Keeping the Front and Back Dental Team in Sync

We’ve all heard the struggle. It’s real!

But:

Only if you let it be.

These team-building ideas will help bring any clinical and dental administrative team closer together!

Team training and monthly planning

We train every week. Every Monday morning, from 10 am to 11 am, and we train as a team.

On the first of the month, team leads, the practice manager, and our dentist owner, Dr. Parr, meet and set the training schedule for the upcoming month.

During this meeting, team leads can relay any patient or lab case questions or concerns for dentists.

The second Monday of the month is set aside for department training, for example, when all assistants and their team lead talk about assistant things.

It goes something like this:

• How are things going for each of you?
• Do you need anything?
• Announcements.
• New equipment discussions.

When meeting with their teams, team leads will share the training schedule.

Training allows each team member’s voice to be heard.

Leads may also utilize this time to train specifically with their team. For instance, the hygiene department may freshen up on in-office whitening procedures.

The last two Mondays may be training on iTero scanning, or a rep may come in.

In addition, we practice handoffs and headset language, to mention a few.

We also love continuing education

We fully support giving our team the tools they need to do their jobs to encourage growth, and honestly, we can’t learn and be everywhere simultaneously.

So, if you attend a CE course, you may be asked to share your experience and knowledge with the team.

What about training for the atypical, such as fire drills and medical emergencies?

Trust is huge when you practice in stressful situations. It’s trust that the person next to you is as prepared for what’s happening as you are.

Trust. I have theirs, they have mine, and we have the patients.

Doing things together outside of the office is essential, too.

In 2013, Dr. Parr and I sat down and talked about our office’s future goals. At that time, I mentioned that we should take the team to the American Dental Association in 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. A 5-year goal.

In 2018, we took the entire team of 11 and invited their significant others. We spent 11 days in CE, some in leisure, all in team bonding. Of course, you don’t have to go to Hawaii.

Participating in an activity like an escape room challenges teams to work together to get out of sticky situations.

It’s just another way we learn to communicate, use our strengths, and bond in stressful situations.

So many activities like these build team cohesiveness and are a morale booster.

Getting your front and back teams in sync enforces to everyone that the team is full of incredible possibilities.

Meet the Author

Ruby Eaches, DAADOM is the practice manager at Surf City Dental… This text opens a new tab to the Surf City Dental website…. With over 30 years in dentistry, Ruby strives to change the “dental experience” by leading her team to provide the best customer service for their patients.

Among her professional accomplishments, Ruby was awarded Practice Manager of Distinction in 2020 and named AADOM’s Green Leader in 2017.

If you ever meet her, be sure to ask about her potbellied pig, named Willow.