Dental Wisdom

Wisdom

Perspective

A few weeks ago I made my annual trek to the Yankee Dental Conference in Boston.  I look forward to this conference every year as I walk around and attend classes with the anticipation of gaining a new perspective by learning something new or finding a great new product.  My staff joins me to attend classes that they have special interest in as well, then, we all meet after to discuss what we have learned.  Although we all enjoy this day immensely, I looked back at all our years going to the conference and it occurred to me that some of the best ideas for improving my practice have come from my wonderful patients…sometimes unbeknownst to them.

First, my patients’ quest for knowledge always motivates me to continue my learning and I do so through classes and monthly meetings with other dentists – a think tank of dentistry – which provide suggestions for practice improvement.

I also remember, and now it seems so long ago, a patient that told me that “texting” reminders for appointments would be great.  Not always a fan of texting, mostly because I have teenagers, I researched the request and saw the advantages.  We instituted that into our practice and I can’t believe how much that it has helped our office processes.

In response to some of our younger patients preferring to use technology to make appointments, we recently instituted a “button” on our website that allows patients to make appointments by looking at our schedule and selecting a time slot – without ever having to use a phone…ingenious!

Regarding dental technology – there was another suggestion by a patient: “there should be a light at the end of that suction tube!”  Well, there is such a product and we purchased it, the IsoLite – a suction tube with a lite on the end that helps isolate certain parts of the mouth that I am working on.  What a great view and what a great purchase…thank you.  And my patients love it!

So sometimes in this dental practice, as with life in general, a new perspective is oh so ever helpful.