Dental Aggregate

Geez, it’s been two long weeks since I’ve been able to write any posts here, but I should be back to writing more regularly very soon.

I’ve been tending to the Ganglion Cyst and have an appointment with my doctor to have it drained finally, but now I’m dealing with a pain in my elbow that is very annoying. Yep, it’s the same arm as I have the ganglion cyst. Lucky me, eh?

When it rains it pours. I just wasn’t expecting HAIL too! It’s uncomfortable, although not excruciating to carry much of anything with any real weight to it, and it makes my elbow ache whenever I have to carry our dental supply “tubs” into the treatment room prior to working on patients.

I will survive and this problem will rectify itself in due time. I’ll just have to take a short break from posting, since the cause of the ganglion cyst is “overuse”, and I’m positive the doctor will tell me the same exact thing about what caused the sore elbow problem.

I’m too young to feel this damn old!

Tags: Basic Dental Care, Dental Assisting, Office Manager, Personal by D.A.
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A couple of weeks ago I began noticing a small bump on the top of my right hand near my wrist. At first I didn’t think anything of it, but I soon began noticing that the area began to bother me, feeling somewhat tender to the touch and more noticeable whenever I’d pick up something a bit heavy. I actually began to wonder if I had somehow broken a bone in my hand, since the bump/cyst would move each time I moved or bent the middle finger on my right hand. I thought, that’s weird!

In our office we use some square, plastic containers to hold our crown/bridge supplies, as well as two other containers for our composite and amalgam supplies. Whenever either was needed, I would often take down the needed container one-handed, not giving much thought that it might be a bit too heavy for just one hand.

Well, now I know better. I went to see the doctor and was diagnosed with a Ganglion Cyst. My furled brow made it obvious that I had never heard of such a cyst, so I was given the detailed explanation of exactly what a ganglion cyst is and what its cause and treatment is. Oh fun.

I was shown pictures of these cysts in varying sizes and locations that made me cringe, and I was worried that my wrist was going to look like those pictures, but my doctor assured me that all will be fine. At the moment the doctor doesn’t feel there is a need to drain it (okay, that sounds really gross), since it’s still quite small.

The doctor wrapped my wrist with a bandage and prescribed some anti-inflammatory medications to help get rid of this thing. I’m supposed to wear the bandage for the next several weeks throughout each day, which will make working on patients with sterile gloves on quite interesting to say the least.

Once I got home from the doctor’s office I immediately searched online for further information about ganglion cysts, as if I hadn’t already learned more than I would have liked to know. It seems that ganglion cysts are also referred to as a Bible Bump, which I couldn’t help but laugh at because it sounded so odd. A “Bible Bump”? This I had to know more about.

According to Wikipedia, it seems that one method of how to treat ganglion cysts was to “strike the lump with a large, heavy book, causing the cyst to rupture and drain into the surrounding tissues. Since even the poorest households often possessed a bible, this was commonly used, which led to the nicknaming of ganglion cysts as “Bible Bumps” or “Gideon’s Disease”. This treatment may be effective, but is no longer recommended, as patients risk damaging the surrounding area. As this may make the cyst worse, other treatment options are preferable.” Umm, no thanks.

So for now, I’m going to have to deal with having this cyst and hope it goes away, and I definitely hope I won’t end up having to go back to see the doctor and having the cyst….drained. Eeeuuuwww.

Tags: Dental Assisting, Office Manager, Personal by D.A.
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I haven’t been able to post anything new here at Dental Aggregate for a couple of weeks due to some personal family matters, but I want you all to know that I haven’t forgotten about this dental blog, and have some new posts coming in the next few days.

In the meantime, I wanted to say Thank You to a few Entrecard blogs that have been kind enough to be regular chain-droppers and visitors by giving a bit of Linky Love to their blogs in return.

Top Five Entrecard Chain Droppers-

Life’s Context- I really enjoy keeping up with each new post written by “Periadex”. Even though he is a Endodontist, and surely could write phenomenal posts all about the technicalities of Endodontics in dentistry, I appreciate that his posts are more personal in nature. You have to appreciate the good Doctor’s sense of humor in his post about cheap dentistry, and the “get your mind out of the gutter” comments that kept me laughing.

Healthy Lifestyle- I’m a big believer in eating healthy and taking care of my body, and I understand the importance of teaching children to eat healthy foods and getting enough exercise. Healthy Lifestyle is an excellent source of information relating to healthy living, quitting smoking, and I especially enjoyed the post about dealing with bad breath since it’s a subject that gets discussed with patients quite often in our dental office.

