dentists Archives - The Wealthy Dentist

Dentists’ Views of the Presidential Election

July 15, 2019 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Two Out of Three Dentists Prefer Republican Rule

In this survey, we asked dentists who they would like to see win the upcoming US presidential election. Two out of three dentists said they would rather see a Republican in the Oval Office than a Democrat.

Which Candidates Do Dentists Like?

Let me clarify that these poll numbers are not representative of the country at large. These numbers represent the opinions of dentists who chose to respond to our poll.

Among the 71% of dentists who identify as Republican, Mitt Romney proved to be the top choice. Here’s a breakdown of the Republican candidates: Presidential Election Dental Survey Results

Mitt Romney (31%)
Rudy Giuliani (21%)
Mike Huckabee (17%)
John McCain (11%)
Ron Paul (11%)
Fred Thompson (11%)

The 29% of dentists who prefer the Democrats have a clear favorite candidate: Hillary Clinton. Here’s how dentists feel about the Democratic candidates:

Hillary Clinton (36%)
Barack Obama (23%)
John Edwards (21%)
Bill Richardson (10%)
Joe Biden (10%)

Check out the complete presidential election survey results…

Filed Under: Dental Surveys Tagged With: dentists, election, president, Presidental Candidates

FDA Finally Takes a Stand on Mercury… Sort Of

July 15, 2019 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Agency Promises to Make a Decision Next Year

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has long avoided taking a public stand on the safety or danger of mercury in silver dental fillings. However, with a recent settlement in a lawsuit brought by the organization Moms Against Mercury, the governmental health agency has finally agreed to take a stand on the issue. Eventually.

The agreement calls for the FDA to complete its reclassification of dental amalgam by July of 2009. (The agency began that process in 2002.)

Some news articles have heralded this as a major change in the FDA’s attitude toward amalgam, with headlines making grand proclamations about a new post-amalgam era.

Can you guess which of the following is not a genuine headline?

These are attention-grabbing headlines, to be sure! The problem is, they’re not necessarily true per se. (And okay, I made the last one up.)

In the ADA’s response to news of the decision, the dental organization disputes these suggestions. “As far as the ADA is aware, the FDA has in no way changed its approach to, or position on, dental amalgam,” reads the statement.

As part of the agreement, the FDA has updated the consumer information provided by its website on the subject of mercury and dental amalgam.

“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses. When amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is also released during chewing. FDA’s rulemaking will examine evidence concerning whether release of mercury vapor can cause health problems, including neurological disorders, in children and fetuses.”
— Questions and Answers on Dental Amalgam (FDA Consumer Information)

What do you think? Is this a new era, or just more of the same?

Filed Under: Dental News, Legal Tagged With: Amalgam, Dental, dentist, dentistry, dentists, FDA, fillings, mercury

Dentist Office Romance for 1 in 5 Dentists (video)

July 15, 2019 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

One dentist in five dentists acknowledges having been romantically involved with a coworker or employee at their dental practice (other than their spouse), this survey found.

"Do you know how to ruin a good employee? Become romantically involved with her or him," said one orthodontist.

"It is a sure way to complicate your life," agreed a pediatric dentist. "Economically devastating also. I have seen the consequences with many of my colleagues."

"A very bad idea in the workplace," offered an endodontist, while a pediatric dentist advised, "Don't mix business with pleasure."

Read more about Dental Coworkers and Romance

Filed Under: Dental Videos Tagged With: Dating in Dentistry, dentist, dentists, employee, romance

Dentists, Sports Cars & Porsches (video)

July 15, 2019 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Dentists all drive Porsches! Well, not quite, but 60% of dentists responding to this survey admitted they have owned a sports car.

And fully one in four dentists in this survey has owned a Porsche.

“I don’t drive mine to the office,” sighed one orthodontist. “I can’t afford the gas.” Agreed a pediatric dentist, “Nice cars, poor investments.”

“I race a Formula One car,” shared an oral surgeon. “I find it is a great outlet and love the sport!”

“Why would a dentist be any different from anyone else, like a dental consultant or a contractor?” asked one dentist. “People like and buy what they want.”

Filed Under: Dental Videos Tagged With: dentist, dentists, video

Dentists Worry About Long Term Use of NTI Splint (video)

July 15, 2019 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

The NTI-splint is a dental mouthguard used to treat headaches, migraines and teeth grinding. But there are dentists who worry about its long-term use.

“I think the NTI-splint does more damage than good. It is only for immediate pain relief, not as a long-term appliance,” said a California prosthodontist.

“NTI causes open bite issues and long-term damage to the TMJ’s,” reported a Texas dentist.

Some dentists worry that improper use of the NTI can cause orthodontic problems or jaw pain.

“The NTI caused a patient increased TMJ pain,” said a Georgia dentist. “The NTI creates anterior open bites if used for the long term,” declared a Hawaii dentist.

To hear more of what dentists had to say about NTI-splints, please click play and watch the following survey video –

In general, it’s great for dentists have more treatment options in their bag of tricks, but the NTI is like almost any other treatment modality: if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can do more harm than good.

What has been your experience with the NTI-splint at your dental practice?