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Jan 10, 2025 | 
dentaleconomics.com | Robert Minch
Who is the "best" dentist in your area? And what does it mean to be the "best" in one's field? I imagine, from a professional standpoint, a hypothetical "best" dentist is one who is talented at performing flawless dental procedures and who has an extensive knowledge base in town. From a patient's perspective, it might refer to a dentist who doesn't cause them pain, is confident in their abilities, and is able to produce the most natural-looking dentistry.
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May 10, 2024 | 
dentaleconomics.com | Howard Polansky |Maggie Augustyn |Robert Minch |Gordon J. Christensen
It’s Sunday morning, Memorial Day weekend, 2018. Jayden, my older son, is 12 years old. He sees me sitting next to his bed. “Dad,” he asks with his voice barely above a whisper. “Yeah, bud?” I lean over and put my ear over his mouth to make sure I can really hear him. He then says three words I’ll never forget. Twelve days earlier, Jayden came home with a stomachache. Three days after that, he was at the Children’s Hospital getting ready for emergency surgery due to appendicitis that turned septic.
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Mar 7, 2024 | 
dentaleconomics.com | David Rice |Roger P. Levin |Estela Vargas |Robert Minch
Zirconia. Can we talk truths? Zirconia has taken dentistry by storm with its promises of strength and durability. Pull up any journal and social media platform and you’ll see how beautiful it can be. But is all zirconia all it’s cracked up to be? The short answer is not at all. If you’re looking for why that statement is absolute, we’re going to dive into why “Y” matters. My goals are simple. First, I need you understand that beauty and strength don’t always go hand in hand.
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Mar 6, 2024 | 
dentaleconomics.com | Gordon J. Christensen |Robert Minch |John A. Wilde |Natalie Haggard
Each month, Dr. Gordon Christensen answers a question from readers about everyday dentistry. Q: I know implant-supported dentures are the best treatment for an edentulous person, but the cost of treatment plans is usually way above what they can afford. You have been supportive of small-diameter implants. Are they really working? I have had some surgical dentists condemn them, but I don’t know if they are familiar with the procedures.
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Mar 6, 2024 | 
dentaleconomics.com | Robert Minch |Gordon J. Christensen |John A. Wilde |Natalie Haggard
Develop a sincere interest in your patients Back in 1985, my model of what a general practice dentist looked like was my family dentist, Dr. Stanley Levy. He practiced stand-up two-handed dentistry. (Many of you younger dentists have no idea what that even means!) He had no assistant or hygienist and seemingly floated back and forth in his 800-square-foot two-operatory office.
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Mar 5, 2024 | 
dentaleconomics.com | John A. Wilde |Roger P. Levin |Gordon J. Christensen |Robert Minch
No dentist can achieve utmost efficiency without developing a cross-trained staff. Doing so allows maximized productivity and profitability, and, perhaps most importantly, the mutual appreciation that arises when team members help one another, enhancing camaraderie and team spirit. Dentists’ careers are challenging. Mine lasted 40 years, and that’s a long time if you’re unhappy! Working with ebullient people who love their jobs is essential for those who desire gratifying careers.
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Feb 23, 2024 | 
dentaleconomics.com | Joshua Austin |Gordon J. Christensen |Robert Minch |John A. Wilde
Woodpecker PT-B by Vakker DentalBiofilm management is a hot topic in the hygiene and periodontal world. As we all know, the basic etiology of periodontal issues is plaque. The ability to use a gentle method to remove that plaque during prophylaxis and other periodontal procedures is key to treating issues successfully.
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Jun 23, 2023 | 
redbluffdailynews.com | Robert Minch
Although I decided to end my, ‘I Say’ column several weeks ago … I received a few gracious responses from a few readers and fellow columnists. So. after due consideration, I contacted DN editor Rick Silva … and he agreed to publish an occasional article from time to time…so here is one such:After graduating from RBUHS high school in 1947 … and partly from keeping me off the kill floor in our old meat plant, my father reluctantly agreed for me to go to Chico State College.
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May 26, 2023 | 
redbluffdailynews.com | Robert Minch
Editor’s note: This column usually appears on the opinion page, but today, we publish it on the front page along with a story about the columnist because we thought he deserved more space in our paper. To those who observed that this column had not been printed for a week or so, I offer my apology. Once again, I will go to Lewis Carroll for an explanation.
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May 12, 2023 | 
redbluffdailynews.com | Robert Minch
The chair. In my day, the word “chair” was often preceded with “get the”, meaning to be executed in an electric chair. In one of his stand-up comic routines, the late Lenny Bruce was supposedly asked by a fellow inmate awaiting the death sentence for advice. Bruce replied, “Don’t sit down.” However, what a welcoming sight can be a chair. Any chair for those with a little age on them … or those who, I am told, have suffered a stroke. If I go to Walmart, I may have to endure standing in line.
