Bupa Dental Care (BDC) has launched a bespoke training offering for its clinicians, to help them be as impactful with their words and relationship building skills as they are with their dental talents and tools.
Dentists have little exposure to communications or patient relationship management training in undergraduate curriculums or thereafter, despite these being fundamental skills for the job. In recognition of this, BDC has partnered with Barry Oulton and his Confident Dentist Academy to create exclusive content on the fundamentals of good communication. Communicating effectively is crucial to ensure that patients fully understand their treatment options and are clear about how to maintain their oral health.
Gabriela Pueyo, BDC’s general manager says, “The last year has been really challenging for our industry and we know that re-building trust and long-term relationships with our patients is more important than ever. The launch of the ‘Communications Clinic’ is an example of the investment we’re making to help our clinicians feel valued, supported and benefit from being part of the Bupa family.”
The ‘Communications Clinic’ is designed to help BDC clinicians build better rapport with patients and colleagues, leading to a happy working environment and meaningful, productive, long-lasting patient relationships. It is delivered as a series of video lectures, providing clinicians with easy access to the information in bite-size chunks. Topics include meaningful communication, neuro-linguistic programming, building rapport and mindset, enabling attendees to gain skills they can implement instantly.
Susie Lloyd, head of clinical policy and learning at BDC, said, “Dental is an increasingly fast-paced, challenging and competitive industry. We know that a breakdown in communications is the top reason for complaints in dental practices and a huge source of stress for clinicians. The good news is it’s something that can be easily rectified, and our ‘Communications Clinic’ is about ensuring our clinicians have the right tools for the job to deliver the best possible outcomes for their patients and for themselves.”
Barry has been a practicing clinician for over 28 years, owning Haslemere Dental Centre in Surrey for 20 of those; as well as a qualified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnotherapy practitioner. Barry brings his passion for dentistry and human psychology and behaviour together in ‘The Confident Dentist’, the industry’s first bespoke communication and patient relationship management skills academy.
Barry adds, “It’s extremely reassuring to see an organisation like Bupa Dental Care go above and beyond for its clinicians. We can’t underestimate the importance of good communication in our industry and the power we have as dentists to influence better health outcomes for our patients.”