Top 5 columns from spring 2017

DrBicuspid.com takes a look back at some of the most-read columns and practice management articles from spring, as measured by page views. These columns focus on a wide variety of topics, from legal cases to regional fee differences to popular columns by periodontist Alvin Danenberg, DDS.

1. Legal Cases: Claimed nerve injury and trismus after mandibular block -- William S. Spiegel and Marc R. Leffler, DDS
   
   June 12, 2017 -- A patient returns to your office just days after you performed a mandibular block. You refer the patient to an oral surgeon, then don't hear from the patient again. Until three months later and you are being served. In their latest Legal Cases series, William S. Spiegel and Dr. Marc R. Leffler document how they handled this case for their client and what you can do to try to prevent it from happening.
2. Legal Cases: Mandibular fracture after implant placement -- William S. Spiegel and Marc R. Leffler, DDS
   
   April 4, 2017 -- A 68-year-old woman who had been edentulous for many years was growing increasingly unhappy with the full dentures she wore on both arches, especially regarding the lower. She presented to a local prosthodontist, who had been out of residency training less than a year. What happened to the dentist is a strong reminder to take a full health history with every patient.
3. Regional fees survey: Part 1 -- How much are you charging? -- Alitta Boechler, AuD, MBA
   
   June 1, 2017 -- Do you know what the practice down the street is charging for a certain procedure? How do you know if your rates are competitive and also geographically appropriate? In the first of a two-part series, Alitta Boechler of Sikka Software looks at regional differences in what is being charged for 10 procedures. How do your fees compare?
4. What's the best dental insurance? -- Alvin Danenberg, DDS
   
   May 10, 2017 -- What's the best dental insurance? As Dr. Alvin Danenberg writes, it's not the dental rider on your employer's health plan. It's not the government-assisted program better known as a freebie. It's not some self-pay contraption. It's none of those obvious things.
5. Does gum disease cause cardiovascular disease? -- Alvin Danenberg, DDS
   
   May 24, 2017 -- Does gum disease cause cardiovascular disease? This is a critical question. It needs to be answered, if possible. Dr. Alvin Danenberg looks at three peer-reviewed medical studies and offers his clinical perspective on this crucial issue for your patients' health.