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According to BeckersDental.com, “31% of dentists plan to retire in the next six years. DentalPost surveyed nearly 3,500 dental professionals to create this year’s report, which was conducted from October to November 2024.” Right away, I thought this is very positive news for the industry because it creates opportunities for associates to enter the ownership game. Most retiring dentists are not looking to just “hang up their coat” and be done; they are often open to...

According to Reuters, Patterson Dental is being taken private in a deal worth $4.1bn. The article cites a major struggle for Patterson Dental:“Analysts have highlighted easing demand for dental products and surgeries as inflation-weary customers prioritize the purchase of essential products.”However, if you ask anyone in the industry, they would all disagree that this is the primary reason for Patterson’s decline. Many factors contributed to the downturn of what was once the “Nordstrom” of dental supplies—ranging from leadership changes to adopting new norms, to missing the boat on DSO growth. Yet I would like to focus on what could be exciting in the future.

This article challenges common misconceptions about running a dental practice, emphasizing that success comes from mastering the basics, taking ownership of problems, and consistently implementing solutions. Financial management is just as critical as clinical quality, enabling better patient care and long-term growth. Ultimately, success requires action, discipline, and the willingness to move beyond comfort zones.

Our team is quite expansive, spanning across a few countries, but for the U.S. members, we make it a priority to gather every quarter. These retreats allow us to visit our member practices, collaborate closely, and share meals together. While remote work offers numerous benefits, it does come with the downside of missing out on face-to-face interactions with colleagues. These quarterly get-togethers truly make a difference.

My goal is to learn how Zen works in real life—how people actually interact with what we designed. There is no right or wrong way of using it, and my aim is to see how it’s actually being used so I can convert that into a list of improvements for our team to tackle. Not to get ahead of myself, but I finished the trip with a list of five major improvement requests and 10-15 minor fixes

Imagine a world where managing dental inventory becomes not just easy, but thrillingly efficient. Even with nine years of experience under our belts, we're still discovering new ways to streamline and organize. In this article, get ready to delve deep into the latest game-changing update: the integration of QR codes across three distinct dental offices (Georgetown Elite Dental, Prime Time Dentistry, Holman Family Dentistry), all powered by the cutting-edge ZenOne platform. And here's the kicker—it's accessible to users on both iOS and Android devices. Let's uncover how this innovative approach is revolutionizing dental inventory management!‍

There are many aspects we can all agree are missing in dentistry today. However, from my perspective, having worked with dental teams daily, I can clearly see that onboarding, training, and nurturing for your team is sorely lacking. Let's refer to it simply as "training".How do I know? Well, I constantly hear phrases like, "They don't even know how to put on a rubber dam" or "How many times do I need to say that I use plain cetonest?" or my personal favorite, "I just need a dental assistant who can get the work done." What does this mean?Each dental practice is unique, with its own methods and procedures. This is the one area where I'd agree that every practice differs. Some have morning huddles, some do not. Some use the radio, while others do not

Trend 1: I think one of the most important trends is the gain in popularity of buying groups. Especially after the COVD, a lot of dental practices are being approached and are interested in saving money on supplies and having a membership with a buying group is a good start. There are different options on the market, from free to a monthly membership ($125-$299/month) and most provide a vast range of savings options, equipment, labs, credit card processing and supplies....

From what I experienced and learned about the headset, we can see 3 possible scenarios of this technology being adopted in dentistry. 

We are so excited to announce to the dental world that we are soon launching our new product, ZenOne. First, only in Texas and to a small group of practices who love the thrill of being first and are up for an adventure. So let’s dive in why Texas is our first State to launch a new product.

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 ahugeimpact on me and most importantly allowed me to see how Zen was being used in real time in a dental office. It also added a sense of responsibility to build the right product that truly brings value to each one of you. These one-on-one meetings allowed me to learn and deeply understand the challenges of each practice, team dynamics, and how Zen needed to better function in order to solve your problems. As we learned and continued to grow I realized there were decisions I made early on that were holding us back from the potential we were capable of. For example, how we structured catalogs or how order approval processes were made. I can remember many instances when I visited one of your offices and saw how painful it was to use certain parts of the Zen site. I had this growing desire inside of me and I knew Zen could be better and have a platform that every practice would love using. In 2021, I decided it was time to build a new platform from scratch. This would take everything we had learned into account and provide our members with a much better, faster, and more importantly- smoother experience. Prices and stock levels are updated in real time and search is so intuitive that it feels as if a human is listening to you and finding what you are looking for. This new platform would also give us the flexibility we needed to scale to many more vendors and add long-awaited features such as expense management, budget labels, and predictable ordering through integration with your practice management software. I am very excited about the near future and can’t wait for you to see what this new Zen platform can do for your office. We will begin offering demos and a preview of the new platform starting early November into December with a goal of starting migration on January 1, 2024. My team is relentlessly working around the clock to make this process as smooth and easy for each of you as possible. My hope is that you will find the new Zen platform to bring even more efficiencies, a better user experience, and even more amazing savings to your office. Please keep an eye out for email updates and important information as we get closer to the launch date. And please make sure to sign up for a demo. I am confident you will love it! You can reach me attiger@zenone.comand by phone 872-225-2090 or Delaney atdelaney@zenone.comor by phone 872-225-2894. Tiger and the entire Zen Team

