Although Rare, Dental Implant Failures Are Tied to Certain Health Factors

Dental implants have transformed tooth replacement since their introduction over thirty years ago. Because of their durability, dental implants have a high success rate, well over 95%. But that still leaves a very small percentage of failures, many within the first few months after placement.

Years of research have demonstrated that most of these rare failures are related to peri-implantitis (a form of gum disease); excessive stress on the implants; or certain health and lifestyle factors. Although it’s impossible to eliminate all risk, your chances of implant success can be improved by addressing these areas of concern.

Your overall health. What goes on in the rest of your body can have an impact on your oral health. Certain drugs, past cancer radiation treatment, conditions like osteoporosis or a poor immune system, or tobacco use can all increase the risk of an implant failure. While some of these conditions can be addressed (such as quitting smoking) it could be better with your particular health status to consider other replacement options.

Bone health and other oral issues. Implants require a certain amount of bone for proper setting and stability. If you’ve experienced significant bone loss due to missing teeth or dental disease, it may be necessary to build up the bone through grafting procedures or consider other replacement options. Likewise, if you have a grinding or clenching habit that puts your teeth under abnormal stress, that may have to be addressed first before undertaking implants.

Care and maintenance. How you care for your implants after you receive them is critical. While the implants themselves aren’t affected by tooth decay, the supporting gums, bone and adjacent teeth can be affected by gum disease. You should develop a consistent habit of daily brushing and flossing and regular professional dental cleanings and checkups. Without this care, your risk increases for your implant to fail over time, with the onset of periodontal (gum) disease (in this case more accurately called peri-implantitis). Peri-implantitis is an infection and inflammation of the living tissues that surround the implants.

Learn more about this topic by reading “A Tooth-Replacement Method That Rarely Fails.”

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CMW 2016 Highlight: CEREC® Zirconia and CEREC® SpeedFire

The 2016 Chicago Midwinter Meeting brought many innovations to the dental industry, but a few moments truly stood out to us at The Dental Geek. With the announcement of CEREC Zirconia and CEREC SpeedFire Dentsply Sirona has created a way for dentists to deliver full-contour crowns and small bridges made of the full-strength zirconium oxide in their own practice while the patient waits.
CEREC Zirconia is a pre-shaded translucent zirconium oxide available in 10 shades on the basis of the VITA Classic Shade Guide®. The material is milled in an enlarged form and then densely sintered to its final size in the new sintering furnace, CEREC SpeedFire. The oversized milling facilitates a new level of milling accuracy leading to precisely fitting restorations. The sintering process takes just 10-15 minutes for crowns and 25 minutes for bridges. The subsequent glaze firing gives the restoration a high gloss finish.
Prior to this announcement, the steps necessary to process Zirconia were quite complicated which effectively limited its application to the laboratory environment. The introduction of CEREC Zirconia and the CEREC SpeedFire furnace will create a reliable and simple workflow for dentists enabling chairside production of zirconia.
This announcement isn’t just significant for dentists, it benefits patients as well. CEREC Doctors have consistently provided an enhanced patient experience, with 83% of patients in a recent survey indicating that they prefer single visit dentistry to traditional treatment, and CEREC Zirconia and CEREC SpeedFire’s market launch provide patients with high-quality zirconia restorations in a timely manner,

Click here to learn more about same day crowns

Watch the CEREC Zirconia Press Panel below.

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CMW 2016 Highlight: Kerr’s Chroma Color Challenge

From the OHA Gala to LAB DAY, this year’s Midwinter Meeting was an exciting and educational occasion for all of dentistry. While there was a variety of engaging booths and brand events, a few moments stood out from the rest to The Dental Geek team onsite. Today, we’d like to highlight Kerr Dental’s Chroma Color Challenge.

After launching Maxcem Elite Chroma, a Self-Etch / Self-Adhesive resin cement with a Color Cleanup Indicator, Kerr invited dental professionals to take a live challenge comparing the usability of Maxcem Elite Chroma to industry leading cement.

