Dentaltown April 2024 - 14

Before the patient is seated, the dental
assistant takes a quick " headshot "
photo for their chart. I can't tell you
enough about how this handy feature
has helped with recalling patients and
their personalities.
the assistant takes a quick " headshot " photo for
their chart. There is a spot for this in the Dentrix
chart, and I can't tell you enough about how this
handy feature has helped with recalling patients
and their personalities.
Once the patient is seated, the assistant asks
the patient for any specific concerns, briefly
reviews the plan for the visit and then calls the
doctor for the exam. When I arrive in the room,
the assistant introduces me to the patient and
then reviews any questions or concerns that the
patient has for this visit. Doing this quickly can
avoid the frustration of the patient having to tell
their story again.
It's doctor time!
The exam begins with charting the existing
conditions and completing a full-mouth
periodontal probing. During this time, I can
gather most of the information I'll need for the
treatment plan and get a sense of the patient's
limitations or challenges with future treatment.
After the charting, I capture some photos with
the intraoral camera and sit the patient up for
their X-rays. I will direct the assistant to take
whatever necessary X-rays and then leave the
room. When I return, I simply need to review the
X-rays and then the treatment discussion with
the patient can begin.
I use the TV at the foot of the patient chair as a
second monitor, and the assistant can move the
imaging window to that screen so I can use the
intraoral photos or X-rays to review our findings
with the patient. During this conversation, I'm
informing the patient of my findings and we're
discussing the options for treatment, while the
assistant listens attentively and makes notes or
enters information into the patient chart.
By the time the patient and I have finished our
conversation and reviewed the plan, the assistant
has the treatment plan completed. I will
check once more with the patient if they have
any questions and then check with the assistant
before I leave the room to be sure the treatment
plan has been entered in the proper sequence.
The assistant can finish their note and the
patient is escorted to the front for signing their
treatment plan and scheduling their next visit.
Like announcing the arrival of a patient on
the walkie-talkie, the assistants in the back
will announce when they are coming up with a
patient who has a new treatment plan. This gives
the front desk a head start to prepare a copy for
the patient and make sure everything is in order.
Sound good? Good!
Once you've read this far, you might say, " That's
not any different than what I do in my practice. "
If so, I would say don't change a thing! However,
I'm sharing it today because so many patients
say one of the following things at the end of
their visit:
*
" I've never been to an office that runs so
efficiently. " (We did all the stuff that most
offices do; it was just well organized.)
*
" I've never had an exam that was so thorough. "
(We took photos with an intraoral
camera.)
This month, take a moment to put yourself
in the shoes of your new patients and examine
the flow from the first phone call to making
an appointment for treatment. You might
be surprised at the hidden opportunities for
increased efficiency. If you have a question or
would like to reach me by email, contact me
at tom@dentaltown.com. Or, share your comments
under this column in the digital edition at
dentaltown.com/magazine. DT
APRIL 2024 | 14 | DENTALTOWN.COM
http://www.dentaltown.com/magazine http://www.DENTALTOWN.COM
Dentaltown April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown April 2024
