During dental treatment, often patients only see what is available in a mirror or x-ray, which can be hard for them to really understand. When you start using dental terminology to describe findings and treatment needs, chances are you’ve further lost the patient. What if there was a way to increase understanding and treatment acceptance without saying a single word?
Educating with Images
With intraoral images, patients can see exactly what you’re talking about. When a patient sees calculus build up, or bloody, inflamed gingiva, they know right away that their oral health isn’t in the best condition. Armed with this direct visual understanding, patients better understand the situation at hand. Then when they learn that what they’ve seen with their own eyes is from improper or insufficient homecare, they have a solid motivational starting point to change behavior.
When they see what their habits and hygiene routine is (or is not) doing for their oral health, they know what areas need work and will be more likely to follow through with recommendations from their dentist or hygienist. You can talk till you are blue in the face about what’s going on in the patient’s mouth, but the fact of the matter is that nothing can convince a person of something like seeing it with their own eyes. In oral health, seeing is more than believing. When patients see for themselves they take action for themselves. They become involved in self-diagnosis and actively involved in their own care needs.
An Ally in Their Own Care
Before and After pictures are a great way to utilize your intraoral camera, and build lasting patient relationships. When a patient comes in for preventative care, they don’t actually know what the situation is or how it impacts their overall health. Maybe they floss once every couple weeks and think its doing a good job—but if you show them a picture Before and After treatment, it can give them a better grasp on just how much build up there was. They might be motivated to floss more regularly once they see how quickly calculus can build up in between the teeth or on the molars. The key to compliance is information and education, using an intraoral cameras enhances your ability to do both.
To some, intraoral cameras feel like brand new, futuristic technology when in reality they’ve been around for decades. Intraoral cameras have become an essential tool for dental professionals, but the thing about them is, they only work if you actually use them! MouthWatch intraoral cameras are an affordable option, making it possible to have one in every operatory.