Understanding Personality Types Can Enhance Working Relationships

Are you a slow-paced, analytical, problem-solver working with a fast-paced, talkative, animated dental office team? According to Mary Byers, CAE, this difference in personalities can lead to an efficient, well-functioning work environment. Byers gave a presentation at the 2003 CDA Leadership Conference on Jan. 31 on the benefits of understanding your individual personality style, as well as the personalities of those around you.

In her presentation, Byers used a personality quadrant with four dominant categories that most people find they fit into rather strikingly. The four types are Relater and Socializer, which tend to be more relationship-oriented and Thinker and Director, which are more task-oriented and self-contained. The box shows the personality traits that fit each category type:

According to Byers, it is possible for a person to exhibit more than one personality type and present as a hybrid of two types; but in most cases one type is dominant over the other. It is also important to realize that although personality is largely genetic, people can be socialized in an environment in which they project a different type of personality than the one they are naturally inclined to display.

Once you identify your own personality style, it is a good idea to set aside time for your office team to classify themselves and share insights on how best to respond to their individual qualities. It is also a good tool to use to evaluate yourself and examine your own strengths and weaknesses, so that you know what traits you personally need to work to develop.

"To be a successful leader, you need to understand your own strengths and weaknesses and surround yourself with people who complement your strengths and balance out your weaknesses," Byers said.

Having a group of people with different personality types shouldn’t be looked at as an obstacle, but as a chance to present a group of collective strengths. A hygienist who is a people-oriented Relater can balance out the analytical Thinker dentist. An office manager who is a goal-oriented Director can provide structure to a talkative Socializer receptionist.

"The key to staff harmony is to understand one another’s personality styles and adjust work styles to fit personalities," Byers explained. "For example, a Director working with a Relater would do well to slow his or her pace, to seek input rather than barking orders, and to provide plenty of notice regarding impending changes in the office in order to be responsive to a Relater’s work style. By the same token, when dealing with Socializers, Thinkers can speed up their decision-making, present only the bottom line in discussions, and capitalize on their natural ability to be detail-oriented."

In the workplace, Byers suggests trying to apply the Platinum Rule, which is: "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them." Many practices that are not running smoothly, Byers explained, are not understanding individual personality styles and tend to focus on the weaknesses of co-workers rather than the strengths.

"The best teams exist when people are able to understand each other’s personalities and meet in the middle," Byers said.

To further improve the dynamics of a practice, Byers suggests personality-typing patients to figure out what kind of dentistry they will best respond to. You can train your staff, or minimally your hygienist, in understanding personalities and make a practice of noting a patient’s dominant type in his or her chart. If you have a patient who is a Relater, he or she will probably ask a lot of questions and not want to make a pressing treatment decision at that same appointment. That patient should, if possible, be allotted a bit more time than a patient who is a Director, who wants it done yesterday and doesn’t require a full-blown explanation.

"The only perceived downside to understanding each other’s personalities is that it takes some time, and you must be dedicated to applying what you learn," Byers said. "However the benefits of a smoothly run practice can bring about great rewards."

Toothbrush Is Invention Americans Can’t Live Without

While it may seem that cell phones, computers and other technology gadgets are Americans’ most coveted items, teens and adults agree that the toothbrush is the one invention they cannot live without.

The 2003 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, an annual survey of Americans’ perceptions about inventing and innovating, found that technologically advanced items significantly lag in importance behind the toothbrush, which was developed in the 15th century.

When asked to select the invention they could not live without from among five choices -- toothbrush, automobile, personal computer, cell phone, and microwave -- more than one-third of teens (34 percent) and almost half of adults (42 percent) cited the toothbrush. The automobile ranked a close second, getting votes from 31 percent of teens and 37 percent of adults.

Of the remaining choices, teens ranked the personal computer third (16 percent), the cell phone fourth (10 percent), and the microwave last (7 percent). Adults deemed the remaining choices equally important; the personal computer (6 percent), microwave oven (6 percent), and cell phone (6 percent) tied for third place.

Reduced-Impact Baseballs and Faceguards Lower Risk of Injury

The use of safety baseballs in Little League is associated with a 23 percent reduced risk of ball-related injuries, and the use of faceguards with a 35 percent reduced risk of facial injury, according to an article in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to background information in the article, nearly two-thirds of baseball participants are younger than 18 years old. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has estimated that up to one-third of emergency department visits for youth baseball injury could be prevented if safety balls, faceguards, and safety bases were used universally. However, this estimate assumes that these devices are 100 percent effective in preventing injury. To date, no epidemiologic study has examined the potential benefits of safety balls and protective faceguards.