A little background on the product is necessary to understand the significance of the Chroma Color Challenge: Maxcem Elite Chroma begins with a pink color that fades at the gel state, indicating the optimal time to clean up excess cement. The pink color will disappear after both self-cure and tack cure, allowing for maximum flexibility. Understanding Maxcem’s effectiveness and increased ease of use, Kerr provided an opportunity for everyone in attendance to see the difference.

Dental professionals that took the challenge live at Kerr’s booth were quite impressed with Maxcem’s capabilities. Watch Dr. Jeff Rohde take the Chroma Color Challenge below.

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What Is a Palatal Expander?

Orthodontists don’t just reposition crooked teeth, they can also treat aspects of facial growth and jaw development to create a more aesthetic and functional bite. The palatal expander is an appliance they can use to achieve this. It gently widens the upper jaw and palate (roof of the mouth) — collectively called the maxilla — to prevent, correct, or reduce the severity of problems associated with an upper jaw that’s too narrow.

The key to this device’s effectiveness is timing… Unlike braces, which can work at any age, the palatal expander capitalizes on anatomical facial changes related to growth. The palatal bone tissue has a growth plate down the center and allows for expansion as the child grows. This stops around puberty and thus is effective for only a limited time.

Problems that may be treatable with palatal expansion include:

Posterior Crossbite. Upper teeth normally close around the outside of the lower teeth. In individuals with a narrow palate, the back upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth.

Tooth Crowding. When there is insufficient space in the jaw, permanent, or adult, teeth cannot erupt into their proper positions. Palatal expansion makes room for crowded teeth to align better, which may eliminate the need for teeth to be removed, or reduce the number that have to come out.

Impacted Teeth. Tooth crowding can block teeth that haven’t come in yet from “erupting” into the mouth.

Breathing Problems. A high palate and narrow arch may cause breathing problems by restricting air passages.

Palatal expansion also can broaden the smile in an aesthetically pleasing way. And while it may not eliminate the need for your child to wear orthodontic braces, it can shorten the length of treatment.

How Does It Work?
To understand how the device works, it helps to understand some anatomy… The maxilla is formed from two bones that fuse together in the middle of the palate at the “midline suture.” These bones are not completely fused until a little after puberty.

The appliance is referred to as a palatal expander and it attaches to the inside of upper molars on each side of the mouth. It has two halves that are connected in the middle with a screw. Slightly turning the screw open each day causes tension at the midlines suture, prompting the bones to gradually move apart and new bone to form in the gap. Once the desired expansion has been achieved, the appliance remains in place to allow the new bone to stabilize. Palatal expanders are typically worn for 3 to 6 months, depending on the amount of expansion required.

Palatal expansion is not appropriate in every case. A skilled orthodontist can help you determine whether this treatment would be beneficial for your child.

You can learn more about this subject by reading our article on “Palatal Expanders.”

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How the Demolition Clause in Your Dental Office Lease Can Put You Out of Business

Imagine arriving at your dental practice to find a notice from your landlord stating that the building will be undergoing redevelopment, your office lease is being terminated, and you have 30 days to vacate the premises.

Your first thought is “there’s no way this can be real. My landlord would not, could not, and cannot legally get away with this.” Wrong.

Reality Check

This very real and common scenario is a result of the landlord exercising his/her right to demolish the space as outlined in the “Demolition Clause” in your dental office lease. This clause permits your landlord to relocate you or terminate your lease if they decide to demolish, renovate, or redevelop the building or center in which you are practicing. Often the definitions of “redevelop”, “demolish”, or “alter” in the lease are highly ambiguous.

So, what is the cost associated with relocating and rebuilding your practice from scratch? Hundreds of thousands of dollars in unexpected, financially crippling costs; numbers large enough to demolish not only the building, but your practice’s livelihood and pose as a major inconvenience to your patients.

