30.9 percent of dental hygienists disclosed that they have experienced burnout in a study published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene. Stress can easily affect productivity and morale – whether it’s dealing with difficult patients, long workdays, physical wear and tear or lack of teamwork. Luckily, managing stress can keep emotional and physical factors in check and help avoid burnout at your practice.
Topics: dental office management, dental office practices, dental hygienists, dentist stress management, dental hygienist stress level, occupational burnout, dental hygiene burnout, dental hygienist stress, work burnout
There were more than 2 million emergency-related dental visits in the U.S. This is according to a Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project study in 2018. Accidents can happen and people often find themselves in need of a dentist immediately. Emergency dental care is like a first aid service and has the same importance. It helps provide pain relief and prevent further damage. Accommodating emergency dental care in your practice can directly improve the lives of your patients, as well as the success and attention your practice receives.
Topics: patient dental care experience, dental emergency, offer dental emergency service, Dental Emergency Services
For International Women’s Month, we want to shine light on the women who made it possible for other women to pursue a career in dentistry. In the 1800s, dentistry was inaccessible to women, with most dental schools refusing to admit female students. Below we list the women who fought to work alongside their male peers, refusing to take no for an answer.
Topics: dentistry history, women in dentistry, international womens month
Making a good first impression is an important part of being at the front desk of the dental practice. Your front desk is the face of your practice. Proper front desk etiquette is very important, yet many practices skip formal training.
Topics: customer experience, front desk manners, dental staff, customer retention
Reaching a balance between being a great dentist and an effective small business owner can be a challenge. While the patients and their dental issues may come as no surprise to you, the issues that arise from trying to effectively manage a dental office staff can. It gets stressful, dealing daily with staffing challenges arising from high staff turnover, frustrations due to mistakes, stemming from employees being unaware of office processes, or dealing with a negative work environment.
Topics: dental office tips, dental staff meetings, managing your business, dental staff
The COVID-19 outbreak has patients stuck at home and unable to visit with their dentist. During this time of self-isolation and quarantine, providers need to try new methods of keeping patients engaged in their oral health, without putting them or anyone at their practice at risk. Below are 3 ways providers can maintain patient relationship digitally during the pandemic.
Topics: Dental patient retention, digital communication during covid-19, provider digital communication
As the pandemic continues to affect dentists and their patients, teledentistry will continue to be a method of delivering care. Teledentistry has several clear-cut advantages for dentists working remotely or reopening their offices with health restrictions. It reduces spending on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and is accessible to patients who may have a hard time reaching your office. If you want these benefits for your practice and are looking to utilize teledentistry successfully, here are some tips to get you started:
Topics: teledentistry, successful teledentistry appointment, how to use teledentistry
Several dental offices have started to reopen across the country with many changes to their protocols to comply with guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA). These guidelines and resources are general recommendations for dental offices to consider as they design and implement their own protocols. Feel free to use them as you slowly open your office back up to patients or keep them in mind when creating your reopening plan!
Topics: reopening during covid-19, dental office covid-19 reopening, coronavirus patient protection, coronavirus staff protection
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) defines special health care needs as “any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical management, health care intervention, and/or use of specialized services or programs. National Center for Health Statistics claims that one in five persons within every age, race, gender, and sexuality report having a limitation that substantially impact their daily activities. Oral health is a pillar of a person’s overall well-being, but many people with disabilities struggle to find a dental office that is accessible to them.
The obstacles those with disabilities have in obtaining accessible dental care include: transportation or parking issues; inaccessible exam equipment; narrow or small offices; absence of a support person; denial of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters; inaccessible paperwork; confusion about medical instructions; trauma triggers; and negative attitudes and ignorance about disability.
What do we mean by accessibility?
The ADA guidelines state that medical and dental practices must offer “full and equal access to their health care services and facilities.” This includes physical access, communication access, and both mental and emotional access.
Topics: dentist for disabled, disability friendly office, accessible dentist office
