Killing
Three Birds With One Stone
By
Karen Davis, RDH:
BSDH
Has it ever happened in your practice that a patient came in
for a routine visit, received “spot probing” with a note to do a complete
periodontal evaluation at their next visit, simply because there was no
one to assist with recording probing data today?
Has a patient ever thought they needed to return for a “deep
cleaning” simply because you didn’t get it all off the first time?
And how about this issue of examining a patient’s
periodontal status today which varies greatly from the last recording and you
are left wondering whether it is error in one of the two recordings or a true
clinical difference?
Probably for most any of us we could relate to one, if not
all of those situations at some point.
Thanks to constant force computerized technology it is now possible to
“kill three birds with one stone” and eliminate the need for assistance with
probing data collection, eliminate a patient’s confusion about why they need to
return for periodontal therapy, and eliminate at lease one of the two variables
responsible for probing errors!
Assisted Data Collection
The issue of not having an assistant to help record probing
data is a significant one. Obviously,
there is the issue of cross-contamination if the hygienist is probing in the
mouth and recording that data immediately onto a paper chart. It is next to
impossible to prevent 100% cross-contamination, which leaves the next person
handling that record vulnerable to whatever pathogens are transferred onto the
record. Secondly, there is the time management issue. The amount of time needed to record data independently may be
just enough to cause a hygienist run behind, therefore, it is easy to collect incomplete
data or have a skewed assessment.
How many patients in this situation have missed being informed of the
earliest stages of periodontal infection due to the lack of time and or
assistance to collect accurate data?
Understanding The
Diagnosis
The second issue of a lack of understanding on the patient’s
part often occurs due to lack of time necessary to discuss potential treatment
and answer questions as well as a lack of appropriate visuals to assist the
patient in a clear understanding of the need for treatment. Particularly, this is true when discussing
the need for periodontal therapy for a condition the patient didn’t know they
had, doesn’t hurt and, no one discussed with them the last tine they were in.
Perfect conditions for patient misunderstanding. How many patients never return to complete necessary periodontal
therapy because they do not fully understand the diagnosis, treatment and
consequences of non-treatment?
Accuracy and Continuity
The last and perhaps most significant issue is being able to
reproduce accurate probing measurements and create continuity between
clinicians in data collection. How many pockets have gone untreated, or
possibly been over-treated due to inaccuracies in probing data and subsequent
diagnosis?
In light of all of
the technological advances being used to assist dentistry today, it is
surprising how few practices have incorporated constant force computerized
probing into state-of-the-art periodontal diagnosis and treatment.
Let’s take a close look at the reality of this technology
and examine the real benefits.
Precision Measurements
Constant force probing has been used as a valuable research
tool for decades. Initially, the amount
of force used to collect data was 20 grams of pressure. For some patients this was uncomfortable and
therefore was not widely used in private practices. Today, constant force probing uses 15 grams of pressure for each
measurement and is considerably less than what most clinicians use when probing
manually. In fact, it is clinically
impossible to manually reproduce a constant force from the same clinician
throughout data collection and pressure can vary as much as 50 grams or more
when being tested. Constant force
probing also measures to within two tenths of a millimeter, so it is possible
to monitor whether a 3mm pocket is really 3.0 or if it is 3.8.
Clear Graphic Charting
The visual charting system revealed on the monitor for
patients to see as well as hear as the computer collects and calls out the
probing data adds a dimension of understanding and confidence in the data not
always present when clinicians quietly collect data or dictate it to another
team member. Reports from practices
using this technology to inform patients of an accurate diagnosis of gingivitis
or periodontitis confirm that less time is spent explaining and answering
patient’s questions because the computerized data is so clear and easy to
understand with recession recorded in blue, normal probing depths in black,
deep probing depths and bleeding recorded in red and a summary of all data at
the bottom of each printed chart.
Profitable Technology
An additional feature of constant force computerized
technology for periodontal evaluations is that the revenue generated from
minimal fees charged to patients to collect precision data, more than covers
the cost of the technology itself. How
interesting that in the 21st century we have technology at our
fingertips that can “kill three birds with one stone”, generate a profit from
it’s use, and advance diagnostic and educational ability to the next
level. What is everybody waiting on?
Karen Davis has used Florida Probe computerized technology in her dental
hygiene care for the past 4 years.
