Take your dental practice to new heights of success.

Whether you’re a new dentist or you’ve been practicing for years, there’s always room to grow your dental practice success. Thankfully, doing so doesn’t usually require a sweeping overhaul of your existing processes.

In many cases, even small adjustments can have a major impact. Today, we’re sharing a few of the different ways you can take your dental practice to new heights, cater to existing patients, and encourage new patients in your community to give your team a try.

1. Schedule your patients more effectively.

It might seem counterintuitive, but reducing your number of patient appointments can actually help you grow your business. When you overbook your calendar, it can feel impossible to give every patient your full attention. At the same time, you may find that your work-life balance suffers, too.

By balancing your commitments, you can deliver a higher quality of service to your new and existing patients. You can also ensure that you have plenty of time to achieve both your personal and professional goals. While you don’t have to drastically slash your schedule, you can make sure the one you’re committing to is realistic, healthy, and sustainable. 

2. Use the right tools.

As is the case with nearly every other industry, modern dentistry is rapidly changing. In your own dental practice, you will have noticed that the tools and technologies you relied on a few years ago no longer serve your practice, and you have moved on to smarter, more accurate tools. 

This is why it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest advanced dentistry news. There have been major advances in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), computer-assisted imagery, teledentistry, and more. While you don’t have to implement all of them at your dental practice, it’s smart to take inventory of what you are using, and decide whether or not those tools are as effective as they once were.

As you do so, look for key areas where you can automate parts of your practice. For instance, there are patient communication software solutions that allow users to schedule appointments online with just a few clicks. Weave and Solutionreach are two of the most common platforms used, but there are many others. 

With these tools, you can automatically remind patients about upcoming appointments, reactivate patients after periods of inactivity, and even collect payment for services provided. According to one survey, around 80% of patients prefer to visit a healthcare provider that offers online scheduling, so this is one way you can cater to those needs. 

3. Communicate with your staff.

No dentist can work in a silo, no matter how experienced or qualified they are. Your staff members are on hand to provide valuable patient services, from hygienist services to front-desk scheduling. 

As such, open and timely communication is critical. Make sure your staff knows what’s going on each week at your practice, and when those events will occur. In addition, make sure to explain any changes you plan to implement, and why you feel they’re important.

They should know that their feedback and opinions are valued and important, and that you take their input to heart. A dental practice is only as strong as its team, and the people on yours are essential to its success.

4. Develop an efficient payment collection system.

As mentioned, many types of patient scheduling software will also come equipped with payment collection features that automate this time-consuming, manual task. Investing in these solutions can help offset some of the burden and stress from your administrative team.

However, you aren’t required to go this route. There are other types of programs that can help you automate, organize, and simplify your accounts receivable billing and payment collection efforts.

If you prefer not to utilize software, then it helps to at least set guidelines around how your practice accepts and processes payments. This includes creating a written financial policy that you can distribute to patients. This policy should clarify the types of payment options your practice will accept, as well as any available incentives for early payment.

At the same time, you’ll also need a system in place that dictates:

• How your practice will handle payments from insurance companies.
• When you will send out patient statements (weekly, bi-weekly, daily).
• How you will approach the payment collections process.

By establishing guidelines and rules around these procedures, you can make sure that all staff members clearly understand what’s expected of them. You can also help patients understand their requirements and commitments, as well. 

5. Create a checklist.

It might sound simple, but a basic checklist can transform the organization and efficiency levels at your dental practice. Depending on your preference, create a time-based schedule that clearly indicates which tasks need to be performed, and by what time.

For instance, you’ll have certain tasks that need to be completed by the end of every day. Then, there will be less frequent ones that you’ll need to have done by the end of the week or the end of the month. Create a schedule that everyone can access, follow, and update as required. 

Not sure where to start? There are many different time management tools and apps available for teams to use. Here’s a comprehensive list of the top ones from this year.

Achieve long-term dental practice success.

The type of dental practice success you want can be within reach. The key is knowing which tools to use, which programs to implement, and which people to engage. 

By taking a team-based approach, you can make sure that everyone is working in sync toward the same end goal. Together, you can choose the tools and technology solutions that can grow your dental practice. As you do, remember to keep communication and transparency top of mind. In the meantime, AOS is here to help you sharpen your skill set, grow your network, and expand your knowledge base. Join now to become a member today!