The Importance of Enjoying Your Job.

Working as a Dental Nurse can be very difficult. Working in surgery can often be very hectic and running behind can become a regular occurrence in a lot of Practices. The mad dash of sterilising instruments, disinfecting worktops and setting up instruments and equipment in between patients can quickly become frustrating and demoralising. Team this with the odd patient complaining about their wait and another not bothering to acknowledge you because you "are only the Dental Nurse" and it is very easy to spiral into a miserable day in day out mind-set.

But that is not what we as Dental Nurses should be simply accepting as our role- especially in this day of age. The potential to grow and develop our careers has never been higher. We must remember that we are registered Dental Care Professionals and we have a purpose- to give the ultimate in patient care and assist the Dentist in every way we can. The days of sitting aspirating, looking pretty are over. We are capable of doing so much more.

In order to get the most from our jobs we need to make sure we.........

Know our stuff!

In other words, we must know the ins and outs of our profession and keep up to date with all the latest developments. Have you ever been assisting the Dentist or Dental Surgeon and felt nervous because you were unsure of what came next? How much better would you feel, confidently passing them their next instrument without them having to ask? Knowledge and confidence is the key to being happy at work. If you feel like there are areas you can improve on at work or treatments/materials that you could learn more about, then ask your Dentist or Practice Manager for a training session. Not only will you impress them by being proactive but you will also be doing yourself a big favour by developing your skills and knowledge.

There are certain types of Dental Nursing that require complete knowledge and understanding, such as Implant and Orthodontic Nursing. Unfortunately with Implant Nursing there are a lot of Dental Nurses that have not received adequate training and feel out of their depth when assisting the Dentist. There are courses that Nurses can go on in order to work efficiently as an Implant Nurse, basic and advanced. In order to feel as confident as possible when Implant Nursing, there are a few things that you should know:

• The Implant System that is used in your Practice. E.g. Astra Tech, 3i, Straumann. You need to be able to inform and educate your patients on your Implant System. Patients are a lot more knowledgeable these days with so much information readily available on the internet- if they phone up enquiring about Implants or come for a Consultation, they WILL expect you to know. It would also be a poor reflection on your practice if members of the team were uneducated in such a popular treatment.

• How to set up and close the surgery, the procedure from start to finish and the pros and cons of the treatment.

• The type of restorations that can be fixed to the Implants. e.g. Crowns, Bridges, Dentures.

• Basic knowledge of patient criteria. e.g. the success rate of Implants falls if the patient smokes or is diabetic and there needs to be sufficient bone present in order to place the Implant.

Similarly to Implants, Short Term Orthodontics (STO) is now becoming more popular. Invisalign, 6 Month Smiles, Inman Aligner and Clearstep are all examples of STO treatments that are in demand.

Again, if your Dentist offers these treatments and you feel unsure as to what they do and how they work, ask! You must be able to inform patients and explain the treatments if you are asked and if you are promoting these treatments in your Practice, you WILL be asked at some point by at least one patient.

Keep our CPD updated!

There are new developments in Dentistry all the time and in order to be the best we can be, we should all be keeping up to date. Signing up to dental magazines, regularly viewing dental websites/blogs is a great way to keep yourself in the know. We all need to be keeping on top of our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and by attending courses and undergoing further training, this can be achieved quite easily. You can also count reading educational material as CPD.

Being a Dental Nurse armed with knowledge you are not only empowering yourself, you are making yourself a valued, respected member of the team- which should mean enjoyable, productive and successful job roles.

Respect yourself and speak up!

Most Dental Nurses have experienced some form of verbal abuse whether it be a grumpy Dentist snapping at us in the surgery or maybe a conflict with another team member- even an unpleasant patient giving us a hard time over the phone. Do not accept this. We are all qualified and registered Dental Care Professionals (or training to be) and we deserve respect for what we do. It is very easy to feel intimidated or insignificant at work but we play such an important role in Dentistry and we must remember this. If you feel you are being disrespected in some way, voice your concerns with the person making you feel this way and if that fails, report this to the Practice Manager. If it is the Dentist or Practice Manager causing you to be unhappy, ask for a meeting to be arranged so you can sit down and explain the way they are behaving is making you unhappy at work. By doing this, you are showing that you will not stand for being treated with disrespect and you will instantly win respect and understanding for behaving in such a mature, professional manner. If a patient disrespects you, calmly but firmly explain that you will not tolerate being spoken to in that way.

