New Thoughts on Interoffice Communication

Dr. Kent Smith

It’s 3:30 on a Monday afternoon, and you are in the middle of your 4th impression of that tooth you should have requested crown lengthening on. “Beep!”….”Beep!”…”Beep!”… (“Now what the heck does a static yellow #3 and a blinking red #5 mean? Is that the second time they have buzzed me? Was I in the bathroom when they buzzed me the first time?)

If thoughts like these are not uncommon in your office, you may be suffering from schizobuzzmania. Although there is no known cure for the sickness auxiliaries know as “He forgot again”, there are ways to hide behind your problem (something we seem to perfect as adults).

No method of communication in the dental office is perfect. Even in small offices with a doctor and one employee, there are problems. We will, for now, shy away from those communication issues better discussed with marriage counselors.

What we all need is a better way to effectively communicate between all team members in a manner that does not disrupt the relaxing environment we try to portray to our patients. Any communication technique should have the following characteristics:

Easily mastered
Limitless in variety and length of message
Ubiquitous in its use

I understand some of you may have found the best software out there, which not only allows complete messaging, but is easy to pick up by the new assistant. As an example, Cieos has developed a fantastic piece of software called CAI for this purpose. However, #3 above is where it falls short. Add to that the times you are showing a patient that interproximal decay on #18 when a message pops up to let you know everyone’s headed to Bennigan’s for lunch.

Light and buzz systems are useful, and we have worked with them for years, but they are also limited in use. They never seem to be convenient when I need to respond to a page, they have to be within our line of vision, and if they do allow typed words, this takes time, especially with 2-fingered typists like me.

The only system we have found that fills all three of my requirements is a radio system that uses an earpiece and a microphone that resides near the mouth. After experimentation with a few systems, including some headset trials that included some Janet Jackson mouthpieces, we settled on a Radio Shack brand, primarily because they worked with a headset that employs an over-the-ear loop and a “talk” button along the cord. Your local Circuit City, Radio Shack or other retail store that carries communication gear will most likely give you a 30-day guarantee, and I would make sure you get this in case your reception is undesirable with the unit you have.

The benefits we have found with this system are many, and we continue to add to them as we discover more uses. Patients are generally impressed with the technology, especially when they see the benefit to themselves. “Dovie, we are trying to decide whether to start a bridge this month or not. Can you check on Jeff’s remaining benefits for this year?”

Team members are easily found. “Kristen? You in the bathroom?” Hygienists can be warned when a patient is running 10 minutes late. “Holly, what would you like us to tell Kelly when she waltzes in showing no remorse?” Missing items are quickly located. “Michelle, have you seen Mrs. Horn’s denture?” Warnings can be issued, “Dr. Smith, don’t wander up front. The Ultradent rep is here again.” Sudden meetings can be called at day’s end before anyone can sneak out. “We need to implement a more efficient system for tracking dentures after we clean them.”

A collateral benefit was immediately apparent after strapping on the gear. Not only did I now get to hear the tremendous amount of teamwork that exists in our office, (“Can someone bring me some emesis powder?” “I’ll be right there, Crystal!”), but I suspect the concept of teamwork got an epi shot. If you knew everyone could hear you, would you not be more willing to offer assistance to a team member?

There are several things we have learned through use that you should keep in mind if going in this direction. I would strongly suggest rechargeable batteries along with rechargers for each team member, as AA batteries can get expensive over the long haul. Two sets per person are nice, as a new set can be recharging during use of the other one.

You will need to practice turning off your unit or mastering the ability to ignore a voice in your ear while talking to patients. If they feel you are “disconnected” from your conversation at any point, this would certainly dampen any benefits of the technology. You also must learn that if you do not receive a response from someone you are communicating to, you must assume they did not get the message. Our very original system has us responding with “Copy” when we receive the message. My attempts at using “Xerox” fell flat.

As much as we like the system, it will never replace other forms of communication we have always used. The hardwired light/buzz system is still in place, and used when we don’t get a response from the radio, or when the message is one we have always liked to use the lights for. As an example, we all get a pat on the back when a crown goes to place with no adjustments, and the red-yellow-green signal gives us a nice emotional boost.

We still use WinPopup for lunch plans and other peripheral issues, and we all use e-mail through our T1 connection in many ways, but the first thought when we feel the need to communicate is over the airwaves.

When we started using loupes years ago, many of our colleagues (maybe even you?) were amused at our indifference to potential GQ interviews. Most dentists have now joined our ranks, unless they skipped the new fashion trend and went straight to a microscope. I think radio communication gear is the new “geek wear” destined to be standard dental office garb. Stay tuned.

Dr. Kent Smith has a special interest in easing dental office stress through the use of technology in a spa-like atmosphere. His office has been featured on The Early Show with Bryant Gumbel and in USA Today, Dental Equipment & Materials and other publications. You may reach him through his web site or by e-mail.

