## A Chiba Dentist’s Guide: The Relationship Between Japanese Cuisine and Dental Health
Hello! As the seasons change, how are you feeling? Have you had a chance to review your eating habits recently?
Japanese cuisine is often said to be healthy, but is that really the case? How does it affect dental health? At Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City, we aim to provide you with accurate knowledge about the connection between diet and oral health.
### The Benefits and Drawbacks of Japanese Cuisine
Japanese cuisine is characterized by the use of fish, soy products, vegetables, and fermented foods. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, contributing to overall health. Additionally, Japanese people have traditionally consumed rice as their staple food, leading to the belief that white rice suits their bodies well.
However, there are drawbacks to Japanese cuisine. White rice, for instance, is high in carbohydrates, which can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and increase the risk of diabetes if consumed in excess. Additionally, traditional Japanese foods such as pickles and miso soup contain high amounts of salt, which can contribute to high blood pressure and kidney strain. Furthermore, since many Japanese foods are soft, they require less chewing, potentially leading to weakened teeth and jaw muscles.
### Eating Habits for Maintaining Dental Health
To maintain healthy teeth, consider the following dietary habits:
1. **Chew thoroughly**
Incorporating brown rice and mixed grains can increase chewing time, helping to strengthen teeth and jaw muscles.
2. **Limit sugar intake**
Reducing the consumption of sugary foods such as white rice, bread, juices, and sweets can lower the risk of cavities.
3. **Consume sufficient calcium**
Dairy products, small fish, and soy products can help strengthen teeth and bones.
4. **Moderate salt intake**
Adjusting the amount of miso soup and pickles and opting for reduced-sodium options can help maintain gum health.
### Conclusion
While Japanese cuisine has its health benefits, improper eating habits can pose risks. Maintaining a balanced diet while considering dental health is essential.
At Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City, we offer advice on diet and dental health. We also provide regular check-ups for cavity and periodontal disease prevention. If you are concerned about your oral health, please visit us for a consultation. Take the first step today to protect your healthy teeth!
A staff member at a dentist in Chiba who made a successful recovery from mental illness
Hello
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
So many things happened in 2024.
2025 will bring new challenges, but
we will somehow get through them.
It has been a long time since people started saying that the number of people with mental illnesses has increased.
In many companies and offices, employees suffer from mental illnesses,
and take repeated leave, and then quit.
In fact, it is not uncommon for such people to change jobs,
but then suffer from mental health problems again at their next workplace,
and quit early.
It is not like there was any harassment at work, such as power harassment.
In the end, it is probably the person’s own problem,
but there are various theories as to why the number of people with mental illnesses has increased so much.
A comparison is made to the British disease of the 1960s and 1970s.
At that time, the British economy entered a long period of stagnation.
One person said the following as the reason for this:
Britain carried out colonial policies around the world until after World War II,
and did terrible things to its colonies.
When the postwar generation learned about this, they lost pride in Britain,
and people who lost hope became depressed,
and the economy stagnated significantly.
The same thing is happening in Japan.
In postwar education, children have been brainwashed into thinking that Japan did bad things to other countries during the war.
As a result, young people lost pride in their country,
and the number of people with mental illnesses increased.
I heard that after Thatcher became prime minister in Britain,
and changed the education policy, the younger generation began to feel proud of their country,
and the economy gradually recovered.
So the theory goes that if Japan also teaches more about its country’s correct history,
the younger generation will be able to feel proud of Japan,
and we will be able to recover from the lost 30 years.
I don’t know if this theory is correct.
However, aside from people who suffer from recurrent depression, I believe that those who do not can be active and contribute in the workplace if they change the way they work.
Of course, this is not 100% true.
What should be done is to have people with disabilities or difficulties do what they can.
For example, it is common practice to have wheelchair-bound staff do what they can.
We would never tell a staff member to hurry up and down stairs like an able-bodied person.
If we have a pregnant staff member, we would not allow them to carry heavy objects.
In this way, if the physical condition is visible from the outside, or is obvious to everyone,
we would normally “not ask them to do the same things as other staff members.”
