GAP Australasian-Dentist-May June 2019

Category 112 AustrAlAsiAn Dentist t here used to be this culture that the medical practitioner’s advice was gospel and seldom questioned by the patient. Certainly times have changed. nowadays our qualifications aren’t enough to impress and retain patients and this could be due to the diminution of the perceived professionalism of the dentist and healthcare practitioner. As dentists we need to go above and beyond what’s written on a piece of paper (our degree) and excel in customer experience, which goes hand-in-hand with communication. Communication can be verbal (spoken, sung) and non-verbal (diagrams, body language). ultimately it is customer service and communication that drive patient loyalty and satisfaction. A dental practice that has good customer service has a profitable and a successful business. not to mention there is an over-supply of dental clinics in the inner suburbs. A dental business really needs a point of difference to stand out from the rest of its competitors and the biggest point of difference we have is our chairside manner. As young dentists one of the most challenging clinical skills to master is effective communication with patients. While some of us may have bubbly personalities, it’s a different story when you find yourself attempting small talk, overcoming the uneasiness of discussing prices and convincing someone they need treatment on a tooth that they think is healthy. As a new graduate dentist several years ago, i took it upon myself to observe experienced dentists and specialists. i also attended a few general CPD courses on communication. i would like to share some with you some of what i learnt in this 5 part series on: the dentist patient communication. Debunking the myth that good communication is more time consuming. We seem to perceive patient-centred communication as time-consuming. Often when time is an issue, good communication with our patients breaks down rapidly. We may find ourselves sacrificing quality communication in order to catch up on time. However concerns that good communication takes time are unfounded: research suggests that the time taken for a patient-centred consultation is, at worst, the same as for a biomedical (disease focused) consultation and, at best, is reduced because the main point of the consultation is accessed more quickly [rao JK, Anderson lA, inui ts, Frankel rM. Communication interventions make a difference in conversations between physicians and patients − a systematic review of the evidence. Med Care 2007; 45: 340−349.] Run on time. to make the best first impression and biggest point of difference to other dentists and medical practitioners is to run on time. strictly speaking this is not a form of communication per say as the title of this column suggests. However don’t you think it’s much nicer to start a conversation by introducing yourself rather than apologising for running late? How do we introduce ourselves? start by you being the one to bring the patient into the room rather than have the assistant do it for you. it makes the patient feel like you’re going out of your way to greet them and they’ll appreciate the gesture. refer to yourself as doctor in the introduction. it establishes your credentials and a level of authority. My go- to introduction is “Hi, i’m Dr rita. i’ll be looking after you today,” and i shake their hand. the first point of physical contact is with their hand. it’s an appropriate lead- up to the next physical contact, which will be with their face during the dental examination. i gesture for him or her to come into the dental room and say, “make yourself comfortable”. i introduce the patient to the dental nurse who is inside the room. “this is Mary. she will be assisting us today.” this is my standard first meet and greet with the patient. By Dr Rita Trakhtman ColuMnIsts Contact 0414 836 296 | independentdentist.com.au | merv@independentdentist.com.au As a stand-alone Independent Practice you can compete with Health Insurance Funds and Corporate Clinics if you join like-minded other Independent Dentists across Australia. Join the Independent Dentist Network today and get the support of your peers and the backing of a dentist’s own corporate design to build the image and service the needs of independent dental practices. A five part series on: The dentist-patient communication PART 1: MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION Dr Rita Trakhtman