“Why Many Dentists are Vowing to Never Use Chlorhexidine Again”

To prepare, click here to read a recently published article…

“Fighting Biofilm With Oral Rinses.”

SUMMARY:

Dr. Robert Martino discusses the use of new oral health care products and rinses that can make a huge difference in patient outcomes. He also focuses on patients in orthodontic treatment.

This webinar will be hosted by Dr. Martino, who’ll be expanding on what’s shared in that article, so make sure to give it a read.

Then you can click here or on the image to register!

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

With new single shade composite systems, this procedure is becoming easier and more predictable by eliminating the need for shade selection as this new material is able to match a broad range of tooth shades.

However, a successful result is also dependent on proper tooth preparation and composite layering.

In this webinar, Dr. Brown will show not only how to properly handle a single shade composite system, but also show examples of common mistakes that result in restorations appearing too opaque or too translucent.

Dr. Nixdorf will cover the important similarities and differences between TN and dental pain, as well as the symptoms to look out for so you and your team can quickly identify. He will also reveal the top 3 ‘mimics’ of trigeminal neuralgia that dental practices see on a regular basis and what to do after you suspect your patient has trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathic pain.

Bring your questions to the live Q&A session at the end of the presentation.

WEBINAR DETAILS

Speaker: Donald Nixdorf, DDS, MS — Thursday, March 2 at 7pm ET.

1 CE credit available

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

United States Surgeon General Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, discussed the connection between oral health and primary care, the role that dental professionals have played during the pandemic, and oral healthcare outcomes and disparities during a recent webinar for the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM).

“We know that oral health is integral to our overall health, as well as the health of our communities and our nation,” said Adams, speaking to an audience of oral healthcare professionals and members of the HSDM community.

“You’ve helped the entire clinical community understand best practices around oral hygiene that can reduce COVID-19 transmission in situations where a face mask simply can’t be worn,” he said.

“I applaud your collaboration across medical professions to ensure the health and safety of patients and of practitioners. Both during COVID-19 and beyond, you play a critical, critical role,” Adams said.

As the nation’s twentieth Surgeon General, Adams serves to advance the health of the American people. His motto, “better health through better partnerships,” emphasizes the forging of new partnerships and strengthening existing relationships with members of the business, faith, education, public safety, and national security communities.

During his tenure as US Surgeon General, Adams implemented several initiatives to combat pressing issues such as the opioid epidemic, oral health, and the links between community health and economic prosperity and national security. He addressed oral health disparities throughout his remarks as well.

“Key oral health outcomes related to disparities include dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. When we think of health, including oral health, many of us immediately think about healthcare,” he said.

“But what I want you to understand is that as critical as healthcare is, overall health, and especially oral health, actually begins at home. And it’s a vicious cycle, what we call social determinants,” he said.

“Things like a living wage, clean drinking water, housing security, they contribute to medical determinants. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, periodontal disease, and hypertension are especially common in people of color,” Adams said.

Adams also noted the importance of diversity and inclusion in the medical and dental fields.

“Studies show that people of color feel more comfortable, and often have better outcomes, when they see a clinician who looks like them. Less than 4% of all dentists are Black,” Adams said.

“As an additional element that leads to disparities, we know that health and the economy are inextricably linked, and socioeconomic status is tied to an individual’s health outcomes, including oral health. The pandemic has made this linkage even more apparent,” he said.

In his upcoming Surgeon General’s Report on Community Health and Economic Prosperity, which will be released in the next several months, Adams will share ways for businesses to address disparities and disadvantages in healthcare in the United States.

“My mission with the Report on Community Health and Economic Prosperity is to mobilize businesses to invest deeply in the health of their communities, including taking measures to improve oral health. Because we know this will not just improve oral health, but it will create a healthier bottom line,” Adams said.

In early 2021, Adams also plans to release a spotlight on oral health that will preview an examination of some key issues affecting oral health across the lifespan, including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.

“We were honored to have the Surgeon General join us at HSDM to address important oral healthcare needs for all Americans. He understands how critical oral health is to overall health and the disparities that exist in access to care. He is an advocate for these needs on a national level,” said HSDM dean William Giannobile, DDS, MS, DMSc.

