3 Powerful Ways to Inspire Your Dental Team

BY Total Health Screens – 3 years ago

In our work with dentists around the country, we’ve found that most of the time, the best way to boost your dental team is to remind them of the impact they’re already having on people’s lives.

Here are three simple and effective ways to do that in your dental practice.

1. Share patient feedback and success stories with them

It’s easy to let small wins slip by unrecognised when we’re busy. You and your team help patients look after one of their most important assets — their smile — and probably don’t remind yourselves of the fact often enough.

All dentists should be getting feedback, and it’s important to remember to share that feedback with your team — and not just the bad stuff!

Sharing positive patient feedback at your weekly or morning meetings is an easy way to give everyone a little morale boost.

2. Remind them about the oral-systemic health connection

Most oral professionals don’t talk about the oral-systemic health connection enough. But if you ask most of them what they get out of dentistry, they’ll say that it’s that “they enjoy helping people.”

In the daily bustle of a dental practice, it’s easy to forget the impact we’re having on lives. We talk about numbers a lot, new patients, appointments, etc. but how often do we remind ourselves about the health impact we’re having on the community?

An easy way to do this is to talk about the oral-systemic health research in meetings with your team, and how it can apply to patients. Discuss what to say to patients to get them interested in these ideas.

It takes practice to ask the right questions to get patients to open up about their overall health, which is crucial if you want to show them how their oral health connects to their current situation.

For a fast, in-depth, education, you and your team could also attend an intensive workshop or seminar on the oral-systemic health connection.

3. Start preventative health screening in your dental practice

Preventative health screening is a powerful way to inspire your team. They’re straightforward to perform. Patients appreciate them. And our members report that they, “Have seen total team engagement increase.”

“All members of the practice want to either be involved with the health offering or have a health screen themselves.”

— Sophie Fleming, Dental Therapist, THS Member

Preventative screens — such as blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol level, and BMI — are quick, simple, and impactful. It allows dentists to show patients in real terms that their oral health connects to their overall health. And it offers extra value to patients, who appreciate the holistic approach to their health.

Our members report that patients are often excited about screens, which inspires everybody on the team too.

All Oral Health Professionals Want to Help People

If you want to inspire your team, the best thing you can do is to show them how they are helping people live healthier lives. Sharing positive feedback — however small — is an excellent way of doing this.

We often forget about the importance of the oral-systemic connection. Reminding your team about it and showing them how to use that knowledge to make patients happier and healthier is guaranteed to inspire everyone in your dental clinic.

To learn more about how to inspire and engage your dental team, call Total Health Screens at 020 7777 8910 or contact us here.