The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

Where does your practice production stand this time of the year? How are you utilizing the team to assess and connect with the practices’ patients? Many dental practices are still feeling the economic crunch but there is still time to capture six figures of production. Just making simple changes can create more than $100,000K in additional production this year. (Less than six months left in 2010 today!)

The Secret to Capturing This

If you could increase hygiene production by $500 each day or just $62.50/hour you will have an additional $62,000K in added profits for 2010. At the time I am writing this there are approximately 100 working days left this year. This is treatment sitting in patient charts (or your computer) which has been undiagnosed and/or unscheduled production. Each time I go into an office I find that there are at least 200 patients who have untreated periodontal disease. Why did this happen? There are many reasons this happens and the best thing we can do for these patients to create a longer and very healthy life is to get them into preventive treatment. It is our responsibility to share our knowledge: the science behind periodontal disease – the oral/systemic link and how this can change the way they live life!

Now imagine that if this hygienist can co-diagnose at least $2,000/week in restorative, cosmetic dentistry and even appliances, (Occlusal guards, snore guards and/or whitening) this can boost your production potential even higher. There are approximately 26 weeks left in 2010 at this point in the year so this means another by $52,000. Together, these two services provide for over $100,000 in scheduled production on the books during the next 6 months. I will honestly and very simply tell you how to get to this profitability on your appointment schedule and in 2010. There are few steps to get this done!

Step 1 – Prevent Periodontal Disease

This is my mantra and it should be yours as a dental professional. We have a lot of scientific information available to us so we can appropriately educate our patients about the importance of good oral health. Science tells us that if we treat the disease process sooner than later we can prevent future disease (Heart disease, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Arteriosclerosis, etc., etc.) If we share this information with our patients most people will sit up, listen and take action. How many patients have you met and they said “No” to living a longer and healthier life? Not many!

The fact is that if one hygienist (Working 4 days a week) enrolls just 100 of your current patients into active, non-surgical periodontal therapy and then periodontal maintenance every 3-4 months; hygiene production will increase by at least $150,000.00 in the next twelve months of these scheduled treatment plans. As a dental professional you probably understand that 80% of our adult population has some form of periodontal disease. The sooner we treat the disease the more likely it is we can halt the disease process. When patients understand this they will make this an important matter in their life. They will say “Yes” to scheduling and completing treatment.

Step 2 – Remember Restorative Dentistry Needs to come from the Hygiene Department

Please remember that the entire team needs to be educated on the doctors’ philosophy. Everyone on the team needs to understand what they are expected to do and what procedures are available to the patients in your practice. Write these things down in your office manual for all future employees. Enrolling $2,000/wk out of each hygiene operatory is a very conservative number. One secret is these patients need to schedule their treatment for these production dollars to actually show up. I recommend that you take time to always schedule the next appointment before the patient walks out the door. I recommend all hygiene appointments be scheduled in the hygiene operatory not at the front desk.

Step 3 – Financial Arrangements and Follow-up

Always have patients leave your office with a written and signed financial arrangement. If patients decline treatment they also need to sign a disclosure that they understand the risks, benefits, alternative treatment and disadvantages of not completing the treatment. This is a legal liability and if you don’t explain this it can come back to bite you in legal bills, etc., if patients lose teeth or have other problems. If you don’t have a financial arrangement form, make sure you create one this week. Most dental software programs can make this a very simple thing to do.

When patients trust you and understand it is about their total health they feel an importance to have treatment completed immediately. Patients that say “No” to treatment are many times uneducated about the oral and systemic link. Make financial arrangements clear and easy for them. Help patients understand what portion of the fee they are responsible for and when it’s due. Always follow up. If a patient declines treatment always follow up with a conversation each recare appointment. The economy is difficult for many people, and at this time in our world in can be very hard for a patient to even pay $100.00/month. It sometimes takes time to change patients’ thought pattern about oral health and disease. If a patient isn’t ready to schedule that day, then put them on your follow-up list and ask for their permission to call in 2- 3 weeks.

We are more than half way through another year. These past 3 years have been tough financially but if you know how to communicate with your patients you can see the benefits of a win-win! Your patients can save money by completing preventive care now rather than later. Your patients will be happy to know they can stop future health problems and not spend more money on their teeth. Most patients would prefer to not spend their money on endodontic treatment, implants, tooth extractions, dentures, etc. Always discuss alternative treatment if the current treatment is not accepted. Most people want to live a long and health life. Having a beautiful smile makes most people feel good about themselves. When patients understand the facts they are happy about your team and know you really care. Your dental practice and the benefits you provide for them will really pay off. When patients return for the appropriate treatment you win by increased profits.

How can you expand your practice growth next year? Sometimes offices can’t get to the next step alone. Most successful leaders also have a guide or mentor. We are here to be your guide and offer special tools to make your future profitability a reality. Many times an experienced dental consultant can get you there very – very- – quickly! Pick up the phone and ask us what we can do to make this a seamless process for you and your team. Just call and ask us how today.

Much Success to all!

Your Thoughts

Are you already employing some of these tactics in your practice? What kind of results are you seeing?

There probably came a time while running your practice when you felt like your practice was controlling you rather than the other way around. In fact, a fair number of you reading this probably feel this way today. Doing nothing isn’t really an option if your goal is to create or remain a successful practice. So, how can you re-establish control over your practice?

To find out, I recently interviewed a man that knows all too well the realities of losing control of his practice (and himself) – only to recover and eventually operate among the top 5% of practices nationwide. This man is renowned Master Certified Dental Coach, Dr. Ron Arndt.

Dr. Arndt practiced clinical dentistry for 20 years and spent another 5 years in various executive positions within a financial planning and investment firm. This Summer, Dr. Arndt is releasing a book entitled, “Killing the Practice Before it Kills You: How Throwing Out My Business Model Saved My Life.” In the book, Dr. Arndt will go into great detail about the strategies he used to turn around his dental practice.

So, without further ado, here’s the interview:

1. How do you know if your dental practice is killing you?

Take a moment right now and consider this checklist. Have you ever experienced any of these warning signs? Check off those that reverberate with you.

• You find it difficult to get a good night’s sleep because you are thinking or worrying about the business.
• Your attention is on home when you are at work and on work when you are at home.
• You tell your spouse they are number one in your life when silently you are more focused on the success of your business. After all, it’s who you are!
• You act happy and content on the outside. In reality, your insides are churning and you never feel in control.
• Your energy level begins to fade, and you make excuses when you know you have not been taking care of yourself. You pass it off as something else.
• You are too busy to play those “goofy” games with your kids, who are so hungry for your attention.
• You read the newspaper or business journals when your spouse is talking to you because you have so much to catch up on. Then you fall asleep after twenty minutes, because you needed “just a little nap.”
• On a weeklong vacation, it takes three to four days to unwind. You feel like a new person for one or two days, then the tension builds again, welling up uncontrollably, tightening every muscle. Sunday nights are the worst.
• If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Only you can do it, because it takes too much time to explain and delegate a task to another person.
• You hear this voice in your head: “I don’t need anyone else. I’m smart and can do it all on my own.”