“Additionally, we were excited to hear about the upcoming release in 2021 of the US Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health. Many HSDM faculty members were involved in this international effort that will be an update to the landmark report of 2000,” Giannobile said.

“The upcoming spotlight will focus on the integration of oral health and primary care and workforce issues, the relationship between oral health and substance abuse disorders, the opioid epidemic, high-risk behaviors such as smoking and vaping, and emerging technologies and promising science that is transforming oral health and health delivery,” said Adams.

“As dental professionals, you’re trusted sources of clinical and health-related advice. Critical team members, with unique roles in answering patients’ questions, providing and translating scientific information, and more,” Adams said.

“The Surgeon General has put a spotlight on how important oral health is to our overall health, as well as the many social determinants of health,” said Jane Barrow, MS, associate dean of the Office of Global and Community Health and executive director of the HSDM Initiative to Integrate Oral Health and Medicine.

“Through his task forces and special reports, he is helping the nation gain a better understanding of barriers to health and wellness for all Americans. We’re grateful for this time and his expertise,” Barrow said.

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The New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry will host “AHEAD: Achieving Health Equity through Access for All with Disabilities,” a symposium bringing together experts in healthcare advocacy, access, and funding at the state and federal levels for people with disabilities. The virtual event is scheduled for October 2 from 8:45 am to 1:30 pm EDT.

Neil Romano, chairman of the National Council on Disability, will be the symposium’s keynote speaker. The National Council on Disability is a nonpartisan federal agency that advises the President, Congress, and other federal agencies on disability policy. Other speakers will include:

• Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics
• Anastasia Somoza, disability rights advocate and community liaison in the Disability, Civil, and Human Rights Division Office of the New York City Council
• John Kemp, president and CEO of the Viscardi Center
• Stanley M. Bergman, chairman and CEO of Henry Schein
• David Chiu, member of the California Assembly

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark law protecting people with disabilities against discrimination in many areas of life, including healthcare, NYU Dentistry noted.

While governments and other organizations have strived to create a more accessible world, including NYU Dentistry opening its Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities in 2019, many people with disabilities still face barriers to receiving care, the school said.

“We need solutions that enable individuals with disabilities to access and afford oral healthcare, and not just care, but high-quality, dignified, and coordinated care,” said Charles N. Bertolami, the Herman Robert Fox Dean of NYU Dentistry.

“NYU College of Dentistry is honored to bring together this esteemed and passionate group of disability, health, and policy experts to discuss how to create a more equitable healthcare sector for people with disabilities,” Bertolami said.

The symposium will address the need to carve out a fair and sustainable funding policy for healthcare based on value, NYU Dentistry said. It also will explore the family/provider relationship, the impact of COVID-19 on the disability community, and the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing access to care both locally and nationally.

The event is open to the public with registration. A complete schedule and registration are available online. A link to the Zoom webinar will be provided after registration.

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Henry Schein will present “Best Practices for Better Practices: A Henry Schein Wellness Symposium” on Thursday, April 9 at 10 am EST, to help dental practice owners navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. It will feature best practices on a range of topics, including:

• “What’s Next With the Outbreak?” with Bruce Lieberthal, chief innovation officer at Henry Schein, and Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security 
• “Enhancing Team Morale and Maintaining Emotional Stability While Working Remotely” with Barbara Fisenne, vice president of global organizational development at Henry Schein, and Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz, managing principal at Boswell Group LLC 
• “Maintaining Practice Financial Health” with Natalie Westfall, executive director of Henry Schein Financial Services, and Mark Rosen, partner at Rosen & Associates LLP
• “Patient Communications During and After COVID-19” with Andrea Gallimore, product marketing manager at Henry Schein One, and Lois Banta, CEO of Banta Consulting
• “Improving Patient Care with Telehealth Using Clinical Decision Support” with Michael Casamassa, vice president of solutions and planning at Henry Schein, and Dr. Art Papier, CEO of VisualDx

• “Maximizing Time During Office Closings” with Scott Jackson, senior director of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Segment at Henry Schein Medical; Gayle Evans, president of Continuum Healthcare Consultants; and Sandra Sommerman, senior project manager at Continuum Healthcare Consultants 

“Henry Schein has a long record of assisting our customers during difficult times,” said Stanley M. Bergman, chairman of the board and CEO of Henry Schein.

