Dentaltown

**Townie Casefile: One File, Two 90-Degree Curves**

A mandibular third molar with three heavily calcified canals and two separate 90-degree curves is the kind of case that makes you reach for the smallest hand files you own. Dr. Ghassan Yared did the opposite.
He shaped and obturated all three canals with a single reciprocating file per root, no scouting, no glide path, letting the file find its own way through anatomy that a hand file would likely fight.

👉 https://www.dentaltown.com/magazine/article/10004/townie-casefile-one-file-two-90-degree-curves

🏆 Have you voted yet?

The 2026 Townie Choice Awards are your chance to recognize the products and services you trust most in your practice. Your vote helps fellow dentists discover the products their peers rely on every day.

Complete your ballot and you'll automatically be entered for a chance to win one of two prizes:
💰 Grand Prize: $1,000 and a feature in Dentaltown magazine
📚 Second Prize: A FREE one-year Dentaltown CE subscription

🗳️ Cast your ballot today: dentaltown.com/tca

**Understanding Vulnerability**

New patients meet you at their most vulnerable moment, reclined in a chair, with a stranger examining their mouth. Jaclyn Nona says the fix isn't more comfort items, it's closing the trust gap before they ever walk in the door.

Her approach: authentic social media and real community presence, so patients feel like they already know your team before their first appointment.

👉 https://www.dentaltown.com/magazine/article/10003/understanding-vulnerability

💬 How does your practice build trust before day one?

**The SDF Decade**
Ten years ago, a respected colleague dismissed silver diamine fluoride in front of a packed conference hall. Dr. Jeanette MacLean took it personally, started publishing case studies, and ended up at the center of a New York Times story that changed the conversation nationwide.

A decade later, SDF use is widespread among pediatric dentists, though general dentistry still lags. She reflects on what she got right, what surprised her, and why SDF isn't a magic wand.

👉 https://bit.ly/4wTe0yy

**The $600,000 Three-Year Dental Degree**
Yeshiva University's new Manhattan dental school compresses the DDS into 36 months with no summers off, and fully financed students could graduate owing north of $600,000.
Supporters say it gets grads into the workforce a year sooner with newer facilities and tech. Critics worry that compressing four years into three doesn't make hand-skill dentistry any easier to learn.
👉 https://www.dentaltown.com/magazine/article/10001/the-600000-three-year-dental-degree
💬 What worries you more: the price tag, or what dentistry looks like if this becomes normal?

**Teeth Under Plastic**
Aligners cover teeth 20+ hours a day, and a new wave of products claims that's creating a hidden caries risk. But is that the real story, or just marketing?
The research shows aligners aren't biologically neutral, but the biggest risk factor isn't the tray, it's the patient. Preexisting white spots, frequent soda intake, and poor hygiene drive most of the outcomes we see.
👉 https://www.dentaltown.com/magazine/article/10000/teeth-under-plastic
💬 Are you seeing more white spot lesions in your aligner patients?

🚨 Voting is Now Open for the 2026 Townie Choice Awards! 🏆

Your voice helps recognize the products that truly make a difference in everyday practice.

When you vote, you're helping fellow dentists identify the products you've found to be the most reliable, innovative, and effective. The Townie Choice Awards are unique because they're chosen by practicing dentists—not judges or industry panels.

✅ Support the products you trust
✅ Help guide your peers' purchasing decisions
✅ Recognize the companies driving innovation in dentistry

Plus, every completed ballot enters you for a chance to win $1,000 and be featured in Dentaltown magazine!

Cast your vote today: dentaltown.com/tca