Dental Assistants Recognition Week is March 1–7
Next week (March 1–7) is Dental Assistants Recognition Week. As you make plans to recognize the contributions of your dental assistants, we want to share some information that focuses on ways to strengthen relations among AGD member dentists, dental assistants and other team members. Last year, Kevin Henry, a speaker who empowers dental assistants to recognize the leadership roles they hold in their practices, shared “3 Ways to Re-ignite the Drive in Your Dental Assistants” in AGD Impact (August 2019). In an interview with AGD Podcast Series host Wesley S. Blakeslee, DDS, FAGD, Henry also discussed his book, “Battling and Beating the Demons of Dental Assisting,” which focuses on ways general dentists can empower dental assistants and support their career goals while also enhancing their work in the dental practice. Check out the podcast.
AGD Impact columnist Don Deems, DDS, FAGD, PCC, known as The Dentist’s Coach®, regularly offers insights, techniques and systems to build strong teams. In his column, “Team Members are Prized Assets to Your Practice,” reprinted below from the July 2018 AGD Impact, Deems stresses the unique opportunities staff members have to make patients feel comfortable and offers eight tips to consider.
You may also want to consider investing in your dental assistants and your practice by providing a membership to the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA). Information on Dental Assistants Recognition Week and ADAA membership can be found at the ADAA website.
Team Members Are Prized Assets to Your Practice
By Don Deems, DDS, FAGD
As dentists, we know that patients are more likely to confide in your team members, ask them more questions and listen to their suggestions. Perhaps they’re nervous. Perhaps they’re unsure what’s about to happen next. Perhaps they’re scared of dentists or dental treatment. Whatever the reason, your team members have a special and unique opportunity to help your patients receive the care they want and need.
Consider these tips:
- Have your team members use the time you aren’t with the patient to get to know them. Have your team members ask why the patient chose your practice, what concerns they’re having about receiving care and what their past dental experiences are. Patients are often quick to confide in your team members because they feel the bond of them both being nondentists.
- Help your team members present a professional image. How they dress, how they take care of themselves and the language they use represent your practice. All team members are a reflection of what your practice is about.
- Teach team members how to be prepared for every appointment. The treatment room should be ready to go, everyone should know what procedure is to be completed and the front desk should know how the patient will pay for treatment. Everyone needs to know their role in each patient’s appointment.
- Team members should understand the procedures performed by the doctor. When you ask a patient if they have more questions, more often than not, the answer is no. But most do have more questions. Teach team members to pause with patients in the treatment or exam room before seeing them out. Teach them how to ask open-ended questions, such as “What questions do you have about what the doctor just talked about?” or “What else can we do for you today?” Give the patient time to collect their thoughts, then encourage team members to answer their questions, if appropriate.
- Help (and encourage) team members to share insights and intuition with you. Typically, we doctors are moving from room to room, and it’s sometimes hard for us to slow down and listen to what our own intuition is telling us. If team members sense in any way that something is not right, make sure they let you know while the patient is still in the office so either you or your team can do something.
- All team members should be able to give accurate and thorough home care instructions. We doctors sometimes don’t take all the time necessary to ensure that our patients know how to care for themselves following a procedure, or we make assumptions that what we’ve told them is understood. Many patients “zone out” or are so relieved the procedure is over that they’re not really focused on what is being said after the procedure. Every patient should be given some sort of home care instructions following treatment, even if it is a simple restoration. This isn’t just limited to dental assistants or hygienists; you’d be amazed at what questions front office team members field about home care, too.
- Make sure team members listen to what you are telling the patient carefully. Despite your best efforts, home care instructions, dental conditions or diagnosed treatment are sometimes misunderstood by the patient. You may leave the patient thinking you have answered all of the questions, however, many patients don’t hear everything. This is where your team members can step in to fill any gaps or clarify what was said, provided they were attentive to what you’ve told the patient.
- Lastly, make sure all team members truly understand the treatment philosophy, vision, mission and goals of the practice. When everyone is on board and speaking with one voice, all parts of the practice will run more smoothly and efficiently.
All team members can be spokespersons for the practice. They have multiple opportunities to strengthen the relationship the patient has with the practice. They can be one of the patients’ strongest allies in getting questions answered and can do more than you think in helping get through appointments.
The article above was reprinted from the July 2018 issue of AGD Impact. Don Deems, DDS, FAGD, PCC, known as The Dentist’s Coach®, is a trained professional, personal, and business coach, and a practicing dentist. To comment on this article, email impact@agd.org.