“This virtual symposium is another example of how our customers can rely on us to help healthcare practices manage through a challenging moment. We are committed to doing all we can to ensure that our customers emerge strong from the pandemic, and the best practices detailed in this symposium is a part of that effort,” Bergman said. 

Henry Schein also offers information about managing the pandemic in its online Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Education Center.

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The ADA is offering guidance detailing the differences between dental emergencies and nonemergency dental care as part of its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 and alleviate the burden on hospital and emergency departments. It also will provide a free on-demand webinar on March 20 based on questions it has received from its members about how best to provide care during the pandemic. 

Emergency Vs. Nonemergency Guidelines 

The guide supplements the ADA’s recommendation that dentists nationwide postpone elective procedures to do their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Dental emergencies, according to the ADA, “are potentially life-threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding [or to] alleviate severe pain or infection.” Conditions include: 

• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Cellulitis or a diffuse soft-tissue bacterial infection with intraoral or extraoral swelling that potentially compromises the patient’s airway
• Trauma involving facial bones that potentially compromises the patient’s airway

The ADA notes that this guidance may change as the pandemic progresses and that dentists should use their professional judgment in determining a patient’s need for urgent or emergency care.

As part of the emergency guidance, the ADA added urgent care that “focuses on the management of conditions that require immediate attention to relieve severe pain and/or risk of infection and to alleviate the burden on hospital emergency departments.”

Examples of urgent dental care treatment, which should be as minimally invasive as possible, include:

• Severe dental pain from pulpal inflammation
• Pericoronitis or third-molar pain
• Surgical postoperative osteitis or dry socket dressing changes
• Abscess or localized bacterial infection resulting in localized pain and swelling
• Tooth fracture resulting in pain or causing soft-tissue trauma
• Dental trauma with avulsion/luxation
• Dental treatment cementation if the temporary restoration is lost, broken, or causing gingival irritation

Other emergency dental care includes extensive caries or defective restorations causing pain; suture removal; denture adjustments on radiation and oncology patients; denture adjustments or repairs when function is impeded; replacing temporary fillings on endo access openings in patients experiencing pain; and snipping or adjustments or an orthodontic wire or appliances piercing or ulcerating the oral mucosa.

“The American Dental Association recognizes the unprecedented and extraordinary circumstances dentists and all healthcare professionals face related to growing concern about COVID-19,” said ADA president Chad P. Gehani, DDS. “Concentrating on emergency dental care will allow us to care for our emergency patients and alleviate the burden that dental emergencies would place on hospital emergency departments.”

Nonemergency dental procedures, according to the ADA, include but aren’t limited to: 

• Initial or periodic oral examinations and recall visits, including routine radiographs
• Routine dental cleaning and other preventive therapies
• Orthodontic procedures other than those to address acute issues such as pain, infection, and trauma
• Extraction of asymptomatic teeth
• Restorative dentistry including treatment of asymptomatic carious lesions
• Aesthetic dental procedures

The Webinar

The ADA also is partnering with the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention in providing a free on-demand webinar on March 20. Content for the program will be based on questions that the ADA has received from members looking for guidance while navigating the pandemic.

The questions will be collected and shared with two infection control experts: Eve Cuny of the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and Kathy Eklund of the Forsyth Institute. The speakers will review the questions and respond via a program that will be recorded and available for on-demand streaming later that day.

Cuny is the director of environmental health and safety and associate professor at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, where she also is assistant dean for global relations. She also is a consultant to the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs and is an expert reviewer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Eklund is the director or occupational health and safety and the Forsyth research subject and patient safety advocate at the Forsyth Institute. She is an adjunct assistant professor at the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and serves as a consultant to the ADA Council on Dental Practice.

A notice will be posted on ada.org/virus once the program is available. The ADA News will carry the information as well. There is no need to pre-register for the webinar. The ADA encourages dentists to visit its online resource center at ada.org/virus as well.

