Best practices rise to the top after a stressful year

by Dr. Manor Haas

Dentaltown has always been about “real dentistry for real dentists.” In line with that slogan, this article looks at our profession as wet-fingered dentists with a frontline perspective to demonstrate how patients in need of endodontic treatments, along with our practices, can permanently benefit from what we’ve learned during the pandemic. As the saying goes, with every tragedy, opportunities arise. This pandemic is no exception. It has forced us to adjust our practices to adapt to pandemic-minded ADA guidelines.1

Remember the days of bringing patients in for consultations, then back again for multiple and lengthy root canal appointments, only to be followed up with more appointments to restore the endo-treated teeth? That’s a lot of wasted time and effort that would be deemed unnecessary during a pandemic—and should be deemed unnecessary after one, too. The future of endo could and should entail more efficient and more productive treatments.

During the pandemic, we’ve been encouraged to enhance our triage of potential endodontic and emergency cases before patients step into our practices and weed out any unnecessary visits. And while patients are in our chairs, we’ve had to work more efficiently by providing as much treatment as possible during every visit. This safeguards patients from potential exposure as they leave their safe bubbles. And, in the process, it enhances a practice’s efficiency and production.

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