Week in Review: COVID-19 talk from a pulmonologist | Lessons learned from an ancient tooth | Prepping the schedule for your return

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

As we approach and embrace one of the most sacred seasons of the year for so many religions, I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting our lives and our businesses, we are constantly trying to bring you the latest information from dentistry's thought leaders about how to navigate these historic days.

I was honored to join our clinical editor, Dr. David Rice, on a Zoom interview with a pulmonologist about COVID-19 and its effects, from a medical perspective. The "real" talk from someone who is on the front line of this battle against the disease was fascinating, and we talked about the medical-dental connection as well. I think it's a timely discussion and one that is well worth a few minutes of your weekend.

Dr. Rice also shared some great thoughts on rapid test kits and their potential impact on dental practices. There are some things you need to know (and can do) when it comes to this emerging technology, and I was glad to have him explain some important facts in an effort to educate his colleagues on this subject.

Lynne Leggett is a good friend and an excellent dental consultant. Earlier this week, she shared some thoughts on video about handling your dental practice's schedule when the curve is flattened -- and why the team needs to be involved in crafting what the postrestriction schedule might look like.

One of our most popular articles this week dealt with your patients and some of the financial hardships they are experiencing. Data from WalletHub revealed the states where COVID-19 is having the biggest and smallest impacts on financial health.

Outside of the COVID-19 topic, be sure to read about how genetic information from an 800,000-year-old tooth has disproved the theory that Homo antecessor, a species that bore a mix of modern and ancient facial characteristics, is the missing link that led to the humans that exist today.

Whatever plans you may have this weekend, I appreciate you spending a few minutes of your weekend reading this note and pouring through our articles and videos from the previous week.