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Each year, the human papillomavirus (HPV) accounts for nearly 13,000 cases of oropharyngeal cancer, according to the Public Health Foundation (PHF). Yet awareness of the link between HPV and oropharyngeal cancer remains low, PHF reports, prompting the nonprofit advocacy group to schedule a webinar for Wednesday, February 13, from 2 to 3 pm EST.

During the webinar, experts will explain the burden of oropharyngeal cancer, current trends in its epidemiology, a clinical picture of the disease, and the importance of vaccination in prevention. They also will address common questions related to HPV and oropharyngeal cancer.

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Speakers will include Amber D’Souza, PhD, associate professor with the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Carole Fakhry, MD, MPH, associate professor with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Also, the webinar will help listeners learn about oropharyngeal cancer through the eyes of a survivor. Jason Mendelsohn will share the story of his illness and recovery as a means to educate the public about HPV and its link to oropharyngeal cancer. He also is a member of the Head & Neck Cancer Alliance executive board.  

As a result of the webinar, the organizers believe participants will be able to:

• Understand the difference between oral cancers and oropharyngeal cancers
• Learn how to address common questions about oropharyngeal cancer and HPV vaccine
• Understand the process of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from oropharyngeal cancer from a cancer survivor’s perspective

For more information, contact Kathleen Amos at kamos@phf.org.

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You are all set to try out webinars and offer them a place in your marketing mix. You know who your target audience is, and you have a clear picture of what you wish to accomplish—generate quality leads to find new patients. Is there anything more you need to do? Yes.Take a minute or two and answer these questions: 

• What will draw people to your webinars?
• Is the speaker the right choice?
• What is the best time to hold them?
• How, when, and where should you publicize your event?

The key to getting those all-important qualified leads for your practice lies in finding answers to these questions.

Magnetic Content

Infomercials are boring. Audiences prefer webinarsthat help them find answers to a problem they face and enlighten them about something they’re interested in.What’s in the webinar for them? Choose a topic close to their hearts. Offer information they can benefit from. Content should be your first priority. That’s the magnet that will attract your audience to the event. 

Choosing the Speaker

Your guest speaker can make or break the webinar, whether you choose an outsourced industry expert or an internal employee. To choose the right speaker, your first goal should be to identify someone with authoritative knowledge and established credentials relevant to the webinar’s topic. 

Experienced speakers know how to modulate their voice while speaking and focus on the right volume, clarity, tone, and emphasis. They also would ideally schedule a practice session and review and collaborate on the material with you while planning the webinar. 

Precision Timing

You have chosen the right topic and have the best content and speaker, but your timing is off—the time of day, the day of the week, etc. Then all your efforts are wasted too, because your audience is busy elsewhere. They couldn’t attend your webinar because you timed it wrong.

Plan your event around your audience’s schedule: 

• Try to skip holidays and the days preceding and following them.
• Mondays (too hectic) and Saturdays (weekend) may be out too.
• Check potential conflicts with any major online or offline events.
• Will the endofthemonth be a bad time for your audience?
• Individuals prefer to attend webinars from their desks. What time will most of your target audience will be at their desks?
• Have you considered having your webinar during lunchtime? That’s popular too.

As always, put your audience first. Choose whatever time and day appeals to them.

Thirty-Day Countdown  

You have zeroed in on a date and time for your webinar. What’s next?Choose the right time to begin promotion and registration. 

Consider a 30-day window.It’s optimal. Below that, you might face a time crunch to maximize attendance.Planning a month ahead is much easier than scheduling with a week to spare.If the gap is beyond that, people may forget the dates or lose curiosity in the event. 

If you’re proposing a single webinar, then you are bound to lose a few leads for whom your chosen date or time is inconvenient. Hitting the bullseye with a single shot is a tough task. The alternative is to set two dates for the same topic or to host a series of webinars,whichever is possible. 

Full-House Game Plan  

Four strategies can help you have a full house at the event: leveraging your relationships, using existing patients, integrating your marketing, and dedicated campaigns. 

