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Post #7/10 Best Tips And Thoughts Over 50 years. Continuing Education – the lifeblood of modern dentistry. It is essential for every health care worker to embrace science backed advances in research, techniques, instrumentation and priorities but do so with a critical eye making sure that science speaks louder than marketing.
Hint: Research and try before you buy. Deal with companies that allow you to return equipment and supplies if they don’t meet their claims.
Hint: Double check to make sure that you follow your licensing content and hours compliance. Choose relevant courses that align with your interests as well as your potential for profit.
Hint: Always involve your staff in a creative way so they can benefit from what you have just learned and ask for their suggestions as how best to implement change. It is critical to get your staff engaged and involved with progressive change for involvement and improvement.
Progressive change shows you care and is essential for staff and patient satisfaction and retention.

My 10 Best Tips And Thoughts Over 50 years.
Tip #6/10 Staff Satisfaction and Retention. Happy Staff = Happy Patient = Successful Office. Your staff is your best asset- treat them well and encourage teamwork. Lead - don’t dictate. Nourish, - give them a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Take time to engage your staff. 30 seconds of acknowledgement and praise is your best investment.

Hint: Celebrate your staffs’ achievements! Whether it’s reaching goals, punctuality, leadership or achieving their own health goals, recognizing their efforts fosters loyalty and motivation. Encourage their suggestions How do you celebrate successes with your staff?

Hint: Encourage Ongoing Staff Development through offering paid in office training and conferences.

Hint: Motivation through prizes and bonuses.

My 10 Best Tips And Thoughts Over 50 years. Tip # 5/10. Never get food stuck between your teeth again!
Place a tight knot in the middle of your floss - then pass the floss through your teeth
( adjacent to the knot) and pull the floss back and forth ( shoe-shine) so the knot dislodges whatever is stuck between your teeth.
Hint: Use this technique to clean away cement inter proximally after cementation.
I would love to hear your comments and thoughts.

Post # 4 of 10 . How To Give A Painless Palatal Injection Every Time.
After the facial gingiva is fully anesthetized (according to Tip #3 on my previous post),
one minute before you are to start your procedure, inject 4-5 drops of anesthetic into the middle ( it won’t hurt because the buccal is already anesthetized) of the papilla ( until it blanches) on the mesial and distal sides of the teeth to be treated.

Tip: The beefier (thicker) the papilla, the better it works. Inject perpendicular to the gingiva and bone with bevel facing gingivally.

Tip: Usually this is all that is necessary but if a deeper anesthesia is desired, then using the blunt end of the mirror handle, press firmly next to where you would normally inject for a palatal injection, and as you continue to press the handle, inject a 3-4 drops very slowly as you withdraw the mirror handle.

Tip: For profound mandibular anesthesia ( when your block isn't working) - use the same intra - papillary injection as above. ( Be quick- profound anesthesia lasts only 5 -10 minutes)

Your patients will thank you

𝗠𝘆 𝟭𝟬 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝟬 Y𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. Join the conversation- we all would love to hear your thoughts, comments and tips. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 #𝟯 How To Give The “Painless” Needle. (Where the rubber meets the road.) Dental Treatment Should Not Hurt!

𝙏𝙞𝙥: Before injection, always use topical anesthesia for at least one minute. Place the topical on a long cotton applicator, apply to moist mucosa- then- fill out the chart ( you should know what you will be doing:) or do anything else for a minute. Then proceed.

𝙏𝙞𝙥: The room temperature is 70 degrees F and the body temperature is 98 degrees. The cold anesthetic will burn and hurt unless you warm the anesthetic carpule before injecting. Tip: You may store the daily supply over the sterilizer or rub the carpule in your hands quickly 10-15 times to warm before injecting.

𝙏𝙞𝙥: Aways tug or gently pinch the cheek as you insert the needle to distract the patient. ( Gate Control Theory- Dr Ron Melzack, McGill University)

𝙏𝙞𝙥: Anesthetize ahead of insertion. Inject a few drops slowly at first, wait 3-5 seconds ( best ROI ever :) let the area anesthetize first then insert deeper and repeat.

𝙏𝙞𝙥: Never say “hurt, needle, or prick”. Use instead “ sensitive, injection and pinch” which are a much better alternative. Never say Ooooops no matter how insignificant.

