.

He argued that the review did not serve public interest on the topics of amalgam or nitrous oxide use and only defamed Dr. Wong.

He called the use of amalgam fillings a "supposed controversy" and noted that even the ADA approves its use.

Reviewer Tai Jing's lawyer, Mark Goldowitz, argued that his client's review merely informed people that it is unnecessary to use mercury or nitrous oxide for dental procedures. It is a matter of public interest because his clients did not know other options were available until they went to another dentist, he stated.

In an interview with zetadental.com.au following his court appearance, Ter Beek said that in fact Dr. Wong provided Jing's wife with a dental material fact sheet containing information about mercury fillings. The law requires dentists to discuss such matters, he added.

"Now they are saying that they were not told," said Ter Beek. "This is defamation. If people are allowed to do this, you might as well throw away the defamation law."

Goldowitz reiterated that his client's review did not cross the line.

His purpose as a parent through that post was to tell other people that some dentists don't use amalgam fillings or nitrous oxide at all, he told zetadentals.com.au.

Defamation is when provably false statements are made, and that is not the case here, he added.

There is a controversy surrounding amalgam fillings, and new cavities were found by the child's new dentist, he said. It's all true.

With regard to the issue of defamation, Judge William Elfving asked Goldowitz to clarify exactly who wrote the review, since both Tai Jing and his wife Jia Ma are named in Dr. Wong's lawsuit. Goldowitz stated that Jing wrote the review and that his wife had no part in it whatsoever.

However, Ter Beek noted that Jia Ma accompanied the child to most of the dental appointments and that when she came home she had told Jing what happened, which means they worked together to defame the dentist.

Goldowitz dismissed any charges of conspiracy.

Jing was the one who was present at the appointment when Dr. Wong administered the nitrous oxide and mercury fillings, and there is no reason to believe that just because they are married she was involved in a conspiracy, he said.

Jing ultimately removed the review from zetadental.com.au -- leave a one star rating up to indicate his dissatisfaction with the dentist -- when he found out that someone had complained because he did not want to be mixed up in a controversy, his lawyer told zetadental.com.au

Goldowitz said this case violates free speech.

"That you can get sued just for putting up your opinion has a chilling effect," he said.

Judge Elfving is now considering the arguments. If he doesn't grant the original anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) motion, Dr. Wong's attorney will have a right to appeal. If he does approve it, Jing's attorney will have the same right.

Are government-funded clinics the answer

Are government-funded clinics the answer

A few weeks ago on ABC's "20/20" news program, Diane Sawyer did a wonderful story about the lives and struggles of people living in Appalachia. It was eye-opening and extremely sad.

One part of the story profiled "heroes," including Edwin Smith, D.M.D., who has dedicated his time and skills to the people of Appalachia. (Dr. Smith founded Kids First Dental Care in Kentucky in 2004 after collaborating with school personnel to explore ways to provide dental care to school children.) A major problem there is that they drink so much Mountain Dew that their teeth are completely decayed. He tries to educate teens about tooth decay, the hazards of drinking too much soda, better oral care, and more.

I was so impressed that Sawyer referred to him as a doctor and that dentistry was portrayed on national television the way it should be: with respect. I truly thought we had turned a corner. It was a wonderful compliment to our profession. A sincere thank you to Dr. Smith, who is using his talent in such a humanitarian way and is truly a mouth physician.

Just two weeks later, however, "20/20" followed up with an exposé on dentists allegedly doing unnecessary work and torturing children who were part of the Medicaid system. They showed children crying and papoose boards being used. (As if children do not cry in a pediatrician's office or a hospital!) One "expert witness" in the story was a dental assistant who stated that dentists in the clinic where she had been employed were doing work that was not needed. The dentists' side of the story was glossed over, and the slant that "20/20" took was the same old vindictive view the media often uses against us.

Shame on "20/20" for airing this story. Did the producers of the segment go to dental school? How can they diagnose the children's dental condition? The children in the story were lower-income state aid recipients, and I am sure that many had rampant decay and did need pulpotomies.

At least once a year the media reports about a child dying from a tooth abscess or other dental issue, and portrays the dental profession as uncaring and greedy. Meanwhile, the mother and father are often homeless or out of work, and do not take the child to the hospital until he or she is septic. But this is never part of the story.

And then there are the stories about dentists who abuse the Medicaid system. How come the media do not profile the numerous dental offices -- the overwhelming majority -- that do treat Medicaid patients and do not commit fraudulent billing?

There is a growing trend by the media and the ADA to focus on the underserved dental population. In a previous blog post, I stated that I do not feel a hygienist with expanded duties -- a midlevel practitioner -- is capable of extracting teeth and filling cavities. This is not the solution to providing care to this population.

Five new dental schools are opening in the U.S. in hopes of fulfilling the dental needs in this country and closing the gap in access to dental care. One of those schools is opening in Portland, ME, in the southern part of the state -- several hours from where the bulk of the needy are located, in rural north and western Maine. Tufts Dental School annually takes a team to do volunteer dentistry for the poor in Maine and, from what I hear, the situation could rival the stories in Appalachia. The lack of dental care is so prevalent in Maine that they have started teaching basic dental care to medical residents there to try to combat this tremendous problem.

I would like to see government-funded clinics set up in rural areas and inner cities. The dentists would be salaried, eliminating the incentive for fraud. They would have a contract with a two- or three-year commitment and an offer of a reduction of their student loan repayment (similar to an armed forces commitment). It would be a way to offer care to the poor and a supportive learning environment for new graduates.

