Is articaine better than lidocaine? And, making practice transitions work

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Talk to any practice transition specialist and their stories are remarkably similar:

One dental partnership became so acrimonious that a judge ordered a concrete wall built down the middle of the practice to separate quarreling partners. Another, involving a dentist and his son-in-law, dissolved when the younger dentist became romantically involved with the hygienist. And a Massachusetts dentist embroiled in a bitter dispute over splitting up a practice sawed a cleaning machine in half.

What can you do to avoid these kinds of issues when entering into a partnership or buying/selling a practice? Practice transition experts offer their advice on how to overcome the dreaded "D's" -- divorce, disability, death, drugs, drinking, depression, delusion, and discipline -- and ensure optimum business arrangements in our latest "How To" article.

In Restoratives Community news, articaine worked better than competing anesthetics in seven out of 10 randomized trials of infiltration, according to a systematic review presented at the American Association for Dental Research annual meeting. But another study presented at the same session found lidocaine nearly as good. Read more.

In other clinical news, only 46% of stroke survivors had visited the dentist in the previous year, according to research presented last week at the American Academy of Neurology meeting. The study highlights significant gaps in the dental care these high-risk individuals receive. Read more.

And in his latest Coaches Corner column, Dr. Dan Kingsbury notes that practice performance used to be driven by competition and growth, while today's business environment is all about surviving. Read how a little change can go a long way.