Optimize Your Dental Practice: What Every Dental Practice Owner Must Know!

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

September 10, 2024

The 1st Step to Optimize Your Dental Practice

One of the most important responsibilities you have as a practice owner is to hire a top-notch leader to administer the processes in your dental business. AKA: an office administrator.

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t want anyone to create friction or animosity with my employees!” Even if you have a smaller dental office, your office administrator might oversee various systems such as the patient schedule, insurance payments, case acceptance, unscheduled hygiene patients, employee time-off, employee challenges, etc., etc.

As your practice grows, your office administrator will delegate these various tasks by hiring and training competent employees for these positions such as a treatment coordinator and/or insurance biller. However, hiring or appointing an office administrator isn’t enough—your role as the owner is to create leaders in your office and be the leader of the office administrator and the team.

Being a leader does not mean you do the work! It does not mean that you solve all the challenges that will occur. It means that you empower your employees and when there is a challenge you know you can check in with your office administrator to resolve any issues.You are the inspector and should be able to check in with your office administrator to inspect that your expectations are met.

This process works well for our clients who have been through proper holistic-hygiene department- team training using the resources offered by Dental Practice Solutions.

The primary responsibility of the practice owner is to develop leaders and empower that one-employee to be a competent office administrator who can efficiently oversee the various systems and be sure the various systems in your dental office are running smoothly and your dental practice is highly profitable.1

Why is it crucial to create leaders and have a competent office administrator?

Consider this: as the owner and doctor, your most valuable contribution is the time you spend with patients in your treatment room. When you’re occupied with patient care most of the day, who’s overseeing the various areas of your dental business? It can’t be you—yet the business still needs to be run effectively.

This is where it becomes imperative that you have a competent office administrator.

Learn how to optimize your dental practice which is something every dental practice owner must know.

Develop Systems and Provide Clear Expectations

While the office administrator’s job includes overseeing the office systems and enforcing the practice’s policies, inspecting what you expect is where you play an important role.

As a team, everyone works together and achieves more.

T E A M = Together Everyone Achieves More

Team members should be invited to suggest various policies needed for your success. You must have your expectations written and routinely, you need to check in with your office administrator to be certain that expectations are met and without resistance.

Many dental practice owners feel overwhelmed by the idea of writing policies and creating systems for the various areas of the dental office.

Start now by writing one or two policies a week and make a list of the various areas of your dental office that need a system. These areas will include: patient schedule, new patient appointments, patient hand-offs, case acceptance, hygiene – doctor – patient exams, hygiene patient reactivation, outstanding insurance claims, etc., etc.

Each system will have a set of competencies. Competencies are written examples that indicate the employees success according to what is expected and what will elevate patient care.

Create a comprehensive set of guidelines with systems for your employees to follow. Begin with the areas of your practice that are causing the most challenges. If you feel this is a daunting task, it may be time to reach out to a dental expert, such as Dental Practice Solutions.

Your Dental Practice Vision

As the owner of the dental office, you are the leader. You get to set the tone and steer the ship in the direction you desire. This is your business and you should have the most significant impact on its vision and success plans for the future. It’s essential to, 1) have a clear vision and future plans and, 2) communicate these to your executive team and other employees.

Crafting Your Vision: The vision for your practice goes beyond a vision and mission statement; it’s about clearly defining what your practice does, what it creates, and how it differentiates itself from others. This may include the type of dentistry you practice, what type of patient care you aim to provide such as sleep apnea, oral myofunctional therapy, implants, double column hygiene, or single column, one hour hygiene appointments, Invisalign, in-office and take home whitening systems, etc.

Consider and plan how many days each year you wish to see patients. When you begin a new year, your patient schedule should be blocked for the correct number of days you plan to see patients during that year. Most dental offices are open a minimum of 200 days.

Next, you will reverse engineer how many appointment blocks you need each day for new patients. Do you know an approximate number of new patients you should see each month so your goals become a reality? Do you wish to treat “Complete Patients Health?” Or is single tooth dentistry, the bread and butter of what you enjoy?

Why Vision Matters: Never assume that your employees know the practice goals. This is particularly important if you hire someone who has worked in a different type of dental practice before. If your new office administrator previously worked in a bread and butter type of dental office and you have a vision to implement “comprehensive health dentistry,” you may have a lot of challenges ahead of you as you onboard your new office administrator.