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	Dental Professionals		New Thoughts on Interoffice Communication Dr. Kent Smith It’s 3:30 on a Monday afternoon, and you are in the middle of your 4th impression of that tooth you should have requested crown lengthening on. “Beep!”….”Beep!”…”Beep!”… (“Now what the heck does a static yellow #3 and a blinking red #5 mean? Is that the second time they have buzzed me? Was I in the bathroom when they buzzed me the first time?) If thoughts like these are not uncommon in your office, you may be suffering from schizobuzzmania. Although there is no known cure for the sickness auxiliaries know as “He forgot again”, there are ways to hide behind your problem (something we seem to perfect as adults). No method of communication in the dental office is perfect. Even in small offices with a doctor and one employee, there are problems. We will, for now, shy away from those communication issues better discussed with marriage counselors. What we all need is a better way to effectively communicate between all team members in a manner that does not disrupt the relaxing environment we try to portray to our patients. Any communication technique should have the following characteristics: Easily mastered Limitless in variety and length of message Ubiquitous in its use I understand some of you may have found the best software out there, which not only allows complete messaging, but is easy to pick up by the new assistant. As an example, Cieos has developed a fantastic piece of software called CAI for this purpose. However, #3 above is where it falls short. Add to that the times you are showing a patient that interproximal decay on #18 when a message pops up to let you know everyone’s headed to Bennigan’s for lunch. Light and buzz systems are useful, and we have worked with them for years, but they are also limited in use. They never seem to be convenient when I need to respond to a page, they have to be within our line of vision, and if they do allow typed words, this takes time, especially with 2-fingered typists like me. The only system we have found that fills all three of my requirements is a radio system that uses an earpiece and a microphone that resides near the mouth. After experimentation with a few systems, including some headset trials that included some Janet Jackson mouthpieces, we settled on a Radio Shack brand, primarily because they worked with a headset that employs an over-the-ear loop and a “talk” button along the cord. Your local Circuit City, Radio Shack or other retail store that carries communication gear will most likely give you a 30-day guarantee, and I would make sure you get this in case your reception is undesirable with the unit you have. The benefits we have found with this system are many, and we continue to add to them as we discover more uses. Patients are generally impressed with the technology, especially when they see the benefit to themselves. “Dovie, we are trying to decide whether to start a bridge this month or not. Can you check on Jeff’s remaining benefits for this year?” Team members are easily found. “Kristen? You in the bathroom?” Hygienists can be warned when a patient is running 10 minutes late. “Holly, what would you like us to tell Kelly when she waltzes in showing no remorse?” Missing items are quickly located. “Michelle, have you seen Mrs. Horn’s denture?” Warnings can be issued, “Dr. Smith, don’t wander up front. The Ultradent rep is here again.” Sudden meetings can be called at day’s end before anyone can sneak out. “We need to implement a more efficient system for tracking dentures after we clean them.” A collateral benefit was immediately apparent after strapping on the gear. Not only did I now get to hear the tremendous amount of teamwork that exists in our office, (“Can someone bring me some emesis powder?” “I’ll be right there, Crystal!”), but I suspect the concept of teamwork got an epi shot. If you knew everyone could hear you, would you not be more willing to offer assistance to a team member? There are several things we have learned through use that you should keep in mind if going in this direction. I would strongly suggest rechargeable batteries along with rechargers for each team member, as AA batteries can get expensive over the long haul. Two sets per person are nice, as a new set can be recharging during use of the other one. You will need to practice turning off your unit or mastering the ability to ignore a voice in your ear while talking to patients. If they feel you are “disconnected” from your conversation at any point, this would certainly dampen any benefits of the technology. You also must learn that if you do not receive a response from someone you are communicating to, you must assume they did not get the message. Our very original system has us responding with “Copy” when we receive the message. My attempts at using “Xerox” fell flat. As much as we like the system, it will never replace other forms of communication we have always used. The hardwired light/buzz system is still in place, and used when we don’t get a response from the radio, or when the message is one we have always liked to use the lights for. As an example, we all get a pat on the back when a crown goes to place with no adjustments, and the red-yellow-green signal gives us a nice emotional boost. We still use WinPopup for lunch plans and other peripheral issues, and we all use e-mail through our T1 connection in many ways, but the first thought when we feel the need to communicate is over the airwaves. When we started using loupes years ago, many of our colleagues (maybe even you?) were amused at our indifference to potential GQ interviews. Most dentists have now joined our ranks, unless they skipped the new fashion trend and went straight to a microscope. I think radio communication gear is the new “geek wear” destined to be standard dental office garb. Stay tuned. Dr. Kent Smith has a special interest in easing dental office stress through the use of technology in a spa-like atmosphere. His office has been featured on The Early Show with Bryant Gumbel and in USA Today, Dental Equipment & Materials and other publications. You may reach him through his web site or by e-mail. Back to Dental Professionals



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