If you checked off a single one consider this a “red flag”. Don’t pass it off as inconsequential. The accumulation of these signs slowly and insidiously over time can be deadly.

2. Why are developing personal core values so important to the success of a dental practice? How do they translate into working with patients and your office team? In other words, why would they care?

I found myself defining my sense of worth and value based on the success of my business. It fueled my ego and fed my belief that I was paying off bills and creating an economic future of choice for my family. That of course included a beautiful home, nice vacations, paying for parochial school tuition, saving heavily for college education, and planning for retirement. Does that sound familiar?

I found myself developing a practice where I was working for everyone else except me. I employed two administrative people, two Chairside assistants, two expanded-functions dental auxiliaries, and two hygienists. Big numbers, big production was the name of the game . . . or so I thought. After all, I was working to be the biggest, baddest, fastest, coolest, wealthiest, and most respected dentist in town. I was unaware at the time that I was learning the lesson that a manager cannot both lead the band and play all the instruments.

After my heart attack, I consciously began to shift in many ways: my outlook, my attitude. I chose to focus not on eliminating my type A behavior, but rather on replacing it with something different. I affirmed my new life direction by codifying my values in writing. I knew I had to identify my core values, the guiding principles around which I would make all of my business decisions. They would serve as the litmus test against which I identified what was “right” and “honest” for me. I knew that these core values would be the genesis of everything that I wanted to do in the transformation of my practice. I set aside several thirty- to forty-five-minute quiet-time periods, so I could work on identifying my core values.

As a basis for this process, I used the following elements: My core values are ideas that I want to publicly affirm;

- My core values are ideas that I greatly prize and have a positive influence on my life;
- My core values are ideas that I am willing to act on;
- My core values are ideas that I would repeat if given the circumstances again and again; and,
- My core values are ideas that I choose freely and with a clear understanding and recognition of the consequences of my choice.

Why would patients care or even know?

Simple, they would see and experience my commitment in the ways I behaved not only towards them but also my team members. Patients, guests want to know that you operate from a set of values that honors and respects them in all actions. In all our interactions with patients, if we have core values in writing and committed to by all team members, we get to go back to them any time we get stuck, have a tough situation, or are confused on what actions we need to take. Core values are HUGE in how we operate our business and treat those around us. Patients know a genuine and authentically caring dental home.

3. What was the significance of firing – and then re-hiring – employees? How did that help you define leadership?

It was much more than simply “firing” the team. It was a dramatic message that the old way of doing business was over. I was not leading my team successfully and the dental team was lulled into a mindset of entitlement…a deadly combination. By Killing the Practice I was burying the old and then offering up a new solution…a solution I wanted for the way I wanted my practice to operate. This was an all or none approach that was necessary to get everyones attention. The choice was entirely up to each individual employee if they wanted to re-apply for the available openings in my new practice.

After Killing the Practice I spent the next several hours detailing exactly how I was going to run the practice. I introduced them to my core values, explained what they meant, dissecting every word and sentence. I gave them the opportunity to ask questions. I did the same for my vision, clearly laying out for them where I wanted to take the practice, again reminding them that they didn’t have to own these, they didn’t have to buy into any of what I was explaining. But if they didn’t, they no longer had the opportunity to work with me or in this office.

For the first time ever, I became the real leader in my practice, a role that I should have assumed long ago. It had taken me years to realize that the ultimate responsibility of a leader was to facilitate their development as well as my own.

4. How can a dental practice raise their fees and not upset the patients?

I finally made the decision that I was going to be paid what I was worth and I expected to connect my compensation with the value, the love, care, and extra attention I brought to my patients’ dental health and life. No more of this conversation about if the insurance will or will not cover it. Or, that’s over “Usual, Customary, and Reasonable.” That old thinking had to go. My practice was not usual and customary; we were extraordinary. I declared: “We will train on our financial arrangements and how to discuss them with our patients . . . no more laissez-faire.” My expectation was to offer up financial options for our patients that were written, fair, explained in advance, and easy to understand. And of course, any patient who’d been previously quoted a case fee was grandfathered in.

The best way to overcome the “perceived” objections was to communicate and deliver “value” for the fee. Certainly there would be a small percentage of price shoppers that would be upset, yet they were not our ideal patients. I directed my administrative team to keep a yellow pad at the front desk and list those patients who were so upset that they were going to leave the practice. We never filled one full page…barely a half page. It is my belief that no matter what our fees patients will view them as “a little pricey” and I validated that with a study I did with my crown fees.

What I have learned is that if we deliver perceived (and real) excellence combined with true patient care and outrageous service, our patients will perceive the value and not only continue to visit us, they will refer. Don’t misunderstand, this is not about gouging people, it is about being compensated for delivering remarkable human service.

5. How does cutting some benefits completely, but increasing others dramatically work?

I took a new-world view…new in that I was breaking with the typical dental management thinking of give everything and anything to retain employees. Dentistry as a profession lives in a HR bubble. In the real employment world, employees are paid for performance. Greater performance dictates greater and higher compensation and of course the opposite applies, low performance, low pay or even dismissal. In dentistry, this statement is more enigmatic: “Dr., I have been here for another year and I am entitled to a raise.” My new world view was, no more entitlements. I explained clearly that the new wage offerings would be no less than what each was currently making, however, any future increases in wages would be as a result of increased output-performance-revenues.

No more benefits of paid time off that found my team taking advantage of my generosity that cost the practice revenues and raised my stress because I was often found on Monday’s (often the busiest day of the week) short handed by 25% of my workforce because they wanted an extended weekend (67% of called in days off were on Mondays). I eliminated the eye-care benefit. I made major adjustments to my benefits package, because it was being abused. It had become expected as an entitlement and was grossly unappreciated. And my staff costs had continued to escalate because of the generosity that I had built into my staff compensation package without any real consideration to what it was costing me to provide staff services.

I was now going to track my business expenses like a real businessman and compare them to industry averages to better enable me to make better decisions. I also declared that I would no longer pay for their exotic trips to St. Thomas, the Bahamas, and Dallas. No more excursions. I expanded the continuing education credit because it encouraged their personal growth, enhanced their value, better served our patients, and was simply good business. I made people clearly aware that they would be well paid, but I was firm in my expectation: you have to show up, and produce results. Compensation would now be performance based. Then I introduced my new incentive program: a Win-Win, Pay-4-Performance arrangement. It was team-centered and fair. Did it work? You bet it did. My final 5 years in practice were my most enjoyable and profitable and my remaining team members were making more money than they had ever done in the past.

