⬇️ Below the Gumline
Dentists love to pretend that “slow equals quality,” but deep down we all know the truth: most of us are afraid to go faster because we think speed automatically means cutting corners. It doesn’t. In fact, the more efficient you become, the smoother your procedures get — and the better your quality actually becomes. Efficiency isn’t the enemy of excellence; it’s often the path to it. This week, challenge yourself to stop equating speed with sloppiness and start exploring how intentional efficiency can make your dentistry sharper, cleaner, and more consistent than ever. Don’t fear going fast — just refuse to go fast without purpose.
🔥 High-Speed Chatter
A Melbourne dentist was arrested after allegedly using AI to impersonate a cop… which raises many questions, including: why are dentists always the plot twist? Wild story.
👉 Read More >Myrtle Beach police arrested a dental office employee accused of stealing $612,000. Turns out the biggest cavity in the office wasn’t in a tooth — it was in the books.
👉 Read More >A dentist accused in a fatal hit-and-run received no jail time, proving once again that reality is stranger than dental Twitter debates.
👉 Read More >Two Connecticut dentists will pay over $714k to settle false claims allegations. Friendly reminder: billing is not a creative writing exercise.
👉 Read More >A retired dentist accused of slapping pediatric patients decades ago was acquitted — proving some stories are so bizarre they don’t even need a punchline.
👉 Read More >Dental board moves to suspend a dentist accused of luring a minor. Just a reminder: don’t do crimes. Any crimes. Ever.
👉 Read More >Houston Chronicle reports a malpractice suit involving a Spring dentist — because “Spring” is apparently also the season for lawsuits.
👉 Read More >Ivoclar and vhf are expanding their strategic cooperation. Translation: your lab tech just fist-pumped.
👉 Read More >Another Connecticut dentist will pay $150k to settle fraud allegations. At this point, Connecticut might need a whole spin-off series.
👉 Read More >Curious how many hours dentists work per week? The answer: all of them, but here’s the data to make it official.
👉 Read More >
🧪 The Research Says
⁇ The Question: Do posts actually help reinforce teeth, or are we weakening roots for no reason?
📚 The Evidence:
A 2023 Journal of Dentistry meta-analysis of 35 studies found no improvement in survival when teeth had two or more remaining walls and a post was placed.
The Naumann JDR meta-analysis showed that posts do not strengthen teeth, and failures double when fewer than two walls remain without a post.
The Cochrane Review and JPD ferrule review confirm: ferrule is king, and posts only matter when the core lacks retention.
“When two or more walls remain, post placement did not improve survival.” — Journal of Dentistry, 2023
“Posts retain the core — they do not reinforce the tooth.” — Naumann et al., JDR
✅ The Answer:
Most teeth do not need a post.
Posts do not strengthen roots.
If the tooth has two walls and 2 mm of ferrule, skip the post.
If it doesn’t — place a fiber post.
🪥 The Application:
Tomorrow in your op:
If you have 2+ walls + 2mm ferrule → No post
If you have 0–1 wall, huge access, or missing ferrule → Place a fiber post
Fiber posts offer the most favorable, repairable failure patterns and the least catastrophic fractures.
💰 Business Bites
Is It Time to Cut an Insurance Plan?
Run an insurance production analysis this week.
Pull a report showing production by insurance plan.
Identify the bottom performer — the one dragging down collections and squeezing margins.
Build a 12–18 month roadmap to gradually raise fees, renegotiate, or drop the plan entirely.
If a plan is paying you less than your overhead per hour… that’s not insurance. That’s charity.
🤯 Productive Pearls
Managing the High Gag Reflex Without Losing Your Sanity
A few clinically reliable tricks:
Use salt on the tongue — fast, easy, weirdly effective.
Tilt the chin down to control soft-palate contact.
Distract with leg-lifting or hand-squeezing, which neurologically competes with the gag response.
Topical anesthetic spray on the soft palate when appropriate.
Keep instruments warm — cold metal triggers reflexes more than you’d think.
Small changes, huge difference in patient cooperation.
💉 Mental Anesthesia
🤝 Got a Question? Got a Friend? 🤝
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