When a patient comes in for a dental exam and cleaning, they want to see a happy smile on the dentist’s and hygienists’ faces. Adding in some humor to the office is a good, first start that will put a smile on everyone’s faces, even if they’re a little “cheesy.” We love joke #3!
Top 10 Dental Jokes That Keep Our Office Smiling
- Do you know what dentists win? Plaques.
- What does your dentist call an x-ray? Tooth pics.
- Which teeth should you brush? Any that you want to keep.
- Why do patients come into our office? To Netflix and drill.
- What do dentists like to eat? Anything that’s filling.
- Why did the deer visit the dentist? Buck teeth.
- Who is a bit long in the tooth? An old dentist.
- Why do dentists hate the police? Cavity checks.
- That dentist is horrible. He needs to brush up on his skills.
- Dentists don’t get mad. They brush it off.
How to Build Morale in an Office
We’re known for having a happy, optimistic staff who are ready to go above and beyond to make you smile. However, we spend a lot of time building morale in our office. We recommend that dentists and any business owner do the same thing to promote a happy work environment,
A few of the ways we build morale in the office include:
Promote Work-life Balance
A staggering 77% of employees have felt burnout at work. Exhaustion, teeth grinding and feeling burned out are not indicative of work-life balance. Instead, we promote work-life balance in our office because our team cannot work remotely or enjoy a day off when a dental emergency occurs.
So, how do we promote work-life balance?
- Our office hours are 7:30 - 3:30pm, so our staff has time at home with their family and can enjoy the beautiful outdoors with their family before the sun goes down.
- Three days per week we close our office, meaning our dedicated staff works just four days per week.
Creating work-life balance starts with adjusting schedules to allow employees to enjoy their life outside of the office. However, this point goes with many of the topics below.
Invest in Your Team
Investing in our team is crucial to their happiness. We provide cutting-edge equipment to our staff to ensure that they have the tools that lead to the best outcomes for our patients. We also work to train our team on the newest technology.
Offer an Open Door Policy
Inter-office issues should never impact your office. Our team works well together because we have an open door policy. If there’s ever an issue with patients or the work environment, any person in our team can express these issues openly to resolve them.
Many businesses are also utilizing “interviews” as a way to keep everyone happy.
Interviews are used to judge happiness and squash any issues before they start. Companies ask what keeps the person at the company and what can be improved upon.
Our office is always evolving to serve our patients better and to meet the needs of our team. Open communication allows us to meet the needs of our most precious assets: patients and employees.
Allow Employee-led Initiatives
Employees are independent, curious and encouraged to explore initiatives that can help them thrive. We encourage our employees to make recommendations on patient care and pursue continued education that helps them become an even more important part of the team.
Team members are encouraged to make recommendations that benefit both our office and patients.
Consider Team Building Getaways
Teams must work together well and help all members thrive. Team building getaways are a great opportunity to build cohesion for our team members and can also be an extension of our next point (office vacations).
Many companies are willing to offer team-building getaways that:
- Create challenges that teams need to work through
- Help build stronger relationships among team members
For example, our hygienists may be on one team while dental assistants are on another. Reaching goals and meeting objectives during these getaways will also allow for a more robust internal team that works well together.
While team building getaways aren’t the only time office vacations are a great option, they are something to consider once every year or two.
Incorporate Office Vacations
Work-life balance is important. What better way to give a team the rest it needs than by booking office vacations?
Taking a trip together as a team can help boost morale while building trust among employees. It’s a great way to bond and just have fun together as a team. Making an effort to incorporate office vacations into the mix can help build a sense of community in the office while keeping team members engaged and happy in their roles.
Understand What Causes Low Morale
Low morale can have a negative impact on any office team. Understanding the causes of low morale can help prevent it and keep teams happy and engaged.
The most common causes of low morale are:
Lack of Growth
Personal and career growth are top priorities for team members. If team members are stuck in a role that does not provide opportunities for learning and new challenges, they will lose motivation quickly.
Research has shown that teams need growth to stay engaged in their work, or they will simply leave to find a more challenging role.
Communication Issues
Communication is the key to success in any working environment, but that communication must be clear. If team members don’t know what’s expected of them or don’t know what’s going on with the company, then they won’t have the motivation to put their best foot forward.
Leadership Issues
Poor leadership can often result in low morale. A leader’s behavior has a profound effect on the team, and if issues aren’t addressed early on, morale can plummet.
At our dental office, we work hard to ensure that all team members feel challenged, happy and fulfilled in their roles. This allows them to provide our patients with a high level of care and with a smile on their faces.
5 Reasons Why Office Happiness Matters
Everyone should look forward to coming into the office each day. When you create a positive work environment and culture, everyone is motivated to put their best foot forward.
There are many reasons why we believe office happiness matters. Here’s why we make an effort to smile and laugh in our office.
1. Happy Employees are Engaged Employees
When employees are happy, they’re more engaged with patients and provide them with the attention and care they deserve.
Better patient care and a friendly, pleasant team make your experience at your dental exams and cleanings much more pleasurable.
2. A Positive Work Culture Builds Better Teams
A healthy, positive work culture allows team members to build meaningful friendships and improves overall well-being. All of this translates to a stronger team that works well together to provide patients with the best care.
By cultivating a positive work culture, we’ve built a strong sense of community in our office. We face and overcome challenges together, and that translates to better care for our patients.
3. Work-Life Balance is a Priority
In a world where we are all connected 24/7, work-life balance is more important than ever. When team members have the time they need to rest, recharge and enjoy life outside of the office, they’re much happier and more engaged.
Providing opportunities for a better work-life balance will mean that employees stay happy and are more refreshed when they come into work.
When work-life balance does not become a priority, employees may experience burnout. Burnout causes performance and care quality to suffer.
4. Well-Being Matters
We love to laugh and make jokes at our office, but we also know that a positive work culture is more than just having fun.
Well-being is what matters most and provides team members with long-term fulfillment. Initiatives that help prevent burnout and reduce stress can help keep everyone engaged and productive.
Having time to pause, reflect and recharge is crucial and can help keep happy team members around.
5. Unhappy Employees Won’t Stick Around
We want all of our office team members to be happy and engaged. Why? Because unhappy employees don’t stick around and won’t provide patients with the best experience.
We know that patients prefer to see the same faces when they visit our office. Trust is crucial and building relationships with patients is a top priority. Happy team members will stick around and continue to provide patients with the experience they’ve come to expect.
Final Thoughts
We love to make jokes and have fun in our office. After all, a happy team is an engaged team. Laughter also helps put patients at ease when they visit our office.
If you’re looking for a dental office that provides first-rate care and a positive environment, make an appointment with us today!
