Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Back in the 1980s, the idea of a nationwide dentist referral service that was free to consumers seemed a bit far-fetched. But Fred Joyal and his business partner, Gary Saint Denis, believed they could develop a trusted resource that would help people find reliable dentists and ensure dentists a consistent flow of patient referrals. And so 1-800-DENTIST was born.
Today the company is at the forefront of Web-based dental marketing and patient communication, having helped 7 million consumers over 25 years find their preferred dentist. We talked with Joyal about his role in 1-800-DENTIST then and now, how the industry has changed over the last three decades, and some of the products and services the company has developed in response. Read more in this latest Leaders in Dentistry profile.
Over in the Restoratives Community, the evolution of the dental handpiece has reached a stage where it is now possible to own a disposable one. But how well do they perform? The ADA has published a laboratory evaluation of two disposable handpieces, comparing them not only to one another but to reusable handpieces as well. And the findings are pretty positive.
In other news, single men and smokers have a higher risk of developing HPV-driven oropharyngeal cancer, according to a new study in Lancet -- the largest prospective study to examine the natural history of oral HPV infection. Bisexual men and college-educated men also showed an increased risk of acquiring oral HPV infections, the researchers found. Click here for details.
Finally, in his latest Ask Marty Q&A, Dr. Marty Jablow answers a reader's question about how he decides what technology and equipment to invest in for his practice.
