Dental assistants handle a broad range of essential administrative and clinical tasks in a dental practice. They support dentists, hygienists and office mangers but among their most critical responsibilities is patient management. It’s the very heart of dentistry.
What is Patient Management?
“Patient management” is an umbrella term describing how patients and oral care professionals relate in a business setting. It encompasses every interaction from the time an appointment is scheduled to post-procedure care. It’s both an art and a science, requiring the technical skills necessary to provide safe dental services plus the soft skills it takes to manage people. It’s an indispensable role for which dental assistants are well prepared.
Patient Management: The Dental Assistant’s Role
As the first and last person patients connect with when they visit their dentist, dental assistants use their expertise to serve as guides. They help vulnerable people get the quality oral care they deserve by making patients feel comfortable, explaining procedures, assisting at chairside, managing aftercare and handling nervous patients.
Making Them Feel Comfortable
Seeing the dentist is no one’s idea of fun, but when the first person a patient sees is warm and welcoming, they’re more likely to feel comfortable. From offering a hospitable reception area to meeting patients’ physical and emotional needs while they wait for services, a compassionate dental assistant helps sets the stage for a successful visit.
Explaining Procedures
Most patients know what to expect when they see their physician, but fewer than half say the same about seeing the dentist. Some Americans have never seen an oral care professional, and of those that do, only about half visit annually.
That means most patients are not familiar with the range of care a dentist can offer. Many can’t name more than the basic preventive services, such as cleanings, fillings and x-rays. There’s a significant knowledge gap among dental patients, a gap dental assistants can help fill. Demystifying procedures and answering questions about the oral care process helps patients feel engaged and willing to explore advanced dental services.
Assisting at Chairside
Dental assistants serve as an extra pair of hands for dental professionals at chairside, passing instruments, managing air and suction and monitoring patients for emergency needs. They make procedures more efficient, freeing the dentist to move on to the next patient faster.
But the benefits of a chairside assistant for the patient can’t be underestimated. By providing emotional support and positive feedback during care, they help patients stay relaxed, enhancing their comfort and satisfaction.
Managing Aftercare
No procedure is considered successful until the patient has recovered and expresses satisfaction with their care. So, whether it’s after a cleaning, a filling or an implant, giving patients clear follow-up instructions is a must.
Dental assistants explain self-care measures after a procedure as well as how to report unexpected symptoms and handle emergencies. They serve as liaisons between the patients and their dentist, taking an active role in patient education wherever they can.
Handling Difficult or Nervous Patients
Difficult patients are not uncommon in a dental practice. Yet most who are demanding or unpleasant are simply nervous. More than half of adults report forgoing oral care because of stress, and the incidence of dental phobia is prevalent. Due to nervousness, many patients may exhibit signs of anxiety ranging from irritability to panic.
Above all, nervous patients need a calming presence and a voice of reassurance. Responses to dental anxiety are rarely rational, but with help, they can be controlled. Part of patient management for dental assistants is to be a support system, helping nervous patients overcome their fears.
Skills Dental Assistants Need to Manage Patients
There are many different skills that can help a dental assistant manage patients. They include communication skills, a positive attitude, compassion, professionalism, time management skills, and open-mindedness.
Skill #1: Communication Skills
A dental assistant spends more one-on-one time with patients than any other member of the oral care team, so they need good verbal and written communication skills to relate to patients and to dentists on patients’ behalf. They also need a grasp of non-verbal communication, or body language. Understanding how a patient is feeling by responding to their non-verbal cues helps dental assistants better meet patients’ needs and ensure their safety.
Skill #2: A Positive Attitude
Visiting a dentist is stressful, so patients are always grateful to receive care from friendly, positive staff. When a dental assistant loves their job, it shows. Patients feel at ease and cared for, like they’re in the company of old friends. It’s an especially vital skill for working with children and seniors, and it enhances relationships with peers. Dental offices are fast-paced, and staying positive helps control workplace stress.
Skill #3: Compassion
Few people without compassion pursue careers in healthcare but working with dental patients requires an extra measure of empathy. Whether it’s validating a worried patient’s concerns, holding a toddler’s hand, or repeating instruction to a senior who’s hard of hearing, for the third time, a little compassion goes a long way toward ensuring cooperation and repeat customers.
Skill #4: Professionalism
Dental assistants represent the entire oral care team. The way they approach patients reflects on the practice as a whole, and the utmost professionalism is expected. By demonstrating only, the highest standards, dental assistants inspire patient confidence and help the practice maintain a good reputation in the community. It’s the essence of patient management.
Skill #5: Time Management Skills
The patient management process is critical to both patients and professionals. Dentists care about the people they serve, but they’re also running a business that must remain profitable to stay afloat. To do that requires staying on schedule, and that takes the keen time management skills of a dental assistant.
Dental assistants manage the flow of patients through the practice. They greet patients at the door, handle their concerns, and direct them from one service to the next, until it’s time to check out. By staying one step ahead of what the dentist and the patient need and troubleshooting issues promptly, dental assistants keep things running smoothly.
Skill #6: Open-mindedness
A dental assistant works with patients from all walks of life, and although they’re seeking care, some may not value dentistry as much as others. There are nations in the world today where oral care is uncommon and poor areas of America where it’s still considered a luxury.
As oral care specialists, dental assistants want patients to receive the most advanced services possible, but they need to be open-minded and respectful of what patients want. Patients without insurance, for example, may opt for an extraction over restoration because of financial barriers.
While it’s a dental assistant’s job to advocate for what’s best, it’s never their role to judge. They can only aim for the best results based on the patient’s values.
Final Thoughts
Patient management is more than a buzzword, it’s the spirit of oral care. Working as a dental assistant is exciting because it’s technically challenging, and there’s something new to learn every day. But ultimately, it’s helping people that makes it gratifying. Few careers offer as great an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, to go home every day feeling satisfied in the day’s accomplishment. It’s a tremendous responsibility that comes with never-ending rewards.
Did reading about dental assistant patient management interest you? Are you ready to become a dental assistant? The Dental Assistant training program at Meridian College provides extensive hands-on training including a school externship at a dental office where you will assist the dentist in treating actual patients.
Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a dental assistant.