RSS Feed for Patient EducationCategory: Patient Education

Patient Resource Guide

While perusing Dr. Charles Payet’s Facebook page, I was reminded of a great patient information resource book, Nothin’ Personal Doc, but I Hate Dentists. We keep a copy of this book in our waiting room. The book covers a wide variety of topics in an easy to read, sometimes comical manner.

Topics include:

Children’s Dental Health

Daily Hygiene Routine Tips

How to Look for a Dentist

Dental Insurance

Ways to Prevent Tooth Decay and Avoid the Need for Dentures Later

How Dental Health Effects the Entire Body and

Cosmetic Dentistry.

 

 

Oct 18, 2011 | 2 comments | View Post

Examples of Dentist Blogs

I wrote previously on the benefits of adding a blog to your dental website.  We added a blog about a year ago and we have found it to be a great tool for communicating with current patients and attracting new patients online.

Blogs can be incorporated as part of your dental practice website domain.  My web host provides a user-friendly control panel that allowed us to add a WordPress blog on our own.  The advantage to having a blog as part of your original site is that it provides fresh content to your website and the possibility of more links to your website from outside sources.  These are both helpful for search engine optimization.  If adding a blog to your original website proves difficult, you can set up a separate blog through a blogging resource, such as Google Blogger or WordPress.  This type of separate blog can be set up to link to your original dental office website.  WordPress allows the addition of pages to your blog and can be set up as a complete website on its own.

Two important considerations when setting up a blog are inclusion of contact information and an opportunity to subscribe to the blog.  Contact information for your dental office should be readily available on your blog, preferably in the top 1/3rd of the blog.  Also, remember to provide an easy format for readers to subscribe to your blog posts by email and/or a blog reader.

If you are considering adding a blog, it may be helpful to peruse blogs written by other dentists to attain ideas for content and layout.  The following are a few examples of blogs written by dentists.

Dr. Charles Payet, Charlotte, NC Dentist

Dr. Payet’s website incorporates a blog where he provides patient case photos, cosmetic dentistry articles, office updates and information on Six Month Smiles and LANAP.

www.smilessouthflorida.com/blog/ – Smile South Florida Cosmetic Dentistry

This blog is incorporated into the original website and allows easy access to the other pages of the website.  Smile South Florida uses their blog to share information on dental health and advanced dental procedures.  Their blog is enhanced by the use of videos and pictures.

http://blog.drnemeth.com – Dr. Joseph R. Nemeth, Periodontist – Southfield, MI

Dr. Nemeth’s blog makes excellent use of pictures to create a more visually appealing website and to provide patient education.  Dr. Nemeth shares patient education information and before and after pictures of his patients.

www.DocLogan.com/blog - Dr. Edward Logan, Family & Cosmetic Dentist -  O’Fallon, MO

My blog provides a variety of information on dental care, overall health, healthy recipes and local events.  We are in the process of adding before and after pictures, educational videos and patient video reviews.  I include the local event entries in order to incorporate more location specific keywords into the blog and to provide helpful information to my patients.

Sep 15, 2010 | 26 comments | View Post

Tips for Dentists Treating Autistic Patients

I recently contacted TouchPoint Autism Services to inquire about information for dentists and parents regarding dental care and treatment for patients with an autism spectrum disorder.  With the diagnosis of autism on the rise, most dental offices will have several patients on the autism spectrum.   Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to share this information with other dental health practitioners.

Autism Speaks has designed a colorful and descriptive fifteen page Dental Guide for patients with autism.  The guide covers  proper techniques for brushing and flossing, as well as how to find a dental office and prepare for the first visit.  One of their suggestions is that individuals with autism may benefit from a visual schedule depicting the daily toothbrushing process.  This guide also provides a visual schedule for a trip to the dentist office.  As an added bonus, the last portion of the guide provides information to dentists about how to prepare the office and staff for treating a patient with autism.  The guide includes a three page health and sensory questionnaire for patients with autism that can be used to assess how to best treat a specific patient.

