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November 29-December 5, 201014 Perio Tribune United Kingdom Edition ent’s behavioural change and treatment acceptance. Do you think saying “you have some gum problems and the hygien- ist will see you for a scale and polish” conveys a preventative message? Does that show that the patient has to make a com- mitment to their treatment by supporting with their home rou- tine? Or does it make it sound as though the patient has a “prob- lem” that you have “named” that the hygienist will “fix” and so the cycle continues. Our principal talks about the gums and bone as the foundation to any dental work and without solid founda- tions he can’t work. He also ex- plains how the biggest health benefit we can give patients is their oral health assessment and advice programme, which al- ways follows an examination and is precursor to any further treat- ment. If you as “The Dentist” are telling them they need this then they will feel it has some value and are more likely to be open to advice from your team. Communication prevention So, how do we change our pa- tient’s behaviour? By changing our own behaviour of course. If what we were saying RIGHT now in practice worked, then almost all our patients would be regular maintenance patients with a good level of understanding of their health and stability in their oral health for the majority. If this is not the case then what have you got to lose by trying something new? Communication at that ini- tial examination can make all the difference. It doesn’t need to be a long session, you just have to fine tune how you talk and listen to patients. Some good rules are: • If you ask a question, RE- ALLY listen to the answer....and don’t interrupt!! (harder than it sounds, I know) • Ask about the patient’s knowl- edge about the topic you wish to discuss. This can open up the discussion in a non-confronta- tional manner • Be positive...but realistic about their treatment needs • Ask the patient if what you have said makes sense to them. Are you sure they understand the message you are trying to con- vey? • Praise the talents of your team. “Sell”theircaretoyourpatientand watch as your treatment accept- ance increases with little effort A picture speaks 1000 words Every working environment is different and has restrictions, but preventative dental care is very cost-effective and time-friendly so we do not have an excuse as a profession. For those with good budget to change the practice dy- namics, you will save time and increase compliance with the addition of a microscope. This should be linked to a live screen so the patient can see what you see. Taking a sample of your pa- tient’s plaque and showing them what is growing there is very powerful and motivating. Back- ing this up with a few photos of inflamed gum or early decay with an explanation can be all it takes to get that oral health ad- vice appointment booked. Be positive We all respond better to positive suggestion as a rule and so how we discuss this with the patients can affect their attitude towards their health and your team’s part in it. I do not like to be lectured or scolded by anyone - an au- tomatic wall comes up; so why would I use this method with my patients. Yes there are “prob- lems” in their mouths. Yes you can “name” those problems. But you and your team cannot “fix” their problems. You can help the patient to find solutions and at- tain and maintain health. This is ultimately more beneficial than fixing the problem then trying to modify the behaviour. That is like feeding the donkey the car- rot and then asking it to carry the load. So to summarise: Use your team to glean informa- tion and discuss patient needs, fears and expectations; Question the patient gently to develop con- versation about their health; Em- phasise the importance of pre- vention in dental health and the benefits of this; Show your pa- tients what is happening; Be posi- tive, explain that they can make a difference with their home rou- tine; “Sell” your team and their part in preventative care in the practice. Obviously, if the patient is immediate pain or risk then this should be dealt with. Otherwise resist carrying out treatment un- til the preventative routine has been introduced. For any questions please email me at mhari.coxon@cpd- fordcp.co.uk DT page 13DTß VOCO GmbH · P.O. Box 767 · 27457 Cuxhaven · Germany · Tel. +49 (0) 4721 719-0 · Fax +49 (0) 4721 719-140 · www.voco.com SOSO TOOTH-like in the sum of its physical properties, Grandio® SO is the filling material that on a world-wide scale is most similar to natural teeth.* The advantages you will gain are: durable, reliable restorations, and above all satisfied patients. • Meeting highest demands, universally usable in the anterior and posterior areas • Natural opacity for tooth-like results using only one shade • Intelligent colour system with new shades that make good sense: VC A3.25 and VC A5 • Smooth consistency, high light stability, simple high-gloss polishing “I need a composite that behaves like a tooth!“ A. Kersting * Please feel free to request our scientific product information. NeW For more information please contact Tim McCarthy Mobile: 07500 769 613 VOCO_DTI-UK_2810_GrandioSO_GB_210x297.indd 1 14.10.2010 11:36:15 Uhr