Dentaltown November 2021 - 62

Rate your perio awareness!
Inspired Hygiene has developed a tool to reveal a baseline level of
perio awareness in your practice and allow you to measure it on a
regular basis. To access the Perio Percentage Calculator Tool, visit
inspiredhygiene.com/periotool.
documented in the chart regarding the
patient's perio status. Very often, there
have been past recommendations to
improve oral hygiene, visit the hygienist
more often and so on. Build on those
past conversations and share with the
patient that the chronic infl ammation
has not resolved and a new approach to
care is necessary.
" Jane, in your chart I see that we've
documentation supporting your
diagnosis and treatment plan.
* Printing. Even if you have a
beautiful monitor right in front of
your patient, I encourage you to
print perio charts in color. Many of
our clients purchase an inexpensive
printer and put it somewhere near
the hygiene room so the charts are
easily accessible.
* Personalization. Patients
always want to know how our
recommendations apply to them
personally. Make sure hygienists are
highlighting patients' risk factors,
such as diabetes, autoimmune
conditions, high cholesterol, certain
medications, rheumatoid arthritis,
a family history of heart disease, or
a history of cancer or stroke. Any of
these issues can create a risk factor
related to periodontal disease.
A common communication obstacle
presents itself among long-standing patients
who have been diagnosed with active
periodontal disease after years of healthy
preventive prophies. Often, hygienists are
reluctant to present treatment because
they fear patients will think they've been
neglecting this issue. The reality is that
people see their medical doctors and dentists
every day with new health issues; a physical
today could reveal high blood pressure that
wasn't present a year ago.
The advice we give our dental practice
clients is to investigate what's been
discussed this bleeding the past few
visits and we've tried a very conservative
approach. However, this infection in
your gums and the bone surrounding
your teeth has not resolved. Your body
has not responded as we'd hoped and
this infl ammation has become a chronic
problem. It's time to do something different
to assist your body in healing and
eliminating this infection. "
Measure to move forward
The time spent developing a perio care
program is valuable. Tracking results will
help you know if the new commitments
and standards are staying in place and if
there are obstacles that have not yet been
resolved. It will also help you acknowledge
and celebrate your success.
Guiding teams to successfully
develop and implement a clear, consistent
periodontal diagnosis, enrollment and
treatment system has been a huge part
of our work and mission over the past
17 years. We believe in the power of the
dental health care provider to make an
incredible impact on patients' lives in so
many ways. ■
References
1. Periodontal Health by AAP/EFP https://aap.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/JPER.16-0517
2. UNC Whitecoat Ceremony https://dentistry.unc.
edu/2009/03/white-coat-ceremony-focuses-onbeginnings/
3.
Univ of Louisville Dental Professional's Pledge
https://louisville.edu/dentistry/pledge
4. Dental Hygiene Oath https://dimensionsofdentalhygiene.
com/amp/article/ethical-decision-making-dental-hygiene/
5. AAP/EFP World Workshop website, Including Staging
& Grading Classifi cation System https://www.perio.
org/2017wwdc
62 NOVEMBER 2021 // dentaltown.com
http://www.inspiredhygiene.com/periotool https://aap http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/JPER.16-0517 https://www.dentistry.unc https://www.louisville.edu/dentistry/pledge https://dimensionsofdentalhygiene https://www.perio http://www.dentaltown.com
Dentaltown November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown November 2021
