As a dentistry and oral surgery resident, there is a publication requirement. Through our studies and process of knowing and becoming familiar with the latest literature spanning exotics, horses, as well as dogs and cats – one learns all about the different facets of veterinary dentistry: periodontics, orthodontics, crowns, endodontics, restorations, as well as surgeries such as oral tumors and fracture repair. As veterinarians, we treat patients that are usually not telling us about the severity of their issues, though research shows they have the same pain as people. Other research shows around 70% of dog and cat patients have changes seen with intraoral radiographs.
This means veterinarians doing complete anesthetic dental procedures are treating hidden painful problems. Over and over, clients are volunteering a progress report to the veterinary team, “I am surprised how much more puppy-like he/she is!” This is just an anecdotal response veterinarians doing thorough dentistry are used to hearing – but there are no statistics showing how often this is really heard. This has become our project, to record/quantify owners’ perceptions on patient outcomes. In this day and age, using technology within the office is greatly accepted by clients. Now I began the hunt for a good survey tool. I looked at over 5 different online survey tools. The only one I found that fit our needs was sogosurvey. They have a unique start and pause function that does not require a unique email address per patient allowing us to collect our survey during the initial consultation then hold it for 10-85 days to record the owner response on follow up after the procedure.
Like some others, SoGoSurvey also allows data analysis, rating scales, polling and assessments, the ability to export to paper, and much much more. As a resident, finding economical ways to complete the research project and do it well is essential. Thank you So Go Survey!