Dental Management

Going to dental school qualifies someone to practice dentistry – to care for patients and their oral health; it does not, however, necessarily prepare someone for the rigors of running a thriving dental practice. There is much more to such an undertaking than just setting up an examination chair and cleaning teeth. Rather, there are also the many things that go into running a successful business and without any of those important components in place, dentists are in danger of missing the mark in a great many ways.

Rather than wondering what it is that makes a successful dental practice and going about setting up operations that may or may not work, dentists who are uninitiated in the world of running a practice may be best served by bringing in a dental consultant to help implement dental management operations.

Dental consultants are often dentists themselves – those who have run practices and treated patients for much of their career but now help new practices make their way in the world based upon their experience and guided teachings. Dental consultants understand the many ways in which dental management can make or break a practice and they set about helping a practice get organized and make the most of the resources available to them.

Dental practices are reliant upon dental practice management; they are the front lines of the practice – often those who first deal with patients in terms of scheduling, billing, and other matters. Additionally, dental management teams are responsible for the nuts and bolts of the office – ordering of dental equipment, fostering of relationships with vendors, and the community outreach that comes with establishing a presence in a particular area.

Dental consultants can help dental management teams and dentists who are unfamiliar with the process of setting up a practice; walking them through one step at a time and allowing them to maximize their chances for success.

Dental Management for the Next Generation, Part II

In the last post we talked about the challenges that face anyone who is just starting a business; and this includes those who are building a new enterprise from the ground up and those who are taking over an existing business and infusing their operational systems into how the business is currently run. Making changes can be just as difficult as starting from scratch which is why many new ownership teams rely upon consultants to help them see things objectively and tackle their goals in a linear manner.

For dentists that are taking over an already established dental practice, there are just as many challenges as with any business. For this reason new dental ownership will often bring in a team of dental consultants who can reliably gage the current state of the practice and help ownership address any changes that should be made.

Dental consultants are invaluable to new dental practice ownership teams in just about any circumstance; but they are especially helpful when the dentist taking over the practice has already been practicing there. Dentists who are taking over an existing practice where they have been already seeing their patients for a number of years may be unable to objectively look at the business and see what changes or updates would most benefit it going forward. Dental consultants can provide an objective view and give insight into what may need to be updated or addressed in terms of making an office visit a better experience for patients.

Some of the areas that dental consultants may look at when helping new dental practice ownership teams define their upcoming goals include:

* Dental management – including administrative systems in terms of appointment scheduling, file storage and retrieval, billing/insurance issues, government compliancy, and community outreach.

* Equipment – including age and condition of existing office equipment including dental instruments, vendor relationships, and equipment expenditures.

* Office appearance – including the actual physical look of the office. Do you need a paintjob? New waiting room furniture? Overall updating?

* Patient care – this, of course, is the most important component of putting together a successful practice. Dental consultants will help dentists ensure there is no disconnect between the service they think they are providing their patients and the perception of the services received from the patients’ point of view.

Dental Management for the Next Generation, Part I

Starting a business is never an easy thing and when you come into a business that has been operational for some time, in the role of taking it over, it can be even more difficult. Not only do you have the general obstacles that come with starting a business but you have the additional burden of having operational systems that have been in place for years but that may not be effective anymore. Coming in to a company as a new owner oftentimes brings with it the responsibility of the “new broom sweeping clean;” sometimes the things that have been in place are just no longer beneficial for keeping the company operating successfully.

Dental practices often include a number of dentists and ownership may change hands over the years as older dentists retire and younger ones take the helm. There are many challenges that face those who take over a practice – whether they have been practicing there all along or are just now coming in for the first time. They will find that dental practice management is the first consideration when it comes to ensuring that operations are as smooth as possible and are among the first places where it will be identified whether changes or updating needs to be made.

To this end, many dental practices will bring in the expertise of a dental consultant in order to give them an objective vision of the viability of the dental practice and to make suggestions on any changes that may need to be made over the course of changing hands. The role of the dental consultant is to examine a dental practice from top to bottom – from the dental management team that handles administrative tasks and deals with vendors and patients to the actual care that the patient receives from the dentists and their assistants. More in the next post.

How A Dental Consultant Can Improve Your Practice

When a dental practice isn’t functioning as desired or it’s taking up an inordinate amount of time to manage, chances are some improvements are in order. Unfortunately, for those working within a practice, spotting what needs to change can be difficult. This is where it can pay to rely on a professional dental consultant to assist.

Dental consultants that are able to authoritatively speak from both the practice and management sides of the coin can bring a wholly unique perspective to an office. When advice from a successful consultant is obtained, dentists often discover these benefits:

Increased patient retention – Customer service should be a top priority of dental office management. When it is not, even the best dentists in the field can see their practices suffer. Improving relations with patients requires not only the right bedside manner, but also an excellent office staff. From cleanings and examinations down to the fillings, everything must flow correctly to impress patients and keep them coming back for more.

