Kevin Henry and His Role as a Dental Assistant Supporter

Carrie Weber:

Welcome back to the Jameson Files. I’m so glad to have all of you with me. Thank you for being a part of our Jameson Files community and staying connected and engaged and looking to improve your professional lives every single day. We’re so glad you’re here and you’re in for a big treat today because my guest is none other than Kevin Henry. Kevin is a good friend. 

I was saying when I was speaking with Dana, your better half, in her interview on the Jameson files that I’ve known her for several years, but you and me go way back into the depths of time. I think I’ve known you as long as I’ve been in the industry. That’s been 24 years. Am I right?

Kevin Henry:

You’re right, because I’ve been in it 25. So we kind of came in together, which is a really cool thing. I love that.

Carrie Weber:

It’s really cool. And so for those of you that might not know Kevin, he has an amazing history in dentistry. Kevin is the former editorial director of Dental Products Report, and the former managing editor of Dental Economics, and currently is still tapping into his incredible gift in journalism for dentistry as the editor in chief of DrBicuspid.com. In addition to that, Kevin has really blazed the trail and his passion for supporting the dental assistants in our profession and has an amazing podcast, Dental Assistant Nation, that I encourage all of you to go check out and follow and subscribe to. 

But Kevin, you’ve not only been stepping out to support assistants, but you really have become a prominent figure in the speaking arena for dentistry. Our paths cross frequently on the lecture circuit. And so continue to be so happy and proud of the things that you’re bringing to our profession. And I’m so grateful you’re with me today, so thank you.

Kevin Henry:

I’m glad to be here. And I’m always glad when our paths cross out there no matter where that may be, even if it’s online like this. So I think it’s great.

Carrie Weber:

Thank goodness for technology, right?

Kevin Henry:

Amen to that.

Recognizing a Need for Support for Dental Assistants

Carrie Weber:

Today, I think, our conversation is probably going to veer in a lot of directions. We tend to do that when we’re having conversations, but our primary focus is going to be maximizing the talents of dental assistants in our practices. I know that’s where your heart really lies in our profession. 

I’d love to start with how that came to pass for you– 25 years in dentistry, 25 years on editorial teams of our most premier publications in media in dentistry. I’m sure you’ve been exposed to a great deal of insights and information. What landed you in this place of wanting to support dental assistants the way you do?

Kevin Henry:

I’ll be perfectly honest. I fell into it. Back when I was managing editor for Dental Economics– I have such fond memories of working with John and Kathy during that time whenever they were right for dental economics, getting to know them, going down to the ranch, all that good stuff. It was about six years into my journalism there at Dental Economics that I realized we had Dental Economics Magazine, and we had RDH magazine, but we didn’t have anything for dental assistants. And so I started a publication, it was all online. It was called Dental Assisting Digest, and it eventually turned into a weekly newsletter that we sent out to our dental assistants. I felt like that there wasn’t really anything out there that was letting them know every day, or at least weekly, as much as possible, how important they were, how much that they’re valued.

I got very lucky. You and I were talking before we went on the air about the Oregon meeting, and the Oregon Dental Association reached out to me in 2005 and said, “Hey, we need a dental assisting speaker. Could you put something together?” And I was like, “Yeah, that would be fantastic.” So it’s been about 20 years of speaking to the assistants, and I love whenever I can do something online to remind them, but whenever I can get in a room, as you well know as a speaker, when you can really see it in their eyes that they get the message, that just makes a world of difference.

Carrie Weber:

Wow. You know, Kevin, I don’t know if you remember this, but the reason our podcast is called The Jameson Files is that it’s named after my dad’s old dental economics column, The Jameson Files. Do you remember that?

Kevin Henry:

I absolutely do. And I’ll tell you, seriously, I came from sports, public relations into dentistry and I knew nothing about this, but John and Kathy were two of the first people to put their arm around me and say, “You know what? Let me teach you. Let me show you some things. Let me introduce you to some folks.” And so I will always be grateful to them for that. Your family has blazed such a trail, and Jameson Files held a special place in my heart too, for sure.

