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May 26, 2009 | Dentalproductsreport.com
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Get your staff out of the operatory

Their clinical contributions are undeniable, but there are other ways your dental hygienists and assistants can help grow the practice.

By Thais Carter, Editor in Chief

With the economy still on the mend, you hear stories of companies large and small trying to do less with more. Job descriptions are shifting, responsibilities are increasing and, while this can be uncomfortable for certain people, it can actually be a breath of fresh air in the dental office.

There is limited data providing hard numbers on the number of dental hygienists and dental assistants that suffer from professional burnout, but anecdotal evidence is high and many respected consultants report seeing a high number of support staff lacking support themselves. Introducing tasks that can help break the monotony of clinical care can go a long way toward increasing job satisfaction and the number of years a hygienist or assistant remains in practice.

There are a number of ways you can introduce variety and creative vision into the clinical day-to-day responsibilities of your team. If the dentist is willing to be creative with time and scheduling, the staff, the practice and the patients all have the potential to grow and benefit.

IN-HOUSE PR
Dentistry has long relied on word of mouth referrals to keep new patients coming in. That method is still essential, but there is a wide range of additional opportunities to get the word out about your dental practice. Here are some simple ways you can get your staff to engage in practice promotion.

Practice web site. Whether it’s helping create the site or updating a site constructed by an outside vendor, there are many opportunities to take your digital presence to the next level. The staff person can update before and after photos of successful cases, post short bios of the dental office team, regularly update tips for homecare, and use the homepage to announce any special promotions the practice is offering.

Newsletter. Whether it arrives via snail mail or via the more cost-effective e-mail, newsletters are a great way to reach out to patients with quick, useful information about what’s new at the practice. There are so many simple desktop publishing options available, even a novice can construct an eye-catching, helpful document that patients will appreciate.

Patient follow-up. Your hygienists and assistants already tend to have a good rapport with patients—why limit that to the operatory? A few simple phone calls each week to follow up on treatment or apologize for a delay at the office can make a world of difference in the way a patient views the practice.

PRODUCT GURU
With nearly a thousand new dental products launched each year, it can be difficult to keep up. And, while not every launch makes sense for your practice, it’s important to be up to speed on new technology and clinical research. This responsibility can be an easy way to challenge your staff and push yourself in the process.

Magazine mavens. There are so many dental publications to go through each month, there’s now way the average dentist can go through them all thoroughly him or herself—especially in a busy practice. Why not share? Assigning the product magazines to a hygienist or assistant allows them to think about how the practice as a whole can benefit from things outside their immediate sphere of influence. In the best case scenario, it can propel them to want to try new things that can lead to better patient care and practice efficiency.

Morning meetings. Once you get them going, make sure they share the knowledge! Morning meetings are a great time for that. Once a week, have the hygienist or assistant share with the rest of the staff a product they’re excited about, why, and how it would be implemented into the practice. Even if you don’t buy it right away, it can make the adoption process smoother and allow the staff to discuss pros, cons and potential hurdles before you invest a ton of money in a new product.

Sales rep relations. Once your staff is product savvy, they can be a great go-to person for engaging with sales reps. Inevitably, everyone gets busy and it is good to know that there are a variety of people able to ask good questions and think critically about what your reps are promoting each month.

WORTH THE EFFORT
Considering expanded roles and responsibilities won’t be right for every practice and every hygienist or assistant. A good employer, however, should use annual reviews and other regular check-ins to determine if staff could benefit from a tweak in the job description. Burnout doesn’t have to be inevitable.

A substantial question is, of course, where do you find the time? Any hour spent working on marketing or product research is an hour not spent with patients. Don’t be discourage. An article by lecturer and consultant Eileen Morrissey, RDH, — found here— outlines how one dentist made it work for his hygienist and his practice.

This can be a turning point for your staff, but also a great moment for you to think creatively as an employer.

Related articles

• Internal Marketing by Eileen Morrissey
• Web Marketing by Shauna Duty