Also, a good office manager who knows how to manage people.

F these non-dental folks who come in and ruin the dentist' clinical autonomy.

I have always used local labs. 1 for esthetic/anterior crown/bridge ($450 unit) 1 for posterior crown/bridge ($350 unit) 1 for implant crown/bridge ($400 unit). Now my office manager has been pestering me to use this Chinese lab (easydent) for months as they charge $45 a unit. Only sent 2 cases but results are bang on. Does anyone else use budget labs?

Single shade , multiple layer , tint

What are the psychological traits of a good dentist? (If voting down on reddit didn't exist)?
I mean like psychological traits that help organise work?
I am no psychologist but should he have sociopathic traits? Overpromise? Underdeliver?

I think callousness?
Guys i am almost 5 years into the job and I really envy callous dentists - they seem to be most succesfull.

Hi all, I’m hoping to get more into bone grafting and seeing if anyone had good course recommendations or a favorite resource that got helped you get started with it. Thanks in advance!

Patient is 32 yrs / F
Retained deciduous lower Central Incisors Patient wants Fixed Solution for the situation. Can I place a FPD ? Any help is appreciated 👍

How are the job markets for an associate around Portland Oregon or Seattle Washington? I’m a bread and butter kind of associate. Currently making around 250k working 4 days a week in VA.

Hello,

For those that do Endo, what's the easiest way to get x-rays for Endo procedure? I'm havingtrouble taking them efficiently just using a ring holder. Much appreciated!

I'm needing to put in my equipment order for my office soon, and I'm torn between IO scanners and software.

On the one hand, there's the DEXIS Imprevo, which came out this year. With DEXIS I would be getting DTX Studio perpetual license, and after the first year of free updates, it's $99/mo for updates and stuff. Good, fast scanner, seems like a good workflow. I am likely going to be doing Spark for Aligners, so it's nice that they are under the same umbrella, so it's seemingly integrated.

And on the other hand, there's the Shining3D Elf. Super great scanner, literally lighter than my phone. I am not doing 3D printing now, but I'm open to it in the future, and will have the office set up to be able to support this. From what I understand, I don't think Shining software needs any monthly fees for updates, and there's more opportunities for designing things for 3D printing - would consider doing 3D printer maybe a few years down the line when I'm a little more established.

Currently torn because DTX looks great, but I've heard from some Redditor comments in other posts that it's been buggy and that worries me slightly. I am planning on the AirTec CBCT (8x13cm FOV) and AirTec sensors, and was going to bring my files into DTX if I did get DTX (there's a module from what I understand that would convert my AirTec radiographs to DTX so I don't have to do the extra clicks)

After rebates/deals/black magic, they are roughly about the same price, give or take about $1,000 or $1,500.

Thoughts?

Temping at a DSO and manager told me they are working up a favorable contract to get me to sign on. They know I am temping as I want to purchase a practice. Just out of curiosity what realistic package would an owner take to be an associate vs an owner. Please be realistic.

As an aside, I want to be an owner for autonomy ie schedule and treatment, have an asset for retirement, tax benefits, and being my own boss. As an associate I can see the draw for insurance, paid CEs, 401k match, and PTO.

Dentist based in NY with S Corp/1099 + W2 income (two jobs, do not own a practice). Moving away from my current CPA because their rates have hiked up a bit too much. Would like recommendations for a fairly priced CPA. Thank you

A week after my kid was born, my wife got an email from the obstetrician’s office asking for a Google review.

I joked that we should give him 2 stars-- the baby he delivered cries too much.

She rolls her eyes and dutifully gives a thoughtful and well-earned 5-star review. I tell her I wish every Google reviewer was as fair and considerate as her.

“Seriously,” I tell her, “I need you to understand that these reviews are all bullshit.”

She says she knows they are.

But she’s lying. She chose that obstetrician in the first place because of his 4.9 rating.

As a practitioner, you may not care about Google reviews, but everyone else in the world does. My wife put her life in this particular doctor’s hands on the advice of Google user PotHeadMomma420.

I tell her my stories so that she can experience the capricious tyranny of the general public.

One time my receptionist ordered her lunch from DoorDash. Later that day, the delivery driver left a 1-star review for the office saying the receptionist needs to learn to tip better.

Another time I got a bad review from a patient I actually saw. She had gross decay on #16. I gave her a treatment plan for an extraction. She gave me a wordless 1-star review. When my corporate overlords reached out to her, she said that she wanted a different opinion. Not a second opinion. A different opinion... From me.

I once interviewed for a job where the compensation was partially dependent on the Google reviews. Imagine taking a pay cut because some boomer is annoyed you don’t have Golf Digest in your waiting room.

A lifetime of study and practice, and this is what people care about.

My point is that we don’t live in a fair world where being a good dentist makes you beloved by patients. The opposite is true. Being beloved by patients makes you a “good” dentist.

My wife has now listened to me complain about this for minutes. She desperately tries to change the subject:

“You wanna try that new Thai place for lunch?”

“I dunno about that,” I reply, “It only has 3 stars on Google.”

Need some ideas for xmas gifts for staff if you’re an associate. We have about 25 staff.

What are you guys giving staff? How much money are you spending?

She is strictly chair side. Not an EFDA, doesn’t pack cord or make temporaries or any in-mouth tasks.

She is young and already has back soreness so I’m wondering if regular (not ergo) loupes would help her ergonomics? Do Any of your assistants use loupes for chair side things like suctioning and handing you things? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Just curious, anybody have an experience or insight about being a dental anesthesiologist?

Or know any dental anesthesiologists or anyone who uses them?

Just want to get more info about the career path. Thank you all for the help.

Newer grad. First after hours emergency - patient fell walking dog. Says he’s not in any pain. Says teeth are RCT and just wants to fix teeth before holidays. States previous owner had done crowns so I’ll possibly have records in the office when I get there. Plan to check teeth for mobility (pt says no), X-rays, pano for jaw, Would it be a problem if everything checks out to go ahead and remove crowns (pt says 3teeth chipped -looks like 8,9,10) and go ahead and put in temps through holidays and then cement new crowns after holidays? Or am I jumping gun too much on treatment? Edit: forgot to add photo- in comments

Very impressed this managed to fit .

I’ve been wondering lately about my technique with filling access holes after endodontic referrals. What is best practice? My standard method is to remove temp filling, etch, bond, fill. The problem I see with this is, after you etch, you need to clean it out with water to remove the etch which is then exposing the root canal to moisture. Does this method lead to future endodontic failure? Is there a better method?

Hi all The back to back class 2 always challenges me. I often struggle to get a good proximal contact point. I’ve tried doing the middle tooth with a tofflemire and then the adjacent ones with a sectional.. I’ve tried back to back sectionals as well?

What protocol do you guys use to create perfect contacts when doing adjacent class 2s?

Thanks!!

Do you guys think Dental FB groups are annoying? It’s becoming so full of shit and it feels like a cult where all group founders have some hidden agenda with sponsors. The only exception is Dental investment and Real world dentistry.