Carrie Weber:

I love that. And seeing the need among assistants, I think that is just such a tremendous gift that you’ve given because I agree. There’s so much untapped potential and opportunity not only in the professional development of our clinical assistants but in them embracing another level in their roles in the practice and the power that they have in the health of the practice and in the relationships with the patients. 

Areas of Opportunity to Maximize Team Members

So with 20 years of speaking and really connecting to these assistants, I’m sure you have learned a lot along the way and have really honed in on some specific areas of opportunity to maximize these team members. Can you share a few of those insights that you’ve gained over the years?

Realizing your Value as a Team Member

Kevin Henry:

Yeah. It’s funny, but the insights that I learned back in 2005 and early on, they’re the same now, but they’re so much more critical now that we have the staffing shortage, and then we have to make sure our teams stay together. And I think you hit something on the head when you were talking just a moment ago, they have to realize themselves how important they are. I have met countless assistants, and I’m sure you have as well with all that you do, that they introduce themselves as just an assistant. Or they see themselves as this person that doesn’t matter in the practice. And let’s be perfectly honest here, we’re in a safe space here, The Jameson Files, right? They know they’re the lowest paid person on the team. They know that, everybody knows that. And so we have to make sure that that elephant that’s in the room kind of comes out. 

You know, what? Money’s one thing, but the empowerment and getting them to really buy into the fact that they have this relationship with the patients, that they have this trust that they build with the patients, that the patients almost see them as an equal. And, I will tell you, if you can have your assistants understand the value that they bring to each and every appointment when that patient’s in the chair, it’s a game changer for them and for the practice as well.

Carrie Weber:

And would you agree, Kevin, that so much of that is the culture of the practice itself–what the leaders of the practice are doing to instill that sense of value into those assistants? There’s so much trust that the patients have from long-term team members, so much trust that those patients are looking to those assistants to determine if they’re making the right decision or if it’s a decision that they even need to make. So I’m curious, in your presentations when you’re speaking to assistants, what are the biggest pieces that you’re encouraging them to do to level up their skills or lean in more to accomplish in their roles?

Taking an Active Role in your Career

Kevin Henry:

The biggest thing that I always tell them is to not be passive. They have to actually take control of their own career. And for a lot of dentists who may be listening to this, I know that that may sound a little scary, but what I’m asking them to do, and what I’m kind of pushing them to do is not sit back and wait on the dentist to say, you know what? I would love it if you did this. I want them to research their state laws. I want them to know what every dental assistant can do in every state, and then come to the dentist with a business plan and saying, if I’m able to be trained on this, and if we incorporate this into the practice, here’s the bottom line impact. And here’s what it can do for us. I think whenever they come up with a business plan on their own, they come up with a plan for their future on their own, they own it much more than somebody else saying, here’s what I want you to do.

Investing in Team Members

Now they’re saying, here’s what I want to do. And so I think as a dentist, if you’re listening to this, I hope that you’ll encourage your assistants to come up with that map. Where do they want to be a year from now? And what’s it going to take to get there? What do you need to invest in their learning, in their empowerment, whatever it is? What kind of resources do you need to put toward that? Because again, safe space here, these dental assistants, I hear constantly that they all want money. They want more money, they need raises. I will tell you, the vast majority of assistants that I talk to, it is not about the money. It is about going somewhere where they feel valued. And they feel like they’re actually a part of the team. And if you can instill that in them, that’s worth more to them than an x amount of dollars more per hour anytime.

Carrie Weber:

Yes. There was a study that the ADA Health Policy Institute did about the top reasons hygienists have left a dental practice. What are the top reasons hygienists are leaving? And it also gave a nod to responses that assistants gave of why they left. And culture was the number two reason for assistants, tied with being overwhelmed. And so, money was number one. But I think that’s the elephant in the room, right? The salary, the wages they’re needing to make a good living wage. But when culture’s number two, I think that speaks directly to what you’re saying, Kevin. There’s so much more that would lead an assistant to stay and be a loyal, high performing team member.

