November is around the corner, and something delicious is coming with it! Can you guess what it is?

That's right, it's dental Thanksgiving! 

We've shared some tips in past posts, and now we're sharing a few on gratitude. Many of us pause to consider what we’re thankful for, but gratitude has benefits that last all year round—especially in the dental world. 

A business culture of gratitude for dental professionals can lead to stronger connections with office team members, increased job satisfaction, and a more welcoming patient atmosphere. 

This November, we thought it would be fun to share ideas for implementing a culture of gratitude in your office by bringing you 25 Days of Dental Gratitude!

We've put together daily ideas to thank those who make your practice thrive— from patients to team members to our community! 

We've even broken our ideas into weekly segments for the month; oh, are we excited! 

So let’s get started . . .

Week 1: Gratitude for Patients

Dental patients who visit the office daily take time to look after their oral health—when you choose a dental office to show patients appreciation and gratitude, you demonstrate how much you value them as the heart of your practice. 

Here are seven ideas for the first week of November: 

Day 1: Handwritten Thank You Cards
Empress appreciation for patients’ trust in you with their dental care and oral health.

Smart tip: these cards can also be sent as e-cards with a reminder about their next dental cleaning appointment! 

Day 2: Patient Gatitute Wall
Have a “We’re Thankful” wall in the waiting area where patients can share their gratitude. 

Day 3: Seasonal Treat Bags
Offer small gifts of sugar-free treats, like mints or gum, as a seasonal “thank you” to patients after their appointments.

Day 4: Thankful Social Shout-Outs
Highlight long-term patients on your social media (with permission) to show gratitude for their loyalty.

Day 5: Service Raffles
Hold a raffle for a complimentary whitening consultation or other service—it’s a fun way to thank patients for visiting this month.

Day 6: Gratitude Pictures
Create a photo booth with a fall-themed backdrop where patients can take pictures. It’s fun to add personality to your practice and create a keepsake.

Day 7: Thanksgiving-themed Goodie Bags
Send patients home with a festive goodie bag. Consider using travel-sized toothpaste, floss, and a warm note of appreciation on a turkey-shaped note. 

Week 2: Gratitude for Dental Professionals at the Office

Who's the root of your dental office’s success? The dental professionals on your team!

Dental professionals choose daily to prioritize the oral health of others as a career and to do so in your office to look after their oral health. 

When you show appreciation and gratitude to your team and dental professionals at your office, you're fostering a positive work culture. 

Here are seven ideas for the second week of November. . .

Day 8:  Lunch for the Team
Share a meal to express gratitude for the team’s hard work. Maybe catering lunch to kick off November or a nice team dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 9: Individual Gratitude Notes
Write a personalized note for each team member, acknowledging how they contribute to the team’s success.

Day 10: Employee of the Day Recognition
Highlight one team member daily on social media or in-office, sharing what makes them valuable to the practice.

Day 11: Mini Gratitude Gifts
The small things can make a difference for staff. Consider giving candles, coffee gift cards, or cozy socks.

Day 12: Extra Paid Breaks
Offer staff extra time on breaks or let them leave early on designated days this week, schedule permitting...

Day 13: Gratitude to Co-workers
Your team often helps each other keep things running smoothly—share the gratitude by setting up a station in the staff room so team members can post notes of gratitude to one another.

Day 14: Surprise Dessert Day
Dessert day! It could be as simple as donuts or cookies, giving everyone a sweet break.

Week 3: Gratitude for Referrals 

Your local community supports the sustainability of your dental office when they trust you with their oral health, which leads to referrals from patients and other businesses. 

Here are seven ideas for the third week of November and some ideas for giving back...

Day 15: Community Food Drive
Hold a food drive at your office—invite patients to contribute and help a local food bank stock up for the holiday season.

Day 16: Oral Health Education at Local Schools
Offer to visit a nearby school to educate children on oral health. It’s a great way to give back and promote good dental hygiene habits.

Day 17: Support Local Businesses

Support local businesses by buying items from them for the staff or the dental office. This is a good opportunity to ask if they have a bulletin board where you can display a flyer or handout about your office.

Day 18: First Responders Appreciation Day
First responders are part of the community and play a significant role in helping others—in November, put together thank-you kits and offer first responders a discount promotion for teeth cleaning to first responders.

Day 19: Charitable Donation
Consider donating a portion of your November proceeds to a local charity.

Day 20: Gift Card Giveaways for Patients
Offer local business gift cards in a raffle. Announce the winners on social media. This is a way to support local businesses and thank patients.

Day 21: Clean-Up Day
Get together as a team (staff and patients) and do a neighborhood clean-up event to give back and beautify the local area.

Week 4: Reflections and Gratitude

For the last week of November, we offer four ways to practice reflection to explore how the previous 21 days have impacted expressing gratitude in the dental office. 

Self-reflection can help show ways we’ve grown and shown appreciation. 

Here are some ideas for the last week of November leading up to Thanksgiving: 

Day 22: Patient Appreciation Celebration
Host a small, socially distanced open house or virtual event, inviting patients to celebrate a month of thanks with you.

Day 23: Reflection Meeting
Have a Team meeting focused on gratitude. Reflect on the accomplishments and meaningful moments from this year for all dental professionals working at the office and our team accomplishments. 

Day 24: Recognition on Social Media
Thank all the patients and staff who made the 25 Days of Gratitude possible by sharing a “thank you” post on social media.

Day 25: Looking Forward with Gratitude
End the month by making a gratitude commitment to continue these practices year-round. Share your plans with patients and staff so they know gratitude is here to stay.

These are just 25 ideas we have for expressing and demonstrating gratitude to patients, other dental professionals in the office, the community, and dentistry as a whole during November. 

How do you express gratitude in November and throughout the year? Check out our Pinterest Dental Thanksgiving board for more ideas.

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