The Basics of Managing a Dental Practice

Managing a dental practice is based on a lot of factors.  How well these factors interconnect determine how well the practice does.  

Managing a Dental Practice Depends on More Than Just Dental Tools |
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Dental Practice Management:  Behind the Curtain

How you manage a dentist office depends entirely on factors both practical and compassionate.  First off, on the financial side of things,  if you do not have one already, make sure that your dental practice has a financial policy that's in writing.  Both your staff and your patients need to know this policy.  It should also be signed by your patients before you begin any work.


Does this mean you shouldn't arrange a way for patients to make payments on procedures?  Not at all.  However, your policy should be a compromise between being very hardline and being too soft.  Whatever your policy is, stick to it like glue, however.  The financial policy is an important part of the logistic side of running a dental practice.  You also want to make sure that you have thorough patient files as well as digital records, plus a system for managing it all.  Although logistics is important behind the scenes, you also need to make sure that your people have soft skills as well, and can work well with people. 

The Art of Greeting Patients

Patients know how to spot fake greetings.  A perfunctory smile is obvious as is a fake bright note in one's voice.  So, remember, greet your patients warmly and make them feel that they are welcome.  If they have children, make sure that they have toys, puzzles, and games to play with.  Make sure your adult patients have magazines to read, even in the age of tablets and smart phones.  A television also helps.  If you're doing your job as a practice right, however, the amount of time that your patients spend in the waiting room should be minimal.  Remember, people have a finite amount of patience.  Dental patients should be greeted within ten seconds of entering the lobby.  Even if your practice is busy, a simple acknowledgement of "We'll be with you in just one moment," acknowledges that you see them and are aware that they're there.  

So remember, a practice runs on a lot of components that work together, from logistics to customer service.  So treat your patients as more than a paycheck, and make sure that you welcome their business. Then you're on the right path to running your dental office successfully.



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

Dental Office Management Principles

Some principles of management are universal, however, with dental office management, there are some additional considerations...

Dental Office Management: Theory and Practice

Dental office management is all about adaptability.  Some dental offices are run very strictly.  Customers pay onsite and when services are done, no exceptions.  However, there is a unique challenge where dentists are concerned.  For one thing, dental insurance only covers so much of a procedure and as such, it leaves a lot on the customer.  Look at dental implants for example.  They can run, in some cases, as much as $10,000 a tooth.  As a rule, most people don't have that kind of money lying around.  The clinics that take a harder line with financial matters often have a small patient base.  This is both a plus and a minus.


A small patient base usually means these are core customers that keep the practice liquid.  Without adding new patients, however, a dental practice will lose patients.  Job changes, death, financial changes, insurance changes, and many more reasons cause patients to stop coming to the practice.  Pretty soon, the dental clinic may find itself in financial difficulties or may even close it's doors.  So, where payments are concerned and where patients are involved, the practice must balance getting new patients while keeping the old ones happy customers that return to the practice, as well as being gateway patient.  A gateway patient is a customer that brings in other patients.  They are the sort of patient that makes dentists salivate.  They hae a lot of friends and family, and don't hesitate to tell them all about their visit to your practice as well as your And a dental practice must also know when to arrange a payment play and when to avoid it. 

Dental Office Management:  Your Patients are Your Customers

It may seem odd to a dentist, but patients should be considered more than patients.  They should be considered customers as well.  As a result, they have to be treated well, or they will shop for another dental practice all too soon. 


So remember, there is a lot at stake with your practice.  It is your livelihood and the livelihood of those who work for you.  As such, learn best practices as well as  principles of how to manage a dental office, and your practice will prosper.  Hopefully this will give you some practical advice on how to run a dental office.


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

Running a Successful Dental Practice: Software, Mobile Sites, and More

Part three of our article series on dental practice management and websites explores the importance of a mobile site. 

Dental Practices Need Mobile Websites and Regular Ones Too

Why Is a Mobile Site Important for a Dental Practice?

Your dental practice management software is only the beginning. You also have to have a mobile site. Why is a mobile site important for a dental practice? Well, it is all due to the way people's browsing habits have changed. Not so long ago, mobile sites were secondary with websites designed for a regular computer taking center stage.

Now, however, more and more people are starting to ditch their computer or their laptop completely, or use other ways to access the Web. Tablet PCs, iPads, and smart phones are rapidly gaining prominence. It makes a great deal of sense, particularly in the developed world. Technological infrastructure has advanced along with website design, and being able to get information when one is away from their computer can be almost a necessity, all the more so for something like a dental practice. And in addition, almost every place has wi-fi nowadays, even some dental practices.

