Clackamas Dental Consultant | Dental Practice Solutions

ORAL CANCER AWARNESS SOCIALTHON

By: admin

April 30, 2019

On Friday April 26, 2019, DentalCast Productions hosted the first ever, Oral Cancer Awareness Socialthon.

The socialthon reached over 100,000 people through social media and 12,000 people viewed the live event hosted on Facebook. The dollar amount of donations is still coming in. Final dollars are not known but it should break $13,000.

Oral Cancer Cause (OCC) was founded in 2013 by Linda Miles and Robin Morrison in memory of Charlotte Estep Linda Miles’ sister-in-law, and Mike Collins, Robin Morrison’s brother. Charlotte and Mike passed away in 2012 after suffering for several years from oral cancer. Both went undiagnosed for an extended amount of time, thereby allowing their disease to progress to an advanced and untreatable stage.

Linda and Robin share a passion for dentistry and saving lives and this is the OCC inspiration. By blending the knowledge of early detection and treatment; comprehensive oral exams along with dedicated dental/medical professionals; sponsoring partners; and dental/medical associations, OCC will make a difference in the lives of many oral cancer patients and their families.

On Friday April 26 the Socialthon brought together 48 dental industry luminaries to discuss prevention of this horrible disease and help put a halt to the amount of undiagnosed cases of oral cancer.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 53,000 new cases of oral cavity and pharynx cancer diagnosed.

In 2016 it was estimated that 370,309 people living with oral cavity and pharynx cancer in the United States.

1. What can we as dental professionals do to put a halt to this life altering and debilitating disease?

The Socialthon was the first ever event that brought together so many dental professionals to change the climate of this disease and spread the work to halt the disease.

2. What can healthcare professionals do to reduce the rate of oral and pharynx cancer diagnosis?

• Education from dental providers to other dental providers is a great place to start.

• Too many clinicians are not taking the time (less than 5 minutes annually) to screen patients.

• All healthcare providers must take an interest to talk with their patients about annual screening.

• The dental professional must learn ways to talk about “prevention” of oral and pharynx cancer as well as explain the value and benefits of oral cancer screening.

• Teens must be educated at the proper time in the proper place about safe sex and how to protect themselves from exposure to HPV which is the #1 cause of pharynx cancer.

To hear from the 48 dental luminaries, the stories and suggestions to prevent oral cancer please click the link to the live event.

Are you doing oral cancer screenings in your office?

What do you tell your patients when you are providing this life-saving exam?
Do you use Fluorescence technology to screen? Fluorescence technology does not detect oral cancer but will detect oral abnormalities. Most patients when diagnosed with oral cancer are diagnosed at stage IV and using the Fluorescence technology, OralIDR
Patients can eliminate life-threatening surgery and treatment for cancer.

Using the OralIDR means you can discover abnormal cells and prevent a grim diagnosis. You will also help save more lives by using the fluorescence technology to detect abnormalities vs. waiting until you can see or feel a lesion.

Be sure to check out the website for OralIDR because they have a lot of resources to help educate your patients about screenings and prevention of oral and pharynx cancer. The website with information can be found here.

References.

https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/oralcav.html

Accessed on April 28, 2019

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. Debbie is also a former dental hygiene program director. Her expertise is optimizing the hygiene department by taking a total team approach; including the doctor as the leader.

Schedule a FREE Profit Boosting Session Here today.

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

By: admin

April 23, 2019

April is Oral Cancer Awareness month, and this is a perfect time to think about how you can better serve your patients’ oral healthcare needs. Oral cancer screenings by dental professionals will reduce the incidences of oral cancer diagnosed each year.

The rise in oral cancer is up, higher than every before. There is no decline in this rate in sight, so as dental professionals we have our work cut out for us.

New cases of oral cancer, no matter age, race, and gender; overall is 10.5 adults per 100,000 will develop oral cancer. Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females.

