Practitioner and Motivator

Although we would like to think ourselves infallible, no one is perfect. Dental practitioners, including myself, can always benefit from continued education and questioning how we can improve the care we provide to our patients. One way is to allow patients to become active participants in their care. This can be achieved using "patient-centered" methods to motivate behavioral change, which, in turn, can lead to better outcomes.

Such an approach is outlined in this month's opening CE article, in which the authors describe motivational interviewing (MI). Following up their February 2018 CE article on pregnant patient care, Dr. David Alexander and colleagues discuss both the benefits of this patient-focused strategy and the limitations of traditional prescriptive, clinician-driven dental health education. The article reviews evidence for the effectiveness of MI and explains how it can be used in a clinical setting not only among pregnant patients, but also for general healthcare/dentistry.

In our second CE article, the authors introduce a new twist on an existing technique for bone regeneration in preparation for implant placement. Dubbed the Cytocone procedure, this treatment is a modification of the "ice cream cone" technique and is proposed for use in repairing a buccal plate dehiscence without elevating a buccal flap. The new method, which utilizes a nonresorbable d-PTFE barrier, focuses on conservative repair of a defective ridge in the esthetic zone while providing the patient a less painful dental experience.

Much of this issue is aimed at helping practitioners stretch their thinking and push themselves to improve the doctor-patient interaction. In one case report, digital technology is used for computer-guided implant placement and restoration to improve the patient experience, while another case report describes a unique subperiosteal tunneling technique featuring flapless immediate implant placement. Further, our Special Report on prevention and oral hygiene challenges clinicians to reconsider their current approach to periodontal management. Additionally, Heather Colicchio, president of the American Association of Dental Office Management, offers tips on time management, life/work balance, and working smarter instead of harder to improve your practice.

Here's hoping this issue of Compendium (compendiumlive.com) encourages you to press further and look for new techniques and options that you can use to elevate your practice.

Sincerely,
Louis F. Rose, DDS, MD
Editor-In-Chief
lrose@aegiscomm.com