Flap's Dentistry Blog Links - April 20, 2009

• Herbal Supplements and Surgical Risks

There is a recently published report on the risks of herbal supplements for patients undergoing surgery in the March/April issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. The study points out that between 40-70% of patients tend to underreport the use of complementary medicines to their doctors. The authors mention that the reasons for this range from patients feeling that their physician won’t understand or won’t approve or may not have any knowledge about the supplements. It is important that both patients and physicians realize the risk that some herbal supplements when combined with conventional medications. The most popular herbal remedies noted by the researchers were chondroitin and glucosamine (both used as joint supplements), the banned stimulant ephedra, and echinacea (commonly used for colds).

• Silicone Can Carry High Cost in Bid to Look Good - Leaking Into the Blood

The cosmetic surgery industry is hurting in the economy, as many would-be patients are electing not to spend money on their looks. But some patients appear to be seeking out a cheaper -– and potentially dangerous –- alternative to the standard cosmetic procedures: silicone injections. Silicone is being used to plump up the buttocks and breasts and even fill out wrinkles, according to the New York Times. But the substance can leak into the blood and other parts of the body, causing severe damage, including death. It’s only FDA approved for use in the eyes or in implants where it can’t leak out, not for injection into any tissue.

• Recession Sparks Interest in Low-Cost Dental Plans

James Ekbatani, 52, chief executive officer of Winter Park-based CorporateDentalPlans.com, which offers more than 30 discounted dental plans, an alternative to conventional dental insurance. He spoke recently with Sentinel staff writer Anika Myers Palm. Why is the dental-plan market a good choice for a business at this time? Answer: It's based on the experience I had with my previous company, which was called Health Fair. We provided $3,200 worth of diagnostic tests to the public, as a prevention tool, for $179. We found out we can bring low-cost health care to the public, and those who need it will pay for it out of pocket. ...

• Dentist Marketing on the Web: Add Dentist Practice To Local Business - Get Listed

Here’s an extremely helpful service for dentists to add their practice to local business listings in the search engines. Get Listed enables the dentist to leverage their online visibility and take advantage of attracting new patients with another channel in addition to a website and SEO.

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