Pets often need dental care, but may not indicate they are in dental distress until their teeth are in critical condition. By providing dental examinations and practicing a comprehensive method of dental charting, veterinarians can help the animals, solidify client relationships and potentially add to their bottom lines.
Source: AAHA Trends, June 2016.
There is a reluctance to chart and further pursue dental care. Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP has a few ideas: “It takes time to examine, chart, and track an animal’s mouth. If you make it a policy in your practice, you have to chart every animal, every time.” He adds, ”Two-person (“four-handed”) charting is a fast, efficient way to record dental disease. One person examines the mouth while the other records information on the chart.”
INSIGHTS: The AAHA standards of accreditation state, “Records of dental procedures, including anatomic dental documentation or charts, are part of the medical record.” Practice teams and representatives will find this article can help grow the dental practice in the hospital.