Levin on monthly business reviews; PET imaging for head/neck cancer; reimplantation survival

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Monthly business reviews serve a critical function by identifying bottlenecks and finding solutions, which lead to improved practice productivity, reduced stress, and greater efficiency, according to Dr. Roger P. Levin. These meetings are the appropriate venue for minor training, role-playing with scripts, and addressing any staff conflict as well.

The use of positron emission tomography (PET) to diagnose and stage head and neck cancer can boost survival in patients with locally advanced disease, according to a new report in JAMA Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery. Read Features Editor Donna Domino's article here.

While implant failures are rare, relative to their rates of survival, failure is an inevitable part of a practice that places implants. Now, two researchers have examined the data regarding the survival rates of reimplantation with results that clinicians should find encouraging. Read Associate Editor Rob Goszkowski's article here.

Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in Florida have found genetic mutations linked to salivary gland tumors, according to a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The discovery could help develop new treatments that target the cancer's underlying genetic causes. Read more here.

Are you making plans for any of the upcoming conferences? Are you going to be in San Francisco for the American Academy of Periodontology or California Dental Association meeting, or in San Antonio for the ADA meeting? If so, let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the upcoming conferences, what you would do to improve dental conferences overall, and why attending these conferences is important.