Going Dental

...and the bass player asks, "Are there any good dental blogs?"

Since I've committed to writing a blog, I thought I would look at what else is out there. I wanted to find out who else was writing, and what topics they were writing about. So I did a simple search, and grabbed the top 10 pages or so. Based on the relevance of recent entries, the design, and the quality of writing, here are some of the best, and worst dental blogs on the net.

OK. Here's what I found [these are in no particular order].

Dental Blogs.com
Edited by Tom Hedge, this site is, " a real-time, interactive web site about the world of dentistry made possible by a calloborative effort by the greatest minds in dentistry today."

With over 15 different authors, this blog touches [on the first page] on topics from HDTVs, soft tissue lasers, the economics of a digi-pan, new milling machines, and the mid-winter meeting. Articles are short and to the point, well written, and designed for you to "take it or leave it" depending on your interests. I look forward to checking out the rest of their archives.

The Digital Dentist
Written by Dr. Lorne Lavine, the Digital Dentist offers opinions, advice, and information about the latest trends/gadgets/technology in dentistry. Very easy to read, and embedded links make it quick to see what Dr. Lavine is talking about. Excellent resource.

Dr. Chris Kammer's blog
This is what happens when good intentions go so, so, wrong. The articles are not bad [there's only 2 that I could find]. Geared more for the general population, [from what I can tell. only 2 articles, remember] this blog hasn't been updated since 12/05. Thumbs way down, Dr. Kammer.

Dr. Thomas O'Neil
This is a great example of what a blog can be when associated with your practice's website. Directed to patients, and regarding topics relevant to patient education and services offered. The information is relevant, but it is also used as a sales-pitch. Dr. O'Neil very clearly states the negatives of amalgam, and the positives of composite [in school, we were taught positives and negatives of both]. Also, there are no links to any research articles, or references. Overall, the bolg/website is well written and the layout is good. I'm not a big fan of the website design, but I'm less of a fan of not citing where you found your information.

Brookside Dental
This blog is also linked to a dental practice website. Dr Patricia Pauley DDS, Dr Cynthia Pauley DDS and Dr Carrie Magnuson DDS provide information regarding their practice and, like Dr. O'Neil, services offered as well as general topics in dentistry and patient education. I prefer the layout of this site to the one listed above. It is easy to read, and I feel the opinions/information offered are balanced and reflect current trends in dentistry. Nice site.

Tooth Booth Dental blog
Canadian alert. I like this site. Easy to read from a patients perspective, relevant to professionals, and concise enough to read quickly or skim to find topics that interest you. Dr. Hans Skariah posts [based on the first page] regarding current topics in dentistry and dental health websites. Most of these posts are, "Hey, check this out," types, which save me time looking for these things myself. He also has a habit of citing the articles he gets his information from.

My Dental Complaint
Not a dentist. Not an expert. Though, he does cite faculty at dental schools, and the ADA, Mr. Kowalsky runs a business helping people find dental insurance. Insurance companies have not solved our health care problems, or improved the quality of care recieved, and I don't expect them to do the same for dentistry.

Blue Harmony
This blog is written by another dental student, Ping, at NSU. The layout is hard to read, and the topics are along the daily diary vein. She is consistanty posting, and I can relate to many of her dental school stories [minus the car wrecks and manicures].

Dr. Bob's blog
Dr. Bob has posted an article. It's well done though, I like the writing and the site design. But, he's only posted once.

Dr. Kenneth Mogell's blog
Dr. Mogell has a blog linked to his practice website. Just in case you forgot what blog you were reading, he places his banner at the begining of every entry. Every single post. I think that the blog is well written, like the other dentists above [with the blog linked to the practice] it's designed for patients. He provides information regarding how he can improve your headaches, how periodontal disease might be linked to pancreatic cancer as well as the move into his new office. All in all, a nice site.

If there are any others that I should have mentioned, let me know.

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