How Do I Stay On Time?

Patients are just as busy as we are. We dislike waiting for them and they dislike waiting for us. One way to earn bonus points with our patients and keep them coming back to see us is to be running on time.

What should I do when I am running behind?

Never play the blame game. I once had a patient, who needed periodontal therapy, show up 10 minutes before my next scheduled perio-maintenance patient. The dentist still requested that I see them and complete 2 quads. (All 4 of the quads were ADA case type 4’s with rings of calculus) The dentist then told my next patient that “I”  was running behind. It is physically impossible to be in two places at once so both patients ended up waiting a long time that day and needles to say, I didn’t build any rapport with either of them.

Ask an assistant to help seat the patient and start with the radiographs and, if needed, help the dentist with the exam or depending on your state laws, complete coronal polishing and flossing.

Inform the patient of the timeline. If you are running 10 or more minutes behind, when the patient walks through the door, have the front office staff tell them it will be_____ minuets before you will get them back and see if that is going to work with their schedule. It is just courteous and I will even at times personally inform them of the new timeline. Often times people are on a lunch break or have scheduled something after the appointment. Be upfront and honest with them and yourself on the timeline.

Don’t rush it. If you are behind you may feel that you have to lower your standard of care for the next patient to make up for lost time. Patients can tell if you are rushing, act calm, collected and like you truly care about the patient's oral health. Continue to be 100% in your procedures, do the blood pressure, check the medical history, probe, preform cancer screenings, and scale all the teeth. Be efficient with your time and give them the full time and attention required for their needs. If this does happen state, “I apologize that you had to wait today. Thank you for your patience. I will be taking good care of you today.”

Why am I running behind?

Some of the top answers are:

1. The dentist is late for an exam.

2. The dentist takes a long time to do an exam.

3. My previous patient was late.

4. Last minute to do’s.

5. I don’t get enough time per appointment to accomplish everything.

6. Are you putting yourself behind.

1. If this is a chronic situation consider having a professional conversation with the dentist to come up with solutions that will work best for your office. Some of those solutions might be to put the patient into an open operatory and have an assistant help complete the exam and dismissal of the patient. You could also inform the dentist as soon as you have radiographs; this gives them 30-40 mins to find time for an exam.

2. If the dentist takes a long time during the exam, once again, you could have an assistant help while you get started in another operatory. To make the exams go quicker have the gloves set out, your mirror and explorer ready and the patient tipped back with the light on. Also, have the radiographs up and ready to be viewed along with your findings ready to present.

3. What should you do if a patient arrives late? I never send a patient home without something being accomplished if they show up. They DID show up, which is better than not showing at all. There are many factors to why they are late but instead of worrying about that it is most important to communicate at this point the honest expectations.  My conversation with the patient may sounds something like this, “hey Jim, so sorry IF there was a miscommunication today; I had you down at 2:00 and it is now 2:30. I will get done as much as I can in the time that we have left, but we will have to schedule you one more appointment to get your treatment completed.”   You may only have time to take 4 bitewing radiographs and have the dentist do the exam. If you can keep the communication positive they will appreciate you working them in. Remember as well, that patients who show up on time should never have to wait for someone who came late before them.

4. Last minute to do’s. Over time you will start to know how the dentist you work with diagnoses and their systems. Observe when they like intraoral photos or extra radiographs and take them prior to the exam so that you are not having to take them after. Also, pre-make tray sets ups and try to stay as organized as possible to stay on time.  

5. If you are not getting enough time to complete procedures then, honestly, you may have to cut some things out. There is no way in a 30 min appointment that you can do a cancer screening, full mouth probe and scale the whole mouth. You will have to use your professional judgement to decide for yourself if this is a situation you want to be in.  Have a professional conversation with the dentist making sure they are fully aware that you are unable to perform these tasks and the risks of not being able to do so and come up with a solution that will work for the practice and for the patients.

6. Are you putting yourself behind?  Be efficient, be confident, do it correct the first time. If you are re-scaling teeth, learn to scale them right the first time. Check out our prophylaxis tips and tricks video HERE to learn some scaling tips on being efficient.

Staying on time is sometimes a difficult task but when  you run on time work days are much less stressful and it makes the day run smooth. What are some ways that you stay on time? 

Student Essay Contest- Summer 2015

Are you a dental hygiene student and are looking for a way to boost your resume, grow in the profession and win a prize? We are hosting our 1st Student Essay Contest this summer! This is a great opportunity for any dental hygiene student to try out something new in dental hygiene. The topic this summer is: Ways to stay positive through hygiene school. We all know that school is stressful, but we want to hear how you keep upbeat throughout it!

