Book Review: Putting Health at the Heart of your Practice by Sheila Scott

Below is a review of the new Sheila Scott book "Putting Health at the Heart of your Practice". Review by Dr John Bates BDS

The original title was “it’s not about the dentistry” and I think this is just another way of describing an old saying “they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”

You need to be able to do the dentistry, but your patients will judge you on how that is delivered. This also, as Kevin Lewis writes in the foreword, will help you avoid the increasing perils of litigation and referral to the GDC, CQC etc.

In many ways I think this book demonstrates the similarity between what Sheila is helping your practice do, and what the health centred practice is doing for their patients. In both cases what appears to be a straight forward process is littered with difficulties and possible miss communications. What appears easily said, is not so easily put into practice, as years of habits and culture have to be altered, adjusted and improved.

What this small but dynamite book will do is help you put your practice on the correct path, if like mine; you want that path to lead to better health for your patients. It is a fantastic distillation of Sheila’s advice, and has helped me re learn and find new gems I had forgotten or missed over the years she has helped us (just don’t tell Sheila I’ve forgotten anything!)

Find out what your patients want (it may not be what you think), why it’s a Dental Health Check, what is important in how patients are referred to the hygienist,  what is the crucial role of the hygienist (not scaling or polishing), why a membership plan and what they all have to do with health.

I have no hesitation in recommending this is read by any member of the dental team, whatever point in their career they are at, because putting health at the heart of your practice is a team effort.

by John Bates BDS 

Book can be ordered from Sheila's website

Further information on the book can be found here