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Growing with your Dental Assistant w/ Mr. Kevin Henry
63 Plays1 year ago
Mr. Kevin Henry and I speak about how new dentists can learn to communicate best and grow with dental assistants. Both dentists and dental assistants are key players when it comes to dental practice.
Kevin Henry has made his name in the dental industry! With more than 20 years in the dental publishing industry, Kevin Henry is the former group editorial director for Dental Products Report, managing editor for Dental Economics, and editor-in-chief for DrBicuspid.com. He now serves as the co-founder for IgniteDA, a community designed to empower, enlighten, and educate dental assistants. He has spoken to dental assistants throughout the world, in person, and through the Dental Assistant Nation podcast series, reminding them of the important role they play every day in their practice. He is also certified as a DiSC trainer, helping dental practices learn how to understand each other better through personality assessments and training.
Check out the previous episodes Kevin and I had the chance to record for IgniteDA:
Episode 263: From communication to job strengths, a dentist shares tips for assistants
Episode 270: A young dentist dishes on the dental assistant hiring challenges
Thank you to Between Two Teeth for sponsoring this episode!
Connect with Between Two Teeth: @b2teeth
Connect with Kevin Henry @kghenry23
Connect with Ignite DA @ignitedentalassistants
Connect with Ignite DDS @ignitedds
Connect with New Dentists on the Block: @newdentistsontheblock
Connect with Tanya Sue Maestas: @tsmaestas.dds
Full video on Youtube
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Background
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to New Dentists on the Block, a podcast featuring new dentists sharing their experiences in the world of dentistry, successes, challenges, and life in between, navigating dentistry together one experience at a time. We love checking things up here at New Dentists on the Block, and I'm excited to have my friend, Mr. Kevin Henry with us.
00:00:24
Speaker
With more than 20 years in the dental publishing industry, Kevin Henry is the former group editorial director for Dental Products Report, managing editor for Dental Economics, and editor-in-chief for drbycuspid.com. He now serves as the co-founder for Ignite DA, a community designed to empower, enlighten, and educate dental assistants.
00:00:43
Speaker
He has spoken to dental assistants throughout the world, in person and through the Dental Assistant Nation podcast series, reminding them of the important role that they play every day in their practice. And we know that's true. He is also certified as a DISS trainer, helping dental practices learn how to understand each other better through personality assessments and training. Kevin is a good friend and an avid MLB fan. He is a co-expert for Call to the Pen and national contributor to fan-sided MLB site.
00:01:12
Speaker
super cool. Kevin shares some excellent insight on how dental assistants can help us in our daily lives and how we can also help them.
Kevin's Roles and Contributions
00:01:21
Speaker
A huge shout out to Between Two Teeth for sponsoring this episode. Let's get to it.
00:01:27
Speaker
Welcome to New Dentists on the Block. I'm very excited to have my friend, colleague, man, myth, and legend, Kevin Henry with us today. Kevin, how you doing? Hey, I'm doing well, my friend. How about you? Doing well, doing well. We are excited to be at Voices of Dentistry live and in the flesh. Always great to see Kevin. Same. We don't see each other enough during the year. Amen to that. But Kevin, I would love for you to share a little bit with our listeners what you do.
00:01:54
Speaker
Yeah, I'm lucky enough to work with you at Ignite DDS, so very thankful for that. Dr. David Rice and I have done Ignite DA for the dental assistants for the last seven years. Before Dave and I started working and I became part of Ignite DDS, I was the managing editor for dental economics, editor-in-chief for dental products report, editor-in-chief for Dr. Bicuspid for a combined 20 years. Wow, I didn't realize that. I'm an old man, as it turns out, but it's all good.
00:02:20
Speaker
Very cool. And now talk to a little bit about your podcast. Dental assisting.
Communication Challenges in Dentistry
00:02:26
Speaker
It focuses on dental assisting and how it can help our listeners who are probably primarily new dentists coming out, maybe have never worked with a dental assistant.
00:02:35
Speaker
absolutely no it's it's called the dental system nation podcast we are the longest running and dare I say most popular podcast for dental assistants out there and it's one of those things that we focus on I'm out there lecturing so often a dental assistants I'm one of the few out there who really focus on them and their needs and so often whenever we're doing lectures I hear their
00:02:56
Speaker
worries, their complaints, their frustrations. And so I try to take that into our weekly podcast, do about 15 minutes, and we talk about things that are important to them and bring in amazing experts like you to talk to them and address some of those frustrations.
00:03:10
Speaker
Can you share the most common or some of the common frustrations that you've heard from dental assistants? You know, it's funny. I just finished a course at the Rocky Mountain Dental Conference and it was called the Pitfalls in the Dental Assistant Relationship. And I had assistants and doctors text me anonymously. That way they could share their frustrations. I got over 50 text messages.