The steps to take if you are greatly unhappy at work.

• Make a list of everything that is bothering you. This could be conflict with a colleague, an issue with wages, your workload etc. Arrange a meeting and voice your concerns.

• Seek advice. If you feel that speaking to your manager has not worked then there are people you can speak to. If you are a Dental Nurse in training, speak to your tutor/assessor and explain the situation. They will either help you by stepping in and speaking to your manager directly or find you another workplace. If you are a qualified, registered Dental Nurse then the Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help.

• Look for another job. Send out copies of your CV to Dental Practices that you would be interested in working at. Keep an ear to the ground and browse through recruitment websites and also Dental Nursing websites/magazines. There are always opportunities for Dental Nurses.

Working as a Dental Nurse can be very difficult. Working in surgery can often be very hectic and running behind can become a regular occurrence in a lot of Practices. The mad dash of sterilising instruments, disinfecting worktops and setting up instruments and equipment in between patients can quickly become frustrating and demoralising.

Team this with the odd patient complaining about their wait and another not bothering to acknowledge you because you "are only the Dental Nurse" and it is very easy to spiral into a miserable day in day out mind-set.

But that is not what we as Dental Nurses should be simply accepting as our role- especially in this day of age. The potential to grow and develop our careers has never been higher. We must remember that we are registered Dental Care Professionals and we have a purpose- to give the ultimate in patient care and assist the Dentist in every way we can. The days of sitting aspirating, looking pretty are over. We are capable of doing so much more.

In order to get the most from our jobs we need to make sure we.........

Know our stuff!

In other words, we must know the ins and outs of our profession and keep up to date with all the latest developments. Have you ever been assisting the Dentist or Dental Surgeon and felt nervous because you were unsure of what came next? How much better would you feel, confidently passing them their next instrument without them having to ask? Knowledge and confidence is the key to being happy at work. If you feel like there are areas you can improve on at work or treatments/materials that you could learn more about, then ask your Dentist or Practice Manager for a training session. Not only will you impress them by being proactive but you will also be doing yourself a big favour by developing your skills and knowledge.

There are certain types of Dental Nursing that require complete knowledge and understanding, such as Implant and Orthodontic Nursing. Unfortunately with Implant Nursing there are a lot of Dental Nurses that have not received adequate training and feel out of their depth when assisting the Dentist. There are courses that Nurses can go on in order to work efficiently as an Implant Nurse, basic and advanced. In order to feel as confident as possible when Implant Nursing, there are a few things that you should know:

• The Implant System that is used in your Practice. E.g. Astra Tech, 3i, Straumann. You need to be able to inform and educate your patients on your Implant System. Patients are a lot more knowledgeable these days with so much information readily available on the internet- if they phone up enquiring about Implants or come for a Consultation, they WILL expect you to know. It would also be a poor reflection on your practice if members of the team were uneducated in such a popular treatment.

• How to set up and close the surgery, the procedure from start to finish and the pros and cons of the treatment.

• The type of restorations that can be fixed to the Implants. e.g. Crowns, Bridges, Dentures.

• Basic knowledge of patient criteria. e.g. the success rate of Implants falls if the patient smokes or is diabetic and there needs to be sufficient bone present in order to place the Implant.

Similarly to Implants, Short Term Orthodontics (STO) is now becoming more popular. Invisalign, 6 Month Smiles, Inman Aligner and Clearstep are all examples of STO treatments that are in demand.

Again, if your Dentist offers these treatments and you feel unsure as to what they do and how they work, ask! You must be able to inform patients and explain the treatments if you are asked and if you are promoting these treatments in your Practice, you WILL be asked at some point by at least one patient.

Keep our CPD updated!

