Do you ever ask your patients, "Any questions?" If you do so often enough, you'll lose a lot of income. Let me explain. Dentists often tell patients they need to do this, this, and this, in a rapid-fire style, throwing in terms patients probably don't understand (like leaky margins), and then ask, "Any questions?" More often than not the patient says no, and then goes merrily to the financial arranger and asks what procedure their dental insurance will cover. Often whatever procedure is covered is all they commit to -- and sometimes not even that. Many dentists never really get the...

Other than P & L numbers, key stats to monitor are: Number of days workedProduction per dayProductionCollectionNPsCollection percentageOpen hours in hygieneHygiene hours workedNumber of patients left without hygiene appointmentPercent of open hygiene hoursStaff pay as percentage of gross income

Not knowing how to run an effective staff meeting can have some negative consequences in the overall health of your dental practice. We’ve found that many offices don’t have meetings at all. When they do, we often find that nobody gets anything out of them since poorly organized staff meetings can easily turn into gripe sessions that waste everyone’s time. Staff meetings, or team huddles, should be useful and routine, not organized as emergencies because someone is upset or a team member has made a mistake. Calling a meeting for these reasons is usually ineffective and can actually be damaging. Staff meetings that aren’t...

How your staff approaches referrals can become second nature by asking patients their opinion, and if it's positive, then asking for that all-important new patient referral. Dental consultants universally agree that patient referrals are the best source of new patients for any dental office. Encouraging patients to refer their friends and family should be a part of your office routine. Even though “everyone knows” they should be asking patients for referrals, it is rarely done on a consistent basis. Accountability—Assign this program to a specific employee so there is accountability. Referral cards• Have at least 1,000 referral cards printed that offer...