We currently live in a world wherein one in every four persons employs the internet to diagnose him/herself and curb the symptoms of the identified ailment. Undoubtedly, the need for reliable info cannot be exaggerated or overlooked. Medical specialists from all regions across the globe are now striving to amass an online presence and communicate with patients on the same platform. Dentists to be specific have adhered to this taking to promote their practices, decrease the anxiety entailed in the domain, amongst other reasons. Presented below are some of how oral professionals are utilizing the web based approach.
Blogging
Blogging offers one of the most efficient and effective ways to disseminate valuable knowledge on various oral health concerns. In a simple post, one could describe the triggers, signs, and treatment options for distinct oral diseases. And besides that, it can also be employed as a digital marketing tool wherein signature/flagship products and services could be advertised to in turn increase sales.
Collaborating with other specialists in the online community
A general dentist could be lacking the prowess needed to partake in dental surgeries, and that’s where a referral comes into play. Nevertheless, the professional doesn’t need to wait for an oncoming patient to begin the process. Partnerships in the form of associations can serve as hubs where patients are catered to by a variety of highly skilled specialists, all in one place.
Reference
http://www.adweek.com/digital/james-jorner-effective-inbound-marketing-guest-post-dentists/
Category Archives: Dentistry
New Dental Products to Look for at RDH Under One Roof
The RDH Under One Roof, an annual convention providing quality dental hygiene education, is currently underway in its 2017 edition. Some novel implements have been presented at the event, all aiming to improve oral hygiene. Detailed below are a few that are worth checking out.
Monsterz Toothbrushes and Gum flossers
These are signature products from the GUM-Sunstar franchise, a company with a comprehensive line of products to curb the bacteria behind the periodontal disease. Their new flossers have taken it up a notch, featuring textured handles to guarantee ease of operation. They are also designed to access places that are hard to reach, while also being quite durable to ensure shredding or tearing down does not occur with continued use.
The monsterz toothbrushes, on the other hand, are tailored to direct children and adults as well on how to use toothpaste efficiently. The brush has its center bristles colored in white to serve as a visual indication of the portion that should be covered by the toothpaste. The bottom of it has a flat suction base that keeps it upright so that the bristles can dry up quickly while also preventing their contamination from surrounding surfaces.
MI Paste One
The product is toothpaste that can serve as an alternative to Recaldent, gum often consumed after
routine brushing and flossing to restore enamel after acid attacks.
http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2017/07/new-products-to-look-for-at-rdh-under-one-roof.html
3 Awesome Tools for Veterinary Dentistry
Ultrasonic hand scalers
Mary Berg, founder of Beyond the Crown Veterinary Education, advocates for a new wave of ultrasonic hand scalers which come equipped with fiber optic lights. These implements particularly come in handy for the visualization aspect, in that a specialist can decipher the oral cavity by easily locating tartar and recognizing tissue colors.
Magnification loupes
Berg asserts all veterinary specialists conducting dental procedures on cat or dog teeth should do so with at least one of the tool above. She says she currently utilizes one pair (all bearing head lamps) from manufacturer Miltex. She further details that the gadget commands the right ergonomics to yield the most optimal focal distance and angle.
Easy-to-read dental probes
A dental probe in perfect condition should display millimeter markings. To be more precise, each millimeter should be demarcated with a dark colored indentation, so that it’s fairly easy to read. A good one will also entail a distinct color code. Berg notes of a key insight on the use of this tool: it shouldn’t be shared amongst multiple specimens.
All in all, devices employed in veterinary dental procedures should be easily identifiable and most importantly comfortable to the user during operation. Comfort can manifest in soft easy-to-grip handles.
Reference
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/3-awesome-tools-veterinary-dentistry
Understanding the Five Stages of Tooth Decay
There are five different phases of tooth decay. At the initial stage, one can be subjected to a few processes which will curb the ailment’s progression. These may include the use of fluoride medication and conventional toothpaste. Also, saliva plus some distinct edibles bear the capability of re-mineralizing an ailing tooth. This nevertheless only applies to the first stage. What about the rest?
Stage One: White spots
In this phase, white spots emerge on the enamel’s surface, which are indications of attack by sugars and acids. These could be hard to detect especially when they’re present in the molars, and here’s why regular visits to the dentist are important since a tailored dental exam can easily identify them.