There are new developments in Dentistry all the time and in order to be the best we can be, we should all be keeping up to date. Signing up to dental magazines, regularly viewing dental websites/blogs is a great way to keep yourself in the know. We all need to be keeping on top of our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and by attending courses and undergoing further training, this can be achieved quite easily. You can also count reading educational material as CPD.

Being a Dental Nurse armed with knowledge you are not only empowering yourself, you are making yourself a valued, respected member of the team- which should mean enjoyable, productive and successful job roles.

Respect yourself and speak up!

Most Dental Nurses have experienced some form of verbal abuse whether it be a grumpy Dentist snapping at us in the surgery or maybe a conflict with another team member- even an unpleasant patient giving us a hard time over the phone. Do not accept this. We are all qualified and registered Dental Care Professionals (or training to be) and we deserve respect for what we do. It is very easy to feel intimidated or insignificant at work but we play such an important role in Dentistry and we must remember this. If you feel you are being disrespected in some way, voice your concerns with the person making you feel this way and if that fails, report this to the Practice Manager. If it is the Dentist or Practice Manager causing you to be unhappy, ask for a meeting to be arranged so you can sit down and explain the way they are behaving is making you unhappy at work. By doing this, you are showing that you will not stand for being treated with disrespect and you will instantly win respect and understanding for behaving in such a mature, professional manner. If a patient disrespects you, calmly but firmly explain that you will not tolerate being spoken to in that way.

The steps to take if you are greatly unhappy at work.

• Make a list of everything that is bothering you. This could be conflict with a colleague, an issue with wages, your workload etc. Arrange a meeting and voice your concerns.

• Seek advice. If you feel that speaking to your manager has not worked then there are people you can speak to. If you are a Dental Nurse in training, speak to your tutor/assessor and explain the situation. They will either help you by stepping in and speaking to your manager directly or find you another workplace. If you are a qualified, registered Dental Nurse then the Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help.

• Look for another job. Send out copies of your CV to Dental Practices that you would be interested in working at. Keep an ear to the ground and browse through recruitment websites and also Dental Nursing websites/magazines. There are always opportunities for Dental Nurses.

Did you know that:

• Fluoride toothpaste is often classified as a cosmetic product meaning that taxes are applied increasing the price by 50% in some countries?
• In Cambodia, the average six year old has over eight decayed, missing or filled teeth compared to just one per child in the UK?
• Most dentists in developing countries have limited equipment to work with and so are normally only able to perform extractions?

Did you know that there is an organisation doing something to help?

Dentaid, one of the world's largest oral health charities, is working to change this by promoting and supporting the infrastructure for access to quality dental health in some of the world's poorest nations. Dentaid has helped establish almost 200 charitable dental treatment clinics in over 50 countries around the world and is striving to do more.

Dentaid helps these communities by providing resources to regional treatment centres and community outreach. Training is also provided to indigenous workers to ensure they are skilled enough to provide treatment and information to the population they are working with.

Another important aspect of Dentaid's work is lobbying governments and relevant organisations to ensure that they adopt oral health friendly policies reducing the risk of tooth decay, mouth disease and infant oral mutilation.

If you believe that everyone deserves the right to access oral health care from suitably trained professionals using sterile equipment, you can support Dentaid in its work. Regular donations via standing orders or payroll giving are just one way you can help. Practical things such as fundraising activities or the donation of instruments and equipment is always appreciated.

Dentaid is especially in need of:

• Instruments
• Curing lights
• Aspirators
• Delivery carts
• Single pot compressors
• Daray or Belmont lights
• Ultrasonic lights or scalars
• Kavoclaves

To find out more about Dentaid or to offer a donation of money or equipment, please visit the website www.dentaid.org

Team building and maintaining good working relationships.

Seeing as most of the population spend more time at work than they do at home, it is vital that we feel happy and confident when we are working. Team building is essential to reach these goals. Team building is a process that involves developing cooperation, motivation, trust and respect among the team members. Team members work well together when everybody is working to achieve a common goal. It is good to make a list of practice goals for which everybody plays a part in achieving, e.g. winning a dental award or reaching targets in order to receive a bonus. Regularly reviewing these goals keeps people motivated and working hard together to achieve them. Employers should encourage team members to make their own personal goals too- this is something that can be discussed in annual appraisals. By having personal goals, we are always working towards something positive.

