By Martha Rabkin
Edited By Jamie Bieber
The MSDA conference was invaluable in learning about dentistry as a profession. Dr. Madow lectured on the “Insiders Guide to Dental Practice Success.” While this may not seem pressing to dental students, some of the tips are applicable to us as dental providers and how we can better encourage our patients to trust us as providers, accept our treatment plans, and keep them happy. The biggest takeaway was to do what others are not - meaning going that extra inch (inch not mile) which can make all the difference.
Beyond just treating your patients how you would want to be treated, it is ever important to call your patients the night after you’ve treated them to see how they are doing. Typically these calls are screening to see if they have sensitivity, maybe their occlusion is off, things feel different after they were no longer numb, etc. Many of these simple issues are things you’ll need to deal with eventually and it is better to know now and schedule them to come in rather than to wait and have them be dissatisfied with your work. The vast majority of these calls last a few seconds but lead to greater patient satisfaction.
There was huge emphasis on the first visit - while many of the tips given were outside of our control as students, there are aspects that we can adopt. A big no-no is turning our back to patients when they first sit down. Instead make sure our chairs line up where we are speaking face to face and where they are in a comfortable position (aka don’t be looming over your patients or be speaking at an odd angle). Start with a few minutes of non-dental talk keeping the acronym FOR in mind (Family, Occupation, Recreation). Keep notes in your clinic notebook on what your patients interests are and the next time you see them it will be as if you remember. These small things make your patients really feel like you personally care for them. Then ask “What can we help you with today?”. This is a fantastic method of getting their chief complaint while also finding out what they are going to prioritize for their treatment.
Another tip for effectively communicating with your patients is using the “talk over technique” (Aka no dental lingo). You should still be clinically accurate but also make sure patient understands by blending in descriptions with your dental speak. In clinic while charting with your classmate who is assisting you, rather than saying “#15 MOD amalgam defective distal” you could say “upper left molar #15 large silver MOD filling, defective distal margin a piece has broken off and will need repair”. This takes a few extra seconds but your patient is listening and this is a fantastic way to increase patient education. Doing this throughout your exam (for example describing what you are doing during an oral cancer screening, say why you are talking blood pressure, etc) can really enhance the patient experience and their satisfaction with you as a provider.
Finally, the stress of school and dealing with everything that we deal with as dental students can bring you down and patients can tell. It’s time to focus on the positive happiness equation! On Sunday nights, find a way that works for you to fight the Sunday night scaries (yoga, meditation, exercise, etc). Give your patients and classmates friendly greetings and farewells. Speak about your patients in a way that you would do in front of them. Of course some of this is easier said than done but small things can add up and make a tangible difference for your patients. Overall, we as students do have some control over our own clinic experience and it’s time to take charge of what we can.