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. Our shared mission, which has always been the primary goal of our respective companies, remains focused on helping private practices get top-notch products while having direct relationships with manufacturers. Rich’s background Rich, with 17 years at Garrison Dental, joined the company when it was a decade into its existence. He initially stepped into the role of a sales manager, entrusted with the task of establishing the sales group for North America. At that time, there were only two customer service representatives who laid the foundation for the inside sales department at Garrison Dental Solutions. Before his tenure at Garrison, Rich's professional background was firmly rooted in the banking and mortgage industry. He had managed large call centers across the United States, overseeing various financial services, including credit card processing and mortgages. His transition to Garrison Dental coincided with a turbulent period in the banking industry, marked by a housing market crash and economic instability. Despite the uncertainty in the banking sector, Rich seized the opportunity to start working in the medical field. A friend who was a recruiter guided him toward the position at Garrison Dental, and though he had reservations about the unfamiliar territory of the dental industry, he took a leap of faith. Garrison Dental was a relatively small company at the time, but it held grand ambitions for growth. What drew Rich to the company was its strong family-oriented culture, a refreshing departure from the corporate world where he had previously worked, characterized by a disconnect between employees and company owners. The welcoming atmosphere and close-knit environment at Garrison Dental were particularly appealing to him. Early years of Garrison Dental Right next to the manufacturing facility, there's a dental office that holds a special place in Garrison Dental's history. This dental practice had a unique role in the company's origin story. It all began in the basement of this building, where Dr. Edgar Garrison ran his dental practice. When Dr. Edgar Garrison retired, his son, John, took over the practice, maintaining the family tradition of dentistry. While John was practicing upstairs, the foundation of Garrison Dental Solutions was laid in the basement. About eight years later, they moved into the building that still houses Garrison Dental today. In the early days, Garrison Dental outsourced a significant portion of their manufacturing. However, a transformation occurred over the years, and now the majority of their manufacturing takes place at their in-house facility. Innovative product For Rich, the knowledge that Garrison Dental manufactured its own products instilled a deep sense of confidence in the products he sold. During his early days with the company, he attended a trade show and noticed a great interest from customers. Many visitors flocked to the Garrison Dental booth, eager to see what was new. This demand often led to increased sales, a testament to the innovative product lines and the strong loyalty of their customer base. Rich found it surprisingly easy to promote their product line, given the reputation of Garrison Dental and its commitment to innovation. In the past, when Rich first joined, many dental practitioners were using older methods, such as the Tofflemire matrix system. This required a more detailed and technical sales process, explaining the advantages of the sectional matrix system. Today, the landscape has evolved. Approximately 70% of dental practices have transitioned to using sectional matrix systems for their restorations, making the sales process less technical. The focus now lies in highlighting the superiority of Garrison Dental's products over their competitors. While there are still some Tofflemire users, the process of explaining the benefits has become more streamlined and focused on product differentiation. Shift in the dental industry Nowadays, Rich believes the most significant change in the dental industry is the shift from solo practices to a more corporate landscape. When he first joined the field, solo practitioners were the norm, often passing their practices down through generations. An example of this traditional model was the Garrisons, where three generations of dentists - Edgar's father, Edgar, and John - continued the legacy. However, in the present day, there is a notable trend toward corporate entities known as DSOs (Dental Support Organizations). This transition away from solo practitioners passing practices down to their children to a more corporate structure has reshaped the industry. While Rich recalls that Heartland Dental was one of the pioneering DSOs when he started with Garrison, this corporate model has since become more prevalent. Regarding what makes a private dental practice strong and resilient, Rich believes it's much like any successful business. The key lies in the relationships they build within their community and the devoted followers they accumulate. An example close to home is Spring Lake, Michigan, where practices like Ed Crenshaw Garrison's were deeply intertwined with the community. The positive impact they had on their local area contributed to their strength and success. In Rich's view, this community-oriented approach is not only a blessing but also the essence of how business should be conducted. Online business operations Rich believes that the landscape of the dental industry is continuously evolving. Notably, there has been a significant shift towards online business operations. The growth of online sales and e-procurement is becoming increasingly prominent, much of it influenced by giants like Amazon. With the changes brought about by COVID-19, the role of dealer representatives visiting dental practices has dwindled. The industry is embracing more online processes. Rich also stresses the importance of partnering with organizations that share similar values. Garrison Dental takes pride in offering their products through multiple channels, including e-procurement and direct dealers, with a strong focus on catering to the needs of the customer. The key is to collaborate with partners who share the same vision and commitment to customer care. In their interactions with dental practices, Rich and his team often encounter the challenge of staff turnover. They understand that practices undergo personnel changes, and it can be stressful for the doctors. Rich highlighted that they offer webinars and online resources to help new team members become acquainted with Garrison's products, especially if they're unfamiliar with them. This support ensures a smoother transition for the practice and its staff. Rich also emphasized the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and how Garrison Dental adapted to the changing landscape. In response to the limitations imposed by the pandemic, Garrison Dental elevated its commitment to educational technology. They began producing webinars and other online resources that allowed customers to see their products in action during various dental procedures. These resources were a direct response to the absence of trade shows in 2020 and 2021, which traditionally provided an opportunity to meet customers in person and showcase products. With the shift to online resources, customers could now easily access instructional material by visiting Garrison Dental's website or YouTube channel, enabling them to gain a better understanding of product usage. Final Words In conclusion, at Zen, we are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Garrison Dental Solutions. In our interactions with the team, we emphasize our commitment to learning and doing things the right way. Every time Rich and Tiger connect to discuss ways to work together, the central question is, "How do we best serve the customer?" This guiding principle helps them refine their internal processes and continually improve their collaboration. We look forward to continuing this productive partnership!

