The TMJ or temporomandibular joint is the joint, which connects the jawbone along with the skull. It is the disorder, which causes pain within the jaw joint, including the muscles, which helps in the jaw movement's movement. 

There can be many causes behind the TMJ disorder, and some of those can be jaw injury, genetics, arthritis, or many more. In some of the cases, the problem of the TMJ is temporary, which can be easily cured while having nonsurgical treatments and following home remedies. If all these methods failed to treat the problem, then the only solution to the problem will be surgical treatment.

What are the symptoms of TMJ disorders?

Here are some of the most common symptoms of TMJ disorders

• Feeling pain within your jaw
• Facing problem while chewing
• Suffering from face pain
• Getting problem while speaking or opening your mouth
• A person suffering from the TMJ disorder can get the clicking sound sensation while chewing or opening their mouth. But they do not feel any pain while jaw clicking.

What is the treatment followed by a person suffering from the TMJ disorder?

If your symptoms are normal, you do not need to consult along with the doctor, but on the other hand, if your symptoms are getting worse day-by-day, you should consult with your doctor. So, let’s have a look at some of the symptoms of the disorder.

Medications

The medications for TMJ disorders include pain killers and anti-inflammatory. But if you feel that your pain is not curing, your doctor can recommend you to have some stronger medication. 

Tricyclic antidepressants

Though such types of medicines are used for curing the problem of depression, but it can also be used if you are getting a sharp pain. It includes pain relief, sleeplessness, and many other problems. 

Therapies

Physical therapy is also used to treat the problem of TMJ disorders, so for those who are not getting as much as results from medication, physical therapy is the best idea.

Exercises

We cannot ignore the benefit of exercising, as they are very beneficial in offering strength to the muscles. In the case of the TMJ disorder, they help offer strength to the jaw muscles.

Surgical procedures are also used for treating the problem of TMJ disorder. So, let’s check all those procedures in detail.

Injections: In the case of the TMJ disorder, injections are also very beneficial. The injections are having liquid made of Botulinum type A, which is very beneficial in reducing the pain caused due to TMJ disorder.

Modified condyloma: Here in this, the surgery is followed to cure the problem of TMJ disorder. But there is some risk while having this treatment for the disorder.

Open-Joint Surgery: If other treatments are not working on you, getting open-joint surgery is the best for you, and your doctor will always recommend you to have this treatment.

Some of the home remedies that help treat the same problem

Massage: Massaging is also the best method which is very beneficial in strengthening muscles. You can also have guidance from your doctor on how to massage. 

Avoid excessive usage of your jaw muscles: While you will use your jawbones excessively, it can create more pain. So, make sure that you should eat soft foods or cut your food into small pieces.

Conclusion

We hope that you have cleared with all the things related to the TMJ disorders. If you are suffering from the same problem, then we believe that you got all the things cleared to you after reading the above post.

As it comes to cutting down on cancellations and no-shows, we also live in an increasingly demanding world, and it can be difficult for your patients to take the time and effort out of their busy schedules to go to a dentist. Whatever the reason, your practice needs to understand this and help alleviate your patient’s concerns.

Help patients make dental visits a priority by emphasizing points such as early intervention can help ensure a quicker and less costly resolution to a dental problem.
There are similar but different protocols for
1) new patients,
2) patients due for re-care
3) patients past due for re-care
4) patients scheduled for operative, and
5) patients who broke their appointment for the operative.

10 tips that address all patients:

1. Talk to patients. The most basic step to keep no-shows and cancellations low is talking to patients while they are in the practice to ensure they’re educated on the negative effects on their oral and overall health if they do not move ahead with their treatment or care.

2. Assign confirmation to any team member so that the practice has accountability. That team member should have outstanding communication skills and have his or her ear "tuned" into a lack of commitment phrases from patients.

3. Find out whether patients would prefer to be contacted by text, mail, or phone. Texting is fastly becoming the preferred method, at least for my clients’ patients. Do not offer a postcard. Only use a postcard if a patient will request it.
With the help of advancements in dental technology, patients have much less reason to dread trips to your practice. Your job is to educate them on how the latest technology can help assuage their fears. Dentists can now quickly assess what issues patients are facing and accurately determine a course of treatment.

4. Keep the basic schedule for confirming appointments, which is three weeks, three days, and one day, unless a patient tells you differently.

5. Know that certain types of patients must be confirmed directly and fast.
         a) Those who have previously broken an appointment.
         b) Patients below 30s, Older people are often more reliable.
         c) Patients who use Medical aid or any other government plan (those who pay cash or have private insurance are more reliable).
         d) Those who have not been in practice for some time.

6. An active short-call list to help plug any holes in your schedule.

7. Remember the reminder for an operative appointment is one day before unless the appointment is booked well in advance.

8. For new patients, a call from the dentist to invite them to the practice will cut down on new patient no-shows.

9. If a patient doesn’t show up, call the person right away. If you do not reach the patient list, let the person know you’ll try back in a week. Repeat a week later if necessary. If there is still no response, put them on automatic reminders using their preferred form of communication and that will be taken care of.

