Week in Review: Pain after implant surgery | Dentist, hygienist income | Winning at insurance

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Did you know that an injectable anesthetic may be able to dull pain after major implant surgery? A recent study found that Exparel significantly reduced pain for patients who underwent full-arch implant placement. Read more here.

When it came to income, how was 2017 for you? Overall, you may have said it went up if you are a dentist and that it was flat if you are a hygienist. In two infographics this week, we looked at the data around this issue. Learn more about dentist income here and hygienist income here.

While many practices may look at insurance as challenging, there are ways to make it work, Dr. Roger P. Levin notes in his latest monthly column, based on the most thought-provoking topics from the Dental Business Study Clubs. He shares five practical ways your practice can win at the insurance game. Read more here.

Getting patients with poor oral health to adopt better hygiene habits is an ongoing struggle. Trying something different, researchers examined whether a certain form of cognitive behavioral therapy could improve oral health behaviors in young adults with a high caries prevalence. Learn more here.

Next week we're bringing you a column by the pre-eminent voice in dentistry, opening the voting for the DrBicuspid Dental Excellence Awards, providing exclusive coverage of the Anesthesiology 2018 meeting, and more. Have a great weekend until then.