I’ve spent most of my adult working life in the Dental field and I have a lot to share.
When I started my dental career, amalgam was still cool and Hipaa wasn’t even a word. I’m as old as film and paper charts, and I’m here to tell you that working in a dental office during the covid-19 pandemic is a whole new ballgame. It has impacted every position and system in the office….
Dental Office Drama If you’ve ever worked in a dental office, you know what I mean by dental office drama. In some offices it feels like a living, breathing presence. Right up there with the playground and the high school cafeteria. It’s a shame because it can make for some long and stressful days. It’s…
Attributes of a Good Dental Assistant Every position plays a vital role in the dental office. But I’ve always felt that Dental Assistants are the glue that hold the whole place together. Their main job is to assist the Dentist. But Assistants are the ones most involved in the instrument sterilzation process, and in keeping…
What do Dental Patients Really Care About? We all work hard to come up with ideas for getting new patients to join our practice. And just as hard to get our current patients to stay put. It’s a challenge because keeping everyone happy is impossible! (But ticking them off is a breeze!) Insurance changes, and…
How to Improve your Morning Huddles Morning Huddles are very popular in the dental world. But I think they’re kind of like Brussels sprouts; you either love them or you hate them. Overall I’m pro-huddle. (A hard NO to the Brussels sprouts.) If nothing else, it’s always nice when we’re all in one place at…
Every dental office has a patient check-out system. I currently manage a small office and am the only person at our front desk. My system is simple. I ask everyone to walk their patient up and tell me what they did and what the patient needs next. If I’m already with a patient, they should…
Is there tension between your Hygienists and Assistants? It’s not the usual thing where people just don’t get along. There’s something special between these two positions that causes friction. If you haven’t figured out what is I’ll tell you; it’s envy. Why are they envious of each other? Assistants envy Hygienists because of their salary…
So, your boss hired a Dental Consultant. He tells you that he just wants to ‘tweek’ a few things in the office; not sign on for a whole office makeover. But you know the truth. Consultants aren’t ‘tweekers’. Once they get their hands on an office, it’s all or nothing and literally everything will change….
What to Do When You’re Bored with Your Dental Job Every job gets old after a while. The first five to seven years doing anything seems to be the sweet spot. After that, we get itchy for a change of pace and scenery. Although lately in dentistry, I don’t think the pace is the biggest…
How to Switch from Dental Assistant to Dental Front Desk So you’ve mastered the art of Dental Assisting and now you want to move to the front desk. Good for you! I started my dental career as a Dental Assistant when I was in High School and I really enjoyed it! But after about ten…