Onboarding a New Dental Team Member

Onboarding a new dental team member with no dental experience or knowledge involves a structured approach to ensure they integrate smoothly into the practice. Here are some steps to follow:

1. Welcome and Orientation

   – Introduction: Introduce them to the team and provide a tour of the practice.

   – Practice Overview: Explain the practice’s mission, values, and patient care philosophy.

– Promote note taking with a company notebook or binder that has important documents about the practice, employee manual, mission statement and copies of each pieces of paper signed by new employee. 

2. Basic Dental Education

   – Dental Terminology: Teach basic dental terms and procedures.

   – Common Dental Conditions: Explain common dental conditions and treatments.

   – Dental Instruments: Familiarize them with dental instruments and equipment.

– HIPAA, OSHA and Cyber training before stepping on clinical floor or touching computers in office.  

3. Role-Specific Training:

   – Job Duties: Clearly define their role and responsibilities.

   – Hands-On Training: Pair them with an experienced team member for shadowing and hands-on practice.

   – Administrative Tasks: Train on scheduling, patient records, billing, and use of dental software.

4. Patient Interaction:

   – Communication Skills: Teach effective patient communication, empathy, and customer service.

   – HIPAA Compliance: Educate on patient privacy and confidentiality requirements.

5. Health and Safety Protocols:

   – Infection Control: Train on sterilization techniques and infection control protocols being used in office in compliance with all OSHA standards. 

   – Emergency Procedures: Explain procedures for medical emergencies in the dental office, fire, shootings, weather etc. Be very detailed in this area, knowing that this is new information for any team member new to your company.

6. Continuous Learning and Feedback:

   – Ongoing Education: Encourage participation in continuing education courses.

   – Regular Feedback: It’s important to place (3) important meeting dates on calendar with new team members and to review what they each are. First date is  30 day review to follow up on initial expectations. Set goals to achieve during the first 30 days such as being punctual, dressing within dress code each day, bring notebook everywhere for first year, learning terminology and teeth numbers. Second date is 60 day review with broken down goals and metrics to meet and the third date would be a 90 day review. When you get to the big 90 day you can place a six month check in reminder and an annual review date on books. 

When you get to the big 90 day review it’s important to provide areas you are being impressed with, sometime of incentive and some very specific goals to work towards for the year. It’s important as an employee to see the opportunities and to have individual metric to work towards. If you want a great employee you pour knowledge and feedback into them. 

7. Integration into the Team:

   – Team Building Activities: Engage in team-building exercises to foster a cohesive team environment.This is a critical step that is often times overlooked in the dental setting however this maybe the most important one. What owners do to set the tone for team unity and building relationships are the most critical from the very beginning. You want your newest hire to feel as important as your new patient ! 

   – Mentorship: Assign a mentor to guide and support the new team member. Creating a buddies system helps acclimate your new hire faster and that creates acceptance and friendships that will be driven by your team.  Face it, the more your team likes each other and you the more they will work with you, change with you and grow with you! 

8. Evaluation and Adjustment:

   – Performance Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews to assess progress and address any issues.

   – Adjust Training: Adjust training methods based on the new member’s learning pace and needs.

By following these steps, you can effectively onboard a new dental team member, helping them become a valuable part of your practice even without prior dental experience for years to come. If you need additional information about onboarding or you need to learn how to be a great trainer for your dental practice contact us at info@bryantconsultants.com to find out more about our on and off site training packages.