If your vision isn’t clearly communicated, your employees will most likely default to what they have done in the previous offices they worked in. Now you have employees who do not align with your dental practice goals. This is how you get into a bad situation with consistently searching for new employees to replace ones who just never seem to be a fit for your dental practice.

Could this be a current situation many offices are facing today?

Why do you think there is so much turn-over in dental offices happening today?

Share your vision with your employees, communicate the long-term plans for your dental business. Share your practice growth goals, communicate effectively and thoroughly with everyone your hire. Be sure you communicate the types of services you offer patients, share your expectations about new patient appointments; how and when they are seen, the length of time for a new patient appointment and which clinician will see the new patient first: the hygienist or the doctor?

How do you follow up with new patients after they leave their 1st appointment?

Do you know if the new patient had a great experience? If you don’t ask, you’ll never know!

How do you communicate with patients of record who have gone MIA?

Do you send text messages, or an email? At what time in the day do you make calls to these former patients who are now MIA?

Do you send them a letter to know if they plan to return?

Maybe they moved out of the area and at what point do you inactivate these patients?

Take time to think about what’s important to you, write these things down. Ask your employees to think about what’s important to them. Everyone comes to your team meetings with their ideas and you have an agenda that everyone is invited to add their input to.

Plan to meet annually, usually in November or December, and plan out the upcoming year. This is a great time to plan a fun lunch and then spend two – four hours sharing your vision and what you want to accomplish over the next year. Allow time for your employees to express their thoughts and opinions. Ask you employees what they need and want for the dental business.

Align Your Team: Outline your vision to ensure that the employees are on the same page and working toward the same goals. This alignment is crucial for the success of your dental business and team harmony inside your dental office.

If everyone is rowing in a different direction, chaos and challenges arise. When everyone understands what’s expected and when everyone works toward the same goals, your dental practice will run smoothly and you’ll see sustainable success sooner than later, year after year.

Manage and Support Your Office Administrator

Your office administrator must oversee the daily operations of your dental practice, while your role is to empower your team, inspect what you expect, and routinely check in with your office administrator to be sure you are status quo and on track to achieve your goals.

Stay Involved: This doesn’t mean micromanaging or hovering over your office administrators’ every move. The dental practice owners role is to offer the necessary support, and advise if training is necessary to help the team excel in their role.

Weekly Meetings: At a minimum, you should sit down with your office administrator each week. We recommend that you actually schedule this time in your practice management software. Mark out time even if it’s 15 minutes. Add this in your practice management software so your team knows not to schedule you to see a patient at this time. This dedicated time means No patients, no interruptions during this short time together.

There must be a time each day before you begin your day seeing patients, during lunch, or before you leave for the day, when you get talk to your administrator for 10-15 minutes. It’s a few minutes and this effective communication brings a huge return for your small investment of time.

Use this time to review the practice’s KPI’s (production, collections, A/R, outstanding insurance payments, hygiene department profitability, unscheduled restorative and overdue hygiene patients, etc.). All you do as the owner, is listen to the successes and/or challenges and opportunities. If there is a challenge or conflict it works best to resolve it quickly, sooner than later.

If you find it difficult to focus during the doctor – administrator 10-15 minute meeting, plan to have lunch or coffee outside the office. The point here is to schedule focused time so you can accomplish minor tasks and overcome challenges quickly.

Daily Check-Ins: Consider a quick check-in before the morning team meeting, maybe a quick update over lunch, or a chat before you leave the office to review your end-of-day report, etc. This allows you and your office administrator to coordinate any important tasks, or address any challenges that may have occurred in the past 12 hours.

Know Your Numbers

Financial Responsibility: As the practice owner, it’s crucial to have control over your key performance indicators (KPI’s). While your office administrator can handle day-to-day tasks and be accountable that you are on track to achieve if not exceed your production and collection goals, the financial health literally rests in your hands.

Understanding Profitability: Stay informed about your revenue, production, collections, insurance contracts, various office expenses, marketing, employee salaries and equipment, etc, etc. Major financial decisions, like approving large purchases or paying employee bonuses, should be decided upon only when you know they are in alignment with your financial goals and that you are on track to achieve or exceed your practice goals set for the year.

