Category Archives: After Dental School

HPI: Dentists in urban, rural counties

The supply of dentists has grown over the last 10 years in both urban and rural counties. The supply, measured as the number of dentists per 100,000 population, grew from 63.3 (2008) to 65.4 (2018) in urban counties. In rural counties over the same period, the supply grew from 29.4 to 30.3. Established dentists (those who graduated from… Read More »

No matter the setting: Patients remain at heart of rural, urban dental practices

When Dr. Cassie Berens graduated from dental school, she knew she wanted to work in a small town. A native of rural Iowa, Dr. Berens joined a practice in Atlantic, Iowa, after receiving her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and dental degree from Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine – Illinois in suburban Chicago. “When I graduated… Read More »

HPI: Dentists’ Busyness

In recent years, new dentists were more likely than established dentists to say that they were too busy or overworked. In 2017, among new dentists (those who graduated from dental school in the last 10 years), 31.4% were too busy or overworked, compared to 23.8% of established dentists (those who graduated more than 10 years ago). The 2017… Read More »

10 Under 10: Dr. Brian Hathcoat, from engineer to dentistry

                                                            As Dr. Brian Hathcoat advanced through his career as an engineer, he realized that each promotion would take him further from the hands-on and research-oriented work he loved.… Read More »

Navigating difficult conversations: When sensitive topics come up, what do you do?

Opioids. Dental neglect. Anti-science claims. These are just some of the sensitive topics that may come up for a practicing dentist. When difficult situations arise, what do you do? Dr. Donovan Caves, a general dentist in Suffolk, Virginia, cited pain medication requests as a source of potential conflict for many practices. When a patient requests narcotics, he and… Read More »

New dentist relishes role as state dental association leader

Chappaqua, N.Y. — Dr. Amrita R. Patel didn’t have much of a choice when she became a part of organized dentistry’s leadership. Her father, Dr. Rohit Z. Patel, had been involved in local and state dental societies for decades. When he heard about an opening on the New Dentist Committee of the New York’s Ninth District Dental Association… Read More »