Doctors

Why Bother With Research

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An intriguing article recently appeared in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery titled “Research – why bother?” (vol. 40, issue 12, page 1346, December 2011) written by G. Dimitroulis. The article discusses of oral and maxillofacial surgery needs research to make itself known as a professional body and not as just a technical trade. A brief mention is made that dual degree programs place time pressures on trainees at the expense of research. The author mentions how head and neck surgical oncology is shared by a number of surgical specialties with mutual interest. The author states “We cannot rely rely on the research experience of other surgical specialties if we are to secure the respect and trust of our medical and surgical colleagues from other disciplines who also have a mutual interest in head and neck oncology.” The … Read more

Getting published in peer-reviewed journals

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An interesting article appears in the December 2011 issue of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol. 40, issue 12, pages 1342-1345) titled “Getting published in peer-reviewed journals,” by G. Dimitroulis. The author opens by saying “Writing a paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal is a rewarding experience. Even though there are no direct financial incentives for publishing in peer-reviewed journals, thousands of manuscripts are produced each year which compete for the limited journal space available worldwide. In other words, there is a sense of pride and achievement behind every published journal article that has its own rewards for which money plays no role.” Journal articles can be published to help comment or criticize the work of others, to synthesize and build a consensus about what is presently known, to announce new work, to serve as training … Read more

Being Thankful For What We Have A Dentist Perspective

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An interesting article ran in the MyView Section of the American Dental Association titled “A time to be thankful for all that we have,” written by Richard A. Mufson, D.D.S., and published November 7, 2011. http://www.ada.org/6541.aspx In the article Dr. Mufson discusses how he will typically ask other dentists the standard question of “how are you?” This typically goes into discussions of the dental practice and whether or not financially the practice is doing well or not. Dr. Mufson then says he had no real desire to talk about the dental practice but about how the person really is. Dr. Mufson goes on to say “When caught up in our daily routines and the trials and tribulations of everyday life, many of us may not always be closely in touch with, nor take the time to be grateful for, aspects in our … Read more

Mark Zuckerberg’s Dad is a Dentist

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I am surprised I had not heard of this before, but Mark Zuckerberg yes the guy who is a co-founder and runs Facebook and who has an estimated wealth of many billions, has a dad named Edward Zuckerberg who is a practicing dentist. The American Dental Association (ADA) recently discussed Edward Zuckerberg in their article Websites a “no-brainer’ for dental practices written by Kelly Soderlund appearing September 8, 2011, and located at http://www.ada.org/news/6200.aspx Yes Dr. Zuckerberg has his own dental practice in New York and his website is located at http://painlessdrz.com/ Yes of course Dr. Zuckerberg also has his own facebook page http://www.facebook.com/painlessdrz I am a bit surprised that Mark Zuckerberg’s dad is still practicing dentistry and still works a full schedule since he is over 56 years old and his son is pretty well off financially. I suppose he … Read more

Second Opinion Advertisements for Dentists

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An article in The Journal of the American Dental Association titled “Are Advertisements That Offer ‘Free Second Opinions’ Ethical by Rod B. Wentworth (October 1, 2011, vol. 142, no. 10, pages 1199-1200) talks about the ethics involved with dentists advertising “free second opinions.” In the article it says “So simply offering free second opinions is not in and of itself unethical. It is perfectly acceptable for a patient to seek a second opinion. In fact, dentists should consider suggesting that their patients obtain second opinions, especially when they have questions or concerns about the appropriateness of the recommended treatment.” One issue raised in the article is that in a second opinion, if a patient has any x-rays they should be sent along with the patient for the second opinion to avoid unnecessary radiation. The other issue raised is giving second … Read more