All The Tooth

Developing A Treatment Game Plan First Step For Patient-Dentist Team

By John R. Lake, Jr., DDS, MAGD

I just returned from the Greater New York Dental Convention. As evidenced by the hundreds of available seminars, lectures and exhibitors, the advances in providing dental care continue to grow exponentially and are exciting for both practitioner and patient. The fields of prevention, reconstruction, implants and cosmetic dentistry, to name a few, have taken quantum leaps since I began practicing 30 years ago.

However, all the bells and whistles do not take the place of the dedicated professionals whose first goal is education and prevention that might avoid long and costly treatment.

Each patient has different needs, but the first step in meeting those needs is, simply, determining what they are and then, as in football, developing that all-important game plan.

So, how we develop this game plan will be the subject of my first column.

A complete and detailed health history is where we start.

If radiographs/x-rays are current from a previous office, they can be used in conjunction with a thorough oral examination. Usually the previous provider will provide transitional information to the new office as well as copies of the radiographs. In our state they are the property of the patient and this step is a must. The patient, however, must understand that state law allows for a charge to copy and forward this information.

Once the exam is complete, the dentist usually can describe a course of treatment, although sometimes further information or help may be required. These can range from further diagnostic materials such as study models or referrals to specialists such as orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists or oral surgeons.

When a treatment plan has been formulated, it can be modified to the needs and abilities of the patient. Traditionally, cases are done sequentially. You deal with the worst first.

However, there also may be more affordable interim solutions that that allow the clinician to address health and function.

This stage of the doctor-patient relationship is critical. Patients must be frank in describing their preferences as well as limitations imposed by finances, health, time or insurance. Expectations regarding esthetics, function and longevity have to be taken into consideration along with the dentist’s interpretation of the clinical findings.

You wouldn’t build a nice addition to your house on a poor foundation. Similarly, unrealistic expectations will only lead to dissatisfaction for both the dentist and patient.

This final treatment plan represents the beginning of a relationship where the patient is a critical member of the team. It often may require the patient to change some habits to obtain and maintain the desired results. That’s where critical preventive education by the dental staff comes into play.

There is nothing more gratifying to dentists than to see their work of 10, 20 or more years still healthy and working.

After all the time and effort to bring a dentition into a healthy, functional and esthetic state, it is the hygiene and maintenance provided by the patient that ultimately spells success or failure. After all, the least expensive dental care is for problems that an educated and motivated patient can prevent.

(Dr. Lake practices at Lightship Dental in Marstons Mills, 508-428-4929 or lightshipdental@verizon.net.)