Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

12 Feature United Kingdom Edition June 4-10, 2012 For more information or to place an order please call 0800 169 9692 email sales.uk.csd@carestream.com or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk © Carestream Dental Ltd., 2012. features of r4 R4 Mobile Direct link to PIN pad Patient Check-in Kiosk Care Pathways Communicator Steritrak E-Forms Patient Journey on-line appointment Booking Text Message and Email reminders Clinical Notes Appointment Book Digital X-Ray Managed Service Practice Accounts Give your patients the freedom to book their own appointments • From a Laptop • From an iPad • From a Smartphone R4 PracticeManagementSoftware GIVES YOU MORE Online Patient Appointment Booking allows patients to book appointments online, whenever they want to, or need to, even out of normal surgery hours. While this makes it very convenient for your patients, you still have complete control over who can make the bookings, the types they can book, with who and when. A quick glance will tell you when an appointment has been made so that you are able to accept, refuse or adjust any request. This gives your patients greater accessibility to you and your colleagues with increased feelings of inclusivity and you’ll have fewer missed appointments. to minimise the effects of sen- sitivity, easing the pain and protecting sensitive teeth by sealing exposed, open dentine tubules. • Check the patient’s five sens- es – A study which appeared in the General Dentistry journal (2002) confirmed that people who are sensitive to bright lights, loud noises, pungent perfumes and itchy clothing, are most likely to avoid hot and cold foods and drinks because they have sensitive teeth. The study found a direct relation- ship between sensitive teeth and other sensitivities, find- ing that patients with sensitive teeth expressed a need to wear sunglasses when outdoors. Helping patients overcome sensitive teeth As a dental professional your expert advice and recommen- dation carries considerable weight. Openly discussing sen- sitive teeth with patients will enable you to identify how much of a concern it is for them and recommend a solu- tion to help eliminate the dis- comfort. Put their mind at rest by confirming that sensitive teeth can be easily addressed by following some simple oral care procedures; avoid brush- ing teeth too hard or too much, avoid grinding or clenching teeth and avoid acidic foods and drinks. Patients should also be advised to use a low abra- sion, desensitising, whitening toothpaste which contains the ingredient Potassium Citrate. This desensitising agent will help relieve tooth sensitiv- ity by effectively blocking the transmission of pain sensa- tion between the nerve cells rapidly and effectively, so that tooth whitening is no longer a sensitive subject! Ultimately, by switching to a low-abrasive whitening toothpaste patients can reduce the risk of suffering from dentine hypersensitivity from the outset. In a study recently per- formed by Missouri Analyti- cal Laboratories (July 2011), a range of whitening toothpastes were tested to compare and evaluate their levels of abra- sion. The results confirmed that Beverly Hills Formula whitening toothpaste is proven to be less abrasive than other leading brands of both whiten- ing and regular toothpastes, scoring as low as 93 on the RDA table whilst some lead- ing competitors have levels as high as 147. Raising awareness of sensi- tive teeth By helping your patient’s com- bat sensitive teeth you will be making a dramatic improve- ment to their life, enabling them to enjoy hot and cold foods and drinks again. Nominate a “sensitive teeth” expert in the practice or hold a “sensitive teeth” day/ week/month; you’ll be sur- prised at how many patients will come forward to end their fight against sensitive teeth. Leave flyers/brochures on sensitive teeth around the practice, in reception or in the waiting room, and patients will feel more inclined to tackle the subject. DT ‘By helping your patient’s combat sensitive teeth you will be making a dramatic improvement to their life.’ page 11DTß About the author Eric Peterson is founder of the whit- ening toothpaste Beverly Hills For- mula. For more information on the Beverly Hills Formula products please call +353 1842 6611, email info@bev- erlyhillsformula.com or visit www. beverlyhillsformula.com.