Chapter 1 Communication Dentist-Technologist PDF

Chapter I Communication Dentist - technologist  introduction Many failures of dental prosthesis can usually be traced to a breakdown in communication between members of dental team * - lower quality appliance produced at a higher than normal cost...

Chapter I Communication Dentist - technologist  introduction Many failures of dental prosthesis can usually be traced to a breakdown in communication between members of dental team * - lower quality appliance produced at a higher than normal cost * - psychological effect on the effectiveness of the team members * Both dentist and technician spend considerable money each year on continuing education but little effort is expended toward formal courses in improving team communication  Basic communication principles 1- medium 2- barriers 3- feedback  medium Communication is traditionally defined as the successful transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver by an appropriate mode  barriers Environment, education, personal preferences, social prejudices, and genetic make-up help determine how we approach communication with other people  barriers Pride, intimidation, insecurities, fears, and personal ambitions often act as barriers to effective communication, as well as tone voice, appearance, and undesirable surroundings  barriers Poor listening and inability to ask questions are major obstacles to effective communication Often instead of listening when others are speaking, we formulate our own thoughts in anticipation of responding  feedback Senders must rely on feedback to ascertain the receiver’s comprehension of the message The receiver should report to the sender the clarity of the message  planning 1- technician soliciting new accounts 2- dentist searching for a laboratory 3- Agreements 4- legal and ethical obligations  1- technician soliciting new account A- give top priority to those dentists located near the laboratory B- search for dentists whose techniques and philosophies are compatible with your laboratory C- search for dentists who are concerned about credentials of the technician D- avoid any account who has earned the reputation of “problem payer”  E- try to determine if a dentist is searching for a quality laboratory or searching for unreasonably discounted prices F- always ask dentists why they are willing to change laboratories G- search for those dentists who are responsive to comments and inquiries from the technician. H- Search for those dentists who are willing to take the time to provide constructive criticism on laboratory procedures  2- Dentist searching for a laboratory 62% of the dentists responded that qualified experience is the most important factor Location plays an important role and this is especially true when remakes are involved Visiting laboratory, viewing its facilities and size, and meeting and talking to the technician are necessities that should not be overlooked Reasonable laboratory fees commensurate with the quality of the product  Education of the dental technician has spanned training under an apprenticeship system to highly technologic formal education, complete with regular laws and certifications As there are specialties in dentistry, such is the case for dental laboratory. It’s the responsibility of the dentist to investigate the services offered and for which services the laboratory has developed reputation for excellence Willingness to negotiate when necessary and desire to produce a good product must be considered  3- agreements A- discuss the specific types of services to be performed by the laboratory The laboratory may be a full service operation or may limit services to a particular specialty Subcontract agreement with other laboratories is possible: - advantage: the laboratory offers full service - inconvenient: increase the changes of communication errors - precaution: the dentist should be aware which services are provided by the laboratory and which ones by other laboratories  B- discuss clinical and laboratory philosophies on techniques and materials. The cost and characteristics of various materials Determine which procedures will be performed by the dentist and which will be the responsibility of the technician This is the time to determine who will do what  C-discuss prices and price changing policies. Price should be kept to a minimum. Some laboratories will reserve the right to change prices without notice. A more desirable policy would be to give clients reasonable advance notice for price changes.  D- discuss policies on due dates, turn-around time and rush cases.  E- discuss remake policies. A good rule on remake is one that is acceptable to both parties before the first case is sent to the laboratory  F- credit and payment policies must be agreed on before the first date  G- the dentist should be notified in advance if it become necessary to introduce a new material or technique.  4- Legal and ethical obligations The dentist must make the final decision as to the quality and to the quantity of care the patient receive. Once decisions on patient care have been made, every member of the team should lend full support.  Developing the relationship 1- visiting facilities 2- treatment planning 3- prescriptions 4- terminology 5- communicating tooth shade 6- feedback  1- visiting policies The technician should invite both dentist and stuff to visit the laboratory and see the operation. Dentists should reciprocate by extending an invitation to the laboratory personnel.  2- treatment planning Problems with complex cases can be minimized if the technician is involved in the treatment planning phase.  3- prescriptions Most laboratories will provide the dentist with prescription forms, completed and signed by the dentist. The prescription will represent the only means of communication between the dentist and the laboratory. This practice promotes communication problems and resultant errors  4- terminology A- use those terms most common to the type of service being performed. B- every team member must have access to identical charts.  5- communicating tooth shade Laboratories should attempted to solve this problem by ensuring that their shade guides are identical those used by the dentist. Because of environmental and lighting differences, shades will not appear the same  6- Feedback An effective feedback system will allow technician and dentist to correct minor problems before they become major and costly. Most laboratories rely on telephone calls from the dentist. Some dentists contact when there is a problem. An excellent way to get constant feedback is to design a critique card to send out with the completed case. These forms can serve a good purpose, however they are not as effective as a constructive person to person meeting  Third party communication Telephone Dental assistant to act as a third party communicator of a highly technical message  Evaluation After a suitable period working with a selected laboratory, it is a good idea to evaluate performance, quality, services, percentage of remakes, and the dentist/laboratory technician report.