by Teamwork leads to better care, better smiles, better lives
There’s no better path to excellence in patient care than a unified dental team, says Arwinder Judge, DDS, chief clinical officer, Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI). “The doctors and dental practices that ADMI supports believe the patient experience will never exceed the team experience, so building great teams anchored by a strong culture is critical,” he points out. “Knowing the fear and anxiety that often comes with going to the dentist, it is incredibly important that patients have a great experience from beginning to end. Aspen Dental practices are designed to make dentistry easier for patients, from evening and weekend hours to onsite denture labs and always welcoming emergency and walk-in patients. At the end of the day, when you do what’s right for the patient, you do what’s right for the practice.”
To do so requires that the entire team share the same set of goals, he continues. “This ensures that everyone – from the patient service representative who greets patients, to the dental assistants, hygienists, lab technicians, office manager and, of course, the dentist – has clarity on the role he or she plays in breaking down the barriers to better care, better smiles and better lives.
Dental support organizations like ADMI play a key role in making it easier for their doctors to build successful practices, according to Judge. “It starts with helping doctors not only create a strong culture, but also become better leaders in their individual practices,” he says. “That’s why we have made huge investments in doctor development and mentoring programs.” As a result, doctors at Aspen Dental experience “a sense of community and camaraderie” across the network, he notes. “Not only are these doctors colleagues, but also mentors and good friends. They collaborate on clinical, training and mentorship programs. And, they help one another continue to grow by serving as sounding boards as for doctors considering practice ownership, or as existing owners look to grow their teams and bring on partners.
“It’s a real culture of collaboration, and we at ADMI do whatever we can to continue to foster that culture by bringing together doctors whenever we can,” Judge says. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing owner-doctors succeed.”
