⬇️ Below the Gumline
Burnout gets blamed on long hours, difficult patients, and insurance headaches—but most of the time, that’s not the real problem. What actually drains dentists is carrying too much alone: clinical decisions, staffing issues, financial stress, and leadership weight with no real backup. When support systems are weak, everything feels heavier than it should. This week, ask yourself a hard question: What am I doing solo that should never be a one-person job?
🔥 High-Speed Chatter
🦷 Infection control lapses resurface. An Iowa dentist with a prior disciplinary record is cited again—proof that systems beat experience every time.
Read More >💸 $11 million dental insurance fraud case. A Florida woman pleads no contest, reminding everyone that billing shortcuts eventually turn into court dates.
Read More >🧒 Why SDF adoption is accelerating. Reimbursement pressure—not philosophy—may be driving silver diamine fluoride into the mainstream.
Read More >🔐 Cyberattacks are targeting dental practices. From ransomware to phishing, data security is now a clinical risk.
Read More >🚨 Police release new video in dentist double-homicide case. A sobering reminder that stress doesn’t clock out at 5 PM.
Read More >😴 Dentistry’s growing role in sleep apnea. New guidance outlines emerging dental therapies—and yes, this space is only getting bigger.
Read More >👴 Dentist retirements are accelerating. Workforce growth is slowing, which means pressure on remaining clinicians isn’t easing anytime soon.
Read More >🪥 Why the hygienist shortage needs multiple fixes. Pay alone won’t solve it—workflow, respect, and scope all matter.
Read More >📸 New guidance urges moderation in dental imaging. More X-rays don’t equal better care—intentional imaging does.
Read More >
🧪 The Research Says
⁇ The Question: Are digital CAD/CAM crowns clinically as good as traditional lab-fabricated crowns when the material is the same?
📚 The Evidence:
Systematic reviews and comparative studies consistently show that digital workflows produce marginal fit and internal adaptation that are equivalent—and sometimes superior—to conventional methods when lithium disilicate or zirconia is held constant. Reported marginal gaps for digital crowns commonly fall in the 40–80 μm range, compared to 50–100 μm for traditional workflows—both well within accepted clinical thresholds. Long-term clinical data demonstrate overlapping survival curves, with no meaningful differences in fracture, debonding, or secondary caries rates.
“CAD/CAM-fabricated crowns demonstrated marginal and internal fit comparable to conventional techniques, with no clinically significant disadvantage.”
“Five-year survival rates of digitally fabricated crowns were statistically indistinguishable from conventional crowns.”
✅ The Answer:
Yes. Digital CAD/CAM crowns are clinically equivalent to traditional lab crowns when material, cementation, and indication are controlled. There is no evidence that analog workflows produce a superior restoration.
The Application
Digital workflows don’t hide prep errors—they expose them. Smooth margins, adequate reduction, and respecting software parameters are non-negotiable. Master the prep and design, and you can deliver a crown in 90 minutes that rivals anything coming back from the lab. Skip the fundamentals, and the computer will let you know—immediately.
Read the key studies here >
💰 Business Bites
The real price of “just dealing with it.”
A toxic employee doesn’t just hurt morale—they tax leadership bandwidth, increase turnover, and normalize bad behavior.
High performers either disengage or leave when dysfunction goes unchecked.
The hidden cost isn’t the salary—it’s the drag on everyone else’s performance.
🤯 Productive Pearls
Same dentistry, fewer steps.
Audit your tray setups and remove anything that isn’t touched every appointment. Fewer instruments mean faster room turnover, easier sterilization, and less mental clutter—without sacrificing quality.
💉 Mental Anesthesia
🚀 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
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