Oral cancer rates are higher for Hispanic and Black males than for White males.

If dental professionals can participate in early diagnosis for oral cancer, if we can help discover an abnormality sooner, we can increase the changes of improved survival rates. An estimated

Raise oral cancer awareness and make a difference in your community by arranging an office event where people can walk in and get screened during a certain timeframe.

One of the best ways to screen is using fluorescence technology.

OralID’s fluorescence technology uses a blue light (435–460 nm) that provides the clinician an aid in visualization of oral mucosal abnormalities, such as oral cancer and pre-cancer. The other medical applications of fluorescence technology include highlighting abnormalities of the GI tract, cervix, lung, and skin.

You can learn more about the OralID® by visiting the Forward Science website: http://www.oralid.com/

For more information about oral cancer awareness and simplified, cost-effective ways to screen your patients plan to join the Oral Cancer Awareness Socialthon on Friday April 26, 2019. The socialthon will be hosted on Facebook, all day on Friday April 26, 2019.

Join us for the Socialthon here: http://bit.ly/OralcancerSocialthon

REFERENCES.

https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/oral-cancer/incidence
https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/
- Feb 27, 2019 – The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma…
- Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and…cancer/about/key-statistics.html
- Jan 9, 2019 – In recent years, the overall rate of new cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers has been…
- Oral Cancer Incidence (New Cases) by Age, Race, and Gender …
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/oral-cancer/incidence
- Oral Cancer Incidence (New Cases) by Age, Race, and Gender. … Overall, 10.5 adults per 100,000 will develop oral cancer. Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females. Oral cancer rates are higher for Hispanic and Black males than for White males.
- Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer statistics. … Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.
- DM Laronde; HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/statistics/headneck.htm

1. Provide Patient Education

Adopting a protocol at the office for patient education regarding oral cancer can help with early detection.

2. Help Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment Find Relief

Patients currently undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation often suffer from mouth sores. Because cancer treatments impact the body’s immune system so severely, patients become more prone to mouth sores.

These sores can appear on the lips, tongue or roof and floor of the mouth, causing pain and discomfort while eating, talking and even breathing.

We often hear from our dental pros how much their patients find relief with our Super Relief Dental Gel, powered by healing aloe vera, folic acid, zinc and Oxygene®.

3. Screen at Every Checkup

According to the “2016 Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Survey,” only 37% of survey respondents recall being screened for oral cancer at their last dental checkup.

Furthermore, 83% of respondents said they’d like to be screened for oral cancer at every checkup, and 86% would like their dental pro to talk to them about oral cancer.

If there isn’t a regular screening policy in place at your office, now’s a great time to adopt one!

Patients are sure to appreciate this, especially new patients who were used to getting screened at every appointment by their past provider.

4. Help Patients Establish a Oral Routine

Oral Cancer Awareness Month can be another incentive to motivate good oral health routines in your patient’s lives.

Brushing twice a day, flossing and using quality dental products will always be the key to maintaining good oral health.

Oxyfresh Lemon-Mint Power Rinse Mouthwash is our most popular alcohol-free mouthwash for a reason. Besides its unique and refreshing blend of essential oils, it contains aloe vera to moisten the mouth and comfort the gum tissues, plus Oxygene® and zinc for powerful deodorizing action.

Recommend this powerful mouthwash to your dental patients so they can ditch dry mouth and have fresher breath as they work on quitting the habit

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Debbie founded Dental Practice Solutions in 2000. She speaks at dental conferences throughout the world and also coaches and consults with dental practices worldwide.

The team at Dental Practice Solutions takes a holistic approach working with each dental practice. Debbie understands how to quickly tap into productivity of the dental hygiene department to optimize systems with the entire team, showing everyone how to work smarter and not work so hard.

Check out how the team at Dental Practice Solutions adds to your productivity without working harder or more days. Schedule a FREE 30-minute call now.

