A list of New Year’s resolutions is really like a “to-do list” on a larger scale. As with many to-do lists, some of the items on it keep getting pushed down in the ranking of priorities because of the constraints of time. So I have a suggestion to keep in mind when making pledges to yourself about what you are going to do this year: Make purifying your time your first resolution.
Many driven people pride themselves on how many tasks and commitments they are able to take on. Eventually, reality catches up and this philosophy of always doing more becomes counterproductive, as you inevitably have to approach your growing list of commitments at… (Read More)
The Year for Change
January 11, 2014
5 Reasons People Avoid the Dentist
January 20, 2013
There are five major reasons that people do not get the necessary dental care they need. They are money, time, lack of concern, fear and trust. Let’s take a quick look at each one and see if any of them fit you and what dentists often try to do to overcome these obstacles for patients.
Although you may think that money would be the number one reason people avoid ideal dental treatment, it is not. Even in these tougher economic times, money, although a significant barrier for many is still not the number one issue for most. Yes, dental care in some cases can be a significant investment. With insurance industry’s unwillingness to raise… (Read More)
21 Suggestions for Success in 2013
January 3, 2013
If you are reading this column, the end of the world did not happen on December 21st and it’s time to think about the ways in which to improve our lives for 2013.
As readership has grown for The Town Common, I thought it was appropriate to re-publish this column so that new and old readers could benefit from this list. It is a great way to start a new year.
These 21 suggestions for success are authored by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I have a framed picture of these hanging in my office and read them every day. I get comments about them all the time from people saying how much they… (Read More)
Devastating
November 26, 2012
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was in travel mode for a few straight weeks of continuing education courses. This past week I was in Detroit, which I will discuss below. This coming weekend I was scheduled to travel to northern New Jersey. Well, Hurricane Sandy postponed those plans. My heart goes out to those affected by her devastation and I wish them the best as they try to pick up the pieces and return to normalcy.
This week I would like to discuss two other areas of devastation that I encountered on my most recent trip to Detroit. The course itself was a live-patient course utilizing a unique type of… (Read More)
Six Month Smiles
November 11, 2012
Typically, fall and winter tend to be my heaviest time for continuing education. What is continuing education for a dentist? It is a must. As in any profession, learning never stops. If you stop learning, you halt growth both professionally and personally.
Dentistry offers continuing education in every aspect of the profession. Dentists can learn everything from new techniques in “filling” teeth to using Botox. In the next month I am travelling to Detroit to learn some new surgical techniques, New Jersey to learn a different way to do root canals, and Arizona for a refresher course on treatment planning and communication with patients. Travelling and being away from home is not my favorite… (Read More)
Is Seeing Believing?
October 24, 2012
Last night I heard a commercial for a cholesterol medication in which the person playing the doctor says, “I wish my patients could see what I see.” I believe there are two ways to look at that statement.
The commercial showed an image of animated artery walls clogging with particles of plaque clinging to one another making the opening of the artery smaller and smaller. This is a visual that is easy to understand.
The second, and more subtle way to take this statement, is the doctor wishing that patients could see what happens to patients over time with and without compliance to taking medication or changing their diet. If patients could only… (Read More)
The Soda Ban
October 5, 2012
On Sept. 13, at New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s urging, New York City’s Board of Health approved what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind ban on the sale of supersized sugary beverages. In six months, if there’s no lawsuit filed to block it, containers of Coke, Pepsi and sugar-laden flavored drinks larger than 16 ounces will be outlawed at restaurants, movie theaters, food carts and sports arenas. Business violators would be subject to a $200 fine.
This ban doesn’t stop someone from buying two 16-ounce cups or bottles of soda. Nor does it apply to convenience stores or grocery stores. And, of course, New Yorkers are free to drink however much they want at… (Read More)
Is Your Insurance Expiring?
September 27, 2012
I don’t know how you feel but I think this year is just flying by. I guess I feel like that every year. Only three more months left in 2012. For those of you with dental insurance, only three more months to use your dental benefits before they disappear and go toward the bonuses for the insurance executives. That is kind of a joke and it is kind of not.
As you know, if you have dental insurance, you have a yearly maximum amount of money that can be used for dental care. Although that yearly maximum (typically $1000-1500 per year) has not changed for 40 years in most situations, if you don’t use… (Read More)
Feel Good
September 4, 2012
Last week I was on vacation. There are many definitions of vacation but the first one I found when I looked up the definition is – “a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel.” I think that is a fairly good definition but for me it is missing one key point.
Most of us look forward to vacation. For some it might be a time to relax or “unwind” or maybe sleep in and be lazy. For others, like myself, I look at it as having time to do things I love to do or to put it a different way – things that I… (Read More)
One Patient’s Story
July 25, 2012
This is the story about a woman I met recently named “Carol”. Carol’s story is the reason I do what I do every day and brings me back the next day. The interesting thing is that it has absolutely nothing to do with performing the actual physical work of dentistry.
Carol is in her 70’s and for most of her life has gone to the dentist infrequently. She presented to my office a couple of months ago for a second opinion. At our first appointment Carol brought her most recent x-rays, a treatment plan from another dentist, and a page-long list of questions. She was well-prepared for the complimentary consultation I was giving her… (Read More)