Column
basics right I
Word of mouth Getting the
with Dr Paul O’Dwyer
Paul O’Dwyer explains that adding ‘bells and whistles’ to your practice is all well and good, as long as you have the core ‘product’ covered
’ve spoken in these pages before about the simplicity of good practice. With the advent of the recession, there seem to be a plethora of business/management/motivational
“gurus” crawling out of the woodwork/ internet/talking circuit scene, each one promising to “make your practice bigger/ better/more bells and whistles...” While I acknowledge that each of us has
room to improve, I wonder just how much all the marketing, promotion and hype would really be worth if the underlying “product” wasn’t good? Let’s face it, the vast majority of patients
return for one thing: you. They have built up a rapport with you, their dentist. They trust you – they want to see only you! With each successful visit, this trust
builds. It is the bedrock of good practice and promotes happy, returning patients. So the question isn’t really how can I
improve my practice? But rather, how can I improve myself? Over the last few years, I’ve looked at this
from lots of angles. Regular readers will recall I mentioned a book on “wisdom” last year in which the author highlighted the fact that the “paternalistic” view is all but gone in the USA. Here too, the idea that the “clinician knows best” is all but eliminated – particularly in larger urban areas. With the advent of “Dr Google”, every patient is now an expert and is almost at the stage of suggesting alternate treatment plans! In a recent discussion with some
new graduates, I talked about the initial difficulty we have in proposing varying treatment plans to patients – the old chestnut of replacing a missing front
tooth, from simple denture to implant. Most patients will at some point ask: “How successful is the denture/implant/bridge?” Most of us will usually have the text-
book figure on this – something like 80 per cent success/retention over X number of years. While this figure can be borne out by a search on Google Scholar, the better answer would be: 80 per cent of my patients retained this prosthetic over 10 years. Huh? How could you know this? My
advice to the new graduates was simple – keep a record! Honestly, keep an Excel spreadsheet open during surgery hours and, for each procedure you do, tick a box. Even the simplest software systems have the ability to extrapolate data. In any case, how refreshing, and satis-
fying, would it be to turn to Mrs Smith and say: “Last year I did 70 molar root treatments – 91 per cent were successful.”
Having a clinical audit gives a better
marker for you too, as you will be able to see what areas you can improve on or what areas you have developed a real skill for, and could possibly promote more. As an associate, you can get your principal to review with you, which will impress your principal (and possibly increase your standing within the practice) or at the very least demonstrate skills/success in areas which he/she may not be comfortable, and thus promote internal referrals. It’s a good habit to start and also can be seen in portfolios for the various Royal College Membership Examinations. The bells and whistles can always be
added later – and certainly there is room for them. But, as I mentioned, the basic service is where the best clinical outcomes are paramount to happy patients, returning patients and, most importantly, evidence- informed clinical outcomes.
Ireland’s Dental magazine 17
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