Sheri's Solutions: Recipe chat

"Do you have the recipe for that?"

It is holiday time. We are always thankful for our patients to come in to their appointment during the holiday time, both from a production and information standpoint. In our office, we deck the front of our dental house with holiday Dove dark chocolate pieces and a glass handmade pumpkin.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS.

After Thanksgiving, the glass pumpkin changes into a holiday snow globe, which keeps the mood festive. Alongside the reception chairs, we have a table displaying current magazines with incredible selections of recipes. Yes, we do have Sports Illustrated, Travel and Leisure, Time, and Money, the standard office fare. However, as I do love to cook, I have a variety of cooking magazines. We also have recipe cards available at the front desk, along with multiple pens.

Branding recipe cards is a great marketing idea. The patients take the recipe home and have your information as well. In the back of our dental house, we have a different holiday tradition. When the music on the radio changes from light rock to seasonal, chair chat also converts from discussion of the weather to recipes.

My dental assistant and I always have discussions while working on our patients. It distracts the patient (unless they are sleeping) and keeps them from thinking about the procedures being done on them. Normally, we talk about the steps of the treatment being completed. Additionally, we will discuss the weather (it is Chicago, the weather changes, occasionally between three seasons in the same day) to construction updates of the empty lot across from our office to updates on "Forensic Files."

Now, with the impending holiday, we "talk turkey." Not just turkey, but all the dishes that go with it. It is amazing how many recipes patients are willing to discuss and share. We also joke about where the meal is going to be. Who is cooking? What are they bringing? How far are they going?

We talk about our family gatherings, sometimes the same, or similar, conversation several times during the day. All of this "chat" seems rather mundane, but it does connect with the patient on a different level. Dental care is all about trust. Patients need to find a bond with the practitioner. Food is a very primal element. When patients are discussing food, they are willing to share some personal tidbits about their lives. The reverse is the same.

While we are discussing our favorite recipes, we are sharing segments of our lives that patients rarely have a glimpse. We are apt to give our patients a recipe as they walk out of the office. Sometimes they offer to write down a family favorite. As our practice is multiethnic, it is great to ask about traditional recipes that are served.

So, during this holiday season, think about your "chair chat." We are never silent. Though we will discuss "Da Bears" on occasion, or how much snow we are expecting, we will always go back to the few things patients tend to love to discuss: food, recipes, and family traditions.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS, practices clinical dentistry in Lincolnwood, IL. She is currently vice president and president-elect of the American Association of Women Dentists and editor of the American Association of Women Dentists "Chronicle" newsletter. She has served as an educator in several dental and dental hygiene programs, has been a consultant for a major dental benefits company, and has written for several dental publications. You can reach her at [email protected].

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