By: Bill Gregg DDS
Topic originally appeared on Pankey.org. Dr. Gregg granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers.
Lately, we see a positive tendency of the dental profession to improve the approach to how we take care of our patients.
The fear most patients have of the dentist usually comes from traditional dentistry, when the dentist was just the tooth fixer and cleaner, who didn’t pay much attention to communicate and explain further. These dental offices were focused more on bits and pieces of treatment to get full insurance dollars from each patient each year. The staff will likely also be fragmented by tasks.
Another distinct part of dentistry that is widely spread now is focused on going beyond that, becoming a doctor of the oral health system. The valued family advisor on health and wellness.
When patients are appreciated and actively engaged in their treatment journey, they tend to become advocates for their health, spreading their positive experiences among friends and family. This approach is important for a united commitment to the success of dental treatment and overall wellness.
Training Your Team to Advocate for Patient Health
How about your team? Have you put in the time to train and behaviorally change your most valued support?
The most important person in that team approach is the hygienist. Are they having conversations about total health? Social conversations don’t lead to behavior change that improves the health awareness of our valued patients.
Bringing Up Occlusion in the Hygiene Appointment
This can involve simple questions:
- What have you been noticing about your bite?
- Chewing?
- Jaw?
- Headaches?
- What have you been noticing about [fill in the blank]…?
…can begin a discussion.
Depending on the conversation, one can follow with:
“We are noticing that, as people live longer (keep their teeth longer), we see things slowly develop that can lead to big concerns. In our office, our purpose is unique – we want you to be able to enjoy eating all the foods you love for the remainder of your life. I will look at potentially traumatic bite forces for you.”
Occlusal awareness should be part of hygiene discovery about their health. If you want to have a huge impact on your patient’s health, look for The Pankey courses and advanced education in our Institute since we are dedicated to fostering relationship-based advocacy in our trained hygienists and dentists in order to deliver better dental care.
