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A12 INDUSTRY NEWS Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | May 2018 How to minimize dental anxiety by incentivizing your pediatric patients ByESmileMakersEStaff AAPD BOOTH NO. 400 There’s been a mas- sive amount of research into dental anxiety, with good reason: Dental anxiety keeps thousands of peo- ple from visiting the dentist every year. Children are especially susceptible to this anxiety, particularly if they have never been to a dentist before or they are unsure about what to expect. Incentivizing their visits will help them positively anticipate each trip, par- ticularly if they are facing multiple visits for successive treatments. Here are a few ideas from the pros to help you create a program that fits your practice. Help patients ggade theig ogal health A daily oral health quiz helps keep young patients on track for oral care success. It can be as simple as a checklist with ques- tions like: Have you brushed your teeth today? Did you brush twice today? Did you floss today? Have them bring their list in each visit for a special reward. A brushing chart works well for this, and can be customized with your practice name and information so they’ll remem- ber your positive reinforcement daily. Challenge patients to succeed There’s nothing a child will remember more than a challenge. The idea is to turn his or her oral health into a game. One tried-and-true method is the 2-2-2 chal- lenge. At its essence, all you’re doing is asking children to see their dentist twice a year and brush twice a day for two min- utes each time. Turn it into a challenge by giving them a practice-themed note- pad and pencil to record their progress. That will entice them into forming good habits from an early age and keep you top of mind. Offeg tiegs of pgizes For every cavity-free visit, or step in the treatment plan, allow the patient to choose a higher tier of prizes. It gives kids something to look forward to, and a rea- son to behave well and take care of their teeth. At their first visit, they might not have been able to get the plush animal, but you can explain that they’ll be able to earn it with good behavior and habits over time. You don’t need to break the bank for this, and the reward tiers don’t have to grow excessively. The difference between a bracelet and a heart necklace might be all the incentive that they need. Technology changing patient education Technological advancements are per- petual catalysts for changes that contin- ue to transform the way we operate on a daily basis. For progressive practitioners, the constant wave of new technology provides an auspicious opportunity to increase prosperity and experience sub- stantial benefits in other areas. For decades, dental practitioners have been pigeonholed to tediously repeti- tious practices such as the monotonous treatment of caries and removal of plaque buildup. Despite this, the preva- lence of malocclusion in modern chil- dren is approaching 100 percent and this growing incidence is enabling dentists to widen their scope of practice with the prospect of providing biological-based orthodontic for children. Additionally, the recognition of sleep- related breathing disorders in dental pa- tients is increasing, with recent research finding a relationship between the preva- lence of malocclusion and dysfunctional breathing.1 treatment With this in mind, practitioners look- CDA BOOTH NO. 1153 ing to diversify their pediatric treatment options in the increas- ingly competitive market that is modern dentistry should consid- er the benefits modern technology can offer. The implementation of eLearning tools in American classrooms has produced a genera- tion of students that feels comfortable using screen-based technol- ogy for self-directed learning and is ap- preciative of the low-pressure environ- ment it offers. AAPD BOOTH NO. 203 Senior Myobrace Educator Jessica Maidman is an advocate for patient edu- cation through the use of digital learn- ing tools, and she considers the patient’s first encounter with The Myobrace® System an important stepping stone for ongoing education and compliance. “As an educator, I use our Myobrace apps to deliver information to my patient in a Incentivizing visits can help a child positively anticipate each trip. Photo/Provided by SmileMakers Add to theig collection Limited edition collectibles are an age- old trick used to help people see an in- creased value in certain items. It works really well with children because they usually want the exclusive toys or stick- ers. The value grows if you have the full set, too. By using “exclusive” prizes like keychains that come in different designs or stickers that can only be collected at subsequent visits, it gives a positive incentive to children who may need a lot of dental work. Rather than seeing their dental visits as a chore, they have a chance to complete their collection. This will soften the experience for them and give you a chance to build the relation- ship by showing their progress through their sticker book or lanyard. If the visits are a series of especially tough treatments, reward their commit- ment to their oral health with a plush toy and you’ll have a patient for life! Looking for more ways to incentiv- ize your patients? Visit SmileMakers at Booth 400 at AAPD 2018 in Honolulu or anytime at SmileMakers.com to see the company’s full line of patient incentives and practice supplies. Senior Myobrace Educator Jessica Maidman notes that ‘Children respond much better to learning from new and interesting technolo- gies.’ The Myobrace Activities App is available on multiple platforms. Image/ Provided by Myofunctional Research child-friendly manner. It helps them un- derstand the causes of their developmen- tal issues, as well as the need for early intervention and corrective treatment,” Maidman said. “I have learned that children respond much better to learning from new and interesting technologies rather than an authoritative figure such as a dentist. The results are much more consistent be- cause the information is being delivered the same way each and every time.” Myofunctional Research Co. (MRC) provides eLearning software in all major digital platforms, enabling simple imple- mentation for almost any practice. Tak- ing advantage of these modern technolo- gies enables any practice to transform into a tech-savvy environment that has an edge over competitors. MRC regularly hosts seminars in the United States that provide practitioners with hands-on experience in learning new myofunctional techniques for the treatment of malocclusion, dysfunction- al breathing and TMJ disorders as well as the implementation of eLearning tools in almost any practice. Visit www.myoresearch.com to find a seminar near you or learn more about the Myobrace Member and Certified Pro- vider programs. ÿ Refegence 1. American Journal of Orthodontics & Den- tofacial Orthopedics 2016; 150:937-44. (SourceD Myofunctional Research)