 Hello, everybody. How's it going? Andrea and Myesca here with Dental Health Tutoring I'm going to be talking to you guys about today kind of I guess a typical patient appointment because I had a comment on YouTube The other day to explain how I get through everything in 45 minutes. I believe it was 40 or 45 minutes Now it does depend. I have been in offices before which I think I've mentioned But sorry, I have to move my chair. There we go. I've been in offices before where we had a 40 minute appointments Where we had half an hour appointments. I'm glad I don't work there. Sorry not sorry But more recently I'm in an office now where we have an hour appointments for adults if it's for a perio only It's about 50 minutes, but sometimes it's 45 minutes to depending on if the patient's late, right? So I'm going to be talking to you guys About the 45 minute appointments, but it's kind of the same thing anyway depending on who I'm seeing So this is what I do and I'm one of those hygienists where I'm not usually on time I'm not I'm usually about, you know, at least five minutes behind, right? I'm never done early I might be on time, but like on the dot type thing So I might not be the best person to do a video for you because I'm sure other hygienists have other tips But this is what I do to help myself not be more behind if that makes sense Um, so first I'll just kind of talk about what I go through in a patient appointment and how I stay As on time as possible and then other things that I do to stay organized. I do have a whole Video on how I set up for the day. So if you guys haven't seen that yet, you should watch it because it's actually very helpful So, okay, so typically a 45 minute appointment. Let's say so what I do is I bring the patient back, obviously I sit them down Um, I just simply talk about hi. How are you? Um, it's your cleaning and checkup with me today So I do always mention what they're doing that day because it has happened where the patient might go Oh, I thought I was in for a filling and then I'll kind of look at the schedule and go Oh, you have the same first name with somebody else. So I actually brought back the wrong person or sometimes there are patients out there who you might call the name Mike and John sits up and says hey, hey, that's me and then you bring them back thinking it's Mike You talk about it's their cleaning and checkup today and they go i'm here for a tooth extraction You brought back a john and not mike, right? It's not your fault But some patients are just for some reason they just hear something and they go. Yep. That's me, right? so always Um, let them know what the appointment's for but I I ask them these questions while I'm opening up the instrument kit While i'm putting on the bib while i'm checking their chart to just kind of stay on time So I do ask them how their day has been. I um, let them know what they're in for today I do ask them if there's any tooth issues So if they have any sore teeth any sensitive teeth because it's good to know that it's the beginning of the appointment So you know whether or not you might be taking another x-ray if they have a sore tooth, right? Or if they say, yeah, like my my teeth are still really really cold sensitive that tells me right away Okay, I might not want to use the piezo or the cavatron if I can help it because if their teeth are more Cold sensitive than than usual me spraying the water isn't going to help them So I like to ask that and then of course I do update their medical history Are there any changes if they're taking any medications? I do say are you still taking and then I will read off the list Your your medication for the thyroid for your high blood pressure, you know, whatever that may be I'd like to read off the list because they may not remember what they told you last time So they might go. Oh, I thought I told you that I was taking this now for High cholesterol, but I forgot to mention that obviously since you didn't read that off or they might go Oh, actually, I'm not taking those two Medications I haven't been taking them for like a year. So yeah, can you take those off? So it's good to make a note about that too. And then if they just say that there's no changes, you know, things seem fine Then I then I will sit them back in the chair And I do always like to ask them though, too If they have any questions before we get started because they may not have a tooth issue They may not have any medical changes, but they might be thinking Oh, I'm kind of curious about this or you know, what I tried to whiten the other day, but it wasn't Um, it didn't work or whatever, right? I like to ask them if they have any questions as I'm sitting them back So that while I'm cleaning their teeth, I can talk about Their questions so hypothetically if a patient says that they used the crest strips last week and their teeth are so cold Sensitive still instead of me You know talking and saying to them. Oh, okay. Well, let's talk about it Um, I'm wasting time in a sense. So what I do is I sit them back I start cleaning their teeth and while I'm cleaning I will be talking Now this actually took me years to probably learn I don't know why I didn't think about this initially But talking while you're cleaning makes a big big difference. Otherwise Honestly, I could talk to them for like 20 minutes when somebody asks me a question I love questions. I do. I don't know what it is Maybe it's because I teach so I love questions, but that would probably take me 20 minutes To explain to them why The crest strips is making their teeth sensitive because then I'll go in to talk about the sensitine that they should be using I will be going in to say well, your enamel is a lot thinner than it should be I think you're brushing too hard, you know things look things like that right like that would take me 20 minutes Instead as I said, I sit them back and clean the teeth at the same time So that's what I do now I don't really pay attention to how long it takes me to clean