Stephen W. Marshall, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C., and colleagues evaluated the use of faceguards and safety balls for preventing injury in youth baseball.

"The use of safety balls was associated with a 23 percent reduced risk of ball-related injury, and faceguards with a 35 percent reduced risk of facial injury. Reduced impact balls appeared to be the most effective type of safety ball (28 percent reduction). There was no compelling evidence of any difference between plastic and metal faceguards," the researchers wrote. Safety balls appeared to be more effective in the minor division (ages 7-12 years) than in the regular division (ages 9-12 years).

The authors wrote that a wide variety of safety balls are currently used in youth baseball. These include tennis balls, rubber balls, cloth balls, and a special type of ball generically known as the reduced impact ball. The reduced impact ball is designed to look and play like a regular baseball but has greater deformation on impact than traditional balls, lowering the force transmitted to the child. Protective faceguards are worn when the child is at bat and when running the bases. The faceguards studied were largely made up of metal mesh guards and the clear plastic protective visors.

Scientist Finds Gene That Determines Major Sensitivity to Bitter Taste

For the first time -- in a collaboration between the National Institutes of Health, the University of Utah, and Stanford University -- scientists have identified the gene that determines the ability to distinguish a wide class of bitter tastes, according to research published in Feb. 21 issue of Science. How individuals are genetically predisposed to respond or not respond to the bitter taste of substances like nicotine and certain foods may have broad implications for nutritional status and tobacco use.

By estimates, more than 10 million American students have been offered taste testing to identify their ability to recognize or discriminate bitter taste and to introduce them to inherited traits. In more formal research, anthropologists have tested people around the world, over decades, for this same ability or inability to experience bitter taste.

Why are some people "tasters" and others "nontasters," and why is it important? The ability to taste, tested using a compound phenylthiocarbamide, is one of the best-studied inherited traits in humans. Studies over the past 70 years have demonstrated that taste variation is common in the U.S. population: About 30 percent of the population are phenylthiocarbamide (a prototype of a class of bitter substances) nontasters, while 70 percent are tasters of phenylthiocarbamide, experiencing it as intensely bitter. The ability to taste the compound has been known to be dominantly inherited.

Previous studies have demonstrated that phenylthiocarbamide status affects dietary choices. Other earlier investigation suggests that nontasters may not experience the bitter taste of nicotine in cigarettes and may be at greater risk for prolonged smoking.

Dennis Drayna, PhD, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, project leader of the collaboration, explained, "We have identified a gene on chromosome 7 that exists in five different forms throughout the world. One of these forms confers a severe deficit in taste ability, while the other forms produce intermediate to fully sensitive taste abilities. This gene codes for part of the bitter taste receptor complex which exists in cells on the tongue," Drayna said.

"This research promises to open a pathway to better understanding about what drives certain human behaviors including those associated with smoking and eating," said James F. Battey, Jr., MD, PhD, director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Dental Profession Working Together for Dental Education

The dental profession is banding together to pull dental education out of its downward spiral, reported Janyce Hamilton in the December 2002 Review, publication of the Chicago Dental Society.

According to Hamilton’s report, dental education is taking hits from two directions. Nationwide in 2002, the number of vacant faculty positions continued to increase, while dental school class-size enrollment rose.

Hamilton noted that American Dental Association Survey Center data show that from 1990 to 2000, the average number of vacant faculty positions per dental school increased from 4.3 to 6.5. During the same period, enrollment rose 9 percent.

Dental schools with unfilled openings report few dentists respond to their advertisements, and some of those who do are not qualified. The article states that the total number of all types of faculty members who separated from dental schools in 2001-02 was 1,011. Hamilton noted that although this is nearly triple that of the previous period, part of the increased number is due to better reporting.

According to Hamilton’s article, the No. 1 destination of departing faculty is private practice.

Hamilton reports that the ADA and its Council on Dental Education and Licensure are pursuing the problem full force. ADA leadership has passed several resolutions to deal with the problem. The ADA held two dental education summits with eight dental specialty organizations in attendance, as well as the American Dental Education Association and others.

