Ten Things You Should Never Say to Patients: Communication Tools You Need

Dianne Glasscoe Watterson, RDH, MBA
Friday 9:00-11:00am
Location: Winston 1AB

Course Description:

Every superb dental professional
needs two things – clinical or technical expertise and good communication skills. Clinical/technical expertise is not enough to build and maintain thriving patient relationships. This seminar dissects some of the most challenging communication scenarios in the dental office, such as what to say when patients reject treatment
recommendations or when discussing third party benefits and financial matters. Other topics include one-on-one communication about patient care issues, barriers to communication, developing a superb chairside manner, reducing disappointments, verbal and non-verbal
communication, and using effective analogies to assist patient understanding in discussions about dentistry. Every attendee will gain useful information to improve his/her own communication skills.
Doctors and all staff members can benefit from this seminar.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the attendee will be able to:

• Recognize the
  importance good verbal skills in patient interaction.
• Understand
  the cycle of communication.
• Recognize
  barriers to communication with regard to patient care.
• Implement new
  strategies for reducing disappointments.
• Use effective
  analogies when discussing different aspects of dental treatment.
• Recognize how
  to promote dentistry without using hard-selling tactics.
• Respond
  effectively to treatment concerns.

Course Topics

• Communication
  considerations and improving clinical outcomes
• The cycle of communication
• Barriers to communication
• Strategies for
  disappointments
• Using effective analogies is
  discussions about dentistry
• Verbal skills for promoting
  supportive maintenance
• Dealing with difficult
  patients – treatment concerns
• Promoting dentistry
  gracefully without being pushy
• Interacting with the angry
  patient
• Five essentials of a superb
  chairside manner
• The importance of listening
• Becoming the consummate
  dental professional