This scenario would not take business away from existing practices; there is enough Medicaid to go around. And most important, government money would be used wisely and efficiently to help the people.

The lack of access to dental care is only going to worsen. We need to be proactive in offering solutions. Otherwise, this issue will be addressed by Washington bureaucrats, and I fear what their answers might be.

Lares, Fotona increase laser device submission agreement

Lares, Fotona increase laser device submission agreement

 Lares Analysis has prolonged its contract with Fotona, the top Western producer of all-tissue oral laser device treatment, for an additional five years, according to the organization.

Under the new contract, Lares Analysis carries on as the unique U.S. supplier of Fotona's all-tissue Er:YAG and Nd:YAG oral laser device treatment, currently sold under the Lares laser device model titles PowerLase AT and PowerLase HT. The new contract also provides for Fotona and Lares to always work with together on creating new laser device treatment and laser device scientific programs, in addition to improvements to the current products.

Lares Analysis and Fotona have worked since 2005, mentioned Todd Lares, chief executive of Lares Analysis, in an argument.

Man & Device, a producer of sanitary waterproof computer keyboard and rats, has presented the U Hot Key pad, the organization's first wi-fi keyboard for oral methods. Laptop computer keyboard works for days without requiring to be energized, giving the user the independence of activity in and around the oral operatory, according to the organization.

The U Hot Key pad can be cleaned and sunken in water. The potential for the U Hot to be thoroughly cleaned decreases the quantity of surface viruses, therefore mitigating disease risk to oral associates and sufferers. The inside of the keyboard is enclosed to secure it against liquids, such as blood, spit, food, drink, and most cleaners. Waterflow and drainage gaps in each key wallet allow excess water or built liquids to quickly quit the keyboard before causing damage.

"Dentists have been asking Man & Device to develop a wi-fi edition of our popular waterproof, sanitary computer keyboard and now we have what they are looking for," said Clifton Broumand, CEO of Man & Device. "This looks like it will be our greatest supplier to the oral market."

Hoya ConBio has released the VersaWave Specialised Er:YAG all-tissue oral laser device, according to a organization news launch.

Featuring a variety of power configurations, the VersaWave Specialised allows for treatment of all stages of soft- or hard-tissue dental care, the organization said. The system is designed for general and visual dental practitioners, as well professionals in periodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, and pediatric medicine.

Public networking are becoming vital to dentistry

During the recent ADA House of Associates conference, the delegates were requested how essential it is for a dental professional to integrate social press into their methods.

Social press are Internet-based tools for talking about and talking about details. This is unique from commercial press such as television, magazines, and movie. Sixty-eight percent of delegates believed it was very essential for dental practitioners to accept social press, while 29% believed it was somewhat essential. Only 3% believed not too essential.

If you are reading my weblog on DrBicuspid.com, you are using social press to gain details and connect these days. The weblogs and boards on DrBicuspid.com display social press, and the strikes they have produced show that dental medical professionals are interested in getting details in this structure.

I have integrated many other types of social press into my exercise over the past two years. Public networking has been a useful device to connect, inform my sufferers, and start up conversation. My weblog on my Website is designed toward teaching the dental customer. My YouTube video clips are on subjects such as dental cancer testing and disease control. I have two e-books, one on gum wellness and the other on dental wellness as it is applicable to overall wellness, since I am a company believer that I am a "mouth doctor."

Another type of social press is on the internet social press websites, such as those found on MySpace, Facebook or myspace, Friendster, and Blogger. The popularity of these Web websites is incredible. MySpace had 55 million revealed audiences in 2006. I am sure it is even larger now. College entrance authorities are looking at Facebook or myspace websites during the selection of an inbound class. This is here to stay.

Many individuals over the age of 30 do not understand the fascination of using on the internet social press websites. I individually do not use them as a form of interacting with my friends. But from a company viewpoint I do use Blogger, which information individuals skills in a market subject -- my own being dental care with an focus on makeup. My Blogger page is a start for individuals to learn more and a device to guide them to my Website.

This is a model move in utilizing new ways of interacting. Being start and discovering this globe are very essential for having a fully curved modern dental professional.

Business Week a few months ago mentioned that entrepreneurs have to get on board with social press or be left behind. I believe the fact and hope that those dental practitioners who think social press are not essential can put down their issue of the the local press and begin discovering the new globe of devices and details talking about.

FDA, ALD to variety 100 % free symposium on oral lasers

FDA, ALD to variety 100 % free symposium on oral lasers

The U.S. FDA and the Academia of Laser Dental care (ALD) will variety a joint symposium on the uses of laser treatment and other light-based technology in dentistry on Dec 8, 2008, at the FDA facility in Silver Spring, MD.

The symposium is designed to provide an summary on the effect that light-based technology are having on dentistry, such as how laser treatment and light-based technology interact with oral cells, the effect they presently have in the practice of dentistry and other medical care careers, and the long run prospective of these technology, according to an argument. The speakers include exercising doctors, academicians, and scientists.

The demonstrations will cover the science, analysis, and using laser treatment and light-based technology in dentistry, their present uses, and the prospective for additional programs later on by dental practitioners, oral hygienists, and other oral medical care providers.

Research and programs for soft and hard cells of the mouth area and related head and neck components also will be discussed, such as the use of laser treatment and light-based technology in surgical, precautionary, analytic, and prospective treatment programs.

This one-day symposium is totally able to participants. Signing up and eight hours of training credit are being provided by the ALD. For more information, go to http://www.zetadental.com.au/.