00:03:30
Speaker
from the audience. And one of the biggest that I heard from assistants is a lack of communication. They get frustrated. You know, I had to reference the mind reading. You know, I'm not a mind reader. Tell me what you want. And so I think that's one of the biggest things is how do we
00:03:48
Speaker
communicate better in the practice? How do assistants know what you want? And also, I think it's important for dentists to tell their assistants how they want to be communicated with. How much information do you really want to hear in a busy day? Yeah, you know, the solution to most problems is probably communication, but I would say that, you know, there are assistants who are strong and there are those who need a little bit more guidance in coaching.
00:04:13
Speaker
And I would say that those stronger assistants likely mind read, which is why we probably expect that from other assistants. And that's tough. Not everyone works in that way and it isn't fair, you know, to expect somebody to mind read. It's tough. Well, you know, and I think about it in my own marriage, my wife is very, you know, and she'll admit this, she's very headstrong. She's very focused on one thing, whereas I'm an overcommunicator. I tell probably way too much of the story.
00:04:39
Speaker
So we've even had to work on that in our marriage and I see that in practices all the time as well whenever the dentist may want more information, but his or her assistant isn't focused on that communication or isn't that kind of communicator. So I think that's why it's important to talk and actually admit whenever you're giving me too much information, here's the things I really need and for us to take emotion out of it and realize that's just the best way to run a business.
00:05:04
Speaker
Right, right. What would you say would be the most crucial steps that a new dentist should take when coming out of school with regard to learning to work and communicate with an assistant?
Advice for New Dentists
00:05:18
Speaker
Wow. I think get to know that assistant more than just him or her being an assistant, but their hopes, their goals, their fears, their passions, you know, I think get to know as a human being
00:05:29
Speaker
and figure out ways that you all can work together. So often I think consultants or whoever will focus on the differences that we have in the practice. I always love to say, what are the things that bring us together? What are the things that you and I can agree upon and we can start building the foundation from there? There's a lot of courses that assistants and dentists could take together, learn together, talk about together. So I think that that's the first thing is figure out what you're each passionate about and build the relationship from there.
00:05:57
Speaker
there can be difficulties when a dentist graduates and goes into a set practice and and if if they are young lawyer it can be really hard for a culture that's already established to welcome this new dennis and from from what i've heard from some of my colleagues
00:06:13
Speaker
What are your thoughts on this? Absolutely. First of all, you're spot on. And I will tell you, there are a lot of veteran assistants out there who have a new dentist come in. It's a new way of doing things. It's like they feel like that their world has changed and there is some pushback. And so I think for the young dentists out there who are in that situation, understand that change is not something that everybody is very comfortable with sometimes.
00:06:36
Speaker
But it is something that I, I tell my assistants all the time, the dentist is the boss of the practice. The dentist should also be a leader in the practice. And part of that leading is making sure your team knows this is why I want to do it this way. And so I think that, again, it goes back to that communication thing.
00:06:52
Speaker
I shared with you previously when we met in SmileCon, and I'll link that episode in the show notes, but when we met in SmileCon, one of the funniest experiences that I had with a dental assistant was, I don't really use a bite block, but this assistant, every time we worked together, she would put a bite block in, and we were months in, and it was just, we were too far in for me to correct her, until one day she asked another assistant to bring us another bite block, because we needed it, and she goes, a bite block?
00:07:22
Speaker
The doctor doesn't use that. She goes, what do you mean? We use it all the time. And I go, oh, well, I didn't want to say anything. And you know, it's as simple as that. I don't know. I was, I was embarrassed. And I, sometimes Dennis, you know, we'll make it work. But that's also part of your personality style is that you didn't want to say that. And I'm such a big believer in personalities and really understanding why each other are wired the way that we are. The things like that, I think are really important to take into consideration as well.
00:07:47
Speaker
I will say that when I started working in public health and working with the assistants that I'm working with, they have been so helpful to me to learn how to work with assistants. We didn't have assistants in Houston, and so that was something brand new. It's great to have an extra pair of hands and legs to run and go and get things, but learning how to work with an assistant can be challenging. It just can be challenging, and it can be helpful.
00:08:12
Speaker
Well, let me turn the tables on you for just a minute because what were the biggest things that you try to communicate to those assistants whenever you first came in so that you all kind of started that relationship off, right? You know, it's, it's so funny cause they're like, how do you want to work? What should we expect? And it, you know, I was just like, Oh,
00:08:28
Speaker
Whatever. How do you guys work? I was very timid. I don't think I have a timid or shy personality. I would say that it's slightly strong, but I kind of just go with the flow. And so I didn't want to come in and say, hey, this is how I do things. Now I think I'm very different. If I were to go to a different practice, I would have a set way to do things. I rubber damn 90% of my patients. I feel very strongly about that.