10. After a month of patients responding and communication, continue to make calls based on your knowledge of a patient without becoming obnoxious or seeming desperate. How many calls you make are based on what you know about a patient. You should not be rote about how often you call, if you know the patient is out of the country for a few weeks, is ill, or whatever the case may be.

Above all, consistent focus on your marketing efforts and consistent messaging should empower your practice to not only rebound, but slingshot to greater success.

Dentures are a removable, convenient (one of the quicker options for full tooth replacement), beautiful and a natural-looking tooth replacement option, that replaces missing or decayed teeth. The dental profession uses the word partial denture if a removable denture is expected to replace one or more missing teeth, but not a whole arch of teeth. There are different types of dentures available based on your needs including:

• Removable partial dentures - This type of denture replaces one or more missing teeth either in the lower or upper jaw, but not a whole arch. A partial denture glides or snaps to place by attaching to typically two or more remaining natural teeth. The materials of a partial consist of pink acrylic to resemble gum tissue, strong and reinforced plastic teeth (there are a few teeth choices) and then what we call a major connector. The major connector is the part that attaches the partial to natural remaining teeth. This connector can be made of a cobalt chromium alloy metal or a variety of tooth colored options.

• Implant retained dentures - An implant retained denture is one that is attached to and supported by two or more implants, which improves the denture's stability and bite function. An implant is a screw-like fixture that is surgically placed and the bone grows to this structure and an attachment in the denture will adhere to the immobile implant creating an improved stable denture base for eating and speaking. Implants are commonplace and routine and while it may sound daunting, people that have implants placed typically report little to no discomfort.

• Removable full dentures - A full or complete denture is a removable tooth replacement option that we have clearly already reviewed that all the teeth in at least one arch are replaced. (There can be an upper denture and a lower denture per individual.)

As your dentist in Scottsdale, AZ, we will review all your options as well as the pro and cons of each option to help recommend the denture type best suited for your needs and expectations depending on the number of teeth that need to be replaced. Whether a full or partial denture not only will it improve the appearance of your face and smile but also ensure long-term oral health and provide facial support. Having dentures enhances your oral function and helps you look and feel good. Teeth replacement is essential to your health as chewing your food is necessary for digestion and if not properly chewed, it can alter nutrition and even cause gastrointestinal (G.I.) or “stomach” issues.

Advantages of Dentures

• Dentures are designed to be comfortable, fully functional, and aesthetically pleasing, so you can eat and speak without any issues.
• They are a cost-effective option to replace your missing teeth
• They quickly restore your oral functionality, smile, and confidence, as they are designed to function as closely to your natural teeth as possible.
• They support facial muscles and structures of your lips and cheeks to ensure a beautiful and healthy smile and improved facial appearance.
• They can be customized to match your natural teeth size, shape, and color.
• You can get dentures on the same day immediately after the tooth extraction process. So, you never have to be without teeth!
• If additional teeth are removed or lost in the future, it is sometimes possible to modify partial dentures to accommodate the additional tooth loss.

Disadvantages of Dentures

• Dentures may initially require frequent adjustments especially immediate dentures, including soft and hard relining procedures to accommodate the changes in the gums and bone structure.
• Dentures cover the roof of your mouth, so you might initially have difficulty tasting food. Rest assured that your other taste buds will start to accommodate this change and you will taste food normally with time.
• Dentures and partial dentures should be taken out of the mouth at night and kept in water overnight. Your mouth needs time to rest and breathe while sleeping.
• Dentures and partial dentures need to be thoroughly cleaned every day by brushing both the teeth side and the tissue side out of your mouth, over a soft surface is advised if one is accidently dropped.
• Sometimes, dentures can slide or slip, making it difficult to eat and speak. It is also inevitable that some food particles will get lodged under a denture. If this happens, one needs to rinse the mouth with water and may need to take one or both dentures out to rinse as well.
• Dentures may break or crack if dropped, requiring adjustments, repairs or replacements.

What to Expect with New Dentures

Making a habit of wearing new dentures may take some time. Once your denture is fitted, it may feel strange at the beginning, but this is normal. As new dentures settle in, you might experience minor difficulties and soreness for the first few hours to weeks. However, everything will feel normal once your mouth, tongue, and facial muscles get used to dentures.

