Involving the dental team in treatment planning enhances value to patients while boosting the practice's level of care. It is crucial that PCDs echo the concerns and recommendations of the dentist with the end goal of reinforcing the diagnosis and treatment plan.

There are different ways and means of going about this and it is important that the patient does not feel pressured into having a particular treatment. Rather, a member of the team's presence and opinion should act as extra reassurance for the patient; helping them to see a clear path through their treatment.

Someone who has had plenty of experience in patient reassurance is Rosemary Taylor of Clock House Dental Practice in the village of Heworth, Yorkshire.

Rosemary (above) took on the role as Treatment Adviser for the practice after earning a great deal of patient trust through working locally in dentistry for 18 years. She now spends a lot of her working day addressing patients' concerns and queries and taking them through procedures.

'The patients really appreciate it and it adds value to the practice', says Rosemary. 'I have my own office and use models to go through treatments with them. They seem to find it a lot less intimidating talking to another member of staff rather than the dentist themselves. I also discuss the financial side of treatments with patients and take the opportunity to present the NHS or private options to them in the privacy of my office away from the dentist's chair. This removes the pressure from the patient and does not affect the dentist's diagnosis.'

The more nervous patients seem to particularly value the service. 'It's very rewarding when you see a nervous patient calming down before your very eyes,' she says. 'Talking with me in a different room gives them a chance to ask questions and it also gives me a chance to find out what is really bothering them most.'

In addition, once a patient has had some treatment or surgery at Clock House Dental, a member of the practice team – usually a dental nurse – telephones to see that they are well and to offer advice. This gives the patient the opportunity to ask any questions that have occurred to them since the surgery. This further contact is very reassuring, particularly for nervous patients or those who have undergone a major procedure.

Like Rosemary, other members of the team, such as hygienists and therapists, can add value to the practice in other ways such as contributing billable services and assisting in clinical examinations. The extended duties of these members of the team introduced in July last year now mean that they are permitted to take impressions, give supervised ID block anaesthesia and undertake emergency replacement of temporary crowns, amongst other things.

Therapists are now additionally permitted to undertake pulp therapy and place pre-reformed crowns on primary teeth, not to mention being able to at last work in General Dental Services.

All of these extra duties allow hygienists and therapists to play a more active role in the dental practice. For example, if a problem is discovered during the hygienist cleaning, such as a cracked tooth, the hygienist will also, if there is time, take a photo or series of photos of the patient's problem. This will form the basis of future treatment planning, perhaps including cosmetic simulations. The hygienist in this case is actively raising the patient's awareness of the treatments that the practice can offer.

In fact, photography can be a useful tool for patient education, and can be a useful aid for hygienists. Patients are less likely to dismiss lesions as unimportant when a hygienist takes them seriously enough to photograph them. After photos have been taken, the images can be used to help patients understand their cases. This can also improve compliance with recommended treatment plans or help to alleviate patient concerns.

It is fundamental that the dentist and team reinforce the same message

Working together as a team is good practice in itself and even better when positive outcomes are achieved as a result. Motivating the patient must be seen as a co-ordinated and positive role carried out not only by staff actively involved in treatment, but also those who act in a supportive way such as the dental nurses and receptionists. Often, members of the dental team not actively involved in the treatment may know some important information regarding the patient that is unknown to the member of staff carrying out the procedure. Stressful events such as a death in the family or happier news such as a wedding or birth can impact on whether the patient sticks with a treatment, or even whether they choose to go ahead with it at all.

Reaching a consensus is another important aspect of treatment planning. It is fundamental that the dentist, hygienist, therapist, nurse and receptionist reinforce the same message. Indeed, regarding oral hygiene, it is the receptionist who is often asked by the patient at the desk about the efficacy or usage of the dental products sold there, so it is essential that every member of the team has knowledge of the various brushes, toothpastes and mouthwashes.

Without teamwork or communication, motivation and compliance are a lot more difficult to achieve. By becoming involved in treatment planning, you can give more value to the patients and consequently add more value to your practice.