Gordon Christensen on veneers; calmer kids

Dear DrBicuspid.com member:

When Gordon Christensen, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., talks, people listen. At trade shows. At conferences held at his Scottsdale facility. On cruise ships. And in his popular Clinicians Report (AKA CRA Newsletter), read by an estimated 100,000 dental professionals.

Small surprise. Dr. C tells it like it is, what he likes, what he doesn't, how he uses stuff, and more, all with a real-world, bottom-line sensibility. We've covered the good doctor's conferences many times before. This time, we sent correspondent Greg Holden to the recent Midwinter Meeting of the Chicago Dental Society to lap up the latest wisdom from Dr. Christensen.

The topic? Everything you wanted to know about veneers, from materials (and why to avoid indirect polymer), prep (tips on bonding), picking the right resin-based composites (and the nanohybrid misnomer), no-prep tips (notably with thin veneers), and, of course, veneer repair. Ready for a quick session with a master? Click here for the story.

Secrets for calming kids

Kids under age 15 make up 20 percent of the population, but they're a much smaller proportion of most dentists' practices. The obvious reason: Dentists don't want to -- or know how to -- deal with young patients. But that's a mistake, warns Marvin Berman, D.D.S., co-author of Essentials of Modern Dental Practice. "[Dentists] aren’t maximizing their potential revenue."

So how can you get kid savvy? We turned to Bruce Raskin, the former executive editor of Parenting magazine, to talk to the experts and cull some telling advice from dentists on the front lines. Check out his story here.

Other picks to click

Last week's big feature on the untapped Hispanic market scored well with readers. Interested in expanding your practice and your bottom line? Check out the story.

Another eye-opener: The latest on "super" hygienists who can drill, fill, do crowns, and maybe more. See the latest news here.