Here are some difficulties that you can expect with your new dentures:

• Sore Spots:Your dentist will schedule a follow-up appointment within 24-48 hours of delivering your new dentures to you, as you may develop sore spots during this time. Determine and make note of the areas of your sore spots so that you can translate this information to us to more easily locate the areas that need to be adjusted to prevent future problems. It is not advisable to adjust your dentures yourself, as you might harm your mouth, misshape or break your new teeth replacement prosthesis. If you remove your dentures, make sure you put them back in your mouth and eat one to two meals before your next dental appointment. This will help us find the exact problems more quickly, save you time and help us adjust your dentures accordingly.
• Eating with New Dentures: Eating with new dentures requires some practice. You should first start with soft foods, including bananas, scrambled eggs, pastas and mashed potatoes. Make sure to cut the food into small pieces and chew slowly to help keep your dentures in place. You should chew on both sides of your mouth, rather than with your front teeth. This will prevent your dentures from dislodging. It may be difficult to hold your lower denture in place. In such circumstances, you can hold it in place with your tongue by touching the inner surface of the lower denture. Dentures only function about 10% as to your natural teeth, so avoid chewy and hard foods. You will learn tips for eating on your own quickly and know what works for you. For instance, if you want to bite into something firm, by placing your tongue on the roof of the mouth, this will help an upper denture stay in place.
• Speaking with New Dentures: Speaking with new dentures also requires some time to get used to. Certain sounds and words might be more difficult than before. To get used to dentures, practice speaking, or reading out loud. Speak slowly until you have mastered holding your dentures in place if your dentures make a clicking sound when you talk. This happens when your dentures are not placed perfectly, and it is normal for new denture-users.
• Increased Saliva: It is quite normal to experience an increased saliva flow with new dentures. However, it will diminish once you get used to wearing dentures.

How Long Can Dentures Last?

A denture typically should be remade every 5 years but sometimes the life can be extended to 10 years with excellent maintenance and care. Regardless if you have teeth or do not have any natural teeth, it is always safest to have a thorough exam and tissue by a dentist every six months. Your mouth tissues and dentures change over time and your dentures may become loose. Denture wearers experience these changes within a few weeks to a year which is why you need to see your dentist on a regular basis for any adjustments and to have a tissue check for any abnormalities including oral cancer screenings.

Handling insurances have been a real pain for dental practices over the past few years. Learn from the expert on how to push back your outdated insurance systems and focus on taking your revenue cycle to the next level of operational efficiency. 

Know more about CareStack here: https://www.carestack.com/

If your teeth are stained, discolored, worn, chipped, broken, misaligned, misshapen, or have gaps between them, modern cosmetic dentistry can give you a better smile. A “smile makeover” improves the appearance of your smile through one or more cosmetic dentistry procedures. Cosmetic dentists work with you to develop a treatment plan. Below you’ll find some information that can help you learn more about the various types of cosmetic dental procedures available.

Types of Cosmetic Dentistry

• Teeth Whitening
• Dental Veneers
• Dental Bonding
• Dental Crowns 
• Inlays and Onlays
• Dental Implants

Let’s look at some of the benefits of cosmetic dental treatment:

Enhance your smile:

Not all people are born with the best of smiles and some people have had teeth deteriorate over time. Cosmetic dentistry can do wonders.

Whitening and Bleaching:

Imagine you have an important social engagement coming soon, and you realize your teeth have become stained or discolored. That is the time when cosmetic dentistry will come to your help. Your teeth can be whitened by about seven shades by using whitening trays and gel that can be custom-made for you.

Cosmetic Restorations:

If an unfortunate incident causes you to lose a tooth or part of it, cosmetic dentistry will give you a crown or a bridge to restore your smile or even improve it. In case you develop a cavity, cosmetic dentistry will give you a tooth-colored filling and even a matching crown, if necessary.

Get your smile designing done at Dr.Krinita Motwani’s Clinic today.

Call us: 9820280343                                                     

Email us: drkrinitamotwani@gmail.com

Visit us: www. drkrinitamotwani.com

Whether you have lost a tooth due to physical inquiry, trauma, general wear and tear, or extraction due to gum disease or cavities, it should be replaced. You have many options to replace your missing teeth, including full or partial dentures, bridges, and crowns. Dental implants are one of the best available options for replacing missing teeth.

Dental implants feature an artificial tooth root placed in your jawbone, which creates a robust and permanent foundation and structure for a replacement tooth. An implant is different from other tooth replacement options, as it replaces the tooth and the root. They can replace one or more missing teeth, anchor a denture, and act as part of a bridge unit.

Read on to learn more about why you should choose dental implants over other tooth replacement options:

1. Improved Confidence

Implants give patients the confidence to smile and engage in social activities without worrying whether their teeth will become loose or fall out. Implants are a replacement tooth that is permanently placed in your jawbone.

2. Implants Look Natural

Dental implants will look, feel, and function like your natural teeth, helping you regain the ability to speak, smile, and eat with the same confidence as with your natural teeth.

3. Improved Smile

Dental implants help make your smile look more natural and beautiful. Being immovable, the implants help you smile confidently, improving your overall appearance.

4. Durability

Dentures require frequent adjustments, bridges can last only 5 to 10 years, but implants can last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance.

5. Improved Eating

Eating with a removable denture can be difficult because it can slide during eating. However, dental implants can restore full chewing ability so you can eat without any inconveniences. Implants are 80% as efficient as a person’s original teeth, whereas dentures are only 20 to 25% efficient.

With implants, you can eat a wider variety of foods, including chewy, crunchy, and sticky foods. Another problem with dentures is that they cover the mouth’s roof, so you will have difficulty tasting the food. Implants do not cover the roof of the mouth, enabling you to taste the food fully.

