Divas Take on Las Vegas

We just returned from a team building trip to Las Vegas. Here is a run down of our activities.......

Wednesday, November 9th-We touched down in Las Vegas and headed to our hotel, Planet Hollywood-right in the center of the strip.

Thursday, November 10th-"Movie Stars for the Day"

Off to New Patients Inc. to film video clips for our website. They rolled out the red carpet for us

with a spread of refreshments and a make-up artist to "glam us up" for the shoot. After many out takes and bloopers we finished filming with very professional results. NPI will do the editing and we will soon be able to view the finished product!

  

That evening we celebrated by going to dinner and the "O" Cirque du Soleil show at the beautiful Bellagio Hotel. The show was amazing and was one of the highlights of our trip.

November 11th & 12th-Madow Brother's TBSE("the best seminar ever")

Friday and Saturday we attended a fun, practice management, team building and inspirational seminar at Planet Hollywood. The Madow's encourage you to "dress up" in crazy attire, so we wore our Dental Diva shirts and pink boa's!

Saturday evening was our final night in Vegas so we walked the strip, toured some hotels and had dinner. Sunday morning we left for home all pumped up as a team and ready to implement all the good tips we received. It was so nice to get out of the office and re-energize ourselves so we could come home and give our best to our patients and one another. We are so thankful to have such a great doctor to work for who truly appreciates her team and includes us in these fun outings.

Is it time to "up the team morale" at your office?

Morale is defined as "the state of the spirits of a person or group as exhibited by confidence, cheerfulness, discipline, and willingness to perform assigned tasks." Whether you would define your team as having good morale or bad, is up to you. 

We recently had a great staff meeting with our Paragon Program consultant, Hope.  The Paragon Program just celebrated 25 years of dental consulting as one of "America's Profitability Experts."  Every other month we meet with our consultant to discuss our numbers to ensure we're on track to meeting our financial goals for the year. 

After discussing our goals, our consultant suggested that we participate in a team-building exercise that we found to be very beneficial and boosted everyone's self-confidence.  She asked us a series of questions and each of us wrote our own responses on a piece of paper. After everyone was finished writing their lists, we took turns reading them aloud.  

These were the questions:
* What are the top 10 things that you would tell your patients about the doctor that you  work for?
*What are the top 10 things that you would tell your patients about the team member seated to your right?
*What are the top 10 things about your team/office that make you awesome?

This exercise can benefit any team and bring you closer together.  We work with each other on a daily basis, and some may even say we spend more time with each other more than we do with our own spouses!  I hope we never take each other for granted.  It's important to verbalize the importance and significance of each team member.  Most of us don't go around announcing to the world why we're wonderful.  But team members need to hear it from your doctor as well as each other.  Your doctor needs to hear why you appreciate them, and your patients need to hear great things about everyone.  Brag each other up!  It's important to enjoy your time spent at work and those you work with. 

Some of you may be thinking that, "She has no clue - I could never get along with the people I work with."  And it very well may be true that there may be a specific team member(s) that you find it difficult to get along with.  So what?  We've all been there at one time or another - why are you letting that spoil your team's positive morale? Why are we expecting that person to change when we are the one's who can change our own attitudes and actions towards that person to produce a positive outcome?   It's a proven fact that laughter and cheerfulness are contagious.  If you start making the changes your team needs to "up the morale,"  you may just find that others will follow closely behind.  

 

Exciting Announcements!!!

Wow, have we been busy!  Time flies when you're having fun.  Amber and I have been working with several extern dental assisting students from local schools, and time has gotten away from us. 

In case any of you were wondering, YES, I passed my state board exam and have been licensed as an EFDA (expanded functions dental assistant) for the past few months.  I love being a dental assistant and being an EFDA allows me to love my job even more by having more responsibilities.  I owe a huge "Thank You" to Dr. Cockley for allowing me to continue my education and for placing her confidence in me. 

  

Our other EFDA, Amber, is also very excited to announce that she's going to me a "Mommy" for the first time!  She will be having a beautiful baby girl early next year. Do I even need to mention that we're all very excited for her?  Our closely-knit office of eight women will spoil her rotten.  Congratulations Amber!     

It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day things that we do at work, but I encourage you to find something to get excited about!  What's going on in your office that's special right now?  If you can't think of anything - maybe you should be the one to start the excitement.  Bring in a home-made treat to share, an inspirational article, or maybe it's something as simple as writing a note to your team members letting them know why you appreciate them.  Don't forget to let your patients in on the fun and share your excitement.  

                                                           

Work Hard.......Play Harder!

"Our minds need relaxation and give way unless we mix with work a little play"  -Molier

We just returned from Longboat Key Florida this week where we combined continuing education with some fun with our doctor and dental team.  We came back to work feeling refreshed and closer as a team and we wanted to share some of our trip with you.

