Page 8 - Westman Business 2018

8 THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 2018

Chancellor Dental receptionist Ashley takes appointment bookings. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) Shannon, a dental assistant with Chancellor Dental, adjusts a Panorex Machine to take full jaw
x-ray. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

» Continued from Page 6 their working partnership is a success.
“And they’re still going strong,” Mitch-
One angle that’s been of significant im- ell said with a smile. “And obviously we’ve
portance recently is the hiring of front-of- added dentists along the way.”
fice staff who don’t have backgrounds in Dental assistants will also help patients
dentistry. That way, when patients have convey their concerns or fears or questions
questions, they can answer them in every- to the dentists, but again, it’s extra helpful if
day language, without the confusion that patients are open about their anxiety before
medical lingo or jargon often brings. the treatment begins. “(Assistants) will try
“We try and explain things from a more to anticipate and ask questions of the pa-
personal perspective, so we’ve been hir- tients ahead of time,” Mitchell said. “And
ing people who don’t have a dental back- there’s no question that people should be
grounds to work in the front office so we afraid of asking.
can explain things to everybody from a hu- “We want them to know that we’re here,
man perspective. Like, ‘You’re likely going we’re friendly, we’re human, but please ask thank you to our customers
to be in pain but they’re there to get you questions. Ask anything.”
out of pain.’ And we’re going to use terms As mentioned, the Chancellor Dental
that are more common English rather than website – chancellordental.com – is anoth-
what a dentist might use.” er tool the team is using to try to connect
Mitchell estimated that about half of with people and allay their concerns.
Chancellor Dental’s patients are fairly re- “It’s actually really cool because you
laxed and the other half are uptight if not can hover over the pictures and there are
downright fearful. And usually that second questions in there that each person has
group consists of patients who haven’t been answered,” Mitchell said. “And they’re
to the dentist in a very long time. very random questions, like ‘What’s your
“And it’s most often because they’ve favorite book?’ or ‘What was your favorite
had a very traumatic experience,” she said. toy as a kid?’ Things like that just to let the
“So we try and reel back and make them patients get to know the staff.
comfortable and then ease them into the “We want to make sure our patients are
process because it’s just like doing anything getting the best care that they can get and
you’re scared of – you’re not just going to that they feel welcome and calm. Every-
jump into it.” body who’s coming to us needs to know
In one form or another, Chancellor that we are going to take care of them just
Dental has been around for a long time. as if they were our friends or family. Be-
Drs. Jim Bonar and Alex Pappas have been cause that’s what we do.”
in practice together for about 35 years. And 204-726-1333 superiorautobrandon.com
their longevity as a team makes it clear that » The Brandon Sun