Listen to the podcast here Watch the full video on Youtube Dear Zen Members, We launched ZenSupplies in 2016 with a simple goal to streamline the ordering process and help organize the dental world one order at a time. Step by step we made progress and I personally met most of you at conferences or in your office. All of these meetings made a huge impact on me and most importantly allowed me to see how Zen was being used in real time in a dental office ..read more

Listen to the podcast here Watch the full video on Youtube Trip to Michigan At Zen, we really love when we have an opportunity to go out and meet the people we work with. A recent visit to Michigan brought us together with Rich, the Head of North America Sales at Garrison Dental, and it was truly special. This meeting marked a pivotal moment in our journey, as both Rich and I dedicated significant time to brainstorming and developing strategies aimed at elevating our partnership ..read more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set the water quality standard for dental unit treatment water at ≤500CFU/ml of heterotrophic bacteria. Many dental practices are treating their dental unit water by placing a tablet or liquid in the water bottle or utilizing a valved cartridge (referred to as straws) in the water bottle to control the growth of biofilm and improve water quality. However, many practices assume that the product they use is working and that they are meeting the CDC’s water quality standard ..read more

HIPAA compliance has become normalized in dental practices across the country. In some instances, it is almost taken for granted after 20 years since the first Privacy Rules were implemented. Dental practices are, however, being audited by HIPAA’s parent agency – the Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and complaints are filed by patients and investigated by HIPAA’s enforcement agency – the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Since dental practices can be cited and fined for non-compliance and/or violations resulting from audits or complaints, it makes sense to examine the most common viola ..read more

The answer to this question is yes – but not to the level of concern during the pandemic.   The CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), and the news media are reporting increases in hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19, and two fast-spreading variants of the Omicron COVID variant. In addition, we are now entering into the very early stages of flu season, and the spread of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).   It is important to remember that dental practice facilities are at a higher level of risk for transmission of respiratory viruses because of the aerosols that are produced w ..read more

AI and technology have been in front of everyone this summer, but the real trend flying under the radar of many people in the industry is a growing resistance to selling your practice to the DSOs. The movement kicked into high gear after a DSO veteran, Dr. Brady Frank, posted an ad on Instagram urging dentists to sell their practice to DSO before the window for high multiples closed. Since then, many people have shared their opinions and horror stories of what happened when they thought selling their businesses would bring them freedom and wealth ..read more

Many dental assistants that I interact with share with me that they have difficulty communicating with their doctor(s)/employer(s). As a result, they become unhappy with their jobs, less productive, and in some cases, leave the practice. Working in dentistry can be stressful under the best of circumstances. And when the circumstances are not optimal, effective communication between doctors and all team members is critically important. Experts in communication and performance agree that “better communication techniques help employees to better comprehend their roles, which in turn helps employ ..read more

Many dental practices don’t have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to their materials budget. Part of your overhead will always include some wasted supplies, but expired dental materials can add up to thousands of dollars down the drain (sometimes literally) every year. Let’s take a look at some of the most common dental materials that overstay their expiration dates and how you can minimize those losses. The Hidden Cost of Expired Materials There are certain materials that tend to pop up in every dentist’s mind when they think of the money wasted on lapsed expiration dates ..read more

Dear Zen Members, We are monitoring the news regarding negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters union as they approach the end of their current labor agreement, which ends July 31, 2023. This is pretty serious if not resolved by the end of July and may result in order delays. Our team is preparing in case that happens to provide timely and accurate information about your orders and help with the delays ..read more

Effective systems keep your dental office running smoothly. The better business is, the more efficient your systems need to be. A thriving dental office means a consistently full schedule. Over time, systems may start to break down as steps get skipped and tasks fall to the wayside. Building systems that work for your team means your office can keep running as smoothly as possible so you can focus on giving your patients the best possible care ..read more