The Alta Voice blog

Ideas for better
days in dentistry.

Clinical notes, perio care, and the practice behind them. Ideas to bring into your next working day.

Latest from Alta Voice

Help patients make sense of their perio exam

Help patients understand their perio exam with plain language and supporting visuals, using Alta Voice’s patient report as an example.

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Simplified educational perio report showing a deepest pocket of 4 mm, bleeding at 21% of sites checked, and bone loss flagged at six teeth.

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The Chart Can Wait. Your Family Can't.

You spent a decade training to take care of other people. At some point, that started to mean taking care of them at the expense of yourself. Here's what that's actually costing you — and what changes when you go home on time.

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Why Calculating Perio Stage and Grade by AAP Guidelines Is So Difficult

If you've ever sat down after a full-mouth periodontal exam and tried to assign a Stage and Grade to a patient's disease, you already know: it's not a simple calculation. It requires synthesizing data from multiple sources, applying a layered decision framework, and making clinical judgments that account for a patient's full health picture.

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Is There a Best Time of Day to Complete Clinical Notes?

The short answer is yes — and the data might surprise you. The Hidden Weight Every Dental Professional Carries Ask any dentist, hygienist, or dental assistant what the most time-consuming non-clinical part of their job is, and you'll hear the same answer: clinical documentation. Dental clinical notes are not optional.

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The Pros and Cons of Patient Chit-Chat

Should dentists and hygienists spend time on conversation beyond clinical care? Here’s what the research — and the realities of a busy practice — suggest. Every dental appointment tells a story.

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The Perio Plague: Is Your Practice Underdiagnosing Perio?

This post is part of the “Rule Your Practice” series. Explore the entire “Rule Your Practice” series and learn how dentists, hygienists, and everyone in the operatory can rule. Hear ye, hear ye! Gather 'round, noble practitioners of the dental realm, for we must speak of a plague that has swept across our kingdom.

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Battle the Clock: Do Hygienists Have Too Much to Do?

This post is part of the "Rule Your Practice" series. Explore the entire "Rule Your Practice" series and learn how dentists, hygienists, and everyone in the operatory can rule. In the kingdom of the dental operatory, hygienists are the unsung warriors on the front lines.

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Cutting Through the AI Hype: What Really Works for DSOs and Group Practices

Watch the conversation that inspired this post and get CE Credit here. The dental industry is buzzing with AI promises, but how do you separate genuine innovation from empty marketing? Sheena Hinson, Director of Partnerships and Growth and veteran dental hygienist, offers a refreshingly pragmatic approach to evaluating AI tools for dental organizations.

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“No Thanks, I’m Good”: Why Patients Decline Treatment

Picture this: You've just delivered what you consider a masterpiece of diagnostic excellence. You've identified the need for treatment, mapped out the perfect treatment plan, and presented it with the enthusiasm of a game show host revealing the grand prize. And then… silence.

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Is Jargon Hurting Your Perio Treatment Case Acceptance?

You've just finished a comprehensive exam and identified significant periodontal issues in your patient. The diagnosis is clear, the treatment plan is sound, and you're confident this patient needs scaling and root planing along with more frequent maintenance visits.

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Isn’t this AI world changing fast?

Special thanks to Melia Lewis, MEd, RDH for this guest post! In January, I read about a Girls Who Code Event being held close to my home. I remember learning about Girls Who Code, their mission, and their support for girls and women from a Ted Talk years ago.

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Alta Voice Launches: Revolutionizing Dental Hygiene With Hands-Free Charting

New groundbreaking platform designed to increase efficiency and quality of care while streamlining workflows for dental hygienists. Lehi, Utah—February 5, 2025—Alta Voice, a leader in innovative voice assistant solutions, is excited to announce the launch of Alta’s groundbreaking platform designed to enhance the efficiency and quality of care in dental practices.

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Why Dental Practices Need to Implement AI for Enhanced Efficiency

In today's rapidly advancing technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in various industries, including dentistry. The integration of AI into dental practices holds the promise of revolutionizing patient care, streamlining processes, and enhancing overall efficiency.

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