The Devastating Impact of the Demolition Clause to Your Business

Lease Termination and Eviction: In the event your landlord exercises this clause, terminates your lease, and evicts you, you have very little time to figure out next steps. You have to find a new location, build it out, and move everything within a certain time frame. Expensive, stressful, and very damaging to your patient roster. Every day your dental practice is closed before the new location is open for operations is a significant loss in revenue to your business.

Heavy Relocation Costs: If your landlord exercises the Demolition Clause and chooses to relocate you to a new area in the building or center to make way for renovations, you may be required to pay for the entire move yourself! As you can imagine, the costs associated with moving a dental practice are astronomical, and will include moving dental equipment, movers, renovations and build out costs in the new location, marketing, updating signage, stationery materials, and more. If these fees are your responsibility, the financial impact to your dental practice could easily put you out of business.

Increase in Rent: If your dental practice is relocated to a more visible and desirable location in the center, you could face an increase in rent due to upgraded real estate. In addition, if the new space is larger than your current office you may have to pay for the difference in square footage.

Difficulty Finding a Comparable Location: Contrary to the above, there is no guarantee that the size of your next location will be comparable to the original premises. If it’s smaller, you will have to downsize, reconfigure your practice layout and operatories, and ultimately suffer a loss in patient traffic and production. Your new location may also be in a location with less foot traffic and passersby, leading to a loss in new patient flow.

Competition: If your new location is in close proximity to a competitor (ie another General Dentist) then you could experience a negative impact on your ability to attract and retain dental patients and staff.

Accessibility: It’s important that your new dental office location be accessible to your clients with ample parking and wheelchair accessibility.

Barriers to Selling Your Practice: The presence of a Demolition Clause in your dental office lease can act as a major obstacle when the time comes to sell your dental practice. Potential buyers will be reluctant to purchase the practice due to the risks involved, and financial institutions may also choose not to finance you or a new buyer for the same reasons. The “Demo Clause” essentially eliminates the safety and predictability of the lease term. Banks and financing companies view Demolition Clauses as highly risky and often will not finance a practice acquisition with this clause present.

Negotiating the Demolition Clause in the Dental Office Lease

It is in your best interest to avoid signing a dental office lease with this clause present altogether, or at least attempt to have it removed. If the clause already exists in your lease, or your landlord won’t remove the clause and you still choose to move forward, there are ways to amend it so it works more to your advantage.

Landlord Pays for Relocation Costs: If the landlord chooses to relocate you, put the onus on the landlord to pay for all costs associated with the move or the demolition of your office space, including covering demolition/construction costs, real estate fees, moving expenses, marketing, and other costs.

Time Constraints: Try to negotiate time constraints that apply to the landlord for activating the Demolition Clause; the later the better. For example, maybe the clause can only be exercised five years or 10 years into the lease.

Increasing Notice Terms: How much advanced notice will you be given to exit the space? Consider the amount of time required to relocate or rebuild your practice without having to rush into a new space that is not ideal. There is a big difference between having 30 days to vacate and nine months to a year to vacate. Having time on your side before you are required to exit equals more time to find an ideal location and rebuild your practice.

Terms of Activation: Ask your landlord how much of the building will need to be renovated or redeveloped to activate the Demolition Clause. For example, perhaps it can only be invoked if more than half of the property is affected by the rebuild.

Proof of Demolition: What proof should your landlord be required to provide you with upon the activation of the Demolition Clause? You want to ensure that the reason for eviction is because your landlord is rebuilding or demolishing the building. Common examples of proof include architectural drawings and building permits. This evidence ensures that your landlord is honest and is not evicting you needlessly, or for a reason other than a planned demolition or rebuild.

Lease Termination Rights: In the event you are relocated and you do not like the space to which you are being relocated, you should have the right written in to terminate the lease.