6. What does practicing meat and potato dentistry mean? Why does it work?

Meat and potato dentistry is my name for the routine, common procedure mix of services the typical patient wants. My practice was not a high end cosmetic or full-mouth rehab business. That was not what the majority of my wonderful blue-collar patients requested. While I did selective challenging cases, I brought in an oral surgeon to help me with the implant process and an orthodontist as well to help me grow my young people part of my business. We were a “family practice” and as such served moms and dads and their kids along with their grandparents and neighbors.

Nothing fancy, yet extremely personalized relationship-based care. Our patients were give full, comprehensive evaluations and treatment plans and then given full authority to determine if they wanted some, none, or all of what we recommended. We phased our care as well so that they did not feel pressured to “have to” do something. I have learned that the scar of the unchosen surgery heals slowly. We did basic, solid, caring dentistry. For those dentists who can do the big restorative and cosmetic cases, we referred our tough cases.

7. What is one tip that you would give to someone starting out their own private practice?

Start with the end in mind….a Steven Covey mindset. I’m coaching right now a young starting pediatric dentist. My first bit of coaching was to get him to dream and envision what he wants! What will make the biggest difference, and yet one of the toughest things to implant into the head and heart of a new dentist, is to identify who you are via your own Core Values. When they write out, on paper and list what they stand for they then can take the next step to write their personal AND practice Vision Statement. Armed with their Core Values and their Vision Statement, the strategic plan magically begins to unfold as any time they get stuck…the refer to their values and vision.

Above all things, this is what I want for new dentists. My fear however, after talking to Junior and Senior dental students, they won’t take the time or devote the seriousness to this process. I have seen the results with many doctors…frustration, lack of direction, financial chaos, marital issues, misplaced arrogance, and an unhappiness with their life.

Get in touch with Dr. Arndt

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Your thoughts

Have you ever felt that your practice was controlling you? How did you handle the situation? What will you takeaway from Dr. Arndt and try in your practice?

The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

Prioritize Your Schedule

A full schedule translates into revenues and production only if the patients come in. If a practice loses 1 to 2 appointments/day, either on the hygienist’s schedule or on the dentist’s schedule, the lost production from this could be anywhere from $100 (minimally) to $900 per day, depending upon the procedure. These are dollar figures for clients and dental offices during the year 2009. Let’s assume you have 200 working days during the year, the annual lost production works out to $20,000 at the low end to $180,000 at the high end. Take into account that you lose even $20,000.00 over the next 5 years. This is $100,000.00 which can be used in many areas for a successful and profitable dental practice. Think about your salary being reduced by this much. This can really hurt a dental practice!

These figures are for a solo practitioner, with one full-time hygienist. The figures multiply for a multi-doctor office, or for a solo practitioner with more than one hygienist. Improving practice performance in this one area alone could significantly improve the financial status of many dental practices.

Practice success depends on the strength of a strategically planned schedule. It is important to have a systematic method for scheduling patients. On a daily basis, the entire dental team probably spends much of their day discussing and dealing with the topic of appointments: cancellations, broken appointments, and no-shows. This is a big source of endless frustration. No-shows and cancellations are the biggest single source of lost revenue.

It is helpful to be proactive, have a strategic approach and design a systematic schedule. Having a system in place will decrease the level of stress and increase revenue in your dental practice.

Stephen Covey, author of many professional management and family management planning books has said, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”

Your first thought may be that is seems impossible to create the ideal dental practice schedule. Every dentist and most auxiliaries practice on different days, each professional may have different hours, they will provide treatment at different speeds and they will offer different services. All successful dental practices will take account for all these scheduling variables. Having a scheduling system is what creates success in all areas of the dental practice.

Effective Schedule Systems

When you have an effective scheduling system the doctor and team are now in charge of managing the patient flow. The patient flow should not manage the team.

Think of the schedule as the center of all dental practice systems. This is one system that will significantly decrease stress. When the team manages the schedule it will become efficient and predictable. This is where productivity will create increased revenues quickly.

Six tips to help you manage your practice’s scheduling

1. Use 10-minute units
Using 15 minute increments on the schedule costs the practice approximately seven days of treatment time every year. This means the doctors are working that much harder and not smarter. When you change the practice schedule to 10-minute units you are able to schedule procedures with a higher degree of accuracy. When you utilize 10-minute units of time the practice can schedule a 20-minute procedure with ease. With 15-minute units, the procedure must be scheduled either with not enough time (15 minutes) or too much (30 minutes). Ten-minute units will now offer greater flexibility and result in increased productivity.

2. Create a template for each operatory
Every 10 minute unit needs to be put into the schedule in advance. A schedule built on a 10-minute template outlines exactly how every 10-minute increment will be used for each operatory. Doctor and the auxiliaries need to take a look at the 10 minute units first. This is how they will know how each day is going to flow. This needs to be reviewed even before the team huddle begins.

3. Schedule by production
Again this allows you to take control of the schedule and the schedule will not control you. When setting up your annual schedule template decide how much production you need to stay in the black. Decide what procedure blocks will be added and at what times on the schedule. Many practices make the mistake of scheduling by reactively filling empty time slots.

3. Be proactive. First things, First
Most people during the day have more energy and as the day progresses they tend to run out of steam. For many people the time after a lunch break seems to create a decrease in energy. Try having longer, more intensive treatment options in the morning. This is the time to fill the schedule with longer procedures and high-production cases.

When you have a strong scheduling system in place you have increased productivity and profitability. When you create a schedule with production as a priority you create harmony, less stress and help the practice meet all the daily goals; production and otherwise.

4. What is a “Perfect Day”?
It doesn’t need to be a calculus equation or statistics but there needs to be a strategic mathematical formula to make certain the practice meets their goals. It is best to schedule an average daily level of production which will be equal to your annual production goal. For example, if you want to produce 1.5 million in 200 days, you need to schedule $7,500 per day. This will include the hygiene schedule and doctor’s schedule. It is not realistic to produce this same number each day. The important part is the daily average.
Having “Perfect Day” schedules and daily production goals also tend to reduce practice stress because they allow doctors and their teams to achieve a consistent day-in day-out workload.

5. Your “Perfect Day” Schedule
It will increase efficiency when you schedule the doctors, hygienists and all auxiliaries separately. If you are utilizing an assisted hygiene model the hygiene assistant should also be scheduled into the 10 minute increments.

The doctor and assistant do not always need to be in the room together. This follows true especially when using an assisted hygiene model.

It may take a few weeks and a process of time but it will significantly increase the total office productivity, decrease stress, improve patient flow and increase the annual revenue.

6. Communication is the Key to Reduced Cancellations
It is the nature of business and life in general that there will be cancellations and no-shows. When scheduling tell patients that you are “reserving” this time specifically for them. Educate all patients about the importance and leave them feeling the urgency for reserving appointments prior to leaving the office.

