Entries tagged with “Treatment Planning” from Going Dental
Part of the challenge of dental school is completing your requirements in a timely fashion. What makes the challenge great, is the variety of patients being admitted to the school. In addtion, there is a mysterious force that seems to bring the same type of patient to the same doctors over and over.
It may be better stated that the force seems to keep certain procedures from some doctors. I have completed many crowns, and much opperative dentistry. I have scheduled my removable prosth requirements. Why is it that I have yet to treatment plan any Class III restorations or anterior endodontic procedures? The patients to which I have the privledge of caring for simply do not need it. This goes for some of my collegues as well, who may have yet to complete a single unit of fixed prosth.
Is there a solution to fight this mysterious force? Yes, there is, and it is called the "admitting overflow signup sheet". After realizing that I was behind in units, I have made it my mission to sign my name at least three times a week on the overflow sheet. That has netted me about one new patient every two weeks, and allowed me to begin to finish my removable prosth requirements. Hopefully, I will soon be able to say that I am working on my senior requirements.
It may seem straight forward, but it has taken some time for me to master the art of answering the question, "how much will it cost?"
Yes, we have a fee schedule. And, yes, I can look up the cost of any procedure completed in the clinic. In most cases [75-95%], I will be right-on. The other 5%, however, I'm not comfortable trying to anticipate the exact dollar amount. So, I've learned to respond, "I don't know right now."
I take my time when treatment planning, and in many cases arrive at a different treatment option than I first thought as optimal. Many times, my preceptors introduce concepts and considerations I haven't had experience with. Therefore, I schedule another appointment to discuss treatment options and cost. This way I give myself time to think through all of the options, and also save myself from giving the impression of being indecisive and unreliable [among other things, I'm sure].
Here's the hypothetical situation: You have had much dental work completed over the last 20 years of your life; several [7] crowns, a 3-unit bridge, root canal therapy, fillings, etc. Excluding your wisdom teeth, you have had only 4 other extractions. Two were not restored because they were in the very back on the same side [top and bottom], one was restored with the above stated bridge, and the other missing tooth is the reason you went to the dentist today. After a complete exam and the necessary radiographs, you hear that several of your crowns [placed 10+ years ago] need to be remade. In addition, one tooth is now unrestorable which will leave the left side with no molars and only one pre-molar on the top. Your dentist says that 2 implant crowns would be the optimal treatment. Is he right?
What other treatment would you offer your patient?
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