Contributing Writer
Tip 1: Verify you have an accurate active patient count. Often the count is greatly inflated. This is less of an issue then in the past due to practice management software. If patient info has been correctly entered for all patients then the active patient count should be good. There are different opinions as to what constitutes an active patient but counting any recall patients going back eighteen months works. Doing so takes into account patients who have slipped off the radar but can be gotten back in. Tip 2: Has extensive dentistry already been done on most patients? If so, then...
Dental practice management articles from Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, as well as guest dental consultants. Topics range from staff management to new patients.
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The first day on a new job for any employee can seem like trying to get on a moving train so have them "board" on a gradient. Get them apprenticed. Apprenticing is a VITAL missing ingredient in most practices. Don't just throw them in the water to see if they sink or swim. Ideally you have written materials of what is expected. The new employee should be given some time each day to study those materials. The key is to not overwhelm the employee with too much information. Daily and weekly checklists help as well. Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior...
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Discounts can be destructive if not used with proper judgement. There is always the danger of having people focus on price instead of the value of your services. However, keep in mind that "Discount Dentistry" is very different than offering targeted discounts to accomplish a specific goal. The key is to have a good reason to offer the discount to accomplish the targeted need. You just have to be smart about it. Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, got bitten hard by the business and marketing bug during long summer days working at his dad's Madison Avenue ad agency. After joining...
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In a general practice, a hygienist can see 8 to 10 patients per day, with operative also seeing 8 to 10 patients plus consultations, impressions, etc. Variables can include the type of dentistry being done (including SRPs), number of chairs, and whether there is some form of assisted hygiene in use. A well-trained front desk person can handle 18 - 20 patients per day. Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, got bitten hard by the business and marketing bug during long summer days working at his dad's Madison Avenue ad agency. After joining Cambridge as a speaker in the mid-1990s, Kevin...
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Dental Practice Consulting Analysis
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There is the good, the bad and the ugly of dental practice management, but many dentists will still tell you the probability is your dental consulting will work if you and your consultant are on the same page. It stands to reason that if a dental consultant had little value, worth or benefit that consultant could not stand up to harsh economic realities for long. A veteran dental consultant is also a "personal coach" who shold bring management wisdom based on "in the trenches" experience along with systems and protocols to that have been successfully implemented in other practices. Top dental consultants talk and network with each other. They pay attention to what systems work and don't across many dental practices.
Systems
New Patient Phone Call
Insurance Processing
New Patient Experience and Patient Education
Financial Arrangements
Scheduling
Confirmation
Unscheduled Treatment
Reactivation
Daily and Weekly Checklists
General Policy Manual
Staff Accountability
What gets monitored, gets managed. It is as simple as that. The only way to monitor what gets done is with daily stats especially for your weak areas. For example, one employee should be specifically responsible for calls to patients who are unscheduled, overdue for re-care or need reactivation. Other staff can and should help in coordination with the accountable employee.
Leadership
What most practice owners are lack in knowledge is not how to book an appointment, but rather how to be an effective leader. The best systems in the world are useless if the staff do not comply. Good leaders know how to get staff to willingly follow through and comply.
Questions To Ask
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Do you and/or your staff have to travel or does the consultant come to you?
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Is the program mostly one on one consulting versus seminars or courses with multiple clients in attendance?There are advantages to both.
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If the dental consulting is one on one who will actually deliver the consulting? I recommend knowing who your specific dental consultant will be prior to signing on the dotted line.
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Is program based on a specific dental practice management system? You want to avoid cookie-cutter programs. Ensure the program will be tailor-made to fit your practice's specific needs.
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The cost (including travel expenses and downtime) is certainly not the only factor, everything else being equal, it is still a major factor to consider. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little.
Top Dental Practice Mangement Consultant
My name is Kevin Tighe. Consultant. Coach. Mentor.
My mission is to advise, recommend and help implement proven systems to grow your practice .
Before joining the Cambridge team I was in charge of setting up workshops for large nonprofits throughout the United States and Canada. During that time, I was fortunate to receive mentoring from several world-class business consultants, including a dental practice management guru, which led to a position at Cambridge as their seminar organizer. In time, I began crisscrossing the country delivering seminars myself for the better part of a decade. Subsequently, I moved up to senior consultant and eventually partner and now sole owner.
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