Message Boards
Today's Active Topics Today's Active Cases Browse Forum Categories My Recent Activity My Messages Private Groups My Marked Threads My Subscriptions
Today's Active Images Today's Active Polls Most Active Topics Global Townie Map Advanced Message Board Search Message Board Terms of Use

Professional Courtesy: There’s a Poll for That! by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

View Comments (5) More by this author (317)

There’s a Poll for That!

by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine
Author Robert Fulghum is best known for his feelgood book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. The book was first published 25 years ago and has sold more than seven million copies. Filled with wit and wisdom, it is worth a look if you are too young to remember the original. With that as inspiration, this month I will share “all I really need to know, I learned from the monthly Dentaltown.com poll.”

November 2013

What is your outlook for 2014? 361 total votes
50% Better than 2013
35% The same as 2013
15% Worse than 2013

I think it is great to see that at least half of the dentists out there have a positive outlook for 2014. The activity at recent trade shows has been brisk and there are many new products coming to market in 2014. The Affordable Care Act may bring more young patients into dental offices around the country, but let’s not count those chickens before they are hatched.

Do you have WiFi in your practice? 208 total votes
2% We do not have Internet access
16% We do not have WiFi
30% Yes, WiFi for office only
52% Yes, WiFi for office and patient use

If you are in the sad two percent that does not have Internet access in your office, it’s time to join modern society. I assume you are visiting Dentaltown.com via the smartphone app but you are not able to send insurance claims electronically, check patient benefits online or enjoy a myriad of other treats waiting for you on the World Wide Web.

October 2013

Will you attend an out-of-town dental meeting in 2014? 613 total votes
77% Yes
23% No

If you said yes, the must-see out-of-town dental meeting to attend is the annual Townie Meeting in Las Vegas, April 23-26, at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Dental meetings provide an opportunity to be fully involved in your profession through education and camaraderie with your colleagues. I think you should make every effort to attend at least one in-town and one out-of-town meeting every year. If you didn’t have fun at your last dental meeting, you probably forgot to bring your dental team!

July 2013

Do you still have a display ad in the Yellow Pages? 633 total votes
30% Yes
70% No

I hate to admit it, but I still have a small ad in the Yellow Pages. Does anybody really use this giant book anymore? Their online listings get some play but publishing a giant book every year is on the verge of extinction.

Are you still using a physical chart in your practice for any reason? 630 total votes
57% Yes
43% No

I’m surprised to some degree that 43 percent of those responding are chartless. This is a terrific trend and one that will eventually reach the levels of Internet connectivity in dental offices. My practice abolished paper charts 10 years ago and I would not go back.

March 2013

Do you practice within 500 miles of your hometown (where you spent the
majority of your childhood)? 621 total votes
70% Yes
30% No

I practice 2,343 miles from my hometown and I’m surprised by the percentage of dentists who have decided to stay local. I suspect one reason is the complexity of the archaic licensing system for dentists. In recent years, many states have passed reforms to provide a clear path to licensure but it is not enough. A dentist with a license in good standing should be allowed to practice in any one of these United States.

I hope you will take the time to vote online in our monthly poll and you can be assured the results will be posted in a subsequent issue of Dentaltown Magazine. Have a question you would like answered in a future poll? Send me an e-mail: tom@dentaltown.com.

Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
Dentaltown Magazine September 2025 Read Current Issue Read Archived Issues
Sponsors
Townie Perks
Townie® Poll
Who or what do you turn to for most financial advice regarding your practice?
  
Site Menu
Message Boards Magazine Continuing Education Podcasts Blogs Classifieds Dental News Events Townie® Poll Ebooks Townie Choice Awards
Company Info
Contact Us Advertise With Us Howard Farran DDS, MBA Policies and Agreements
Site Help
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2025 Dentaltown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450