Dentaltown June 2021 - 26

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Visual aids for education: I have a whiteboard where I Sharpied in a bitewing. I draw the
caries and the dentin line and, point to it and then draw a fi lling over it. (Or crown or whatever.)
The back of the whiteboard has images close up of enamel-I can point hypoplasia. I have pictures
laminated of pathology resulting of dental abscess. I have models of ectopic hidden canines
and crossbites pour-up models. I have another board that shows the continuum of nitrous, oral
sedation, IV sedation, GA. I don't bust this out for everyone, but I always ask, " Would you
like to know why I recommend X, Y or Z? " If so, bam-visual aid. " Complicated " four-quad
treatment outlines in under three minutes.
This just takes time. We have all been there. Good luck. ■
4/15/2021
Angie Bachman
Member Since: 07/26/17
Post: 26 of 27
Tooth.hurty
Member Since: 06/11/12
Post: 27 of 27
Have a discussion with the senior doc. Does your team brag about you? Does your team
and doc/owner respect you? What does the conversation sound like when the patient schedules
treatment? Is your name on the website? The door? ■
4/29/2021
Congrats on buying the new practice! I wasn't confi dent in the beginning, either-I don't
think any of us were. What helped me was the following:
1. Address their chief complaint fi rst in the treatment presentation, even if it's just a minor
thing. Small blemish on #9, you talk about that in the beginning. It shows that you
listened to them and they'll be more engaged in the rest of the treatment presentation.
2. Then talk about the big-ticket items: implants, bridges, crowns. Get them thinking about
the big-ticket items instead of #3-MO, #4-DO that they need to also have done. Present
restorative at the very end.
3. Practice case presentation at home. Keep it conversational and easy to understand. Practice
so it becomes like you're talking to an old friend. Do your best to eliminate all the fi ller
words ( " um, ah " ). Maintain eye contact. Simple conversations: " You see this tooth over
here, Mrs. Smith? It has a big silver fi lling and you can see there's a cavity around it. What's
also happening is the tooth is cracking because of the pressure from the big fi lling. Now we
need to replace the fi lling, but we can't do just another big fi lling. The tooth may fully crack
and you may end up needing a root canal. If the tooth is badly cracked, we may even have
to remove it! What you need now is a crown. " (Have a model ready of a crown so you can
show her.) " The crown acts like a helmet and protects the tooth from breaking any further.
It looks natural and you can eat on top of it like any normal tooth. All we have to do is
shave the tooth down into cylinder to make room for the crown. " Or, " Gary, you have fi ve
cavities. " (Show him the intraoral photos or X-rays.) " The good thing is you're not in pain at
the moment, but cavities do get bigger. I wouldn't wait until you're in pain, because by that
point the cavity is often very close to the nerve and you'll need a root canal. Not only that,
the tooth becomes brittle after a root canal and you'd also need a crown to protect the tooth
from breaking. Root canals and crowns are more expensive. They also take two to three
visits to complete. I know how much you love coming to the dentist! I think it's best to have
these cavities taken care of before they become a bigger issue. "
4. Buy a MouthWatch camera for every op in your new practice. They are especially helpful
in hygiene for treatment planning. Have them in every op so you can take photos of
decay and the fi nal restoration. This shows the patient how deep the cavity was and that
sensitivity is to be expected for a few weeks after the fi lling. Inform them that they would
need a root canal if the sensitivity does not improve, because this means the cavity was
too close the nerve and the nerve is now infl amed. The only way to take away the pain
26 JUNE 2021 // dentaltown.com

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Dentaltown June 2021

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