How do you approach patient education and compliance when it comes to oral hygiene?

AH: I'm very fortunate because my practice has always had an intraoral camera. I've got the choice of two Acteon cameras in my practice, including the Acteon C50, and I can use the photos I've taken of my patients to educate and motivate them.

Patients often feel told off when disclosing dye is used during their treatment, but nobody blinks an eye when I ask to take a photo and show them instead, plus my nurse appreciates the reduced mess of digital disclosing. Using the Acteon C50’s fluorescent technology in Perio Mode for digital disclosing, I can not only show them the plaque and calculus on their teeth, but also any inflammation, which traditional disclosing dye is unable to do. Every minute in a hygiene appointment counts, and in the past I was spending 5-10 minutes drawing diagrams and using poster boards to show them these things, whereas now I can show them photos of their own mouth to illustrate these explanations within 10 seconds.

The photos also massively help with compliance and motivation, and patients now ask for photos to be taken to compare to their last ones. This means that patients are improving their oral health, and can then progress through their treatment plans more quickly for things like implants or orthodontic treatments.

Acteon C50

Advanced imaging capabilities for fast and accurate diagnoses

What product in your practice would you highly recommend to other dental hygienists?

AH: There are two main products that I think are really useful. The first is an intraoral camera – I struggle now if I don't have one available. Secondly, getting an air prophylaxis unit, such as the Acteon OPUS®, is something I would highly recommend. My patients like having warm water on their teeth, and seeing staining disappear without the use of what they perceive to be noisy dental equipment.

Being more modern with my approach towards hygiene, maintenance, and stain removal can potentially decrease the need for as much ultrasonic scaler use, which is especially beneficial for nervous patients. It allows me to ease them into having treatment and build rapport and trust with them. If they’re thinking about their experiences from 30 years ago, it could put them off visiting the dentist now, but with advancements in technology, we’re building a whole new memory bank of what dental treatment is about.

By taking a more contemporary approach and having this equipment available, I can give my patients the most comfortable, effective, and efficient treatment, and reduce their dental anxiety, which also makes my job easier.

Tackling Dental Anxiety

Discover practical steps towards reducing dental anxiety in patients.

What issues have you encountered while using air polishers, and how have you overcome these?

AH: With previous air prophylaxis units I have used, I've had problems with blockages in the handpiece, the unit itself, and in the hose, and with the handpieces and canisters I’ve had issues with the O-rings splitting – quite frequently leading to costly replacements. I often find using battery-operated wireless foot pedals frustrating, as the batteries can suddenly cut out mid-treatment, or occasionally only give me intermittent power. But with the OPUS, I can reduce the risk of a lot of these issues.

The OPUS pedal is wired with a long cable, so it's not cumbersome or difficult to position, and there are no batteries to cut out without warning. The handpiece for the SILKY pen on the OPUS mixes the air powder and water at the very tip of the nozzle, which makes blockages less likely to occur. With other air polishers, you might get blockages the whole way along the cord, but the silky pen is designed to reduce that risk.

The OPUS powder bottles reduce problems with blockages or spillages that can occur as it has dedicated bottles, which means that every single drop of powder in each bottle is used: there’s no residual powder left at the bottom of the canister.

Opus Air Polisher

Discover the Opus from Acteon, the air polishing and ultrasonic scaling solution that combines precision with comfort.

What is your top tip for helping patients understand the oral-systemic health connection, particularly regarding periodontal disease?

AH: Going back 10 years or so, I used to talk to my patients about just oral health, maybe mentioning some links with systemic health, but almost as an afterthought. In the last 10 years I've flipped it, and I now speak more about systemic health risks and links to periodontal disease. Patients are much more conscious of their systemic health, and their cardiac health especially – they go to the gym and eat healthy. And because we have so much more knowledge and so many more studies to back up these links now, it’s become my core focus, as patients generally care more about their systemic health than they do their oral health.

There are patients that think bleeding gums, for example, are normal, because they’ve always had them. But when you start talking to them about the impact of inflammation on the rest of the body and how that's linked with oral health, suddenly it's a light bulb moment and patients do take that advice on board.

I get a lot of my information from the British Society of Periodontology website because they provide useful links that I can send to my patients for further reading. They also have leaflets I can access to give to patients. Utilising other sources to back up what I'm saying in my appointment makes a big difference with patient education, motivation and compliance.

Patient Education

Oral health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. As dentists, you understand the intricate connections between the body and the mouth, but do your patients?