Compensation: If the landlord invokes the right to terminate your dental office lease based on a redevelopment, they should be legally obligated to either pay to move you, or to pay for your unamortized leaseholds.

Huge Risk and No Reward for Your Dental Practice

The disruption to your practice, loss of business, and moving expenses associated with the Demolition Clause can easily make or break a flourishing practice. Due to the grave costs and risks involved, it is in your best interest to avoid signing a lease with a Demolition Clause in it. If this isn’t possible, try renegotiating the clause so that the onus is on the landlord to pay for any related expenses.

Don’t jeopardize your practice’s future by putting yourself at the mercy of the Demolition Clause. Ensure you carefully review the details of your dental office lease before renewal or opening a practice to ensure your business is protected now and in the future from this clause.

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4 Ways Porcelain Veneers can Improve Teeth Appearance

Although they’re healthy, some of your teeth may not be very attractive. Life experiences and perhaps your genes have conspired against you to make them less than presentable when you smile.

Porcelain veneers could be a cost-effective answer to improving the appearance of stained or slightly defective teeth. Made of thin layers of life-like dental porcelain, veneers cover unsightly teeth and give them a new look with minimal tooth preparation.

Here are 4 appearance problems porcelain veneers can change for a more attractive smile.

Color. Teeth can become discolored for a lot of reasons: age-related yellowing, certain foods and beverages, or tetracycline use at an early age. In some cases, better oral hygiene or whitening can restore some of the natural brightness to teeth. But in other cases, especially deep discoloration within a tooth, external whitening won’t help. Veneers with life-like color that match your other teeth could be a way to permanently brighten your smile.

Shape. Although resilient, teeth can be damaged. A significant mouth injury can result in chipping and tooth grinding habits could cause abnormal wear that makes the teeth appear shorter. And, you may have been born with one or more teeth that are oddly shaped — too rounded or square — that can affect your smile. Customized veneers can bring a more attractive shape to your teeth.

Size. A normal tooth’s size should be proportional to the lips and the amount of gums showing. Shorter teeth (or those worn down) can upset this proportion. Veneers can “lengthen” your teeth to a more appealing size. But there’s a limit — if you’ve lost a good portion of tooth structure due to disease or injury, a porcelain crown that completely covers the tooth may be the better option.

Alignment & Spacing. Excessive gaps between teeth, crooked teeth or poor bites (malocclusions) may require orthodontic treatments like braces. If, however, these alignment and spacing problems are minor — like a slightly crooked tooth or a minute gap between the front teeth — veneers could be a more cost-effective alternative that can be achieved in less time. It’s also possible with some orthodontic situations to use veneers in conjunction with braces or other treatments.

If you would like more information, read our feature article on porcelain veneers.

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Stephen Curry’s Athletic Mouthguard

If you’ve seen NBA player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors getting ready to take a free throw, you may have noticed that there’s one piece of gear he’s never without. It’s not a special pair of shoes or some lucky trunks peeking out from under his uniform. It’s his mouthguard… and the 2015 MVP and three-time all-star is renowned for moving it around in his mouth as he’s standing on the free-throw line.

Sports columnists have weighed in on it. Statisticians have analyzed whether he shoots free-throws better with the mouthguard in or part-way out. And the popular video game "NBA 2K16" features an animated clip of him with the plastic tooth-protector dangling from his mouth. So what’s his fixation with this oral appliance all about? According to Curry, it goes back to his college days. “I got elbowed in college my junior year and kind of busted my lip open. So I wore a mouthpiece after that every single game,” he told talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel in a recent interview.

Obviously, the mouthguard is working for him — and we think wearing it every time he plays is a great decision. While many people associate mouthguards with sports like boxing and football, accident statistics tell a different story. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, two ‘non-collision’ sports — basketball and baseball — cause the most injuries to the face, jaws and teeth! Other sports that carry significant risks of orofacial injury include skiing, gymnastics, bicycling, soccer… and some two dozen more. That’s why a mouthguard is such an essential piece of protective gear for athletes at all levels.

