"A New York Times article in 1983 predicted that tooth decay would be eradicated by the turn of the century," says Dr. Marielle Pariseau, a dentist and the founder of Teeth First, a social impact organization dedicated to actually accomplishing what the New York Times so wrongly predicted over 30 years ago. "Here we are in 2019," she points out, "and tooth decay in children is still the number one childhood disease! Our models for prevention that were created last century aren't working. We MUST rethink how and where children and young adults are taught oral health prevention and hygiene."

Perhaps you've heard the adage, "If it wasn't documented, it wasn't done." It's a sage piece of advice given by practice management gurus like Dr. Leslie Pasco and renowned dental practice management consultant, Barry Levin. But what exactly does documentation encompass? What should be documented? Is documentation primarily to protect yourself from lawsuits? The answers might surprise you. First of all, although great documentation and good notes can indeed serve as the first line of protection against litigation for doctors, nurses, hygienists, and dentists, they serve a much wider purpose than that, and if they're not done correctly, consistently, and professionally, poor notes and documentation can even prove detrimental to a practice.