The Business of Dentistry Podcast

Putting health at the heart of your practice read by Sheila Scott

In her own insightful and compelling fashion, Sheila Scott puts her finger on one of the most important truths for anyone who aspires to be a successful dentist or to run a successful dental practice.

The central messages of this book are as powerful as they are simple and easy to grasp.

Members of the dental team who adopt the ideas contained in this recording will be on course for a successful career. At the same time their patients will learn to value the care they receive. 

If your patients want dental health then you must learn how to put health at the heart of your practice.

Introduction - It's not about the dentistry

Chapter one - The case for the health focus

Chapter two - From check-up to dental health check (DHC)

Chapter three - The dental health - the opening conversation

Chapter four - The physical checks

Chapter five - Making the DHC your own

Chapter six - Making the DHC happen

Chapter seven - Building hygiene

Chapter eight - The hygiene protocol

Chapter nine - Dental plans

Chapter ten - One more thing - sterilisation and patient protection

Chapter eleven - Conclusion

As practice manager in a thriving referral practice, Lisa Bainham shares her advice on how to build a successful referral service.

What you’ll hear:

• How to build your reputation
• Things to consider when communicating with referral patients
• The best and most effective ways to target your referrers

Who should listen:

• Anyone considering opening a referral service
• Dentists running a referral service
• Practice Managers from referral practices

Employment Law solicitor, Sarah Buxton, talks through the most recent changes to Employment Law and how these will impact dental practices and teams.

What you’ll hear:

• How GDPR is impacting employment matters
• Information about sexual harassment and the use of non-disclosure agreements
• How stand-by time or being ‘on call’ needs to be considered in relation to pay.

Who should listen:

• Team leaders and managers
• Anyone with HR responsibility
• Practice owners.

Nathan Wallis talks to Les Jones about how multi-site practices and corporates should organise their communications to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and employee engagement.

What you’ll hear:

• The importance of effective communications in any workplace, particularly in multi-site organisations
• What practices should be adopted to facilitate good communications
• How to ensure your team is on board

Who should listen:

• Multi-site owners and managers looking to improve communications
• Those interested in the development of business communications
• Managers wanting tips on how best to structure communications in their team

Sarah Buxton explains how to set up an associate agreement and exactly what it needs to include.

What you’ll hear:

• The pros and cons of hiring an employed or self-employed associate
• What should be included in an associate agreement
• How to make amendments to agreements
• Risks to practice owners if agreements don’t adhere to Employment Law

Who should listen:

• Practice owners
• Anyone considering hiring an associate
• Anyone with an Associate Agreement already in place

Nigel Jones and John Milne, Senior Dental Adviser to the CQC have a frank and wide ranging conversation about patient care in dentistry today.

What you’ll hear:

• How the involvement of the CQC in dentistry has affected patient care
• The effects of regulation on patient care
• Ensuring vulnerable groups receive a high level of care

Who should listen:

• All dental professionals
• Anyone working in the dental industry

Nigel Jones talks to Joe Hendron about his decision to withdraw his practice from the prototype programme earlier this year and why he also decided to write an open letter to Jeremy Hunt explaining the reasons why.

What you’ll hear:

• Why Joe decided to withdraw from the prototype programme
• The personal and professional costs he came across by taking part in the programme
• Joe’s views on NHS dentistry and the future of contract reform

Who should listen:

• Anyone considering joining the prototype programme
• Dentists who will be working with the new contract when it is rolled out
• Anyone interested in the progress of contract reform

Zoe Close explains the reasons to invest in developing your team, even if it’s an established one. She illustrates how continued training will benefit both them and the whole practice.

What you’ll hear:

• The importance of continued training
• How to go about implementing a training plan
• The best way to encourage reluctant members of staff
• What this will achieve for both the team and the practice

Who should listen:

• Anyone with direct line management responsibility
• People leading teams
• Anyone who would like to develop within their role

Business Coach Carol Groombridge explains what you need to be monitoring in your practice in order to be sure you’re meeting your sales objectives, and the best way in which to do this.

What you’ll hear:

• Five essential Key Performance Indicators
• The best way to track performance
• What to look for in the results

Who should listen:

• Business owners & Associates
• Team leaders
• Anyone responsible for tracking aspects of business performance

Helen Minnery, president of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), talks about how the roles of therapists and hygienists have changed over a number of years and what the next stages of change will include. She also discusses how the BSDHT and other professional bodies work together for the benefit of the profession.

What you’ll hear:

• Historical changes to the roles, including the impact of direct access in 2013
• How the BSDHT have been key to these changes
• Details of a joint project with the British Association of Dental Therapists for exemptions

Who should listen:

• Dental hygienists and therapists
• Members of a dental team who want a better understanding of these roles
• Dentists considering employing therapists and hygienists