Every morning we attended the Paragon Program's Growth and Profitability seminar. We received great tips on practice management for the whole team as well as products and systems to implement in our practice. We enjoyed guest speaker,Vittorio Borgia, General Manager of Eddie Merlot's in Columbus, Ohio. He stressed the importance of customer service and truly loving what you do.  

The Paragon Program was celebrating their 25th year, so our team participated in a sand sculpture competition where the theme was anything 1986.

 

Our sculpture was from the movie Crocodile Dundee.                  Pecan Sandie Awards were given to all  

We enjoyed great meals together and lot's of shopping in St. Armands Circle. We hammed it up for the camera and got really good group shots.

The last night of our trip Paragon Program hosted a party and all of us went back to 1986! Many of the offices performed skits and we danced the night away.

Getting out of the office and spending some quality time together really makes us appreciate the wonderful people we work with individually and as a group. If you can't take a trip, do something simple- like dinner and get connected with each other. It's so important that we take time for ourselves every once in a while and get refreshed so we can always give our patients our best!

Continuing Education "Do"s & "Don't"s

We returned recently from The Paragon Program's Super Workshop Academy in Ohio. This two day program was geared towards dentists, office managers and dental assistants.

Gina and I were interviewed in the human resources section of the Office Manger Academy. They asked us questions about why we try to go above and beyond, how to be a great dental assistant and how to interview/hire exceptional team members.
Gina was also part of a panel discussion on innovative ideas, continuing education, the value of dental assistants and technology in
the Dental Assisting Academy. We came back with some fresh new ideas and goals to put into practice in our office. Unfortunately, there were some disturbing things we observed in the Dental Assisting Academy that we thought would be a great blog topic.

"Do"s & "Don't"s of Continuing Education 

"Do"s:

• Show up early so that you can find a good seat
• Pay attention to speaker
• Take brief notes-think about what you can apply to yourself or your practice
• Talk to your doctor and dental team about what you learned and how it can benefit your office
• Network with other assistants you meet
• Dress for success! Dress conservatively and look respectable. 

"Don't"s:

• (These are things we actually saw!)

• Don't pull out a mirror and start plucking your eyebrows
• Do crossword puzzles
• Check your Facebook feed 
• Talk out loud during session
• Sleep with your head down on the desk
• Text your friends
• Dress provocatively, showing too much skin or cleavage. 
• Drink excessively or get drunk at dinners or events that may be held during evening hours. 

Having your doctor  include you in continuing education courses is a real privilege. Most of these course are not free. They involve traveling to locations outside your city/state which requires lodging/food expenses. We encourage assistants who want to take their careers "to the next level" to use these continuing education courses as a way to better yourself , your team and your practice. Even if you have been to a similar course, it's always possible to take away new "pearls".

We have shown our doctor that we want to learn  and she has given us the opportunity to travel all over the U.S. and learn from leaders in the dental field.  When you are at a continuing education course, it's important to remember that you're still "on-the-clock" and you are always representing your doctor and your practice. If you take take your position seriously and pursue your career, your doctor will see you as an asset and will be more inclined to include you in future educational opportunities.

Fun Whitening Products To Try

Check these out!  Chic-Flic TOGO Teeth Whitening & Lip Gloss Plumper Pen.  The Chic-Flic TOGO Pen is a unique dual-sided tooth whitener and lip-gloss plumper all-in- one. It comes with a  built-in mirror and mini LED lights.

Whiter Image TOGO Teeth Whitening Pen

with a brush-on applicator, it is a convenient way to whiten your teeth without messy strips or trays. Our office has found these products very valuable for marketing, give-aways, fundraisers and for our personal use.

Check out their website or Facebook page for more info on these and other products at http://www.whiterimagedental.com/. 
     

Dental Treatment Planning 101-Formal Consult

You have prepared your treatment plan folder and are now ready for the formal consult with your patient. If you have a designated room for consultations that's great, but if you don't the operatory is fine-just have an extra chair available in case your patient has brought someone with them.

*One of the first things to remember when presenting treatment is to sit knee-to-knee and have good eye contact with your patient.

* Explain the problems your doctor has found and how they will be addressed. Go over the doctor's plan for the patient and sequence of appointments. Remember not to use dental jargon-speak in terms they will understand or you will lose them.

*Ask patient if they have any questions/concerns.

*Give an "estimate" of total treatment costs and have them go over definite financial arrangements with your financial coordinator at the end of the consultation.

*If your patient is ready to proceed-schedule their first appointment. Prepare them for what that appointment will entail.

*If patient is not ready to proceed-ask if you can make a follow-up call in a few days to answer any questions. This will give them some time to digest what you have presented and they may be ready to proceed.

