Campbell Macbean, March 2005 - There are two reasons why patients trust you as their dentist. They trust you because you are filling a particular role of authority in their lives - just as a policeman, a fitness trainer or a hairdresser does. That is, they trust you by taking for granted that you’re technically and clinically competent, that you’ve done enough study and your practice is clean. The other reason they trust you is because of the rapport you’ve built with them through empathy, showing warmth, having an interest in what is happening in their lives. They believe that you have their best interests at heart.

Most people take the first part (your clinical skills) for granted as a minimum standard by which to trust you. The second part of trust, on the other hand, has to be earned. It’s this part that people remember and place most value on when deciding on which dentist to go to or whether to choose proposed treatment. But which part of trust do dentists put most of their focus on?

Usually dentists spend much more time developing and honing their clinical, technical skills rather than their interpersonal or emotional intelligence (E.I). Trouble is it is the technical side of things that often makes the least difference in a patients’ decision process. This doesn’t mean that clinical skills are unimportant - just that if they’re developed in isolation from emotional skills, problems arise.

Dentists Psychological Profile
Over the years Prime Practice has built up a body of scientifically valid data using two highly respected psychological profiles, 16 PF and BarOn EQi (Emotional Quotient Inventory). What we’ve found may not come as much of surprise to those of you who have ever found yourselves surrounded by dentists.

While there are many naturally warm, gregarious dentists out there who could talk the leg off a chair or run for political office, these dentists are not in the majority. In fact, a large percentage of dentists are more on the reserved, distant, even impersonal side of the psychological spectrum. That is, instead of coming across as warm and empathic to people, many dentists are scientists by nature, more interested in a patients’ teeth than in the person attached to them.

As previously stated this may not come to many of you as a surprise. Chances are as a dentist you at least know of other dentists who fit this
Scientist-Dentist profile or have scientist leanings. Maybe they signed up to dentistry through a love and aptitude for the academics and science of it all in the first place. The three really interesting things that we have discovered through these psychological profiles and coaching dentists is:

1.  A natural assumption that most people make with this scientist profile is that they lack empathy. Actually that is not the case. The profiling we’ve done shows that dentists come out very strong in measures of empathy. The average dentist truly cares about what’s best for their patients and staff. However, having empathy and showing personal warmth are two different things and it’s in showing warmth that many dentists come unstuck.
2. The higher up the scientist/dentist profile you go, the higher stress, less successful practice you tend to lead. You tend to have poorer relationships with staff, poorer patient retention and less case acceptance. The lower on the scientist/dentist profile you are the more common it is for the dentist to be running a successful practice, doing dentistry they enjoy, with dentally aware patients who value what they do and with staff who smoothly and efficiently run the office for them. It seems that being a good dental practice builder and running a successful practice requires a range of ‘soft’ skills such as leadership, management and rapport building. All skills that require personal warmth and, most importantly, emotional intelligence. When you think about it, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise either. Wouldn’t you rather have a dentist who you get along with and who puts you at ease about your condition?
3. Somebody’s Emotional Intelligence doesn’t begin and end with what he or she was born with. It can be improved upon, honed and lifted through coaching and training. You can learn skills to improve the way patients (and staff) trust and relate to you. But first you need to become aware of your emotional intelligence strengths and weaknesses and then be committed to the change process.

Now you may think that becoming aware of your E.I. strengths and weaknesses is just a matter of asking those closest to you, staff, family and
friends. However, there are problems with this approach. Firstly E.I. is a  multifaceted and complex measure and it would be very difficult for an
untrained person to give you feedback encompassing its scope. Secondly, how comfortable will it be for them to be truthful with you even if you’ve asked for it? The more in need you are of E.I. feedback the harder and more confronting it will be to give and to hear.

The best way to become aware of your E.I. strengths and weaknesses is to do an E.Q test, (much like an I.Q test) administered and debriefed by a psychologist or an organization with EQi accreditation.

I have for the past two years been completing an EQ test with every one of our clients when they start with us (which is how we put together the dentist psychological profile) and together with their coach they agree on specific E.I. target areas that they want to work on. Through this mix of E.I. goal setting, coaching and a commitment to improvement, I have seen huge changes in Dentists E.I. and these changes are always reflected in their increased practice production, decreased stress levels and overall practice lives.

So does this mean that you need an E.Q. test to work on your E.I.? Well, focused work on areas of your E.I that need attention probably will require a structured professional approach like the E.Q test. However, there are some easy ways that you can work on your E.I. skills with a general broad-brush approach. In the second part of this article, I will give some general E.I. tips that all dentists can work with.

[Published Australasian Dentist, Spring 2005]