Patient understanding and improving outcomes – The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2018
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 14th March 2018
The importance of preventive dentistry – to maintain a healthy mouth and avoid tooth loss and the need for treatment – is the message that dental practitioners are trying to get out there right now, to their patients and to wider communities.
A message can only be persuasive if it is delivered effectively, though, and for good, long-term oral heath, a patient must work with the dental team in order to truly understand their mouth. It is getting people to realise that preventive dentistry is the difference between passively having things done ‘to’ them (their mouth poked about in, or a filling if they are unlucky) and being in full, active control. This can only happen when they have learned the good behaviours that are the key to avoiding treatment altogether.
This May, at the British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show, Ben Atkins will look at patient understanding and behavioural change when he presents in the Hygienist & Therapist Symposium.
A well-respected and popular name on the dental events circuit, Ben also works extensively with the media and is passionate about the importance of communication and getting the prevention message across, as widely as possible. A dentist since the late nineties, he also owns Revive Dental Care, an award-winning group based in north Manchester. A spokesperson for the Oral Health Foundation, Ben is currently involved in various projects that are looking at the “bigger picture” and patient behavioural change, for both NHS England and NICE. About his session sponsored by Phillips he says:
“My lecture, ‘Improving patient outcomes with Sonicare technology – presentation of trial results’, will be about learning the importance of patient trial outcomes, which reflects some of the work that we do in my practices. By getting our patients to trial an electric toothbrush, we allow them to understand what an electric toothbrush should feel like. We’ve had some really good results and patients have gone on to improve their oral hygiene, because they now know how their teeth feel when they are properly clean. Patient understanding therefore leads to behavioural change because once they understand what clean feels like, they can then go about doing it for themselves.
“It’s amazing how many patients simply don’t know how to clean their teeth, and this is something that we focus on in our practices. In my session, I’ll be sharing how we go about this. Often, it’s about identifying which member of the team is best suited to working with patients in this way. Dentists often don’t have the time to do it and I feel that dentists should be saving their oral hygiene methods for those really hard-to-reach patients. For me, it’s about which members of the team are in the best position to teach the preventive methods in the correct way.
“In the Hygienist & Therapist Symposium, I’ll be considering the part dental hygienists and dental therapists can play. Should they be teaching the oral hygiene methods, or should someone else be doing that? What is the most cost effective way to teach oral hygiene methods in the practice? I want to think about how dental hygienists and dental therapists can develop their roles and work within the team. How do they feel about working with a dental nurse and helping to get the message out? I really want to find out what they think about this.
“On a more general note, I am excited about this year’s event, with the BDA working alongside The Dentistry Show to give us something different. It is following the American model, which is very successful, and I really hope that this means the show not only continues to evolve, but goes from strength to strength.”
The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2018 will provide practitioners with any level of experience and from all areas of the profession the opportunity to learn, network and be inspired. Ben Atkins is part of a high-quality educational programme that will feature presentations from some of the leading lights in the profession and also exciting up-and-comers. Lectures, seminars and lively debates will take place at several locations across the conference and there will be verifiable CPD up for grabs, too.
The popular exhibition will be the perfect place to source new products and equipment, with over 400 stands showcasing what is new and exciting on the market. Delegates will also be able to take advantage of exclusive offers. The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show is co-located with the Dental Technology Showcase as well, so delegates will get free entry to both.
Professional events are essential for bringing us all together to share best practice, find ways to do things better and ultimately deliver improved outcomes for patients. Make sure you don’t miss out.
The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2018 will be held on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th May at the NEC in Birmingham, co-located with DTS.
For further details visit www.thedentistryshow.co.uk, call 020 7348 5270
or email dentistry@closerstillmedia.com
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