However, when it comes to mental illness, it is not possible to tell from appearances,
so we end up making them do the same work as other staff members,
which can result in the person exceeding their own mental limits.
For example, dental hygienists’ work can be broadly divided into three types.
(1) Oral hygiene instruction and teeth cleaning for patients
(2) Assistant work
(3) Disinfection and sterilization
Since these are all within the scope of a dental hygienist’s duties,
if the boss is a proponent of correctness,
he or she may strongly instruct the patient to do all three of these tasks properly, and if they cannot do them, they may be told to work overtime and practice until they can do them.
However, if a dental hygienist staff member here develops mental health problems,
is it okay to dismiss them as “not suited to be a dental hygienist”?
In cases like this at our clinic, we can help them by just doing assistant work and disinfection and sterilization properly, so we do not allow them to do oral hygiene instruction or teeth cleaning for a while.
In fact, there is a case where a staff member who was told by the doctor to take a month off work in this way did not take a single day off and their mental condition recovered.
After their mental condition improved, we gradually had them receive oral hygiene instruction and teeth cleaning, but there was no particular recurrence.
In fact, one man I met at a study group suffered from depression twice while working for a company,
but after returning to work,
he started his own company and is now active in human resources training.
So, just because you have suffered from mental illness,
you shouldn’t give up.
After all, everyone sometimes feels temporarily down due to family or other personal reasons.
A dentist in Chiba also performed an autopsy in the United States.
Hello.
My name is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
Autopsies are a hot topic in the world these days.
There are many comments on social media about autopsies, but I have actually done an autopsy in the United States myself.
I have dental implants.
In connection with that, I did an autopsy at Creighton University in Oklahoma, USA.
It was an autopsy on a corpse.
The director of the plastic surgery clinic in question commented that the situation is different in Japan and the United States. In fact, many people may not know this, but dentists always do a full body autopsy when they are students.
In anatomy lab, they dissect not only around the mouth and face, but also from the top of the head to the shoulders, feet, and toes.
At that time, I was in the dental school of a university in Tokyo, and of course the atmosphere is different from Creighton University.
It was quite a while ago when I was a student, but in those days, when I entered the dissection room, there was a Buddhist altar, and I would light something like incense and feel a little solemn before entering.
After the first year, the university hospital where I went had both a medical school and a dental school, and every year they held a memorial service for the dissected bodies.
I think they probably still do that today.
On the other hand, Creighton University in Omaha, USA, which I went to, is said to be in the middle of America, and what was different from Japan was that in Japan, we dissected bodies that had been preserved in formaldehyde and seemed to have been dead for several days, but in my training at Creighton University in Omaha, although I had heard about it beforehand, I actually dissected someone who seemed to have died just yesterday or the day before yesterday.
I understand that the systems are different in Japan and the USA.
In Japan, patients register in advance that they would like to be used as a cadaver for clinical training when they die.
I don’t know what the system is like in the US.
However, what was different in the US from Japan was that in Japan, the whole body would turn brown after more than a month of formalin, but in the US, the cadaver was quite fresh, although this may have been just at that university.
In Japan, when dissecting a cadaver for clinical training, there is no blood.
However, at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, when they cut into the cadaver, red blood still came out.
Since the training was related to implants, we mainly dissected the mouth and nose area, which was very educational.
The reason is that when students dissect, they are still learning basic medicine before learning specialized knowledge.
Dissecting the whole body is also part of learning basic medicine.
The reason I took the dissection training after becoming a dentist was because I had clinical questions about implants when I actually started to do them, and I participated in the training to solve them.
In fact, I had received such training at a medical school after graduating from another university in Japan, but when I went to America, I had the opportunity to place a large number of implants and learned how to place implants in areas with little bone.
Of course, I learned a lot.
I see, so here are the nerves.
If there is a blood vessel here, I need to be a little careful here.
America is basically a Christian country, so Americans sometimes take an oath by placing their hands on a Bible.
Of course, there is no such thing as placing your hands on a Bible when entering the dissection room.
