Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

News Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | February 2012 A3 Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com Chief OPerating OffiCer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com grOuP editOr Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com editOr in Chief dental tribune Dr. David L. Hoexter d.hoexter@dental-tribune.com managing editOr u.s. and Canada editiOns Robert Selleck r.selleck@dental-tribune.com managing editOr Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com managing editOr Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com managing editOr shOw dailies Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com PrOduCt & aCCOunt manager Mark Eisen m.eisen@dental-tribune.com marketing manager Anna Kataoka-Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com sales & marketing assistant Lorrie Young l.young@dental-tribune.com C.e. manager Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com Dental Tribune America, LLC 116 West 23rd St., Ste. #500 New York, N.Y. 10011 (212) 244-7181 Published by Dental Tribune America © 2012 Dental Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accu- racy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a fac- tual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Managing Editor Robert Selleck at r.selleck@ dental-tribune.com. Dental Tribune cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The publisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune America. editOrial bOard Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Chester Redhead Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criti- cism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Dental Tribune? Let us know by e-mailing feedback@dental- tribune.com. We look forward to hear- ing from you! If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which publica- tion you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to six weeks to process. DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · US Edition Awesome thing No. 129: 'Clean teeth at all costs' A daily blog attracting 40,000 visitors a week, “1000 Awesome Things,” has been steadily counting down since June 20, 2008, to the posting of its final awesome thing on April 20. Along the way, more than a few of the awesome things have had a dental connection. The most recent was No. 129: “Clean teeth at all costs.” Since launching the blog, Canadian writer Neil Pasricha has unfailingly post- ed a new, often-under-appreciated simple joy in life every weekday. His insightful, funny and sometimes wandering descrip- tions, as much as the awesome things themselves, have attracted a global fol- lowing. No. 129 is no exception in its style. The posting opens with Pasricha’s observa- tions about his parent’s bedtime prepara- tion habits, then segues into his own late- night web-surfing habits and his “zombie walk” into the bathroom to brush his teeth. The narrative takes a sharp turn in the bathroom when Pasricha notices a spi- der and contemplates the possibility that it’s been crawling around on his tooth- brush. Pasricha writes: “I stared quickly into the mirror with steely, bloodshot eyes and asked myself what sort of man I was. Was I a frantically freaking-out over spi- der germs sort of guy? No, I decided right then and there, that I was not. I was a clean teeth at all costs kind of guy. I was too far in to go back and I needed to hit the pillow with a fresh mouth. As the spider quickly scampered into the floor vent, my brain flashed back to late college days stumbling home from the bar at three in the morn- ing. No matter what, no matter when, my roommate Dee would always break out his bulk-size dental floss and give his teeth a good plucking before bed. ‘I can’t go to sleep with furry teeth and stinkbreath,’ I remember him saying back then. ‘Clean teeth at all costs, no matter what.’ … There’s just something about going to bed with clean teeth that feels right. It’s the end of a long day and the start of a good night. It’s part of the crisp crinkly sheets, fresh pil- low dream scene. And it helps complete yourPajamaMetamorphosis.Forgetabout the tired legs, drained kegs, and spider eggs. Just remember to obey clean teeth at all costs and sleep tight. AWESOME!” Other dental-related awesome things on the list: 961: Yellow teeth; 952: When some- one tells you that you have something in your teeth; 930: Finally getting a piece of popcorn that’s been stuck in your teeth all day out; 900: Multitasking while brushing your teeth; 818: When the dentist says you have no cavities; 744: That smooth feeling on your teeth after you get your braces off; and 618: The feeling of brushing your teeth with a new toothbrush. The blog, at 1000awesomethings.com, has spawned three bestselling books, "The Book of Awesome," "The Book of (Even More) Awesome" and "The Book of (Holi- day) Awesome." Is "The Book of (Dental) Awesome" far behind? Popular blog's countdown of life's simple pleasures keeps coming back to dental matters By Robert Selleck, Managing Editor AACD survey: Cosmetic dentistry revenues stable, growth expected in some categories Revenues generated from cosmetic dental procedures will likely remain sta- ble, if not increase, in the coming year, according to a recent industry survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Den- tistry. The AACD’s 2011 State of the Cosmetic Industry Dentistry Survey found that while the cosmetic dentistry indus- try has declined and flattened since a benchmark survey in 2007, respondents strongly believe that they will continue to see increasing revenues from cosmetic procedures into next year. Respondents indicated that the de- mand for cosmetic dentistry procedures was primarily driven by referrals from others who had positive experiences. However, compared with the AACD’s ear- lier survey, there was a 25-point increase in the ranking of “increase in Internet usage by patients” as a factor driving de- mand for cosmetic dentistry services. Other findings from the survey: • Compared with 2007, the number of male patients increased by seven points. Three-fifths of cosmetic dentistry pa- tients were female (60 percent) and two- fifths were male (40 percent). • Close to half of patients (49 percent) on average are between the ages of 31 and 50. The number of patients age 20 and under grew significantly, to 17 percent from only 5 percent in 2007. • Among dental practices offering financing, 78 percent of respondents reported that third‐party financing options helped patients get to a “yes” de- cision. • Patients cited “appearance” (97 per- cent) as their top concern when decid- ing on a cosmetic dentistry procedure. Other concerns following closely behind include cost and longevity of treatment results. • While the smallest in terms of cosmet- ic procedures performed in the past year, orthodontics showed the largest positive shift (a 10 percent increase compared with data collected in 2007). • Veneers have dropped 8 percent since the 2007 study. • The majority of respondents (56 per- cent) expect that revenues from bleach- ing/teeth whitening procedures (the most popular cosmetic dental treatment) will stay the same in the coming year. • Laboratory loyalty increased, as the majority (57 percent) indicated use of two or three labs, while 37 percent used four or more. The average is 3.15 labs, an indi- cation of increased lab loyalty compared with the 2007 average of 3.5 labs used. A total of 1,068 responses to the e- mailed survey were tabulated, and 76 percents of respondents were American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry mem- bers. A PDF showing complete survey results is available through the AACD website, www.aacd.com (search for 2011 survey, and find the link in the research area of the media room). Photo/Scott Rothstein, www.dreamstime.com