6. Implants Prevent Bone Loss

Dental implants help prevent bone loss, as they replace the root and the tooth, restoring full chewing power and providing the needed stimulation for natural bone growth.

7. Comfort and Convenience

Dental implants can be a more comfortable and convenient option than other teeth replacement options. Unlike dentures, you won’t need to remove your plants and or take any extra special care. Just be sure to brush your implants carefully and visit your dentist for regular cleanings.

8. Implants Keep Adjacent Teeth Stable

Your gums and soft tissue need to be healthy to receive and be able to support dentures. Bridges use two adjacent teeth to fill a missing space. If anyone of those teeth is damaged, the bridge cannot be used and should be taken out. However, dental implants do not require the preparation of adjacent teeth. They support themselves without stressing the surrounding teeth.

9. Improved Speech

Dental implants are immovable so that you can speak more confidently. They help preserve and enhance your speech as they mimic your natural teeth. You won’t have to worry about anything slipping out of place and impacting your speech.

10. Implants Prevent Facial Sagging

Facial sagging is an unwanted consequence of bone loss that results from missing teeth. Implants prevent bone loss by providing the required stimulation for your jawbone, so you do not have to worry about experiencing sagging skin, wrinkles, and thinning lips.

11. No Decay

Implants are made of titanium, which is resistant to decay. If properly maintained and cared for, implants do not require further replacements or treatments. All these reasons make dental implants a powerful tooth replacement option. To get the best and customized dental implants near you, schedule an appointment with our dental implants specialist in Scottsdale.

Toothache on holiday or while traveling can be a nightmare for all of us! When you face severe and intolerable pain in your teeth, going to an emergency dental office will be helpful. But, preventing a dental emergency problem is always the best solution, especially on holidays. If you still need more information about dental emergency, contact an emergency dentist in your area or you can contact our emergency dentist in Vaughan.

Here are some tips for preventing toothache during the holidays and how to manage dental emergency cases:

• When traveling, you’d better have some weak painkillers with you. If you want to go on a trip by plane, you should know about a condition called barodontalgia or tooth squeeze. It happens because of air pressure changes, causes severe toothache in air travel, and you can use simple painkillers to relieve this pain.
• Do not forget about flossing, brushing, and generally, practicing proper oral hygiene during the holidays. Traveling, going on holiday, and having fun don’t mean you can put your toothbrush away.
• Anesthetic sprays, toothpaste, herbal analgesic drops, and some traditional herbal remedies such as cloves may be useful in temporarily pain controlling when there is not an emergency dental clinic around you. But first, consult a dentist to ensure they are not harmful to you.
• Alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes are not ways to control a toothache. Sedatives are also not allowed to be used in toothache cases if the dentist has not previously prescribed them. These drugs, regardless of their addictive nature, may have irreversible harmful effects.
• If your toothache stops, keep in mind that preventing the pain does not mean you do not need to visit an emergency dentist anymore. Even if the pain stops, try to visit a dentist to determine the cause of the pain and start appropriate dental treatment.

When is it necessary to visit a dentist?

If you have any pain in your mouth, it is better to consult your dentist. Many pains may not disappear over time, and sometimes they get worse. If the toothache persists for more than a few days, try to visit a dentist as soon as possible to check symptoms such as swelling, infection, difficulty breathing or swallowing, etc. Your dentist will examine your mouth and the possibility of abscesses, cavities, swollen gums, cracked teeth, and abrasions. These are just common symptoms of toothache, but they all depend on the dentist's diagnosis.

Cavities and caries

Caries occurs when bacteria damage the enamel and other factors such as excessive acidity and cavities may form in your teeth as a result. When cavities form, they irritate the tooth root, and the pain becomes more and more severe. In this case, the dentist typically recommends dental filling. Before filling, the rotten part is removed and cleaned. Toothache also may be due to previous dental filling or cracking.

Root canal infection

Root canals may be inflamed and infected. If left untreated, infections can cause severe pain or lead to abscesses (in emergency cases, they can be associated with a throat infection). Other symptoms of root canal infection include fever, tooth discoloration, and chewing sensation. There are various root canal problems, which can be treated depending on the dentist's diagnosis.

Tooth extraction

Sometimes the last choice is tooth extraction. This problem usually occurs in children who have baby teeth. Some teeth (such as wisdom teeth) that are not important for chewing and cause pain can be extracted without worries

Online patient registration can improve the patient experience, increase practice efficiency, and reduce the management burden on your staff.

Here’s how:

Improving the patient experience

Most patients are provided a clipboard stacked with paperwork when they walk into the average dental office. Filling out all of that paperwork right before the appointment progress the amount of time spent at the office, and the amount of time devoted to their dental appointment in an already busy day.

With online patient registration, your patients receive a link in an appointment confirmation email stating them to a secure online form they can complete at home, at their convenience. The information they provide demographics, health history, and insurance which is then transmitted to the new patient record in your practice management software automatically when they submit the form.