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. The bottom line is that if you don’t test your dental unit water, you don’t know if you are meeting the standard. These are 9 things that you need to know about dental unit water quality. 1 - Patients can and have developed bacterial infections from contaminated dental unit water. In 2015, 24 pediatric patients at a facility in Georgia developed Mycobacterium abcessus infections from exposure to contaminated water during pulpotomy procedures. In 2016, a similar outbreak occurred in California, involving 71 patients, who were hospitalized to treat the infections. More recently, the CDC issued a Health Alert through its Health Alert Network (HAN) emphasizing the importance of following recommendations for maintaining and monitoring dental unit water quality, based on past incidents and an ongoing investigation of yet another outbreak of infections. None of these outbreaks have resulted in patient deaths, however, 2 patients have died from Legionella infections contracted in dental practices from dental unit waterlines. 2 – Using distilled or filtered water in dental units does not prevent biofilm formation and water contamination. Some dental professionals equate distilled water with sterile water – meaning that it has no microorganisms, that can contribute to the formation of biofilm in the dental unit waterlines. This is not true, however. Whatever type of water is used in the dental unit, something must be done or added to the water to maintain the safe water standard. There are a number of options that dental practices can implement to maintain safe water, including the addition of an antimicrobial tablet or solution each time the water bottle is filled, installing a valved cartridge or straw) into the water bottle, installing a whole-office or point-of-entry water purification system, in addition to utilizing municipal water connected to the dental unit or in a separate water reservoir/bottle. It is very important to consult the manufacturer’s instructions for the use of the equipment to determine the recommended method of treating the water in the dental unit. Waterline disinfectants/maintenance products act to inhibit the growth of bacteria and biofilm formation but do not prevent it. 3 - Surgical procedures require the use of sterile water or sterile saline for irrigation. Due to the risk of introducing microorganisms into a sterile body cavity during surgical procedures, water from the dental unit should not be used to irrigate surgical sites. Sterile water or sterile saline can be dispensed from a sterilized bulb syringe or through the use of a specifically designed sterile water delivery system, that can be sterilized after each use. Placing sterile water or sterile saline into the dental unit water bottle does not ensure that the water is sterile when it exits the dental unit since it is exposed to the biofilm present in the dental unit waterlines. 4 – Most waterline maintenance products require a periodic shock treatment of the waterlines. The manufacturers of dental unit waterline disinfectants/maintenance products have recommendations for a shock or cleaning treatment for the waterlines. The manufacturer of the disinfectant determines how often the shock treatment should be performed which may vary depending on the product used. Shocking involves adding an antimicrobial solution, usually at a higher concentration than the maintenance product, and leaving it in the lines overnight. This procedure will clean the lines and remove biofilm. Some products require three consecutive treatments to clean and remove all of the biofilm that has accumulated. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the use of both waterline disinfectants and shock products – as they are not interchangeable. 5 – If you don’t test your dental unit water, you don’t know if you meet the safe water standard. Although the products used in dentistry to treat and shock the dental unit waterlines have been tested for efficacy, there are many variables that can affect whether the product is working effectively in each dental unit. The only way to assess that the water meets the ≤500CFU/ml standard is to test the water in each unit. Testing the water can be done in-office or mailed to a water laboratory. The CDC states that testing should be performed “periodically”, however, most manufacturers recommend quarterly testing. If the dental units in your facility have never been tested, a best practice would be to test all the units as a baseline. This can help identify any issues with specific units or individual waterlines. If any of the dental units do not meet the water quality standard, the lines in those units should be shocked and then retested. Be sure to record all test results for each dental unit. 6 – There are two ways to perform dental unit waterline tests. The first method is to do a pooled test. This involves dispensing equal amounts of water from all the lines on a dental unit (air/water syringe, handpieces, and scalers) into the test container. The other is to test each waterline individually. Most practices use pooled samples. Testing individual lines is typically performed when the unit continually fails, and further determination is needed to find the source of the contamination. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for conducting the test. 7– Dental unit waterline tests are not meant to identify specific microorganisms in the water. Dental unit waterline test kits are designed to determine the number of colony-forming units of bacteria in the water sample. In other words, does the water meet the standard or not. There are some water labs that will analyze the microbial content of the water, but it is usually not necessary for dental facilities unless a specific problem has been identified. 8 – Contaminated dental unit water is also a risk to the dental team. While we tend to think of the risk to patients from exposure to contaminated dental unit water, the clinical team members are exposed to aerosols from that water (and saliva/blood from the patient) during most of the procedures that they perform each day. When dental handpieces, air-water syringes, and ultrasonic scalers are utilized, the aerosols created contain microorganisms that are contained in the biofilm in the lines. If the clinical team is not wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), they can also be exposed to potential transmission of infectious diseases from the dental unit waterlines. 9 – Dental practices should have written protocols for maintaining and testing their dental unit waterlines. Consistency and accuracy are the keys to achieving safe dental treatment water for patients and team members. Written protocols, or standard operating procedures, help to ensure that each team member knows how to perform waterline maintenance procedures. Keep in mind that not all the dental units in a facility are the same, and different equipment may require slightly different protocols. As previously mentioned, the practice should also maintain documentation of waterline testing and shocking, in order to prove that the procedures have been done and make sure that no units have gone untested or untreated. Dental unit water quality has been in the news a great deal over the past several years. Be proactive about your dental unit water quality by testing and following the recommended procedures for your equipment and the products that you use. Let your patients know that you do your utmost to provide them with safe care – including safe water. CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), April 8, 2016, Notes from the Field:  Mycobacterium abcessus Infections Among Patients of a Pediatric Dentistry Practice – Georgia 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6513a5.htm   CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) Outbreaks of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections Highlight Importance of Maintaining and Monitoring Dental Waterlines https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2022/han00478.asp   CDC Healthcare Water Management Program Frequently Asked Questions https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/wmp/healthcare-facilities/healthcare-wmp-faq.html