or how many minutes I spend Scaling and polishing but what I do is I just simply start quad one And then I move on to quad, you know, two and then quad two lingual Actually, no, sorry What do I do? It's not funny I believe what I do is I go to quad one on the buckle and then quad one on the lingual And then I go to quad two on the buckle quad two on the lingual and then I do the upper interiors the buckle and lingual Then I go to quad three buckle quad three lingual Quad four buckle quad four lingual and then the lower interiors buckle and lingual. So yeah, so that's what I do I've never really thought about it before I know a lot of hygienists like to start with the lower interiors because that's where Most of the tartar and plaque usually is but I for some reason I just like to do that last because I do spend more time on it So I feel like if I get all of the other teeth out of the way first and I can spend the time Doing the lower interiors and then I see how much time I have so I do look at the Clock often So that's just kind of what I do But if it's a 45 minute appointment, let's say Um, let's say you start the patient at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at 2 30 I should be done the cleaning portion and then I'll polish after that Um, if that 230 I'm not done then I should be saying to myself which I do in my head Okay, well, I kind of have to speed things up now. Otherwise. I'm going to get behind So I do try to do that as best I can But of course that doesn't always work, you know If you're seeing a patient for the first time in two years You probably will not be able to get the cleaning done or if they have just more plaque than usual There's no harm in saying you have a lot more plaque and tartar than usual. It's going to take me longer I can't keep my other patients waiting. I mean you don't have to say that But that's what I kind of tell myself is well, I can't keep the other patients waiting because that's not fair to them Right, so then just let them know. I can't do the full cleaning today But next time absolutely we will be able to finish the rest. It's just you have more Tartar so do not make it sound like it's your fault that you can't finish It's their fault for having more plaque and tartar, you know, so then that way they know Okay, shoot if I brush better if I start to floss the next time She should be able to do my cleaning in one appointment if I come in more often She should be able to do my cleaning in one appointment. So that does help So yeah, so I'd say if I started the cleaning at two o'clock. I should be finishing the scaling by two three and then I polish because then after that I like to check my work So after I polish I take an extra a minute or two and check around and see if I left anything I am human. I leave tartar behind and you do too. Even if you don't think you do I like to check with the air From my air water syringe and check to see what I left behind There's always something I left behind. I might not be able to see it But as soon as I blow the air I can see it and I'm thinking oh my goodness. How would I miss that? But then I'm also thinking I'm glad I checked. So I do take that time Um, I forgot to mention I do floss after the polish some people like to floss before I like to floss afterwards because the polish gets stuck in the teeth anyway So that's just what I do So then after I check around I will do the oral cancer screening and I let the patient know I say I'm just going to have a have another look I'd like to do the oral cancer screening at every single appointment where I just look around I check for any lumps or bumps or anything that's not supposed to be there And then that's when I will point out. Oh, well I can see you chew the inside of your cheek more on the left hand side because I see that white line So I'm not sure if you've ever noticed that before but that's from chewing the inside of your Cheeks, it's not a bad thing But you shouldn't be doing it because they do say that every time you are taking Skin cells off new skin cells have to come back, right? And there's always chance of a Of a mutation things to go wrong, you know, as silly as that sounds, but it's true So if I can see that the patient's interested then I will you know talk to them about that too I will mention things like oh, you know, you have A hematoma so if I see like a blue area on the inside of the cheek It's probably from chewing your cheek too much or you're sort of, you know, enict it a certain way But that's normal So I do let them know what I see and that it's normal too or if I'm not sure about something I'll say Oh, what happened here? You have a white patch, which I I don't see noted in your chart It's about two millimeter by one millimeter. Um, keep an eye on it If it doesn't go away in two weeks, so let's say August the third, you know, whatever Please let us know I'm not saying it's bad But I just would like to make sure that we're not missing something right because they want you to be thorough They will appreciate that So I do take the time to explain that to the patients afterwards and then I will let them know, okay You are all set. Um, the dentist should be in in about five more minutes. I'll just let her know Would you prefer to stay the way you are or to sit up and have a stretch? Some go no, this is actually pretty relaxing I'm just going to lay here and then some go. Yes, please sit me up. I need to have a stretch, you know So then just set them up, right? So and then sometimes what I do depending on the time if I'm running a little bit early and by early I mean like a minute early then I will take the notes. Um, we take notes in the computer, which is so much easier I love that. Um, I tend to type a lot faster than I write so it's a lot easier for me I will take the notes quickly Or if I'm, you know, right on time Then I will be to let, um, the dentist know that I'm all set for her because she'll she'll probably be a minute or two Anyway, and then while I'm