Dental Implant Services

You, as a potential dental consumer, need to know what you are paying for. This is especially true when you choose expensive dental implant care over affordable dental implants. You should also familiarize yourself with the facts that accurately identify successful outcomes for implant dental care.

Research on the outcome of using specific brands of dental implants today is largely done in university environments. This research is largely funded by the companies whose dental implants are tested, which creates a situation that could lead to a conflict of interest. These studies are usually very short-lived and are designed to promote new implant products that the benefactor companies want to introduce to the dental market as soon as they can. These types of "self-serving" studies are of little value except for marketing.

The final cost of dental implants is determined by the dentist in a justSMILE subjective manner. By subjective, I mean that the out-of-pocket expense for a dentist to purchase a dental implant, place it, and restore it, is largely limited to:

1. The dentist's choice of materials.

2. Elective costs for direct and indirect forms of advertising decided upon by the dentist.

3. The dollar amount (click to Exhibit 2) that the dentist wants to charge for his or her time to complete a dental-implant-related service. This fee is based on what the dentist hopes to make in profit. It is a feeling, not necessarily based upon competitive factors.

Additionally, as much an advocate I am for marketing, I believe consumers should be aware of hidden costs and other slick sale strategies beyond "hype" when responding to any ads, bait-and-switch strategies are common in all industries, including the dental implant field. You must research who is treating you, their experience, and their outcomes.

I believe the prudent consumer seeking dental implant care needs to educate themselves to make good decisions in choosing who to take care of them, now as well as in the future. Educated shopping is consumers' responsibility to themselves.

As a nursing supervisor you are well aware of the basic information (often mandatory) that is presented to nursing assistants. At health care organizations across the U.S., CNAs sit through lessons on standard precautions, abuse and neglect, confidentiality and fire safety. Nutrition, pain management, and various disease processes are also common topics. These are all essential inservices for nursing assistance.

To develop a team that is top-notch, it is important to go above and beyond what's required or mandated. Coming up with pertinent topics can be a challenge when you're trying to fit inservice education into your already packed schedule. Here are some ideas for inservices that will get your nursing assistants thinking outside the box-and have a real impact on the quality of their client care.

1. Teach about Being Assertive

Assertive people are the best CNAs. They know the difference between communicating passively or aggressively, and communicating assertively. They use their assertiveness skills to deal with difficult people and challenging situations. And, because they respect the rights of others without ignoring their own rights, they are excellent team players. Consider presenting an inservice that includes a "personal assertiveness assessment" so that your nurse aides can gauge their current communication style.

2. Examine Conflict at Work

Teach your CNAs to handle conflict on the job. Provide them with practical tips for resolving conflict. Be sure to cover the dangers of gossip and bullying in the workplace and how they can handle conflicts with supervisors and clients. Armed with this information, your CNAs will focus less on "workplace politics" and more on the needs of their clients.

3. Discuss Maintaining a Professional Distance

It is difficult for nurses to maintain professional boundaries while providing TLC to their clients. A top-notch CNA can tell the difference between a personal and professional relationship and recognize the warning signs of a loss of professional distance. This inservice will help your nursing staff be compassionate without deviating from the plan of treatment.

4. Promote the CNA/Nurse Relationship

The relationship between nurses, nursing assistants and physicians is evolving in the same way. Outstanding CNAs understand the importance of delegation, assertive communication and mutual respect. They know how to give a great report, how to make the most of their performance review and how to work together with nurses as a team. Consider presenting this information to your CNAs and your nurses for a real boost to nursing teamwork.

5. Practice Time Management Skills

Why do some CNAs complete their work more quickly than others? Nursing assistants who strive for excellence have learned how to avoid time wasters like procrastination, a lack of focus and a negative attitude. Teaching your CNAs how to set goals and prioritize their work and giving them practical tips will help them save time, whether they work in a facility of in the homes of clients.

Review the Normal Aging Process

During their initial training, nursing assistants are taught a few basic facts about the human anatomy. To improve their observational skills it is best to provide more information about the aging process. Try presenting the information by body system. Talk about lifestyle choices that can slow down aging, and those that can speed it up. Remind your CNAs of how they can help elderly clients live a high-quality life.

7. Discuss End-of-Life Care

CNAs must be able handle all aspects of life, even the dying process, to be exceptional. Give your aides information on the end of life, such as how to recognize symptoms that signal death is near, how to provide comfort for dying clients and their families and how to care for the body once death has occurred. Consider including information on death and cultural diversity and the stages of grief.

8. Brush Your Mouth Care

CNAs who are top-notch understand the importance of good oral health and how it can impact not only their clients' quality of life, but their overall health. How about presenting an inservice that goes beyond the mouth care protocol for your workplace? Give plenty of tips for performing oral hygiene, dealing with dentures, and observing for oral and dental problems.

9. Explore Basic Human Needs

To enhance your nursing assistants' sense of empathy, give them an overview of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Review the five levels of human needs and how they relate to one another. Also, discuss how illness can affect a person's position in the Hierarchy. With a greater understanding of what makes people "tick", your aides will excel at providing holistic, client-centered care.

10. Talk about Cost-Efficient Care

In today's economy, cost-efficiency in health care is more important than ever. Plan an inservice to provide practical tips on how nursing assistants can reduce costs while providing client care. Make sure you cover how to reduce waste, how time management and healthcare-associated infections affect the bottom line. Top-notch CNAs know that saving money today means better working conditions tomorrow!

Try incorporating a few of these topics into your current inservice schedule and see what happens. When inservice education is above and beyond what is expected, it encourages critical thinking and enhances client care. It also encourages professionalism from your aides.