Australasian Dentist Magazine Sept-Oct 2021

Category 26 Australasian Dentist n ws wellbeing makes for a better performing practice. And to do this, clear, transparent communication is crucial. From induction to position descriptions, training and team meetings, fostering an open, two- way ‘whole team’ approach empowers each individual and creates a harmonious workplace – which your patients appreciate as well! Some specific focus areas are: u Position descriptions: These define roles, set expectations and eliminate confusion. Review and update these as roles change and when recruiting new personnel. u Policies and procedures: Clear guidelines to your practice operations minimise stress and staff disputes. Ensure these reflect your workplace goals, standards, values and beliefs. u Foster a no-blame culture: Empower your team and help them feel valued by engaging with them daily – not just managers checking in with the team, but team members checking in with each other. Connecting is a valuable resource and everyone likes to feel they matter, so give your team opportunities to share thoughts, skills and ideas. u Support training and development: Regular staff training enhances team performance and practice efficiency, but it can be overwhelming, especially for new employees. You can support team training through group workshops. This encourages rapport and information sharing between new and more skilled team members. Documenting your team’s compliance with policies and procedures is essential, to eliminate risk of confusion or disputes. Customisable templates, such as those in PracticeHub, let you tailor your policies and procedures on: position descriptions, tasks, roles, responsibilities, code of conduct and social media policy. Staff can sign that they’ve read and understood each policy, and you have an easy-to-access, centrally-stored audit trail of policy changes, to make tracking updates and sign-offs simple. You’ll find more tips on running an efficient dental practice in our recent webinar. u Discover how PracticeHub helps dental practices simplify and streamline their daily operations, book a demo online or call 1300 96 86 36. Persons implementing any recommendations contained in this publication must exercise their own independent skill or judgment or seek appropriate professional advice relevant to their own particular practice. Compliance with any recommendations will not in any way guarantee discharge of the duty of care owed to patients and others coming into contact with the health professional or practice. Avant and PracticeHub are not responsible to you or anyone else for any loss suffered in connection with the use of this information. Information is only current at the date initially published. © Avant Mutual Group Limited 2021. “COVID-19 or not, all staff should receive ongoing infection control training, from sterilisation, PPE use and waste disposal to hand hygiene, staff immunisation and environment cleaning.” O steon Medical, the Australian software-enabled dental implant- prosthetic innovator has merged with Keystone Dental Inc. (“Keystone”), the largest independent dental implant company in North America. Commenting on the deal, Osteon Medical’s founder and CEO, Michael Tuckman said: “Osteon Medical’s industry-leading digital implant solution caught Keystone’s eye and turned what was initially a potential distribution relationship into a merger. “Keystone is the perfect partner for Osteon Medical. Their network and experience coupled with our innovation will enable us to simplify complex procedures through technological improvements, delivering tomorrows solutions today.” While the combined companies will continue to operate independently, Mr Tuckman said: “The deal with Keystone will accelerate our research and development, and our expansion into the US and EUmarkets, while providing career opportunities for our growing team.” Dental practitioners and dental laboratories in the US recently trialed Osteon Medical, Australian digital dental implant business acquired by US Keystone Dental Osteon Medical’s patented Nexus solutions with great success. One of Osteon’s most recent developments uses advanced scanning technology, the patented Nexus iOS solution, to turn around customized, precision-made, titanium-based dental prosthetics. The easy-to-use, cloud- based ordering and transfer platform, allows an end-to-end digital experience which significantly reduces conventional treatment time and increases accuracy. “In our ongoing search for exceptional business partners, we are very pleased to be combining forces with Osteon Medical,” said Melker Nilsson, CEO of Keystone. “The combination of Keystone and Osteon enables us to offer a more comprehensive portfolio of unique and innovative solutions for our customers and partners, especially when it comes to digital workflows, increased efficiency and improved accuracy. The acquisition further provides Keystone with a significantly expanded and synergistic implant sales opportunity to both existing and new customers.” “From modest facilities in Ringwood, Victoria in 2013 we expanded our sales into Asia and are in the process of commissioning our Japanese manufacturing plant. The US has always been recognized as one of the largest markets and we are delighted Keystone has recognized the benefits our technology has to offer them, their customers, and the global dental implant market,” said Mr Tuckman. u