The number one concern for most dental practices in North America is keeping the office staffed with quality employees. Staffing is quickly becoming a national issue in modern dentistry, with over 90% of dental offices placing the greatest emphasis on staff retention and the happiness of current employees. As the demand for quality oral healthcare … Read more
We are on a roll with the delegation train and there is no reason to let that engine cool down just yet! In moving that train forward, I would like to address one of the biggest challenges I see dentists face on the issue of delegation. That issue is the sense of a loss of … Read more
Every year Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW) is celebrated in Canada and the United States during the first full week of March to celebrate a very important part of the dental team – dental assistants! “The ODAA is celebrating Dental Assistants Recognition Week with our members with contests, prizes, and a ‘Proud to be a … Read more
Newcom Media Inc · Episode 1 – Building Your Dream Team Subscribe: Read the audio transcript below: Dr. Luisa Schult (LS): Hello everybody. Welcome to Brush Up! I’m Dr. Luisa Schuldt, the host today. I’m also a dual specialist in Prosthodontics and Periodontics, based out of Font Hill, Ontario. As our guest today, we have … Read more
In November, we focused on delegating tasks to team members and holding them accountable. As a dental CEO, you simply cannot do it all. You need to entrust some vital tasks to your team. And as we head into the holiday season, a time of year intended to spoil our family members, it seems appropriate … Read more
THE CHALLENGE: Bringing together a group of team members representing different educational backgrounds, clinical experiences, patient care philosophies, and work ethics to provide a consistent standard of care. THE SOLUTION: Team alignment! If your practice suffers from conflicting diagnoses, misguided treatment planning, or inconsistent client service, chances are you need alignment. The good news is … Read more
What Does The Science Say? Google has taken some deep dives into what makes for a great team member and has also conducted research into the attributes of effective teams. In 2012, Google conducted a well-known study called Project Aristotle, which sought to understand the characteristics of high-performing teams, and the results were surprising. Teams … Read more
Fraud is on the rise now more than ever in the dental industry. Usually, seven percent of dentists’ monthly revenue is embezzled, and it happens to two-thirds of all dentists, so don’t ever think it can’t happen to you. Dentists are at high risk because they are usually in the operatory all day, generating revenue … Read more
In this episode of Weekly Wisdom, Karen Ergus discusses the importance of making a positive attitude in your work environment. Subscribe to Oral Health’s weekly e-newsletter to have the latest episode delivered straight to your inbox every week!
The biggest issue facing our industry is hiring (ADA, 2021). If there has been one big takeaway from the pandemic, it has been that we are all looking for a better balance in our lives. We are all reflecting on our careers and homelife, and identifying what is important to us. In a recent survey, … Read more
Last month, we discussed the importance of cross-training, particularly at a time when so many offices are struggling with shortages of team members. The question is how to do this effectively. The first thing I would suggest is make sure your team is involved in the process. Employees today do not respond well if they … Read more
Since the onset of the pandemic, our personal and professional lives have been turned upside down in ways we could never have imagined. In addition to adopting rigorous health and safety protocols and procedures in our practices, we also go above and beyond in our daily interactions with our patients to ensure they feel safe … Read more
In this episode of Weekly Wisdom, Dr. Ramez Salti describes how he builds a strong office culture and how you can too! Subscribe to Oral Health’s weekly e-newsletter to have the latest episode delivered straight to your inbox every week! Sponsored by The Institute for Dental Excellence (T.I.D.E.) is committed to … Read more
Just to be clear, the link between cross-training and summer has nothing to do with peak fitness so we look great in our summer wardrobe! Well…it could be about that. But not in an article for a dental publication. Instead, this is the time of the year when we try to slow down at work … Read more
As a dentist, when you are prepping a dental crown or undertaking a dental filling, you would always follow a diligent process, right? However, the same diligence is usually not followed when you are hiring dental staff for your clinic. This is despite the fact that a bad hire can turn out to be extremely … Read more
At this point it is a well-known fact that the dental industry is going through a very stressful phase. Staff shortages, increased costs, increased safety measures – these all impact the stress levels of practice owners and team members alike. In fact, the amount of stress being felt is leading to even more staffing issues … Read more
Recently, I watched a crew team practice at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL. As I watched the team glide effortlessly across the lake, I made three observations. First, I noticed their boat. It had a beautiful wood interior; the outside was shiny and spotless. Next, I noticed the leadership of the coxswain and how … Read more
We always consider the staff an important factor when valuing a practice. Dentistry, much like many other sectors of the economy, is facing severe workforce shortages in all facets of their team. These challenges can be found throughout the country. Whether it is a shortage of assistants and hygienists, and unrealistic salary expectations from new … Read more
Not only have practices been struggling to attract new staff, but many practice owners are having trouble retaining current staff as well. In fact, 35 percent reported they had staff members voluntarily leave their practice last year. Most dentists took to the obvious solution of increasing wages to keep staff happy, and that is a … Read more
It is an interesting contradiction to talk to dental students about the importance of learning about the business side of dentistry. The response I receive to offering training on management, human resources, marketing and financial planning is that they are so stressed focusing on the clinical components they need to earn their degrees, they don’t … Read more