DENTAL CARE

Q: Do You Do Everything Yourself In this Office?

A: Those were not exactly the first words out of this patient’s mouth. Actually, this person was not even a patient. He came into the office with his wife and were interviewing me. They were in search of a new dentist and unfortunately had some issues with a previous office. Let me take a moment to bring you up to speed. Approximately six months early, this person was in need of a crown. He was not a stranger to good dentistry. In fact, his oral care was excellent. He exhibited good hygiene and had a fair amount of quality dental care in the past. The point of all of this is that this was not his first experience with sophisticated dentistry. He was also not someone who neglected his mouth.

Let’s go back even further in time. His problem began when his dentist retired and a new dentist showed up at the old office. This dentist was using a number of people to help him through the day. Well, during the crown procedure the dentist asked one of his assistants to make and cement the temporary crown. This started the whole cause of concern. “The temporary was not put on properly”, according to the patient, and required adjusting by the doctor. It was never right after that and even the final crown required multiple visits for adjustments. This can happen and does happen. It is a rare occurrence in my practice, but it can happen. The problem in this case was exacerbated by the staff doing work that was traditionally in the realm of the dentist.

In many states, including Ohio, staff members are legally allowed to perform various activities. These duties make the day flow more easily and reduces stress from the dentist. This is all good. The staff member may have been trained by the dentist or attending a course to learn their duty. I get it. They know how to do a procedure and the law defines the scope of their activities. However, just because they can does not mean that they always should do it.

I spoke to a dentist who recently graduated from dental school. He took over a practice from an older dentist that enjoyed having his staff do as much work as possible under the law. His staff tried in and adjusted crowns. So when the young dentist took over, the staff continued to do this. He was beaming as he was the captain of his own ship and had an able crew. I then wondered how he would fine tune his skills if he never tried in and adjusted a crown. I verbalized this to him. His response was that he never even thought of it.

A dentist spends years and thousands of hours learning to do a procedure. A staff member learned the skill in a fraction of the time. Why would one delegate these duties to a newcomer, rather than perform the service himself? The dentist will probably do a better job. In addition, he will get better and faster at the service that he was already in his bag of tricks. Delegation of duties is a part of every dental practice. The dentist needs to pick and choose which ones stay with him and which he passes on to others.

I can do dental procedures better and faster than any of my staff. That’s not a boast. That is a fact. I let my staff help at times, but I know that I am ultimately responsible for the patient care. I develop a trust with my patients and take it seriously. If you are part of a large automated practice, with a number of doctors and staff, and would like to go back to a relationship with a single dentist, give me a call and we can talk. I can be reached at 440.951.7856 and look forward to hearing from you. Let me reintroduce you to dental care on a different level.

I would like to wish all of my readers a enjoyable Labor Day. Spend time with your families and friends and enjoy this great country of ours and all that it offers!

Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.

The Healthy Smile 34586 Lakeshore Boulevard (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com