Hamilton’s article discussed several problems in dental education and some proposed solutions. Problem areas include income disparities between private practice and academia, soaring student loan debt, tuition waivers/student stipends, mentoring, and the economic downturn.

The ADEA’s suggested strategies include:

* Recruiting from military, federal services, and private practice;

* Developing nontraditional methods of compensation;

* Recruiting from within;

* Developing scholarships, research grants, and loan-forgiveness programs; and

* Developing new media to enhance interaction between schools and employment seekers.

Sjögren’s Syndrome and Celiac Disease Connected

Sjögren’s syndrome and celiac disease have many similarities, including patients with a risk for dental problems, according to an article in the December 2002 issue of the Moisture Seekers, newsletter of the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation.

Celiac research literature is forthcoming about the association of celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders, particularly Sjögren’s syndrome, wrote Janet Y. Rinehart, former president, Celiac Sprue Association.

According to Rinehart, both diseases predominantly target women. Both diseases are referred to as syndromes and can involve many organs and body systems. Rinehart noted that both disease have unknown causes, though a genetic factor in both is likely.

Rinehart said celiac disease is the "most misdiagnosed of all the autoimmune disorders." CD is a malabsorption syndrome whereby gluten in wheat, barley, rye, and oats damages the lining of the small intestine. Individuals with Sjögren’s syndrome have complications because of dryness, including lack of saliva, and use various over-the-counter products and medical procedures to ease dryness.

Both syndromes are considered rare diseases. A study from the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research showed that celiac disease is prevalent in less than 1 in 200 healthy individuals. International research has shown a prevalence of 1 percent worldwide.

Both diseases may cause dental problems, Rinehart noted. Sjögren’s patients are at risk for dental problems because of lack of adequate saliva. Patients with celiac disease have tooth defects primarily caused by lack of absorption of calcium and vitamin D.

Virtual Articulator Offers Dynamic View of Occlusal Relations

A computer software program for the virtual articulator offers an advantage over the mechanical articulator in that the contact point situation is shown dynamically, not just statically, according to a report in the International Journal of Computerized Dentistry, April/July 2002.

The virtual articulator is intended for use as a tool for the analysis of the complex static and dynamic occlusal relations, wrote German researchers. The virtual articulator requires digital, three-dimensional representations of the jaws and patient-specific data on jaw movement. The researchers note that it simulates jaw movement and provides a dynamic visualization of the occlusal contacts.

According to the article, the observer can see how the contact points move over the cusps and in what sequence they occur. This provides the observer with more information upon which to base the diagnosis. In addition, the program also can simulate a mechanical articulator, showing tooth-guided movements.

The virtual articulator software is under development in cooperation with the University of Greifswald, Germany.

Upcoming Meetings

2003

April 24-27 CDA Spring Scientific Session, Anaheim, Calif., (916) 443-3382, Ext. 4470.

April 29-May 4 19th Annual American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Scientific Session, Orlando, Fla., (800) 543-9220, www.aacd.com.

June 6-8 Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine 12th Annual Meeting, Chicago, (708) 273-9335, www.dentalsleepmed.org.

June 19-22 OSAP 2003 Symposium, Tucson, Ariz., 800-298-OSAP.

July 17-20 Academy of General Dentistry Annual Meeting, Nashville, (888) AGD-DENT, www.agd.org.

Oct. 23-26, ADA Annual Session, San Francisco, (800) 232-1432.

Nov. 8-9 International Conference on Evidence-Based Dentistry, Chicago, j.ryley@elsevier.com

Dec. 5-7 California Academy of General Dentistry Annual Meeting, San Diego, (877) 408-0738, www.cagd.org.

2004

April 15-18 CDA Spring Scientific Session, Anaheim, Calif., (916) 443-3382, Ext. 4470.

Sept. 8-11 International Federation of Endodontic Associations Sixth Endodontic World Congress, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, www.ifea2004.im.com.au.

Sept. 10-12 CDA Fall Scientific Session, San Francisco, (916) 443-3382, Ext. 4470.

Sept. 30-Oct. 3 ADA Annual Session, Orlando, Fla., (312) 440-2500.

Nov. 1-9 United States Dental Tennis Association Annual Meeting, Palm Desert, Calif., (800) 445-2524.

To have an event included on this list of nonprofit association meetings, please send the information to Upcoming Meetings, CDA Journal, P.O. Box 13749, Sacramento, CA 95853 or fax the information to (916) 443-2943.