First, contact your professional colleagues, partners, vendors, and associations.Each one can support you in some way. Some could cosponsor your event. Or, you could promote the event on their website or in their newsletters. Encourage their participation. 

Second, your patients already trust your services. They are already familiar with your practice, and they may be interacting with your staff and receiving updates. But they may not know about your latest offerings. Invite them. They will be more willing to listen to the details about a new dental service or productthrough a webinar thanthrough a sales pitch that pushes them to purchase something.

Next, at no additional cost, you can build a good response for your webinar by simply adding details about it in your regular advertising, including search ads, bulletins, email communications, banner ads, websites, print media, and TV and radio. 

While participating in events, keep handouts and registration forms handy. Have your staff promote the event to the people they interact with. Such interactions can lead to meaningful discussions about the product or service and its benefits, right there.

Finally, create a few dedicated campaigns that feature webinar content, the benefits of participating, ease of participation, and a link to respond. As the success of your webinars grows, you will find yourself allocating more funds for dedicated campaigns.

Simple and Uncompromising

Have a simple and easy-to-fill form for registration. A long form can put people off and make them decide not to participate. Losing a prospect due to the length of the registration process is unforgivable. Restrict the information you collect through the form to contact details, their reason for attending, where they heard about the webinar, and any relevant qualifying information. Maintain uniformity of the registration form on all platforms and in all formats.

Limit Absenteeism 

A lot of people who register don’t show up for events. How should you deal with these potential absences?

• Email a thank you note as soon as they register and remind them to mark the event on their daily planner.
• Remind them about the event via email 10 days before.
• Call them by phone the day before.
• Send a last reminder email an hour before the webinar.

Post-Event Attendance 

Despite all these reminders, many people will miss the webinar due to unavoidable personal or professional reasons. For those people, record the event and post the video on your website. Email the link to the video to these absentees. Alternatively, you can send the absentees details about the repeat event, which they can consider attending.

Audience Assessment  

As you near the end of the webinar, invite your audience to give you feedback. Gather vital qualifying information from them. A significant part of your audience will participate in the feedback survey. Use it to find ways to improve future events and discern their interest level in the offering—whether they need it, when they plan to buy,etc.Choose the questions in your survey with care. 

Prompt Follow Up

Strike the iron while it’s hot. Email a thank you note to your attendees, andsplit your leads into hot, warm, and future prospects.Share the details of these leads with your sales team and get them on the job. Keep track of their progress. If you planned your webinar well, you are sure to see a positive outcome in terms of a boost in inquiries and new patient visits to your dental practice.

Mr. Arulrajah is president and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists. With a team of more than 180 full-time marketers, ekwa.com helps dentists who know where they want to go get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call (855) 598-3320 or email naren@ekwa.com.

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As the medical community celebrates American Heart Month this February, Perio Protect notes that specific cardiovascular disease pathogens have been traced to gum disease pathogens. And with periodontal disease affecting more than half of all Americans age 30 and older, the company wants to honor Amy Doneen, DNP, ARNP, and Brad Bale, MD, for their work in raising awareness of the importance of preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Doneen will discuss “Women and Heart Disease—the REAL Deal!” during a free webinar on Thursday, February 8, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm PST. Open to healthcare providers and the public alike, the webinar will explore what’s different about women’s hearts, surprising cardiovascular red flags such as periodontitis, how to find out if you have a hidden risk, and personalized action plans to prevent a heart attack or stroke. 

“Heart disease is the leading killer of American women, claiming more female lives than all forms of cancer combined,” said Doneen, an international leader in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and medical director of the Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Center in Spokane, Wash.

“CVD is under-diagnosed and undertreated in women, which is why they need to be their own best advocates for optimal heart healthcare,” said Doneen. “My goal with this webinar is to empower women with a science-based action plan to keep their arteries healthy.”

Doneen and Bale also created the BaleDoneen Method (BDM) for preventing, stabilizing, and even reversing arterial disease. This evidence-based heart attack and stroke prevention plan includes personalized steps for optimizing women’s cardiovascular health at every age. Unlike standard care, which is based on checking patients for certain CVD risk factors, BDM also uses advanced lab tests and imaging to directly check for hidden signs of arterial disease.  

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