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