It would be natural, with everything going on, to return to what you were doing for marketing before the pandemic; running the same internal initiatives and resuming whatever external efforts you had in place. Will this work? While we don’t know for sure, considering patients may be hesitant to return to care quickly, the possibility of a resurgence of the virus, and the fact that dental practices will be competing for patients – signals a change to your approach may be in order. 

When the patient reaches the office for their appointment, they can go straight to the operatory once they’ve checked in because you already have all of their information in the patient record saved. This means they can be on their way much more quickly than when they had to spend 20 minutes at the beginning of each appointment filling out paper forms in your waiting area.

Increasing practice efficiency and reducing the administrative burden

If your patients submit an online registration form ahead of time, you’ve taken a task off of the front desk’s plate, comforting your team to do other important things like help a patient schedule a follow-up appointment before they exit.

What’s more important is, electronic forms can reduce data entry errors related to transcription. Anyone who has worked the front desk knows that patient handwriting can be difficult to read at times, and even the best employees reading perfectly legible handwriting can make the occasional typo when entering information from paper forms into your dental practice management software. 

Electronic forms don’t eliminate data entry errors completely; they're still recording inputs from humans, and no one is perfect, but they can certainly help reduce the potential for error.

The benefits are clear, but not all dental practice management software is created equal. Most dental practices in the U.S. are still running on outdated software, which doesn’t allow for online patient-facing features like patient registration. Some creative practices have managed to build a workaround using custom-built online cloud forms, but those typically require manual upload into the practice management software, which doesn’t go all the way in reducing the administrative burden on staff as well.

To conclude the most important need of the moment for any business is to maximum convert the process online. 

CareStack Enterprise™  is an all-in-one cloud-based dental practice management software for growing multi-location practices, DSOs, and solo practices. At CareStack, we work with dentists around the country to help them increase their new patient appointments and overall patient satisfaction as they invest in dental scheduling software for their practices. With a number of features, CareStack helps dentists to manage their daily appointments, anytime, anywhere

Book a demo with CareStack to integrate the amazing features within your practice website and experience for yourself the rapid increase in your appointment volume and practice profitability.

Beyond reaching out to patients, social media marketing has become a crucial tool for dentists to improve their patient engagement.
Here are a few marketing strategies to drive more patients to your practice today: https://www.carestack.com/resources/blogs/trending-dental-marketing-tips-and-ideas-what-you-need-to-know/

Clear Aligners are transparent trays made of special material which are used to straighten teeth just like braces. They use gentle and constant force to move the teeth in the required position without going through the hassles of metal wires and brackets. They are custom made for each patient through a digital scan.

 HOW DO THEY WORK?

They are custom made for every person and designed to move teeth in the desired direction very very slowly. This is achieved by digitally capturing impression and processing the information using specialized software, where the future projections for better results and straighter teeth are computed and then the milling machine automatically custom fabricates the set of trays for you. On average, a person needs approximately 25-40 sets for complete alignment.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL BRACES & CLEAR ALIGNERS

CARE WITH ALIGNERS ON

• You should wear the aligners for at least 20 hours a day for the effective results
• Remove your aligners while brushing, flossing & eating. Never have it on especially while consuming anything hot
• Keep your aligners clean. While you brush make sure that you brush your aligners in the same way
• Keep them safe in the box as given by your Orthodontist to prevent it from getting dirty

Call us: 9820280343

Email us: drkrinitamotwani@gmail.com

Visit us: www.drkrinitamotwani.com

It would be natural, with everything going on, to return to what you were doing for marketing before the pandemic; running the same internal initiatives and resuming whatever external efforts you had in place. Will this work? 

While we don’t know for sure, considering patients may be hesitant to return to care quickly, the possibility of a resurgence of the virus, and the fact that dental practices will be competing for patients – signals a change to your approach may be in order. Even if your practice has pent up demand now – marketing is vital to what happens in your practice 3-6 months from now. Creating a road map for your practice’s marketing efforts will help you implement recommendations to ensure your practice stays on track.

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

We encourage you to have an overarching strategy for your approach. This is not the time for disjointed efforts. Consistent messaging is key.

Who Is Your Target Audience?

Once you know your audience, craft content that is consistent with what they want to know. Appealing to your overall community? You might want to show your social responsibility as a dental practice and business. Appealing to current patients? Consider content about safety and cleanliness. Looking for new patients? Discuss convenient hours, virtual consultations, safety procedures, and readiness to serve.

As part of your plan, consider:

• What are your business growth goals for the rest of 2020?

• Re-visiting your marketing budget for 2020 

• What marketing already exists that you can leverage?

• Outlining the new initiatives you want to focus on

• Measuring your results

• Re-evaluating your efforts quarterly

You should have an external and an internal focus to your marketing efforts – all sharing consistent messaging, designed for your target audience, all linked so you are marketing smarter and using resources wisely.

 External Marketing

1.  Website

Your website is a powerful platform that forms the bedrock of your marketing efforts. All other marketing efforts should lead a patient and prospective patient back to your site. Ensure this by:

• Updating your site, if it is not responsive or loads slowly. Prospective patients will move on to the next practice. According to StatisticBrain.com, website users’ attention spans lie somewhere around 8 seconds.

