The Importance of a Transition Manager
By: John Wloderak Managing your practice is essential to good dentistry; entering the marketplace to establish your brand, managing growth, and finding an eventual exit strategy can all be a challenge. But you shouldn’t go through the process alone. There are plenty of qualified individuals who make it their job to help you through every…
Read MoreBurnout: How to Complete Your Stress Cycle as a Dentist
By: Savanah Craig Burnout is a hot topic. It is especially prevalent for those who are high achievers, in helping professions or have a caretaking role. As a dentist, I find myself identifying with each of those categories. After experiencing burnout in dental school, I have been determined to find resources and strategies to prevent…
Read MoreValentine’s Day Gift Ideas for The Dental Professional
By: Lucas Shapiro Tired of giving the same old gift or chocolate and flowers to the people that matter most in your life for Valentine’s Day? Everyone does enjoy chocolate and that’s totally fine as long as it’s in moderation and you brush and floss afterward. IgniteDDS has created a Valentine’s Dental Gift Guide to…
Read MoreDentistry as Public Health
By: Mohammed Hammoud I’m Mohammed Hammoud, a third-year student at the LECOM School of Dentistry with a passion for dentistry as an issue of public health and social well-being. Before Dental School Before dental school, I worked with a public health organization and shadowed a dentist running a clinic in South Africa. It was a…
Read MoreGeographic Success and the Transition to the Real World of Dentistry
By: Cory Ball You just got your final faculty check for a restorative appointment in the clinic. Your patient is thrilled to finally leave the dental school after a three-hour appointment to fix a cavity. Yes, that’s right. One filling. 4DO. You’re an early D3 dental student and this is among the first dozen or…
Read MoreCommunicating in Difficult Situations: Part 1
By: Savanah Craig If you work in the dental profession long enough, you’ll encounter patients who might get labeled as difficult for some of their requests in a dental chair. These annoyances range from refusing to swallow their own saliva, questioning the need for radiographs, or refusing fluoride treatment. Many dentists, hygienist, and dental assistants…
Read MoreGeneral Dentist vs. Dental Specialist
By: Dr. Cory Ball 12 years of grade school, 4 years of undergraduate studies, maybe a master’s program, and 4 years of dental school. Now you are debating on doing more school? Do you want to be a general dentist or go on to do a specialty in orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatrics, endodontics, periodontics, etc?…
Read MoreNew Dentist: Your First Paycheck Arrives, Now What?
By: Dr. Cory Ball Dental school is a busy time for most aspiring clinicians. Between studying for courses, practicing in preclinic, then managing the patient pool in the final years, most students have a tough time finding additional hours in a day to have a part-time job to make money. And those students who do have…
Read MoreDon’t Look Back, Look Forward to Paying Off Dental School Student Loans
By: Dr. Cory Ball The average student loan debt for a graduating dental student in 2020 was over $300,000. During school, students can easily fall into a mindset of forgetting about the loans and focusing on other things. The problem with that is when the time comes to start making payments, it can be overwhelming…
Read MoreDental Assistant Requirements in Minnesota
By: Natalie Kaweckyj, LDA, RF, CDA, CDPMA, COA, COMSA, CPFDA, CRFDA, MADAA, BA Are you looking to become a dental assistant or are moving as a current dental assistant? Make sure to check the dental assistant requirements in Minnesota to see if you are still qualified in the state to practice. Each state has different requirements for…
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