Email us if you have any questions at hygieneedge@gmail.com.

WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who entered our giveaway for the American Eagle Blackjack Instrument! The winner is:

Please email us at hygieneedge@gmail.com with your information and we will get your your instrument!

We have LOTS of giveaways coming up this summer! Keep in eye on hygieneedge.com for the latest info!

Oral Hygiene for New Parents

With infants, the first line of defense for good lifetime oral habits is educating the new mom before the baby is born. But in a 45 or 60 minutes appointment, who has time to educate the mom on her hygiene, then also be able to talk about eruption patterns and fluoride for her new baby? We’ve created a FREE printable to give to your expecting patients all about their new baby. It’s the perfect reference guide for basic hygiene questions for a new baby. 

To download the printable PDF, click HERE.

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It's Giveaway Time

We LOVE getting new instruments, they are always so sharp and shiny.  We know you love it too, so we are giving some away! American Eagle Instruments has created the Blackjack- an instrument designed with the dental hygienist in mind. It's a universal sickle scaler with a longer shank length to help reach tricky molars, but not too long that it can be used for anteriors. Check out how to use it and some tips on how to use posterior sickles around the anterior teeth in the video below. Also, don't forget we have several videos on instruments that are available for hygienists to use our Dental Hygiene Instruments page. Check them out HERE

To win a Blackjack Instrument with XP Technology, sign up for Hygiene Edge updates below by entering your email address and answer the question in the comments below!

What is the most difficult quad for you to clean?

GET A "GRIP"

Do you find yourself complaining of hand, wrist, or lower arm pain? It could be because you've lost your grip. You may have let your hand slip into the usual way you hold a pen and let some fingers take a vacation in their grasp duties. The way that we usually hold a pen is unsuitable for use by dental professionals to hold their tools. This is because the way we hold a pen to write requires increased force of the muscles of the hand and upper arm.  Stability and flexibility of this type of grip are low as a consequence of using the middle finger for both holding the instrument and supporting the hand.

As we hold a pen when we write, the third finger is fixed therefore, many movements have to be made in the wrist. This causes unfavorable positions such as an extensive palmar flexion. It is understandable that the use of a normal pen grip can give rise to "CANS" (complaints of arms, neck and shoulders), formerly called RSI (repetitive strain injury). Did you know that you get FOUR times the strength when you use a modified pen grasp when instrumenting?!? You DO, as well as less discomfort in you hand, wrist and arm. 

When my students complain about hand or arm pain, I look first to their grasp.  Or when my students complain about ineffective calculus removal, I look first to their grasp.

I often see fingers taking a vacation, being lazy, or taking on the duties that another finger is supposed to preform. Let’s review the duties of each of the fingers: 

The thumb and the index finger are used to sandwich the instrument. They are responsible for holding the instrument steady and providing the rolling function of the instrument in adaptation.

The middle finger is the feeler finger to help assess calculus deposits. It also helps with stability of the instrument as you roll it between your thumb and index finger.

The ring finger is your fulcrum, powerhouse and stabilizer.

The pinky is a freeloader. No other finger can have the job of the freeloader because the pinky has the job covered.

The most common mistake I see is that the feeler finger takes the job of the pointer finger, which I have seen decreases effectiveness in assessment and in calculus removal. Remember to get a grip and to use the modified pen grasp to help your body and your practice.

Stop Measuring Success with Production

With an industry that measures success in the terms of "production" what I'm going to tell you might be a bit of a paradigm shift.

How many of you have had carrots dangled in front of your face or chased "the shiny pennies" that the dentist promises if a certain production goals is reach... only to have a bunch of "no shows" and other factors occur that are out of your control.

The truth is we can't control production at all. We like to think we can. We can't. Yes, we can influence it. But we can't force anyone to do anything. Ultimately, even with our best efforts, there will be patients that don't want to filling they absolutely need or the electronic toothbrush that would make ALL the difference to their oral health.

Instead, let's measure success with out efforts. Efforts can be controlled. Outcomes unfortunately cannot.

I'm not saying a "just try your best" attitude is enough. Although, I wholeheartedly hope every person does in fact try his/her best. I'm talking about very calculated efforts following certain tried and true principles.

There are studies that when patients are appreciated, they are more likely to return. You can't physically make a patient come back (unless you kidnapped them, which we don't recommend!) But you can follow the principle of writing thank you notes and expect to get the desired outcome. For example:

OUTCOME BASED GOAL: "Have 10 patients schedule re-care."

