It’s vitally important to have properly trained digital workflow clinical team members. This is THE #1 ingredient to having a successful, efficient, and FUN digital dentistry practice. With the continued mass migration into digital dentistry, and the rise of “SMART” technology, it can be all too easy forget about the “human factor”. While it is true that technology is getting smarter, and more intuitive it is still subject to good old fashioned “operator error”. Here are a few “tips and tricks” that the most successful digital practices are doing…
INVOLVE YOUR TEAM FROM THE START!
When you are deciding on weather on not to make the move into digital dentistry, it is important to keep your clinical team members in mind, or better yet, involve them in the “shop and compare” process! Remember, it is your clinical team members who will be the ones using this technology every day… so why not get their feedback. Giving your clinical team members in the decision making process will provide them a sense of “ownership”, are will be more likely to accept and integrate the new workflow properly.
FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURES INSTRUCTIONS!
While many of the digital technology; like IO scanners, 3D printers, and mills all look and operate similarly, each one has its own recommended workflow. When you purchase your equipment, it will typically come with some sort of training, and it is important to have all clinical staff present including the Dentist. No one knows how to use a product better than the people who make it, so you might as well learn from the best.
HANDS ON TRAINING IS BETTER THEN POWERPOINT
Once you and your team are comfortable using the equipment it is important to set time aside to run through the workflow a few times before introducing it to your patients. This will make sure you and the team are able to start building good habits, and work out any potential issues or concerns before going “live” with patients. It always a good idea to practice scanning on each other during down time and lunch, this will develop the muscle memory needed to scan efficiently.
BABY STEPS!
It can be overwhelming to learn everything you can do with a digital dental workflow, especially all at once. We recommend taking small steps and master 1 workflow at a time. Since everything starts with the IO scan, it’s the best “first step” into digital dentistry. Once you feel confident and are happy with your office scanning efficiency, you can then start to add onto that workflow with other items like 3D printers, mills, CBCTs, and designing software. Even when you add new equipment, take your time and master the workflows individually.
MAKE IT FUN!
Remember to make it as fun as possible for you and your team to train on new technology. It’s stressful enough in the office without trying to learn a new way to do things, so when you do add a new workflow try and make it FUN! Get your team involved in as much as possible, and find ways to make it a fun team building experience. Don’t forget to reward your team for their success!
