Dear DrBicuspid Member,
The Internet has become such a pervasive part of our lives in so many positive ways -- where would we be without e-mail, Google, and online banking? -- that it's easy to forget that its power can sometimes hurt, too.
A California dentist found out the hard way and is doing something about it. Yvonne Wong, D.D.S., says a recent review of her practice on the Web site Yelp.com is untrue and even libelous, so she's filed a lawsuit. Do you need to start paying more attention to what people might be saying about you online? Read more.
In other legal news, the Tennessee dental board has voted to ban teeth-whitening kiosks at shopping malls, saying they don't meet the state's standards for care. Meanwhile, four faculty members from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry are demanding a new trial and a reduced jury award in the case of a student who was awarded $1.7 million for unfair dismissal from the school.
On the practice management front, part I of our two-part series, "When patients are better off restrained," weighs the pros and cons of papoose boards and other mechanisms used to control children in the dental chair. Are there cases in which restraints are warranted, or should the practice be banned altogether?
Finally, it's a new year, and already DrBicuspid.com has added some great new features! We've expanded and renamed our Case of the Week feature to bring you even more fascinating educational dental cases each week. Check out the new Case Study section on the home page.
We've also launched Ask Marty, a technology Q&A with Martin Jablow, D.M.D., a practicing dentist who lectures and blogs extensively about how to integrate the latest technologies into your dental practice.
Read Dr. Jablow's article on the secrets to technology success here. And if you've got a question for him, submit it to [email protected]. If we use it, you'll receive a $10 gift card from Amazon or Starbucks!