Better hourly billing – The key to making the most of a dentist’s time involves being able to increase hourly patient billings. This doesn’t necessarily mean raising prices, but providing better service. When a dental consultant is called upon to help streamline a practice, hourly earnings can go up considerably.

Better staff morale – A well-run office is generally a pleasure to work in. When a dental management consultant helps tweak processes for the better, staff morale can go up. In turn, this can improve customer satisfaction, as well.

Improving a dental practice can be difficult from the inside out. When dental consultants are called upon to assist, however, the right ideas can be brought to the table. Even the best practices can often benefit from the skills and experience a knowledgeable dental consultant brings to the table.

Dental Practice Management Should Be A Joy

Dentistry, just like any other patient care field, should be a labor of love and a passion. When dental practice management becomes a burden, everyone involved will suffer. It is possible to turn things around and bring the joy of patient care back into an office. A dental consultant can help.

When the right dental consultant’s advice is called upon, dental office management can benefit greatly for a number of reasons. Some of the things a good dental consultant can help out with that can put joy back into the prospect include:

Focusing specialty – Dentists, like any other medical-related professionals, tend to do better when their jobs are focused on the areas they have a true passion for. A pediatric dentist who finds himself focusing almost solely on adult teeth will not likely be happy. A dental consultant can help dentists focus their efforts and build their practices in the directions they genuinely want to take.

Streamlining work flow – Dental management does demand some business savvy. Dentists, however, are not necessarily born with this. To improve the work flow and make sure dental office management is run properly, a good consultant can help streamline processes for the maximum efficiency.

Increase patient load – Marketing is an area that some dental management professionals fall short on. When there’s a need for new patients, taking the right steps to get the word out about a practice will prove imperative. A dental consultant can offer advice on this front.

Increased earnings – It doesn’t make sense to run a dental office without making a decent income for all parties involved. A dental consultant can show professionals how to increase per hour billings without necessarily raising fees. It often only calls for improving efficiency.

Putting the joy back into dental management is not an impossible task. When the right dental consultants are relied upon for advice, dental professionals can enjoy professional success in every regard.

Tips For Improving Dental Management

Dentists go to school to learn how to treat patients, beautify smiles and handle emergencies. Oftentimes, they are lacking in the business management department. Unfortunately, making an office work as it should requires some skill in dental management. When the lead dentists have a few secrets up their sleeves, they can do the work they love and ensure business success at the same time.

There are a number of things about dental office management that should not be swept under the carpet for a lack of knowledge. When dentists put smart tips to work for them, they can enjoy a well-run practice, increased income and peace of mind.

So, what do dentists need to know to enjoy practice and business success both? Try incorporating some of these tips:

Stay on top of key hires – Dental office management does not rely on the dentists alone. Key positions include assistants, hygienists, office managers and clerical help. When a dentist is backed by a team of skilled professionals, a practice can and generally will function better.

Make sure necessary equipment is always in place – It is imperative to have the necessary equipment in place to serve patients in an effective and timely manner. When a good support team is put in place, this should always be the case.

Market for success – Truly successful dental management demands a steady stream of patients. When per hour billing charges are high and so is patient satisfaction, a practice will thrive. To keep patients coming through the door, dentists must market themselves and their abilities. Don’t skimp on these costs.

Rely on skilled consultants – Sometimes it is very wise to rely on dental consultants to help take a practice to the next level. The best dental consultants can offer advice for improving everything from patient care to business practices.

Enjoying success with dental management requires customer satisfaction, retention and professionalism. Taking the right steps can make this happen.

Dental Practice Management for Pediatric Dentists, Part II

In the last post we talked about the importance of dental practice teams working efficiently in order to best serve the entirety of the practice. The fact of the matter is that dentists are there to serve their patients and they must be able to do so in a manner that meets their patients’ needs; the reality is that in typical communities around the country there are many options for dental patients and, in accordance with whatever dental insurance they may have, patients can choose to see the dentist that makes them feel most comfortable and offers them the best all-around service.

This is especially true of pediatric dental practices that specialize in treating children typically nine years old and under. Such practices must be mindful of the special needs of their patients, as well as having the capacity to handle the billing needs and concerns of the child’s parents. Some pediatric dental practices, finding themselves in a position of losing patients or seeing their practice plateau may call in the services of a dental consultant to help them find their way to a more successful place.

