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Spear Digest Dental Articles

Being 'Up Front' About Patient Payments

Being 'Up Front' About Patient Payments

In a recent article, I wrote about the importance of getting patients appointed for the nearest date possible after they agree to treatment. This way...

| 10 years ago
How to Take Yes for an Answer

How to Take Yes for an Answer

Every practice has a protocol for their 'new patient experience' with first-time visitors. It's such a crucial subject that I have spent a lot of time...

| 10 years ago
TADs to the Rescue!

TADs to the Rescue!

This is a patient who after several years of procrastinating has decided to move forward with treatment. The deciding factor for her was recurrent decay...

| 8 years ago
New From Frank Spear: Treatment Planning for Complex Patients

New From Frank Spear: Treatment Planning for Complex Patients

One of the greatest challenges in practice is when you are treating a new patient for the first time and you are shocked by the condition of their mouth....

| 9 years ago
New From Frank Spear: Treatment Planning Evolution with Practice Evolution

New From Frank Spear: Treatment Planning Evolution with Practice Evolution

There are many factors that enter into the processes of treatment planning and case presentation. One factor that we don't often think about is the fact...

| 9 years ago
Why Gingivectomies Fail

Why Gingivectomies Fail

At one time or another, we all want or need to move gingival tissues. While our patients may need us to do that in order to reach their goals, it is a...

| 8 years ago
Oh Wow, That is BAD!

Oh Wow, That is BAD!

Every dentist knows what I mean by a radiographic diagnosis. You may not know the term, but a radiographic diagnosis is what happens when at the end of...

| 9 years ago
Missing Laterals and Esthetic Space Maintenance

Missing Laterals and Esthetic Space Maintenance

Missing upper laterals can present with several challenges to the treating interdisciplinary team. At study club this topic brings up discussions that...

| 8 years ago
It is Always a Question of Values

It is Always a Question of Values

I have a good friend who recently had a very challenging experience with her longtime dentist. She has been in the practice since she was a child and...

| 12 years ago
Help Them Ask

Help Them Ask

Yesterday, Cheryl's Buick told her to pull over and turn off the engine. She did. Cheryl has always listened to those with more information than her and...

| 12 years ago
Composite

Composite

Composite materials in dentistry have come of age during my career. When I was at Case Western Reserve Dental School in Cleveland we had Adaptic,...

| 12 years ago
Huddle Up: New Patients and the Scale of Value

Huddle Up: New Patients and the Scale of Value

Dentists like new patients, because each new person they see represents unexplored opportunities. But not all new patients come to you with the same appreciation...

| 12 years ago