A Tale of Two Hygienists is once again hosting a roundtable of guests for the benefit of you soon-to-be graduates. This discussion, recorded at Collaboration Cures in Nashville earlier this October, tackles the subject of collaborative care, wherein dental and other health practitioners work together for the benefit of the patients they share.

 

Doug Thompson is a dentist and the owner of Integrative Oral Medicine in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, as well as the founder of Wellness Dentistry Network, which focuses on the vital relationship between oral health and overall physical health. He is joined by Erin Howlett, a registered dental hygienist who also acts as operations manager for WDN, and Ford Brewer, a medical doctor who works to prevent heart attacks, strokes, cancer and dementia.

 

In this episode, our trio of guests discuss why professionals across different medical fields should work together for their mutual patients, explain why hygienists play an essential role in learning patient information, and prepare you for the conflict that may arise when you try to build these bridges.

 

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

 

Interview starts: 2:57

- How to define “interprofessional collaboration” for students and patients alike.

 

- Erin explains how chairside conversations with patients have changed in the last several years.

 

- On finding the courage to speak up in your office when you have concerns and ask for help.

 

- Ford explains the crucial role hygienists play in patient interaction.

 

- A few small steps new grads can take to implement interprofessional collaboration for their patients.

 

- Impressing the importance of getting your patient the right kind of care even if it means creating a little bit of conflict.

 

 

QUOTES:

 

“Most of the things that bring people to the ER are things that should’ve never happened at all or should’ve been prevented for a couple decades.”

 

“I love to be able to have the tools chairside, with simple graphic tools to show patients.”

 

“We need more of this education and we need more young care providers.”

 

“The person that has the access to the patient more than anybody else is in this audience: it’s the hygienist.”

 

“It’s not just looks and teeth, it’s people’s lives that we’re dealing with.”

 

“You have a major opportunity to make a big impact on someone’s life and change the trajectory of their health.”

LINKS:

 

Wellness Dentistry Network - https://wellnessdentistrynetwork.com/

Wellness Dentistry Network email: [email protected] 

American Academy for Oral Systemic Health - https://aaosh.org/

 

Ford Brewer on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoEsq6a6ePXxgZeA4CVrUw

 

 

Thank you to Paradise Dental Technologies aka PDT for providing sponsorship for this episode!

Be sure to thank the sponsor for this episode by heading over to www.PDTDental.com and picking up a new instrument or telling them thank you in person at one of the conferences!

 

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