Adapting to the Expectations of our Changing Patients and Team Members

Traditionally, our patients are thought of as our customers; however, the reality is that dental practice owners have two sets of customers-their patients and their team members. Therefore, to lead our small and large dental practices to successful futures, we need to rethink everything, throw out the old playbook, and adapt to the changes that are always coming down the line as well as the changes that the pandemic bombarded us with. In short, dental practices that want to remain successful must stay relevant and should probably understand that "cray" means crazy, that Twitch and Hinge are popular niche apps, and that "OMG TBH IDK" is a completely acceptable text response.

In my experience working with clinical dental practices across the country and consulting for dental product, service, and technology companies, I've learned that there are a few easy steps that dental practices can take to help them stay relevant and successful in the immediate future.

As we speak, Gen Xers and millennials are becoming the majority of our patient population, and it's critical to note that they operate on different wavelengths than the previous generation—the baby boomers. These new generations are prioritizing three things in life—convenience, flexibility, and transparency—and requesting them from you. How can you apply those three characteristics to your service offerings, operating models, and brand? Is it possible for your clinical dentistry to become more convenient? How can your schedule become more flexible? Is there any way for you to be more transparent in your patient communication?

As I've worked alongside dental companies to grow and launch new products, I've been privileged to see game-changing technologies come down the line. What I've come to understand is that dental technology makes it easier than ever to adapt to our patients' needs. We've seen unparalleled innovation in the clinical tools, systems, and software applications that we use daily, and with the addition of artificial intelligence, our industry is on the cusp of a great transformation.

One simple way to bring more convenience, flexibility, and transparency to your patients is to think beyond the four walls of your brick-and-mortar building and take your dental services to them in their workplaces, schools, homes, or even in the palms of their hands through virtual telehealth. In the past, "mobile dentistry" was relegated to public health organizations and free, pop-up clinics; however, modern mobile dentistry is an entirely new animal. Thanks to Uber, GrubHub, DoorDash, and other conveniences, our patients now expect everything to be delivered, including their healthcare services.

This means that dental practices who wish to be successful in the future will need to rethink their delivery models to have a brick-and-mortar hub with mobile arms into the community and virtual arms into their patients' hands. Although it may seem daunting to implement mobile and virtual divisions into your operating model, there are now great resources, conferences, podcasts, and associations available to help you learn how to accomplish this from the ground up.

Remember that our team members are also our customers because they represent the biggest line item on our profit and loss statement. Half of the revenue that we bring in subsequently goes right back out to our teams. As much as our patients want convenience, transparency, and flexibility, so do our team members.

We may all claim to have amazing workplace cultures; however, the fact remains that many of us probably don't. Working in a small mouth, in a small operatory, and on a small team can make for a job that is notorious for being physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. Building a truly "amazing" workplace culture takes time, energy, and effort that many dental practice owners don't traditionally have.

One quick and easy way to begin to build a rockstar workplace culture is to reimagine your staffing strategies. Most likely, this means that you will need to throw out your current staffing methods so that you can attract ideal team members who naturally vibe with your culture. Again, technology has come a long way, and there are now real-time staffing apps that you can use to help alleviate your temporary and permanent needs with a few clicks of a button. Some of these applications even onboard team members as W2 employees of the staffing organization, thus alleviating you from spending the time, energy, and expense to onboard them into your organization.

When you use these applications, instead of writing lengthy job descriptions, focus on telling your story. This can be emphasized with a single informal photo of your team. We've all heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is especially true now in a culture where we have 2 to 3 seconds to grab a potential team member's attention. So, take the afternoon off with your team, hire a photographer, and go have some fun.

In addition, remember to give back, attend events, and create in-person relationships with your local dental community because it is the source of your potential team members. By strategizing this way, you may meet someone today who you will hire down the road.

Successful businesses—including dental practices—must stay relevant to the changing times. We need to continue to refine our delivery models and systems as well as our missions and business goals. To be successful in the future, we must listen to our patients and our team members, particularly those of the younger generations, so that we can stay in touch with their needs. It's inevitable that our patients will continue to change, as well as our teams and cultures, but the good news is that there are steps that we can take now to ensure that we change with them.

Melissa Turner, BASDH, RDHEP, EFDA, is the chief hygiene officer and a senior executive consultant for the Cellerant Consulting Group as well as a cofounder of the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference and an advisor for onDiem dental staffing.