Some examples of team building are:

• Monthly team meetings.

Having an hour long team meeting once a month allows everybody to sit down together and discuss any issues regarding the practice and team. Regular team meetings enables everybody to feel up to date with the latest news and gives people the chance to voice their opinions/concerns etc. Issues that are often discussed at team meetings are ways in which we can improve our performance and areas that can be improved, upcoming news and events and practice productivity. It is a good idea to have two people taking the position of facilitator and recorder for the duration of the meeting. The person facilitating can lead the meeting whilst the recorder can make notes and then write them all up and hand out minutes to each team member. At the following team meeting, the previous issues can be reviewed and hopefully be identified as resolved. It is a nice idea to have an extended lunch at a team meeting so that lunch can be ordered in, making the meeting an enjoyable experience.

• Morning huddles.

Morning huddles are a great way of preparing and motivating the team for the day ahead. Everybody should have a copy of their diary and can update the team on anything significant, such as, “Mr X has referred his wife for a consultation, we must not forget to thank him when he arrives” or “Mrs Y’s lab work is being delivered this afternoon.” Topics that can be discussed at morning huddles are practice daily productivity, issues with patients, phone calls that need to be made that day etc. If there are any new patients attending the practice then the team can be made aware of this. It is also a good idea to point out any particular patients that could be asked to pass on some referral cards to friends and family, e.g. “Mr X is coming for a review on his new veneers, maybe we could ask him to pass on some of our cards to friends and family who may be wanting a similar service?”.

• Regular training sessions.

It is a good idea to hold regular training sessions to keep everybody up to date and performing to the highest standard. Keeping everybody highly trained maintains confidence in each person, therefore maintaining a confident team. Regular training in the following areas can be beneficial to the team:

• Cross infection

• New treatments and techniques

• Patient communication and phone skills

• Practice promotion

• Team activities.

Team activities help keep relationships strong and build trust among team members. It is good to spend time with each other away from the workplace every so often as people tend to relax more and it is a good opportunity to find out more about each other. Team activities often include:

• Having a nice meal and a few drinks together

• Watching a show

• Going for a day out somewhere, for example, Alton Towers

• Visiting a Comedy Club

• Appraisals.

Having annual appraisals is a great way of the management team and team member communicating to each other about job performance and satisfaction. Appraisals tend to be conducted in a quiet, private, informal environment in order to put team members at ease. It is the duty of the employer to inform the team member on their performance in the last year and discuss possible strengths and weaknesses the person has and how weaknesses can be overcome. Team members need to be made aware of any aspect of their job that they are doing particularly well and also not so well because if their performance could be improved in a certain area then they need to be told in a friendly and constructive manner. Also discussed at appraisals are:

• Aspects of the job that the team member likes.

• Aspects of the job they do not like.

• Ways in which they could possibly improve their role.

• Any concerns or issues they might have.

• Their successes from the past year.

• Any further training or development they would like or feel they require.

• Professional and personal goals.

Strengths and weaknesses.

It is important to remember that everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. In order to work well as a team it is vital that people are given jobs and responsibilities that they are able to do to a high standard. For example, there is no point in giving Miss X the duty of updating the website weekly if she has little experience with computers. This would make Miss X feel stressed and lacking in confidence. However Miss X is very organized and patient, so she would feel happy and confident doing the weekly filing and scanning of documents instead. When we have stressful days at work it is very easy to see each other’s faults and concentrate on them instead of the good qualities. This does nobody any good, it can make us feel inadequate and stressed if we know that only our faults are being noticed. Try to recognize the positive qualities of your colleagues and you will immediately feel better at work.

Communication.

Communication is the key to maintaining good working relationships. It is important that everybody knows how to communicate with each other effectively so there are never any misunderstandings. There is often hostility between people in working environments and a lot of this hostility can be put down to poor communication. Yes, there are bound to be people that simply do not get on, however with good communication, there is nothing stopping them working together as colleagues and reaching for the same professional goals.