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 violations and strategies to avoid them. 1. Lack of Employee Training All employees, both administrative and clinical, must receive initial training (i.e., when they are hired) as well as annual training updates. Training topics must cover the provisions of the Privacy Rules, Security Rules, and Breach Notification Rules. Training can be provided by a knowledgeable member of the team, an outside consultant/trainer, or through video and online training programs. If a prerecorded video program is used, the employer or practice administrator must plan for answering employee questions regarding the training information presented. A dental practice must keep records of all HIPAA training and will need to produce those records in the event of an audit or complaint. 2. Failure to Document Privacy and Security Policies A key component of HIPAA compliance is a written set of policies and procedures for providing for the privacy and security of patients’ protected health information (PHI). A dental practice can access templates for these policies from the DHHS at https://bit.ly/3ZbpuNY , by working with a HIPAA consultant, or by purchasing a HIPAA compliance manual from various sources, such as the American Dental Association at https://bit.ly/45KmtqE. 3. Lack of Business Associate Agreements Business Associate Agreements are essentially contracts between a covered entity (dental practice) and a business or support service who need to access patient PHI to provide their services. This also includes any contractors that a business associate utilizes to provide services to the dental practice. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that the business associate provides all necessary safeguards to protect the privacy and security of the dental practice’s PHI. Some examples of business associates are consultants, technology support companies, software vendors, and healthcare claims clearing houses. Information on Business Associate Agreements is available from DHHS at https://bit.ly/489Wri0 or from a HIPAA consultant or a purchases HIPAA compliance manual. 4. The Practice’s Notice of Privacy Practices is not posted The HIPAA privacy rules require that a covered entity/dental practice develop a Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP), which details the ways in which the practice protects the privacy of PHI and how it may be used for Treatment, Payment, and Operation of the practice. This document must be posted in a prominent place where patients have access to it, including on the practice’s website, and a copy must be provided to a patient or parent on request. Since this document is several pages long, it may take up a fair amount of space if it is framed and hung on the wall. An option would be to format the document into a foldable brochure (printed in landscape format) and place it in a brochure holder in the reception area. Copies can also be laminated and available in the check-in area of the front desk. The NPP must indicate the name of the privacy officer/manager, how to contact them, and how to file a complaint. If the person designated as the privacy officer changes, the NPP must be updated. A template for a NPP is available from the Dept. of HHs at: https://bit.ly/44MAm6c. Currently, the HIPAA rules require that patients/guardians sign an acknowledgment that they have been given access to the NPP, which is commonly referred to in practices as the “HIPAA form”. Proposed changes to the HIPAA rules indicate that this may not be necessary when these changes become effective (possibly in 2024). It is important to note, however, that practices should continue to obtain this acknowledgment for now, along with the names of individuals with whom the practice may communicate about the patient’s treatment. This would include spouses, parents of dependent children who are over 18 years of age, and adult children of elderly patients. Parents and guardians of minors always have the right to discuss treatment. 5. Failure to conduct an annual Security Risk Assessment (SRA) This provision of the HIPAA Security Rules is critical to the safety of electronic data in a practice. The purpose of this document is to assess whether there are risks to the security of PHI in the practice, rate the severity of the risk, and develop a strategy and timeline for mitigating those risks. Some of the information that is addressed on an assessment form may be beyond the expertise of the security officer or practice owner. Working with a technology support provider is a good practice for completing this assessment. The Dept. of HHS has an online SRA available at: https://bit.ly/3Pwg9NJ . 6. Failure to correct issues identified in the Security Risk Assessment A key mistake that many dental practices make is to complete the assessment form each year, but not address any of the risks that have been identified. In cases of HIPAA audits or investigations of complaints, the HIPAA auditors/investigators ask to see and thoroughly review the SRAs for a covered entity/practice. If any items identified as risks have been continually identified, but not addressed, citations and fines will be assessed. 