Patient Health
-
September 30, 2022Although we need more studies to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and long-term use of teledentistry, the observed strengths, and upcoming opportunities indicate that teledentistry may fill a significant gap in oral health care delivery. But we also need to consider essential aspects of teledentistry when providing this service.
-
August 26, 2022
Fluoride continues to be our number one defence in the prevention and progression of dental caries. For those patients who adamantly refuse to use fluoride in any form, we must be knowledgeable in guiding them to alternative methods to increase their resistance to and prevention of caries. Prevention of dental caries involves many aspects. Primary prevention involves the etiology of ...
-
July 28, 2022Dentistry needs the use of ultrasonic scalers, air polishers, and dental handpieces to perform our treatments properly. Professional health and safety recommendations are regularly developing, and we must continue to seek the most evidence-based information for proper infection prevention against the many forms of disease transmission challenging us today. The most significant reduction in aerosol production at the site of formation is by the proper use of a ...
-
June 24, 2022The transfer of these microorganisms must occur in a sequence; this sequence is what epidemiologists call the chain of infection. This chain of infection transmission can be broken by integrating controls or methods that mitigate the pathway of disease spread from person to person. This sequence must be in order for the disease to occur. The way to stop disease transmission is to interrupt this chain at any link. Knowledge of the exit and entry portals and transmission modes provides a basis for determining appropriate control measures.....
-
June 14, 2022Clients, patients and dental professionals all want to be safe at the dental practice. Keeping up with the high standards of IPAC and best practice will help keep your practice free from transmission and IPAC lapses. Dental professionals have access to research and best practice information related to safety but sometimes that isn’t the best avenue to follow in order to keep your practice at the highest standards of IPAC.
-
May 30, 2022The AAP has graciously opened the door to start the tobacco cessation conversation during the A and D of ADPIE when staging and grading the client’s periodontal health. Your action plan revolves around five success measures that are simple to integrate, impactful to client care and all within the scope of practice of the dental professional. Here is how dental offices can start the tobacco cessation conversation ....
-
April 14, 2022
Managing dental fear in children can be challenging. In my about 30 years working in dentistry, I have picked up some tips to help alleviate dental fear in pediatric clients. Yes, there is a business management side to a dental office, but we cannot be so wrapped up with the tight schedules that we lose sight of the importance and value in the role we play as dental professionals to make dental visits fantastic for every child.
-
March 29, 2022For dental offices that want to be water conscious, it can be hard to find the balance between following IPAC best practices and using less water. There are several things that dental offices can do to be more water conscious. Water conservation isn’t about being stingy or sacrificing patient safety. Water sustainability in dentistry is about finding an efficient way to use and reuse a limited and valuable resource and everyone can do their part.
-
March 22, 2022
Great organization is key in any workplace environment, and it greatly relies on having established systems. In a dental office, the daily schedule, whether paper printed or on a computer monitor, is a masterpiece creation that the entire dental office team relies on every day. Without proper dental scheduling, there are many ways that time can be wasted in a busy clinic. And when time is lost, revenue and morale take a hit too.
-
February 18, 2022
As a consumer standing in front of a well orchestrated display of oral care products, one word comes to mind; overwhelming! Added into the already overwhelming list of products is an entire line up of natural oral health care products. Marketing is aimed to have every product promise to deliver something wonderful. That may be the case, however, is that ‘something’ wonderful suited for your clients' needs? Is what your client is putting in their mouth good for them? Even if they are natural products?