An occupational therapist at TouchPoint offered the following recommendations for dentists treating patients with autism:

  • Provide prediction:  Tell the patient what you are going to do or how you are going to touch them before you do.
  • Provide firm touch.
  • Leave the xray drape over the patient for the duration of treatment for sensory input.  A weighted blanket is often calming to an individual with autism.
  • Distract the patient with something else like a visual toy or a video while doing something unpleasant.
  • Place your hand on the forehead while working in the mouth to provide pressure.
  • Complete some oral motor exercises or massage to reduce sensitivity.
  • Some patients may tolerate a vibrating toothbrush rather than a regular toothbrush
  • Experiment with different toothpastes. People with autism may be intolerant to certain tastes.
  • Avoid wearing strong smelling perfume or aftershave when treating the client, as many people with autism are hypersensitive to smell.

TouchPoint also pointed us to another guide for dentists working with autistic patients.  This guide highlights the following information.  Explain to the patient in short statements what will be happening during the appointment.  Some individuals with autism take information very literally so avoid phrases that might be confusing. Allowing the patient to see the instruments and know what they will do before their usage can  help.  Some patients may be soothed by pressure from touch, but inform the patient where you will be placing pressure prior to touching them.  Verbal praise should be used throughout the appointment whenever possible.  Enlist the parents help in giving suggestions for what will be helpful and harmful in working with their child.  As mentioned earlier, the Autism Speaks’ guide provides a questionnaire that may be helpful in attaining this information.

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) also provides information on practical oral care for people with autism.  The NIDCR outlines information on behavioral, communication, health, sensory and oral issues that may present during a dental visit and tips for how to handle each of these areas.

About TouchPoint Autism Services

For more than thirty-five years, TouchPoint Autism Services has been a
premier provider of services for individuals with autism spectrum disorders
and their families. Our name reflects our desire to be the single touch
point for services to individuals with autism throughout their lives – a
place where families can always expect to receive quality services and
compassionate care and support. Services that are provided include: Adult
Programs/Support, Clinical Therapies, Consultation, Evaluations/Assessments,
Family Support, Individual Support, Residential Services, Parent Training,
and Training for Professionals, Support Groups, Training Services, and
Workshops/Seminars.

Jun 29, 2010 | 2 comments | View Post

Oral Cancer Awareness Week

Oral, head and neck cancer awareness week is April 12 – 18th.  I have been browsing the web looking for resources to share with my patients in the office and through Twitter and Facebook.  I have found the following websites to be helpful and I wanted to pass them along to other dentists to use in patient education:

WebMD – Contains signs and symptoms of oral cancer

Livestrong – Includes several simple articles on topics such as how to spot the signs of oral cancer, 3 ways to prevent oral cancer and how smoking contributes to oral cancer.

Oral Cancer Foundation

Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week - Includes a map of providers of free cancer screenings and 50 facts about Oral, Head and Neck Cancer.

Apr 14, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Dental Patient Education through Technology

There are numerous ways in which a doctor can help patients to understand the need for their proposed dental care.  Properly educating patients is a critical component of successful treatment plan presentation in today’s dental office environment.  Countless teaching aids are marketed to assist dentists with this endeavor.  One of the more simplistic modes of educational communication includes offering written information explaining recommended treatment in the form of brochures.  Video communication through a streaming educational DVD running in the reception area and on a flat screen TV in the operatory caters to a different style of learning. 

Use of the intraoral camera and other diagnostic equipment such as a laser cavity detector not only educate your patients but give them the impression that your office is on the cutting edge of technology.  This idea can be further reinforced by developing a practice video and streaming it on your website.   This video can also be used as a marketing tool both online and in hard copy format.  Utilizing a digital x-ray system speaks volumes to your patients about your commitment to keeping your office up to date and technologically savvy. 

 Almost certainly the greatest benefit of offering digital x-rays is the patient’s perception of them.  As a patient once commented, “They increase the cool factor of this place.”  We have a computer monitor mounted on the patient chair that we use to show patients their x-rays while discussing the treatment plans.  The images are huge in comparison to traditional films, and they are immediate!  Doctors can magnify calculus and interproximal decay.  Patients can see what you see.  Their dental needs are clearly visible to them, larger than life.  What more education do they really need?  Seeing is believing.

As a practicing dentist, how do you use technology in your treatment plan presentation?

Mar 09, 2010 | 1 comment | View Post