EFFORT BASED GOAL: "Today I'm going to write each new patient a hand written thank you note." or "I'm going to ask and encourage each patient to schedule their next 6 month appointment. If they don't, I'll write a postcard to be sent out 1 month before they are due to be sent as a reminder."

A non-hygiene example:

Outcome Based Goals: "Lose 30 pounds."

EFFORT/SYSTEM BASED GOALS: "Exercise Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week."

Here are a few more dental examples.

"Today I'm going to point out treatment to each patient that needs it before the doctor walks in."

"Today each patient will leave with either a new product or an idea how to improve his/her oral hygiene."

"Today I'm going to offer fluoride to three patients (Notice: It's not give three patients fluoride.)"

I shouldn't put such a bad taste on productions. I honestly beleive it can be an instruments to review and see if your efforts are giving you the outcomes you except. The beauty in the above examples are that if you aren't ever getting the desired outcomes, it's completely acceptable to keep adjusting your efforts and approach.

Put laser focus on implementing systems and fee successful. Every. Single. Day.

Dental Hygienist Spotlight

Avalene Roberts has been in the dental field for over 19 years. She is a mom of two little ones, is the head hygienist for a busy New York practice and is the CEO of DDS Connections, a nation wide dental employment web site.  She is one busy lady. She thought of everything when creating DDS Connections for dental professionals. The website gives an interactive experience where dental professionals can search for employees by years of experience, zip code, pay rate, languages spoken, full/part time or temporary work and of course position.  Some unique features about DDS Connections are that it allows you to upload a personal professional photo, post case pictures and add video references from past teachers or employers. You can become part of the DDS Connections community at www.ddsconnections.com. We here at hygiene edge are happy to support a fellow hygienist as she helps hygienists reach their employment goals!

How to Quit a Dental Hygiene Job

Congratulations on a new career change! However, the only thing that lowers the high of a new opportunity is memory that you have to quit your current job. Though quitting can be stressful, it also needs to be executed smart to not “burn any bridges” as you move on to your new phase in life. Follow these easy steps to help make quitting easier for you now, and help your career in the future.

1.     Explain your reasoning for leaving. When you put in your notice to your employer, don’t be afraid to explain why you are moving on. It could be that you want to diagnose and perform more perio treatment, try your hand at new technology, or get out of clinical practice eventually. Give your vision of what you see yourself doing in the next 5 years and how this step will help with your future goals. Don’t forget to stay positive on why you are moving on. This will help keep your relationship that you’ve worked so hard on. You never know when you will need a contact or a reference for a future position.

2.     Keep in contact. Small connections over the year are a great networking idea for future jobs or possible reference opportunities. You could send a Christmas card each year with a small personal note saying how much you loved working there, or add your coworkers on social media and message them on occasion. Give a warm hello if you ever see a former employer out or at a dental convention, even when the easier thing is to pretend that you didn’t see them. Small steps that can make a big difference in the future.

3.     Leave when you know it’s time to go. Even if it doesn’t seem logical, it’s time to leave when your gut tells you to. If you leave employment then, you’ll be leaving on your terms, which is usually positive and keeps a positive relationship. If you leave when times are tough or you are forced to leave, it can burn the relationship and the connection that you’ve made with your coworkers. Trust your instincts- they know what’s best!

4.     If your company gives you a count offer, don’t take it! It’s tempting to stay at a place when someone begs you to reconsider. However, stick to your word to both companies and move on to your new position.  This shows good character by keeping your word, and that you care about something more than money. Plus, in most scenarios when a counter offer is taken, the employee ends up quitting again in a few months and in turn burns the bridges of the possible employer that was turned down previously.

5.     Be professional with your last working weeks. Make the transition smooth for your employer by staying positive with your last few weeks of work. When you know you’re quitting, it’s easy to get lazy, let things slide like patient education, and being a team player stops. However, the dental world is small, and you never know when you may want to come back to the office, or whom your employer is a friend with. Always be gracious and be kind to all coworkers as you are quitting.

6.     Feel out how long your notice should be. Honestly, 2 weeks is usually not long enough to find a replacement dental hygienist. If you have a good relationship with your employer, try to give 1 month advanced notice of you leaving. If the relationship is not good, first of all why are you working there still, and second, 2 weeks is plenty. Try to fight the urge of only giving a few days notice, no matter how awkward quitting a job is.

Now go celebrate! You deserve it!

Alginate Impression Help

Impressions can be difficult because they are so time sensitive. Need help brushing up your skills? Watch our latest video on the proper way to mix alginate since a good mix is the key to a great dental impression. Perfecting your skills will make you more valuable to your office and build your resume!