The three people in your dental practice you should thank every day

To create an atmosphere of true appreciation for both the team and the patient, we say thank you all the time. These are two of the most underused words are one of my keys to outstanding practice management.

Think about these main components of your office: The business manager, the dental assistant/hygienist, and the patient. Are you able to work successfully without any of those key people? They are the ones you need to thank each and every day.

I thank my business manager for helping me get organized. After all, without my business manager, I would have to do all the “paperwork” that is necessary to run my office. Additionally, since the business manager is essentially in charge of all of our paychecks, I thank her for creating a schedule that is both productive and patient-friendly. Thanking the business manager in front of patients is always a good idea. It shows a true team spirit.

I thank my dental assistant several times during and after any procedure. I tend to discuss each and every element of the procedure as I am performing my dentistry. Once my dental assistant gives me a component, I thank her.

At the end of the procedure, I thank both my dental assistant for her help as well as the patient for visiting us. As the dental assistant did set up the operatory, I thank her for getting it ready and keeping the inventory up to date.

There are a plethora of other key times I thank my team: During team meetings, when they go the extra mile to complete a task that we had on our “to do“ list, as well as when they go above and beyond to cater to the needs of our patients, to name a few. You shouldn’t have to find times to thank your team. It should come naturally and frequently.

Finally, I also thank our patient upon greeting, as well as thank him or her when treatment is complete. It is a ritual that we believe conveys our attitude towards the value we place in serving the individual patient and his or her dental needs.

We call our patients after each restorative visit to see if they have any questions and, again, thank them for their trust and confidence in our practice. Without our patients, who show up for their appointments and pay for their professional services, we would not have a business of dentistry. Thanking them should be very easy.

Saying “thank you” is something very small that conveys a huge amount of goodwill, and it is free. “Thank you” these are two very powerful words that we all should use more on a daily basis. Start with three people in your dental lives and you will be surprised how it will blossom. I have never had anyone tell me that I have thanked him or her too much. Have you?