Explaining dental procedures in an understandable way to patients can be trying at times. During treatment planning appointments I often find myself talking to a patient that appears completely lost. I try to search Google to find the perfect image to depict what I am talking about. Many times I am unable to find that image. Searching the internet can be time-consuming and fruitless. Discussing treatment options with patients can be increasingly difficult for dental students entering the clinic. The difficulty lies in the details. As students, we spend years learning fancy vocabulary that oral health professionals understand. Simplifying treatment to aid in patient understanding can be challenging for even the most experienced dentists. However, there are resources available that can aid in conversations with patients about common dental procedures.
Practice management and marketing is an area that we learn little about in dental school. When asking students from various schools, it seems that in general, many schools lack a curriculum that includes instruction in company/practice management, marketing, branding and financial management. Through my involvement in ASDA, I have learned the majority of what I know regarding management and marketing at ASDA conferences and workshops. The ADA Guide to Internet Marketing did a fantastic job at filling the gap and opening up the complex world of how the Internet can play into your management.