When the front office is speaking with patients they need to request patients give 72 hours notice if they need to change an appointment. If patients need to change their appointment on Monday it doesn’t do the office any good to cancel an appointment on Saturday. This is why you need to ask for at least 72 hours cancellation.

Take time to retrain your patients about this policy if you don’t have this in place currently. Let patients know there will be a fee for a missed appointment. The fee needs to be dependent upon the type of procedure and should be written in all policies you publish to your patients. These policies are included in the new patient package. Appointment cards need to mention there is an appropriate fee charge for cancellations outside of the 72 hours.

Quick Overview

• Schedule in 10-minute units, with a template for each operatory
• Schedule the most productive procedures first by creating ideal day schedules with ideal production goals
• Schedule longer and high end production early in the day
• Schedule doctors and assistants separately
• Build patient value for appointments to reduce no-shows and cancellations

You will create a more efficient and effective system for scheduling patients when you create your “Perfect Day” schedule. The bottom line is harmony in the office, value to the patients, improved productivity, increased revenues and reduced stress. It is a “win-win” that creates success!

Do you need guidance setting this up? Do you know how many days and hours you actually need on the schedule? Please contact us for a free assessment. Find the answers to these questions, lower your overhead and increase your revenue.

My how times change quickly in dentistry! I believe with technology and new products we have grow 100 years in the past 10.

Years ago the dental hygiene department was thought of as a loss leader. When looking at the business of dentistry in the 21st century we realize there are numerous profit centers inside the dental business. When looking at the dental hygiene department there are numerous areas in this department that bring profits to the dental business.

Four-handed dentistry has been popular for dentists and by utilizing this assisted model it is only one avenue to bring increased productivity and added revenue to the hygiene department as well. This is not to be misunderstood as accelerated hygiene but as a way to provide added value to the dental hygiene department, optimal care to the patients and in addition bring increased revenue to the dental practice.

There are many factors which play a big role in the success of this dental hygiene model for business success. This is part I of 3 articles to discuss what you need to explore to understand if this business model is correct for your dental practice.

Defining these Two Words

What do the two words assist and hygiene mean? Assist means to give support or aid. What does the word hygiene mean? According to Merriam Webster this word means the science or establishment of health.

It is important to look at the meaning of these two words. This is where we begin developing a true foundation for a successful assisted hygiene model. Specifically these two words when put together mean giving support to establish health.

The challenge to a successful assisted hygiene business model is to develop a course of action where the hygiene team can continually strive as a team to provide optimal health and preventive patient-centered care with consistency and effectiveness.

Sharing the Vision

Definition of Vision: “The Fundamental Source of Power.”

As owner of a dental practice you are considered the main leader in the success of the business. Your vision implies an understanding of the past and present. More important, it offers a road map to the future and suggests guidelines to those in a given enterprise— (The business of providing health. The business of dentistry.) how people are to act and interact to attain what they regard as desirable. As a leader your vision may be intuitive or highly structured. It is the bedrock for success in meeting the twin tests of competition and selection of what your business model(s) will look like.

Before deciding to implement an assisted hygiene model in your dental business it is important to ask yourself a few questions “Is this where I want to be?” “Do I want to expand my practice?” “Do I wish to have more employees?” “Are we ready to grow?” “Do we have the correct players on our team to move forward with this business model?”

These are some of the initial questions you need to answer. If you are not set up physically, mentally or financially this may not work. Once the primary leader or business owner feels comfortable with this business model they need to share this with the team and then the patients. If everyone on the team is not on board this new business model will not work. Once the team is on board you can share your new business model for assisted hygiene with the patients and all who enter through the door of your office.

Code of Ethics

These are the driving principles, of your business. An example of this can be seen with the code of ethics the Ritz Carlton shares with all who enter through the doors of a Ritz Carlton Hotel. (Did you know the employees keep a card of these on them at all times while on the job?) The leaders at the Ritz Carlton are responsible for stewarding an icon in the luxury market, through a constant quest for excellence, to continue its success in a changing global economy and with changing customer needs.

You can also think of your code of ethics similar to the Ten Commandments for your dental business. You may ask why have a code of ethics? Below is a list of important reasons why you need to have this, share it with everyone on the team and everyone who walks through the door of your dental office.

Why you need a code of ethics

• Sets up expected behaviors (for the team and what the patients can expect)
• Promotes high standards of practice for the dental office
• Provides a benchmark
• Establishes a framework for professional behavior and responsibilities
• Gives a specific Identity to the practice – what they can be known for
• Shows development of a systematic approach and maturity of the business

When people know why you are in the business of dentistry they are more likely to remain a life-long patient and most likely be a disciple of what you represent referring all their friends and family members.
When changes occur in the practice, for example changing to an assisted hygiene model, patients are more likely to weather the change because these are the people who understand you are all about their best well-being. They know you care by everything you do and say: written and verbal.

Critical Components

A systematic approach is the key to making this and any transition a seamless process.

Define what assessments are to be completed during the hygiene appointment and which auxiliary(ies) can perform these assessments. The hygiene team in particular needs to meet and write down what screenings will be completed and at what intervals. An example may be: “At each preventive appointment patients will receive the medical history review and an oral cancer screening. The patient will also receive a caries risk assessment form and this will be reviewed by an auxiliary. The auxiliary will ask about xerostomia (dry mouth) and give oral hygiene instructions (or a review of) before the patient leaves the operatory.”

“Annually each patient seen for preventive treatments will receive a full mouth periodontal screening exam, a blood pressure screening and smile analysis.” This is just an example so you may want to meet and decide what is in the best interest of the patients and your practice model.

Once you meet with the team and create this model you will nurture and create an atmosphere of optimal preventive patient-centered care.

It is very important that you develop a customized and written protocol so each member of the assisted hygiene team and even future members of the assisted hygiene team can acknowledge, accept their role and responsibility within this new business model. The written protocol will include the daily goal(s) for production and may even include how many referrals you ask for from current patients. The written protocol will include challenges and how they will be handled, when to implement new technologies, budgets for new equipment and treatment adjuncts to continue improving the quality of patient care.

Cross-training the hygiene department and having the operatories set up the same in a systematic manner will promote a system of effectiveness. The hygienist and assistant must acknowledge the benefit of sharing duties which overlap their scopes of practice and contribute to the success of the assisted hygiene program.

Scheduling is very important and the various patient treatments (procedures) need to be categorized into low, medium or high production. Having specific blocks of time pre-scheduled in the appointment book will also help keep the assisted hygiene program on track for not only a preventive patient centered practice of optimal care but will help the team meet production goals.

Determine your expectations and each person’s perceptions. Be open to listening to your patients’ perceptions about this change. This awareness will help you and the team to proceed with clarity for success and to progress towards peak performance with a patient centered preventive program.

