POST CONSULTATION EMAIL EXAMPLE

This template treatment plan letter is designed to provide an example of the kinds of information you would want to include in patient communication following your initial consultation.

It has been designed to provide a detailed outline of the areas that need to be addressed in every case, yet it is impossible to make such a template universally applicable and Dentists need to use this template as a GUIDE ONLY, incorporating the concept into a template that suits their individual practice.

The areas covered in this template should also be reflected and templated in your clinical notes, which MUST include a stated DIAGNOSIS for each issue eg. If the patient has forehead hyperdynamic lines that are also present at rest, your diagnosis might read:

“Patient dislikes appearance of static forehead lines in skin which are caused by the action of the underlying Frontalis muscle. Recommended treatment is to remove the offending muscle activity of the Frontalis by administering Botulinum Toxin injections, while also improving the health of the overlying skin through consultation on proper homecare products and active skin rejuvenation therapies such as chemical peels, micro-needling and fractionated laser.”

While the treatment forms available for you to download are mostly sufficient as a record of treatment, in most dental record programs you can easily create note templates for all procedures to make the process for efficient and ensure no details are missed and notes are recorded thoroughly and consistently. eg: Botox for the Glabella may read:

“Injections of Dysport (from a 500U vial diluted with 4.5ml bacteriostatic saline), using 31G insulin syringes to treat hyperdynamic rhytides caused by the Procerus muscle (10U, deep); and the Corrugators muscles (bilaterally, medial 10U deep, lateral 5U half as deep). Post operative instructions provided, written and verbal. Review appointment scheduled in 2 weeks.”

Dear PATIENT NAME,

It was fantastic to meet you during your recent consultation appointment and I look forward to helping you achieveyourgoals.

As you know, our practice philosophy is not to focus solely on the teeth, but rather, to offer more comprehensive healthcare by treating the face as a whole, especially in relation to improving skin health and preventing dento-facial problems from arising.

______

(OPTION 1: Combined Dental & Facial treatment letter)

This report will outline our recommendations to help achieve your combined dental and facial goals and includes our assessment findings; topics we discussed and the treatment we recommend.

______

(OPTION 2: Facial treatment letter only)

That being said, while various dental and facial treatments are often combined in the same appointment, it does make it easier to understand the different components of our recommendations by providing separate reports for the dental and facial aspects of your care.

As such, by now you should have received a complete treatment plan for all aspects of care, together with a detailed report with respect to your dental goals. This report will outline our recommendations to achieve your facial goals and includes our assessment findings; topics we discussed and the treatment we recommend.

______

Included will be some information relating to the proposed treatments, their nature and potential negative outcomes. It is vital that you take the time to read all of the information provided before signing the attached consent form, which needs to be returned to us at your next visit.

(MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION REGARDING ALL PROCEDURES – LEAFLETS, WEBSITE LINKS ETC - INCLUDING NEGATIVE OUTCOMES, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OPTINS AVAILABLE AND PATIENT CONSENT FORMS)

Should you have any questions regarding this information, or any aspect of your care, please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss these further.

Please also be aware that, while we believe the proposed treatment represents the best possible approach to achieve your desired goals, we have the flexibility to adapt the plan if necessary, to better suit your needs. Please feel free to be open and forthright with your expectations and needs should you find that this plan does not currently fit within your budget or timeframe and we will happily work with you to find possible alternatives.

THE NATURE OF FACIAL TREATMENT

As discussed duringyourvisit, you have come in at the right time and we are excited to work with you, as you still have solid foundations of great skin for us to build on.

It is important to understand that facial changes over time are multi-factorial and involve subtle variations for each individual. To achieve the best results we must develop a plan, which is focused on your individual needs and involves a variety of treatments, targeting different aspects of the face and skin. Unfortunately there is no magic, one appointment, single procedure that will achieve the desired results.