Dental consultants will visit a practice and address those concerns that may be hindering that practice from realizing its full potential. Some of the areas that dental consultants may address in this regard include:

* Dental management and front of office staff. The people that man the front desk, as well as those that handle billing and insurance inquiries, are essentially the face of the practice before the dentist is even seen. They must be able to work efficiently, treat patients and their families respectfully, and essentially offer a warm welcome to those who enter. Remember, the patients in this case are kids and very often nervous kids at that; those who greet them are supremely important.

* Equipment. All equipment in such a practice should be designed to best serve a small child. Pediatric dental practice management staff should be sure that supplies are well stocked and are child friendly.

* Physical space. Pediatric dental practices do what they can to make their patients more comfortable; everything from providing a play area to mounting televisions in the examination rooms. If a dentist has not gone all out to make his office a friendly, fun place to visit for a child, then chances are the practice may be falling short.

Dental Management for Patient Recruitment and Retention

Part of any business is the recruitment – the actual pursuit – of new business; as well as the steps the company takes to retain that business once they secure it. This pertains to any business including that of a dental practice where the “new business” refers to the patients who come to the practice for their dental maintenance. While some towns used to have one dentist that was essentially the only choice for a community, today towns and cities have a variety of choices for patients looking for particular care that falls within their insurance company or out-of-pocket affordability.

The point is, there is a lot of competition – even for dental practices – and the successful practices that are able to retain and even grow their patient base are able to do so by staying vigilant. Dental management teams are the force behind this success and should be chosen accordingly. Any practice that is currently operational with less than effective dental management should seriously consider a change in regime; and perhaps the expertise of a dental consultant who can lead the way towards better days.

Effective dental management handles all of the front of house components of a practice including patient administrative needs, the scheduling of appointments, and the billing of insurance companies; as well as the management of the supportive components of a practice including the ordering of supplies and the ensuring that the dental office is clean and up to speed in terms of equipment and so forth.

In terms of patient care, however, it is up to the dental management team to have a handle on the overall feeling of their clientele – as to how they are being treated, the level of care that they are receiving, and the likelihood that they will recommend the practice. In short, effective dental office management acts as a liaison between the practice and the community.

Dental Consultants in Competitive Market, Part I

Businesses of all kinds are always engaged in competition. They compete on product, on service, on price point, and on all the myriad of details that will sway a customer or client to go this way or that. Now, with the economy on shaky ground and nerves on edge, the competitive stakes have been raised. Now there may be less new business for which to compete, which makes retention all the more critical.

This is even true in service-oriented businesses such as medical and dental practices. The patients that the practice attracts and retains represent dollars for the practice and ultimately decide its long term success. And so for these practices, retention is just as important as it is for the retail outlet down the street; especially in these trying economic times.

There is no time to waste in getting to the heart of the matter if your dental practice continues to lose patients. Which is the reason why so many practices rely on the expertise of a dental consultant they will bring in for the purpose of identifying those areas that need help within the practice and putting new dental management methods to use in garnering new patients and keeping existing patients satisfied and with the practice.

Dental consultants, like business consultants in any other industry, are there to offer a third party objective view of what is currently working within a practice and what needs to be addressed in terms of improvement. But it is especially important that any dental consultant that is chosen has firsthand experience of the inner workings of a dental practice. Look for dental consultants that have a history in the business; there are even dentists that no longer practice but offer their services as dental consultants that can help a practice really see clearly what needs to be addressed. In the next post, we’ll continue to talk about the importance of bringing on dental consultants if you fear that your practice is struggling.

Dental Office Management for Year Ahead

As the year is coming to a close and we are already turning our sights to the upcoming holidays, many businesses are assessing the many ways in which they can improve their operations in the year ahead. After all, when the books close on 2008, there is a plan that must be set forth for 2009 including the budget, marketing plan, and other goals that the company as a whole has identified.

For dental practices, the end of the year also represents a time period during which there can be reflection on how the business fared the year previously and what changes can be made coming up to make the practice even more successful in attracting and retaining patients.

What many dental practices will surely discover is that they are in dire need of more effective dental office management. It may be that the practice has a stellar reputation in the community for patient care – that the dentist is well-liked, well-respected, and generally sought after; but unless there is sound dental management to back the dentist up the practice as a whole can falter significantly.

In preparation for the year ahead, dental practices would be wise to go right to the source in gathering the most pertinent information available to them – their patients. Put a quick patient satisfaction survey together so that patients can weigh-in on such important topics as administrative staff and helpfulness, billing issues, office wait time, scheduling, and so forth.

By gathering and reading the results of such a survey, dental practices can see where they need improvement and if perhaps strong dental practice management will get them where they need to be in terms of patient satisfaction. Often the assistance of a dental consultant will help a practice identify the areas that need improvement and will help a practice get on the right track towards positive change.