Journey through Peaks & Valleys

These are just a few guidelines to begin your journey for patient centered hygiene care. Possibly you already use the assisted hygiene business model. There will always be peaks and valleys in anything we do in life.

Even if you have already implemented this program of assisted hygiene you may consider the expertise of a hygiene coach or consultant as they are the experts who will provide the team with powerful solutions to bring the valleys up to peak performance.
When you become clear about your values and understand everyone’s perception not only will you exceed your expectations but those of your patients.

Happy Patient = Continued Success!

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned for part II of Debra Bittke’s series on The Assisted Hygiene Business Model…

The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

What an exciting time we live in! We are living in a time where we are discovering new technologies. We have social media marketing strategies, everyone has a website and we are just a Google search away from one another. If you want to be on the leading edge you are looking for ways to set your practice apart from the rest.

We must pay close attention to increasing profitability, efficiency and our overhead while providing a high level of quality, attention and detail to our patient care. These are exciting times in dentistry as we explore and implement new strategies to enhance and improve our current dental practice business strategies.

Over the years, dentistry has evolved into realizing that we must carry out a patient-centered, prevention-oriented health care practice that is prosperous. It is imperative to employ sound business principles and expect our practice to be an environment in which our team has an opportunity to build a rewarding career and our patients receive extraordinary care and service. One thing that may change for our patients is a re-adjustment of their priorities as it relates to their treatment plan.

The goal of helping our patients has now progressed from treating infection and disease to good overall health. One thing that hasn’t changed is the cost of doing the business of dentistry. It is important that the team understand the cost of running a business in dentistry and a hygiene department. It is when the team understands these financial aspects of the business that members of the dental team are committed to excellence.

Working as a Team

When we work as a team we can make a difference. Everyone on the team needs to understand what systems are in place. Cross-training the team can create a harmonious playing field. When your entire team is enrolled in communicating patient education, delivering home care instructions and increasing the patient’s dental IQ we now provide a rich environment for enthusiastic teamwork, enhanced level of communication and a committed effort to improving the overall health and wellness of your patients. With a team fully engaged, your patients begin to connect and establish trust with your entire team and view the team as an invaluable resource for their total health. Working as a cohesive team provides an immediate and lasting impression for your patients. This is a cost effective marketing plan which we all know as internal marketing.

When reading about productivity in the hygiene department you may think of coming in early, working through lunch and staying late. Maybe you think the office has a prophy mill. Does this make you feel like you are running on a treadmill or riding a roller coaster? When you take time to add assessments such as a periodontal screening exam, CAMBRA, smile analysis and xerostomia, etc., you will begin to treat the total patient, work more efficiently and higher end treatment will begin to take place. Patients now have a reason to say “Yes” to treatment needs when they understand the science and importance of oral health related to their total systemic health. The assessments initiate communication for the necessary treatment and when patients understand the importance a “Yes” to treatment most likely means you are more likely to complete higher end treatment plans. This means your revenue will increase.

Another avenue to increase patient oral and systemic health is by recommending home care products. Home care products can also increase revenue and become another profit center. Can you imagine patients coming by the office even when they don’t have an appointment? They do when they purchase home care products from you. These products can be a great gift for patients to share with other friends and family members when there is a special occasion or holiday. This gives patients a reason to stop by the office frequently.

Offering home care products is just one more opportunity to add a personal touch, top of the line preventive services and exposure to your patients without marketing. When you offer products to support patients who request natural products, support your cosmetic dentistry, offer products for caries prevention and treatment of xerostomia, just to name a few. Adding home care products to what you currently offer your patients will not take time out of your schedule and will not add more patients to your schedule. It adds simple revenue with little effort on the part of the dental team.

Every time you prepare a crown or place an implant you are paying a lab bill. When you sell home care products you will not have a high overhead but many of the products you will have your patient purchase have a 70% return on investment. (ROI) This is called passive income. It is an easy way to add value to what your patients receive and it also increases your bottom line in the dental practice.

Providing a patient centered prevention – oriented atmosphere in your practice will bring out the vision, values and quality of your practice. It will set your practice up to harness to ride the big waves depending upon whatever the economic climate may be.

Creating a cohesive team and a dental practice based on excellence and the extraordinary, realizing the potential of the dental hygiene department and the entire team is essential to building the dental practice you have always dreamed of. This assures long-term relationships along side your success.

Your team members are all very important assets to the health, profitability and success of the dental practice. Your patients and the team are priceless!

The following is a guest post by Millenium Dental. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

There are many different factors that come into play when determining the success level of a dental practice, but one of the most important qualities that any practice should possess is excellent client service.

Clients expect more than mere technical knowledge from their healthcare professionals; they also want a dentist who is friendly, attentive and will put their minds at ease. Keeping clients as satisfied as possible will guarantee return visits – and referrals for new business.

Here are five ways to improve client service at your dental practice:

1. Provide various financial options to clients.

In these difficult financial times, many clients are finding it challenging to fit a trip to the dentist into their budgets. Your job should be to make the process as easy on them as possible. Consider granting discounts when patients pay cash upfront, creating a referral program that offers patients discounts for referring friends or relatives to your practice, and working out payment plans for patients with extenuating financial circumstances. Accepting credit card payments is another way to increase the number of payment options available to clients.

2. Expand the range of services you offer.

For example, cosmetic dentistry is a rapidly growing segment of the industry, and clients will appreciate only having to visit one practice for all of their dental needs. Popular cosmetic procedures include teeth whitening, dental implants and veneers. Another way to stimulate business is to offer spa amenities like massages or facials, which will give your practice a more relaxed, indulgent atmosphere.

3. Focus on giving each client personal attention.

Always send thank you cards after a client’s first visit to your practice, as well as to those clients who have completed extensive or costly procedures. Periodic postcard mailings are another way to stay in touch; try reminding patients that they’re due for a checkup, or offer a discount on special services like teeth whitening. Holiday cards are another way to show clients that you care. Finally, providing patients with surveys at the end of each appointment is a great way to solicit feedback and demonstrate the importance of their opinions.

4. Maintain a clean, comfortable facility.

People want to visit a dentist with a spotless office and up-to-date tools and equipment. In addition, relaxing music and television programs are mainstays of every well-equipped practice, as they put clients at ease and provide them with pleasant distractions.

5. Streamline and improve your scheduling system in order to reduce client wait times.

Nothing makes a client feel less valuable to a medical professional than having to sit in the waiting area for an hour or more. Try to schedule appointments so that clients never have to wait longer than fifteen minutes to see the dentist.

Optimize your client service with these tips and your practice is bound to see an increase in business.

The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

When you see the words “the business of dental hygiene” what do you imagine? Perhaps you see a treadmill where high volume and financial reward are the main focus of the dental hygiene department? Or do you see a hygiene department where quality patient care and profitability are congruent, operating with systems and protocols that would not allow one to compromise the other?