If we all just had a heightened sense of awareness of what it is that makes our work meaningful. Leaders need to know that about their team members. What are they looking for for fulfillment in their careers? Can we provide a space to allow them to develop, grow, and thrive, and then be able to reward them in work well done? The expanded duties, like you just mentioned, are a perfect example of an opportunity to grow and develop professionally that a practice could provide their assistants that perhaps those assistants couldn’t find somewhere else.

Kevin Henry:

And I always hear, well, why would I pay for that? They just may go to another practice. I always hear that as a rebuttal whenever I speak to dentists at study clubs or wherever it might be. And my response is always, why wouldn’t you take that chance and show that investment in them? Because I think that this generation of dental assistants that is coming in, their priority is so much to feel like that they found a home, to feel like that they found somewhere that they can also not take drama home with them. All these things that are so important today, that they can have that work/life balance. But when they’re at work, they really feel like that they are a part of things. And so I think that that’s really something. If I had a wishlist for dentists who are listening, I would absolutely put culture at the top of that.

Carrie Weber:

For sure. I got to see you present at the Henman meeting this year. That was awesome. You were awesome. It was such a great class. It was on leadership, and you were actually speaking to the business team in that course. But you were talking about what we’re seeing on the horizon about the number of hygienists and assistants that are likely to leave the profession in the next five years. And that was rattling.

Kevin Henry:

It is.

Seeing the Importance of Creating a Thriving Work Culture

Carrie Weber:

And that strongly supports your point that you’re giving then, and that you’re saying now that we as leaders, business owners, doctors have got to understand how crucial it is to create a thriving culture if we want these team members to stay, because there’s not enough coming in to offset those that are going out. And so the supply and demand of team members for a really high performing practice are gonna be more challenging as the years go along.

Kevin Henry:

And I’m going to throw out a number because I think we’ve got to understand, like you just said, people keep saying, well, when is this going to get better? And this was a report that was done from the Dental Assisting National Board, the American Dental Assistant Association, and IgniteDA, when I was with them. And then it was also through the ADA, so it was a joint partnership– one third of dental assistants currently are expected to leave the industry in the next five years. 

Carrie Weber:

That gives me chills. It’s rattling.

Kevin Henry:

Now, granted we are going to have some come in, as you mentioned. But I will tell you the rates that they’re coming in versus they’re leaving, they’re not proportionate, like you said. So I think if you have a team member there that you really enjoy and that you feel is a part of your future, then you have to do what you can to ensure that that person understands that. And a lot of that is just simple communication, talking about the goals for the practice, how they fit in, what you see as the vision for the practice, where they fit in, things like that. 

Carrie Weber:

And the primary purpose for that is fulfillment in their work, longevity in team members, and developing them to be able to perform at their highest level. All that aside– knowing how short staffed so many practices have been, and continue to be, how difficult it is to fulfill roles, how busy practices continue to be–it only benefits these practices to explore expanded functions, expanded duties for these team members for no other reason than to maximize the team that they have to do all the dentistry and take care of all the patients that they need to be seeing in any given day. So if for no other reason than to fulfill the needs that you have for your practice, maximizing these team members benefits you.

Kevin Henry:

Absolutely. One thing I would encourage everyone to do is to go look at your state laws for dental assistants and what is legally allowed there, because they are constantly evolving. There are a lot of states, including I believe Oklahoma,where things have changed in the last year. Go and make sure that you understand what your dental assistant can do. 

And if you have EDAs, if you have EFDAs, if you have CDAs, RDAs, whatever acronym you can put after that person’s name, and you encourage them to chase that and to go for that, I think not only are you showing the faith that you’ve got in them, but also again, that they’re a part of your practice. They’re a part of your team, your long-term future, and that’s worth its weight in gold.

Carrie Weber:

Absolutely. So creating an opportunity for development, expanded duties, maximizing their abilities to fulfill that kind of meaning in their careers. What else are you encouraging these assistants to step forward and lean into?

