I get by with a lot of help from my staff. I get by with the support of my patients.

It has been quite a week at the office.
Any dentist will understand what that means-Lots going on and nothing ever as it seems.

I guess I would say that we dentists must be able to swing with the day and adapt to many daily challenges.
Our team must be able to accept these challenges and flow with a smile which isn't always much fun and it isn't very easy.

Just REMEMBER;
Change is a way of life at the dental office.

Taking care of our patients is our number one job and so when we arrive at the office in the morning and anything can occur, we must be prepared. A dental practice is a small business, our patients and every dental team member is important. In one day we can have any or all of the below occur;

Missing team members because they are sick(strept throat, headaches, illness that requires hospitalization)

Missing team members because of changes in their personal lives(deaths, funerals)

Changes in the health of our patients(older patients failing and/or forgetting their medications, patients with sadness in their lives like divorces and cancer needing time to talk)

Changes in the schedule(emergencies, last minute cancels and walk ins, the weather and traffic causing the schedule to be off all day)

Changes in what the lab can or can not accomplish(color doesn't match, wrong type of crown, crown doesn't fit well enough)

Changes in what a patient expects for their care and what was scheduled, being over scheduled and the treatment more complicated than anticipated, patients that don't get numb

Missing equipment, missing materials, broken instruments not replaced, rooms not stocked

The list goes on and on.

This is when the pressure is on and you wonder how you got into this situatiion in the first place..........

I try to get my work done, get through the day and calm down.....
and always realize that I could never have gotten by with out the help of my staff!

Even though I am stomping around during tough days, at the end of the day I realize that I still could never have made it through the day without my staff (even when I think they could have handled a situation differently I still could not have done it by myself). I also try to remember that there are those who are stepping up to the plate to help things flow as best as they can when all heck is breaking loose.

Even on tough days, at the end of the day I know that my patients show up with anxiety and anticipation and I try very hard to take good care of them. I always try to remember to set reasonable expectations so that I under promise and over deliver so they will not be disappointed. I have very supportive patients and know I could never get by without the support of my patients!

When the lives of my staff are challenged, I try to be there to support them and want them to know that I am on their team.

When my patients have challenges, we all try to take time, listen and give them our support. They are a part of our family and giving them strength and hope are important. We want to make them feel better with a good visit and solid dental care.

Nothing is as it seems. It was one of those weeks...

But I get by with a lot of help from my staff and I get by with a lot of support from our patients....
Thank you - Remember, you can never say Thank you enough.

Labels: Change | dental challenges

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