Putting the Patient First Pays Off
The first thing that Timothy F. Kosinski, DDS, MAGD, does when he meets new patients is welcome them to the practice and ask if they have had a positive experience with dentistry in the past. He then introduces himself and tells them that, first and foremost, he is a communicator. He summarizes his credentials, which include having placed more than 13,000 implants during his 33-year career as a general dentist, and tells them that he is very good at what he does.
Kosinski prioritizes making patients comfortable and treating them fairly. His father, Joe, once told him, "If you do a good job at a fair price, you will always be busy." Since then, Kosinski has followed this advice, and he has always been busy.
"My patients always come first," Kosinski says. Part of putting patients first is considering all of the factors impacting their potential to accept treatment. He develops a comprehensive plan, but sometimes it stretches over several years.
"Patients need to know what is necessary in their mouths, but everyone is on a budget to some degree, so I try to avoid presenting a plan with an overwhelming cost," Kosinski says. "I try to address the patient's main concerns first, knowing that as they gain confidence in my competence and ability, they will allow me to treat their other needs. That has been a really pivotal part of my success."
When Kosinski sees an opportunity to add a piece of technology to his practice that will allow him to offer more effective and/or efficient treatment to his patients, he seizes it. One such opportunity presented itself with the NV® PRO3 Microlaser from DenMat.
Kosinski had owned diode lasers for more than 10 years, but they were not very powerful and did not get much use. The NV PRO3 Microlaser was entirely different. At 1.9 ounces, it is truly portable, and it features 12 preset procedural settings to meet all periodontal, restorative, and orthodontic needs. It delivers a maximum power of 2 watts with a wavelength of 808 nm and a pulse frequency of 10 Hz.
"When I saw that this laser was only slightly larger than a regular Sharpie® marker, I thought it was really cool," Kosinski says. "I started to use it, and it became one of the most important pieces of technology in my practice."
Kosinski's hygienist uses the laser for periodontal therapy and subgingival bacterial reduction. "She uses it routinely in situations involving bleeding," he says. "She can use the laser without anesthetic, recall the patient in two weeks, and the bleeding is eliminated. It is a more efficient way to reduce bacteria than some of the antibiotic treatments that we use. We have seen dramatic results."
Kosinski himself uses the laser to retract gingival tissue from the margins of preparations when taking impressions for crown and bridge work.
"Traditional retraction methods typically took a long time," he says, "but now we have this wonderful, handheld, portable diode laser that allows me to trough very efficiently. It is phenomenal."
The laser also can be used for esthetic dentistry, such as minor tooth contouring or removing excessive tissue. "It allows pinpoint control, so I can manipulate tissue very efficiently," Kosinski says.
Implant recovery is another application for which the NV PRO3 Microlaser gets significant use in Kosinski's practice. "Oftentimes, when we place implants, we bury them," he says. "After integration, they need to be uncovered. In the past, I would numb the area and cut through the tissue, which traumatizes the area. Now, I use the diode laser to efficiently uncover implants without bleeding."
For children, frenectomies no longer require numbing, incising, and stitching. Kosinski even utilizes the laser to treat patients' cold sores and aphthous ulcers. "It is like magic for these patients," he says. "They also generally appreciate that my office is high-tech. They trust me more because I have this technology."
Earning the patient's trust is what has helped Kosinski stay busy for 33 years, just as his father promised it would. And the NV PRO3 Microlaser has only helped. "This simple tool that you can carry from room to room is effective and efficient, and it makes us better dentists," Kosinski says. "What more do you want from a product?"
