"7/12" patient touch point strategy: a novel method to increase patient attendance and recommendation.

The US dental system is not likely to see major expansions in dental care use in the foreseeable future. The rise of dental care utilization among low-income children as well as wealthy seniors did not offset flat dental utilization among adults since the Great Recession. Similarly in Spain, the increase in the number of dental practitioners surpasses the rate of population growth. Hence, in order to remain economically viable in this competitive market, one important aspect for every dental office is to retain patients besides attracting new ones. Patients may be lost to follow-up due to a number of factors, including a lack of attention from the dental practice or a lack of trust in the provider. The "7/12" patient touch point strategy of marketing builds consumer loyalty as a result of a strong patient-provider relationship. Furthermore, this method aims to facilitate the patient's decision to visit their dentist when it is time for preventative treatments. The purpose of this study was to measure the efficacy of a "7/12" patient touch point strategy when compared to the traditional annual recall with respect to number of active patients, percentage of word-of-mouth-recommended patients, and overall number of first-visit patients. We executed the relationship marketing concept through a novel "7/12" patient touch point approach, in which the patient was exposed to seven separate exposures in a period of 12 months. The efficacy of the "7/12" patient touch point was analyzed for 48 months across 10 clinics (24 months before and 24 months after the "7/12" strategy implementation). The "7/12" patient touch point strategy resources consisted of online and printed materials with a focus on oral health knowledge. fter analyzing the efficacy of the "7/12" patient touch point, we found an average increase of 86.91% in the number of active patients, 24.12% in the number of word-of-mouth-recommended patients, and 38.05% in the number of first visits across all clinics. This novel "7/12" patient touch point approach may be successful in increasing the retention of existing patients and generating new patients. Furthermore, this method promotes preventative care and oral health maintanance for patients and economic progress for the dental clinic.

The importance of leadership and management skills in dental practices to attract and retain patients in periods of economic recession / La importancia de la gestión directiva y liderazgo en la práctica de la odontología para atraer y conservar pacientes en periodos de recesión económica

To test the hypothesis that leadership and management skills protect dental practices against the effects of an economic recession. Methods: This was a cross-sectional exploratory study. Dentists (n= 232)were randomly selected to participate in an online survey in which they were asked about their practice activity. Results: A total of 162 questionnaires were returned (response rate 70 percent). Results indicated that improved leadership and management skills are positively related to the probability that a practice remained stable or increased its productivity during the economic recession: OR=2.39 (95 percent CI; 1.08-5.3). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that dental practices applying leadership and management skills are related to attract and retain patients, as measured by increased numbers of both initial consultations and continued patronage (return visits); and keep the economic crisis’ impact on revenue manageable...

Contrastar la hipótesis de que las habilidades en liderazgo y gestión directiva de los odontólogosproporcionan una ventaja comparativa en el manejo de la actividad profesional en periodos de recesión económica. Material y método: Estudio exploratorio de corte transversal. Utilizamos los datos procedentes de una encuesta sobre actividad en el consultorio realizada a 232 odontólogos seleccionados aleatoriamente. Resultados: Se obtuvieron un total de 162 cuestionarios válidos (tasa derespuesta del 70 por ciento). Los resultados sugieren que la mejorade las habilidades de liderazgo y de gestión se relacionan positivamente con la probabilidad de aumentar o mantenerestable la facturación del consultorio en tiempos de recesión económica: OR=2.39 (IC del 95 por ciento, 1.08-5.3). Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados sugieren que las habilidadesde liderazgo y gestión aplicadas a la práctica de la odontología están relacionadas con la capacidad de atraernuevos pacientes y conservar los actuales, en términos tanto del número de primeras visitas como del retorno depacientes; lo que permite atenuar el impacto de la crisis sobre la facturación del consultorio...

Odontoma intraóseo erupcionado: una infrecuente patología / Intraosseus odontoma erupted into the oral cavity: an unusual pathology

Objetivos: Los odontomas que afectan a los tejidos blandos sonmuy infrecuentes, pudiendo presentarse bajo dos formas clinicas:odontoma periférico y odontoma erupcionado. Se documenta uncaso de odontoma erupcionado con el objetivo de discutir entreambas formas de presentación clínica de esta patología.Diseño del estudio: Estudio de caso.Resultados: Se presenta el caso de un varón con una masa duralocalizada en la región posterior del reborde alveolar izquierdodel maxilar superior, de un año de evolución y lento crecimiento.La ortopantomografía mostró la presencia de una tumoración radiodensaen la región posterior del maxilar izquierdo. El estudiohistológico de la pieza operatoria fue de odontoma complejo.Conclusiones: Hasta el momento se han documentado 11 casosde odontoma erupcionado en la literatura. A diferencia delodontoma periférico, el odontoma erupcionado suele ser del tipocomplejo, afectando a pacientes de mayor edad

Objectives: Odontoma arising in the extraosseous soft tissue isextremely uncommon. Two forms of odontoma are presentlyrecognized: peripheral odontoma and erupted odontoma. Wereport an erupted odontoma arising in the posterior maxilla,and discuss the main differences between both forms of clinicalpresentation.Study design: Case study.Results: A 23-year-old man presented with a firm gingival masson the left posterior maxilla, that had gradually enlarged overone year. Orthopantomography showed a dense radiopaquemass occupying the posterior portion of the left maxilla. Thepathology was reported as complex odontoma.Conclusions: This is the eleventh reported case of eruptedodontoma. Unlike peripheral odontoma, erupted odontoma isgenerally a complex odontoma, and affects older patients

Intraosseous odontoma erupted into the oral cavity: an unusual pathology.

OBJECTIVES: Odontoma arising in the extraosseous soft tissue is extremely uncommon. Two forms of odontoma are presently recognized: peripheral odontoma and erupted odontoma. We report an erupted odontoma arising in the posterior maxilla, and discuss the main differences between both forms of clinical presentation. STUDY DESIGN: Case study. RESULTS: A 23-year-old man presented with a firm gingival mass on the left posterior maxilla, that had gradually enlarged over one year. Orthopantomography showed a dense radiopaque mass occupying the posterior portion of the left maxilla. The pathology was reported as complex odontoma. CONCLUSIONS: This is the eleventh reported case of erupted odontoma. Unlike peripheral odontoma, erupted odontoma is generally a complex odontoma, and affects older patients.

Ameloblastoma revisited.

Ameloblastoma is a benign but locally aggressive neoplasm of the odontogenic epithelium, the treatment of which is controversial. A review was made of 22 patients treated for histologically diagnosed ameloblastoma between January 1975 and January 2000. We recorded data relating to patient sex, age, site of involvement, histologic type, surgical treatment, and number of recurrences. All ameloblastomas were located in the mandible. The most common histologic patterns were follicular and plexiform lesions. A total of 22.7% of the tumors were unicystic ameloblastomas. Unicystic lesions were seen to affect younger patients than the rest of the histologic types. Eighteen patients were initially treated in our center, and 4 cases were referred to our center for secondary treatment. The number of recurrences was significantly lower in patients initially treated in our center. Primary treatment comprised enucleation and bone curettage in 10 cases and radical surgery in 7. Forty percent of the unicystic lesions and 53.3% of the non-unicystic ameloblastomas of our study presented at least 1 recurrence. Ameloblastoma is a polymorphic neoplasm for which the treatment is conditioned by a number of clinical and histologic factors. An individualized preoperative study is essential for treatment.