There are several factors to consider when operating a successful dental office. While certain details may differ from office to office, generally most, if not all dental offices are relatively parallel. To understand the similarities and difference, an observation was conducted at two different dental offices; for the sake of confidentiality they will be known as ‘Office A’ and ‘Office B’. During the observation, four different priorities were noted for observation; office management, chairside assistant role, communication and teamwork, and lastly client rapport. Office Management is crucial to the operations of a dental office as it is the first point of contact with the patient. Office A handled their office activities well, when patients first walk through the door of the dental office they were not initially greeted by the receptionist, however, once the patient approached the front desk it was then that they were greeted and checked in, at this point the patients were asked to take a seat. Office B on the other hand, greets all patients the moment they walk through the door, the receptionist is pleasant, polite, friendly, and always greeted patients with a smile. Both offices A and B are well organized, and everything was labelled so as not to cause confusion or wonder. It appeared that Office A was a great deal busier as there were two receptionists to take on the patient workload. Office B, however, had only the one receptionist, who in addition had the
In my role with Hygienic Smiles Dental Hygiene Office as an office assistant, I managed and organized charts and files of patients daily, to ensure that all information was accurate and up to date. I can apply this same level of attention to detail to tasks such as preparing income tax returns or even making sure that the copier never runs out of paper. Furthermore, because I highly value the confidentiality of our patients, I maintained professionalism when handling sensitive or personal information belonging to them. Working at Hygienic Smiles also tested my ability to adapt and become capable of learning new software, such as ABELdent Dental Practice Management Software used at the office or Microsoft Excel and Taxprep.
Ever since I was in middle school, I would tell everyone that I was going to become a dentist. That was my career plan until the summer of my junior year. During that summer, I had the opportunity to do an internship and job shadow Dr. Bradshaw at his private dental office. While observing and talking to the doctor, I realized that I would not enjoy working as a dentist. I still wanted to pursue a career in the dental field so I decided to job shadow the dental hygienists. Watching the dental hygienists perform their duties and interact with patients made me want to pursue a career in dental hygiene. I knew very little about dental hygienists besides the fact that they clean teeth. As I spent time with the dental hygienists, I learned more each day. While researching for this paper, I became knowledgeable on even more information. From reading The Occupational Outlook Handbook and A Career as a Dental
Along with dental procedures, I observed various work dynamics while shadowing. I realized that social responsibility, leadership, teamwork, and communication are all important factors in a dental office. I am thankful for my past experiences that helped me to develop all of these skills. While shadowing I saw that it is crucial for a dentist to communicate not only with his staff but also with his
Dentistry, in one form or another, helps abate feelings of hopelessness and accountability that occur during periods of confusion. Not only are they knowledgeable about specific nuances that accompany oral hygiene, but they are also very good communicators. During my interview with the interviewee continually stressed the importance of communication. Communication is imperative in many respects as individuals seek closure within the context of an uncertain world. As she indicated throughout the interview, dental hygienist helps to facilitate a healthy exchange of both concepts and notions to an already emotional individual. This is quite important as the dentist can
A dental assistant must be able to work well with others because they are the second pair of hands for the dentist. A dental assistant must be able to understand the dentist and communicate with the dentist to provide proper tools and assistance. Assistants must be very reliable and have excellent manual dexterity so that they can provide the best service to the dentist and to the patient that they are working with. Dental assistants will also have to be knowledgeable on how to properly sterilize and disinfect equipment and instruments and how to set up and lay out instruments and materials for each patient. They must obtain and update patients records as needed and ensure that their patients are comfortable at all times.