Body language can say a lot when you are speaking to someone. It is important that you are looking into the eyes of the person you are communicating with. This signals to them that you are listening to what they are saying. It is also important that you show you are listening with your body language. If you are speaking to a colleague but have your body turned away and your fingers drumming on the table, the chances are that sub-consciously you are not listening and this really does come across.

If you are talking to somebody and they have said something important, e.g. your Dentist asks you to put something in the order book, and you are not listening effectively, then this could lead to problems. You could forget all about it or get to the order book and forget what product it was that needed ordering. If you know that you can be a bit forgetful then write it down. Writing notes increases our ability to remember things more accurately and reduces the risk of forgetting by 90%. Another way of increasing our ability to remember is by repeating the tasks that we need to do, so when the Dentist asks us to put something in the order book, say aloud, “I need to put that in the order book”.

It is wise to avoid cliques at work as this can cause possible conflict among team members. It can also lead to breakdown in communication. It is better to get on with everybody equally and treat everybody the same in order to prevent any upset or conflict among team members. It is fine to have a chat and a laugh at work but ultimately we are dental professionals and must conduct ourselves in a respectable, professional manner.

Seeing as most of the population spend more time at work than they do at home, it is vital that we feel happy and confident when we are working. Team building is essential to reach these goals.

Team building is a process that involves developing cooperation, motivation, trust and respect among the team members. Team members work well together when everybody is working to achieve a common goal. It is good to make a list of practice goals for which everybody plays a part in achieving, e.g. winning a dental award or reaching targets in order to receive a bonus. Regularly reviewing these goals keeps people motivated and working hard together to achieve them. Employers should encourage team members to make their own personal goals too- this is something that can be discussed in annual appraisals. By having personal goals, we are always working towards something positive.

Some examples of team building are:

• Monthly team meetings.

Having an hour long team meeting once a month allows everybody to sit down together and discuss any issues regarding the practice and team. Regular team meetings enables everybody to feel up to date with the latest news and gives people the chance to voice their opinions/concerns etc. Issues that are often discussed at team meetings are ways in which we can improve our performance and areas that can be improved, upcoming news and events and practice productivity. It is a good idea to have two people taking the position of facilitator and recorder for the duration of the meeting. The person facilitating can lead the meeting whilst the recorder can make notes and then write them all up and hand out minutes to each team member. At the following team meeting, the previous issues can be reviewed and hopefully be identified as resolved. It is a nice idea to have an extended lunch at a team meeting so that lunch can be ordered in, making the meeting an enjoyable experience.

•Morning huddles.

Morning huddles are a great way of preparing and motivating the team for the day ahead. Everybody should have a copy of their diary and can update the team on anything significant, such as, “Mr X has referred his wife for a consultation, we must not forget to thank him when he arrives” or “Mrs Y’s lab work is being delivered this afternoon.” Topics that can be discussed at morning huddles are practice daily productivity, issues with patients, phone calls that need to be made that day etc. If there are any new patients attending the practice then the team can be made aware of this. It is also a good idea to point out any particular patients that could be asked to pass on some referral cards to friends and family, e.g. “Mr X is coming for a review on his new veneers, maybe we could ask him to pass on some of our cards to friends and family who may be wanting a similar service?”.

•Regular training sessions.

It is a good idea to hold regular training sessions to keep everybody up to date and performing to the highest standard. Keeping everybody highly trained maintains confidence in each person, therefore maintaining a confident team. Regular training in the following areas can be beneficial to the team:

• Cross infection

• New treatments and techniques

• Patient communication and phone skills

• Practice promotion

•Team activities.

Team activities help keep relationships strong and build trust among team members. It is good to spend time with each other away from the workplace every so often as people tend to relax more and it is a good opportunity to find out more about each other. Team activities often include:

• Having a nice meal and a few drinks together

• Watching a show

• Going for a day out somewhere, for example, Alton Towers

• Visiting a Comedy Club

•Appraisals.

