Risk Management Techniques for the General Dentist and Specialist
Malpractice litigation is part of everyday clinical practice and is an area of which all dentists need to be aware. With proper forethought and planning, this vexing issue can be…
Insurance Planning for Dentists and Dental Practices
There are a myriad of insurance products available for the dentist and his dental practice. Care must be taken to ensure that all risks have been reviewed and the appropriate…
Employee Relations
This review highlights some of the more important employee relation aspects involved in starting, establishing, or expanding an existing dental practice. Despite a competitive compensation package, staff-related conflicts can sometimes…
Insurance Billing and Coding
The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of understanding various numeric and alpha-numeric codes for accurately billing dental and medically related services to private pay or third-party…
Basic Bookkeeping and Avoiding Theft
Bookkeeping practices in dental offices may be relatively simple, but care must be taken to prevent employee theft. Well-chosen accounting software and routine office practices may facilitate smooth operations. Systems…
Evaluating a Dental Practice for Purchase or Associateship
Private dental practice can be achieved through either outright ownership or an associateship in conjunction with senior dentists; the decision depends on personal and professional objectives and goals. Once a…
Management and Marketing for the General Practice Dental Office
This article reviews trends in the dental marketplace. Marketing is an essential element of dentistry. Communicating treatment options with patients is one aspect of marketing. Treatment planning helps patients understand…
Credentialing
Credentialing is the administrative process for validating the qualifications of licensed professionals and appraising their background. It is used by hospitals and other health care facilities, educational institutions, and insurance…
Computer-aided Design/Computer-aided Manufacturing Applications Using CT and Cone Beam CT Scanning Technology
CT and cone-beam CT technology provides clinicians with new methods to view patient anatomy exceeding conventional two-dimensional radiology. Interactive software applications allow for improved interpretation of the CT scan data….
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology in Three Dimensions
It is clear that the dental profession has entered a new age of radiographic diagnostic imaging. A number of examples have shown that being able to visualize oral and maxillofacial…
Cone-Beam CT Diagnostic Applications: Caries, Periodontal Bone Assessment, and Endodontic Applications
Cone-beam CT (CBCT) is useful for many maxillofacial applications, such as implant site imaging and diagnosis and treatment planning for orthodontics and craniofacial surgery. Dentoalveolar applications, such as carious lesion…
Cone-Beam CT: Applications in Orthodontics
Radiographic images have always been an important part of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. We have been limited by the two-dimensional nature of these radiographs as we pursue tooth movement…
Computer-Aided Dental Implant Planning
Computer-aided dental implant planning increases the predictability of replacing missing teeth in partially and fully edentulous cases. This article describes how Nobel Biocare’s Procera surgical planning software converts a patient’s…
Contemporary Imaging of the Temporomandibular Joint
This article discusses imaging techniques for visualization of the temporomandibular joint. Conventional plain film modalities are discussed briefly, with an emphasis on the more contemporary modalities, such as CT with…
Diagnostic Imaging and Sleep Medicine
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a relatively common disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse and obstruction during sleep. It results in apneic events (or in the…
The Future of Dental and Maxillofacial Imaging
Improvements in software removal of scatter artifacts; reduced x-ray dose; and delivery of interpretive reports, analyses, appliances, and images will continue, and use of cone beam volumetric tomography will increase….
What is Cone-Beam CT and How Does it Work?
This article on x-ray cone-beam CT (CBCT) acquisition provides an overview of the fundamental principles of operation of this technology and the influence of geometric and software parameters on image…
Cone Beam Tomographic Imaging Anatomy of the Maxillofacial Region
Multiplanar imaging is a fairly new concept in diagnostic imaging available with a number of contemporary imaging modalities such as CT, MR imaging, diagnostic ultrasound, and others. This modality allows…
The Evolution and Application of Dental Maxillofacial Imaging Modalities
During the last decades, an exciting new array of imaging modalities, such as digital imaging, CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, and cone-beam CT (CBCT), has provided astounding new images that…
Application of Cone-beam CT in the Office Setting
The decision to incorporate cone-beam CT (CBCT) into a dental practice is one that requires serious consideration and careful planning. In the early days of the technology, fewer sources of…
