Every moment spent in your dental office is a moment of opportunity for teamwork, don’t you agree? Every day, you start with your morning huddle, then you go on preparing things for your patients, you work with each other during procedures, and even until your closing time. Although it is highly unlikely that your dental practice would function as efficiently as it does without teamwork, chances are your team rarely thinks about ‘teamwork’ itself, and what it means to have the contribution of each person.

In the basic sense of the word ‘teamwork’, it is how people work together in order to achieve their common goals. In a dental practice, teamwork generally means being able to create a professional yet fun environment while delivering top-notch patient care.

IT’S ALL ABOUT RESPECT

True teamwork can be established when there is mutual respect. This means that any differences and personal priorities should be put aside and to mainly focus on what is good for the practice and of course, the patients. Keep in mind that teamwork cannot be achieved in an instant – this takes time and practice. Add to that the importance of each member’s willingness to commit to a specific set of goals and ethics.

IT’S ALSO ABOUT TRUST

Respect should always go hand-in-hand with trust. As a member of a dental practice, you should be able to have that trust that every member your team knows how to go about their tasks and that they will do it with as much dedication and focus as you do. Everyone should be comfortable to ask for help when the need for it arises, because if one of your members is not, then that is a sure-fire sign that your team lacks trust. What happens when you do not trust someone enough to the point that you are not sure whether you can trust them? You will eventually lose your respect for them, too.

ENCOURAGE TEAMWORK IN YOUR DENTAL OFFICE

For the managers, you have to keep in mind that teamwork generally means easing up and letting go and allowing your team members to perform the tasks that you assign to them. Trying to control how each member does their work will not get more things done. You also cannot expect that there will be fewer mistakes in the system when you watch them too closely as they work. Having someone in the practice who can be too controlling can get in the way of achieving productive days. It is important to put your trust in the people you work with to give them the confidence that they are doing well. Doing so will enable them to focus on their tasks as well as their areas of expertise.

Bottom line is: there will never be a successful dental case when there is an absence of teamwork!