EMS - Nordic’s Post

Transcript

Hello everyone, I'm Faye Donald from the UK. Welcome to the series on guided biofilm therapy. Today we're going to talk about a crucial aspect of dental success that shouldn't get overlooked, home care. Brushing and incidental cleaning at home may seem like a mundane task, but it's actually one of the most crucial factors in maintaining good dental health. Effective daily plaque control and good home care regimes can help to prevent cavities, gum disease and other oral health issues, however. Despite having an awareness of the importance of daily home care, many patients still neglect this aspects of their dental health. As dental professionals, it's our responsibility to become actively involved in motivating our patients to take good care of their teeth and gums. One of the most effective ways to motivate patients is through education. Knowledge is power, understanding why good home care is important and being shown the consequences of ineffective cleaning such as gum inflammation, cavities and even tooth loss. Will help to improve the patient's understanding of how to prevent future occurrences. Another proven effective tool in motivating patients is the use of biofilm disclosing agents. These agents help patients physically see the areas where biofilm has accumulated in their mouths. This will help the patient to understand the importance of correct positioning and angulation of brushes and incidental cleaning aids. Technique is also very important. We mustn't assume patients can fully interpret our spoken instructions. We must also demonstrate. Good home care is heavily reliant not only on the patient's willingness to perform but also their ability. Demonstrating these techniques on models and in the mouth is a crucial part of educating the patient. Tracking progress and giving feedback will also help the patients and learn and adapt until they've perfected their technique. Remember when designing their oral hygiene regime to set achievable goals that fit in with the patient's lifestyle and schedule? Finally, we can use positive reinforcement to motivate our patients by celebrating their successes. When patients make good progress in their home care, we can acknowledge and praise their hard work, which will encourage them to continue. Studies show that no matter how good the dental treatment, without adequate sustained daily plaque control through excellent home care, the likelihood of the treatment failing is significantly increased. We also know that lifestyle choices can play a role in periodontal health, and educating our patients on the effects of some of their habits is also an important part of motivating them to make healthy changes. In conclusion, home care and a healthy lifestyle is a critical component of dental success and as dental professionals is our responsibility to motivate our patients to take good care of their teeth and gums. Through education, biofilm, disclosing agents, goal setting, and celebration of successes, we can help our patients achieve optimal dental health. And that's it for today's episode of Guided Biofilm Therapy. Thank you for listening, tuning to the next episode soon.