What Is Your Dental Office Saying About You?

There is a popular add that shows what we smell and then what others around us smell. It highlights odors people have gone "nose blind"to. I like this idea of asking what we see vs what others around us see.

 When it comes to our dental offices, what have we gone"dental blind to"?

Not long ago I walked into a dental office that got me to thinking about first impressions and what it is that our offices are saying about us.  Upon entering I noticed right away that the patient waiting room was in need of straightening up.  Magazines were tossed here and there and most were several months old. There were some bits of paper on the floor and a candy wrapper underneath one of the chairs.  The disarray only eventuated the dull outdated look to the room.  Even the art hanging on the wall looked old and dusty. I hoped their wait times in this room were short!

The receptionist's desk was also in desperate need of organizing. There were piles of charts, an explosion of post it notes, dusty nick knacks, and old taped up papers with various "how to's typed on them".   This area is the first impression of how things are run in the office. In this case it was not impressive.

The operatories were not any better. Clutter filled every counter top.   It may have been handy for them to have things out and accessible but it looked like something that would have been on a dental hoarders show!  It just didn't look clean!

The overall appearance of the office was dated.  The carpet was stained and worn.  The wall paint was chipped in several places. One area of wall paper was pulling away from the wall and a cupboard door was no longer hanging properly. The cupboards were scratched and were an older style, in need of an upgrade.  Dental hoses were a trip hazard.  The overall clutter made the equipment appear antiquated and old.  Even though the office had a lot of natural lights it seemed dingy and dark.

The assistance wore faded old scrubs and scrub jackets. One assistant had tattered hems on her scrub bottoms.  They all looked like they hadn't done much more than pull their bed head hair into a clip or pony tail before coming to work.

The look of the office made me think the dentist and his staff must be pretty unprofessional.

This impression could not have been further from the truth. The dentist was wonderful to work with. He was kind, well educated, with a lot of great experience.  He was very up to date on the latest technology and techniques. He was intelligent and had a good chair side manner.  He was an excellent dentist and definitely the kind of dentist I want working in my own mouth.

The receptionist was warm, friendly and efficient.  She was a genius at insurance and billing.  The assistants and hygienists were smart and cheerful.  They worked together, liked each other and were a great team.

As I left I was torn by how horrible the office looked and yet how great the dentist and his team were.  I wondered how many people miss out on their talents because of what the look of the office is saying about them.  I imagined myself referring them to a friend and saying, "the office isn't nice and a bit old and cluttered but you will really love them!"

On the other side of the scale I recently went into an office that was warm, inviting, uncluttered and very clean.  It wasn't expensively decorated but was looked nice, well thought out and very clean.  I asked if they had just moved in or remodeled. They had remodeled 8 years ago!  I was shocked it truly looked brand new!  They told me they work very hard to keep it new looking and nice.  And they had chosen classic designs and decor that wouldn't quickly look outdated.   They were all dressed in matching black scrubs and looked clean and professional. Their office matched the dentistry they were known for.
These are probably two of the biggest extremes I've seen, but in my experience most of us have some room for improvement.

How do you stop being dental blind in your office.  Here's what has worked for me. 
First, without warning your team, walk in to your office with new eyes and a notebook in hand. Start at the front door and try to imagine what a new patient might see as they come in your office. Write down both the good things you see and those that don't compliment the dentistry your trying to provide.  Walk through each room with these same new eyes- don't forget areas like the bathroom and sterilization area!  Also, take note of the appearance of your staff, not what they do, but how they look doing it.

You may want to invite your team members to take part and each do the same thing.  This will help them feel ownership. It will help them have the desire to make necessary changes and be willing to put in more effort. Trust me, you need ALL your team members on board if your going to make long lasting changes.

Now invite someone who has not been to your office before, or doesn't come too often, to come do the same.  This needs to be someone who can 100% honest with you.  Maybe a friend or family member or maybe hire a consultant (or call me I'll come do it! 😀  Have them walk alone, through the office taking notes. Do not try to influence them or talk to them while they do this. You need real feedback.

Now that your  eyes are open, compare your lists and work with your team to make a plan of things you can change immediately and things you will need to plan and budget for.  Make assignments and set a date that each item will be completed. Then start working your list.



Here are a few ideas of easy things you can do that don't cost a lot of money to get you started:
-change out the art, florals and other decorations that are dated or looking worn.


- Shoes leave scuff marks on the base of your patient chairs, making them appear old and     dirty.  These come off easily with a 'Mr Clean Magic Eraser' ( they really are magic!)


- Scuff marks on painted walls will also come clean with a 'Mr Clean Magic Eraser'


-DE-CLUTTER, everything has a place and everything in its place and not on the counter!
- Use computerized post it notes.  There are several good ones, like         .  Remove all post its and taped up notes from walls and desks.


-Go through magazines and recycle old ones or torn ones and buy new ones.


- Polish all wood surfaces


- Dust and wash baseboards


- Have carpet and tile professionally cleaned (your grout color may not really be grey!)


- Take covers off patient lights and dust the inside of the covers, this is what your patient stares at while you do their work!


- If you have fluorescent lights, pull off the covers and dust them, discard old moths and dead bugs!


- Replace worn out waiting room chairs or reupholster


- Dental chairs can look new again with new upholstery packages or custom upholstery


- A fresh paint of coat goes a long way in sprucing things up
- new scrubs and jackets, find a look that matches your values and the personality of your office.


- Use a professional wood pencil (they come in various stain colors) to cover up scratches and dings on your cupboards and other wood surfaces.


- Professionally clean blinds and windows


- Consider adding fragrant candles or other air freshness to -masks the dental smells you've become nose blind to!


- Purchase a small hand held vaccine to use to clean up the floor after taking alginate impressions.

I'm sure you'll find other things as you do your walk through. I would love to hear about what you saw (good and bad) and your plans to improve!