Six Simple Steps To Boost Your Patients’ Dental Iq
As a dental professional, it is your duty to ensure your patients are equipped with the knowledge they need to take care of their dental health. If you are a dental professional, you must have heard patients say, "The doctor said everything is fine, and nothing has to be done," after the doctor just told them that they have cavities and areas of decay. Here are six simple steps to ensure your patients know what dental issue they have, why they need treatment, and what options are available.
1. Keep Intra-oral Pictures in Front of the Patients During the Discussion
A picture helps the patients visualize their problem and better understand it. The patient might not have any evident symptoms, but a picture can clearly show the problem, such as a fracture. As a dental professional, it is recommended that you discuss the photos with your patients and clearly tell them what's going on in the picture.
2. Make Sure the Hygienist Talks to the Patients Before the Doctor
This will give the patients a second chance to ask about their concerns and hear about their treatment. According to research, people tend to remember information that is repeated multiple times. The goal of this practice is to repeat the important points and necessary treatment at least three times. This makes the patient fully aware that they are in need of dental treatment.
3. Offer Multiple Treatment Options
Offering quality treatment should be the number one priority of every dental practice. Educate your patients about the different treatment options available. Share with them which treatment option you consider to be most effective.
You should make a precise and straightforward treatment plan based on which issue is urgent and which can be dealt with later on. For example, a patient might want to get veneers to improve their smile but also need a root canal to correct the decaying areas. You should schedule the root canal and place a crown before you place veneers. If finances are a hurdle, you can offer composite bonding as an alternative to veneers.
4. Spread Awareness
As a dental professional, it should be a common practice to educate your patients through dental health awareness and encourage them to get regular dental checkups. It is very important to visit the dental office at least once a month to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy, and your oral health is optimum.
Educating your patients is part of what they pay you. So while you work inside the patient's mouth, you can teach them. You can effectively utilize those minutes, and instead of talking about useless stuff or staying silent, you can educate them. Most patients are willing to listen and want to be educated during the procedure.
Remember to keep it simple and avoid using medical jargon and fancy words. For example, during the procedure, if you see any pus or bleeding, tell the patient about it. When you start to probe, tell the patient to listen to the numbers you are saying out loud. Tell them that numbers greater than 4 mm are problematic. This may encourage the patient to ask questions. That is great, and the questions should be answered enthusiastically.
5. Engage All Their Senses
According to studies and research, using multisensory stimuli increases students' involvement and interest in the learning process. Utilizing all the senses can help patients learn better and faster. For example, ask the patient what they feel or heat as you touch the calculus. Then explain to them what they are feeling. You could say, "This is calculus, also known as tartar. It is a layer formed by bacteria that hardens over time and then becomes impossible to remove by brushing. It makes your gums sensitive and red. If it is not cleaned, it can penetrate to deeper layers and destroy the bone that holds the tooth in your jaw." After removing the calculus, you can show it to them by placing it on a piece of gauze. This might seem very basic to us, but the majority of the patients know very little about dental health.
6. Compare and Connect for a Better Understanding
Patients learn better when they can compare their experiences and connect them to their oral health. This helps them better understand the role they have to play to improve and maintain it. For example, you can compare plaque to the slimy and semi-solid residue that builds up between tiles. If the residue is not cleaned in time, it becomes harder and harder to remove. This will help patients understand what plaque is and the problems it creates. The residue and slime do not get removed by simply spraying water on them; it has to be removed by applying force and brushing it off. By comparing plaque to tile slime, the patients can better visualize what is going on inside their mouths. Not just that, it helps the patients understand why brushing is important for plaque removal. This also encourages and motivates the patient to brush regularly.
The Bottom Line
The above-mentioned six simple strategies will help patients understand the basics of oral health and why they need the recommended treatment. Patients will feel much more satisfied that they came to the dental clinic and got the treatment. They will also be encouraged to improve their oral hygiene and oral care at home. As dental professionals, it is your duty to educate the patients in the little time you have with them. The above-mentioned six simple steps are super easy to adopt and can bring about big changes.