Dentaltown April 2015 - (Page 76)

radiology feature CREATING A SAFE, EFFECTIVE X-RAY PRACTICE by Dale A. Miles, DDS, MS, FRCD(C), Dip. ABOMR, Dip. ABOM TAKEAWAYS for dentists and staff * If you are going to advertise the lowest dose possible in your practice, be sure to always use a thyroid collar, appropriately positioned, when you expose any child to intraoral X-radiation. * It's time to adopt rectangular collimation made easy by current products. * Pay strict attention to your machine's control panel when selecting the exposure times and settings for child patients. Asking why One of the most common questions that dentists and their staff must answer in their ofﬁces every week is, "Why do I need these X-rays?" All of us have answers, partial answers, explanations and analogies to try and answer this question. Some of us even have facts. But in reality, we should turn the question around and ask ourselves, "Why do I need these X-rays?" Images created using X-ray radiation with whichever receptor you prefer-ﬁlm, phosphor plates or sensors-are used for diagnosis. I am always surprised at the number of dentists who don't remember that. I'm shocked at how many dentists sometimes order dental X-ray images based on the frequency of the payer or insurance companies' reimbursement schedules. That is not a reason for prescribing X-ray images in the ﬁrst place, and second, it would be hard to defend requesting these images for diagnosis if you haven't even examined the patient-another practice in some ofﬁces. This is a bad enough scenario with adults, but is really indefensible with children. How can we do a better job? How do we educate the parents about the necessity of the images and their safety if we are not practicing safe radiation hygiene in the ﬁrst place? "What do you mean, Dr. Miles, of course I do all these things," you protest. Some of you do, some of you don't, and some of you don't do it very well when you do. I hate to be blunt, but I'm about to explain. A new campaign aimed at the dental profession On September 26, 2014 the American Dental Association (ADA) announced in ADA News that it had joined the national campaign called Image 76 APRIL 2015 // dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown April 2015

On Dentaltown.com
HOWARD SPEAKS: When Staff Members Lose Hope
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY: Recommendations Refl ect You
Continuing Education Update
Industry News
Poll
Lateral Incisor Placement with CEREC
Oral Cancer: Stop Assuming and Start Screening
CE: Removal of Hemangioma, Fibroma and Performing a Frenectomy
Braces V. Aligners: As Technology Evolves So Do Patient Choices
Malpractice: Changing the Way We Practice
Treatment Planning for Implants in the Maxillary Edentulous Patient
You Should Know: Molar Media Mount
Collecting Trauma Pictures for a Lecture
A Progressive Treatment for the Over-Flared, Over-Prepared Endodontically Treated Tooth
New Products
Creating a Safe, Effective X-ray Practice
SmartBox: Marketing Prodigy Masters Patient Attraction
Facebook Updates and the Impact on Your Dental Practice
Improve a Dental Practice’s Fiscal Health by Proactively Managing A/R Days
Pennsylvania Doc Balances Professionalism and Humor
Ad Index
Product Profile: Ivoclar Vivadent
Perspectives: Being a Female Dentist in Yemen
Products in Practice: DENTSPLY
ULTRASONICS SHOWCASE
Ready, Set, Know: Making the Most of Your Dentrix Investment
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown April 2015