𝙏𝙞𝙥: Talk and Inject Slowly- Work Quickly.

Spoiler! Next week’s Tip: Achieving Profound Anesthesia During Blocks and Infiltrations.

As promised, I would like to share my 10 Best Tips and Thoughts that I have had the privilege of learning in 50 years of teaching and practising dentistry. No email nor sign ups necessary:)

Here is Post # 2: Educate and Empower Your Patients To Take Better Care Of Themselves!

"Knowledge is Power." Educating patients about the oral-systemic link can transform their outlook on health. I’ve seen many dental patients take charge of their health when they understand how oral hygiene ties into systemic diseases. This should be started day 1 in the hygiene room before any charting or scaling. Look your patient in the eyes, pause for 1 second, mention their name and say” Ms. Jane, would you like me to share a secret with you, that will take only 2 minutes of your time, how you can save a fortune at the dentist and live a longer, healthier life?

Show a 2 minute film or hold a plastic Periodontal model to demonstrate how, why, and where gum disease starts and trace the path the oral bacteria travel through vulnerable and inflamed (uncleaned) gums into the circulation spreading disease throughout the body infecting the heart, brain and all vital organs.

Dental disease is the most prevalent disease among humans (and our family pets) BUT
Dental disease is also the most preventable disease - SIMPLY by improving one’s oral hygiene!

So what is the problem? Why are we not doing so much more to prevent rather than treat disease? Dental and medical leaders

Tip. Before the dentist leaves the hygiene room you tell your patient oral hygiene is a SHARED responsibility between healthcare providers and patients, and the mutual goal is to keep the patient in the hygienist room and not the treatment room.
Before I share my answers and solutions in my next posts, I would love to hear your thoughts, comments and tips.

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As promised, I am proud to present to you my 10 best tips that I have learned over the past 50 years of teaching and practising dentistry, for dentists, physicians, and healthcare workers which I hope you will enjoy, adopt in your practices, and share.
No emails to gather, no subscriptions required:)
I encourage your comments, questions, and suggestions and it would be wonderful to hear your tips as well. Although I am saving my best tip for last, ( Tip #10) the first nine tips will be listed randomly.

𝗧𝗶𝗽 # 𝟭: 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲.

God gave us two ears and one mouth. As dentists and physicians, it's essential to remember: Rule #1, always listen to the patient. Symptoms and signs will guide you to a diagnosis as well as patient centred and coordinated care, best suited to the patient’s individual needs. Listen first then act.

It is natural that most patients are nervous at the office It is up to us to guide the conversation in a non-threatening way. Before asking a patient a question I usually start with.” if you had to guess.” This simple addition provides our patients with the comfort and confidence to answer any question stress-free and puts patients at ease from the very start. They know we are here only to help and never to judge.

Empathy, authenticity, and caring starts from the top. It is our responsibility to make it our top priority and everyone in the office will go home feeling much better about themselves, which will also help prevent malaise and burnout.

Small things create huge impressions, fosters loyalty, generates referrals and so much more.

Tip: The first entry in an electronic or paper chart should be a personal note about patient and it should be the first thing you should ask about on the patient’s next visit.

“Mrs K became a grandmother. Baby girl named Jennifer”

The receptionist congratulates the patient when she arrives and a small gesture with zero cost creates a happy grateful patient for life.

I am incredibly honored to announce that I have been invited to join the prestigious Pierre Fauchard Academy. This esteemed organization recognizes outstanding contributions to the dental profession, and I'm grateful to be acknowledged by the Committee of Past Recipients and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Reflecting on the past 50 years since I graduated from McGill University, Faculty of Dentistry, I feel immense gratitude for the privilege of treating so many dedicated and wonderful patients across generations. Your trust and commitment have inspired me every step of the way.

As I look to the future, I am more excited than ever about the innovations and technology shaping modern dentistry. A particular passion of mine is the integration of AI, which I believe will transform how we connect and coordinate dentistry with medicine, ultimately enhancing patient-centered care.

To celebrate this milestone, I will be sharing my 10 best tips and insights from my 50 years of teaching and practicing dentistry. I would love for you to join me on this journey. Be sure to follow along, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Here’s to the next chapter in our commitment to transforming dental care.

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