Being a Leader in your own Pocket of Practice.

Kevin Henry:

I’m encouraging them to step forward and become leaders in their own little pockets in the practice. Again, it goes back to taking control of the situation. It goes back to not sitting back but saying, if I’m in charge of ordering, if I’m in charge of infection control, whatever I may be in charge of in the practice, how can I make sure that we are actually doing it the most efficient way and the safest way, especially whenever it comes to infection control, I was just at the OSAP meeting, which is now renamed Association for Dental Safety. And that’s one thing that I heard so often of these new team members– most of whom are coming in from outside the dental industry, for most of them this may be their first job– and so teaching them infection control and having them understand the value of it is such an important thing right now.  

For those assistants who have been around for a while, it is really making sure that the areas that they can control in the practice, are not just at 90% but are at a hundred percent–whether it’s keeping patients safe, it’s keeping them informed, whatever it might be.

Carrie Weber:

I was talking with Dana Johnson, and we were talking about workflows from her standpoint, with practice management software, with the business operations of the practice. I highly recommend that episode. If you haven’t listened to that podcast, please do so. But this also speaks to workflows, Kevin. What you’re saying is for the assistant to really own and embrace the workflows that they should be ultimately responsible for, infection control being operative number one– to keep that practice safe and aligned with what’s required of them to be in compliance if for no other reason than to keep those patients safe. If you don’t need any other reason, it’s for the health and wellbeing of the patients that you serve. But the fact of the matter is, to your point, 80% isn’t good enough.

Using Effective Communication Skills to Share Ideas

Kevin Henry:

It’s not, and I think the dental assistants have to have that voice. You know, you mentioned the efficiency, and it’s funny, Dana and I talk about this so much. We have such great pillow talk, I tell you, it’s fantastic. But it means something to me that if a dental assistant sees something that isn’t efficient or sees something that could be made better, that he or she has the freedom to say, what about this? Now I know we never want to say, in my last practice we did it this way. But I think that the dental assistant at least has to have the ability to say, could we try it this way and see if there’s a difference, because it’s hindering us, it’s slowing us down? So I think as long as they have that freedom, that’s another big thing as well.

Carrie Weber:

That little snippet that you just shared speaks to communication skills.

Kevin Henry:

Oh, for sure.

Carrie Weber:

Sure. To be the best you can possibly be, no matter what role you hold in a practice, your ability to effectively communicate with care is such a key factor with your doctors, with your teammates, with the patients. 

You are a certified DISC instructor. I feel like many people in the dental realm know the DISC behavioral styles. I think that speaks to it, too–knowing those communication skills and our ability to navigate the differences between us and our teammates and our patients, but with the intention being for the best possible good and outcome for the practice. How can I communicate these needs that I’m finding for the practice? And not just simply say, well, that’s not my job. Well, I’m not going to, you know, I’ll just do whatever. To take that kind of initiative and sense of ownership for the sake of the practice.

Kevin Henry:

And, I will tell you, I talk DISC every time that I’m doing a dental assisting lecture, because I think it’s important for dental assistants to understand the different personalities that there are in the practice. And the biggest reason that I teach them that is because the one thing I hear time and time again is that my dentist will never go for that. My dentist will never listen to me. And it may be because you’re presenting it in a way that isn’t as appealing to him or her. You’re not understanding what he or she wants to get out of the game. And so the biggest thing that I try to have them understand is if that person’s a different personality, what is it that they’re looking for every day? And how can you craft that message, not to manipulate them, but to have them understand much more why you think it’s important and you all get on the same wavelength.

Carrie Weber:

There’s a big difference between influence and manipulation. And what we’re wanting to encourage all of the assistants that may be watching is to build that influence for good that can help. And learning how to communicate and understanding the motivators behind the people that we’re engaged with makes all the difference to help get them into that conversation.

