Dental Consultant:Tip: NLRB, Cell Phones & Texting

Dental Practice Management Articles

Dental Consultant Advice: NLRB, Cell Phones & Texting

dental-office-cell-phone-policy

Based on a 2015 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling, office manuals or handbooks can't have overly broad prohibitions on employee use of cell phones. Besides which, if you feel you can't treat your staff like adults, that's a bigger problem.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with issuing a simple and sane cell phone policy just as you might do for a dress code, calling in sick, vacations, PTO, etc.  If you feel you need a cell phone policy here is my recommendation:

CELL PHONES

Cell phone use (including texting, checking Facebook, etc.) should only occur during breaks or meal periods and never in front of patients as it can give patients the impression they are not important. It can also cause you to be distracted causing inaccurate documentation, incorrect data entry, etc.

TEXTING PRACTICE OWNER OR OFFICE MANAGER

Staff are prohibited from texting the dentist or office manager for any reason including “texting in sick”. This also removes any potential violation of a patient’s privacy.

OFFICE PHONES

The office phones are our main means of scheduling patients and conducting business.  Therefore, we ask that you not use the office phones for personal use except to receive an emergency call from a family member, etc.

OFFICE COMPUTER USE

Office computers are never to be used for personal use. Period. The reasons for this are obvious including the possibility of infecting the office computer system with a virus. Doing so can result in immediate termination

Note: Our office computers are set up with software to monitor all Internet activity. E-mail messages and other use of office computers is not confidential, and even though you may be issued a private password or other private access code to log in to the computer, you should have no expectation of privacy with regard to your use of the system.

Dental Consultant Advice: Patient Information
Dental Consultant Advice: Acceptable Staff Conduct

Dental Consultant Office Manuals for Modern Management

Transform Your Dental Practice: 2025 Dental Consultant Office Manual Solutions

Instant Download. Unlimited Copies. Customizable. 1000s of Satisfied Users.

Upgrade your practice management with expert-backed 2025 Dental Office Manuals recommended by top dental consultants. This all-in-one set—created for office managers, receptionists, scheduling and treatment coordinators, and dental assistants—now features Dentrix integration for seamless scheduling, compliance, and patient engagement. With a 5.0 Google Reviews rating in our 25th year, our fully customizable, contract-free manuals are instantly downloadable in PDF format. Every manual supports enhanced patient management, streamlined billing, and effective scheduling—risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. See why thousands of satisfied teams rely on our solutions to excel in Dental Practice Management.

50% Off Now!

Dental Office Manuals