Dental Assisting Requires Attention to Detail and People Skills

As a dental assistant at Metropolitan Periodontists, P.A.  our job requires a lot of attention to detail. We need to be sure that we have everything ready for each patient’s procedure.  We offer a variety of treatment options to our patients and each patient’s treatment is unique.

Before a patient comes into the office for a procedure with Dr. Wilson, we review all their information and make sure Dr. Wilson has what he needs for the procedure. The information we need to know is; Does the patient have current x-rays, were they given prescriptions for the procedure, does the patient have any allergies or healthy condition and what specifically during the exam of the patient did Dr. Wilson tell the patient he will be doing. All this information helps us to be prepared and can also help a patient feel at ease when we are working on them.  We want our patients to know that we are taking the best care of them.

Although my focus is on the patient, I am always watching Dr. Wilson trying to anticipate what he is going to need during a procedure to make sure everything goes well. The little details make a big difference.

Dentistry truly is a people business.  The success of procedures is always a combination of people skills and paying attention to all the clinical details.

I have been working with Dr. Wilson for a year and a half and I can sense what he is going to do next when I am working with him chairside, or what he is going to need.  There are some subtle body language cues that he gives.  I don’t think he is even aware that he is giving me these cues or that I pick up on them.  There is a connectedness there and nonverbal communication which makes the procedure go smoother and faster for the patient.  Making sure our patients have the best experience possible is all due to good teamwork.

Stephanie, Licensed Dental Assistant

Metropolitan Periodontists

Minneapolis, MN

New Patients Welcome

Periodontist Dr. Mark Wilson at Metropolitan Periodontists in Minneapolis talks about 3D imaging and diagnosis for dental implant placement.

At Metropolitan Periodontists we use modern 3D imaging.  It gives us a much clearer picture of what is going on around the tooth than traditional two-dimensional x-rays. We use it to see if there is enough bone to be able to place an implant.  It also helps to choose the correct size and type of implant needed.  After placement, 3D imaging confirms the positioning and gives us a baseline image for the future.

With traditional x-rays we can measure bone height and the amount of space between the teeth, but we are guessing about bone thickness. With 3D imaging we are able to get a cross-section of that bone and see the thickness.  If you are looking for a nerve or a sinus you can see where the sinus relates to the crest of the bone much more clearly by using 3D imaging.

Three-dimensional imaging is very handy for looking for cracked teeth, furcation involvement, and apical involvement around teeth. Furcations are on the larger teeth in the back of the mouth when you have multiple roots.  The area where the roots come together is called a furcation.  The apex or the apical part of the tooth is the root tip, where if the pulp is dying inside of the tooth then the tooth needs a root canal.  For these reasons we can see problems much earlier on a three- dimensional picture than we can on a two-dimensional picture.

The 3D imaging is a very important part of modern periodontal practice. We have seen that third dimension and we are confident that the bone is there.  A drawback to two-dimensional x-rays has been only finding out after we start the procedure that we do not have enough bone to put the implant in that the patient is expecting that day.

Having the capability to do 3D imaging in the office is convenient for the patient because they do not have to travel to another facility.  Because we use these images, we do not have surprises when we go into the surgery.

Dr. Mark Wilson

Periodontist

Metropolitan Periodontists

Minneapolis, MN

New Patients Welcome

www.metroperio.com