Communication in dentistry: a philosophical perspective

There is evidence that effective communication practices lead to higher quality patient outcomes, such as greater satisfaction, greater understanding and recall, lower costs of care, better compliance with prevention and treatment protocols, and even better treatment outcomes. Communication is clearly important. But why does communication sometimes fail?

Motivational interviewing to improve patient outcomes

An article from the Journal of Dental Education defines motivational interviewing (MI) as a “person-centered, goal-directed method of communication for eliciting and strengthening intrinsic motivation for behavior change.” In dentistry, MI is a strategy that can be used to improve patient outcomes and acceptance of treatment plan and suggestions for oral health care by increasing a patient’s motivation for behavior change.

How to be a good leader

Whether in school or after in a practice setting, achieving your goals will usually come down to one thing: being a good leader. Leaders in a dental practice are the backbone of an operation; a good leader can inspire an inexperienced team to do things that a team that has been together for 10+ years but with no leadership cannot. Because a successful leader is invaluable to any team, at Heartland Dental, we invest in leadership development for supported doctors. While a leader needs to be many things to be successful, here are just a few of the most important traits to have.

The ABCs to my life

Decisions shape the course of our lives like a hot PKT on wax. Many times people find decision-making stressful and burdensome. I am no different, however I always turn to my ABC’s to help simplify the situation. The ABC’s to my life are something I invented in college. Although I obtained a chemistry degree, one of the most valuable takeaways was self-discovery. The ABC’s I developed can be used to handle any situation.