7. Allowing access to patient-protected health information to unauthorized individuals This issue has many facets. It may include access to paper records or electronic records. In the case of paper records/charts and other documents with PHI, those documents must be kept secure, especially if there are cleaning professionals (who are not employees) who are present in the office after hours. The patient charts should be stored in lockable file cabinets or in a locked room, that only employees have access to. These service providers are not covered by BAAs, since their job doesn’t require them to access patient information. Cleaning staff and other service providers who may be at the office after hours when no employees are present should have a signed confidentiality agreement, in the case of patient information that may not be secure. Securing electronic PHI begins with using secure passwords for logging in to the practice management software. Each team member that has access to the software must have their own password. Technology experts say that passwords should be as long as the software allows (up to 20 characters), including upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special symbols, such as #, $,!. Passwords need to be changed regularly and most practice management software programs now have a default of 60 – 90 days for changing passwords. Team members should never use another team member’s password for logging in, nor should they disclose their password to anyone outside of the practice. A common practice is to write the password for a workstation on a sticky note and place it somewhere on the keyboard or monitor. This practice is not allowed. When team members leave their workstations for longer than a few minutes, or for lunch, they should either log out or lock the screen to prevent unauthorized access. Locking the screen is achieved by a number of keystrokes, and then repeating those keystrokes to unlock it upon returning to the workstation. Some software will allow the creation of a “hot key” that will execute this command. Check with your software provider to determine how to do this. Another way to lock the screen is to press the ctrl, alt, and del keys at the same time. This will either cause the screen to go blank or bring up the task manager. If the task manager comes up, select the lock, and the screen will go blank. Performing this same task on returning will again bring up the task manager and require logging back into the software. The user will be taken back to the patient record or task that they were working on when they locked the screen. 8. Sending electronic patient-protected health information by unsecured and/or unencrypted email There has been a great deal of resistance on the part of dental practices to adopt safe transmission practices with patient information. As many practices are utilizing digital radiography, emailing copies of these images is easy and convenient, when making referrals, or for transferring patients. But emailing this PHI through unsecure email channels is risky since the email can be intercepted during transmission. In most cases, the information that dental practices send is not highly sensitive, but if the message and attachment are not encrypted, it can allow hackers access to the practices’ server where the images are stored. Email hacking is also a security risk in that it can be infected with viruses and other malware. Dental practices should first use secure email. Secure email is achieved by utilizing the email services connected to the practice website, or by redirecting an existing Gmail or other account to a secure portal. Technology and web support services can assist with this. The benefit of using a secure email portal is that it greatly reduces the possibility of being hacked. Gmail, Yahoo, and other free email providers do not have the level of security needed for HIPAA compliance. Even if the practice is using secure email, any attachments with patient information must be encrypted, or transmitted through a virtual private network (VPN). Encryption typically requires a subscription to an app that copies the attachments, secures them in a vault, and makes them available to a recipient who logs in to the encryption service vault. Some of the encryption services can be integrated into the practice management software, requiring fewer steps to send the email and attachments. HIPAA rules exist for the protection of patient information and to protect a dental practice from liability if that information is accessed inappropriately. Protecting the privacy and security of patient’s information is not only a legal issue but an ethical issue as well. If a practice strives to provide the highest level of care, that includes protecting the patients’ information. Privacy and security issues are also good business practices, which all dental practices need to follow.

