Sarah Handzel, BSN, RN

The dental industry has been awash in good economic news lately. First, U.S. News & World Report named dentistry the best job in America for 2017. Prior to that, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the dental job market to grow by 18 percent through 2024. Now, Insider Monkey has released its annual overview of the states where dentists are paid the most. Find out if your state landed among the top 11.

Researchers have identified a lichen that thrives in subarctic or arctic regions that contains several molecules that fight bacteria. It's possible that these molecules could be used to treat dental issues, such as caries and periodontal disease. Two of the compounds the researchers discovered have never been identified on the planet before. One of the researchers said, Lichens in the North are exposed to unique environmental stresses. We thought that these species might produce special molecules to cope with these very rugged conditions."

Mouth-Mate is the first dental healing aid introduced to the market, and it's designed to help improve patients' oral health at home following any number of invasive dental procedures. The product is designed to protect oral wounds resulting from oral surgeries, and periodontal and cosmetic dental procedures, including implants, bone grafts, soft tissue grafting, tooth extractions, laser procedures, and orthodontics.

Finding the right employees for your dental practice can be a long, arduous process. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can shorten your timeline and find better candidates if you stick to these six steps.

Think of your dental practice's website as every potential patient's first impression of who you are and what you do. With that in mind, you want your website to provide concise, clear information in a way that is visually appealing. Here are some important considerations for achieving that goal.

A new study published in the journal Immunity showed that taking the time to really chew food can help to stimulate the release of a specialized immune system cell, called a T helper 17 (Th17).

Arizona is the latest state to look to expand the role of dental therapists. According to a report from azcentral.com, the state legislature has stalled in its attempts to expand the scope of practice for these dental professionals.

Aging populations throughout the world and rising disposable incomes throughout the world are driving demand for dental products and services, especially in the cosmetic sector. This is also leading to an increase in dental tourism.

Ultimately, the research team sought to identify any downward trends in monetary support from the NIH and NIDCR, since previous research examining data from 2005 to 2009 recognized a reduction in funding from the NIDCR totaling 6 percent.

Dental professionals around the state participate in the program each year to provide care to children in need.

In too many cases unnecessary federal regulations contribute to the cost of providing care making it more difficult for our members to deliver oral health care services at an affordable price, the American Dental Association wrote in a letter to the Trump administration.

The ban comes after interest groups across Europe called for the discontinuation of the use of mercury-containing amalgams, which have come under increased scrutiny in Europe and the United States.

The new resolution encourages a dialogue between dentists and their patients if opioids are being considered as a treatment option.

Researchers have shown a way to stimulate new dentin growth following infection or trauma involving the use of stem cells contained in a tooth's pulp.

Dentists in Great Britain are pushing for a change to this tradition and are calling for an end to workplace cake culture.

Lowering your tax bill as a small business owner means finding and taking advantage of all the hidden opportunities to save that are provided by the United States tax code.

By demonstrating to your patients that you value them as people, you build trust in your relationship with them and make it easier to provide more effective treatment.

One report estimates an 8.5 percent compounded annual growth rate for the dental imaging market while another puts the figure at 12 percent.

In an effort to increase the success of dental implants, scientists at the UPV/EHU-University of Basque Country are working to develop new dental implant coatings with antibacterial properties.

According to FDI Dental World Federation, the new definition of oral health is multi-faceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex.

While you're thinking about resolutions for your personal life, why not decide on some professional New Year's resolutions that can help you improve yourself as a dentist and business owner.

The EPA has adopted a new federal regulation that requires all dental offices, clinics, and schools to purchase and use dental amalgam separators in their treatment areas.

The study was carried out by investigators at Johns Hopkins University after other findings implied that mucosal surfaces are the sites where diseases like rheumatoid arthritis typically begin.

In a new study published by Health Affairs, it was shown that many patients who enrolled in the Medicaid expansion program used local emergency departments for a variety of dental issues, many of which could have been prevented.

The study authors found that African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives within the country are disproportionately underrepresented in the dental field.

When the results were analyzed, it was found that asthmatic patients had a higher degree of dental erosion compared to non-asthmatic patients, but there was no significant relationship found between dental erosion and gender or the type of inhaler each patient used.

The Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future (ACFF) has recently awarded three grants totaling $50,000 to fund projects taking place in both countries, starting next year.

In a study recently published in Health Affairs, a group of researchers set out to better understand the financial barriers preventing American adults from accessing a wide range of healthcare services, including dental care.

A new study published by the International Electronic Journal of Rural and Remote Health Research, Education, Practice and Policy examined the integration of teledentistry in Australia, where much of the population live in locations distant from dental providers.

According to a new study in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences, bite-mark identification, along with several other types of forensic science, has increasingly been shown to lack the scientific foundation needed to justify its continued use as trial evidence.