Healthy Cooking Recipes- Since my husband and I are both healthy eaters, it’s quite fun to discover new recipes to add to our growing collection of recipes to try ourselves, and serve to our dinner guests. Our family loves barbecued chicken that is tender and delicious but also healthy, so it’s great to have another healthy chicken recipe to keep things interesting at mealtime.

Obesity Therapy- The subject of child and teenage obesity in society is a topic that needs to be taken seriously by parents, and needs to be dealt with in schools and school cafeteria’s and society in general by learning how to prevent childhood obesity. Obesity in children and teens has become an epidemic around the world, and these kids are not only experiencing health problems now, but are increasing their chances of developing Diabetes, Cardiovascular problems and Stroke, just to name a few.

Telling It Like It Is- Well, I guess it should only make sense that my other blog would be amongst those who chain drop with Entrecard at a higher rate than other users. Regular readers of Dental Aggregate know that I also author Telling It Like It Is, which is a large compilation of posts dealing with relationships, marriage, parenting, caring for elderly parents, deciding when is it the right time to change careers, and much more.

Thank You very much for your regular visits to Dental Aggregate, and I look forward to continuing the chain dropping exercises along with you.

Tags: Personal, dental blogs, endodontics, entrecard by D.A.
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Today I want to send a little linky love to a few blogs I’ve discovered that make me smile, with quality content that makes me stop and think, as well as being very personable and friendly.

Being in the dental field myself for so many years, I really value the hard work we put in to give our patients the best dental care possible, as well as finding ways to make treatments affordable for all patients, with various payment options and payment plans.

Many of the patients that come to our office have been with us since they were small children, and have continued treatment with us even after growing up, getting married and having families of their own. Isn’t it fun to watch these young people grow up before our very eyes? Of course, there is a downside when we experience the loss of longterm patients due to illness and death, visiting patients in the hospital and attending funerals of patients we’ve come to care about over the years. But overall, I feel truly blessed to be a dental assistant and office manager, where I am able to connect with patients as people and families that entrust us with caring for their dental needs.

These Dental Blogs make me smile and I feel proud to be amongst you as peers in our profession:

The Dental Implant Blog

Dental Insider

The Endo Blog

Life’s Context

Tags: Basic Dental Care, Business Relationships, Personal by D.A.
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I often wish there were a clearer, more defined explanation of what Dental Practice Management involves, especially when it comes to the duties and responsibilities of a Dental Office Manager. I have carried that title in our Dental Office for many years, and yet continue to find numerous examples of dental offices who have completely different definitions and duties associated with this title.

In our Dental Office, I often find myself feeling very much like a Professional Juggler, due to the wide variety of responsibilities I hold in my position. I’m not strictly the Dental Office Manager, but I juggle several different titles and duties during the course of each day, that even I don’t know what exactly my title should be. Jokingly, I sometimes refer to myself as “The everything, everywhere person”, because I’m usually “changing hats” several times a day and if I’m not there every day the office closes; literally. (More about that in coming posts)

Not only do I carry the title of Office Manager, but I’m also the Dental Assistant; X-ray Tech; Sterilization/OSHA Manager; Recall Coordinator; Receptionist; Dental Insurance Coordinator; Patient Advocate; Appointment Scheduler, Accounts Receivable Manager, and the Emergency On-Call person during weekends. I’m sure there are a few more “titles” I could throw in, but I think you get the idea. I manage the Front Desk and everything associated with it, Assist the Doctor with procedures, take and process X-rays, help our Part-time Hygienist with any number of things in order to keep the normal daily flow going. And somehow manage to keep the schedule full of patients for the Doctor and the Hygienist, all at the same time.

I guess it isn’t any wonder why I sometimes feel frustration when leaving at the end of the day, knowing there were return phone calls to patients that I didn’t have time to make, letters to other doctors still needing to be typed and mailed, phone calls to insurance companies to inquire why a claim was denied, and so much more. I simply cannot fully complete all the aspects of my responsibilities during the course of a day, or even a full week, because there is always so much I haven’t literally had time to get to.

I try not to allow myself to become frustrated, and even depressed at times, about the responsibilities I carry as a, well…you pick the title. But every time I’m assisting the doctor and the phone starts ringing at the front desk, I feel a twinge of guilt that patients are not able to reach me easily to schedule an appointment or ask a question about treatment. After completing treatment on a patient, and cleaning and sterilizing the room, taking payment from the patient or submitting the insurance claim, I then have barely a few minutes to check for voice-mails and return their calls because the doctor is waiting for me to assist him on the next patient.

