Often, we hear the word “Quality” being thrown around whenever there’s a discussion about what makes a dental clinic/dentist stand out from the rest.

And it makes sense: none of us want subpar services, be it for our patients or ourselves. We seek higher quality food, cars, phones and clothes, so what makes wanting higher quality dental care any different?

But what is quality?

Is it just one thing? Or is it a collection of elements that, when combined, give us the result we dentists are always aiming for: providing the best possible care for our patients.

If you look up the definition online, you’ll find several interpretations of what healthcare quality or quality in general is, but my personal favorite has got to be this one:

“Doing the right things right, the first time and every time.”

Wait a second… What’s that supposed to mean?

Imagine you’re a chef working at a restaurant, and you have 10 orders coming in at the same time. What’s your plan here? Are you going to start serving random, undercooked food to the wrong customers?

Or are you going to make sure that you’re cooking the right dish, the right way, for the right customer, and repeat that for the next 9 orders?

That’s quality.

So, how does that interplay with our goals as dentists?

Like I mentioned before, our goal is to provide the best possible care for our patients. But keep in mind that the care you provide isn’t merely just the filling you place inside a tooth. Care starts from the moment the patient calls, right up until they leave the clinic (and a bit after that, too!)

To achieve this goal, we have to know that the care we provide must be safe, accessible, timely, effective and patient-centered.

When you start understanding what quality is and the framework you should follow to achieve it, you’ll notice that there’s an improvement in patient satisfaction, patient safety and overall improved patient outcomes.

What’s that framework, you might ask? Well, that’s the topic for my next article, so stay tuned!