Time – a fickle friend
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 22nd May 2021
Most would agree that time is a fickle thing. It often seems to do the exact opposite of what we would prefer – in awkward situations the clock stands still, while moments of happiness fly by faster than we ever want them to. In the dental practice, how you perceive and manage time is the key to everything from clinical success to job satisfaction and the patient experience. Being prepared – mentally and physically – will help the entire dental team to make the very most of the time available to them for the benefit of all.
Why does time fly when you’re having fun?
Our “sense” of time is unique and very different to how our other senses work. How we perceive time is subjective and supported by data from all our other senses put together. It can be affected by emotional state, level of attention, memory and disease.[i] Interestingly, neuroscientists believe that our perception of time changes depending on how much information our minds are processing. This concept has been around for many years[ii] and is based on the idea that the more your brain is learning and processing new information, the slower it perceives time to go by. The speed with which we process information also appears to increase with age,[iii] further supporting the theory that time seems to pass much slower for children than it does for adults. It has also been postulated that how a person judges time is impacted by working memory capacity, going some way to explain why time seems to pass quickly for more elderly individuals.
Applying these concepts to real life, it implies that a routine might cause us to perceive time to pass quicker and new experiences lead to the perception of time slowing down. By this reasoning, could we rely on repetitive behaviours for tasks we like less and seek out new information, new people and new places to slow down time during more enjoyable activities? Perhaps some food for thought…
Managing time in the dental practice
Getting back to the dental practice, perception of time is important with regards to patients. For them, the more comfort they feel and the more familiar they are with the environment and the procedure they are undergoing, the happier they are going to be and the quicker their appointment will likely feel.
For dental professionals, perception of time is less important that time management itself. Restoring patients’ smiles and enhancing their quality of life provides both reward and motivation, helping many practitioners to truly love what they do. However, time is often against them when attempting to meet patient expectations, deliver high quality clinical care and safely see as many patients as possible each day to reduce the backlog created by the pandemic so far. Finding ways to make better use of the hours in a week is vital.
Optimising efficiency
For this, efficiency is the order of the day. From teamwork and collaboration among professionals, to daily protocols, appointment booking organisation and the products used for everyday clinical procedures, every piece of the puzzle needs to be reviewed and refined for optimal time management. The aim of the game is to get more done in a shorter space of time, without compromising on the effectiveness of the process or the quality of the outcome.
Consider the restorative treatment workflow. A common procedure in the general dental practice, it provides the perfect opportunity to minimise treatment steps and maximise efficiency, all the while maintaining a pleasant patient experience and achieving beautiful, functional and durable outcomes. Something as simple as using a quick and reliable cement could be key. Kemdent Diamond Carve is a hand-mixed glass ionomer cement providing a highly aesthetic alternative to traditional composite, glass ionomer or amalgam in posterior, non-loading bearing Class I and II restorations, as well as Class V abrasion cavities. Its lack of dimensional change during chemical curing means it can be placed in one increment for significant time-saving advantages. Plus, Kemdent Diamond Carve bonds to enamel and dentine without the need for acid etching making it quicker again, it is radiopaque and displays much higher compressive strength than most conventional glass ionomers for total peace of mind.
Time waits for no one
Though we might all have conflicting perceptions of how time has passed over this last year, we can all agree that making the most of our time is important. In the practice, this means streamlining workflows and optimising efficiency to improve both the patient and practitioner experience. Time management has always been important in dentistry, but recent restrictions and challenges have made it even more crucial.
For more information about the leading solutions available from Kemdent, please visit www.kemdent.co.uk or call 01793 770 256
Author
Alistair Mayoh – Marketing Director Kemdent
[i] Fontes R, Ribeiro J, Gupta DS, et al. Time Perception Mechanisms at Central Nervous System. Neurol Int. 2016;8(1):5939. Published 2016 Apr 1. doi:10.4081/ni.2016.5939
[ii] Thomas EAC, Weaver WB. Cognitive processing and time perception. Perception & Psychophysics. 1975. 17(4): 363-367 https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.3758/BF03199347.pdf
[iii] Droit-Volet S, Zélanti PS. Development of time sensitivity and information processing speed. PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e71424. Published 2013 Aug 21. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071424
