News From The Wealthy Dentist #93 Dental Marketing Newsletter
Editorial: Jim Du Molin
Dental Amalgam: The Language of Controversy
The debate over mercury in dental fillings is a heated one – and the debate over the language used to describe those fillings is just as hot! Though our dentists seem to prefer the term silver filling, there are lots of other terms in use. “It is as foolish to refer to amalgam fillings as ‘mercury fillings’ as it is to refer to composite as ‘bisPhenol A bisGMA’ fillings,” declared a Minnesota dentist.
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Survey Results: Is the Mercury in Dental Amalgam Dangerous?
Dentists Still Split Over Amalgam
When we asked dentists about amalgam restorations, 66% said they tell patients that they have other cosmetic options. Another 22% tell patients about potentially safer options; many of these dentists no longer use any amalgams at all. However, 12% say they prefer placing amalgams.
“Still the best, but ugly,” sighed a Texas prosthodontist.
Dentistry Hurt by Slipping Economy
Dental Suppliers Face Stock Market Losses
You may have heard that there have some, shall we say, hiccups recently in the American economy. And dental suppliers are feeling the changes! With analysts reducing their ratings, stocks of many dental suppliers have been falling. Decreases were seen in the stocks of Dentsply, Henry Schein, Patterson, and others.
Dental Assisting:
School Loses ADA Accreditation, Neglects to Tell Students
Colorado’s T.H. Pickens Technical College offers a dental assistant program. But when a recent crop of students went to take an exam for national certification, the students were not permitted to take
the exam because the school is not ADA accredited. The school lost its ADA accreditation in 2006, but apparently neglected to update its website or inform new students.
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What Your Patients Are Reading:
Dental Offices Responsible for Mercury Pollution
Reuters Health recently wrote about a small study that suggests dental offices may be responsible for significant environmental mercury pollution. The study found high levels of methylated mercury in the waste water from two dental offices. But it’s important to realize that dentists are far from the most egregious polluters out there. The majority of mercury pollution today is caused by coal, batteries and other electrical devices.
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My Bookshelf:
Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership by D. A. Benton
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an all-encompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy (in short, “executive presence”) are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office. In this book, Benton outlines a proven six-step approach for learning how to think, act, and relate to others like an executive.
Want to get the book?