practice management
HOW DO YOU ASK
M
by Lisa Knowles, DDS
y life is one question after another. It started as a
child. I persistently wanted to know why things happened the way they did. I was a scientist in the making, although I did not know it.
When I opened my dental practice, my curiosity became a foundational block to my overall success. As dentists, it is satisfying
to remove decay and restore teeth to the most natural state as
possible. I find this very gratifying as well. Except something
about this process began to nag at my curious mind. Why did
patients keep getting cavities? Why did they come back with
plaque on their teeth even after we told them to brush and floss
more? Why didn’t it work to just tell patients to stop eating so
much sugar?
The “why-er” in me teamed up with the competitor in me.
I found a way to direct this competitive, questioning energy into
a positive manner to help my patients. Finding the root cause of
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my patient’s disease became a challenge. As with most challenges, it takes work and a commitment to learn new skills
before successful outcomes appear.
For those improved outcomes to appear, I had to get to the heart
of each patient’s matter. I realized I had to develop my communication skills. Fortunately, I chose Communication as my major
in my undergraduate studies. I knew about basic verbal and nonverbal communication styles. I knew what to look for, and I
knew how to read my patients better because of this background.
But, even with this knowledge, my communication skills needed
more work. My natural tendency is to direct people. I see the
problems earlier than most. I love to solve problems, but I am
impatient. I open my mouth before my brain catches up at times.
This is not useful when helping patients (or team members)
change behaviors or develop personal traits. Patience and perseverance are key traits. Without a willingness to develop our