However, I may have signed a pledge document. It was more than 10 years ago, so I don’t remember exactly.
It was not an atmosphere in which it was possible to take photos in front of the dissection room or of the corpse beforehand, and I think it was probably forbidden.
To be honest, this incident is unbelievable, and something that should never have happened was done.
There have been many comments in response, most of which are very negative, but I think it’s strange that people who are completely unrelated to this are jumping on the bandwagon and saying what they want to say as if they’re bullying the weak.
However, there is no denying that the cosmetic surgeon in question crossed a line that should not be crossed.
Normally, it is unthinkable to take photos, especially a peace sign, and taking photos inside the dissection room is prohibited, and even in the waiting room, taking photos is completely prohibited.
Why did he do such a thing?
And why did the director make such a disappointing comment afterwards?
Wouldn’t it have been better to think carefully about what to say and then post it on social media, including the treatment of the doctor who caused the problem?
I think it would have been better to take a little more time to think about it and consider how to respond.
Above is my opinion on the problems with this dissection lab.
Thank you.
◎ For your reference.
Omaha, which is said to be in the center of America, is also famous for being the city where Warren Buffett lives.
Important things that dentists in Chiba prepare for dental checkups at health and welfare centers and schools
Hello
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
It’s gotten really cold and snowy in the north.
Time flies.
This year, I was on duty at the health and welfare center to check up on 1.5-year-olds and 3-year-olds, and at the school where I am the school dentist.
In fact, these checkups often last more than two hours without a break.
I’m grateful to the dental hygienists and school teachers who assist me.
In schools, the air conditioning is not as good as at health and welfare centers, and the teachers who assist are often busy, so we often don’t have a toilet break.
It would be more efficient to take a five-minute break in between work rather than working for two or three hours straight, but it’s difficult to get everyone to accept this way of thinking.
So starting this year, I’ve decided to make sure to wear something.
It’s a urine pad.
Fortunately, I have never had to urinate in it, but it is very comforting mentally.
The need to urinate is probably influenced by psychological factors as well.
Another time I wear pads is when I fly internationally.
The number of passengers has increased recently, and the airport itself is very crowded.
Even if the plane departs on time, it is normal to have to wait at the tarmac for more than 30 minutes.
Even after the plane has leveled off, Japanese airlines are particularly strict, and you are not allowed to get up to go to the toilet while the seat belt sign is on.
In this regard, American airlines are relatively lenient, and if you go to the toilet while the seat belt sign is on and the plane suddenly shakes and you get injured, it may be your own responsibility.
In fact, once the plane has leveled off, the crew prepares the meal service even if the seat belt sign is on.
As has already been reported, the problem of urinary incontinence is quite serious for those involved, and there have been cases of train drivers unable to hold it in in the cab and leaking large amounts, and trains being delayed because they stopped at the toilet at an intermediate station.
In fact, the pads seem to be selling quite well to men in their 30s as well.
Rugby players have been wearing disposable diapers for a long time, so urinary incontinence itself is nothing to be embarrassed about.
I hope that by writing about it here, many people will be able to wear pads as a countermeasure and go about their work and lives as normal.
Is visiting a dentist in Chiba multiple times just to earn points?
Hello
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
There is not much time left this year.
It was a year with many good things.
The Harada family avoids making their first visit to a shrine when there are many people at the beginning of the year,
so as usual, they visit a shrine near their home at the end of the year.
I recently found an interesting article.
It was on Yahoo news, and it was an article from December 11, 2024 titled “Is visiting a dentist multiple times to treat one tooth just to earn points for the dentist’s insurance?”
The article itself was interesting, but the comments were also numerous and well-written.
In reality, it is unthinkable that a patient would come to the clinic multiple times to earn points.
However, I thought it was important to know that some ordinary people think like this.
I immediately had all the staff at our clinic, including dentists, dental hygienists, treatment coordinators, receptionists, etc., read it.
Treatment and procedures at dental clinics are of course important, but I thought it was very important to always listen to what ordinary people think about dentistry.
