Five Star Dental Hygiene Patient Care: Treatment Planning

Treatment Planning is the process of using critical thinking skills from the information taken in during the data collection phase of the hygiene appointment.

Treatment Planning is the process of using critical thinking skills from the information taken in during the data collection phase of the hygiene appointment. You will then organize the pertinent patient data into a concise list of clinical situations.

These are discussed with the patient in a manner that will bring the patient into the treatment planning process. "Co-Diagnosis" = Patient and Clinician Decide. Inspire interest from your patient about their total health.

These suggestions will suppoort Five Star Dental Hygiene Care During the Treatment Planning Process.

Five Star Tips

1. Sit the patient up-right in the chair. Knee-to-knee and eye-to-eye
2. Nix the word "find" Saying something to the patient like this: "Mr. Jones remember when we were taking the pictures inside your mouth and we saw those areas that are bleeding? (Continue conversation about what you "See" or "Saw")
3. Use pictures to explain the treatment and areas of the patients mouth to be treated (Use brochures, tooth models, typodont, posters, print their perio chart and highlight, etc.)
4. Understand the various personality styles of people so you know how to speak at their level
5. Recognize when you need to provide help to your patient so you can support them to ask the right questions
6. Ask open-ended questions
7. Be proactive and know ahead of time what type of objections your patient may have (most objections have to do with: time, money or fear)
8. To overcome an objection talk about the benefits and value of completing treatment and this will be the opposite of their objection
9. Be open to scheduling a consultation appointment to further discuss more complex treatment plans
10. Role-play and practice treatment planning skills as a team

VIDEO/BLOG: Click the link to watch this 5 min training: https://youtu.be/sfIguRCZFt0

Are you doing all of these at this time?

What can you do to improve your treatment planning skills?

Grab the Free Resource Below to develop elegant communication with your patients. 

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  ABOUT DEBBIE SEIDEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

In 2000, Debbie founded Dental Practice Solutions, a dental practice management business focused on creating profitable dental hygiene departments, as well as improving the total bottom line of the dental practice. She has been named as one of Dentistry Today's Top Consultants for 10 years in  row!

Debbie is a former clinical assistant professor from the University of Southern California where she taught the senior dental hygiene students skills to treat periodontal patients. She also co-taught the practice management course  at USC from 200o-2002. (Until the school start PBL – Problem Based Learning) Debbie also wrote the accreditation for a new dental hygiene program in Portland, Oregon and is a former dental hygiene program director.

Debbie has a team of experts to guide teams throughout the world to provide quality, patient centered practices that sustain profits for the life of their dental practice.