Having annual appraisals is a great way of the management team and team member communicating to each other about job performance and satisfaction. Appraisals tend to be conducted in a quiet, private, informal environment in order to put team members at ease. It is the duty of the employer to inform the team member on their performance in the last year and discuss possible strengths and weaknesses the person has and how weaknesses can be overcome. Team members need to be made aware of any aspect of their job that they are doing particularly well and also not so well because if their performance could be improved in a certain area then they need to be told in a friendly and constructive manner. Also discussed at appraisals are:

• Aspects of the job that the team member likes.

• Aspects of the job they do not like.

• Ways in which they could possibly improve their role.

• Any concerns or issues they might have.

• Their successes from the past year.

• Any further training or development they would like or feel they require.

• Professional and personal goals.

Strengths and weaknesses.

It is important to remember that everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. In order to work well as a team it is vital that people are given jobs and responsibilities that they are able to do to a high standard. For example, there is no point in giving Miss X the duty of updating the website weekly if she has little experience with computers. This would make Miss X feel stressed and lacking in confidence. However Miss X is very organized and patient, so she would feel happy and confident doing the weekly filing and scanning of documents instead. When we have stressful days at work it is very easy to see each other’s faults and concentrate on them instead of the good qualities. This does nobody any good, it can make us feel inadequate and stressed if we know that only our faults are being noticed. Try to recognize the positive qualities of your colleagues and you will immediately feel better at work.

Communication.

Communication is the key to maintaining good working relationships. It is important that everybody knows how to communicate with each other effectively so there are never any misunderstandings. There is often hostility between people in working environments and a lot of this hostility can be put down to poor communication. Yes, there are bound to be people that simply do not get on, however with good communication, there is nothing stopping them working together as colleagues and reaching for the same professional goals.

Body language can say a lot when you are speaking to someone. It is important that you are looking into the eyes of the person you are communicating with. This signals to them that you are listening to what they are saying. It is also important that you show you are listening with your body language. If you are speaking to a colleague but have your body turned away and your fingers drumming on the table, the chances are that sub-consciously you are not listening and this really does come across.

If you are talking to somebody and they have said something important, e.g. your Dentist asks you to put something in the order book, and you are not listening effectively, then this could lead to problems. You could forget all about it or get to the order book and forget what product it was that needed ordering. If you know that you can be a bit forgetful then write it down. Writing notes increases our ability to remember things more accurately and reduces the risk of forgetting by 90%. Another way of increasing our ability to remember is by repeating the tasks that we need to do, so when the Dentist asks us to put something in the order book, say aloud, “I need to put that in the order book”.

It is wise to avoid cliques at work as this can cause possible conflict among team members. It can also lead to breakdown in communication. It is better to get on with everybody equally and treat everybody the same in order to prevent any upset or conflict among team members. It is fine to have a chat and a laugh at work but ultimately we are dental professionals and must conduct ourselves in a respectable, professional manner.

A Treatment Co-ordinator (TCO) is a member of the team who looks after patients with regards to their treatment plans and the fees involved. Basically, a TCO relieves the Dentist of the duty of discussing treatment and the fees involved in order for the Dentist to focus solely on delivering dental treatment. TCO’s are only really necessary in private practices where money is more of a concern to patients.

The job of a TCO involves a lot of responsibility and effort. It often takes a certain character to be a TCO, someone who is naturally good with people and can put them at ease. A TCO also needs to be patient, understanding and empathic as when dealing with patients, especially nervous patients; it is not uncommon for situations to become difficult. For example, a nervous patient comes for a consultation in order to be told that she needs all of her upper teeth taken out and a denture fitted and that if she came 10 years ago then this wouldn’t be necessary. In this sort of situation, the patient could become very upset, cry and need support. A TCO needs to be able to sympathise with the patient and offer them reassurance, whilst focussing on the goal of booking this patient in for the appointment and securing a payment.

Duties of a TCO:

• New patient journey

• Treatment presentation

• Discussing treatment plans with existing patients

• Recording daily diagnosed and accepted figures

• Following up outstanding treatment

• Conducting free smile consultations

•New patient journey:

The TCO should conduct the new patient journey from start to finish. This involves taking the initial phone call to booking appointments and securing payment. The first stage is taking the phone call. Excellent phone manner is essential. Once a patient has expressed interest in joining the practice, it is necessary to explain what kind of practice you are, e.g. denplan, practice plan etc., and the benefits of joining.