• Maintain or enhance SEO efforts to keep your organic search optimization high. 

• Consider adding a Safety page to your site; detail what your practice is doing to keep patients safe.

• Add an FAQ page spotlighting hot buttons for patients right now: convenient practice hours, teledentistry offering, your membership plan, payment options, and treatment to support a job search like whitening.

• Make necessary changes to ensure easy navigation to find your office hours, phone number means to schedule and a bio for the doctor(s)

 2. Social Media

• Post 1-3 times per week on the top two platforms in dental – Facebook and Instagram. Keep these posts positive, real, personal, forward-looking, and fun.

• When you post, be sure to include your branded hashtag and a “follow us on” any other platforms the practice is on.

• Social distancing has prompted a higher social media engagement from people searching for social connections. Consider boosting your Facebook posts. Boosted posts are an inexpensive way to capitalize on the higher-than-average social engagement during this time. 

Reputation Management

Update review sites (Google, Yelp, HealthGrades, and Facebook) with open announcements, stressing steps you have taken to keep patients safe. (The opportunity to complete a review on Google was turned back on at the end of April.)

• Ask for reviews. A recent survey showed that almost 70 percent of customers are willing to provide feedback when requested. 

• Put direct links to your feedback profiles in multiple places, for example, in a thank you or follow-up email.

• Focus on your average ratings (4.5 and above is key), getting recent reviews, and getting more reviews.

• Respond to reviews, positive, neutral, and negative. Prospective patients need to hear the voice of the practice as well as the reviewer. Keep responses to negative reviews short by inviting the patient to call in, so you can help resolve their issues, while respecting HIPAA laws

Internal Marketing

While marketing efforts often focus on gaining new patients, some of your current patients could be considering a change in dentist due to a change in benefits, job, or perceived lack of care or safety measures from your practice during the pandemic. Be proactive and be sure to reconnect with current patients. They are the most reliable revenue source for you right now.

1. Connect with Patients

Call or email your patients personally, to connect. This will leave a lasting impression. If you have a large patient base, contact those with outstanding treatment first, long-term patients next, followed by the remaining patient base.

• If you are unable to call, connect via email and text through your patient connection software. Messages ending in “we are looking forward to seeing you again; call for an appointment” will leave your patient feel cared for.

• You may have postponed community events. Take this opportunity to test digital alternatives to stay in front of current patients, referring dentists, and community groups.

• Email newsletters – This format has a 25-30% open rate right now.1 Constant Contact or Mailchimp are easy and inexpensive online marketing platforms to use.

• A: Ask for Referrals

• Now more than ever, your entire team needs to be personally asking for referrals.

• Carve out time at a team meeting to share times and ways to ask.

• When a patient compliments the office… “Thank you. We really appreciate your feedback. We are accepting new patients, so if you have a friend or family member who’s looking for a new dentist, we would love to see them.”

• Send a hand-written thank you note to patients who have referred to you.

2. Patient Experience

Future referrals depend on creating a patient experience that leaves patients feeling as though they are well cared for by skilled, caring professionals. Review your patient experience and make any needed changes. Solicit suggestions from your team, review other practices’ websites and social media for ideas.

Conclusion

Above all, consistent focus on your marketing efforts and consistent messaging should empower your practice to not only rebound but slingshot to greater success. If you’d like professional support with your marketing, we have vetted referral sources. The Practice Support Team will be standing by to support you.

Can your patients go directly to your website and book an appointment without shuffling back and forth to the dental office or making multiple calls to the front desk? 

In this article, you’ll get to know about the importance and benefits of online appointment scheduling systems for dentists, their workflows, and the best options for dental practices to consider. 

Read more here!

 If you think you may have COVID-19, the most important thing to do is to isolate yourself from others and contact your healthcare provider about testing and care. Most people will have a mild illness (or even no illness) and can recover at home without medical care and may not need to be tested. If testing is recommended, there are many FREE resources available and your provider should direct you to a location served by your health plan. If you do not have insurance, there are also many locations available for FREE testing.

There are three kinds of tests for for COVID-19: PCR/viral tests and serology/antibody tests.

• A PCR or molecular test tells you if you have a current infection. It is taken with a swab in the mouth, nose, or throat.
• An antigen test is a newer COVID-19 test that tells if you have a current infection. It is taken with a nasal or throat swab.
• An antibody (serology) test does NOT tell you if you are infected currently. It only tells you if you had a previous infection and currently is not recommended for individual use. It is done through a needle or fingerstick to get a blood sample.

For more information on the different types of tests visit HERE.

Resources on this page are for PCR/viral tests or antigen testing for COVID-19 in Orange County.

Who Should Get Tested?

People with symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested.  The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:

• Primary symptoms may include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
• Other symptoms may include:  fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.