Although there have been oral health care models, as well as, best practice concepts for oral health, there is still a host of barriers that prevent this problem from being minimalized. Factors including negative behaviors from both the staff and residents, dexterity, mobility, as well as a lack of dental supplies, often leave the residents or the health care personnel frustrated. Some of the factors that prevent dentists from caring for these residents is a lack of mobile equipment, lack of space, time away from their private practice, and low reimbursement rates (Dirks, 2016). The director of nursing, along with the administrator, must collaborate with dental personnel to change the culture and instill a higher value on oral health. On-site training and education must be included in oral care, along with infection control regulations. Most residents are not able to coordinate their own care and often rely on personnel at the facility for assistance. There needs to be a collaboration between dental personnel, facility staff, and the residents, to cultivate oral care as an integral part of health and wellness for each resident (Chaves,
We’re returning to our ever-popular dental 101 series that discusses key things you should know in relation to your daily dental routine. You’ve been to the dentist. You floss every day, and you brush at least twice a day, just as you have been told to do. You do everything right, yet you’re starting to see something from your gums that concerns you. Blood. Perhaps you ignore it. Maybe it seems like a passing thing, but bleeding gums are never normal, and it pays to give them immediate attention. So just what could it be that is causing your gums to bleed? Let’s take a look at some of the most common culprits.
Therefore, booking a patient in a private dental office happens sooner. Thus, with more prompt service the dental office provides much better quality of care. Dr. Drexler shares, “It is inconvenient to have the poor quality technology. A number of patients lose wages and time from work to see the dentist. In fact, a patient is willing to pay the higher fee rate for same day service” (Wexler). With this in mind, the distinction is remarkable; the author finds Universal Care most appealing. All in all, the public deserves the same level of care, no matter their circumstances. In either case, Dr. Wexler agrees “the HCO is high-quality healthcare but in society, we are at the bottom of effectiveness in providing effective healthcare to all”
I feel each appointment time should be schedule according to each individual patient not everyone as a whole. Patient education has become very important to me since I have been in dental hygiene school, therefore there needs to be time allowed for that. Working for a practice that feels like family with their patients is important. I want to build that one on one relationship with my patients over the years. Having the up to date equipment and instruments that you need to perform the best dental hygiene care is another thing I will seek while looking for employment. I agree that practices should follow a budget, but being up to date on new technology to better treat your patients could be the growth of a practice. Team work is a must, I have worked in a practice that had excellent team work and another that did not. I strongly feel without team work there is not much success. There are many charities in the world that need our help, working for a dentist that gives back to charity would be a heartfelt reason as to why I would support that practice. There are many people who just cannot afford dental work; having the assurance of being able to help individuals like that. After working for a dentist who did no free or reduced price work at all, then working for one who did tons of free work or made things possible for patients to afford was definitely an eye opener for myself. Sharing the blessings that you I gained is something I want to do each day of
If your patients do not feel valued, they may seek another dental professional who will. Patients visiting your practice with
Teeth are one of the most important feature of our body. We use teeth to grind and chew food everyday. Teeth make us look fabulous when we smile on the camera, but could you imagine if people have lost there teeth, how are they going to look and how can they chew food? This was the reason I went to dental assistant school and become a register dental assistant.
You likely know that you should brush your teeth at for at least two minutes, two to three times every day. However, you may lack the motivation to brush after a long day and tell yourself that you can skip it “just this once” over and over. There are two smartphone apps that can encourage you to brush, and one rewards you with potentially lower dental insurance rates and the other with just a bit of fun.
To best serve her fellow team members and our patients, Mary Lou attended managerial conferences and continuing education training to stay updated on dental practices for the office. She is responsible for updating all policies and procedures and keeping the office current with new systems and technology. Mary Lou has made a point over the last two decades to get to know each and every one of
Our dental office is composed of Orthodontist in Douglasville that are highly trusted by thousands of patients across the area. We believe that our strong dedication to the patient and providing caring service is the key to our successful dental practice popularity. An individuals appearance and teeth are important for good self esteem. Crooked teeth distort the facial features and ruin that perfect smile that most people would prefer. The best way to have a pleasant smile and features is to make sure that all dental distortions are corrected by our Orthodontists team. Our team feels privileged to work with people in the community and work diligently to maintain the best possible relationship with our patients.
Dental Health Warranties are special purpose warrants of good dental health that can only be issued by examining dentists. Issuing Dental Health Warranties provides to your patients will provide them with the most affordable and complete form of dental protection available. Dental Health Warranties cover all patients natural teeth, including those that have been previously repaired or restored. Patients with Dental Health Warranties enjoy the benefit of complete coverage of any dental expenses incurred during the 12 month warranty period to maintain their teeth in sound cavity-free state.