Dentists in Chiba were prescribing too many antibiotics
Hello
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
There are only 10 days left in October, but the temperature continues to exceed 25 degrees.
We removed the air conditioner early from one room due to clinic renovation,
but we are managing to beat the heat with an electric fan.
About 20 years ago, many doctors prescribed antibiotics when you had a cold.
Some patients actually actively requested that they be prescribed antibiotics.
In fact, several doctors appeared on a TV program and said that it was meaningful to prescribe antibiotics when you had a cold.
The reason was to prevent pneumonia after catching a cold! ?
I saw their expressions, and I thought they were making a pretty lame excuse.
At the ENT clinic that I sometimes visit now, there is a sign in the waiting room that says, “We do not prescribe antibiotics for colds.”
Antibiotics are effective when you have an infection.
However, prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily is a problem because it can lead to resistance, meaning they no longer work when needed.
In fact, doctors aren’t the only ones prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily.
Dentists used to prescribe antibiotics quite unnecessarily as well.
It has been common practice to prescribe antibiotics even for a minor tooth extraction.
About 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by a famous dentist who studied abroad in Sweden.
He said that at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden (the world’s leading university for periodontology),
they do not prescribe antibiotics even for removing sideways wisdom teeth,
because it is much more important to thoroughly clean the inside of the mouth before surgery and disinfect the area around the mouth to reduce the number of bacteria.
This is a natural thing to do.
For example, if you eat with your bare hands after using the toilet, you would normally wash your hands after using the toilet.
You would not normally take an antibiotic with dirty hands to prevent stomach pain caused by infection and then stuff your cheeks with rice balls by hand.
However, it has been common practice for dentists to prescribe a set of antibiotics, painkillers, and stomach medicines after a tooth extraction.
With the recent medicine shortage, one pharmacy has in fact been receiving a large number of penicillin prescriptions from dentists,
and there are reports that some penicillin preparations have run out of stock.
If dentists do prescribe antibiotics, they will only do so to people with diabetes or other conditions that are vulnerable to infection.
Also, unlike painkillers, antibiotics cannot be taken only when you are in pain.
The correct way to take medicine is to finish it off as prescribed.
Are Chiba dentists introducing automatic reception to reduce staff?
Hello
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
On Friday, October 4th, the temperature exceeded 30 degrees, and I was surprised at what was going to happen, but it finally feels like autumn.
The clinic is currently being renovated, and construction is progressing every day with the aim of reopening in August 2025.
In fact, we are planning to install automatic reception.
Returning patients check in by holding their smartphone app over the machine, and the payment after treatment is also settled by credit card on their own smartphone app.
When I mentioned this to an American teacher in an English conversation lesson the other day, he asked me if the purpose was to reduce staff. I thought that it was a typical American perspective that focuses on money.
Recently, family restaurants such as Gusto and Saizeriya have been implementing automatic payment.
When paying, instead of a staff member, you hold a barcode over the machine and select your payment method from credit card, cash, QR payment, SUICA, etc.
At Gusto, orders are placed through a touch panel, the food is served by a robot, and customers place the food brought by the robot on their table themselves.
Ordering through a touch panel has become the norm even at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.
I imagine restaurants are also struggling with a labor shortage.
The restaurant itself is busy with families and groups.
However, he lamented that Choshimaru near Chiba Station is different and more like a library.
Most of the customers are on business, or come alone.
They order on the touch panel in front of them, and when the food arrives, they eat in silence, pay, and leave.
Not a word is spoken during this time.
His ideal restaurant might be a typical American restaurant, where a waiter comes to take the order, asks about the food, and when the food arrives, the customer chats with his companions, sometimes with the customer at the next table, and jokes with the waiter when paying.
I’ve made a long introduction, but the reason our clinic has automated reception is not to reduce staff.
The purpose is to reduce the waiting time at reception and the waiting time after treatment to pay.
The idea is to have machines do things that don’t need to be handled by humans.
We use that freed time to explain things to patients and follow up with them.