A Paradigm Shift

During the past ten+ years the goal of helping our patients has now progressed from treating infection and disease into good overall health. One thing that hasn’t changed is the cost of doing the business of dental hygiene. It is important that the team understand the cost of running a business and a hygiene department. It is when the team understands these financial aspects of the business that the members of the dental team will be committed to excellence. It is important to have team meetings that educate every team member of the cost associated with the daily operations of running the business of dentistry and dental hygiene.

The Facts

The fact is, the hygiene department is the second largest profit center in the dental practice and provides support for the practice as a whole. Within the hygiene department are several other areas of profitability for the dental practice.

Most of your patients spend one hour–two to four times a year with the dental hygienist(s) and because of this ongoing relationship patients are more likely to remain in your practice, accept treatment recommendations and refer patients to the dental office. This makes your hygiene department a business within a business and it makes the executive in this department held accountable for his/her success. When the dental hygienist is held accountable for the department success and when he/she understands the vision and principles of the dental practice, success will follow. You will find the team working in harmony when they understand the vision for the practice share the same code of patient ethics and take ownership for the way patients are treated.

When every team member takes ownership of their role the patients are sure to experience a caring attitude, an ultimate dental experience, the highest level of care and the profits are sure to follow. This provides a win-win situation.

One of the most important aspects of the dental hygiene treatment that is often overlooked is the list of assessments. Dental hygienists feel as if they are on a treadmill but when the team plans the day effectively these assessments can really make the day run smoothly, allow patients to feel they received the highest level of care and now allows for a more comprehensive treatment plan to occur. The treatment plan now moves to a higher level of care.

New Treatment Heights

There is a list of 10 assessments and patient procedures that stimulate profitability in the dental hygiene department. These ten are all important aspects of the patients’ oral and total health. Not all offices participate in this list of 10 and
If you take a look at the list below and notice a missing piece choose to just implement 1 or 2 within the next month. Make an appointment this month to discuss with your team how to implement these ten successfully into the hygiene patient appointment time. Be patient with these changes and take time to discuss how to effectively implement these with full participation from the entire team.

The most overlooked assessments are the annual full-mouth periodontal screening exam. Still in the 21st century many hygienists who see a patient every six months, neglect to pick up a periodontal probe prior to picking up a curette. Most dental offices have approximately 15% of their adult patients with untreated periodontal disease. If each of these patients continues down this path we know that the research states this disease process will continue and the patient will at some point experience tooth mobility and possible tooth loss.

What will this cost the dental business? Take into account that most non-surgical periodontal treatment plans are approximately $1,000.00 for four quadrants of just scaling and root planing not taking into account the use of antimicrobials or laser therapy. Now take into account the frequency of the periodontal
maintenance appointments that follow about every 90 days. Once a periodontal patient, always a periodontal patient. It is the same as a patient with diabetes or high blood pressure. These patients are seen frequently and always at risk for future disease after the disease have been halted. We are not talking about money lost but improved health!

Another new area of treatment that is overlooked at this time is the pediatric patient – first visit. CAMBRA is a new evidence-based protocol for assessing caries. It is now the standard of care for the pediatric patient to have their first visit when the first primary tooth erupts. This appointment can be done in a consult room with the child seated on the mothers lap. This is an appointment to assess the tooth structure, biofilm and any suspicious areas of the child’s oral cavity. If you are concerned about receiving payment the CDT codes have you covered.

How many patients qualify for this preventive measure? How will this benefit your patients and your bottom line?

When the hygienist and team all understand the need to prevent and intervene at an early stage vs. wait and watch; not only does the patient gain an improved level of health but the dental hygiene production will increase. Establish periodontal and the various preventive protocols today. Now is the time to cease treating the periodontal patient with a prophy appointment and begin to utilize the
preventive measures according to the new CAMBRA guidelines.

Another area in dentistry that has changed in the past decade or more is selling home care products. Many decades ago we wrote a prescription or sent our patients to a pharmacy with names of products written on a piece of paper. Our knowledge and research over the past few decades states that 70% of these patients returned to our dental office and never took time to get the prescription filled. Patients seldom took that piece of paper with them to purchase the specific product recommended. When patients have the toothbrush they are to use and shown in the dental office how to use that new power toothbrush they are more likely to use the brush effectively.

This is the one area of your dental practice that has a net profit of about a 70%. You can spend hours preparing a crown or bridge and you have lab fees to pay at the end. The ROI (return on investment) for home care products sold in the dental office is about 70%. We want patients to buy their home care products from the experts, the people who know which toothpaste, toothbrush, mouth rinse, etc. is appropriate for the individual patient to use at home. The sales person at the local drug store and even the pharmacist is not the person to educate a patient about xylitol and its benefits let alone what type of silica is appropriate to use on the expensive restorations the dental patient just paid for.

By engaging and empowering the entire team your dental business is certain to excel. You will create a cohesive team and a dental practice based on excellence and the extraordinary. Realizing the potential of the dental hygiene team and creating a thriving profit center inside this valuable department of your business is essential to building the dental practice you have always dreamed of. This assures you long-term relationships along side your success.

Your team and the dental hygiene department are all very important assets to the health, profitability and success of the dental practice.

10 Profitability Centers in the Dental Hygiene Department

1. Perform oral health care assessments that include the review of patients’ health history, dental charting, oral cancer screening, periodontal assessments, biofilm assessment, saliva pH test, smile analysis, xerostomia, etc.

2. Expose and interpret dental radiographs (x-rays); co-diagnose

3. Non-surgical periodontal procedures, antimicrobial agents, laser therapy, etc

4. CAMBRA

5. Apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides varnish and sealants to the teeth

6. Administer local anesthetic and / or nitrous oxide analgesia

7. Educate patients on proper oral hygiene techniques to maintain healthy teeth and gums and recommend home care products

8. Discuss whitening treatment and take impressions when applicable

9. Administer smoking cessation programs

10. Counsel patients on the importance of good nutrition for maintaining good oral hygiene

Your Take

Which of these profitability centers currently exist in your practice. Do you plan to introduce any of the others listed here? Would you add any to the list?

Get off the treadmill

Each day is a fast, frenetic ride on the practice racetrack. As hygienists we say “Treadmill”. Daily stresses morph into emergencies. You and the team dash from one procedure, patient, or task to the next and each are more critical than the last. At the end of the day you promise yourself you’re going to make changes and try to get things under control. But the fact is, it’s a rush. You’re living on chewing gum and caffeine and gulping at the fountain of adrenaline addiction, and with every near crisis averted, a sudden emergency addressed, and an urgent situation managed you do take a moment to give the team a quick high-five and congratulate yourself.