If you have never presented treatment plans to your patients, we realize this may seem intimidating.  We always encourage you to stretch yourself and grow by taking on other responsibilities in the office like composing and presenting treatment plans to your patient.  We applaud those of you who are already doing so in your office.  Remember - this requires teamwork and excellent communication between you and your doctor in order to be successful! 

Dental Treatment Planning 101 - Composing Your Treatment Plan

In our previous post,we talked about things that are important to remember during a new patient's comprehensive exam. As we mentioned, when your patient has many restorative needs, it is often best to bring them back for a formal consultation to discuss their treatment options in detail. 

If you are a seasoned dental assistant, you will need to work with your doctor to compose several treatment options.  If you are fairly new to your practice or if you're new to the dental assisting field,  these suggestions should be a goal to work towards with your doctor after gaining more experience and knowledge.  

Listed below are simple steps that we take in our treatment planning process:

* Your doctor will diagnose and recommend any treatment for your patient. He or she will then compose a rough treatment plan for the assistant.

Example of intra-oral photo with areas of concern highlighted 

*The assistant will then compose a formal treatment plan folder with an estimate of costs, print-outs with treatment procedure information,  photos of the teeth with areas of concern highlighted and financial arrangement options. 

*We also find it best to give our patient's several treatment options. (For example, some of your patients may only choose to address the immediate concern of a fractured tooth, while others may want more comprehensive care to also replace amalgam fillings with open margins.)

* You will also want to clearly list your patient's "problems" (the diagnosed treatment)followed by "goals" or "solutions" (how problems will be treated/restored).

*Keep in mind you may also need to include referrals slips with current x-rays if the patient is going to be referred to a specialist. 

Example of a treatment plan with folder to give to your patient

Including all this information in a nice folder is beneficial for the patient. When they leave the office they have something visual to show their spouse/significant other and is a reminder that they need to take action. Check out our next post-"Formal Consult" to see how you will present the proposed treatment to your patient. 

Dental Treatment Planning 101 - The Initial Exam

Have you ever invested ninety minutes with a new patient exam to find both yourself and the patient completely over-whelmed and not knowing where to begin treatment? We have - and that's why we wanted to share what we feel is valuable information and easy steps to help your new patient exams flow smoothly into the treatment planning process. Amber and I have found that for most patients that are going to have a very involved treatment plan, it's often best to bring them back for a formal consultation to discuss their needs and treatment options.  Remember, you don't want to scare your patients on their first visit and most will only retain some of the information you presented to them. 

It's critical to be able to "read" your patient and know what is important to them.  Ask questions to find out what motivates them or prevents them from scheduling treatment. Is it fear, time restrictions, financial concerns, or lack of education and value?  Once you obtain this information about your patient, it will help you adapt the way you present treatment and communicate with that specific individual.

The Initial Exam
Amber or Gina will welcome our patient to the office, go over his or her medical and dental history and take a full series of xrays. Once Dr.Cockley has completed her comprehensive exam, she will briefly discuss any concerns that she sees with the patient.  Then she hands the remaining time of the appointment over to Amber or Gina.  This is our time to shine!  As a dental assistant, you are knowledgeable and fully able to explain in more detail what treatment Dr. Cockley has recommended.  We often use Caesy patient education software to help with our explanation, use the intraoral camera for photos, print and explain treatment estimates, and schedule the patients for their next appointment.  If your patient's treatment is more involved, and a formal consultation is needed, our next post- "Composing Your Treatment Plan" will discuss the steps you should take with your doctor to prepare their treatment options. 

Remember-throughout your patient's first visit, your goal is to build a relationship of trust and help them feel at ease. It is a privilege that our patients choose to come to us and it's important to thank them for doing so by providing them with exceptional customer service!

February was Dental Health Month!

To celebrate Dental Health Month we traveled to Freedom Valley School in Gettysburg, PA to talk to the kids about the importance of caring for their teeth. We showed videos and taught them the proper way to brush and floss.The children also learned about plaque control and the process of how teeth decay. We demonstrated proper brushing and flossing techniques and used trash bags and silly string to show them how to remove the plaque on their teeth. 

Using silly string to show how plaque forms on teeth

Cavity Creep

 Cathy dressed as the Cavity Creep and we discussed how cavities form and how to prevent them.  The kids' loved the treat bags we left them filled with dental supplies.



Amber and Gina demonstrate how to floss

Show Someone You Care

We see patients daily in a professional setting and take care of the needs of their mouth, but do we take the time to listen to what's going on in their lives or see how they are feeling after they have had treatment in our office? Making a quick phone call during down-time or sending a card to a patient really makes them feel good and let's them know you care. 