People without symptoms (asymptomatic) who meet the following Public Health criteria:

• Workers in congregate living settings such as skilled nursing facilities, jails, or homeless shelters.
• Healthcare workers and first responders.
• Individuals with close contact (15 minutes or more within 6 feet) to someone known or suspected to have COVID-19
• Essential workers – those with contact with the public such as grocery store workers, social service providers, government workers, etc.

Clearance from Isolation and Return to Work for Persons with Confirmed COVID-19 Infection

Persons with confirmed COVID-19 infection can have isolation precautions discontinued when their illness improves by three criteria:

• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and
• At least 24 hours have passed since the last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Other symptoms have improved.

CDC no longer recommends the test-based strategy to determine when to discontinue home isolation, except for rare exceptions.

COVID-19 Testing Locations in Orange County

There are more than 50 testing locations in Orange County offering free testing to most or all eligible people, and many more through individual healthcare providers. Click here for a current list of most sites.

Where Can I Get Tested?

Ask your  healthcare provider about testing. If you have health insurance, contact your healthcare provider about FREE testing and care. If you do not know how to reach your healthcare provider, call the customer service number on your insurance card, or click here to view websites of major healthcare providers in Orange County.

The following types of testing sites are available:

• Drive Thru Testing Clinics, Urgent Cares, and Labs. Many locations are now available for testing. They will utilize your health insurance with NO COPAY, and some - for example, CVS - will provide FREE testing  for people without insurance. Contact them first to verify any costs and to make an appointment.
   
• OC COVID-19 Testing Network for those with Symptoms. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or someone in your household has COVID-19, and you cannot get a test though your healthcare provider, you can get a FREE medical assessment (check-up) and a test through the OC COVID-19 Testing Network. These are community health centers that offer testing and care, even if you don’t have health insurance.
   
• OC COVID-19 Testing Super Sites for those with symptoms or meet other California Department of Public Health (CDPH) criteria. These sites offer appointment-based drive-thru COVID-19 testing for individuals who cannot get a test through their medical provider and have symptoms or meet CDPH criteria such as being a healthcare worker, first responder, and other essential worker; or had close contact to someone with COVID-19.
   

For Rapid Covid-19 Tests Contact us At Orange County Covid Clinic

 Rapid COVID-19 Kit: Immunodiagnostic procedure for the detection of Coronavirus at home in 15 minutes.

Coronavirus is spreading continually across the world. Research-based companies are using different screening methods to screen suspected COVID-19 individuals. RT PCR technique is being used, which gives the results in3 -4 hours. Because of an unprecedented increase in the number of cases, the technique is not helping the cause. Most countries are relying on rapid testing technologies for COVID-19, which can provide results in just 15 minutes. And it is easy to use, portability is some of the features associated with rapid testing technologies. Rapid kits can also be deployed in hotspot areas of the country to screen asymptomatic as well as symptomatic patients to control the spread of this respiratory virus.

Rapid tests are also known as prick-based tests. These tests need not be conducted in laboratories. The presence of the antibodies pertaining to the Coronavirus can be easily detected with the help of Rapid COVID-19 Tests OC. Most of these kits are based on the IgG and IgM antibodies. The presence of these specific antibodies can help to detect whether Coronavirus infected the patient earlier or recently, the individual came in contact with COVID-19 infected individual.

Rapid COVID-19 kits are easy to use. The kits can be easily used at home by using a simple pricking needle, which is usually provided with the kit. Blood from the fingertip can be easily drawn with the help of this needle. The blood withdrawn can be put into the test cassette having the markings for the antibodies for IgG and IgM. Samples testing positive for IgG antibodies and IgM antibodies will show easily demarcated colors, which can be used to differentiate between positive and negative results. Serving as an internal control, one color line will always appear, which will indicate that the proper amount of specimen and sample has been added to the test cassette.

IgM positive: An indication of primary COVID-19 infection.

IgG and IgM positive: An indication of secondary COVID-19 infection.

IgG positive: Indication of any past COVID-19 infection.

Negative: No infection of Coronavirus.

Invalid: Failure to detect the sample.

Rapid testing kits for home are available on the websites of top diagnostic companies. Most of the COVID-19 rapid test kits are accredited by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). These kits also can speed up the process of screening symptomatic as well as asymptomatic patients. So the most pronounced advantage of Rapid COVID-19 kits is that they can be deployed directly at the point of the care in hospitals and anywhere in the country where emergency conditions have advanced.

Rapid COVID-19 Test OC can also detect the presence of antibodies that released to the pathogenic virus. These kits can detect the presence of SARS-COV-2 qualitatively. Early detection of the Coronavirus can help the government authorities and health agencies to halt the spread of Coronavirus within communities.

Follow Orange County Covid Testing Clinic for more updates on Rapid COVID-19 kits and updates related to Coronavirus.

Stay Safe; Stay at home.

Coronavirus in Orange County | Orange County Covid Testing 

 THERE’S STILL MUCH to learn about the disease that has killed thousands of people and is changing life as we know it during this pandemic. But we do know some important basics about COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus—SARS-CoV-2—that causes it.

