Spear’s Dental Team Recognition Program in Celebration of Gratitude Month
By Spear Team on November 8, 2022 | commentsHiring and keeping good team members is something every dental practice struggles to maintain. According to a SurveyMonkey poll, 63% of people who are recognized at work consider themselves “very unlikely” to seek a new job in the next three to six months.
Knowing this, it is more important than ever to keep your best employees by implementing a dental team recognition program. A recognition program can be as simple as regular verbal praise, like highlighting a team member at each staff meeting, or a structured employee reward program with gifts for specific milestones. Whatever you choose, make sure to let your team know how important they are to you and your practice.
Spear Dental Team Recognition: Gratitude Month
At Spear, we also want to recognize team members who are going above and beyond. Since November is Gratitude Month, there is no better time to thank dental team members for their dedication to and frequent usage of our products. By gaining more knowledge through Spear Online and utilizing Patient Education videos, they are not only helping themselves grow within their roles but helping their patients along the way.
We crunched the numbers and found our top users across four distinct categories:
- Most Videos Watched
- Most CE Credits Earned
- Most Time Spent on Spear Online App
- Most Patient Education Videos Used
These top users were surprised with a special gift from us to show our gratitude. In addition, we also had a chance to speak with them and hear how Spear Online has helped to achieve great dentistry.
Most Spear Online Videos Watched: Lauren Rogers
Lauren, a Dental Assistant at Ridge Crest Periodontics in Idaho Falls, ID, has watched over 332 Spear Online videos, and counting, in 2022!
She credits Spear Online for helping her better understand certain procedures and what her role and responsibilities are within the dental practice. Not only that, but with the ability to learn from everywhere, she is always equipped with knowledge.
“I love that I can access Spear from my phone or laptop wherever I am. If I want to learn more about new dental technology or about how I can be a better assistant, I can pull out a device and learn right there.”
Lauren also said that Spear Online and the content she has consumed on the platform have helped her through tricky situations, but overall have made her a more effective communicator when it comes to conversations with patients. She feels more prepared for the difficult conversations that tend to arise more than anticipated.
“I had a patient who was hesitant to have radiographs taken; taking into account what I learned from my Spear Online videos, I was able to explain the significance of the radiographs. This patient was able to compare the risks and benefits and make a decision for themselves.”
Overall, Lauren’s experience with Spear Online has been nothing short of a positive one. She now feels that she has a better understanding of prosthetics, surgical procedures, dental implants, and much more which has led to newfound excitement and passion for dentistry!
Most Patient Education Videos Used: Joseph DeRose
Joseph, the Professional Relationship Director at Brightworks Dentistry in Dunwoody, GA, is our top user for Patient Education videos, utilizing them almost 150 percent more than the next highest user!
His favorite thing about these videos is that they are short, digestible videos for the patients and helpful for the team to stay on track and not get too technical when explaining next steps.
“It's so easy to get bogged down in technical details about a procedure when explaining treatment to patients, at that point you've generally lost them.”
In addition to this, he has found that patients would often have misconceptions about certain procedures and preventative care, which oftentimes can lead to frustration that can affect every aspect of the practice. Helping the patients become more informed with the help of Patient Education videos helps them become more relaxed and content. He feels that adding these videos as part of his regular routine has improved his relationships with patients, and the fact that it is so simple to do is just a bonus.
A feature that Joseph finds especially useful is the ability in which these videos can be shared. Being able to send a video via text allows him and the team to send them before the patient has even left the operatory. “They may not immediately check them out but if there is a question afterwards, they can refer back to the video. I would also often send a video of the procedure prior to the patient's appointment; it certainly made the appointment move more smoothly.”
Ultimately, Joseph feels that educating the patient generally improves the overall patient experience and can often prevent the frustrations that every dental team member knows all too well, especially when dealing with financial questions. Joseph said, “We have all experienced the patient who doesn't understand why he or she is now having a periodontal maintenance appointment versus a regular cleaning. There is a video that answers why that's occurred.”
Most CE Credits Earned: MariCarmen Infante
MariCarmen is a Dental Assistant at Dental Suite in Greensboro, NC and has earned over 64 CE credits so far this year! As someone who is a trained dentist in her native country, Venezuala, a licensed dental hygienist in the state of Florida and a dental assistant in North Carolina, MariCarmen has found access to Spear Online a one-stop shop for all things dentistry. “With Spear Online I have focused and organized my learning process. Spear Online has been a really useful curriculum for me, improving my skills and abilities in what I love: Dentistry.”
Like many in this field know, free time is hard to come by, but despite working, studying and maintaining a social life, MariCarmen prioritizes Spear Online and earning CE credits. In her free spare time, she can earn CE credits, which is just an added benefit to the knowledge she is gaining from watching the videos.
“One of the most significant things that Spear Online has impacted my daily work is the communication with the patient and the practice of different treatment options in each case. Also, patient education through the use of animations and lobby videos that teach patients in a clear and understandable way. Ultimately, this has led to a greater acceptance of cases.”
Keep the Gratitude Going
We are so grateful for all of you and your team members who work every day to improve our dental community. Knowing that the Spear Online platform is reaching so many of you and an integral part of that is what we are all about. Our continuing education and Patient Education videos are developed with you in mind. We hope that they are making your load lighter and patients happier. Help us spread this feeling of gratitude by starting a dental team recognition program in your practice and check out our Spear Online platform and see what excelling team members like Lauren, Joseph and MariCarmen are talking about.