Mobile Websites and Your Patients

Do you need to build an app for your practice? You don't need an app for your dental practice as such, but you will need a good mobile site for both groups of patients: your current ones and any new ones that may be looking for you. Again, remember from the first part of this article, a website is for delivering information. When you're creating a mobile site, remember, that you don't want to go over the top on it. Keeping your site simple makes it easy to navigate using a device. And again, this is tied to the perception that you wish any patients to have. You want to show them that you are a competent professional who is up with the times. Remember what we said about making it easy for your patients?

Well, while you can navigate around a regular website using a smartphone or tablet, it is never a simple experience. Usually there is a lot of scrolling and sliding to get one piece of information that could have just as easily been delivered by a simple dental practice mobile site that's only about 8-9 lines long. So remember that you need to be competitive, even if you're running a dental practice.

So be tech savvy as well as treating your patients well. Have a duel web presence, in the form of a mobile website and a regular site as well. All these things are all part of how to run a successful dental practice.

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

Dental Practice Management and a Well Designed Website

As we stated once before, having a website is crucial for effective dental practice management.  

The Web and Your Dental Practice

The World Wide Web is only a part of the Internet.  However, it is the part that most people are familiar with.  If you consider, websites have changed a lot over the years. On the scheme of things, even though the Web isn't all that old it has become indispensible.  It used to be that websites were nothing more than a curiosity and a novelty, now they're required particularly where managing a dental practice is concerned.  

Even so, a lot of businesses still don't think that they need a website in these tech-savvy times.  In our last article, we covered the importance of having a website.    This article will cover some important design tips.  First off, and this can't be stressed enough, hire a pro.  

Why A Dental Practice Needs a Professional Site

When you're thinking about getting a website, be smart.  There are lots of companies offering design services, but make sure that you're getting someone that knows what they're doing, particularly if they're a freelancer.

Ask for some samples of their work.  Do their websites look clean and well-formatted, or do they look amateurish and hearken back to the old days of the web with animated gifs, and web counters?  And what about if they build websites that are designed using a template? To begin, know that template websites have also come a long way since the early days. It used to be that web purists sniffed at websites that were designed and built using a template.  However, unless there is a real need for a lot of features on your site, a template is a good way to get yourself a simple, easy to navigate website.  There is also another important design element to consider with your site.

Keep your website simple.  You don't need an animated intro that will waste the time of your patients who are only looking for a dentist because they lost a crown, or chipped a molar.  If you make it too hard, any potential new patients are going to look for a dentist that has a more navigable site.  

A successful dental practice depends on a lot of things.  You need management software, and competent employees.  You need a dentist obviously, and equipment.  But the most important thing you're going to need for your practice is patients.  And the best way to get them is to make yourself as visible as you can.  Getting a website is also a part of dental practice management.  

DentiMax, LLC
4115 E. Valley Auto Dr.
Suite 101
Mesa, AZ 85206
(800) 704-8494
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Dental Practice Management: An Insider's Guide

A website is a key part of any business, but especially for a dental practice. Yet it is surprising how few practices have a dedicated web presence.

Dental Practices Need to Be on The Web

Why a Website is a Crucial Part of Dental Practice Management

Do you know what a website's main function is?  When you take away all of the videos, photos, bells, and whistles, a website's main function is to provide information. What information?  Well, for one, what hours is your dental practice open?  What are your policies about walk-ins and new patients? All of this can be found at a glance or with a couple of clicks of a potential patient's mouse.  

In addition to dental practice management software, a website is a requirement for any serious dental practice.  Don't believe us? Well, read this article excerpt from the ADA website with Dr. Rickey Farmer of Somerset Kentucky:


"Q: Remember not too long ago when all dentists had to do to market themselves was put an ad in the Yellow Pages? Dentists are now challenged with managing an online presence and a brand. Tell us how you have developed your marketing strategy and vision for your practice.


Dr. Farmer A:  I used to have a Yellow Page ad, and this is my first year without one. In my opinion, every dentist should have an Internet presence. Dentists who don’t have a website are communicating a lot about their commitment to technology and service, and I believe it can really turn patients off. A Web presence has to be accessible and attractive. Back in 2003 we had a very simple website, really just a landing page. The plan was to develop that further, and I knew I wanted to do more on so many levels. I did a lot of research on Web design, and I chose to work with PBHS based on the dental specific content they could offer me, specifically the videos. They know the industry better than anyone. As soon as I signed on, my website went from almost nothing to state-of-the-art." [READ MORE]

Managing a Dental Practice:  Cast Your Web

Even though computer skills are a much different skill set than being a dentist, a lack of a website sends a message to potential patients.  Whether or not you intend to, it sends the message that you don't care. It also says that you don't know how to manage a dental practice.

So remember, even dentists have images that they have to keep.  And one way to keep that image? Get a website.  Then you're on the way to practical dental management.  

DentiMax, LLC

4115 E. Valley Auto Dr.

Suite 101

Mesa, AZ 85206

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