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 while providing treatment.    There is some discussion online and on news channels about the possibility of reinstating mask mandates.  Some hospitals have already instituted the mandates if the number of cases and hospitalizations are high in their area.  There is no mandate for dental practices to require patients to wear masks when they enter the facility, and this likely will not happen unless the cases increase very significantly. So, what do dental teams need to do at this time? First, dental teams should continue to screen patients prior to their appointments for the presence of respiratory symptoms.   If a patient is experiencing symptoms, the CDC recommends postponing treatment, unless there is an emergency.  Unless the patient has been tested (not likely), there is no way to know whether they have COVID, influenza, or RSV. There are tests available that screen for all three viruses, but they are not widely sought out by patients through healthcare providers. Current guidance from the CDC is accessible here:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html.  Keep in mind that while these are “recommendations”, many state dental boards require following CDC guidelines. These recommendations include using an N95 respirator or a higher level of protection for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 (for emergency treatment). Second, teams should consider the types of masks or respirators that are used during treatment. Many dental team members have already ditched the respirators and gone back to using face masks for all patients. Masks with ASTM Level 3 ratings are the appropriate choice for aerosol generating procedures (AGPs).  But the limitation of these face masks is that they do not seal on the face like a respirator.   Many masks gap on the top and sides.   Teams should purchase masks that fit well and minimize the gaps.  Just to review – AGPs include the use of high-speed handpieces, air/water syringes, ultrasonic scalers, air polishers, and air abrasion.   In addition, the KN95 masks that were allowed under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA during the pandemic are no longer allowed for use in health care settings, as they do not meet U.S. criteria for face masks or respirators and are not cleared by the FDA. Third, team members should stay home if they have respiratory symptoms.  Just as our patients may be infectious to us, we can be infectious to the patients and to co-workers.  A practice should have a clear policy defining what protocols should be followed if a team member has a respiratory infection as well as what to do about patients who indicate prior to their appointment that they have symptoms, or who present at the office with symptoms. And last but not least, consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster if you have already been vaccinated.   The most updated vaccines are anticipated to be available by the end of September.   Check with your health care provider, local health department or pharmacy for information about vaccines and boosters.   It also is a good idea to get an influenza vaccine, which are currently available. Most of us are COVID-weary and don’t want to think about all of the craziness that happened during that time.   But COVID-19 is still a health threat, as are other respiratory infections.   As dental health care professionals, we need to protect our health as well as the health of our patients.   As with any vaccine recommendations, always check with your health care provider to make sure that they are appropriate for you and your current health status.    CDC Updates Respiratory Virus Updates https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/whats-new/index.html