Three dentists talked to the California Dental Association about their experiences leading amid the pandemic.
Four tips for dental leaders during the pandemic:
1. You must be a trustworthy leader.
"As a new practice owner, I had the challenge of gaining the trust of my team members as well as my patients during COVID," said Faith Barreyro, DMD. To achieve her goal, she prioritized the health of patients and staff by maintaining a safe dental practice with various COVID-19 safety procedures.
2. Reflecting on challenges may reveal silver linings.
"During the pandemic, we had the opportunity to pause, reflect and then launch skills within us we thought we never had," said Cynthia Brattesani, DDS, adding that it's important to acknowledge the good that has come from the pandemic. "Patients trust us and their health is now more important to them," Dr. Brattesani said. "Dedicated team members now remain with us for authentic reasons and the clinical culture is now safer."
3. A healthy work culture can be the key to success.
As a practice owner, Zoe Huang, DDS, said, "Having a team that embraces the same vision and works toward the same goal makes every team member feel happier, healthier and more purposeful." Dr. Huang also said educating staff on business needs can make it easier to implement changes and communicate why some decisions were necessary to support the vitality of the practice.
4. Focus on overall patient wellness.
Dr. Huang said her team is looking for ways to implement more initiatives that encourage patients and staff to live a healthier lifestyle. "Some patients mentioned that our office was the first public place they had been to since shelter-in-place," she said. "In our conversations with our patients, I realized that it's more imperative than ever to understand proper self-care and stick to healthy daily routines, healthy eating, ergonomics, healthy emotions and mental health."