What’s the best kind of mouthguard? The one you wear all the time! And that’s going to be the one that fits most comfortably and offers the highest level of protection. In other words, one that is custom-made just for you. There’s simply no other mouthguard that offers that degree of comfort and safety… not the “off-the-rack” ones at big box stores, not even the “boil-and-bite” types that you mold at home.

Only dentists can offer a custom-fabricated mouthguard made from a model of your own mouth. It’s sure to fit perfectly, and it covers more of your bite than the others. It’s quite reasonable in cost — especially when you compare it to the potential cost of dental work if you don’t wear one. Mouthguards are turning up more frequently in all levels of athletic competition… and this trend is likely to continue, as more and more athletes, coaches and parents learn about the extra margin of safety they provide.

Do mouthguards have other benefits? Stephen Curry seems to think so. He says chewing on his “kind of calms me down, especially when I’m at the free throw line, just getting my rhythm.” We’re glad it helps — and doubly glad that when the action’s heating up, he puts it back in his mouth where it belongs!

If you would like more information, read our article on Athletic Mouthguards.

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Preventing Tooth Decay: Is Your Diet Helping or Hurting Your Efforts?

The foundation for tooth decay prevention is daily brushing and flossing, along with semi-annual office cleanings and checkups. But what you eat is also important — your diet could be hurting your hygiene efforts.

So, how do your favorite foods fare in the war against tooth decay? Here are some common types and their relationship to this damaging disease.

Starches. Staples like rice, potatoes or bread when broken down by enzymes release glucose and other simple sugars that oral bacteria can consume to produce acid, the primary enemy of tooth enamel. While this raises their decay potential, though, it’s still lower than table sugar, unless the starchy food contains added sugar as in many breakfast cereals, biscuits or cakes. Less refined starches like whole grains, on the other hand, have other properties that can protect teeth.

Fruits and vegetables. Although fruit contains sugars, they don’t appear to increase decay risk when consumed fresh. In fact, eating fresh fruit instead of free sugar or sugar-added foods have been shown to reduce decay risk (dried fruits, on the other hand, increase risk because they release free sugars when dried). Vegetables are often fibrous, requiring more chewing that in turn stimulates saliva production for neutralizing acid in the mouth.

Acidic foods and beverages. Chronic mouth acidity softens enamel’s mineral content and causes it to eventually erode. Besides bacteria-produced acid, many foods and drinks (especially sodas, sports and energy drinks) contain high levels of acid. The effect is compounded when you sip beverages over long intervals rather than consume them all at once or during meals.

Dairy foods. Cheese, milk and other dairy products actually have properties that deter decay and strengthen teeth. They’re rich in calcium, which can be absorbed by the enamel and help stimulate saliva production. Milk contains the sugar lactose, which causes less acid production than other sugars, and is rich in nutrients like the aforementioned calcium, phosphorus and casein that help stop decay.

Our best advice: limit your intake of free sugars, sugar-added foods, and acidic foods and beverages, while increasing fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products in your diet. Not only is this a good prescription for general nutrition, it will also help contribute to healthier, decay-free teeth.

You can learn more about this topic by reading Nutrition and Oral Health.

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Stop the Stress! 9 Tips for Increasing Work Happiness

Everyone deserves to love what they do and be happy at work. After all, we spend nearly half of our waking hours there! But life has a habit of stressing us out, and then work piles even more obligations onto our teetering pile of To-Dos, Must-Dos, and (eek!) Past-Dues. Sometimes it’s just difficult to feel alert and excited when we arrive at the office each morning.

Unless you already dance into your practice each day, prioritizing and finding small ways to improve your outlook while at work is the most important place to start. Here are some simple tips for conquering stress and increasing your workplace happiness without feeling stressed and miserable about it.

