Out of 235 dental practices, only 10% did a comprehensive examination, which included periodontal charting and a full mouth series of x-rays. This indicates that we are woefully underdiagnosing disease in our patients' mouths. Most patients don't go to a doctor, and half the population doesn't go to a dentist. So, when a patient visits our practice, it's an opportunity to provide them with all the information they need about their dental situation, oral health, aesthetics, and systemic health.

Based on the oral-systemic link, we can also discuss the importance of seeing a physician, getting their blood pressure checked, blood tests, and necessary screening examinations like colonoscopies and prostate exams. While we're not physicians, we have the chance to influence patients in the right direction. Typically, patients call to schedule a hygiene visit. When they come in, the hygienist has to take x-rays (usually not a full mouth series), clean their teeth, perform an oral examination, go over oral hygiene instructions, clean their instruments, reschedule the patient, and make time for the doctor to briefly meet the patient.

This is not a comprehensive examination. It's essentially treating a patient like there's a pothole: instead of fixing the road, we just fill the pothole. Most of us become "pothole fillers" and procedurists. In most dental schools, they don't teach comprehensive dental care. They focus on performing a certain number of procedures to graduate, not on comprehensive patient treatment or education.

Some schools and periodontal residencies do teach comprehensive care, but once in practice, many dentists drift away from it. This is partly because it's easier and less stressful to do quick procedures. However, educating patients and treating them comprehensively leads to better long-term outcomes. My own practice involves a lot of talking and educating, which means my patients are well-informed, and we can provide more comprehensive care.

By not treating patients comprehensively, we miss opportunities to help them and ourselves. Comprehensive treatment can also be more financially successful because it focuses on long-term patient health rather than short-term fixes. Historical figures like Bob Barkley emphasized the importance of comprehensive and preventative care. He wouldn't treat a patient until they had excellent oral hygiene and fully understood their treatment options.

Today, many patients are not given the opportunity to choose the best treatment because they are not educated on all their options. Preventative care in both dentistry and medicine can save costs and improve health outcomes. Most of the patients I see wouldn't need my services if they had received a preventative program early on.

Comprehensive care is a win-win situation for both patients and practitioners. It requires commitment and courage to shift from short-term fixes to comprehensive care, but it leads to better practices, happier patients, and overall success. So, take the commitment, treat comprehensively, and be a true gift to your patients.