Volume 7 • 2020 • Issue 4

® POWERBRUSHTRIALPROGRAM ORAL HYGIENE: A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO SUCCESS HOW A PRACTICE-WIDE SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN BETTER PATIENT OUTCOMES I’m Dr. Dana Van Elslande and for 12 years the Ortho Essentials program has been successful in my orthodontic practice in helping elevate our standard of care. Crest Oral-B has introduced the Oral Health Essentials program for general dental practices to help build and maintain better oral health in recall patients and those undergoing restorative and cosmetic treatments, like dental implants. Shaped and influenced by leading Canadian dental professionals, these programs focus on improving oral health and implementing communication systems, which are underpinned by a Show, Tell and Involve communication formula. The Oral Health Essentials program enhances your practice’s standard of care by helping patients take ownership, drive compliance and improve oral hygiene. POOR ORAL HYGIENE REFLECTS ON US Between 50 and 80% of patients suffer from gingivitis and when left untreated, patients have the added risk of periodontitis. We’ve all experienced the challenge of trying to proceed with restorative, prosthetic or esthetic treatments when patients have inflamed, bleeding gums. Motivating patients to improve their oral health is an ongoing dilemma. If oral hygiene isn’t efficiently monitored, patients can experience problems that reflect on our care. Recent accumulating evidence supports several relationships between oral health and general health. The strongest of these associations are between periodontal inflammation and diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. 1 A tailor-made home care regimen kit consisting of a proper toothbrush, toothpaste and adequate inter-dental cleaning tool can help prevent oral diseases and promote oral health. As we know, oral health is a vital part of general health in your patients. 2 With this system, communication between all parties is supported, which increases the value of the patient visit and sets up treatment success, both of which have been an important benefit in my practice. 1. SHOWME COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO EDUCATE PATIENTS Your patients are quickly engaged with visual communication tools, so they understand their oral health issue. This helps make the condition real, encourages them to own their oral health and act on your recommendation. Leading Canadian dental hygienists also helped create the gum health evaluation scale to ensure it aligns with the new American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) periodontal classification guidelines, rating and grading. 2. INVOLVE ME TEST DRIVE IN-OFFICE PATIENT TRIAL PROGRAM Involve patients by showing them how to care for their gums and teeth by providing them an in-office opportunity to brush with the Oral-B Genius X powerbrush. Doing so, with professional guidance, teaches them how to improve their brushing for positive changes. 3. RECOMMEND MY PLAN PROMOTES ORAL HEALTH OWNERSHIP When you enroll your patients in Oral Health Essentials, they get manageable options to solve their issues and the necessary guidance to own their oral health. The dental team can provide patients with a clear plan and at-home tools to encourage them, so they get back to a healthy gingival state. OPTIMAL OUTCOMES WITH ORAL HEALTH ESSENTIALS Investing in the Ortho Essential Program has been invaluable in my orthodontic practice and the system gives us everything we need to set everyone up for success. The same proven systems I use are incorporated in Oral Health Essentials. Systemizing the office improves efficiency, predictability and outcomes. 1. SUPPORTS THE DENTAL PRACTICE In-office tools empower the dental team to drive productivity while supporting the Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation (ADPIE) process of care. 2. IMPROVES ORAL HYGIENE The Crest Oral-B patient home care kits help promote and elevate gum health and implant care with specifically designed tools that help patients achieve their oral health goals while also driving consistent, predictable outcomes. 3. DRIVES AT-HOME COMPLIANCE Enables patients to take an active role to improve and maintain their oral hygiene and encourages compliance by monitoring their oral health progress. Consequently, they become eligible for the next stages of care, which may involve restorative and cosmetic treatments such as implants, braces and aligners. References: 1. Lavigne SE. Your mouth – portal to your body. Canadian Dental Hygienists Association Position Paper on the Links between Oral Health and General Health: Part I. Published under Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene’s previous name: Probe 2004;38(3): 114-134. 2. Canadian Dental Association. Caring For Your Teeth. Oral Health - Goof for Life. Available at: https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/good_for_life/. ©2020 P&G ORAL-26345 PGOCA-20139 TO LEARN MORE, VISIT DENTALCARE.CA/EN-CA/ORAL-HEALTH-ESSENTIALS A PROVEN COMMUNICATION FORMULA Here’s how Oral Health Essentials works: Dr. Dana Van Elslande, DDS, MSc (D. Ortho), FRCD(C)