waiting for her, I take the notes in the computer Now I can't stress enough to even if you're behind, um, after you bring the patient out Take the notes right away. Do not wait until the end of the day because I used to do that Especially if I was working in an office. Oh, sorry guys. I'm just going to Sorry guys, there was somebody at the door and my dog was barking and I had shut the door to my office So I just wanted to quickly let her and now my husband's like yelling at them because they're too loud I do too. I'm like, shut up Anyways, sorry guys. So who was I talking about? Oh, yes So please write your notes at the end of the patient even if you're honestly 20 minutes behind Take those five minutes or whatever to take the notes because I made the mistake of Before and sometimes I do still do it But then I kick myself Is I take all all wait to take the notes at the end of the day But then at the end of the day, you're you know hanging out for half an hour Writing notes in everybody's chart and you won't remember everything. I know I don't Um, so I would prefer to spend an extra five minutes Take those notes after the patient even if I'm behind So a I don't forget anything and I'm not spending more time at the end of the day I don't know about your office, but a lot of offices only allow you to stay 15 minutes paid Past your last patient or or half an hour paid past your last patient But if you have to spend that time taking notes, you're not being paid for that time because you still have to clean up Possibly set up for the next day Run the lines, you know, just do whatever you have to do. So it makes sense to me To take the notes and yes, I'll be behind But after each patient so at least I'm being paid at the end of the day to you know, do what I'm supposed to be doing You know, I'm cleaning up sterilizing the instruments Stalking the root, you know things like that. So after the dentist comes in Um, I make sure to have the mirror and the explorer out for them And I try to clean up my tray as much as possible. So like if it's a mess All, you know, put the instruments all back like properly, um aligned on the tray I will probably throw out the gauze. Um, I do tend to leave Sometimes like a clean um piece of gauze and floss on the tray in case the dentist wants it, right? Because she might um, but I do always make sure to take out the mirror and the explorer for her So that she she doesn't have to be looking, you know So I just kind of leave it off to the side And I do take out a pair of extra small gloves for the dentist also So that she can see that, you know, all she has to do is put them on and then she's all set. Um Let's see and then I just kind of stand back and let the dentist do her thing I do like to mention. Okay. We did not take any x-rays today because the last ones were done in march of this year Um, the patient mentioned to me that they're more cold sensitive than usual I didn't notice anything new inside the mouth, but I can tell that we had talked to Sam about brushing too hard in the past But other than that the plaque is still light to moderate Um, the calculus was a little bit heavier today the lower interiors But otherwise things are looking pretty good, you know, so I'll just kind of talk about the patient a little bit Because there's nothing worse than the than the dentist coming in and you're just sitting there or standing there waiting You know, I see it all the time. I don't know why hygienists do that You know, talk to the patient talk to the dentist and let the dentists know what they're looking at. Okay If you took x-rays make sure to say I took these x-rays today So the dentist looks at them And then after the dentist is done They will leave. Um, I'll give the patient a toothbrush a floss and toothpaste I do tend to ask them if they want that because there are patients who will say I have enough toothbrushes every time I come you give me a new one. So no, thank you I'm thinking yeah, you're welcome. We give you a new toothbrush. Sorry, you know But no, I do like to ask now and then at the at the end I do say do you have any questions? I'm hoping not because it's the end of the appointment and I just answered all of their questions before But I do still ask right because they might have just thought of something new and I'm sure the patient appreciates it And then I walk them out I think that this is something that not everybody does but as a patient I would appreciate being walked out I don't know. It's just me But I walk the patient out with the chart I bring the chart to the front desk if I see a lot of people at the front desk Then I will say to the patient to have a seat Um, if there's nobody else there, then I know that the receptionist is able to take them right away And then I will say to the receptionist, you know, um Please book the next appointment for three months Sometimes um, if I if I have time like if I'm waiting for a check I do book the appointment the appointment from my room But sometimes I don't have time for that but I will let the receptionist know Please book the next one in three months time so that she's not looking through the chart You might read it wrong and book them for another time, you know So I like to let her know and of and of course I tell the patient Thank you for coming in today. Have a good summer and I'll see you next time So that's that's what I do and then I rush back to my room to clean up Um and set up for the next patient So I hope I helped you guys if I left anything else Please let me know because I actually haven't talked about my typical appointment before so I kind of had to think about that But if I left anything else, please let me know. I hope this helped Um, make sure to give it a like a thumbs up Um, and if you haven't yet make sure to subscribe and so then that way every time I do a new video You will be able to see it because I am uploading them more often now So thank you guys for watching. Have a good summer too, and I'll see you in the next one