Most important person on the dental team!

One of the things that I enjoy most about my job as a dentist is the great staff that I get to work with.  Over the course of 14 years, I've realized that staff can make me or break me!  Some staff make me look forward to coming to work and some make me want to stay in my office.  Currently, I have the best staff that I have ever had throughout my career.  I believe a great dental visit requires an exceptional team from the front desk all the way to the dental assistant working chairside in the back office.  Often times, people may think that the dentist is the most important person in the dental team and this could not be further from the truth.  The most important person in any dental team is the front desk receptionist who answers the calls and is the first person a patient will meet.  This front desk person makes the first impression for the office and can make the difference between whether a patient decides to come in for a visit or go somewhere else.  Without a great front desk, the dentist may not even be able to meet the patient, and for this reason they are the most important member of the team.  However, a truly exceptional dental office doesn't have just a great front desk, but from front to back, the patient has a truly exceptional experience.  That includes a fantastic hygienist who can guage the situation and depending on the patient, give them the treatment best suited for their needs.  Assertive and kind dental assistants are just as important as they will be spending the most amount of time with the patients and getting to know them.   I try and teach my dental associates, that when a patient sees me as their dentist.  My goal is not that the patients will say "yeah, I like my dentist, he's nice".  I want my patients to say, "WOW, he is amazing"!  We want to give each of our patients the "WOW" experience.  If your familiar with the online shoe company Zappos, then you know how they grew so quickly.  Their goal was to deliver the "wow" experience to each of their customers.  Because I value my staff and appreciate what each of them has to offer, I have opened up our office blog site to my staff for them to share their thoughts and perspectives about their experiences or working in the dental field.   Hope you enjoy what they have to share!  Wishing you a great weekend!!