Reviewed here:
Step-by-Step: A Systematic Guide to Staff Orientation, Training,and Evaluation in theOrthodontic Practice
CHARLENE WHITE, BS
SHELIA PARENTON, Editor
144 pages, 4 cassette tapes. $395. 1999.
Progressive Concepts Inc.
747 Jasmine Way
Birmingham, AL 39226
(205) 823-5795
In this series of training tapeswith explanatory syllabus,Charlene White calls on her experienceand knowledge as aconsultant to present an easy-to-followguide in how to develop ahappy and productive staff.
The cost of hiring andtraining a chairside assistantwith no previous orthodonticbackground is a significant investment.It is therefore of paramountimportance that a practiceminimize the number of times ithas to replace trained staff members.Step-by-Step is one of thebest sources I've seen for learninghow this ideal situation canbe achieved. As Ms. White says,"It takes a good system to keepgood people."
Her tapes take the new hirethrough all the steps necessary toachieve a winning combinationof office harmony, team membership,and enthusiasm. Specificinstructions, and in somecases even scripting, cover officeorientation, training, performanceevaluation, and salary review.All are discussed in detail.
Ms. White emphasizes howdisastrous it can be for the doctor,other staff, and patients whenan improperly trained person isasked to perform on a level thatpretends to show the excellentquality of the office. She also describesthe value of scheduling inthe training process. If the scheduleis done properly, qualifiedteam members can take the timeneeded to train the new memberwithout cutting corners.
Whether you are a neophyteor a seasoned veteran, thiswill be a worthwhile addition toyour office library.
MELVIN MAYERSON, DDS, MSD
Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry
DECLAN MILLET, BDS, DDS, FDS, DOrth, MOrth
RICHARD WELBURY, MB, BS, BDS, PHD, FDS
167 pages. $21.95. 2000.
Churchill Livingstone
11830 Westline Industrial Drive
St. Louis, MO 63146.
(800) 865-1900; [url=http://www.harcourthealth.com]www.harcourthealth.com.[/url]
This pocket-size color guide isintended as a convenient referencefor students in orthodonticsand pediatric dentistry. It isspecifically designed to assistBritish undergraduate and "juniorpostgraduate" students,"and those preparing for membershipexaminations".
Twenty topics are coveredin the orthodontic section, includingnormal development ofthe dentition and occlusion, malocclusion,cephalometric analysis,anterior open bite, fixed andremovable appliances, and cleftlip and palate. Twenty pediatrictopics are presented as well, withchapters on nursing bottle caries,trauma, mucosal disease, and assortedmucosal lesions.
Each topic has a similarformat: a definition followed byan outline of pertinent informationsuch as prevalence, etiology,and treatment. Each is lavishlyillustrated with high-qualitycolor photographs, along withradiographs, charts, or line drawingswhere appropriate.
Although the book usesBritish terminology and refersextensively to the U.K.'s Indexof Orthodontic Treatment Need,American readers (or any otherreaders, for that matter) wouldbenefit greatly by having it intheir personal libraries. Experiencedorthodontists and pediatricdentists will find some ofthe material elementary, but forrapid reference to a clinicalanomaly outside of one's ownspecialty--as when an orthodontistis presented with a suspiciousmucosal lesion--this bookwould be hard to beat.
ROBERT G. KEIM, DDS, EDD, PHD