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ADA hires Fleishman-Hillard as Public Relations Firm

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An article written on February 14, 2013, titled “ADA selects national communications firm“, by Kelly Soderlund discusses how the American Dental Association (ADA) has recently hired Fleishman-Hillard as their public relations (PR) firm. The article states “Fleishman-Hillard will be charged with developing communications strategies and messages; proactively pitching major oral health stories to national media; and creating toolkits and other multimedia materials that dental societies can also use as issues management resources. The goal…is to build and enhance dentists’ reputation and the profession; position the dentist as a fully-trained doctor who leads the dental team; demonstrate dentistry’s leadership in breaking down barriers to oral health for all Americans; and ensure that the media portrays dentistry fairly and accurately.” I am not quite sure what exactly to expect from this PR campaign. The article talks about portraying dentists fairly and accurately and also … Read more

Porcelain Laminate Dental Veneers

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Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of a tooth to improve the aesthetics of the tooth or protect the tooth from damage to to the surface. Composites and dental porcelain are the two main types of materials that are used to fabricate a dental veneer. A porcelain veener must be fabricated in a dental laboratory whereas a composite does not have to be. Porcelain laminate veneers were first researched in the early 1980s. This research found that porcelain can be etched with hydrofluoric acid and  porcelain veneers can be bonded on the surface of a tooth permanently. Since then advances in ceramic materials, adhesive technology (bonding agents), and clinical techniques have allowed for porcelain laminate veneers to evolve into the treatment of choice for minimally invasive aesthetic dentistry. Various factors affect the … Read more

Preservation of Confidential Health Care for Young Adults

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An interesting article titled “Health Reform and the Preservation of Confidential Health Care for Young Adults” written by Lauren Slive and Ryan Cramer appears in the Summer 2012 issue of the The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (vol. 40, issue 2, pages 383-390). A discussion is made regarding how sometimes when getting health care services confidential information can be inadvertently disclosed. If a breach of confidentiality can occur then a minor or young adult may not seek the health care services. The authors state “Of primary concern is that young adults, not just minors, who remain on their parents health insurance plans often forgo sensitive services with the concern that explanation of benefits (EOBs) from such services will inform their parents, the policyholders.” In addition, of note and some may not be aware of, with the passage of the Affordable … Read more

Attending to the Patient in the Informed Consent Process

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An interesting article titled “Personalized Disclosure by Information-on-Demand: Attending to Patients’ Needs in the Informed Consent Process” written by Gil Siegal, Richard J. Bonnie, and Paul S. Appelbaum appears in the Summer 2012 issue of the The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (vol. 40, issue 2, pages 359-367). A discussion is made of the current informed consent process and how it is the foundation of medical ethics and health law. Now is clear from the complications page of my website http://www.teethremoval.com/complications.html, I have numerous problems with the informed consent process. In the article the authors state “The underlying ethical principle on which informed consent rests — autonomy — embodies the idea that as rational moral agents, patients should be in command of decisions that relate to their bodies and lives. The corollary obligation of physicians — to respect and facilitate … Read more

Primary Care Doctors Moving to the Concierge Model

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So if you haven’t heard by now, many primary care physicians have been, as of recently moving to a “concierge model.” In fact, a primary care doctor I was seeing for a while decided to do this. When is the last time you have been to your primary care physician (pcp) as perhaps they have as well? Just go on pcp websites across the U.S. and you may see the trend. For example, a practicing physician Dr. Rob discusses how he is Dropping Out over on http://more-distractible.org/2012/09/08/dropping-out/. “I will be starting a solo practice that does not file insurance, instead taking a monthly “subscription” fee, which gives patients access to me.” In the post he discusses his top 3 frustrations with the current health care system too many patients, not getting paid properly for providing care, and non-patient issues such … Read more