Begin with the end in mind

So that blew up! My Linkedin post about four handed generated a lot of reaction.

Four handed dentistry is a hot topic amongst those of us that have experienced it!

As a result of last week's Linkedin post, I had a conversation with Rochelle Fisher of Dental Assisting and Beyond comparing notes on our dental journeys, she as a DA from the UK and me as a dentist.

Rochelle runs a business training teams in surgical draping, surgical assisting, and has a dental assisting course. She is a true go-getter. She is driven by sharing her passion for clinical team work and optimising the partnership between DA and dentist. Check out her work here.

Her experience is a mirror image of what I, as a dentist, experience from four handed dentistry. We agreed that four handed dentistry benefits the entire team, both the dentist and the DA, and the patient. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to Rochelle or myself.

My other soap box topic

Cross to my teaching this week, with some final year students and also coaching a recent graduate through CEREC.

At dental school, dentistry becomes itemised and reduced to a list of procedures that need to be done. This is in spite of the efforts of any university to teach otherwise. To teach “treatment planning”.

There’s a lot more to treatment planning than listing what needs to be done.

There is an art to skillfully crafting a plan that is efficient (minising appointments and disruption to the patient's life having to visit the dentist) as well as effective. Having a list and cherry picking what you do on the day doesn't cut it.

Effective treatment planning will ensure you, your patient, your DA and reception all know what is happening on which day, for how long and how much it is going to cost the patient.

It will ensure smooth well planned efficient appointments, reduced stress in your working day and will give you the best chance of running on time, which always keeps reception happy.

It takes some work to develop the skill but with practice you will reap the benefits. As you move towards more complex treatments, it is essential.

Here’s a starting point: 

• Build a base of creating oral health habits at the start, so these habits can be supported at each subsequent visit.

• Carefully review radiographs and photographs to reassess teeth and the complexity of the proposed treatment, even for a simple composite, trying to identify the possible pitfalls and making a note on the appointment to remind yourself of them.

• Reassess proposed extractions and endo treatments and how they fit with your experience and skill set; are they beyond your scope at this moment in time? And if they are, refer to a more experienced colleague and ask to sit in on the treatment in order to learn, or refer to a specialist. 

• Take into account the patient's capacity  or long appointments, time off work to attend and other financial commitments and work with them to fit in with their needs

A final point. If it’s an extensive treatment plan, don't overwhelm yourself or the patient; focus on the basics first.

Create a plan for the initial phase of prevention and basic restorative and indicate to the patient  there will be a second phase of more complex treatments, such as endo and crowns, will follow. 

Handing the patient a plan with ten appointments can lead to confusion, so break it down into phases giving the patient opportunities for a “break” in between.

Good treatment planning is essential for clinical teamwork.

I’m working on a project to help with treatment planing in the real world as well as all thosse other things they dont teach you in dental school so wtach this space or send me a DM on Instagram or Linkedin to go on the waitlist

Have a great week

Rosie