In the world of nonprofit organizations, some shine brightly, making a significant impact on the communities they serve. One such organization is Mainely Teeth, a nonprofit dental clinic based in the state of Maine. Their mission: provide quality dental care to the uninsured and underinsured populations throughout Maine, with a focus on pediatrics and special needs patients. Breaking Down Barriers and Expanding Access to Care Amber Lombardi, RDH, founded Mainely Teeth in 2020, a year that brought unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, she had been providing mobile ..read more

Why integrate intraoral imaging into your workflow With the right camera and proper integration, intraoral cameras make dentistry easier for both providers and their patients. Intraoral images can make daily workflows such as clinical documentation, patient education, and case presentations more effective and convenient. Patients often struggle to understand exactly what’s going on in their mouth and why their dentist is recommending treatment, especially when they have a problem that they can’t feel or directly see without intraoral photos. Taking a few quick photos not only allows patients t ..read more

Intraoral cameras and teledentistry are sometimes viewed as independent from one another. Many providers initially understand teledentistry as a tool solely for remote communication and collaboration with patients, specialists, and other providers. While teledentistry is great for communicating and collaborating remotely across patients’ dental journeys, it can also be an effective in-office workflow. Similarly, intraoral cameras don’t have to be used just for one-on-one patient communication and education. In fact, we designed our teledentistry platform, TeleDent, to natively integrate with M ..read more

Dentistry relies on imaging. Radiographs, cone beams, 3D scans, and intraoral photos are all part of clinical workflows. It’s typical for some of these to be billed, but not intraoral photos. Why is that? Intraoral cameras are powerful tools that enable dental professionals to transform complex dental terminology into clear, easy-to-understand images for patients. One photo can completely change how a patient views their oral health—and their treatment needs. Why aren’t dental practices charging for intraoral photography? “Don’t trip over dollars trying to pick up pennies.” We asked 3 dental p ..read more

Teledentistry will never replace a visit to the office for a procedure like a filling or a crown. Virtual consults, however, can create a more efficient patient journey into the office for treatment. Virtual consultations not only transform the patient experience —they also create efficiencies at the same time for both patients and providers. For example, post-operative check-ins with patients can be offered virtually, optimizing in-office chair time for production and saving patients from having to take off from work to attend a quick 10-minute appointment. Reduce operational overhead for non ..read more

Changing Oral Health During pregnancy, women expect changes to their bodies. However, many women are unaware of the changes that can occur to their oral health and potential effects on overall health. Pregnancy may make women more susceptible to dental problems affecting the health of their teeth, gums, and periodontal tissues. What triggers all these changes?  Origin of Dental Issues Changes in certain hormones, like progesterone and estrogen, can affect the health of a soon-to-be mom’s oral tissues. While pregnant, progesterone and estrogen levels will dramatically increase to support t ..read more

The State of Dental Public Health Around the Globe The quality and accessibility of oral health services have been steadily increasing over the past few decades, with many new organizations, pieces of legislation, and technologies being developed to improve oral health equity. Unfortunately, there’s still lots of work to be done, as oral diseases continue to be a major public health issue for countries and populations around the world. According to the WHO’s Global Oral Health Status Report, oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people globally, almost half of the Earth’s total population. T ..read more

MouthWatch attended the 158th annual Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, held in Chicago, for three days of continuing education opportunities, presentations, and exhibits featuring the newest dental products and technology for 2023.  This year’s floor was noticeably more crowded, with the event bringing 20,850 attendees, nearly 4,000 more than last year, and over 500 exhibitors to the event’s venue, McCormick Place. Dentists, dental team members, and students walked the floor, with many stopping by the MouthWatch booth along the way.  Attendees who visited our booth tried out ..read more

Patients often view dental visits as being beneficial only for their oral health. However, going to the dentist and maintaining a proper at-home oral hygiene routine can benefit more than just their oral health. Dentists can not only treat patients and help them achieve oral health goals but also improve systemic health outcomes. There is a clear link between the presence of oral bacteria and systemic diseases in different parts of the body. Some of the most well-known of those “systemic” links, of course, are the connections between oral health and serious complications with conditions like d ..read more

February is American Heart Month American Heart Month is a time when everyone can take some time to focus on their cardiovascular health. As a dental professional, you might know about the oral-systemic link between oral health and heart disease, but do your patients know that having a healthy oral care routine isn’t just for preventing cavities and maintaining their pearly white smile? In fact, having a healthy mouth is vital for having a happy and healthy body, including your heart. Oral health has proven to be an important factor in whole-body health. It can impact other systemic health con ..read more