Reception staff will assist first-time patients.
We use a variety of digital systems for treatment and regular management.
A digital scanner is used to take impressions for mouthpiece orthodontics,
and the Swiss company EMS’ Airflow, which cleans the inside of the mouth, is operated with a cordless foot pedal using Bluetooth, so there is less unnecessary wiring.
The reservation system is linked to electronic medical records, X-ray images, and intraoral photographs.
However, it is humans who perform the treatment and surgery, and it is humans, not robots, who explain things until the patient is satisfied.
This will never be replaced by robots.
In conclusion, we will introduce an automatic reception desk and increase the number of staff.
This will have benefits for both patients and employees.
The benefit for patients is that, as mentioned earlier, waiting times will be shortened.
In fact, on the day I am writing this, eight staff members are on paid leave, and one left early before noon due to a sudden illness in his child. Even so, the number of patients exceeds 120, and the clinic is operating normally.
This is something that would not be possible in a clinic with only 10 staff members.
A big benefit for working people is that you can take paid leave almost as often as you request, and even if you have to take time off suddenly for some reason you don’t have to cause any more trouble to other staff than necessary.
To get more specific, there’s also a rule that says you don’t have to buy souvenirs for staff if you use paid leave to go on a trip.
In fact, many staff members say that the thought of buying souvenirs for 40 people irritates them.
However, at our clinic, such consideration is absolutely unnecessary.
Our stance is that you should enjoy your own time on time off, and that there is no need to be overly considerate of others, so the office doesn’t end up overflowing with souvenirs from local areas.
Some staff members even avoid sugar, wheat, and vegetable oils.
This is how we enjoy providing medical care every day.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Les dentistes de Chiba introduisent-ils une réception automatique pour réduire le personnel ?
Bonjour
Je suis Harada de la clinique dentaire Harada de la ville de Chiba.
Le vendredi 4 octobre, la température a dépassé les 30 degrés et j’ai été surpris de ce qui allait se passer, mais on a enfin l’impression que c’est l’automne.
La clinique est actuellement en cours de rénovation et les travaux progressent chaque jour dans le but de rouvrir en août 2025.
En fait, nous prévoyons d’installer une réception automatique.
Les patients qui reviennent s’enregistrent en tenant leur application pour smartphone au-dessus de la machine, et le paiement après le traitement est également réglé par carte de crédit sur leur propre application pour smartphone.
Lorsque j’en ai parlé à un professeur américain lors d’un cours de conversation en anglais l’autre jour, il m’a demandé si le but était de réduire le personnel. J’ai pensé que c’était une perspective américaine typique qui se concentre sur l’argent.
Récemment, des restaurants familiaux tels que Gusto et Saizeriya ont mis en place le paiement automatique.
Au moment de payer, au lieu d’un membre du personnel, vous tenez un code-barres au-dessus de la machine et sélectionnez votre mode de paiement parmi carte de crédit, espèces, paiement par QR code, SUICA, etc.
Chez Gusto, les commandes sont passées via un écran tactile, la nourriture est servie par un robot et les clients placent eux-mêmes la nourriture apportée par le robot sur leur table.
La commande via un écran tactile est devenue la norme, même dans les restaurants de sushis à tapis roulant.
J’imagine que les restaurants sont également aux prises avec une pénurie de main-d’œuvre.
Le restaurant lui-même est très fréquenté par les familles et les groupes.
Cependant, il a déploré que Choshimaru, près de la gare de Chiba, soit différent et ressemble davantage à une bibliothèque.
La plupart des clients sont en déplacement professionnel ou viennent seuls.
Ils commandent sur l’écran tactile devant eux et lorsque la nourriture arrive, ils mangent en silence, paient et partent.
Pas un mot n’est prononcé pendant ce temps.
Son restaurant idéal pourrait être un restaurant américain typique, où un serveur vient prendre la commande, pose des questions sur la nourriture et lorsque la nourriture arrive, le client discute avec ses compagnons, parfois avec le client de la table voisine, et plaisante avec le serveur au moment de payer.