It is also a good idea to promote your practice and try and entice the potential patient along. If the patient is unsure as to whether they want to come for a consultation, take their name and address and offer to book them in for a free smile consultation (see section on free smile consultations) or send them an information pack. It is also important to find out about the patient and try to connect with them on a personal level. Ask what their concerns are and what it is they are looking for, be it general dentistry or a smile makeover so that you have a bit of information about them before they attend. Explain the consultation process and the fee. It is always a good idea to take a deposit over the phone or ask the patient to come into the practice with a deposit in order to encourage them to attend as you don’t want to risk the patient changing their mind and wasting an appointment. At the end of the phone call, explain that you will be sending them a welcome pack with their appointment card and receipt (if deposit was taken over the phone) and it is always a nice idea to ask them if they would like a drink on arrival. This makes the patient feel special and is all part of the first class service patients expect with private treatment.

What should I put in a welcome pack?

A welcome pack should include:

• Welcome letter.

• Information about the practice.

• If patient expressed interest in a particular treatment, e.g. Invisalign, put some information about it in the pack.

• Medical history form.

• Smile evaluation form.

• Appointment card.

• Receipt.

• Testimonials.

On arrival, the patient must be greeted warmly by the hand of the TCO or receptionist and either handed their choice of drink or offered a drink. Once the patient has had a few minutes to settle with their drink, the TCO will give them a guided tour of the practice and then escort them to the consultation room. For the first half hour or so, the TCO will discuss with the patient their medical history and smile evaluation forms, find out what the patient’s goals are for their mouth and what it is they would like from your practice. The TCO will make notes of this. At this first stage of the consultation, it is useful for the TCO to take some extra-oral photographs of the patient and their teeth in order to keep on their record. If the Dentist has a camera for cosmetic cases, it is worthwhile he/she training the TCO in photography, as this is yet another job the TCO can relieve the Dentist of. Once all information and photographs have been taken, the TCO can escort the patient into the reception area and ask them to take a seat while the treatment room is being prepared for them. At this stage, the TCO will explain to the Dentist the patient’s situation and dental background so the Dentist is prepared for the patient. It is necessary at a consultation to have the following:

• Mirror, probe, periodontal probe and tweezers.

• Bitewing sensor and holder.

• Intra-oral camera.

• Photographs on the screen that were taken earlier.

The TCO will then escort the patient to the treatment room and introduce them to the Dentist. If the TCO is a Dental Nurse then they can assist during the consultation to chart and assist with the x-rays, if not then another Dental Nurse can be doing this instead. Consultations can include an assessment with a Hygienist. If this is the case then the TCO will escort the patient up to the Hygienist after seeing the Dentist and then collect the patient at the end of the hygiene assessment.

Once the Dentist and Hygienist have both completed their assessments then they can put a treatment plan together for the patient. If the treatment plan is fairly simple and straightforward, then it is absolutely fine to discuss it with the patient there and then. If the patient accepts treatment, then appointments can be booked, payment can be arranged and membership discussed. However if the treatment plan is quite complex, then it is wise to invite the patient back for a treatment presentation.

•Treatment Presentation:

If a treatment plan is particularly complex or expensive then inviting the patient back for a presentation is a great idea because it adds value to the treatment. The patient is made aware that the Dentist has had to take time out of his/her diary to carefully study their x-rays and photographs in order to create a plan just for them.

Before the patient arrives, have their treatment plan(s) ready and any demonstration models, before and after pictures, testimonials etc. ready.

It is also a great idea to present the patient with a computerised presentation that can be burnt onto a CD for them to take away and view at home. Microsoft PowerPoint is a great program for this. You can create slides with descriptions of the treatment you are proposing for the patient and include images of their x-rays and photos highlighting areas of concern. You can also include at the end the stages of treatment and the fees involved.

