Should you cross train your staff? Cross training has its place when there is a temporary need. But under normal circumstances each employee should have specific responsibilities, otherwise you lose accountability. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with employees helping in an area outside their assigned responsibilities during peak periods or when another employee is absent. But staff need to stay focused on their specific assigned job and functions once the overload is handled.  

Outside of working hours your voice message should contain: a. Your dental practice hoursb. Instructions for your patients in case of an emergency, i.e., call your cell phone, call 911, or call the on-call dentistc. When the patient can expect to be called backd. What information the patient should leave, i.e., the reason for the call, their name, and a good time to call back.Your message should be clear, friendly, and professional.

Many dentists will agree it's never a good idea to hold onto an employee—if you would dismiss the person otherwise—out of concern for an increase in your unemployment insurance. Each state has its own formula to calculate unemployment benefits but all the states use the employee's earnings when figuring it out. The length and maximum weekly benefit varies state to state. How much any given employer is responsible for will be based  on a percentage of what the employee earned from their previous jobs over a specific period of time and can't exceed the state's weekly maximum.   Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental...

Tips: 1. Deposit slips should be done daily even if you do not make daily deposit.  2. Keep a copy of day sheet, deposit slip, credit card and patient financing summary for each day. Use to reconcile monthly bank statement. 3. Patient finance companies, like Care Credit, take their fees before depositing. You can add back in the charges to reconcile or ask the company not to take their fees from the deposits. 4. EFTs: Check daily first thing in the morning and nter into PMS. Consider creating a separate bank account for EFTs. Doing so makes reconciling your monthly bank...