Missed opportunities can be an interesting way to look at what we are doing in our practices. Instead of looking for what we are doing "wrong" or "poorly", we can simply look for the little things that are an opportunity. These may be an opportunity to serve our patients better, be more efficient or work together more effectively. One such missed opportunity Read More
Mary Osborne
Language
The language we use, how we ask or describe things is very important. Of course we think about how we apply this when we talk to patients. Our goal is to have an open and informative interaction with the patient, and often the words we ask or the way we ask something actually shuts the conversation down instead of opening it up. An example in hygiene is when Read More
Values
One of the ways we connect with other people is using the social skill of similarity. We listen to the things people share about themselves and look for ways we are similar. This skill is used all the time as we try to connect with our patients. Another opportunity is to get to know other people by gaining an understanding of their values, what is important Read More
Creating Strategies for Behavior Change
I think we all wish we could simply tell patients what they need to do to take better care of their mouths and it would happen. If we are honest though, we can all name places in our own lives we have tried to change our behavior and been less successful then we might have hoped. If we listen for places in people's lives that they have been successful in Read More
Emergency Patients
A common conversation at the morning huddle in a dental office is "what are we gong to do with the emergencies?" The real question is how will we take care of people who call with an emergency int he face of our already busy schedule? Something to consider is that instead of seeing this as an interruption in the flow of our day, we can se it as an Read More
Difficult Conversations
Everyone has had the opportunity to be part of a difficult conversation. We may have been delivering or receiving the news, and either way it isn't easy. Our hoped for is always to try and accomplish the outcome and still maintain the relationship. These types of conversations are common amongst team members. Although they are never easy there are some Read More
Possibilities
There are often subtle possibilities around us that we miss, like the first bud of crocuses int he garden heralding spring. One of the things I miss is how much I am learning and changing when I am too busy paying attention to what I still have to learn. Another one is missing how much our patients value us when we are too busy worrying about the ones who Read More
Value, Ownership & Why
Most dental teams want to help their patients value the dentistry they provide more. The foundation to valuing the services is having ownership of the underlying conditions in their mouth. Developing ownership is often about helping patients discover what is going on and make connections for themselves. If we can ask questions that encourage them to pose a Read More