Autor: Eleonóra Barcziová
Photograph: Barbora Tabačková
Dentistry is experiencing a never-before-seen emphasis on prevention. This shift is driven by motivated dental professionals – but we cannot do it alone. To truly embrace preventative care, we need to bring our patients on board – after all, prevention starts at home.
This is where coaching comes in. A dental coach guides the patient on their oral health journey – but becoming a coach is a journey in itself: A journey of self-awareness and learning. What techniques should we cultivate in order to develop a coaching mindset as dental professionals?
Collaboration is key
Coaching is an act of collaboration between yourself and your patients. You are working together as a team with the same goal: To protect and improve their oral health.
Your role in this team is to act as a guide – you cannot force them to make changes; you can only offer guidance to help them understand how their health can improve. It is the patient’s own choice to take action.
To become a better collaborator, you will need not only hard skills but soft ones, too – and developing them will include a hearty dose of self-reflection as you will learn how you build relationships: Every patient is unique, but so is every coach.
Ask before giving advice
To give your patients a good healthcare experience, it is essential to listen to them – really listen. Get curious. If you see signs of oral health neglect, try not to immediately advise on what they should do. Instead, start by asking them about it.
“I see your gums are inflamed. Do you know what this could have caused this?”
Asking before giving advice is a good rule to keep in mind. By doing this, you create space for the patients to express their experience. Maybe their toothbrush is too hard and is hurting them. Maybe they have health conditions that make it difficult to brush effectively. Maybe they struggle to prioritise their oral health. Or maybe they have no idea why it has happened and they feel confused.
Every question should be asked within the context of each patient. For instance, if your patient tells you that they stopped using an interdental brush, approach this with curiosity:
“What makes you avoid using interdental brushes?”
By taking time to ask questions (and attentively listen to answers), you will better understand their situation. It is more difficult to motivate your patients to use interdental brushes if they have time pressure at home or at work. Such information is key to creating common goals that are achievable – and satisfactory – for both of you.
Assumptions are roadblocks to communication
As a dental professional, you will treat patients from all walks of life. While having good intuition can be useful, try not to mistake it for fact – there may be things at play you are not aware of. Therefore, when you share an observation, ask the patient if it is true. For example, if you sense that they are nervous, you could say:
“I am sensing that you are experiencing some nervousness. Am I right?”
This gives them space to confirm or deny your observation. By proceeding in this manner, you work as a team and avoid making assumptions that may not be true.
In general, when you share observations and advice with your patients, remember you are always doing it for their benefit.
Take some time for self-reflection
Just as your patients are on a journey towards better oral health, you yourself are on a journey to become a better health professional or dentist. Self-reflection is a crucial part of this – and is something you can easily build into your daily routine. After seeing a patient, take 5 minutes to self-evaluate by asking yourself the following questions:
“What went well?
“What could I have done differently?”
“What can I do differently in the future?”
The goal is not to judge but simply to become more aware. It will allow you to identify within yourself what aspects you can work on. This simple act can bring big benefits in the long run.
Raising our own self-awareness will benefit your patients
Learning to understand your own emotions is key if you want to help others do the same. Patients sometimes act in unexpected ways, and handling it can be tricky. In these instances, a coaching approach is about responding instead of reacting.
What’s the difference? When you react, you are acting on whatever you are feeling at that given moment. A response, however, comes from an awareness of your role in this context. You are the professional who is there to guide and support.
If patients are experiencing difficult emotions, your response can help them regulate these feelings: You can create space for them to calm down, invite them to take some deep breaths, ask them how they are feeling, offer them some water, or ask what they need at this specific moment. By being aware of your role and tuning into your patients’ needs, you can better assess what kind of advice they are able to accept during your appointment.
Be kind to yourself
When you spend your days helping others, prioritising your own well-being is crucial as it will affect your ability to listen to, understand, and care for your patients.
Small acts can go a long way: Adding a small buffer in your schedule between appointments can give you time to mentally prepare for your next patient. Even just taking a few deep breaths and giving yourself a moment to relax can make a huge difference. Reflect on your needs and help yourself by prioritising them.
By taking care of yourself, you will be able to meet patients with openness and set the right tone to build a successful doctor-patient relationship.
Seek help from outside sources when necessary
Even the best professionals are still humans. As humans, we have our own limits. Acknowledging that you need help is a strength that will benefit both yourself and your patients in the long run.
Seek help not only from your peers and colleagues, but also from a mentor, coach, or even a therapist if needed. It is okay to refer a patient elsewhere if you don’t have the capacity or to admit it if the collaboration is no longer functional. As a healthcare professional, you have to take care of yourself first in order to be able to take care of others. This is a basic rule that you should always remember.
Eleonóra Barcziová, ACC (ICF) is a transpersonal coach guiding her clients through their self-exploration experiences. This approach promotes a deeper understanding of the purpose, meaning, and interconnectedness of one’s life aspects. She is trained in Coaching for Performance and Transpersonal Coaching, and employs techniques based on psychosynthesis and Roberto Assagioli’s work, such as imagery, symbols, and subpersonalities. She has 15 years of experience in people development, company culture and HR strategy, both in international and small business settings.
Nora is a member of international coaching bodies such as the Association of Coaching, International Coaching Federation, and Institute of Coaching of Harvard Medical School. norabarczi.com
Photograph: Barbora Tabačková
