Snap-on veneers: warn patients about TikTok’s latest DIY trend
Snap-on plastic veneers sold online for $15–$30 promise a quick smile fix but can trap bacteria, cause decay and damage enamel, DentistryIQ reports, urging clinicians to steer patients toward professional alternatives.
Key Takeaways
- Ask new patients about snap-on veneers during cosmetic consultations before damage appears.
- Explain that trapped food and plaque under plastic raise caries and gum disease risk.
- Position composite or porcelain veneers as the safer route to the same goal.
- Note that digital technology is making composite veneers easier to manufacture.
Greater New York Dental Meeting returns for 102nd edition
The Greater New York Dental Meeting 2026 runs 29 November to 1 December at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, with more than 350 educational sessions and hundreds of exhibitors across implant, orthodontic and digital dentistry topics.
Key Takeaways
- Block practice days now for 29 November to 1 December 2026 if your team plans to attend.
- Assign staff to specific tracks such as digital dentistry, 3D printing or implantology.
- Use the exhibition floor to compare materials, equipment and workflow software hands-on.
- Send technicians and hygienists too, since programming spans the whole dental team.
Calculate what card processing really costs your practice
A Dental Economics Quick Chat with Dental Card Services reviews how to calculate the true cost of credit card processing, why fees vary, and how those costs affect profitability, practice value and long-term wealth.
Key Takeaways
- Audit your merchant statement line by line rather than comparing headline rates.
- Work out total processing cost as a share of collections before renewing any contract.
- Factor processing fees into practice valuation discussions with buyers or partners.
- Ask processors to explain why your specific fees vary before signing.
ADA pushes Congress to tailor cybersecurity rules for small practices
The ADA told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the Senate-passed Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2026 could burden small dental practices, seeking flexible requirements, grants and phased implementation.
Key Takeaways
- Expect HIPAA-aligned requirements like multifactor authentication and encryption within 36 months.
- Budget now for security upgrades rather than waiting for final HHS regulations.
- Review vendor and business-associate contracts to see who owns breach responsibility.
- Document good-faith security investments to support any future enforcement leniency.
Dentists may spot insulin resistance years before diabetes
Writing in Perio-Implant Advisory, Dr Scott Froum and Dr Benjamin González describe how chronic gingival inflammation, delayed healing and unexplained tooth mobility can signal insulin resistance up to 15 years before diabetes.
Key Takeaways
- Flag unexplained bleeding, delayed healing or mobility as possible metabolic warning signs.
- Refer at-risk patients to primary care for fasting glucose, A1C or HOMA-IR testing.
- Counsel on exercise, weight, polyphenol-rich eating, sleep and stress to reverse resistance.
- Frame periodontal treatment as a way to lower systemic inflammatory load.
Agentic AI takes on denied claims and payment posting
A Dental Economics video with Zentist’s Dalton Knoderer explains how AI agents investigate denied claims, catch coding errors, automate payment posting and verify benefits, adapting to insurance portal changes where traditional bots fail.
Key Takeaways
- Measure any AI tool by reduced processing costs, faster reimbursement and improved cash flow.
- Keep human oversight on claim decisions rather than fully delegating to automation.
- Target denied claims and payment posting first, where manual effort concentrates.
- Confirm the tool adapts when payer portals change, or savings will stall.