Here are just a few ideas on how to take your patient care to the next level:

1. Make a call to a patient 2 days before a lengthy appointment-

• prepare them for what will take place
• ask them to wear comfortable clothing
• tell them to eat something before the appointment
• have them bring an I-Pod (if you do not provide one)

This call helps to put them at ease and not stress so much the night before.

   2. Call the same patient after that long appointment or the next

       day to see how they are feeling.

   3. After scaling/root planing-call patient to see how they are feeling and

       stress the need for the re-eval appointment and review oral hygiene

       instructions.

   4. If the patient has lost a loved one in death, had a baby, had surgery, etc.

      Send them a card signed by all the staff members.

   5. If the patient had to be referred out of the office for a root canal

      or extraction-call them 1-2 days later and see how they are feeling.

These are just a few ways to show your patients you care. Rather than viewing this as just another thing you have to try to fit into your busy day "share the love"-this is an activity that the whole staff can share in.  

Welcome to the "Real World"

Congratulations Gina on completing 120 hours of didactic in-classroom training and achieving a 4.0 GPA in the expanded functions dental assisting program! She will now perform 80 hours of clinical externship in our office under the supervision of Dr. Lori Cockley. Gina will have the opportunity to apply her skills on "real" patients instead of her typodont model. She is excited and nervous but ready to take on a new challenge. Look for future posts about her experiences in the weeks to come. 

Newsflash!

Cathy - Congratulations on your engagement! We wish you and Dwight a happy life together and

wedded bliss!

(Check out that bling! Cathy is six months new to our team and we're very lucky to have her as part of our team at East Berlin Smiles)

Setting Up For Success

We recently sat down for a Q & A with our EFDA extern, Laine Watson.  Laine has been completing her 500 hours of  assisting and EFDA duties in our office since October of 2010, and will be finishing in January 2011.  It's been great having her as an extern at East Berlin Smiles.  We have seen her develop her assisting skills and increase her confidence through patient communication.  

Diva's: Laine, what attracted you to the dental field?

Laine: I think a person's smile is very important in the way they feel about themselves. So I want to help someone feel good about themselves.

Diva's: We agree. That is definitely a perk of dental assisting. Did you ever consider a career in dental hygiene? If so, why did you choose to become a dental assistant?

Laine: I initially considered going to school for hygiene but thought dental assisting would be a great opportunity to get the experience and knowledge of the dental field. In the future, I may go back to school for hygiene.

Diva's: We're not bias or anything, but we think you picked the right field! That is a great goal to have. Tell us more about your recent schooling.

Laine: My schooling was a full-time, 15 month EFDA program at Keystone Technical Institute in Harrisburg, PA. I learned all the basics of dental assisting like charting, chair side procedures, identifying different instruments and passing them.  Since it was an EFDA program, I also had training in placing and finishing amalgam and composite restorations. Everything I learned was very helpful, but I do wish there was a little more hands-on experience.

Diva's: Now that you are doing the extern portion of your training, how does the "real" office compare to what you did in school?

Laine: The "real" office is very different than school. First, I'm actually working on "real" patients not models which is a huge difference. Some of the materials used in Dr. Cockley's office are different from what we used in school and that makes procedure steps a little different from what I was taught. Digital x-ray sensors are placed differently in the patients mouth than traditional film.

Diva's: It certainly is easy to work without the distractions of a tongue and saliva! What has your extern experience been like?

Laine: My extern experience has been great! Everyone in the office is very knowledgeable and helpful. I have learned so much and I am very thankful to be at such a great office that is willing to work with me and explain things to me.

Diva's: What have you learned here that you will take with you and apply to your new job?

Laine: Everything that I have learned while on extern I will take with me and apply to my future career. You two are great at what you do-watching and listening to you interact with patients has taught me how to feel more comfortable talking and explaining things to patients.

Diva's: Thanks Laine. You are doing a great job. What would you like to see on our blog that may be helpful to other assistants?

Laine: I think it would be helpful for new assistants to read about what to expect in an office-knowing what to look for in a potential office, helpful interview tips, and what a doctor might expect from a brand new assistant. Tips on procedures and lab work would be nice, as well as tips that might make something easier or faster that you have figured out over your years assisting. Also, what doctors look for in a cover letter and resume that will make you stand out from the rest.

Diva's: Those are some great topic ideas and we will definitely include them in future posts. Now that you are almost finished your externship and are going to be looking for a job, what are some key things you will be looking for in an office?

Laine: I will be looking for a team that is very knowledgeable and that truly care about their patients. A practice that is up-to-date in procedures and equipment and that are consistent with continuing education.

Diva's: Thanks for sitting down with us. We know there are alot of assistants out there in your same position or someone who may be considering dental assisting as a career and your candid answers will be helpful to them.