By: Ms. Karen Davis, RDH, BSDH Invisible pain is the reality for many living with autoimmune diseases. A part of their body is being slowly attacked by their own immune system and that often leaves behind chronic pain, debilitating fatigue and brain fog. Yet, to look at the individual, they look just fine. The paradox of looking good on the outside but feeling unwell on the inside is often perplexing

By: Dr. Arnelle Wright If you had told me years ago that one day I’d become a voice of dentistry—literally speaking into a mic, podcasting to thousands and sitting across from industry titans—I’m not sure I would have believed you. But today, that’s exactly where I find myself. Through my growing online presence as The Daily Dentist on Instagram and as a co-host of the Dental Sound Bites podcast of

By: Dr. Kami Hoss THE PROBLEM WE CAN’T IGNOREDespite nearly a century of modern dentistry, oral disease remains the most common chronic disease in children and the #1 disease worldwide. Every year in the U.S. alone, over 51 million school hours are lost because of dental problems. Adults fare no better, with oral health issues linked to systemic conditions ranging from heart disease and diabetes to cognitive decline. This paradox

By: Susan Kutis, DDS Greetings MDDS members and colleagues. I am humbled and excited to be your new president. My name is Susan Kutis and I am a general dentist and a private practice owner in Littleton, Colorado. I began my dental journey as a dental assistant in 2001 for Manus Northwestern in Chicago, which at the time was the Northwestern Dental School Faculty Practice. I had taken a gap

By: Mr. Seth Thompson, CFP®, RICP®, AEP®, EA Every novice or expert investor understands the uneasy feeling when markets swing unpredictably. Market volatility is an inevitable part of investing. Whether driven by economic uncertainty, inflation, geopolitical events, or unforeseen global disruptions, market swings can test even the most seasoned investors. While each downturn may have a different cause, there will always be “the next storm.” The key to financial resilience

By: Joel Small, DDS, MBA, PCC, FICD Professional athletes train to perfect their skills throughout their lifetime, and yet few of them can attain perfection. Olympic gymnasts, for example, spend hours upon hours training their skills yet rarely achieve a perfect 10 score. Ty Cobb, a renowned baseball player, had a .366 batting average over 24 seasons as a professional player. This is the highest career batting average ever recorded

By: Dr. Steven Carstensen You probably are reading biosignals and making health decisions every day. If you have a FitBit, an Apple Watch, an Oura Ring, a blood pressure cuff or a periodontal probe, you’re sampling biosignals to choose the next step.  Technology isn’t just our laptops, our digital scanners or our 3D printers. We are in a period of explosive growth in how we can monitor the physiology of

By: Dr. Leslie Hovda In the demanding world of dentistry, professionals often find themselves in awkward positions for extended periods of time, leading to a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Common MSDs affecting dental providers include wrists, hands, neck, shoulders, and back,1 with 70% of dental students reporting back pain by their third year.2 These conditions are exacerbated by poor posture, repetitive motions and the physical demands of dental

Exploring ADA Commons: Discover what’s new across the tripartite By: Alisun DeKock Are you curious about what’s going on at other ADA State and Local Associations? Perhaps you are faced with a unique clinical or business question and wondering if your peers have written about a similar experience. ADA Commons is a new information resource that can help you find those answers. Featuring membership publications from across the tripartite and

By: Prof. Dr. Anne O’Connell Children and adolescents with traumatic dental injuries (TDI) regularly present to dental practices on an emergency basis or for continued care following the traumatic injury. It is also likely that evidence of a previous TDI may be discovered during a routine examination. Th ere is no gold standard for management of dental injuries due to the huge variety of possible injuries and healing responses across

In the bustling metro Denver job market, the demand for skilled healthcare professionals has been a pressing concern. Dental assisting emerged as a top job opportunity among the standout roles identified in the Colorado Workforce Development Council’s (CWDC) 2022 Talent Pipeline Report. This insight and direct feedback from industry professionals echoing the need for more dental assistants ignited the impetus for CrossPurpose to develop a specialized Dental Assisting Program. CrossPurpose,

By: Susan Kutis, DDS As the current MDDS President, I have to say this Rocky Mountain Dental Convention (RMDC) weekend was truly special and full of memories that will last me a lifetime. Throughout the convention I made a conscious effort to take time to observe and be present. This allowed me time for self-reflection and prompted me to think of the first dental convention I attended. It was the