{"id":6614,"date":"2021-10-11T16:40:59","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T22:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/?p=6614"},"modified":"2024-08-16T13:57:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T20:57:19","slug":"how-to-improve-your-chairside-manner-and-create-an-elevated-dental-patient-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-your-chairside-manner-and-create-an-elevated-dental-patient-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Your Chairside Manner and Create an Elevated Dental Patient Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s not what you say\u2026but how you say it.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That idea has relevance to most personal interactions. It also aligns with the value of improving your chairside manner.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a dentist you\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>say\u201d a lot. You diagnose, discuss the condition of your patient\u2019s oral health,\u00a0explain\u00a0treatment\u00a0and procedures, and much more.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand,\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>how\u201d you say all those things (vital to your patient\u2019s dental care, of course) can make a difference in how they respond\u00a0and whether they continue to return to your practice.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Importance of Your Chairside Manner<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The patient-doctor relationship has many facets.\u00a0Not only does it encompass the trust that patients place in your clinical expertise,\u00a0but patients\u00a0also place an equally\u00a0high value in your chairside manner.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A related, in-depth study was conducted by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) between 2007 and 2017. Standard of care was the focus.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Relative to clinical care and treatment they found that\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u202659% of all complaints were related to clinical care and treatment, while 56% involved interpersonal relationships and conduct, such as how the patient was treated, and issues around informed consent. The lowest volume of complaints, 42%, involved management and access to care.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>1<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead organizer of the study, Monika\u00a0Roerig, MA, and a research associate at the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, confirms:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe study shows us that it\u2019s important to have excellent clinical care and safety, but communication and interpersonal skills were extremely important. The\u00a0two work\u00a0hand in hand\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span>2<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Study contributors observed that \u201c\u2026a larger percentage of complaints (from patients) were about interaction and communication.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>3<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bottom line: improve your chairside\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>interaction\u201d and\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>communication\u201d and you\u2019ll\u00a0likely see an\u00a0<\/span>improved patient experience<\/span><\/a>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to\u00a0Improve\u00a0Your\u00a0Chairside\u00a0Manner\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s make this as practical as possible: small improvements can lead to major transformations in how you interact with your patients during their time in your chair<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead\u00a0with a \u201cSmiling\u201d\u00a0Demeanor<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Masks have been a patient care standard for\u00a0a while. Yet, the\u00a0<\/span>COVID-19 era<\/span><\/a>\u00a0has expanded facial\u00a0coverings beyond the standard treatment protocols\u00a0and you must now rely more on a \u201csmiling attitude.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For starters, it\u2019s that emotional\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>lift\u201d you apply to your voice when you greet the patient in the chair. It\u2019s\u00a0important to treat them as if they\u2019re the first patient of the day\u00a0even when your energy doesn\u2019t feel high.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep in mind that your patients carry their own mood\u00a0into your office, too. Like you, they could be tired, frustrated, burdened, overwhelmed, running behind, frazzled, you name it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A smile is more than showing your teeth. It can be an attitude as well.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n