Astra Tech Waterpik Care Credit Oral B
Increased Patient Awareness and Implant Case Acceptance?
February 2010While dental implant therapy is on the rise, there remains the need for continued efforts to increase your patients’ awareness of the availability of implants as a tooth replacement option and the many benefits they can offer.
Are your patients aware that you provide implant treatment care?
When patients come into your office for a consultation, do you have the tools to answer any questions they may have?
Do you have the materials you need to explain the dental implant option and motivate case acceptance?
As your dental implant partner, Astra Tech not only provides the best product solutions for optimized treatment outcomes, but we also have a comprehensive range of practice support materials developed to help your efforts in increasing patient awareness and case acceptance of dental implants. Astra Tech provides a wide range of information materials that illustrate all of the benefits of dental implant treatment. Informative text, patient testimonials, photographs and illustrations help patients understand the treatment steps and realize the improved quality of life they can experience by choosing dental implants.
Another way that Astra Tech helps to assist you in educating your patients about the benefits of dental implants is through their www.likenaturalteeth.com website designed especially for potential implant patients. By encouraging patients to learn more about dental implants, you’ll empower them to explore and better understand the benefits of the implant treatment solutions you provide – all in the comfort of their own homes and their convenience. Including a link to www.likenaturalteeth.com on your practice’s website is an easy way to direct your patients to this source of information.
These are just some ways Astra Tech partners with dental implant professionals. For more information, call Astra Tech at 800-531-3481 or visit www.astratechdental.com to learn more about other Astra Tech products and services.
February 2010
It is well-established that the removal of plaque biofilm is critical to good oral health. Yet, biofilm cannot completely be eliminated, even with good toothbrushing and flossing. As well, many people do not floss, and of those that do, many are not able to do so effectively.
To help address this problem, a three-dimensional approach to oral hygiene: brushing, flossing and rinsing, has been suggested.1 Yet, brushing has limited access subgingivally; flossing: typically cannot reach pockets 3 mm or deeper; and rinsing: has been shown to penetrate about 2 mm subgingivally2. Important also to consider; the more things we ask patients to do, the less likely they are to do them.
Is there an easier, more effective way? The Waterpik® dental water jet is clinically proven to remove plaque biofilm and reduce bleeding and gingivitis. A recent study found that using either a manual toothbrush or power toothbrush plus the Waterpik® dental water jet reduced bleeding up to 93% better than traditional floss.3.With the demonstrated effectiveness of the Waterpik® dental water jet why not combine the flossing and rinsing components into one single step in addition to the brushing? It’s a simpler, easier, and a more efficient way to motivate, improve compliance with our patients.
References:
1. Council on Dental Therapeutics (1986). Guidelines for acceptance of chemotherapeutic products for the control of supragingival dental plaque and gingivitis. J Am Dent Assoc.;112:529-32.
2. Braun, R.E., Ciancio, S.G. (1992). Subgingival delivery by an oral irrigation device. J Periodontol.;63(5):469-72.
3. Barnes, C.M. et al. (2005). Comparison of Irrigation to Floss as an Adjunct to Tooth Brushing: Effect on Bleeding, Gingivitis, and Supragingival Plaque. J Clin Dent,;16(3):71-7.
March 2010
Because of the economy and limited credit available on consumer credit cards, many dental teams may feel they have no other option other than to bill patients and carry A/R. Unfortunately, even for the best of patients with the best of intentions, it may be riskier and more costly to extend credit through the practice than you may think.
- Cost of resources. Billing patients requires resources, including time from team members and direct costs such as envelopes and stamps. Even though you may say “my team’s there anyway,” you should consider the potential for a positive financial impact to your practice if the team invests their time in revenue generating activities such as patient retention and recall.
- Cost of collections. When a patient chooses not to pay for treatment already rendered, the most common recourse is to send the account to collections. Not only will you typically lose 25 to 50% of the debt, if it’s ever collected, but you will likely lose the patient. This patient will be hesitant to come to your practice again, and they will happily share with friends and family their “dissatisfaction” with your quality of care.
- Cost of reduced cash flow. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. You have payment responsibilities – to your team, to your vendors and to your mortgage holder or lessor. When your profitability is languishing in A/R, your ability to comfortably meet your financial responsibilities decreases. You may end up paying late fees and having little negotiating power with suppliers.
Allowing patients the option to comfortably pay over time is smart, but only when the financial relationships and responsibility of collections is with a company like CareCredit. When you have an outside financing partner, you decrease team stress, decrease costs and enable your team to focus on delivering quality care, rather than sending bills, statements and making collection calls.
February 2010
Oral-B Pulsar is the first manual toothbrush with revolutionary MicroPulse bristles that pivot and pulse. Soft, flexible bristles penetrate deep interproximally and clean along the gingival.
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