But that momentary thrill is creating long-term problems. Living in a constant state of crisis management typically means there is little happening in the way of real system management. The team is constantly reacting and scurrying in one direction one day and another the next day depending on what seemingly random course your so-called urgent priorities happen to take. Your crisis addiction, urgency addiction, adrenaline addiction – whatever you want to call it – is being satisfied at a price.

We work hard, not smart

The days are long and exhausting. What was once an exciting thrill is starting to feel a lot like burnout. The worst part, for all of your running, panting, and dashing to handle the latest and most urgent issue, practice productivity is teetering precariously between the “sorely lacking” and “barely good enough.” The problem is everyone is working hard but no one’s working smart. The focus is on dealing with whatever problem has to be managed right now and not on addressing what caused that problem and what can be done to prevent it in the future.

Turning your practice around

Had enough of life and work on the run? A mere 24 hours over the next year could transform a practice locked in a seemingly perpetual state of crisis management or lackluster success into one of superior efficiency and productivity. It also could go along way in weaning both doctor and team from an inefficiency addiction that is costing you thousands in productivity and an untold amount in long-term professional satisfaction.
It begins with a simple two hour meeting each month and a genuine commitment to making a change. This is dedicated, uninterrupted time in which doctor and all team members commit to continuously improve the practice.

Follow this 12-step plan to practice efficiency and increase profitability.

1. Create an agenda with input from the entire team. (Go to: http://dentalpracticesolutions.com/members-center/ for a copy of agenda to use.)

2. The agenda will be specific for the type of meeting you are holding. In our Tuesday Tooth Pick January 18, 2010, we listed various meetings you need to schedule during each year. For example one meeting you need to report on frequently are all areas of your dental office that impact the profitability and the success of the practice, such as: numbers of new patients, recare patients, non-surgical periodontal procedures, home-care products sold, unscheduled time units for doctor and hygiene, unscheduled patients for treatment and hygiene appointments which are not scheduled, treatment acceptance, collections, production, accounts receivables, uncollected insurance revenues over 60 days, overhead, etc.

3. Post a list of comments in one area of the office (Preferably a room where the team meets each am for the team huddle) for each team member to contribute their important thoughts and ideas on the topic for the monthly meeting.

4. Distribute the agenda at least two days in advance of the meeting.

5. Assign a different ring master (Leader of the meeting) each month who will lead the meeting and keep team members on task.

6. Assign each member of the team to report on the area for which she/he is responsible. For example, the Scheduling Coordinator reports on the monthly production as compared to the goal, the number of unscheduled time units for the Doctor, and the Doctor’s daily average production. . (Go to: http://dentalpracticesolutions.com/members-center/ for a copy of each person’s role.)

7. Designate the amount of time you will spend discussing each issue and avoid getting bogged down on unrelated topics. Discuss only what’s on the agenda.

8. Eliminate outside interruptions, and when possible hold team meetings off-site in a conference room. Many local libraries, community colleges, hospitals and other public facilities have public meeting rooms available for use. This is especially important when you are holding your annual strategic planning session. It is recommended the strategic planning meeting be held during an 8 hour period of time somewhere relaxing and fun for the team.

9. Encourage team members to come prepared to participate in the discussion. For example, if there are more unscheduled time units than desired the team can discuss strategies for addressing the openings. Seek input from everyone.

10. Delegate responsibilities and establish deadlines for completing tasks identified during the staff meetings. (See the agenda sample at http://dentalpracticesolutions.com/members-center/)

11. Share ideas during team meetings for improving the work environment, the patient experience, and the efficiency of the practice. Seek consensus from the team as to the best time to hold team meetings; meetings scheduled outside normal work hours should be considered paid time.

12. Hold meetings at least once per month, more frequently if you are implementing several changes. Before long you’ll be amazed at your cravings for stability and predictable outcomes. You’ll also be very likely to find you and your team all but addicted to the very real and measurable strides you are making in practice productivity and efficiency.

Have fun with your new addiction to efficiency! It may just increase your bottom line.

Your thoughts

Have you utilized any similar ideas within your practice? What were your results? Do you have additional tips for increasing practice efficiency?

The following is a guest post by William D. Esteb. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

Do you care too much?

If you have a voracious appetite for new patients, you don’t enjoy the repeat visits, and patient referrals you think you deserve, it may be because you care too much.

As a professional caregiver, being a dentist requires that you care—but not care too much.

This often comes as a surprise by many in dentistry who boast about how much they care on their website and other marketing overtures. Turns out, few patients are specifically looking for a dentist who cares! They simply assume that dentists and doctors of all types, care.

Find the “Sweet Spot”

As a healing arts professional, setting appropriate boundaries around being emotionally engaged in what patients do and don’t do is a key responsibility. Care too little and your emotional distance and mechanical detachment prevents appropriate patient bonding. Care too much and patients feel an obligation or a “duty” that can actually work against you. When you find the sweet spot between these two extremes, notice improved patient retention and an uptick in new patient referrals.

As a dentist, you probably don’t realize that searching out a new dentist is an unpleasant task. They contemplate the dreadful paperwork, the new practice environment, new procedures, new personalities and not to mention the general fear of the unknown of finding someone new. In fact, changing dentists is so distasteful, their old dentist (you) would have to inflict a lot of psychological pain to prompt them to start over with a new one.

By caring too much, you impose a type of obligation to follow through with certain home care procedures designed to improve their dental hygiene. Which is the point, right? However, to patients it often comes off as “this is what good patients do.” Even if you see it as merely a reminder about regular flossing, some patients interpret their subsequent failure to live up to your recommendations as, well, failure. Rather than face you and your disappointment, they seek care in another dentist’s office.

Of course, each patient, not you, determines if your recommendations are an obligation, or merely a friendly reminder. It may have nothing to do with what you actually say, but the tone of your voice and countless other subtle cues.

That’s why it’s critical that you care, but not to care too much.

One way to make sure your spoken recommendations are not perceived as a burdensome duty is to move from the first person, as in, “It’s my opinion that you…” or “I think you should…” or “If it were me, I’d…” to the third person: “Many of our patients find…” or “Over the years patients have reported…” Patients are likely to see this as less threatening and obligatory than first person recommendations.

Do you care too much? One way to know if patients perceive that you’ve crossed this invisible line is to take an inventory of how many patients in typical month are first timers as a ratio to total patient visits. The higher the number, the more likely you are of making this common mistake.

Your Thoughts

Do you agree with Mr. Esteb? Can you care too much?

The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

As a dental consultant/coach, I have the opportunity to talk with dental practice owners every day. I also review and analyze dental practices on a weekly basis using my extensive dental knowledge to educate practitioners on how they can improve their practice bottom line.

What I hear consistently are dental practices which on average, see 30 new patients each month. Most dental practices have an average of 2,500 active patients. Most of our clients have been in practice for a minimum of 12 years and examine about 30 new patients every month. You may wonder why most of these practices have a mere active patient base of only 2,500 patients.

