The Dentist’s Pledge

The Dentist’s Pledge I, (dentist’s name), as a member of the dental profession, shall keep this pledge and these stipulations. I understand and accept that my primary responsibility is to my patients, and I shall dedicate myself to render, to the best of my ability, the highest standard of oral health care and to maintain a relationship of respect and confidence. Therefore, let all come to me safe in the knowledge that their total health and well-being are my first considerations. I shall accept the responsibility that, as a professional, my competence rests on continuing the attainment of knowledge and skill in the arts and sciences of dentistry. I acknowledge my obligation to support and sustain the honor and integrity of the profession and to conduct myself in all endeavors such that I shall merit the respect of patients, colleagues … Read more

The Dentist’s Prayer

The Dentist’s Prayer Thank you, O Lord, for the privilege of being a dentist, For letting me serve as your instrument in ministering to the sick and afflicted, May I always treat with reverence the human life which you have brought into being and which I serve, Deepen my love for people so that I will always give myself gladly and generously to those stricken with illness and pain, Help me to listen patiently, diagnose carefully, prescribe conscientiously, and treat gently, Teach me to blend gentleness with skill, To be a dentist with a heart as well as a mind. Joseph G. Kalil, D.D.S. (written 1991) Source: ADA Current Policies

8 Things You Don’t Want to Happen to You in an American Hospital

There are eight things that you must never let happen to you while you’re in hospital.  If they do, health insurers say they will no longer pay out. Tired of picking up the tab for the vast number of doctor and hospital errors that happen in American hospitals every year, health insurers have listed eight no payout errors. Around 2 million people get an infection every year while staying in an American hospital, and a further 100,000 will die as a result. The eight no payout errors relate to: air embolism blood incompatibility catheter-associated urinary tract infection decubitus ulcer (pressure sores) vascular catheter-associated infection surgical site infection mediastinitis (infection of the chest area) falls and trauma objects left in the body after surgery. But wait. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are planning on adding a further nine … Read more

Dental Fraud

If you live in America you should be concerned about dental fraud. The only way to solve this is single payer health insurance. The bottom line: get a second opinion and question everything when seeing the dentist. The video below goes into more issues on dental fraud and what you should do to protect yourself.

Are Dentists out of Touch?

Here is an article written by Joushua Bernstien and appeared in Dental Economics. At a recent dental meeting, a famous panel of dentists and consultants fielded questions about how to improve our practices. Leadership, teamwork, vision, communication, strategic planning, focus, and many other great buzz-word ideas were discussed. When the dust settled after the discussion, I realized that we are completely out of touch with our cosmetic dentistry patients. As we evolve and behave like business owners, we sometimes forget that the patients are still thinking the same old thing-they “hate the dentist!” While we are excited about various occlusion philosophies, new materials, and high technology, the patients are still “afraid of the shot!” While we are dinking around refining the perfect crown margin, the patients “hate the sound of the drill!” While we are concerned about diagnosis and treatment, … Read more