Tips to Run a Dental Practice Part 3

Part three of our series on how to run a dental practice explores some basic management skills.

Dental Practice Management and Management Skills

A Successful Dental Practice is All About the Right Tools |
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Here is a good description of management that as a dental practice you should be aware of:

From Wikipedia:

"Management involves the manipulation of the human capital of an enterprise to contribute to the success of the enterprise. This implies effective communication: an enterprise environment (as opposed to a physical or mechanical mechanism), implies human motivation and implies some sort of successful progress or system outcome. As such, management is not the manipulation of a mechanism (machine or automated program), not the herding of animals, and can occur in both a legal as well as illegal enterprise or environment. Based on this, management must have humans, communication, and a positive enterprise endeavor. Plans, measurements, motivational psychological tools, goals, and economic measures (profit, etc.) may or may not be necessary components for there to be management. At first, one views management functionally, such as measuring quantity, adjusting plans, meeting goals. This applies even in situations where planning does not take place." [READ MORE]

Tools for a Successful Practice

When people think of tools at a dentist practice, they think of dentist drills, picks and of course toothbrushes, but the tools that are the most powerful are the intangible ones.  Like software for your practice, or training and skills of your employees.  

So as you see, there is a lot to running a dental practice.   You want to mix your people skills with your business skills.  That's what separates a struggling dental practice from a successful dental practice.


DentiMax, LLC
4115 E. Valley Auto Dr.
Suite 101
Mesa, AZ 85206
(800) 704-8494
(480) 396-1798
http://www.dentimax.com

Tips to Run a Dental Practice Part 2

Part two of our series explores more tips to run a dental practice.  The next thing you want to work on now that you're established is your people skills.

Dental Practice Management:  Play Nice

Run a Successful Dental Practice  | (800) 704-8494

A dental practice depends on having patients.  You're a dentist, so you have skills in dentistry, but did you know what can sink a practice?  Poor people skills combined with perception.  If you are extremely hard on your employees, they will leave at the first, best opportunity.  If you are unpleasant to your patients, then behold the power of negative reviews.  Here's a math problem for you.  What does one dissatisfied patient equal?  Ten dissatisfied patients.  Why?  Word of mouth.

If you find any negative reviews about your practice online, make sure to respond to them quickly and professionally or you could find your search engine rankings dropping.  Remember, your patients are more than just patients, they're your customers and as such your income.  Make sure you are including good customer service as part of your practice.  Be empathetic towards your patients, and listen to them.  And remember it isn't just your patients and staff that make your practice do well.

Effective Business Communication

Be fair with all of your vendors from the vending machine guy to the plant lady.  The nicer you are to them, the more likely they are to consider you when they need dental work done, or even recommend you to their family and friends.

So remember, you want a balance between business and people.  You want to be profitable, but not at the expense of other people.  This balance is one key part of any successful dental practice.    

For more information on running a dental practice, be sure to read part one and part three as well.

DentiMax, LLC
4115 E. Valley Auto Dr.
Suite 101
Mesa, AZ 85206
(800) 704-8494
(480) 396-1798
http://www.dentimax.com

Tips to Run a Dental Practice Part 1

Running a dental practice is not as easy as people may think.  Even though there is obviously a medical component, a dental practice is in short a business.  This article will explore some things that help dentists do well.

Dental Practices and Business

The dental practices that do well are the ones that know that at their core they are a business.  a compassionate business perhaps, but a business nonetheless. First off, there is the financial side. A well run dental practice goes with the best bank for their business needs.  Don't go for the glitzy bank, go for the one with low fees, low-interest loans, and free direct deposit for you and your employees. You should make your bank work hard to keep you and your business.  Speaking of business, make sure you make the right connections.

Meet with a small business networking group or a development center in your area.  They will help you with some vital must have items like starting a business plan.  Make sure you network extensively.  The right connections mean business opportunities. Not networking means you'll have to have a much more lucrative business model.  As for running the business itself, that's where logistics come in.

Dental Practice Management and Picking Your Software

You want to make sure that you don't scrimp on your equipment for  your office.  Make sure you don't get a computer that was new a decade ago, or buy an x-ray machine from eBay.  And you want to make sure that you have software to run your dental practice.  You also want to make sure you not only have a filing system, but that it makes sense as well.

A lot of successful practices even have a business manager who is separate from the dentist.  So remember, make sure that if you have a dental practice, you are ahead of the game, and not behind it.

For more information on how to run a dental practice, be sure to read part two and part three as well.

DentiMax, LLC
4115 E. Valley Auto Dr.
Suite 101
Mesa, AZ 85206
(800) 704-8494
(480) 396-1798
http://www.dentimax.com