Nate Booth, DDS
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Do you remember those public service announcements that began airing in 1987 showing a man holding an egg and saying, "This is your brain." Then he picks up a frying pan and adds, "This is drugs." Next he cracks open the egg, fries it, and says, "This is your brain on drugs." Finally he looks into the camera and asks, "Any questions?"
I see a similarly searing scenario occurring with some dental practices I coach. When discussing comprehensive dentistry with patients, the teams do it in such an unorganized and confusing way that their patients' brains begin to sizzle right before my eyes. It's not a pretty sight, and typically leads them to say, "Boy, it's warm in here, and I need to think about what you just said."
It doesn't have to be this way. Dental teams can simplify the process by compartmentalizing the comprehensive dental care they provide.
For most offices, I recommend the following four areas – periodontal, restorative, replacement, and cosmetic.
There are numerous times during the comprehensive case acceptance process that you can discuss the four care areas:
At the conversation before the examination – "Mrs. Gonzales, we offer four kinds of care in our office. 1) We care for the gums and the bone supporting your teeth. 2) We restore decayed or cracked teeth and teeth that have old, failing restorations. 3) We replace any missing teeth with bridges, implants, and other methods. 4) We provide cosmetic dentistry, which improves the appearance of your front and back teeth."During examination and charting – "Mrs. Gonzales, first we're going to check the health of the gums and