To Charge or Not to Charge. Oral Cancer Screenings

By: admin

March 13, 2017

Video: Oral Cancer Screenings. To Charge or Not to Charge

CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW VIDEO

Years ago, the dilemma that most dental professionals faced was regarding whether to use advanced technology to screen for oral cancer.

Today’s Facts: The occurrence of oral cancer has continued to rise and has begun affecting a younger demographic, due to a staggering increase in the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV). Fluorescent technology for early discovery of this growing epidemic has continued to evolve. Adjunctive devices have been simplified and very cost-efficient. My preference is the OralID because of the light weight and small size of the device. This technology makes oral cancer screening a no-brainer.

The questions that continue to repeat in the dental clinicians mind is: “Should we charge for this or not charge?”

Once the dental team has decided to charge the next questions are:
“How much do we charge our patients for this enhanced oral cancer screening?”
“Do we only bill insurance, or do we screen for free as a service to our patients?”

The great news is: With the latest device having zero cost per patient use, you can incorporate the technology with whichever answer to the question fits your practice best.

Below, I will outline a few examples on ways to incorporate enhanced oral cancer screening into your practice.
To Charge
Charging for services performed is standard in health care. As you invest in your practice, in terms of both time and money, it is natural to assume compensation will allow you to make a return on your investments. Enhanced oral cancer screening is a service you provide, and it is perfectly acceptable to expect an increase in revenue in return for the service.
How to charge for enhanced oral cancer screening can vary from office to office. Here are a few options for charging:
Charge an annual fee: You can simply charge a flat fee for your enhanced oral cancer screening. Set a fee of around $20 (or within a range of $10 to $35) per patient, per year. If you educate your patients properly, you should see fairly high acceptance rates in your office. But if you just hand a patient a consent form and ask for a $65 fee, you will not have any success. So, if you decide to incorporate this method, make sure that the fee is reasonable and that you have educated your patients about the importance of what you are doing. Explain that you have invested in the technology because it could potentially save their lives. OralID offers Lifetime Team Training by our in-house hygienist, so you can get help with ideas on how to best educate your patients and maximize screening acceptance.
Charge one fee for life: In the spirit of the “whitening for life” campaigns that some offices offer, you can charge up-front for participation in an “oral cancer screening for life” program. Charge $35 to $100 at the first visit and then screen the patient at no additional charge during future visits (as long as he or she does not miss any hygiene appointments, of course).
Raise your fees: Increase your exam and/or prophy fees to include the service and do not charge the patient directly for it. This allows you the freedom to screen every patient and compensates you for your time and for your investment.
Not To Charge
Dental practices are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves from competitors. Offering advanced oral cancer screenings is a proven method for increasing marketability and gaining new patients. Performing free oral cancer screenings for every patient is a service that will be appreciated by patients and that will not only get you more loyalty from current patients but also motivate them to refer friends and family-and this is the ultimate marketing goal.
You can hand a card to each patient that reads, “Has your loved one been screened for oral cancer?” or a coupon for a free oral cancer screening. Doing so will certainly differentiate your practice from the others, building value in the practice by maintaining and growing the patient base. The days of “whitening for life” are unfortunately over, but offices can now incorporate “oral cancer screening for life” for their patients due to the latest technology finally being affordable enough to make it possible.

CDT Code to Bill: D0431
A change in thinking
Patient care should be the focus for all offices. Given that, you may eventually change the method you choose in regard to charging or not charging. It’s not uncommon for offices to begin screening by charging for the service, only to decide not to charge after finding a lesion that might not have been discovered without the device. For many practices, a situation like this one is a practice changer that leads to the realization that enhanced oral cancer screening is important for every patient.
So, when you are thinking about the new screening decision, whether “to charge or not to charge,” remember that there is no right or wrong. By making the simple choice to incorporate this technology into your practice, you could be making a life-changing decision for your patients.

For more information on the OralID go to: ORALID MORE INFORMATION