Solstice Provider Blog

If you’re a dentist or a dental office manager, you’ve probably wrestled with the question, “Does accepting insurance help your dental practice?” There is no simple answer, but your choice will have a major impact on your practice for years to come.

Opening your own dental practice is one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. Whether you took over an existing practice or you started from scratch, taking this leap took determination, grit, faith and a tenacity to succeed. And it requires that, because opening and maintaining a successful business is downright hard. Per the SBA Office of Advocacy, only 50 percent of businesses that are opened survive beyond five years. And after 10 years, the survival rate drops to one-third. But chances are, you already knew this before you started, and the fact that you opened your practice anyway is likely proof that you have what it takes to succeed.

The number is staggering, but nearly all American adults—about 91 percent between ages 20 and 64—have some level of tooth decay. And over a fourth of those cases go untreated. Somewhere between nine and 15 percent of adults avoid the dentist out of fear, perhaps of situations like having their teeth drilled.

Everyone wants to have a gourd time on Halloween! However, it can be tricky to uphold your dental responsibilities when your patients are excited about all the candy they will get. It’s only natural for me to want to participate. So, what do you give your patients for Halloween? We’ve compiled a list of fun options that stay away from unhealthy treats or potential allergies while still maintaining the Halloween spirit:

Have your patients ever complained about the messiness of eye drops? Or, perhaps, admitted that they were missing doses here and there? Administration of eye medication could soon get a lot easier for patients, as researchers have developed a new type of contact lens that gradually delivers medicine to the eyes while they’re worn.

"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary… to dissolve" a dentist/patient relationship, remember that documentation is as important to your practice as the Declaration of Independence is to America. The key word here is dissolve. To dissolve a relationship is perfectly legal and, at times, necessary. However, to abandon is neither.

Technological advancements keep changing the way we approach healthcare. Researchers are saying the next big thing to bring change to eye care are “smart” contact lenses. Your vision patients may have a new option to track diabetes and other health problems. Be prepared to walk them through what this means.

Having a thoughtfully designed and comfortable dental office is a large step in the effort to please patients. While your office is your workplace, understand the experience of someone entering as a patient seeking treatment.

"My work is my signature." It’s a phrase dental providers would say in a heartbeat because they understand that the quality and longevity of the work they do for patients reflects them as a professional. Bottom-line, great work is better than any business card. And this applies no matter your specialty. If you are a dental provider who does implants, you want to know the ones you install have a great success rate and your patients get the smiles they desire. Therefore, it’s important to be aware that certain medications can impact the success of these artificial tooth roots. An example is antidepressants. A recent study at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine shows a strong connection between failure of dental implants and taking this type of medication.