US News & World Report  reveals that adults are increasingly “getting braces to straighten their teeth, fix their bites and improve their smiles.” The article reports that “adults made up a record high of nearly 1.5 million orthodontics patients in the U.S. and Canada,” according to a 2014 survey from the American Association of Orthodontists. According to the article, “This rising popularity” is due in part to “orthodontic options that make braces inconspicuous.”

Even though Yuri Gagarin from what was then the U.S.S.R. became the first man in outer space, the lead he gave the Soviets in the space race in 1961 was overcome by the United States eight years later. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to step on the moon’s surface, a defining moment in human history.
 

Like most of you, I have health insurance. Like most of you, my health insurance says it covers dental work. As with most of you, this is basically a fiction. Insurance companies are famously stingy at the dentist.

With age comes wisdom. Specifically, wisdom teeth.

Your mouth goes through many changes in your lifetime. One major dental milestone that usually takes place between the ages of 17 and 21 is the appearance of your third molars. Historically, these teeth have been called wisdom teeth because they come through at a more mature age.

The next time you offer your children a healthy smoothie instead of a soda, you may want to remember that it could contain as much as 13 g/100 ml, equivalent to around 2.5 tsps in a 3.5-oz serving, or approximately two thirds to a half of a child's recommended daily sugar intake.
 

As dentists and health care providers, many of us feel the call
to give back to our community. Events like the Mission of
Mercy and Give Kids a Smile can make donating your time and resources back to the community easy. Volunteering is mutually benefcial for both the volunteer and the recipient. It provides physical and mental rewards; it brings people together; it pro- motes personal growth and self-esteem; and strengthens your community. However, in order to protect our profession, we need volunteers for the ADA, the FDA, and our district associations.

Medical, dental, insurance and other benefits can potentially change from your old company to your new company.  Forbes offers advice on how to manage your benefits in the event of a merger. 

By participating in the Florida Dental Association and the Northeast District Dental Association, I am trying to reach new dentists and help them feel welcome to the profession and the community.
My goal, as a member of the FDA Council of the New Dentist, is to help new dentists understand that the collegiality of our profession has been a cornerstone to its success and will be even more important in the future. We need to change the paradigm of seeing other local dentists and specialists as competitors and re-emphasize that relationships within
the dental community are integral to one’s success. Our ultimate goal is to provide our community with the absolute best in dentistry and oral medicine.

Learn more about whitening your teeth with Dr. Henley and Channel 4's Morning Show