9 Tips to Stop Stressing and Be Happier at Work

Reset your brain. Before you get to work, instead of focusing on everything you have to do today, think about what you like best about your job. Maybe there are particular tasks you enjoy, maybe your team is great to work with or you love interacting with patients, or maybe you’re just thankful your vacation is coming up soon! Finding positive aspects of work life to focus on helps you charge up to face the day.

Look at your own big picture. Daily grind aside, how is your current position contributing to your overall career development? Are you still learning interesting new things and applying them? Are you getting everything you need? Or do you need better resources or more training, whether to stay abreast of new technology, become a stronger manager, build your skills, or reach toward your goals?

Clean up your workspace. I know, I know… there’s no time, but sneak it in anyway. If you’ve got a swamp of papers scattered around so you don’t forget things, make a list of what’s “on” your desk so you can tackle them one by one, then put everything away. Most of us instantly start feeling better and less stressed in a clean environment, whether we admit it to ourselves or not. And while “creative clutter” may have its place in life, teetering piles of paperwork rarely count.

Next, clean out your brain. Jot down everything swimming around in there: what you’re way behind on, what calls need to be made, which employees need to be coached, what you’re worried about. Once you’ve made a mess, use it as the basis for a new list. This time, prioritize. Sure, everything on there is important, but which items can wait another day, and which cannot?

Give yourself the gift of focus. When your project pile could be scaled by mountaineers, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed – especially in a world that claims multitasking is always a virtue. But switching off the noise and picking one bite-sized, achievable goal to focus on first can make work feel manageable again. If your most pressing task is huge, cut off a manageable chunk and start there. If you need to, write it down on a post-it to-do list all by itself, and cross it out with great enthusiasm when you finish. Then rinse and repeat!

Don’t let problems fester. Got an issue that’s making you miserable, even when you’re not thinking about it? Maybe there’s an annoying phone call you need to make, or a worrisome employee issue you’ve been putting off addressing (give CEDR a call! We can help you figure out how). As Mark Twain said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” Get your worst nightmare over with early, and you’ll feel better afterward.

Make tiny good habits. Sometimes huge projects feel downright unapproachable – an endless set of patient files that need straightening out, for example, or a backlog of past-due accounts that need re-billing. Instead of thinking of your largest project as a Herculean task that you need to (but can’t) spend a week on, resolve to work on it for 10 minutes and only 10 minutes when you first get to work every morning, or right before you leave. With constant effort but without the pressure, you’ll feel more virtuous, get more done, and sometimes you’ll even keep working a bit longer when you find you’re on a roll.

Take a breather. Getting a handle on your workload may make you feel happier in the “now,” but we also know that proper rest and exercise is just as, if not more, important for increasing health and happiness, and reducing stress. During desk work, make a point of simply standing up more often, or looking beyond your computer screen. And all day long, from taking a moment to breathe more deeply, to getting a brief walk in during breaks, remember that every physical effort you can make is good for your body and your mental health. It’s a chemical fact!

Practice positivity. More and more evidence keeps indicating that how we perceive the world impacts how we feel about it. People who describe themselves as optimists or think of themselves as “lucky” see opportunities that others miss. Plus, happy people are more productive. Challenge yourself to recast obstacles as opportunities, even if it doesn’t come naturally. And pay attention to what motivates you, at work and outside the office, so you can work more of that into your daily routines.

And yes – it’s OK to focus on your own happiness first! Even if you’re in charge of a team, it’s no good preaching positivity and rainbows until you banish the little grey raincloud hovering over your own head.

Ready to get started? Excellent! Go forth and conquer the world. And, while you’re at it…have a great day.

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4 Reasons a Pediatric Dentist Could be a Good Dental Care Choice for Your Child

At no other time in life do the teeth, jaws and facial structures grow as rapidly as between birth and early adulthood. That’s why it may be beneficial for your child to see a pediatric dentist. This dental professional specializes in oral care for children and adolescents with advanced knowledge in childhood dental issues and how they may relate to their general health.