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New copies of the virus are assembled and carried to the outer edges of the cell, then go on to infect other host cells.

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10.5%

Cardiovascular disease

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Cosmetic Dentistry Houston For A Beautiful Smile!

Dentist Houston TX Dr. Bohluli , announces that he is now offering a full range of emergency dental care at his office, Nu Dentistry Houston Dentist. Emergency dentistry encompasses many treatments for emergencies affecting the teeth and gums. When patients experience dental emergencies, they are at risk for serious complications and often experience severe pain. Not only does prompt treatment offer the best prognosis in these situations, it also immediately resolves the discomfort involved. The availability of this care at Nu Dentistry Houston Dentist gives Houston patients a dependable source for relief in case they suffer a dental emergency.

A dental emergency can result from oral health problems or from physical trauma. When a cavity is left untreated, it can eventually reach the inner pulp of the tooth, allowing bacteria to enter and create an infection and cause toothache. Infection and discomfort can also occur when a tooth is breached by being cracked or broken. Some cases of physical trauma cause a tooth to be knocked out of its socket completely. Other emergencies include infections of oral soft tissues and the lodging of items between teeth.

In an emergency, treatment recommendations at Nu Dentistry Houston Dentist may include root canal treatment, oral surgery, or other procedures. Several restorations are provided at the office, including tooth-colored fillings, inlays, onlays, and porcelain crowns. Cosmetic treatments include teeth whitening, veneers, and bonding. Patients can also receive orthodontics, such as Invisalign, metal braces, ceramic braces, and lingual braces. For treating gum disease, the office performs a full range of periodontal care, including deep cleaning, gum flap surgery, and tissue grafting.

Dr. Bohluli has been treating Houston patients at his office for more than eighteen years. Dr. Bohluli has received a Masters degree and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. In 2005, Dr. Bohluli received an Excellence in Biomedical Engineering Award. After receiving his certificate in endodontics from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 2007, Dr. Bohluli joined the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dental Branch as an assistant professor. He has completed more than 1,800 hours of postgraduate training in several dental specialties, allowing him to offer a wide range of the latest dental techniques and technologies at one convenient location.
Please visit https://www.nudentistry.com/ for all your Dental Emergencies in Houston Texas.

The Most Common Dental Problems

Greater adherence to recommended care, better clinical care, and health care quality outcomes are associated with positive patient care experiences. It applies to all forms of health care including dental. A patient should have access to dental care when it is most needed. In that way, the patient scheduling process gains importance as it contributes to patient experience and overall satisfaction. Patients will stick on to a dental practice only when they get prompt appointments and needn't have to wait for long periods. Otherwise, it will lead to negative responses and reduced revenue.

The handling of patient scheduling has a direct impact on the overall performance of a practice. A hassle-free patient appointment process boosts the reputation and helps the practice gain more patients through the reference. Technology tools can be used to make scheduling an easy and smooth process for the patients.

• Online scheduling: Patients should be provided with the facility to book their dental appointments online. It helps them choose the most convenient time for consultation. Online booking can be either through your patient portal or through a mobile app. As all the patients won't be using an online booking facility, the practice staff has to make sure that online appointments are synchronized with appointments booked offline, i.e, through phone or in person.
• Digital intake form: Online booking can be accompanied by a pre-check-in facility to fill in details like patient health history, allergies, medications, insurance, and method of payment, etc. A digital intake form for the patient to key in all these details is a must in a comprehensive care system. This will considerably reduce the waiting time while the in-office visit happens.
• Appointment reminders: Patients need to be reminded of their scheduled appointments from time to time. For this pre-scheduled auto-reminder systems can be used to send out appointment reminders to patients via text or email. This system ensures the presence of the patient for consultation as per schedule eliminating no-shows. These no-shows have several adverse implications on a dental practice including poorer health outcomes for patients and disruption in your organizational workflow. Auto-reminder systems save precious time your staff otherwise have spent manually notifying patients through text or call.
• Automated recalling: All patients who require periodic appointments may not reschedule. For patients who require recurring or regular appointments, automated recalling systems are great. This can also be used to make the best out of healthcare-focused national observances by reaching out to patients to get their various screenings done, with some waivers and offers. This is done by sending automated emails and text to your patient base.

A practice needs to develop a scheduling policy that contains all the details like what happens with a missed appointment, canceling less than 24 hours prior, no-show fees if any, etc. The policy should be communicated to the patients in advance. The staff at the dental office need to be given advanced training to use and manage the technology used. The staff should also be thorough about the policies implemented so that they can explain it to the patients easily.

Recent studies have found that 44% of patients prefer online scheduling and paperless onboarding. This has encouraged dental practices to go for technological innovations that will boost their patient experience. The CS Enterprise from CareStack is one such example, purpose-built for dental enterprises to maximize efficiency through centralization, automation, and analytics. It is an enterprise-grade cloud-based practice management software with capabilities for centralization that will help to achieve the full potential inherent in scale. Its usage among practices results in lower no-show rates, increased capacity to see patients, better patient adherence, and above all higher revenue.