Treatment necessarily will have an initial treatment phase, which may involve a number of appointments, followed by a regular maintenance phase to ensure long-lasting results. While we will work hard to achieve results with our in-office treatments, we must work together and your role at home is crucial to success. Similar to failing to brush your teeth at home, our treatments will be limited without your commitment away from our clinic to following a recommended daily skincare regime.

When it comes to facial treatments, our philosophy is based on a minimal approach, understanding that we can always add more if necessary. While this may mean that perfect results are not achieved at first, we will be engaged in an ongoing review and refinement process to ensure success in a gradual fashion, ensuring safe and natural looking results for our clients.

ASSESSMENT

During our consultation, together we identified and discussed the following areas which were of concern to you:

  1. We noted that you do not currently have a regular, at-home skincare regime and that you do not use sunscreen daily.
  1. You are currently a smoker and report that your diet could be improved and that you do not take any nutritional supplements or drink much water.
  1. You have a combination skin type and are concerned with areas of pigmentation across the mid-face/cheek region and nose. The condition of your skin has deteriorated and there is the presence of many fine lines and irregularities creating a dull appearance.
  1. The repeated action of several facial muscles has resulted in static lines appearing between your eyes (glabella), on the forehead and around the eye’s (crow’s feet)
  1. Deficient volume and support in the mid-face/cheek area is resulting in a downward slide of the skin, leading to sagging and deep depressions/folds around the nose and mouth.
  1. There are lines developing around your mouth caused by a loss of lip volume, which has also resulted in thinning and poorly defined lips tissue.

GOALS OF TREATMENT

In response to the issues identified during your ASSESSMENT, we need to focus on providing treatment that has the following goals:

  1. Quitting smoking; improving diet, hydration, nutrition and exercise - these aspects are fundamental to achieving good health. Without progress on achieving these goals, you must accept that any treatment provided will not result in optimal results and may expose you to complications.
  1. Ensuring optimal home skincare and daily sun protection . These aspects ensure we create the foundations of great skin and are able to get the best results from treatment provided.
  1. Improving the quality and condition of your skin and its ability to function properly. Without optimizing the quality of your skin, further treatments will fail to meet expectations.
  1. Softening the action of several facial muscles to remove the constant abuse to the skin which results in static lines
  1. Replacing lost skin volume and structure, to provide long-term support to shifting facial contours
  1. Maintenance – including regular skin rejuvenation procedures and at home product use.

TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

In line with the required goals, below are our recommendations for treatment.

Please be aware that this is a comprehensive approach that will ensure the best results long in to the future. However, we understand that sometimes the best approach may require compromises due to all manner of reasons, including your available finances and time.

There is no requirement to undergo all treatment at once and we will be happy to work with you to figure out how best to maximize results for your individual circumstances.

  1. QUIT SMOKING

We recommend you seek advice from your medical practitioner regarding new ways to assist you in quitting smoking and would be happy to offer a referral should you not have a regular medical doctor.

Not only does smoking have a negative affect on general health, contributing to premature skin deterioration and ageing, it will reduce the success of any treatments we provide and increase the chance of you experiencing negative outcomes.

We will not provide treatment for patients who continue to smoke.

  1. IMPROVE NUTRITION

We recommend improving your diet by drinking more water each day; avoiding processed and sugary foods; eating more fruit and vegetables, especially leafy greens; and supplementing your diet with key, quality vitamins. Increased exercise will also aid skin health and vitality.

We would be happy to provide a referral to a nutritionist and exercise therapist if you wish and we also have a range of nutritional supplements we can advise you on at your next appointment.

  1. RECOMMENDED HOME CARE PRODUCTS

______

OPTION 1: YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING

We will arrange a referral to a skin therapist who will be able to recommend appropriate skincare products, with a scientific basis, for daily use at home. This is a vital step to ensure you achieve the best possible results from the treatments we provide.

OPTION 2: YOU KNOW ABAOUT SKINCARE PRODUCTS AND/OR SELL THEM IN CLINIC

As mentioned previously, what you do at home each day is vital to achieving and maintaining great results, just as much as anything we offer in our office.

