2. Dental Check
What is this patient’s body
language saying?
He’s sitting upright and
leaning forward, indicating
an interest in what the DA
has to say
3. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
This American psychologist is considered
the founder of the humanistic psychology
movement.
He studied humans and their most basic
needs to develop this hierarchy.
This diagram can help us understand the
patient’s perceptions and needs.
One must first feel safe before they can
feel cared for.
4. 1st level
Survival or physiological needs
Body functions needed to survive
The first level of Maslow’s hierarchy
includes needs necessary to survival,
such as the ability to breath, eat,
and excrete wastes.
5. Survival or physiological needs
Need to breathe
Regulate body temp
Quench thirst
Sleep
Eat
Dispose of bodily waste
In a dental office, most patients try to have their basic needs met prior to the appointment. But sometimes,
patients indicate they cannot breathe because of fluid in the mouth.
Stop, remove fluid with suction, restart
If patient feels like they cant breath for any other reason, you must immediately fix the problem, before they
become too anxious.
These needs cannot be ignored and are immediate in nature.
When a particular need is not met, the person becomes entirely focused on that need
6. 2nd Level
Safety needs
Security and safety in one’s surroundings
When all of the survival needs are met, the
next level of needs to be met are security and
safety in one’s environment.
This refers to the need to be free of violence in
the home and workplace, having a secure job,
and being able to pay the bills.
7. Safety needs
Safety from violence
Family and health security
Security in employment
Being able to pay bills
In the dental office, this comes into play in the area of insurance coverage.
Patients need to understand both the fee that will be charged, and the portion covered by insurance
People often do not receive necessary services due to loss of insurance, or not being able to pay for the serviced
rendered.
This also comes into play when parents watch their children during procedures, to ensure their safety and
security.
DA’s might even prefer to work at a different office because the insurance benefits are better, therefore
fulfilling their own safety and security needs.
8. 3rd Level
Belongingness and love needs
Accepted and cared for
Once these needs are satisfied, the
needs for belonging and love can be
fulfilled.
This deals with individual needs to be
accepted in society and to have loving
relationships with others.
9. Belongingness and love needs
Social needs
Belonging to or having a family
Feeling loved
Having interactions with friends
Also necessary for dental team members to feel as though they belong.
Those who feel fulfilled with their work, are more effective.
Successful office teams that experience friendship and acceptance in the workplace show greater
satisfaction; and patients often notice this positive atmosphere in the office.
Dental office staff can attend seminars in order to aid in positive interpersonal communications within
the office.
10. 4th Level
Prestige and esteem
Self worth
Once the needs for belonging and
love are met, individuals can focus
on their self worth.
This relates to the need for
recognition of one’s achievements
and maintaining confidence in one’s
ability.
11. Prestige and esteem
At this level, individuals respect others and find a level of self-respect, whether its in work
or personal accomplishments.
Ideally, and person needs to have confidence, and value others’ successes. This is
apparent with patients who are seeking cosmetic dentistry.
New smile, without missing teeth, spaces and decay, gives a patient new self-esteem.
DA’s work to feel the accomplishment of elevating their own skill level, as well as to feel
confident in their own performance without walking over other individuals in the office
who seek the same.
When a DA does not feel valued, or has low self-esteem, it affects all office personal…. As
well as patients!
12. 5th Level
Self-actualization
To achieve the best
The highest level of Maslow’s
hierarchy is that of self-
actualization where individuals
strive to be the best in their
chosen areas of expertise.
13. Self-actualization
“intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more accurately, of what the
organism is”
Self-actualizing people are spontaneous in their ideas and actions.
They are creative, interested in solving problems, feel close to others, generally appreciate life, judge
others without prejudice, and embrace the facts and realities of the world.
The reason some individuals do not seek self-actualization is that obstacles have been
placed in their way by society to hold them back.
Education, or lack thereof, can become an obstacle.
Individuals should be taught to transcend their cultural conditioning, become world citizens, and
understand that life is precious and that controls are good.
They must be taught to make good choices.
14. Defense Mechanisms
Used to block communication
Patients may feel:
Ashamed
Threatened
Guilty
In denial
When this happens, it becomes difficult to move forward when the patient may be unconsciously
defensive in order to gain control.
An example would be, when talking to a patient about the course of tx to care for an area of decay, the
patient might say “my last dentist didn’t find decay there” or “you said that If I brushed and flossed, I
wouldn’t get cavities”
In order to move forward, the DA must recognize the common defense mechanisms, and work with
patients so that communication could be more effective.
15. Dental Check
If a dental dam is being used during patient
treatment and the patient begins to indicate he is
having difficulty breathing, which of Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs must be addressed?
Survival or physiological needs
16. Dental Phobias or Dental Anxiety
Hearing about another persons traumatic experience, or their negative
views on dentistry and dental treatment
The media, which often portrays dentistry and dental treatment in a
negative way, such as portraying it as torture, incompetent dentists, and
painful procedures.
