Back-To-School Time: Good For Appointments, Not So Good For Morale

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It’s August.

Pretty soon, kids nationwide will be donning their brand new duds, grabbing their still-clean backpacks, and heading out the door for that first day of school.

But first, they’ll be visiting the dentist.  

The impending start of the new school year is the cue for moms everywhere to say, Darn! I completely forgot about getting my kids’ teeth cleaned this entire, months-long summer, in which I had plenty of time and opportunity to schedule appointments! Now, I’ll need to take out my panic on the dentist’s receptionist and browbeat her into squeezing my kids in, the same week that everyone else in my entire town is doing the same thing!  

Of course, we’re not complaining about the extra appointments (well, okay, maybe we are a little bit) – it’s the hit to office morale that really gets us during this time of year.

Dealing with one reluctant, panicky, or even downright hostile kiddo after another takes a toll on everyone in the office, from the receptionist to the hygienist to the dentist.

But at Molar Media Mount, we’re here to help.

We’ve put together a list of ideas for cajoling those patients into behaving, and boosting office morale during this busy season – so that both your patients and your staff can head into the fall with only a minimum of emotional trauma.      

  1. Blind Them With Science – Got the latest x-ray machine? Any nifty new lasers lying around? Kids are all about new technology these days, so you could try wowing them with a little demonstration. Of course, once they realize that cool new tool might be coming near their mouth, their level of resistance could be ratcheted up even higher, so use this tip with caution.
  2. Tag-Teaming – Abbott had Costello, Calvin had Hobbes – and you’ve got your super-busy dental hygienists and your patients’ hovering moms! So, it may not be the ideal set-up for comedic gold, but at least you know you’re all on the same team - Team Keep the Kid From Freaking Out For Just a Few…More…Minutes. Get some banter going, tell some corny jokes, and maybe you’ll have them groaning at your puns instead of moaning about having to be there.
  3. Bribery – This one is a tried-and-true dental tactic – treasure chests and goodie bags, anyone? But there’s no harm in upping the ante and going all out for the kiddies with freshly baked cookies or milkshakes. Well, okay, maybe there’s harm to the teeth chomping those sugary treats…but hey, it’ll give ‘em a chance to use that free toothbrush in your goody bag…or, schedule another appointment with you, am I right?
  4. Distraction – Dentists have been trying this one for millennia, and it’s evolved right along with the profession – from the caveman era of posters on the ceiling, to the industrial revolution of TVs mounted on the wall, to today’s technological era – where modern dentists use the Molar Media Mount to attach an iPad to their dental light, so that their patients can actually see the screen no matter what they’re doing, and can watch any show they can stream. Just turn that tablet on, let the kiddo pick a show – and you’ll have a happy kid, a happy mom, and happy staff.

So, quick – it’s not too late to stock up before back-to-school season is over! Grab yourself a few Molar Media Mounts today.

 

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