7 Steps Towards A Positive Work Environment in Your Dental Practice

How do you create a positive work environment in your dental practice? It simply comes down to having happy team members!

Developing a workplace that staff members enjoy spending their time in, is crucial for a successive dental practice. Happy team members are engaged and take pride in their work, resulting in reduced employee turnover, improved patient’s satisfaction and increased revenue.

With over 9 years of experience as a dental associate in both the NHS and private sectors, I have learned the key factors that contribute to a productive work day. Essentially, this means establishing positive relationships and effective communication between team members. When staff members are happy, they engage more in the work environment and are more likely to embrace the practice ethos. Whether you’re a practice owner, dental associate, or practice manager, there are simple and actionable steps you can take to create a positive work environment in your dental practice. In this article, we will discuss effective strategies for building a positive work culture that will benefit your staff members and your practice as a whole.

Step 1 - Improve relationships with team members

The dental surgery setting is unique, in that even in a large practice, often a single dentist and nurse spend a long part of their day together, as they look after their patients. As two individuals that are so reliant on one another to provide a service to their patients, it's so important to develop a rapport.

Take time to get to know your team members personally. Ask about their interests, families, and hobbies. Show interest in their lives and actively listen to what they have to say. In surgery, offer your nurse her choice of radio station for the day, or make the next tea/coffee. Have lunch with your team members.

Remember to thank your reception and nursing team at the end of the day. Small gestures, and making people feel appreciated is a big motivational tool. If you care about your team, the feeling is often reciprocated. It is much easier to work together in harmony, if you can find common ground. Patients can sense a relaxed and comfortable environment, and are more likely to feel at ease too when they visit.

Step 2 - Keep team members informed

Everyone in the dental team should feel like a valued member of the practice. This is key to a positive work atmosphere. As a practice owner, work to create a comfortable environment where team members can regularly share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Keep everyone at work updated on changes in the practice eg, building work, or changes to protocol. If you have a vision for your practice, involve others and invite them to be part of the process. If they feel that their opinion matters, they are much more likely to participate and care about changes. Team members that aren't kept in the loop, can feel out of place or undervalued. Regular team meetings, one-on-one meetings, and team messaging tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams are useful to keep close contact. Provide clear written summaries to follow up any developments in meetings, as this can help to avoid misunderstandings, and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Step 3 - Be supportive

To create a positive work environment, it's crucial to support your team members by offering guidance and assistance when needed. Allow your team members to tell you what they're struggling with and provide them with the necessary resources to succeed. Be mindful of your team members- If someone is feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take the time to find out why and explore if there's anything that can be done to enhance workflow and manage workloads for everyone.

Discuss goals and share upcoming challenging cases with your dental associate colleagues. Looking to each other for advice and expertise helps to unify a team, allowing you to work together for the best possible outcome for your patients.