Like any profession, stepping into the real world of dentistry after graduation can be intimidating. Building a plan for your development now will help set you up for a successful and rewarding dental career in the long term. While dental school provides you with a strong foundation, a significant proportion of the knowledge and skills you will need to be successful in dental practice are learned after graduation.
In dentistry, infection prevention and control (IPAC) is of paramount importance, and sterilization centres play a vital role in protecting the health and safety of patients and practice teams. However, each dental practice must have safeguards in place to ensure that instruments are being sterilized safely and effectively.
Now, more than ever before, dental practitioners can seamlessly communicate with their colleagues through an array of online platforms, forums, and social media groups. While this modern technology allows practitioners to conveniently share interesting cases, ask questions, and learn from others, this informal type of interaction has a number of limitations as it relates to information control, including accountability, tracking, and follow-up. This is where formal professional peer review, ...
With the end of summer nearing, many Canadians are settling back into a routine with an increased focus on healthy habits. Numerous patients have delayed care for quite some time, and the demand ahead for treatment plans will be significant. As such, dental practices must be ready to support a return to packed patient schedules.
Dentists are highly trained and skilled health care professionals and, as such, are legally and professionally obligated to recognize and manage medical emergencies. This includes iatrogenic events and emergencies occurring by chance, such as a patient fainting in the waiting room. Adequately preparing for medical emergencies requires not only the proper drugs and equipment, but also training, teamwork, and a culture of safety that permeates throughout the entire dental practice.
In a (post) pandemic world, where the population is more aware of the risks of airborne transmission and “work from anywhere” has become de rigueur, some patients will prefer to avoid commuting to the dental practice as often. But that doesn’t mean a dental practice should give up on the relationship it has built with those patients. By utilizing remote virtual methods like videoconferences to execute consultations and diagnoses, clinicians can conveniently connect with patients from the com...
As a specialist, a significant portion of my patients present after endodontic treatment has failed or was abandoned mid-treatment, due to an unforeseen complication. Throughout my career, I have seen my fair share of my own failed treatments, and I have witnessed the distress these situations can cause my colleagues as I certainly know they cause me many a sleepless night.
Every dentist aims to please by providing their patients with optimal treatment outcomes. This dedication to success can sometimes lead a dentist to offer patients a guarantee (a promise of a satisfactory outcome) or a warranty (a time-limited agreement to replace, repair or refund a defect in material or workmanship). Other dentists may feel obligated to offer a guarantee or warranty when practicing in a competitive market or in response to a patient’s request. Whatever the reason, it is es...
According to the World Health Organization’s March 25th, 2020 report on oral health, dental caries remains the number one dental issue globally to this day. While we are seeing a decrease in dental caries in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in Canada, there is still much work to be done.
A year-and-a-half into this ever-evolving pandemic and we find ourselves in the grip of a third wave. The pandemic has caused a significant change in all of our lives. The only constant we’ve had is the constant of the unknown. The virus has proved to be relentless and efforts to contain the spread require a consistent effort to follow regulatory and public health guidelines.
