THE NATIONAL DENTURIST USA
COMMUNICATING THE IMPORTANCE OR DENTURISTS
The Case for Giving Products To Patients With Every Case:
This article is from Dr JP Berland and DR B
We work hard every day to make beautiful, well-fitting dental prosthetics for our patients. But what are the patients doing to take care of their new teeth? Making the denture is just the beginning for treating the edentulous. The key to long-term happiness with the new teeth, and maintaining their oral health, is how well they take care of the denture when they leave.
started my career as a denture technician when I was still in High School over 40 years ago. Dentures were my inspiration for going to dental school and were on my mind the entire time I was practicing. In that time, I’ve seen people have great experiences for many years with their dentures, and I’ve also seen patients start to have problems almost right away. In this article, I’ll explain what I believe to be the crucial step that every dental professional should take, which can have a dramatic effect on the longevity of the prosthetic, and ensure the health and satisfaction of the patient. Equipping patients with the knowledge and tools they need to take good care of their dentures can make an extraordinary difference in the overall denture experience. The more we can do to help our patients, the more they will do to make our practice grow. And what shows you care more than giving them the special products that have no competition and can only be purchased at your practice?
Once a patient receives a denture, no matter how well made it is, that person will face a number of risks which can significantly impact their denture experience and their health. Pathogens like Candida Albicans, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Actinomyces & E. Coli are highly prevalent on oral appliances, and these are the leading causes of serious illnesses like OralThrush, Stomatitis, Cheilitis, and Pneumonia. I’ve seen multiple clinical reports where over 80% of the denture patients tested suffered from Oral Thrush. For most denture wearers the chronic symptoms of low-grade Thrush- loss of taste and smell, bad breath, fatigue, indigestion, and cardiopulmonary issues- become the new normal. This is why the majority of oral infections often go unreported. Millions of people suffer from chronic oral appliance-related infections, because doctors and pharmacists had nothing to recommend to patients to prevent these infections. They could only treat them with powerful medications only after they get sick. Unfortunately, when denture patients have a problem with their dentures, they tend to go to a drugb store, not a dentist, and many infections get left untreated. Or once treated, the infections reoccur due to the infected denture.
Dry Mouth is another major issue affecting the daily lives of denture wearers. Saliva helps create suction between the denture and gum tissue, which helps stabilize and retain the denture in place. It also acts as a lubricant to prevent abrasion. Reduced saliva production can lead to soreness and irritation where the gums have contact with the prosthetic, and dry mouth has also been associated with halitosis , commonly known as “denture breath.” Saliva’s role in oral comfort aside, it is also essential for the body’s normal regulation of oral flora which can help control the risk of contracting the infections mentioned above.
Poor oral hygiene may have led the patient to require dentures in the first place, but once they get the prosthetic, the stakes are even higher for taking good care of the appliance. Oral health is intimately linked to the patient’s overall health. Denture discomfort impacts the patient’s ability to eat and get proper nutrition, and an untreated infection can spread to the rest of the body. This can even lead to digestive and respiratory issues. With Pneumonia being one of the main causes of death for senior citizens, proper hygiene can be a life or death decision for many denture-wearers.
That is why it is essential for Denturists to have an honest conversation with their patients about the risks they face if they don’t follow a highly effective denture hygiene routine with the right products. Unfortunately, until recently there wasn’t anything that dental professionals could recommend to their patients even if they did have these conversations with patients. Major brand denture cleansers only claim to kill “odor-causing” bacteria, and do nothing against the disease-causing pathogens that lead to OralThrush, Stomatitis, and Pneumonia.Typical denture adhesives might slightly improve retention, but they dry out the mouth so the benefits are outweighed by further discomfort. In my practice, I always included free products and cleaning instructions with every denture case, but conventional products rarely seemed to help.
After seeing my patients experience the same issues for decades, I developed a new line of products specifically designed to treat these common, yet serious problems affecting almost all denture-wearers. Since 2000, I have been creating the Dr. B Dental Solutions for denture and partial denture wearers.
Cleanadent Liquid Crystals soak cleanser is the only cleanser that kills Candida, Strep, Staph, Actinomyces, and E. Coli on all removable without the use of harsh chemicals like bleach, alcohol or chlorine. It is available both in Economy ( 45 Cleanings) and Mini Travel/Trial sizes.
I knew my patients all wanted to brush their dentures, but regular toothpaste is much too abrasive for oral appliances, so I created Cleanadent Denture & Gum Paste, the only cleansing paste gentle enough to safely brush oral appliances, and ideal for brushing the gums to remove debris as well as nasty biofilm as recommended by the ADA. The formula includes time-tested remedies like Vitamins A, D & E,Aloe Vera, Coconut Oil, and Tea Tree Oil to moisturize the gums. Unlike other dry mouth products which only temporarily help dry mouth with artificial moisture, this paste actually promotes the body’s natural production of saliva.
The Adhesadent Denture Adhesive uses similar ingredients to make it the only adhesive that naturally moisturizes the gums while providing a powerful hold.
Patients don’t care what you know. They want to know how much you care. And a Dr. B Denture care kit is a great way to show you care.
Giving away these products in a care package for every case, and providing clear instructions on how patients should use them to ensure their oral health and maintain their dentures, is an easy way to show that you care about your patients. It also shows them that this is a high-quality human body part replacement that must be treated properly and with respect. For many patients, getting a denture is a significant personal investment. And both the denture and the denture wearer need proper maintenance to keep performing optimally. Since introducing this denture care system, I’ve heard from many successful practices who have seen a dramatic decrease in denture-related complications due to dry mouth and infections.
The best part is that when you introduce a highly specialized denture care system like this, you are keeping your patients engaged. Since the products aren’t available in most stores, this gives the denturist the opportunity to retail the products in the office. It works as an additional revenue stream, and it gets the patient stopping by the office on a regular basis. This is a valuable time to reinforce good oral hygiene habits, check-ups and oral cancer screenings. It will encourage patients to replace their dentures on a regular schedule, and they will recommend their friends see you. Patients can benefit from advances in denture technology, and the denturist benefits by remaining their denture professional long after that first denture. Since the products work so well, the patients may even begin bringing their friends to the office to purchase the denture care system from you too.
When denturists include a denture care system with every case, they are providing “Lagniappe”, which means “more than they were expecting”.This is an excellent value-add on the first visit and keeps the patient happy and healthy with your hard work. I can’t emphasize enough the benefit this philosophy had on growing my practice, and I have seen first-hand these results being replicated in other offices as well. This is a win-win situation, as the patients take better care of their dentures/oral health, and the denturists have an effective method of engaging their patients and growing their business.