Here are 4 reasons why a pediatric dentist could be the right choice for your child’s oral care.

They provide knowledgeable care through every phase of childhood development. In the space of just ten to twelve years, your child will have experienced the arrival and departure of their primary (“baby”) teeth and the coming in of their permanent teeth. While this process is normal, there are a number of possible complications like impacted wisdom or front canine teeth that can affect their future bite and appearance. Pediatric dentists are familiar with developmental patterns and can detect when something is amiss.

They have the techniques to treat childhood-related decay. Children are as much or more susceptible to tooth decay as adults — and the consequences of it in primary teeth especially can affect their dental health well into adulthood. Pediatric dentists are well skilled in techniques like dental sealants, fluoride applications or modified root canal treatments that can help prolong primary teeth to their full lifespan.

Their clinics are “kid-friendly.” Dental offices can be daunting places for young children. Pediatric dental clinics are designed to help alleviate their fears with waiting and exam rooms that are bright and cheerful and filled with designs and activities that are appealing to children. More importantly, pediatric dentists and their staff are trained and skilled in relating to children and making them feel more at ease.

They can advise you on the proper home care for your child’s teeth. Good oral hygiene begins when the first teeth erupt in your baby’s mouth, between 6 months and a year. Pediatric dentists and their staff can help guide you in proper techniques for brushing and later flossing. They can also advise you on practices that could affect your child’s dental health, like night-time sugary “sippy” cup drinking or the spread of oral bacteria through mouth to mouth kissing.

You can learn more about this topic by reading Dentistry and Oral Health for Children.

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Four Ways Technology Can Improve Patient Communication

Technology can be used to improve communication with patients, sometimes in simple ways. This could mean adding phone lines to be able to accommodate more calls at once or creating a well-designed and up-to-date website that can convey important information to both potential and current patients. Social media could also help patients connect with a practice on a more intimate and personal level.

 In the Digital Age, some of those communication ideas seem obvious. The dental industry, however, has been using technology to connect with patients in more creative areas of practice. Now, technology can be used to help patients and dental professionals communicate from the moment the first appointment is scheduled until he or she has concluded the visit. Below are four ways in which technology can help you improve patient communication:

Schedule Appointments Online
More and more dental patients throughout the country want to make that initial contact with a dental office through the internet. Patients no longer want to call or stop in to schedule an appointment. They want to be able to choose a date and time for a visit online and at their own convenience. Automated appointment scheduling helps practices remain competitive, and it can be beneficial to both patients and the practice.

Although having patients use the internet to schedule an appointment may seem like a reduction in communication, this form of communication can be considered a better way to interact. According to research conducted by global management consulting firm Accenture, 77 percent of patients think the ability to book, change, or cancel appointments online is important.

Online scheduling is the type of communication patients want compared to scheduling an appointment over the phone. It is quicker and easier, but it also gives them a feeling of control. Additionally, if dental offices want to add a personal touch to the scheduling process, they can follow up with an email or phone call to confirm the appointment.

Of course, this is a service that could be optional. Some patients, especially those who are less tech savvy, may still prefer to call to schedule an appointment. If they do, they may prefer having that different level of interaction. No matter how the appointment is scheduled, you should be sure to let patients know you appreciate them choosing your practice.

 

Send Appointment Reminders
Once an appointment has been scheduled, dental offices can utilize new technology to follow up with patients and keep them informed about their upcoming visit. They can utilize services and companies like Solutionreach that work to improve patient communication through email and text-based patient messaging as a subscription-based service.

In plain terms, companies like this use email, text messaging, and phone calls to keep in contact with patients. This could include sending automated text messages to patients to remind them about upcoming appointments. This not only establishes a sense of communication with the patient, but it helps to decrease the number of no-shows a practice may experience.

