Download Dental Assistant Relationships with other Staff

Dental Assistant Relationships with other Staff
Having a career as a dental assistant is a great opportunity to work
with others in the dental profession. The most common staff you will
work with in a dental facility are Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and the
Receptionist. It is very important that you forge quality relationships
with the other staff you work with. The smaller the dental facility, the
more important it is as everyone will have to work well together to
allow the facility to function properly.
Since you will be present for the procedures conducted by Dentists
and Hygienists, patients will quickly pick up on any staffing issues. I
went to a dentist for years. He was great to me and my children.
However, he continually was impatient with his staff, especially the
Dental Assistants. We went for cleanings every six months. We loved
the Dental Hygienist. However, she was often in tears over is
behaviors. We also noticed that the Dental Assistant staff changed
almost every time we came in. It didn’t take too many years before he
went out of business because patients were tired of seeing the
behaviors and he couldn’t find help that would work for him.
Communication skills are a great asset for any profession, but as a
Dental Assistant it is a must. You will be interacting with patients,
staff, insurance companies, and family members of patients. It is very
important you are able to make everyone feel comfortable and that
you convey the message that you are approachable. Poor
communication skills can result in your career as a Dental Assistant
not working out for the long haul.
To ensure proper communication among staff members, dental
facilities need to arrange trainings. These should be informative,
explaining to everyone what is expected as far as interoffice
relationships. It should be clearly stated that lack of respect for coworkers will not be tolerated. Policies and procedures should also be in
place for employers to resolve any conflicts with other employers.
Everyone should know where they are to report and such issues that
they can’t work out with the other staff member or members.
Many dental facilities require staff members to attend communication
workshops. These are often very fun and interactive workshops,
showing more effective methods of communication. They generally
include information on individual communication as well as group
efforts. These workshops are conducted by individuals who customize
the workshop to meet the needs of your group. This makes the sitting
more intimate and usable in your dental facility.
To help alleviate stress and issues among co-workers, each staff
member should be made aware of what other staff members are
responsible for. Many inter-office struggles are the result of workers
believing others are not carrying the same weight. Most employees
complete tasks behind the scenes, so this assumption is based only on
what is being seen on the front lines.
Effective communication is essential in the role of Dental Assistant. It
is imperative to your career that you understand various
communication styles. It is also very important that you are aware of
your own communication style. You want others to view you as
enthusiastic about your job and willing to assist in anyway possible.
Effective communication doesn’t mean that you let other staff
members take advantage of you or belittle you. It simply means being
able to put forth your best efforts to work well with others. You are all
committed to providing patients with quality care. This can’t be
accomplished if you have issues of communication standing in the
way.
Most issues that arise from communication is assuming you know what
the other person means or what they will say. Make sure that you
reflect back what is being said to you by other staff members. This
way any misconceptions can be resolved up front before they escalate
into major issues that affect everyone’s work performance. Since we
all spend so many hours at our place of employment, it is very
important to make it a comfortable place to be.
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