Your patients aren't truly healthy, but they're also not losing teeth. This “gray area” is keeping them in perio purgatory! In this episode of Clinical Edge Fridays, Kirk Behrendt brings back Rachel Wall, CEO and founder of Inspired Hygiene, to explain what perio purgatory is, why it’s dangerous, and how to pull patients out of it to improve their health. To learn how to put an end to your perio blindness, listen to Episode 864 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Rachel:

• Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredhygiene
• Join Rachel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredHygiene
• Book your discovery meeting with Inspired Hygiene: https://www.inspiredhygiene.com

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_US
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 864: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Read Beat the Heart Attack Gene by Dr. Bradley Bale and Dr. Amy Doneen: https://baledoneen.com/bdm-books
• Read Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain by Dr. Bradley Bale and Dr. Amy Doneen: https://baledoneen.com/bdm-books
• Watch Dr. Amy Doneen’s Women’s Heart Health Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKo-4sSo7wM
• Get Inspired Hygiene’s Standard of Care Worksheet: https://inspiredhygiene.com/standard-of-care-worksheet

Main Takeaways:

• There is a connection between periodontal disease and other fatal health conditions.
• Recognize the red flags for diseases such as heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes.
• Collaborate with your team to develop a very clearly written standard of care.
• Your patients trust you. Always tell them if they have periodontal disease.
• Find ways to overcome the lack of capacity for your hygiene patients.
• Chronic inflammation is not healthy! Don't develop perio blindness.
• Practice your verbal skills and make perio matter to your patients.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

0:44 Rachel’s background.

2:56 Why this is an important topic.

6:14 The link between periodontal disease and fatal diseases.

9:06 Why patients fall into perio purgatory.

11:12 Migraines can be red flags.

14:23 Overcome lack of capacity in your hygiene schedule.

16:55 Get off the prophy hamster wheel.

19:20 Use a collaborative approach to diagnosis.

20:30 The importance of verbal skills.

24:21 Bleeding blindness, explained.

26:32 Everything revolves around your standard of care.

30:10 Final thoughts.

33:22 More about Inspired Hygiene.

Rachel Wall, RDH, Bio: 

Rachel Wall, RDH, BS, coaches dental teams to build highly productive hygiene departments by implementing systems for high-quality periodontal care, enrolling restorative care through hygiene and letting go of negative mindsets and old beliefs while managing the logistics of a high-performance hygiene department.

Drawing from her 20-plus years of experience as a hygienist and practice administrator, Rachel delivers to-the-point clinical speaking presentations around the country. Her interactive teaching style coupled with a workshop environment creates a learning space where dentists and team members are compelled to get to the heart of what’s held them back, and inspire them to reach for more for themselves and their practices.