These emails, texts, and phone calls can be personalized to each patient. The content, style, and design can be changed to match your brand and the image you would like to portray. For phone calls that serve as a reminder, this could include a personalized message you record yourself. No matter how you choose to do it, this simple communication can let patients know you want them to visit your practice.

 

See Clear Visual of Dental Health
Once patients arrive in the dental office, two-way communication is absolutely necessary. One way to improve communication relating directly to the patient’s dental health is adding more technology like digital radiography to produce visual examples. This can give patients a glimpse into their oral health and can help them visualize how the issues can be resolved.

Digital radiography is a form of X-ray imaging where digital X-ray sensors are used instead of traditional photographic film. This allows patients to see their radiographic images magnified on a large screen, rather than seeing small versions of the X-rays. Additionally, digital radiography has the ability to enhance and magnify the image, which aids the dentist in diagnosis.

If a patient enters a dental office nervous and a little unsure of his or her dental health, these visual images can spark conversation. Instead of a dentist explaining a situation that could be complex to someone outside of the dental industry, these images serve as a teaching example. For instance, if a patient has to have his or her wisdom teeth removed, it is important to be able to show them a visual while explaining the reasoning. This can make them feel more relaxed and trusting throughout the process.

 

Receive Valuable Feedback
Dental offices should plan to communicate with patients even after they have left the office, and technology can make that much easier. Offices could utilize personalized text messages and emails to receive valuable feedback on the patient’s visit. Companies like Solutionreach use these options to provide a communication outlet for patients and a way for dental professionals to gauge their practice.

These surveys could be sent automatically or manually through email after patients have visited the office. The questions can be customized to your business and ask how you can improve your practice and procedures. They can be questions you choose, or they can be generated based on existing questions. In some situations, the emails can be sent to all patients to obtain feedback regarding policies, procedures, or other broad topics.

Dental professionals often are aware of the need to communicate with patients, but they sometimes forget that patients need a constructive way to communicate back. These surveys provide an outlet for them to explain what they enjoy about your practice and to define some things that need to be improved. This communication can be beneficial to the business, and it can show patients you are concerned about their overall well-being while in your care.

 

Conclusion
Technology changes the way we communicate, and sometimes that notion carries a negative connotation. People often think technology decreases human interaction and actual communication, but dental professionals can be creative in how they use certain developments. With a little research and effort, technology can be used in a way to make patients and dentist feel more connected than before. Effective communication requires patience, effort, humility, and a process for improvement.

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Is a Home Whitening Kit Right for You?

Home whitening kits are highly popular, especially with teenagers and young adults. But these over-the-counter products raise two questions: are they safe? And, are they as effective as dental office whitening procedures?

When it comes to safety, home whitening kits are relatively benign with no known link to major health issues. That doesn’t mean, however, they can’t cause dental problems when individuals use them beyond product directions. Abusing whiteners can damage tooth enamel and expose the more sensitive dentin layer beneath.

Teenagers should especially take precautions against overuse. Around the beginning of puberty most if not all of the primary (“baby”) teeth have been lost and the permanent teeth have come in. Young permanent teeth enamel, though, is still maturing and isn’t as resilient as older enamel. They can be quite vulnerable to the substances within whitening kits.

As to effectiveness, most whitening kits should achieve their advertised levels of brightness. They do differ in some respects, though from office applications. The percentage of active bleaching agent — usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide — to other ingredients is about 10%, less than half the clinical formulations. This means they require more application sessions to achieve a level of brightness that the one or two sessions of a clinical application can produce.

The amount of brightness can also be controlled more precisely in an office setting. Dentists with their professional training and experience can adjust the shading to create a more natural appearance. You may also need professional assistance with whitening if you have implants or other restorations (which can’t be lightened by the bleaching agent) to ensure the enhanced teeth shade blends well with them.

Even if you would rather use a home kit for whitening your teeth, your dentist can still help by giving you advice on purchasing and using your kit. Your dentist wants the same outcome as you — a bright, beautiful and healthy smile.

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