Dental Implant Services

1. You, the potential dental consumer, should learn what exactly you are paying for, especially when you select pricy versus affordable dental implant care. You should also acquaint yourself with facts that truly identify successful outcomes of implant dental care. Research on the outcome of using specific brands of dental implants today is largely done in university environments. Most of this research is funded by the companies, whose dental implants are being tested, creating a situation with obvious potential for 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 "self-serving studies" are largely of no value, except as a marketing tool. The final cost of dental implants is determined by the dentist in a subjective manner. By subjective, I am referring to the fact that a dentist's out-of pocket expense to purchase, place, and restore a dental implant is largely limited: 1. What the dentist elects to pay for materials. 2. The dentist may elect to charge for advertising costs, both direct and indirect. 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 justSMILE 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. CNAs are required to attend lessons in health care facilities across the U.S. on topics such as standard precautions, abuse, neglect, confidentiality, and fire safety. Other common topics include nutrition, pain management and a variety of disease processes. 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. When you're trying fit inservice education around your already busy schedule, it can be difficult to come up with relevant topics. Here are some inservice ideas that will inspire your nursing assistants to think outside the box and have a real impact upon the quality of care they provide for their clients. 1. Teach about Being Assertive Top-notch CNAs are assertive people. 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. They are also excellent team players because they respect others' rights without ignoring theirs. Consider presenting an inservice that includes a "personal assertiveness assessment" so that your nurse aides can gauge their current communication style.

2. 2. Examine Conflict in the Workplace Teach your CNAs to handle conflict on the job. Give them practical tips on how to resolve conflict. Make sure you discuss the dangers of bullying and gossip in the workplace, and how to handle conflicts with clients and supervisors. 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 knows the difference between personal and professional relationships and can recognize the warning signs that professional distance has been lost. Giving an inservice on this issue will help your nursing assistants be caring without veering from the plan of care. 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 sharing this information with your CNAs and nurses to boost nursing teamwork. 5. Practice Time Management Skills Why are some CNAs better than others at completing their work on time? Nursing assistants who are striving for excellence have learned to avoid time-wasters such as procrastination and a negative attitude. Help your CNAs become time savers by teaching them about setting goals and priorities and providing them with practical tips that help them work efficiently-whether they work in a facility or in clients' homes. 6. Review the Normal Aging Process During their short initial training time, nursing assistants learn a few basics about the human body. However, in order to enhance their observational skills, it's good to give them more details about how humans age. Try presenting information by body systems. 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 To be outstanding, CNAs should be able to handle the full spectrum of life, including the dying process. Give your aides detailed information about the end of life. For example, how to recognize the symptoms that indicate death is close, how to comfort dying clients and their family members, and how to take care of the body after death. Consider including information about death, cultural diversity, and the stages grief. 8. Brush Your Mouth Care Top-notch CNAs understand the importance and benefits of good oral hygiene and how it can affect not just the quality of their clients' lives, but also their overall health. What about a presentation that goes beyond the workplace's mouth care protocol? Give lots of tips on how to perform oral hygiene, deal with dentures, or watch for oral and dental issues. 9. Explore Basic Human Needs

3. Give your nursing assistants a brief overview of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to help them develop their empathy. During the inservice, review the five levels of basic human needs, how the levels relate to each other and how illness affects a person's place in the Hierarchy. Your aides can provide holistic, client-centered services with a better understanding of what makes people tick. 10. Talk about cost-effective care While cost-efficiency is always important in health care, it's especially vital in today's economy. Plan an inservice that provides practical tips for how nursing assistants can save money throughout their daily client care. Make sure you cover how to reduce waste, how time management and healthcare-associated infections affect the bottom line. CNAs who are at the top of their game know that saving money now will lead to better working conditions in the future. 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.