If I could choose one title, one position with clearly defined duties and responsibilities, one job that I would want to have, it would be that as a REAL Dental Office Manager. Unfortunately, I don’t think the doctor really knows what a dental office manager does. Take away the Chair-side Assisting (unless needed in a pinch), as that position is not the one that really makes me tick. What really gets my juices flowing is the interaction with the patients; discussing treatment options with patients; helping them to understand the need for treatment; providing affordable payment plans and options; and helping patients to feel more at ease and comfortable the moment they walk through the door, and doing everything possible to take the best care of our patients, and continue to work together as a team for the benefit of our patients.

Tags: Basic Dental Care, Business Relationships, Communication, Dental Insurance, Dental Practice Management, Personal, Productivity by D.A.
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Since beginning this dental blog journey, I’ve been searching high and low for other dental blogs that offer a variety of topics relating to the dental industry. Just the other day I came across The Dental Implant Blog, and it’s author Teresa Duncan.

I was quite impressed with Teresa’s qualifications and experience, and look forward to following along with her informative posts, as well as searching out other dental blogs to share with my readers. Having found only a small number of dental blogs while searching online, it is of great importance to me to share my knowledge and experience in the Dental Industry, as well as personal perspective and observations of various treatment options and products available to patients.

I was shocked to read Teresa’s article about a Dental Office Manager Charged With Embezzling Over $40,000., as it amazes me that anyone would even consider doing such a horrific thing. I have been in the Dental Industry for many years, as an Office Manager and as a Registered Dental Assistant, and it has never once crossed my mind to steal from my employer.

I have worked for the same dentist for nearly fifteen years now, and we have established such a close relationship over the years that we not only have a Boss/Employee relationship, but one of friendship as well. For gosh sakes, my boss walked me down the aisle when I married my husband a few years ago because of our close relationship. I cannot imagine ever doing anything, or even consider doing something that would show such utter disrespect to my boss and friend.

I look forward to bringing you, my readers, informative dental-related articles and hope you will not only enjoy them but also contribute to the discussion by leaving your on-topic comments. If you haven’t yet subscribed to Dental Aggregate, please consider doing so now.

Tags: Implants, Personal by D.A.
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Welcome to my brand new dental blog. I am a Licensed R.D.A, Registered Dental Assistant. I have been in the dental field for more than eighteen years now and have found it to be a very rewarding career helping our patients achieve healthy teeth and gums.

My job requires me to multi-task each and every day, as there is only myself, the dentist and a part-time Hygienist in our office. While our office may be considered small in comparison to other offices, we take pride in being the kind of dental office where patients know they are not just a “number”, but we get to know our patients on a more personal level. I enjoy listening to the doctor and patients discuss fishing and hunting, where patients have taken their last vacation, how their children are doing etc.

I love the fact that in our dental office, we spend an entire hour doing teeth cleanings, rather than the typical thirty minute “quickies” so many patients complain they’ve gotten in other offices, before beginning to come to us for their dental needs.

My job allows me to handle everything at the front desk, including phone calls from patients, scheduling appointments, answering patients questions, filing insurance claims, doctor correspondence letters and phone calls, patient recall, accounts receivable and accounts payable. I also am the chair-side assistant for the doctor, sterilization and OSHA manager, x-ray and lab tech, amongst many other jobs that crop up in a normal day.

I recently discovered that there aren’t very many dental blogs, so I decided to start DentalAggregate.com as my place to discuss various things relating to the dental industry, along with making recommendations about dental products, procedures, treatment options and the like. Sometimes I may talk about particular dental situations that come up in our dental office, and talk about my job or those I work so closely with.

Southwest Dental Conference-

Tomorrow morning begins three days of the annual Southwest Dental Conference being held at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas Texas. I’m looking forward to the continuing education courses I’ve signed up for. Fortunately, I live in the Dallas area so I won’t be bothered with the expenses of a Hotel stay that others are contending with. Although Dallas has the Dart Train system, I really don’t like to take the Dart train, so I’ll be driving myself and will hopefully find a parking space nearby the convention center.

I’m hoping the lecturers for my chosen continuing ed courses will be the type of speakers that not only will keep me awake throughout the entire day, but will actually have something worthwhile to say, unlike other dental conferences in the past. I don’t mind the requirement to take these type courses each year, and the fees incurred, but it sure would be nice to walk out at the end of the long day feeling like you’ve learned something from it that can passed on in our dental office.

Again, welcome to DentalAggregate.com, my brand new dental blog.

Tags: Continuing Ed, Personal by D.A.
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