If all of these patients continued to return to the office the dental practice should have an active patient base of at approximately 3,500 patients. I am accounting for some attrition and being very forgiving with the accounting of these patient numbers.

In the United States, 78% of general dentists are solo practitioners. Why is there only enough work to keep one dentist busy? The answer is simple, dentists are losing more patients out the back door than are coming in the front door. Most practices I review have only 6 days of hygiene patients each week. With this point arises the question: why are these practices only seeing 6 days of hygiene patients each week?

First of all, I want to address the reason behind why patients may not be coming back to your office. The lack of a “personal relationship” with your patients could be to blame. By building a personal relationship with each patient, you will establish trust and give them a reason to choose your office over another one down the street.

One of the most common questions that I hear on a daily basis is, “why do we need to change? We have always done things this way.” This statement signals a major breakdown and is a silent killer for any dental practice. Dental practitioners should also keep in mind that the field of dentistry changes constantly and dental management skills that worked five to ten years ago probably do not work in today’s world.
There are many reasons why a practice might lose patients.

The “New Patient”

Your first impression is a lasting impression. I always ask doctors to periodically call their own office so they will understand how the phone is being answered. The dental practice owner and all team members need to be aware of how a client may feel when calling in to make an appointment. Do you get the feeling that the phone is answered with someone who has a smile on their face?

Offer good “Customer Service”

How long does your new patient need to wait until they are able to get an appointment in your office? If you have blocked times for new patients you are more likely to successfully accommodate them in a timely manner. If you heard something good about someone and are anxious to meet them, do you want to wait a month to meet them? Neither do your patients!

I have called many offices and an answer machine let me know the office staff was busy with another patient and was not able to answer my call. If I were a new patient calling to schedule my first appointment and I was greeted by a recorded message. I would be discouraged by this not so warm welcome.

What types of information do you send your patients home with? Do they have written oral hygiene instructions or post op instructions? Do you send out a new patient package prior to the first appointment? This can easily be done if you have a website that patients can download information from. If it is not possible to distribute the information through your website, think about emailing a package of information to save the cost of postage.

Do you make post – op calls? Do you call even after the scaling and root planning appointments? If you have a difficult or a fearful patient, think about the impact you would make if you called after hours to make certain they were feeling okay about their dental appointment that day. My niece just had her 3rd molars extracted and it was so comforting when the oral surgeon called to check on her much later that night.

How long does it take you to return patient calls? Do your patients leave with a written treatment plan for any future treatment? Are they able to send emails to confirm their appointments? What type of payment plans do you offer? These are only a few questions you should take into consideration when trying to improve upon your dental practice.

Team Hiring and Training

How do you know what type of personality fits into your practice? There are various models for testing temperaments. You need to know what type of personality fits each job description in your dental practice. You need to know if hiring another person with a strong personality will interfere with any other strong personalities that currently work in the office now.

Your Thoughts

Are you already implementing some of Debbie’s suggestions in your practice? What have been your results?

Most businesses that don’t have a plan fail to become successful. Don’t enter into a new decade blindly…make sure you have a plan.

Have you ever heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? Well this holds true for your dental business as well. You can not start a business and proceed blindly and just expect that everything will work out and you will achieve great success. It rarely will happen that way. At the very beginning of each year you need to sit down outside the regular dental office atmosphere and make a plan. This plan needs to include the entire team. It starts your practice off on the “right tooth”. Well, it is one way to keep you in the black.

Don’t set yourself up for failure

Without a plan you won’t know which way to progress, you won’t know what you need to do or where you should be when the day begins; let alone another year ends. The entire team will be confused about what you are working towards. What happens next? What happens in most cases is a loss of focus on the interest of the business of dentistry and loss of motivation to get where you need to go.

Would you take a journey somewhere you’ve never traveled without a road map? Of course you wouldn’t. Not if you want to successfully reach your destination. In the year 2010 you most likely have a sophisticated device such as a GPS to guide you directly to your destination.

Considering this, do you think you could successfully reach the goal in your dental business without a strategic plan?

If you are going to put your time and money into something, you don’t want to set yourself up for failure; rather you want to ensure your success.

Have an annual plan to ensure your success

When you have a plan, you will create direction for yourself and the entire team who follows your lead. You will now understand what you need to accomplish your tasks and move to the next step.

You don’t have to do this on your own. As the year ends many consulting/business firms are offering discounts to guide you to plan effectively, to travel in the right direction and end at the pot of gold.

Once you have a plan in place, you won’t have to guess what you should do next, as you will already know. You won’t spend your time wondering and waiting for success to come, only to be disappointed and clueless as to where you went wrong. I’m not saying that just any business strategic plan is going to ensure you success, but having a plan in place will significantly improve your chances!

Be prepared

This is your business…your lively hood. Having a well thought out business plan will also reduce your stress as you move along.

If you’ve ever been a parent or a babysitter of a young infant or toddler, you will know that if you go on an outing with a carefully packed diaper bag, you will feel a lot less stressed than if you just threw some things together right before you left. What if you forgot something? What if you forgot something important like diapers, bottles for formula, or the baby food?

While you are away trying to enjoy yourself your mind may constantly be stressed, trying to think if you have forgotten anything. Not a good way to run an outing at the park… or your business. Find yourself some business plan opportunities and get started!

Have all your cards in place and you will give yourself the best chance possible to be successful.

January is almost here and if you don’t have your annual strategic planning meeting on the calendar, now is the time to schedule that for you and the entire team. I want to suggest that it be held outside of your office. Make it a fun event for the entire team. There needs to be an organized agenda but make it fun, be concise and yet directive about what needs to be accomplished. Be sure to address what has been accomplished in the past year and decade as well. (Remember we begin a new decade on January 1, 2010!!) At this important meeting make it known to the team when you plan to have the office closed in 2010, holidays for the office, vacation requests and annual review dates for each team member need to be set or suggested at the least. This is just a short list to get you started on the “right tooth” when 2010 begins.

“If you don’t know where you are going; any road can take you there. Be sure to have your map in hand as you begin 2010!”

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

May you have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!

Author Bio

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, is founder of Dental Practice Solutions, is a national coaching, full-service consulting, speaking and writing business focused on increased profitability in the dental office without increasing days of work in the office or more stress.

Debbie began Dental Practice Solutions in 2000. Her career has focused on all aspects of dentistry since 1975. Most recently she is known for increasing profitability in the dental office be driving the production in the dental hygiene department. Debbie has 4 specific ways to drive profits in your dental hygiene department.

You can reach Dental Practice Solutions by calling: 503-970-1122. Please visit the website for more free valuable resources: weekly newsletter, webinars and the membership center.

Your Thoughts

Does your practice have a strategic plan in place – annual or otherwise? Please share in a comment below.