For many dentists, the pressure of running a dental practice, paying off a mortgage and a student loan debt, as well as balancing a family, make the notion of volunteering feel like a far off idea.
Dentists face an uphill battle in educating new and expecting parents in two key areas in a child’s oral hygiene. Namely, the best age for the first dental visit and brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
For dentists fresh out of dental school, the sudden reality of combining clinical skills, patient management, and financial pressure can be overwhelming. So the first thing Dr. Bill Simon tells new dentists is “dentistry is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry had been practicing for six years when she got pregnant with her first child. And for the first time since she was a kid, she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have any experience babysitting, much less taking care of a baby.
Medical billing for dentists has become a red hot topic. Weekend workshops are filled with dentists and office managers, sold by the promise of higher reimbursement and an easy transition into medical billing. There is so much buzz that it has taken on the feel of a gold rush for dentists.
With a thriving dental practice in Louisiana, healthy family, and volunteer missions in foreign countries, Rachel Beyer is embracing life while balancing motherhood and dentistry. She went to dental school at a time when women could have it all — a fulfilling career and a family.
Treating anxiety-prone children can be a thorny issue for family dentists. Even after a dentist’s best efforts, some children are still challenging to treat.
While still relatively uncommon, a growing number of dental providers are using therapy dogs in their practices to help alleviate anxiety in patients of all ages and are achieving excellent results.
Dentists across the country are grappling with questions about vaping. Could vaping be the missing piece that helps patients quit smoking once and for all? Is vaping really less harmful than smoking cigarettes?