Bad experiences with medical doctors or hospitals
People who have experienced sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
Fear of needles/injections, or the side effects of the anesthetics.
Embarrassment of the condition of their teeth and oral hygiene.
Lack of control, feeling of helplessness, and loss of personal space
18. Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers
Loosely defined as those born in the US between 1946-1964, often thought of as those
born after WWII.
Because of the high birth rate, in 1964, ~1/3 of the population was under 19
“Flower children”
Many great minds came out of the baby boomer generation, and many boomers run
large corporations.
Healthiest and wealthiest generation
This generation may be interested in cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening, and keeping
their teeth for a lifetime.
19. Generation X
Generation “X” consist of people born in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. (40-60 year olds)
Highest education level
Very diverse group in aspects such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, politics and religion.
Influenced by heavy metal and disco music, Desert Storm, the recession in the1980’s and the oil energy crisis.
This generation is unsure about their future because of savings and loan crisis, an dthe overall economy.
Grown up with video games, cable, and the internet
They may be interested in the deals that are offered in the dental office, such as half off for whitening if a
dental examination is completed.
They will search out offices and may want to be contacted by texting versus phone interaction.
20. Generation Y (Millennials)
Generation “Y” refers to people born between 1977-1994
Also referred to as the Echo Generation (children of the baby boomers)
Delaying adulthood longer, and staying with their parents longer
Could be due to the housing crisis and high unemployment levels.
Communicates through texting and email, follows websites and social media.
They would want to have digital images of their braces or teeth sent to their phones.
All communication will be done through their phone which seldom leaves their side.
21. Generation Z
Born in the mid-1990’s to early 2000
In American culture specifically this group is a more diverse mix of ethnicities than
generations before them.
Grew up at the peak of technological advancement
As a group they are mature, fast learners, curious, driven, tolerant, and open-
minded…BUT they feel they cant depend the advice of older adults.
This generation wants to be heard and have input, which has led them to be active in their
communities.
The abundance of technology has led to limited face-to-face communications. This could
be an issue for DA’s from this generation.
22. Stress in the Dental Office
A couple things that can cause stress:
Working closely with other employees
Waiting patients
Procedure changes
Overbooking appointments
Being understaffed
Equipment malfunctioning
Unavailable supplies
Skills
How each member handles stress is an important aspect of how the dental office runs.
23. Conflict and Conflict Resolution
Conflict: a disagreement or power struggle between individuals or groups
Could result from being contradictory, or having a different opinion.
Conflicts create stress, and continue to fester if ignored and can trigger strong emotions
Conflict Resolution: the act of finding an answer or solution to a problem
Must understand that a response to a conflict is based on individual perceptions of the
situation, and not always on the facts.
Good communication will aid in finding a method to resolve the conflict.
24. Culture, Ethnicity, and Race
Culture
Group’s shared beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, customs, languages, symbols, ceremonies, rituals, knowledge, and practices
that are distinctive to a specific group
Ethnicity
Group that shares ancestry, history, linguistic characteristics, religion or culture.
Usually share a sense of solidarity and desire to preserve their culture, traditions, religion or language.
Born into an ethnic group
Race
Group with biological resemblance
Based on real or imagined physical differences
Rooted in the idea of biological classification of humans according to morphological features such as skin color or facial
characteristics.
Externally classified (someone else makes the classification) rather than choosing where they belong
Conceptions of race are often controversial due to their impact on social identity and how those identities influence an
individuals position in social hierarchies.
25. Ethnicity instead of Race
In general, regardless of whether race is accepted as a
useful descriptor, social and physical scientist agree that
genetic variation within racial groups is much greater than
genetic variation between them.
In the face of the increasing rejection of race as a valid
classification scheme, many have replaced the concept of
Race with Ethnicity.
26. Multicultural Interaction
Avoid stereotyping and judging!
Each patient is treated with respect and care.
Make no assumptions about the behaviors of the multicultural patient populations you serve.
Cultural differences
Customs
Traditions
Beliefs
Treating everyone in the manner in which you would like to be treated might now work across cultures.
Eye contact might be considered disrespectful
In western culture, we would call a patient back using their first name, where in other cultures it is disrespectful and
the formal name should be used.
27. Multicultural Interaction
Respecting cultural differences can be a challenge at times, especially
if you are unaware.
You should ask your patient if they are comfortable with the upcoming
procedures and make accommodations where appropriate.
You may want to inform the doctors of what is working best for an
individual so they are prepared.
28. Multicultural Interaction
Always try to avoid behavior or tx that conflicts with patient’s belief systems.
Some cultures find it inappropriate to have the female patient alone with the dental
team
You can allow someone to accompany them
If both the dentist and the assistant are male, working on a female patient, it is advisable to have a
female assistant in the room as well.
Sometimes, instruments are set on the patient’s chest, this isn’t appropriate on a female patient.
Be conscious of gender boundaries to ensure that no patient feels uncomfortable
Do not assume everything should be handled in the same manner. Listen without judgment and
provide optimal care for each patient.