Kevin Henry:

And, and one thing that I have learned whenever I’ve tried to pair DISC with dental assistants is that the vast majority of them out there are S’s. They are not the ones who will tell their opinion first, but they’re going to wait to be asked. They’re going to be more passive. And so what I always encourage is to break out of that shell a little bit. Because if you’re working with somebody who’s much more dominant, somebody that has a bigger personality maybe than you, that may cause you to sink back and think that your opinions aren’t as important. But I will tell you, the dental assistants that are in the workflow every day, the ones that are hearing what the patients are saying whenever the dentist leaves the room, those are the pieces of information that they simply have to pass along. And it also has to mold how their communication is with the rest of the team, because often they will be told things by trust by these patients that they simply have to have as a part of the conversation.

A Final Word to Dental Assistants & Team Leaders

Carrie Weber:

So, you know, growing and developing in your skills in your role in the practice, stepping up to the plate as a leader within your circle of influence in the practice, building those communication skills so that you can have a positive influence on the practice. Any other bit of advice for our assistant friends?

Kevin Henry:

You know my daughter Julia, who’s now 26. One thing that I have told her since the day she was little, and I believe this is, if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else is going to. And that’s what I tell my assistants because so often they’ll say, nobody’s going to listen to me. That’ll never change. And, I have to have them have that belief in themselves and the belief that something will actually change because If you go into a battle already defeated, you know what the outcome is going to be. Hmm. So I will only add, absolutely have that belief that not only do you have the power to have things change, but that things will actually change as well.

Carrie Weber:

I love that. So for any of you out there that are listening that are assistants, these are your marching orders, this is your battle cry. Take the next step in your professional development, work on those communication skills. Study, read, listen to a podcast, watch a course, and practice on improving those skills. Step up in your circle of influence, and then believe in yourself that you do have power of influence to impact the people around you in that practice in a positive way. You actually are influencing the team one way or another and your patients, one way or another, whether you do anything or not. And so my hope and Kevin’s hope is that you will recognize that and embrace the good that you can bring to your team, to your doctors, to your patients.

And if you’re a doctor or a team leader I want you to take a step back and look at the team that you have in front of you, and where you are missing out on untapped potential and opportunity, where you could create a culture that motivates, a culture that inspires, and a culture that delegates authority, leadership, and opportunity to those team members so they can thrive and help your practice thrive with you. 

How to Hear More from Kevin Henry

So Kevin, I loved this conversation. I hope that those of you that are listening feel inspired to look at how you can benefit from maximizing these team members. Because what if you started maximizing these team members and everyone can enjoy the rewards of the work that comes from that. That can help offset that number one issue, the elephant in the room, because we’re maximizing this team, and the return can be shared between all of us. 

So Kevin, how can people find you? Because I think there’s gonna be a lot of people that are going to be hungry for more on how they can encourage and grow and develop the assistants on their team.

Kevin Henry:

We’d love for you to join us on Dental Assistant Nation, wherever you get your podcasts. We are there with a new episode that comes out every week. It’s my little message of encouragement and of bringing on great people in the industry to share that. I know that you’ve been on there before and that you’ve shared your message for assistants. I love that. And then if you want to reach out to me, I’m always happy to answer any questions I can on DISC, dental assisting, or whatever–ke***@***************al.com.

Carrie Weber:

And if you don’t already subscribe to DrBicuspid.com, I want to recommend that because, Kevin, you’re doing an incredible job creating amazing content on that platform. 

Kevin Henry:

I have a great team of editors who scour the news wire and we talk about the good and bad in dentistry for sure. So thank you for that.

Carrie Weber:

That’s all right. So keeping your finger on the pulse, 25 years in and still going strong, my friend. So thank you so much for being with me. I appreciate you and what you’re doing. 

Kevin Henry:

It’s been an honor. Thank you.

Carrie Weber:

And thanks to all of you for joining us again. It’s always a pleasure to be with the Jameson Files community, so thanks for being with us. Be well, and we’ll see you next time.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Jameson Files. Visit us online. You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify. See you next time.