Running a successful dental practice requires mastery of both dentistry and business. Communication skills can help the dentist excel in both arenas, and yet this “soft skill” is often seen as an afterthought in dental curriculums – if it’s featured at all.
Here, we reflect on the value of communication skills in the dental practice and explore key evidence-based communication strategies to elevate your dentist-patient relationships.
How communication skills can make or break the dental practice
In a recent Septodont survey, we asked dentists about their biggest day-to-day challenges in practice. No matter where they were located, who they treated, and how their patients funded their care, dentists consistently mentioned the same core challenges:
- Overrunning appointments and disrupted schedules.
- Non-compliance with treatment.
- Fearful, hostile or difficult patients.
- The worry of formal complaints or litigation.
These challenges can all impact the patient’s quality of care and treatment outcomes. They can all impact the dentist’s work satisfaction and the clinic’s bottom line. And they can all be – at least partly – avoided or resolved by applying effective communication skills...
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