Week in Review: Fluoridation cessation and cavities; opioid prescriptions; and a team of CEOs

Dear DrBicuspid.com Member,

Canadian researchers have new evidence that links the cessation of water fluoridation to an increase in caries. A recent study found schoolchildren in Calgary, Alberta, had a higher prevalence of caries in their primary teeth after the city's water supply was no longer fluoridated. Read Assistant Editor Theresa Pablos' article here.

Disproportionally large amounts of opioids are frequently prescribed to patients after tooth extractions, especially given the expected intensity and duration of postextraction pain, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Learn more here.

While you're the practice leader, you simply can't build a thriving business on your own, writes 2015 Dental Excellence Award winner Sally McKenzie. Your team members play a huge role in your practice's success, and the more engaged they are, the better.

As systems age, they become clogged with bottlenecks, causing frustration and stress for the team. Staff members may find workarounds for broken systems, but that leads to greater inefficiency. The solution is to replace outdated systems, but you can't do them all at once without overwhelming your team, according to Dr. Roger P. Levin.

How are your picks doing in our March Mayhem Bracket Challenge? Hopefully better than mine, as my 11-5 record (after Thursday's games) has me far down the list. We'll see if the upsets continue during this weekend's games.