Dental Trivia

Sometime in the 1st Century AD, Roman physician Cornelius Celsus recommended removing badly rotted teeth, the first person to do so.

Dr. Bernerd J. Cigrand (1866-1932) who rose to be Dean of the Illinois School of Dentistry was the Father of National Flag Day, June 14. Cigrand organized the first Flag Day celebration on June 14, 1885 while living and teaching in Wisconsin to commemorate the fact that the U.S. Congress had adapted the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777.

The first woman dentist in America was Emeline Roberts Jones who learned her skills alongside her dentist-husband. When he died in 1885, Emeline, using a portable dental chair, traveled from town to town caring for patients. Eventually she was accepted as a member of the Connecticut State Dental Society and the National Dental Association.

Patient Survey? Yes!!

Want some valuable input about your practice? Send a survey to your patients via e-mail. Incidentally, it is assumed that you now collect e-mail addresses along with other pertinent information on your new patient registration form or on your patient of record data/health update form.

Surveys can be written with specific questions about topics such as physical facility, hours of operation, appointment time/day choices, staff courtesy and competence, menu of available services, etc. Another type of survey is generalized with only two questions: (1) What do you like best about our practice? and (2) What about our practice would you like us to change or discontinue?

Low Tech Boost for Your Reception Room

The first sign of patient welcome is shouted or whispered or ignored by the appearance of your reception room. Notice the use of the word “reception” VS “waiting” room. One indicates welcome; the other, boring use of time. A low tech idea for a welcoming touch in your reception room: a bulletin board displaying staff photos, names and positions. Also include the dentists’ photos with names if there are multiple dentists. (I recently saw this idea used in a clinic reception room in one of the premier medical centers in the country. It was an attention-getter.)