Because of this I have selected the following products, which I believe would be suitable foryourskin type, from the______range of skincare. This is a fantastic range of skincare, which not only has the science to back up the ingredients, but is also very reasonably priced.

Daily use of these products, in the order listed, will establish the foundations of healthy skin and maximize results for further treatment provided. Use of these products can be commenced immediately.

(SELECT APPROPRIATE BRANDS AND PRODUCTS - KNOWLEDGE OF THESE AREAS CAN BE GAINED AT THE AADFA FACE MODULE TRAINING)

Step 1: ______Cleanser - use morning and night

Step 2: ______AHA/BHA Exfoliant - use morning and night

Step 3: ______Antioxidant Serum –use morning and night

Step 4: ______Moisturisers –use one with sunscreen in morning and other at night mixed with the Tretinoin cream we prescribed for you at your last visit.

  1. ACTIVE SKIN REJUVENATION

______

OPTION 1: YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING

We will arrange a referral to a skin therapist who will be able to recommend appropriate active skin rejuvenation procedures such as chemical peels, laser and micro-needling. This is a vital step to ensure you achieve the best possible results from the treatments we provide.

OPTION 2: YOU KNOW ABAOUT SKINCARE PRODUCTS AND/OR SELL THEM IN CLINIC

In order to improve the general quality and function of your skin, in addition to addressing the pigmentation and fine lines we have identified, several resurfacing procedures are recommended. These include CGF, Micro-needling, chemical peels and laser.

(COMPLETE DETAILS AS APPROPRIATE – IE, REFER OR IN HOUSE SESSIONS – KNOWLEDGE OF THESE AREAS CAN BE GAINED AT THE AADFA FACE MODULE TRAINING)

  1. BOTOX (GIVE BOTOX INFORMATION BROCHURE)

In order to soften harsh muscle action, which causes static lines, we recommend the selected and conservative use of BOTOX. This is a safe and reliable productdesigned to partially relax certain facial muscles, allowing the skin time to recover unhindered and to improve the results obtained by subsequent therapies. In your case we would recommend the use of BOTOX in between the eyes, the forehead and around the eyes to reduce lines.

  1. DERMAL FILLERS GIVE DERMAL FILLER INFORMATION BROCHURE)

The final step in our active treatment phase would involve the application of various forms of Hyaluronic Acid based Dermal Fillers. These products have ingredients that are a natural part of your skin and work to immediately restore lost volume, repair depressions and folds, enhance the lips, as well as provided needed long-term structural support to reduce future deterioration.

It is our recommendation that we use selected products to enhance your mid-face/cheek region; the under eye troughing; nasolabial depressions at the sides of your nose; restore lip volume; address depressions around your mouth and also strengthen the jawline.

7. MAINTENANCE

Once we have achieved the desired results from our initial treatment sessions, the great news is that this bulk of treatments will never be required again. All that will be required moving forward (provided homecare is maintained), will be minimal maintenance of the results through the occasional select use of BOTOX, dermal filler and rejuvenation therapies like laser.

I hope you have found this information useful and that it clearly outlines the path forward to achieve your goals.

OPTION1: Details of the financial commitment required for each step in this plan have been forwarded separately.

OPTION 2:

FEES

As discussed during your consultation appointment, many clinics charge patients for every single procedure that is performed and every little drop of material that is used, however we don’t think that is fair to you as the patient.

What matters most to us is that we help you to achieve the results you are looking for and as such there will only ever be one fee for you to pay to achieve the initial results and we will keep performing treatments and keep using more materials until we have achieved the goals we discussed.

Therefore, the total fee to achieve your results will be $XXXXX.

(You can put in payment information if you like, ie. You may have a payment system, or payment is required upfront etc etc)

We are excited to be able to work with you and can’t wait for you too see the difference in your health, which in turn will great an improvement in your appearance.

Should you have any questions regarding any aspect of this plan; possible negative outcomes;or if you need to discuss ways to make the plan fit more in line with any budget or time restrictions you may have, please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss these further.

Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you soon and to helping you to look your best.

Kind regards,