It is really the TCO’s job to fully explain what the Dentist and Hygienist have recommended for them and the reasons why. Also to be discussed are the fees involved, any discounts that can be offered and payment options etc. If your practice offers finance, then the TCO can set this up at this appointment if the patient wanted finance as their payment method. If the patient accepts treatment then appointments can be made and payment can be arranged. Alternatively, if the patient wants to think about the treatment, then you can arrange a courtesy call a week later to see if they have made a decision. If the patient declines treatment then you can ask them why and see if there are any obstacles that can be overcome- e.g. “I can’t afford that, I can’t proceed with treatment” can sometimes be overcome with, “Well did you know that we can spread the cost over 12 months interest-free?.” If the patient still declines after you have tried to solve any issues they have then you can just update their record and explain that they are welcome to come again if they change their mind.

•Discussing treatment plans with existing patients:

If a regular patient requires treatment after an examination with the Dentist, it is a good idea for the Dentist to request that the TCO come and collect the patient from the treatment room and escort them to the consultation room to discuss the treatment plan in private. The Dentist will inform the TCO, in front of the patient, of the patient’s situation and ask the TCO to look after the patient from that point. The TCO will explain again to the patient the treatment needed (or requested if cosmetic) and the reasons for it. This gives the patient the opportunity to ask questions that may have forgot to ask the Dentist or may have felt too embarrassed to ask. The TCO can inform the patient of the cost of treatment, discuss which payment method would be best for the patient and book an appointment. Similarly with new patients, if the patient needs time to think about it then you can arrange a courtesy call and if they decline then you can try and clear any obstacles that they may have in order for them to book in for their treatment.

•Recording daily and monthly diagnosed and accepted figures:

It is important that as a TCO we keep track of the treatment that has been diagnosed each day and the acceptance rate. An excel spread sheet is the best way to do this and should have the following columns:

• Month treatment was diagnosed.

• Name of patient.

• Treatment provider, e.g. Dentist or Hygienist.

• Treatment diagnosed.

• Cost of treatment.

• Whether it was accepted, left outstanding or abandoned.

At the end of each day, all the treatment plans that were presented to patients (new and existing) should be collected and logged onto the spread sheet. Once this has been done, you can total up the amount diagnosed and come up with a percentage of the accepted treatment. E.g. Treatment diagnosed comes to £2000, £1650 was accepted- unfortunately Mr X declined a crown. To figure out the percentage of accepted treatment, just divide £1650 by £2000 and multiply by 100. This gives a total percentage of 82.5%. This figure should ideally be given in the following morning meeting. If your practice does not have morning meetings then you can give this figure to the Dentist or Practice Manager daily or weekly. In your monthly meeting, it is a good idea to provide monthly diagnosed and accepted figures.

Following up outstanding treatment:

It is important to keep a record of all patients that have been given a treatment plan and not booked an appointment due to wanting to think about it or not booking in straight away as they are going on holiday etc. This can easily be achieved by keeping an outstanding treatment file. This can be made using an excel spread sheet which should have the following columns:

• Date treatment was diagnosed.

• Name of patient.

• Treatment provider.

• Treatment diagnosed.

• Notes (so that you can make relevant notes such as “left voicemail, to call again next week” or “call patient when they get back from holiday next month.”

This file should be referred to regularly so that you know where each patient is up to with regards to their treatment. Ways of contacting patients are a courtesy phone call, letter to remind them of their treatment and reminder email or text. If patients have been on the file for a while, you could think of enticing them back for their treatment by sending them an offer such as “10% off cosmetic treatment only for this month” if the practice has an offer on.

Conducting free Smile Consultations:

A Smile Consultation with a TCO is a great way of allowing a potential patient to decide whether they would like to join the practice and find out whether the practice provides the treatments that they are interested in and whether they are affordable, without wasting theirs and the Dentist’s time. If the patient decides that they are serious about having treatment with you, then you can book an appointment for them with the Dentist, knowing that the chances of treatment acceptance are high. A Smile Consultation with a TCO should be about 30 minutes and involve a guided tour around the practice, a chance to meet the team and a discussion about the kind of treatments we offer and the fees involved with the TCO.