Are You Keeping Oral-Systemic Secrets?
In my humble layperson’s opinion (IMHLPO), one of the responsibilities of dental professionals is to inform their patients of the many oral-systemic health links, and to reinforce the fact that the health of their mouths often determines their overall health.
Although more and more of this information is being distributed via medical and dental journals. the consumer media and the internet, dental professionals have the unique ability to deliver this information one-on-one, tailor it based on an individual patient’s medical history, and provide expert and immediate answers to your patients’ questions.
As a respected and trusted health care provider, you are also in a position of influence that can help empower your patients to take charge of their health and re-chart its course towards a longer “health span” with more activity and productivity during their golden years, instead of merely waiting longer and in ill health for the Grim Reaper to come.
Unfortunately, if you are not proactively imparting the latest evidence that the mouth can “make or break” one’s health, you are keeping oral-systemic secrets. Speaking of secrets, if not addressed, periodontal disease and soft plaque may be secretly and silently affecting other parts of your patients’ bodies.
This may not be your intent. In fact, you may be one of the countless dental professionals who are well-intentioned, but overwhelmed by this “bridging the oral-systemic gap” thing.
Therefore, allow me to provide some tips that will help you become a more effective and proactive oral-systemic health link evangelist and help you turn back the tide of declining health in the United States one patient at a time!
Become an Oral-Systemic Information Aggregator
There’s a ton of oral-systemic health information out there and some of it is published first in your dental and hygiene trade publications. Therefore, you as a dental professional often have a “home court advantage” over the mainstream media.
Unlike a stock broker, you can and should share this insider information with your patients. You can easily keep on top of the latest oral-systemic news by reading the following information sources:
- Dental and hygiene magazines and association publications, web sites, newsletters and social media accounts
- Social media accounts of dentist and hygienist thought leaders who weigh in regularly about oral-systemic health links
- Set up Google News Alerts for terms such as “periodontal disease,” “mouth-body connection” and “oral-systemic health links.”
Become an Oral-Systemic Information Distributor
Once you’ve been monitoring and archiving this plethora of oral-systemic health information, you will need to share it. Luckily, the channels of information distribution are numerous (mostly free) and collectively, can make a strong impact on your patients and surrounding community.
- Like and share social media posts pertaining to oral-systemic links
- Always incorporate an oral-systemic story or two in your practice newsletter
- Have some print versions of your newsletter in your waiting room
- When using digital media such as social media, e-newsletters and your web site, link to the source article so the reader can get full details. In print media, provide the URL or web address
- Speaking of URLs, use an embedded “click here” link or a URL shortener such as www.Bit.ly to avoid posting long URLs that look like www.oralsystemicblahblahblahyadadaydayda.com
- If you can, set up an RSS newsfeed on your web site or blog that searches for and posts oral-systemic news items
- Share information as it relates to your patients while they are sitting the chair. Use it to help them understand the importance of recommended periodontal treatment, why they need to follow their home care regimen and the impact oral health has on their personal medical condition such as cardiovascular health, arthritis, diabetes, etc.
- Quote facts and references that are specific to each patient’s medical history in recall letters and collaborative care letters to their physicians.
- Clip articles, slip them into in plastic protective sleeves, and put them in a loose-leaf binder in your waiting room. Use labeled tabs to organize alphabetically by systemic disease state such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular, diabetes, low birth weight, etc. Keep this binder updated.
- Make a few copies of this binder so patients can sign them out and read at home – this can reinforce the importance of your recommended home care regimen.
Avoid Plagiarism and Games of Hot Potato
When reposting or quoting an oral-systemic factoid or article, always give credit where credit is due, and prominently mention the source of your oral-systemic information. For example:
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Oral health is a window to your overall health and can be linked to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.” The Mayo Clinic also states, “Contact your dentist as soon as an oral health problem arises.” Click here for the complete article. Remember, our dental team is specially-trained to answer any questions you may have regarding your oral health and how it may cause or complicate medical conditions.
By sharing information in this way, you not only avoid plagiarism, you are leveraging the credibility of one of the most highly-regarded medical institutions in the world. Also, by “wrapping” this reference within an introduction and a close, you are making it more conversational and relevant to your practice and your patients.
This post only scratches the surface of how to educate your patients about the importance of oral-systemic health links, but I think you get the idea. The ball is in your court…or should I say your operatory chair?
About Our Guest Blogger:
Michael Ventriello is the owner of Ventriello Communications LLC, and has been specializing in strategic dental industry public relations, marketing communications and business development for more than a decade. During this time, he has worked with several companies in the periodontal disease and oral-systemic categories including OraVital® Inc., the American Academy of Periodontology, OralDNA® Labs, Arestin®, 3rd Era Dentistry and others. Michael is a frequent contributor of articles and commentary to dental industry trade journals and is also a member of the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health. Read his article “Do Dentists Need to Doctor Up on the Oral-Systemic Link” on DrBicuspid.com. Contact him at Michael@Ventriello.com.
author: Jim Hyland DDS BSc
Jim Hyland DDS BSc is a general dentist, educator, lecturer, author, and researcher who is President and CEO of OraVital Inc. He was the first dentist to use OraVital’s antibiotic rinses in 2008 and combined this with a new philosophy of biofilm control for his patients. For more information contact him at drjimhyland@oravital.com or 1+ 416-930-0310