00:08:53
Speaker
And my assistants know that, and so they love it too. But they know that if we're doing, you know, OP, if we're prepping to Chrome, likely have a Word in there, we're going to use it. So I think that we have learned together how my workflow is, and we have adapted together whenever I bring in a new toy or technology.
00:09:15
Speaker
And together is such a key word, honestly. And I think that's something that assistants want in today's practice. They want to know that they are part of the team. And I'm such a big boo-hiss guy to the word staff. I'm a big team guy. And I think as long as the team members understand, this is why we do it. I want us all to do it together. Here's how we can learn together. Those are really important things.
00:09:40
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. I think that, you know, team and staff just have different connotations to them. And I think team is a collaborative effort. You know, you don't got to call them family. That's fine, but it's definitely team and teamwork makes the dream work for sure. Absolutely. Agreed. And, you know, and one thing that I often hear from assistants is that they want to make sure that they kind of know
00:10:03
Speaker
where things are going, you know, the goals, the vision for the practice. And so if there's one thing I'd encourage your audience to do is kind of share, you know, at the end of the year, where do you want to see things? Where do you hope that the team is? And how can you help them get there and really kind of map out that plan together so that they know
00:10:22
Speaker
When we're pulling on the rope, we actually are all doing it the same way. Right. Yes. And I think that collaboration, having feedback and insight from your team can really help grow collectively together as opposed to, you know, just have the dentist having a vision, wanting to move it forward and not including their team in it. Absolutely. They're likely going to be on board, but I think that there is value in including the team in the conversation.
00:10:46
Speaker
And I think all of us as human beings, whenever we feel like we're in the dark, it's a lot harder for us to be a hundred percent. So I just think that a little bit of, you know, going back to our theme of communication, it feels like I think the kind of mapping out your plan, your vision, your mission for the practice, even, I think that's important.
Passions and Personal Insights
00:11:03
Speaker
And I'd like to share two things about Kevin. One thing is that we connected through IgniteDDS, a great platform that helps grow dentists and helps grow their knowledge, their direction. David Rice helps pair dentists with great people from around the nation. He's got great context.
00:11:22
Speaker
But just one cool thing about you is that, can you tell everyone a little bit about what you do with the, it's the Rockies, right? Yeah. So I, baseball has always been a passion of mine, you know, and I think we all have to have passions outside of dentistry. So for me, it's baseball.
00:11:38
Speaker
And, and I'm lucky enough to be one of the official bloggers for the Colorado Rockies baseball team. I'm actually on the team payroll. I get to write about all these great players. Uh, we're in Arizona right now. I'll be back down here next month for spring training. I'm already excited about that. Uh, so during the baseball season, my wife knows that she's a baseball widow. I'm about, I'm at about a hundred games a year in the press box writing articles. And I love it. That's so cool. Yeah. I wanted to share that with our listeners because that's just so unique. I feel like you don't, you don't meet someone that does that all the time.
00:12:07
Speaker
You know, growing up being a sports writer was always my goal and my hope. And, and I got there and how lucky am I that I get to be in such a great, uh, industry like dentistry, but I also get to pursue a passion as well. So that's wonderful. I'm glad that dentistry has given you that flexibility. Even, you know, you're not a practicing dentist, but you're still involved in the industry and you're very influential in it and you can have passions outside of dentistry.
00:12:29
Speaker
Yeah, and my passion, to be perfectly honest, and what Dave and I first talked about when we started Ignite DA was I wanted to see dental assistants empowered, enlightened, and educated. Those are my three E's that I love so much about dental assistants, and Ignite has done that. Some of the things that we're doing at Yankee Dental Congress, we're doing at Chicago Midwinter, some of the other major meetings are helping that goal because dental assistants need to
00:12:53
Speaker
They need to be valued as dental professionals as well. And I think a lot of that comes from the dentist, but a lot of that comes from the industry as well. And I think the industry has to really pour resources into that too. Absolutely. Any last thoughts or anything you'd like to share with our listeners?
Final Thoughts and Connections
00:13:08
Speaker
I think the biggest piece of advice that I would give to your listeners is you're in a great industry. You have a great career ahead of you, a great profession. And you also, I will say, have a great team surrounding you. Make sure that you don't ever feel like you're pulling that rope alone. Make sure that your team
00:13:23
Speaker
knows your vision, moves forward with you, and that you also say two simple words quite often during the day, and that's thank you. Absolutely. Great advice. Kevin, always an honor. Thank you so much for your time. You too, my friend.
00:13:36
Speaker
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of New Tennis on the Block. If you would like to connect with Mr. Kevin Henry, you can find him on IgniteDA, and you can also catch him on his podcast, Dental Assistant Nation. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on YouTube and on all major podcast platforms. We would love if you would leave a review for the podcast.
00:13:56
Speaker
If you have a new dentist you would like to recommend for the podcast, be sure to send us an Instagram message at new dentists on the block. Thank you once again to Between Two Teeth for sponsoring this episode. We'll catch you next time.