How One Dental Team Built a Culture That Patients Can Feel
Some teams create such an impactful culture that you can’t help but stop and reflect on how they did it.
I had the pleasure of participating in a team retreat this past month with a practice I’ve worked with since they first opened their doors over ten years ago. Their motto has always been simple: to create a comfortable place for patients to visit.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that they’ve done just that—not only by focusing on their patients, but by putting intentional effort into supporting and celebrating one another as a team.
Quite often, practices focus so intensely on patient care that they may overlook the primary vehicle for delivering it: their people.
Yes, patients deserve the best. We’re all in the business of caring.
However, if we truly want to deliver exceptional care, we must first care for one another.
💡 Three Ways to Build a Culture of Support and Celebration
1. Build a Foundation of Psychological Safety
A strong culture begins with emotional safety. When team members feel comfortable speaking up, asking for help, or admitting mistakes without fear of judgment or blame, they become stronger—and so does the team.
At this retreat, I observed how openly this team communicated. No one hesitated to laugh, listen, or offer support. It was clear that trust had been built over time—and that trust created an environment where everyone felt seen and valued.
How to build this in your practice:
Encourage leadership to model vulnerability and approachability.
Normalize asking for help and sharing feedback.
Hold regular team check-ins where honesty is welcomed—not punished.
🗣️ Your team can’t be strong if people feel like they have to suffer in silence.
2. Celebrate Each Other—Consistently and Authentically
The highlight of the retreat was a formal evening filled with laughter, emotion, and recognition. Each team member was called forward and presented with a custom sash—yes, a sash!—bearing a unique trait they bring to the team’s culture.
There was the "Inspiring Soul", the "Encouraging Light", the "Resilient Spirit", and the "Joyful Energy: award, to name a few.
As each sash was placed, team members beamed with pride—and sometimes tears. It was lighthearted, yes, but also deeply meaningful.
These moments weren’t about productivity or performance metrics. They were about identity, contribution, and belonging.
Ideas to bring into your office:
Create a monthly recognition ritual.
Give shout-outs during huddles or meetings.
Celebrate both the obvious and the quiet contributions—every role matters.
🎉 Recognition doesn’t need to be grand. It just needs to be genuine.
3. Invest in Growth—Together
The retreat wasn’t just about rewarding hard work—it was about rekindling connections and investing in the team's future.
There were strategy sessions, team-building activities, and intentional downtime for reflection. It wasn’t just a fun getaway; it was an investment in culture.
Too often, professional growth is seen as an individual journey—someone takes a CE course, someone else gets promoted. But the best cultures create space for shared development.
How to do this in your practice:
Host regular team development or vision days.
Encourage cross-training to build flexibility and empathy.
Let team members present what they learn, so everyone grows.
🌱 A team that grows together stays together.
❤️ Culture Is Built in the Details
When you walk into this practice, you feel something.
Patients often comment on it:
“Everyone seems so happy.”
“The energy is so positive.”
“You can tell people enjoy working here.”
That kind of culture doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s built—day by day—through intentional support, shared celebration, and the belief that when we care for each other first, everything else falls into place.
What’s One Small Way You Can Celebrate Your Team Today?
Whether it’s a kind word, a handwritten note, or a team lunch—start small, but start somewhere.
Culture isn’t about perfection.
It’s about intention.