Stage Two: Enamel Decay
In dental caries, the tooth becomes gradually destroyed from the inside outwards. Initially, the eroding manifests itself in the form of yellow colorations on the enamel’s surface, but afterward, cavities in the form of black spots/cracks appear thereby warranting the application of fillings.
Stage Three: Dentin Decay
At this level, the cavity begins plaguing the dentine (the tooth’s portion below the enamel), and the patient thus starts experiencing some mild pain. A filling still works best at this point as it negates the disease’s advancement to the tooth’s most critical component: the pulp.
Stage Four: Involvement of the Pulp
Severe pain is a key sign at this stage, with root canal being the sole treatment option, if not complete extraction.
Stage Five: Abscess Formation
The infection at this point exits the tooth’s frameworks and begins affecting the surrounding tissues. Manifestations include severe pain and swellings on the face. This phase requires a root canal or extraction to curb the ailing.
Reference
https://www.patientconnect365.com/DentalHealthTopics/Article/Understanding_the_Five_Stages_of_Tooth_Decay
Mail Order Dentistry at Root of Number of Complaints
Dissatisfaction on DIY dentistry was one of the key concerns brought to the table at a 2016 convention overseen by the Dental Complaints Resolution Service. While addressing delegates at the unveiling of the corporation’s annual report, Michael Kilcoyne mentioned there was a significant increase in complaints filed in 2016 as compared to 2015. Most of them expressed discontent on the home orthodontic kits meant to straighten and whiten teeth, asserting that they weren’t performing as expected.
The DIY approach in the oral care domain is quite a unique one. Patients wanting to straighten teeth often leave their impressions in a malleable form, which is then dispatched via post to in turn facilitate the construction of a fitting brace. Some franchises employ this methodology through P.O. Box addresses.
Kilcoyne has recently expressed disapproval on the trend, pointing out that the norm response with all illnesses is visiting the doctor; never has it been seeking the services of the DIY shop. He also notes that customers could be inclined to think the enterprises selling kits by post have some dental prowess or have qualified dentists in their workforce when in reality, it’s not the case. And even worse, pursuing them for unprofessional practices is difficult because they not under any regulation.
Reference
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/mail-order-dentistry-at-root-of-number-of-complaints-1.3160143
Is the Flavor Component in Dental Products Therapeutic?
Oral care items are normally dispensed in various flavors. And even though flavoring is considered a marketing strategy to generate more consumers, it is salient to note that the approach does have advantages on dental tissues/organs. Therefore, dental health specialists should strive to amass a collection of product flavors entailing palatable as well as therapeutic attributes.
The flavoring take has so far been featured in quite an enormous number of consumer products including toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, breath freshening compounds, and also therapeutics such as restorative materials and dental isolators. Natural flavorings are primarily obtained from edible elements of flora species like grain, fruit, bark, leaf, and root. Other viable sources are seafood, dairies, eggs, poultry, or biochemical/enzymatic processes involving animal/plant raw materials. Furthermore, there are some synthetic flavorings which emulate the above-mentioned classification about chemical properties. The two categories may either be volatile (in that they entail nasal arousal) or non-volatile (catering solely to the tongue’s flavor receptors). The latter division provides gustation depictions like sweetness, sourness or saltiness, impressions responsible for trigeminal sensations such as cooling or burning.
These flavoring agents are essential not only for the oral division but also for the drugs sector as a whole, particularly because they counteract medication with dire distinctive tastes.
Reference
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3283969/
VR for the Dentist
Going to the dentist can often be a scary experience for the uneasy and anxious, but a new relaxation technique used by one dental practice in Devon, England is consistently resulting in a better time for dental patients.
As the virtual reality fad continues to envelop the nation, medical practitioners are finding ways to exploit its full potential. A team of researchers in Devon led a study to determine whether such measures could improve a patient’s experience during routine dental procedures.
Patients who consented to the experiment were randomly assigned to one of three virtual reality settings: 1) standard care (the control), 2) a virtual walk on a beach equipped with a headset and handheld controller, or 3) a walk around a virtual city. The researchers concluded that patients who walked around the beach during their time at the dentist reported less anxiety, pain, and had more positive memories of their treatment after some time as compared to those in the standard care condition or those who walked around in the city.
“The use of virtual reality in health care settings is on the rise,” says Dr. Karin Tanja-Dijkstra, lead author of the study. “Under the right conditions, this technology can be used to help both patients and practitioners.”
References: https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-healthcare/dentistry.html