J’ai fait une longue présentation, mais la raison pour laquelle notre clinique a automatisé la réception n’est pas de réduire le personnel.
Le but est de réduire le temps d’attente à la réception et le temps d’attente après le traitement pour payer.
L’idée est de faire en sorte que les machines fassent des choses qui n’ont pas besoin d’être effectuées par des humains.
Nous utilisons ce temps libéré pour expliquer les choses aux patients et assurer le suivi avec eux.
Le personnel de la réception aidera les nouveaux patients.
Nous utilisons différents systèmes numériques pour le traitement et la gestion courante.
Un scanner numérique est utilisé pour prendre les empreintes pour l’orthodontie buccale,
et le Airflow de la société suisse EMS, qui nettoie l’intérieur de la bouche, fonctionne avec une pédale sans fil via Bluetooth, ce qui réduit les câbles inutiles.
Le système de réservation est lié aux dossiers médicaux électroniques, aux images radiographiques et aux photographies intrabuccales.
Cependant, ce sont des humains qui effectuent le traitement et l’opération, et ce sont des humains, et non des robots, qui expliquent les choses jusqu’à ce que le patient soit satisfait.
Ce système ne sera jamais remplacé par des robots.
En conclusion, nous allons mettre en place un bureau d’accueil automatique et augmenter le nombre de personnel.
Cela aura des avantages pour les patients et les employés.
L’avantage pour les patients est que, comme mentionné précédemment, les temps d’attente seront réduits.
En fait, le jour où j’écris ces lignes, huit membres du personnel sont en congé payé et un est parti tôt avant midi en raison d’une maladie soudaine de son enfant. Malgré cela, le nombre de patients dépasse 120 et la clinique fonctionne normalement.
Ce serait impossible dans une clinique avec seulement 10 employés.
Un grand avantage pour les travailleurs est que vous pouvez prendre des congés payés presque aussi souvent que vous le souhaitez, et même si vous devez prendre un congé soudainement pour une raison quelconque, vous n’avez pas à causer plus de problèmes aux autres employés que nécessaire.
Pour être plus précis, il existe également une règle qui stipule que vous n’êtes pas obligé d’acheter des souvenirs pour le personnel si vous utilisez vos congés payés pour partir en voyage.
En fait, de nombreux membres du personnel disent que l’idée d’acheter des souvenirs pour 40 personnes les irrite.
Cependant, dans notre clinique, une telle considération est absolument inutile.
Nous pensons que vous devez profiter de votre temps libre et qu’il n’est pas nécessaire d’être trop prévenant envers les autres, afin que le bureau ne finisse pas par déborder de souvenirs des environs.
Certains membres du personnel évitent même le sucre, le blé et les huiles végétales.
C’est ainsi que nous aimons prodiguer des soins médicaux au quotidien.
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
It’s still hot in September, but I hope that it will cool down in the latter half of the month, as the saying goes, “The heat and cold will last until the equinox.”
There was a dentist who used to practice in Chiba City who used to go to clubs in Ginza.
It’s been almost 10 years since he quit dentistry, so I think it’s okay to write about it here, but
he also wrote about it in the dental association’s newsletter.
He said that he couldn’t stop going to Ginza clubs because he could get information that the general public couldn’t get.
It’s been more than 10 years ago, but at the time, it was 30,000 yen for a beer with a hostess sitting next to you.
Maybe there is information that can only be found there.
As for me, I have no interest in going to such places.
Other than this, perhaps there are other things I should experience as a business owner, such as meeting geisha or spending time in Kyoto with maiko and geisha, but I have never been there and don’t have any particular desire to go.
Of course, I don’t deny that there are people who like this kind of fun.
Everyone is free to do what they want.
I once read an article by someone in the entertainment industry who said that men should have a lot of fun in the nightlife where there are hostesses, but I personally don’t feel like going.
Of course, I like eating out with friends and family, but I get sleepy late at night, so I make sure I get enough sleep and take good care of my health.
