14
|
Volume2 Issue2
CDA
at
W
ork
6
5
Oneof themost important investments you
canmake inyour dental practice
is staff training. Because theyare
often thefirst point of contact in
adental office, they shouldbe
knowledgeable incustomer care
and satisfaction. “Invest timeand
resources in staff trainingand in
your personal relationshipswith
your staff. Treat themwith respect
andaspartners,” saysDr. Levin.
Beflexible
andacceptchange
Dentists canbeperfectionistsbut, in
practice, not everyoutcome isperfect.
Fromoverbooked schedules tounexpected
treatment results, sometimes lifecan throw
youacurve. Don’t let it throwyouoffyour
game. “It’sdifficult for dentists togowith
theflow,” saysDr. Cameron. “Try to learn
how tobeflexibleearlyon inyour career.”
Inan idealworldevery treatmentwould
be successful. But in reality, sometimesnot
everydental caseworksout perfectly.
“Evenwithyour best intentions
andefforts, cases can fail for
anumber of reasons,” notes
Dr. Cameron. “It’s important to
acknowledge these failures, do
your best to rectify them, and
learn from them, but trynot to
beat yourself upover them.”
7
8
Dr. Larry
Levin
Dr.Margot
Hiltz
Dr.Paul
Cameron
Dr.Maureen
Lefebvre
Maintainingharmoniouspersonal andprofessional
lives canbeabalancingact. “It helps to thinkof
thedentistryprofessionas a lifestyle, andnot just
a job,” saysDr.MaureenLefebvre. “Theoffice is
my secondhome—much time
andeffort hasbeenput into itsdevelopment
andgrowth.”
Spendasmuch timecelebratingyour
successful treatments as stressingabout
thoseoutcomes that are less than ideal.
“Not everypatient isgoing tobedelighted
withyour results,” saysDr. Levin. “Try
tofindaway todealwithoccasional
disappointment and rejectionwithout it
affectingyour psychological balance.”
Buildinga successful practicewith satisfied staffand
patients takes a lot of timeandeffort. However,make sureyou
strikeabalancebetweenworkandplay. “It’s important to take
someguilt-free timeoff,” saysDr. Cameron. “Workwill always
be therebut your childrenhavea funny tendency togrowup
onyou.”
Most patients like tohave
asmuch informationas
possible. Full disclosure
is an important part
of apositivepatient
experience. “Aproper
discussionof procedures
andcostsbefore treatment
startsbuilds trust and increasespatient
acceptanceof treatment aswell as reduces
patient dissatisfaction following treatment,”
saysDr. Hiltz.
4
Whileprovidingprofessional advice is avaluablepart of the job, it’s
also important to spendasmuch time listening topatients. They
cangivevaluable informationabout oral healthhabits, symptoms,
and lifestyle tohelpmakeyour treatments evenmoreeffective.
“Listen toyour patients,” saysDr. Hiltz. “Often theanswers you
need tomakeyour diagnosis canbe revealed inawell-directed
conversation.”
Be transparent
Staffmembersare
teammembers
Listenclosely
Balance iskey
