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Today's topic is compassion and why it's a necessary skill to have as a dental hygienist.

What is compassion?

First, let's talk about compassion. You might hear the term compassion and you also might hear sympathy, empathy, or you might even hear emotional intelligence. That's kind of a newer term and it encompasses a little bit more than compassion but basically all these terms what they mean is the definition of these terms are basically being able to connect with somebody else and recognizing their thoughts and feelings and being able to respond appropriately to those thoughts of feelings.

So it's reaching out and it's connecting with another person and being able to recognize those thoughts and feelings that they're having and responding appropriately.

Patient confidence

Patients should feel confident you care when you:

1. Listen
2. Respond appropriately
3. Provide comfort, both physical and emotional

When a dental hygienist is friendly and demonstrates compassion, a patient trusts them.

Building trust

So why is it important for hygienists to have compassion for their patients?

Well first and foremost, it builds it builds trust with your patient.

Having compassion builds trust with your patient because then your patient can recognize that that you understand what it is they're thinking, what it is that they're feeling and that's very very important, especially since so many people have a phobia of going to the dentist.

That's a pretty common thing--people definitely have a phobia when it comes to going to the dentist and getting their teeth cleanings twice a year. And getting screened all those sorts of things can be quite scary.

You're working with somebody who has their fingers in your mouth and they have instruments going your mouth, sometimes painful, those sort of things. So it's really important to have compassion and be able to relate to your patient, so you can understand their experience, so that you can build trust, and so that you can make that experience better and easier for them.

If you build that trust and if you make that experience as the best experience that it can be, it ensures that your patients come back when they need to and that they actually call your office when there is something wrong. So they don't wait and hope that that toothache goes away...

So that's why it's important for a dental hygienist to have compassion. Again compassion is just relating to another person and being able to recognize those thoughts and feelings and it's important because it helps establish trust and it makes for the best possible of customer service experience and it keeps them coming back okay so that's what compassion is why it's important for a hygienist to have compassion.

What's your experience with compassion and why it's important? Leave your answer in a comment below.

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