Week in Review: Productive scheduling | Fired for texting | Mercury levels in amalgam

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Is your practice consistently running behind because that new patient who needs root scaling and planing wasn't accounted for in your schedule, or maybe your team's lunch break wasn't included and patients came to the office? Dayna Johnson sees many practices that face consistent scheduling challenges. She offers four ideas to help you maximize your everyday scheduling to increase both patient satisfaction and production revenue.

Scheduling is an ongoing challenge for many practices. Dayna's column is an example of the kind of practical, useful information found in our Practice Management Community.

Also this week, employment issues are some of the most challenging that any practice has to navigate. Following established policy doesn't shield you from lawsuits or possible fines, as a Canadian dentist in British Columbia found out the hard way after firing a dental assistant for texting during a meeting.

A new study reported that exposure to mercury during amalgam removal may be seven times higher than the limits recommended by some occupational safety organizations. The research findings suggest minuscule amalgam particles may be able to generate staggering amounts of mercury vapor.

Your clinical experience may tell you that long-term periodontal therapy helps prevent tooth loss and tissue damage, but now the science is in. A new study found that decades-long periodontal treatment at a general dentist's office helped patients maintain healthy gums.