In this respect, it’s great that Dodgers player Ohtani turns down invitations to drinking parties after games and gets about 10 hours of sleep.
A famous baseball player was photographed coming out of a drag queen bar in the past, but as I’ve said many times, people are different.
I will continue to take care of my health and time.
Just to be clear, I’m not writing this because I want to be invited to these kinds of places.
Is it “impossible” to offer paid leave or childcare leave at a dentist in Chiba?
Hello
This is Harada from Harada Dental Clinic in Chiba City.
In the summer, we have to be on our guard against typhoons and torrential rains.
It is essential to be prepared on a daily basis so that we can be prepared for any disasters that may occur.
The other day, a famous influencer said on YouTube that “it is impossible for small and medium-sized companies to give employees full paid leave or childcare leave these days.”
This person usually makes sharp comments about politics, so I thought, “Oh, that’s strange.”
In the first place, paid leave is an employee’s right, and if an employee applies for paid leave, the employer must approve it.
It is true that in a workplace with a small number of employees, for example a workplace with three employees, even if one person takes a day off, the number of employees will be reduced to two-thirds, or about 67%.
So, having three employees is not at all uncommon in a dental clinic, and if three employees are reduced to two, the clinic will be in a lot of trouble.
For example, after dealing with a patient at the reception desk, you might immediately assist the dentist inside, or if the phone rings, you might stop your assisting duties to answer it.
In this situation, it is difficult to take paid leave out of consideration for the other staff, so they don’t take it.
They only take paid leave together just before they leave.
It’s a difficult situation if even one person is absent, but the two staff members who come to work on the day the patient is absent have to do the work of three people between them, so they are exhausted by the time they finish work.
It is especially difficult not only physically but mentally when someone suddenly misses work on the day.
If this continues, it’s natural that some staff will leave early or some will badmouth the management during their lunch break, creating a negative spiral.
There is something important to note here.
It is the 80:20 rule.
This is a concept I learned at a seminar by Anthony Robbins, the world’s number one life coach.
The 80 in 80:20 is mindset, and the 20 is technical skills.
Improving technical skills is absolutely necessary in any job.
For example, in the job of a dentist, it is absolutely necessary to receive training to improve your skills, attend study groups to increase your knowledge, and read books.
However, focusing only on that does not mean that your dental clinic will be successful.
This is because 80% of work is influenced by psychological factors.
In other words, things like not being in an overly busy working environment, being able to take paid leave, and being able to take childcare leave without worrying are four times more important than improving technical skills.
In fact, even among the staff of our clinic, there are some who, even if they have a lot going on at work, feel refreshed when they go on a paid vacation and are able to work hard again.
Of course, there may be some people who can work 24 hours a day like the hard-working employees of the high economic growth era of the 1950s and 60s.
However, those were times when wages were rising steadily, and if you worked hard you could see a bright future, in other words, it was a time of spiritual fulfillment.
Even now, there may be people who can work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for their own mission, but that is less than 1% of the total.
I think that people who work normally choose workplaces where they can take regular holidays, have little overtime, and have a good work atmosphere.
The number of people who become managers (as opposed to self-employed) is probably less than one in ten.
Managers and employees are completely different people.
You should not force the behavioral patterns of managers on employees.
It usually doesn’t work if you do that.
Getting regular employees to participate in study sessions for managers usually doesn’t work well.
In fact, if you do that, some employees will quit.
You’ll end up wishing you hadn’t sent them to study sessions for managers.
I know a lot of examples like that.
I think there are few managers of dental clinics, and many others, who start their own businesses after learning how to run them.
So most people spend the first few years of their business learning about employment.
However, I think it’s normal for entrepreneurs to have trouble with their employees in the first few years, and this should not be repeated.
Let’s go back to the first influencer.
Before deciding that it’s impossible to give employees full paid leave or childcare leave, wouldn’t it be better to try to do so and run your company better?
That’s management effort.
If your business allows employees to take paid leave properly, your staff will work enthusiastically.
The reason is that, as I wrote earlier, 80% of work is about feeling, and the remaining 20% is technical skills.
