From Trisha's Desk By Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Editorial Director, Hygienetown Magazine

According to communications experts, the average person can only process three messages at one time and remembers less than 10 percent of the information he or she receives. That’s why advertisers use sound bites repeated seven to 15 times for a message to hit home with a listener. Perhaps it’s not surprising that you see the same commercial a dozen times within an evening of television viewing.

Dental hygiene patients are seen only a few times each year, so sound bites are perfect for communicating a message. Learning from successful advertisers, we can sculpt messages and repeat them during the visit, hopefully competing with today’s overload of mass media messaging.

Sound bites need to be positive, clear, simple, brief, ask for specific actions and be repeated several times during the visit to have the greatest chance of being remembered. One of my favorite sound bites is also the title of our Profile in Oral Health feature article this month: “start cleaning in between.” Let’s check to see if it fits the rules for effective advertising messages. The message is positive and clear. It’s simple, and brief – only four words! The message also asks for a specific action – to start the cleaning process between the teeth, not with toothbrushing.

For all of the patients you see, decide on the sound bite you want them to remember when they leave your office. Repeat this sound bite throughout the visit. Have some fun with it and try out my favorite sound bite “start cleaning in between.”

Here are a few more sound bites:
• Floss until it squeaks.
• Floss 10 times on each surface.
• Only floss the teeth you want to keep.
• Don’t floss? Use an alternative.
• Spend equal time cleaning brushing surfaces and flossing surfaces.
• Treat gum disease to eliminate bad breath.
• Dry brush inside bottom teeth first.