There are lots of legitimate reasons why dental professionals may be hesitant to accept change in the practice. When looking to introduce new equipment or workflows, it is essential that these barriers are identified and addressed. Many will be controllable factors, which means that practice owners and clinical leads can improve the transition process, optimising long-term results for both the professional team and patients.
Understanding hesitations
There is a combination of individual, interpersonal and organisational factors that may instigate resistance to change. The latter two include effectiveness of communication regarding the proposed changes and how well the transitional period is managed by business leaders such as the practice owner or manager.[i]
Individual factors are more complex and varied, being affected by people’s attitudes to change, personality traits, emotions and previous experiences. As such, fear of the unknown is a major reason why some people are resistant to change in the workplace. Professionals might not fully understand what the change will mean for their workload, how it will be implemented or what will be expected of them in relation to new workflows or clinical treatments being offered to patients. This can cause stress and must be addressed before people can successfully accept the change.[ii]
As might be expected, one of the other biggest barriers to successfully implementing change is a lack of training and education for the team.[iii] Individuals that feel ill-prepared to set-up, use or maintain new equipment can be hesitant to add it into their routine. This is especially important in the dental practice, because concerns for impact on patient care will often drive professionals to avoid any change they don’t completely understand.
Overcoming challenges
Luckily, the solution to this last issue is fairly straightforward – ensure your team have access to comprehensive training with any new equipment introduced to the practice! For key technologies, industry-leading suppliers and manufacturers will offer training as part of their service. For the best outcomes, this should be tailored to the individuals who will be required to use the equipment most often. Providing access to reminders, guides and other educational resources beyond the initial training will also be helpful for many team members.
With regards to overcoming other barriers, it is essential to maintain clear and concise communication. Relevant information should be shared with the team at the right time, ensuring consistency in messages from the practice owner, manager and any line managers or support staff. What the change will be, why it is being implemented and how it will benefit patients or the professional workflow should be discussed in detail.
Optimising benefits for advanced clinical care
Of course, the brand and type of new equipment you choose will also have an influence over the success of their implementation. For the greatest results, it’s necessary to consider what will be most appropriate for the treatment modalities often delivered in the practice.
For instance, if your team routinely delivers implant therapies, which include advanced placement and augmentation techniques, it is crucial that they have adequate diagnostic imaging to inform their treatment planning. Instead of referring patients out for CBCT scans, bringing the service in-house will afford a number of advantages, from increased speed and efficiency to improved patient comfort.
The CS 9600 CBCT scanner from Carestream Dental is an excellent example. With 5-in-1 imaging capabilities, it is designed to grow with your practice as your services develop. It offers crystal-clear images for accurate diagnostics and a broad range of volume sizes for clinical flexibility. Like all Carestream Dental solutions, it also comes with expert team training and support, further ensuring a smooth transition period for professionals who are learning to effectively integrate the scanner into their daily workflow.
Change is good
By recognising common reasons for resistance to change in the dental practice, and proactively supporting the team with clear communication, tailored training
and trusted technology, you can successfully take your business into the future. Embracing change not only elevates patient care, but it also streamlines and improves the professional workflow. Effective implementation is, therefore crucial.
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Author bio: Nimisha Nariapara
Nimisha is the Trade Marketing Manager at Carestream Dental covering the UK, Middle East, Nordics, South Africa, Russia and CIS regions. She has worked at Carestream Dental for the past 7 years, where she has developed her marketing skills and industry knowledge to bring the core values and philosophy of the company to the market.
[i] Cheraghi, R., Ebrahimi, H., Kheibar, N. et al. Reasons for resistance to change in nursing: an integrative review. BMC Nurs 22, 310 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01460-0
[ii] Rehman N, Mahmood A, Ibtasam M, Murtaza SA, Iqbal N, Molnar E. The Psychology of Resistance to Change: The Antidotal Effect of Organizational Justice, Support and Leader-Member Exchange. Front. Psychol., 02 August 2021. Volume 12 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678952
[iii] Mosadeghrad, Ali & Ansarian, Maryam. (2014). Why do organisational change programmes fail?. International Journal of Strategic Change Management. 5. 189. 10.1504/IJSCM.2014.064460.
