⬇️ Below the Gumline
Being “the boss” sounds powerful on paper, but in real life it’s often quietly isolating. You’re the one making payroll calls, handling lawsuits no one else hears about, and carrying stress home that no one in your office fully sees. Leadership means fewer peers, fewer places to vent, and more decisions that can’t be crowdsourced. If you’ve been feeling alone lately, it doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means you’re leading. The real question is whether you’re building support systems, or trying to carry everything solo.
🔥 High-Speed Chatter
🧠 Dentists may be diagnosing too aggressively — and the data suggests it’s not always in the patient’s best interest. Defensive dentistry cuts both ways. Read More >
🔐 Dentistry One under investigation for a data breach — a reminder that cybersecurity isn’t an IT issue, it’s a practice survival issue. Read More >
🧑⚖️ Second dentist tied to a patient death faces disciplinary charges — legal risk doesn’t end when the procedure does. Read More >
💉 Family settles wrongful death lawsuit after anesthesia complications — another case highlighting why protocols, documentation, and training matter more than ever. Read More >
🪥 Bioelectric toothbrush tech enters the chat — whether it’s innovation or marketing fluff… time (and plaque scores) will tell. Read More >
🧓 Dentist workforce growth slows as retirements surge — the shortage conversation isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s here. Read More >
🚨 San Antonio dentist arrested on multiple accusations — stories like this remind us how fast reputations can collapse. Read More >
📰 Ohio dentist and wife found dead in apparent homicide — tragic and unsettling, shaking a profession already under pressure. Read More >
🧪 The Research Says
⁇ The Question: Is bulk-fill composite actually as good as traditional incremental layering, or are we just cutting corners to save time?
📚 The Evidence:
Multiple randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews show no statistically significant difference in failure rates, marginal integrity, secondary caries, or post-op sensitivity between bulk-fill and layered techniques when used correctly. Long-term split-mouth studies following restorations for five years found comparable outcomes in Class I and II restorations. Advances in stress-relieving resin chemistry allow bulk-fill materials to dissipate polymerization stress rather than transmit it to tooth structure.
“Bulk-fill composites demonstrated similar clinical performance to conventional composites in posterior restorations, with no increased risk of sensitivity or failure.”
— Journal of Dentistry & Clinical Oral Investigations
✅ The Answer:
Yes — bulk-fill is just as good as incremental layering when used within its indications. This isn’t lazy dentistry. It’s modern material science.
The Application
Use bulk-fill confidently for routine posterior restorations up to 4–5 mm, with a quality curing light and a solid adhesive protocol. Deep boxes may still require two increments, but for bread-and-butter fillings, bulk-fill saves 5–10 minutes per case without compromising care.
Read the key studies here >
💰 Business Bites
💰 Know When to Bill for Pulp Caps vs Liners
Most dentists are leaving money on the table here.
Bill what you do, even if coverage is inconsistent
Build the habit — accuracy beats guessing insurance outcomes
Proper coding protects your documentation and your production
🤯 Productive Pearls
🩸 Stop Bleeding Without Cord
Viscostat can eliminate cord placement more often than you think.
A firm, aggressive scrub controls bleeding in many cases without cord or injectable hemostatics. Less trauma, faster appointments, cleaner margins.
💉 Mental Anesthesia
This is a great classic throwback :-)
🚀 New: Business Fundamentals for Dentists
Dentistry isn’t exhausting because the work is hard — it’s exhausting because most dentists were never taught how to run a business. This course breaks down the exact systems that actually move the needle: 📊 cash flow, 📅 scheduling, 🧾 overhead control, 👥 team structure, and 🧠 decision-making without the chaos. No fluff. No corporate nonsense. Just practical, battle-tested fundamentals from someone who’s lived it.
👉 Learn more here
🤝 Got a Question? Got a Friend? 🤝
We love hearing from our readers. Reply to this email with your question—clinical, business, or otherwise—and we might feature it (with an answer) in a future edition of The Dental Grind.
If you’ve got a friend, colleague, or dental school classmate who would enjoy this newsletter, forward it to them and invite them to subscribe here: Grind.Dental Let’s grow the conversation.