TIME IS THE MOST valuable commodity in any business. Equipment and supplies can always be restocked, but lost time is not as easily replaced.

There are countless ways time slips away in a busy dental practice—from late and cancelled appointments to being unable to efficiently move between treatment rooms, the list goes on and on.

So how do you make the most of your time while dealing with the usual hiccups throughout the day? We have a few tips to help you out because let’s face it; your schedule is the core of every successful dental practice.

Keep reading for tips on efficiently scheduling appointments in your dental practice.

Maximize Your Practice Potential with These Scheduling Tips

Some of the most common scheduling mistakes we see are no plan to add new patients to your schedule when you are running a successful new patient marketing campaign.

Another mistake we see is when a practice does run an overdue hygiene patient campaign to get patients to return to your office, many of these patients need perio therapy and there are no openings in the hygiene schedule for months out. These hygiene patients end up waiting months before they can begin their perio therapy.

What you must do to have a productive schedule is:

• Know your production goals and then schedule to goal
• Utilize blocked scheduling to accomplish your goals
  • Crown/bridge procedures
  • Seat appointments
  • CEREC procedures
  • New Patients
• Time your procedures for each section of the appointment
  • Anesthetic
  • Hygienist time
  • Assistant time
  • Doctor time
• Hygienists are a key member of the team who must schedule all future routine hygiene appointments
• When patients call to change an appointment offer a solution to help them keep their appointment

Successful schedules allow your practice to avoid unexpected surprises. Maintaining a predictable flow in your schedule means consistent productivity.

Time Is an Invaluable Asset

We know managing a successful practice isn’t an easy task. That’s why we’re here. If you have questions about improving the efficiency of your day-to-day operations, let us know! We can provide you with proven time-management and scheduling strategies that not only improve your team’s workflow, but will add to your bottom line as well.

Do you have any scheduling strategies that have worked in your office? Let us know in the comments below! We love hearing from you.

What is Your 2017 Success Plan?

Check out our January Success Live Events!

Live Event: 2017 Jumpstart: Hygiene Department Success by the Numbers

January 6, 2017 Portland, Oregon

6 CE Credits, Breakfast, Buffet Lunch, Reception Following the Event

REGISTER HERE: CLICK THIS LINK

January 13, 2017 Los Alamitos, California

6 CE Credits, Breakfast, Buffet Lunch, Reception Following the Event

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ABOUT DEBBIE SEIDEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

Debbie  is a dental consultant, coach, speaker and author. She is also CEO of Dental Hygiene Solutions, powered by Dental Practice Solutions. Debbie is a world-class leader in creating profitable hygiene departments. She is well-known as a former clinical assistant professor at USC in Los Angeles and a former hygiene department program director. Dentistry Today recognizes Debbie as a Leader in Dental Consulting. She can be reached at (888) 816-1511. Send an e-mail to info@dentalpracticesolutions.com or go to her website: https://www.dentalpracticesolutions.com