Headlines 5-10-21
- Clint Henrie, DMD
- May 10, 2021
- 3 min read
We have a very full Thursday Team Meeting planned. We have the baby shower/sprinkle for Heather and Sean. We also have Ben Ward from Invisalign coming to spend time with us. Part of our growing as a team is our ability to train and support one another. One of the best ways - and also one of the most awkward ways - is to role play various situations. So here's your heads up for Thursday... Role play will be involved, but please don't fear it. It's going to be awesome! And we'll all be the better for it.
Getting to Know You(r) [Codes]
You know you can't escape this song when you say that line...
Let's use this platform to review our dental codes. Every week (if I remember) we will review one of our ADA codes. This week we will discuss Occlusal Guards.
Occlusal guards fall under the following categories:
D9944: OG-Hard, full arch
D9945: OG-Soft, full arch
D9946: OG-Hard, partial arch (NTI)
According to Dr. Charles Blair, the Godfather of Dental Coding, the purpose for an occlusal guard is as follows:
... designed to minimize the effects of bruxism or other occlusal factors...
When an occlusal guard has been diagnosed and is being sent to insurance for possible coverage, you must notate if it falls under the following categories. If it does not, then the device will most likely NOT be covered by insurance and you MUST inform your patient.
Bruxism - the parafunctional or habitual "clinching" or "grinding" of teeth
Periodontal mobility - a current perio chart and recent SRP may be required for coverage
If the device is needed for TMJ dysfunction, use the code D7880.
Notes, Notes, and More Notes
Dentrix has a plethora of places to store our notes. Some clarification is in order to make sure we're all on the same page.
Office Journal: record all phone calls, letters, and texts here. If there are financial discussions that occur outside of the op, they should be recorded here, also.
Guarantor Notes (G-Notes): This section in the Ledger is meant only for quick financial notes for insurance and payment purposes. They should be cleared out or copied into the Office Journal once the situation has been handled.
Clinical Note: Every visit to the office whether in the consult room or in the operatory MUST be recorded in the Patient Chart. This is not a place for our "perceptions" of the patient's experience. Do your best to use words the patient used to describe their level of pain or concern. If you make a note in here that someone on the team will follow-up with the patient, please make sure your team is aware of this need. Remember - templates are only meant as placeholders. Use it as a short cut and then go back in to make the necessary corrections and/or additions.
Appointment Book Note: This section in the Appointment Book (upper left) is meant to communicate the day's needs to all the team. If someone needs to be called or something needs to be followed up on, please put your note in with your initials so everyone knows who to speak with regarding questions.
Appointment Note: Initial notes regarding the scheduled appointment, pertinent information for the clinical team to help them prepare for the patient, audit findings, and other relevant information will be in this area.
Event Blocks: These blocks are a great way to protect us from overbooking or booking on a vacation day. Please remember to put your initials and a date stamp in the event blocks including further information as to why the box is there. There have been many times when it's unsure if the block was just put in, if it can't be moved, etc. Let's remember to use these events as communication blocks and not stumbling blocks.
If I missed any other places for notes, feel free to leave a comment below to help inform the rest of the team.
No Band-aids
I overheard a conversation recently that one of the sensors was not working in an operatory. I heard that it happens often. Sadly, this conversation was not directed at me nor was I informed after that conversation from either party. I know it can be frustrating with various technology issues that seem to happen often. I truly need to know every time it happens and cannot be resolved. I want to make sure our clinical team has what you need when you need it. This can only happen if you let me know.
Leave me a sticky when you can or tell me directly when an issue arises. I will do my best to get it resolved with Blake as soon as possible. If we need an IT Repair List, let me know and we can get that started, too. We don't need to use band-aids if we address it right away. Thank you!
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