Strategic Oversight: Consistently review your financial statements and make informed decisions about resource allocation. If you do not work with a dental CPA be sure you check out the Academy of Dental CPAs (see https://adcpa.org/). These are CPAs who thoroughly understand the dental professions KPIs and standard operating procedures/appropriate expenses and a lot more. This level of oversight is key to ensuring your practice remains profitable and financially sound. Make sure you work with a CPA that 100% – completely – understands dental office KPI’s.

Any Accountant will/can understand how to look at the financials of a brake shop or non-profit organization but they will not be able to properly guide you to experience y0ur highest level of success as owner of a dental office. Make sure you have the best financial advise. One day when you decide to retire you will be very happy that you had expert advice of a dental CPA to oversee your financials.

Track and Evaluate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Know Your Numbers Daily: It’s essential to stay on top of your practice’s KPI’s and to meet, even exceed your goals but you must look at these specific metrics daily. And once again, the owner, doctor does not need to take time to do this alone.

There is an easy way for your team to view the office production, collections, insurance payments (or lack of), hygiene department production, hygiene patient reactivation, outstanding restorative, and new patient numbers, and the list can go on. Each team member is assigned “opportunities” inside the KPI dashboard and they look at these opportunities and report how they will achieve their opportunity goals, etc.

This type of process sets up employees who feel empowered, the are more than “punching a clock” and become leaders in your dental office. No one needs to be a financial guru to look at these KPI’s in our world of technology today. Dental Intel has made it super simple for anyone with two eyes and a brain to view and report on the KPI’s. If you can use a mobile device or computer you can easily use Dental Intel.

Our clients use www.dentalintel.com to view their KPIs. Dental Intel is a simplified way to view your important KPI’s by logging into a dashboard and viewing the important metrics.

When you’re planning a trip across the US, do you know if you have enough gas to get there when you 1st get in your car and start driving?

Do you know the speed you’re driving while on the road?

Do you know if a lightbulb needs to be replaced?

What is the most direct route to take when driving to your office?

If there is an accident along the road can you find a detour so you’re not late to the office?

Dental Intel is the same type of dashboard however, it works for your team and the dental office to make it through the day in cruise control. You will learn (see in the Dental Intel dashboard) quickly if there is a road block. There will not be any accidents.

Best of all is that your employees sit in the drivers seat. Your job is to have the employees report their goals, any opportunities and how as a team you can achieve your goal.

NOTE. We have access to a free Dental Intel trial so you can measure your KPI’s and experience the smooth ride to your next level of success. As an associate of Dental Intel, when you use Dental Intel, we waive any set-up fees and get the biggest discounts on this robust dashboard.

Book a quick call to learn more about it.

Daily Awareness: Staying informed about your daily KPIs helps you to be proactive not reactive. This is where a 10-minute team huddle becomes imperative if you are serious about achieving your goals and you want to STOP working so hard! The Dental Intel dashboard is one tool that every team member can easily view and then review their “opportunities” for the day with the team. This is where their score cards are implemented. Score cards are an accountability measure. The employees sit in the drivers seat and become accountable their “opportunities” which dictate the success of your dental business.

Conclusion

As the owner of a dental business your responsibility goes beyond providing patient care; it’s about leading a successful dental business. By concentrating on these essential areas—creating and collaborating with a top-notch office administrator, and overseeing your key performance indicators, you set up a strong foundation for your dental practice’s success.

Master these fundamentals, and you are on the path to building a thriving practice that achieves your goals, delivers exceptional patient care and creates a great life for you, your employees and patients as well.

Discover how to optimize your dental hygiene department with a holistic approach that will achieve and exceed your dental practice goals.

BOOK AN OPPORTUNITY CALL TODAY.

We’re here to walk alongside you every step of the way to your next level of success.

References.

The book. Get a Grip by Gino Wickman

*Most of our clients and their team members read and learn how to be a cohesive team, working in harmony by reading this book together. It’s an easy read. Team members find it fun to read and relatable.

5 Strategies for Managing A Dental Practice

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

March 16, 2022

Guest Blog Post.

Image Source

For most dental professionals, it is challenging to see the dental offices as a business entity or a vocation, when in fact it is actually both. Although the entire practice is centered around ensuring optimal patients oral (dental) and total health, a dental practice will not be able to sustain your quality services if you’re not product, if revenue is not where it needs to be or if your equipment is not maintained well.

To make sure you can continue giving quality care, without sacrificing any other professional goal you might have, here are a few strategies for managing your own dental practice.

1. Reassess your working hours

Most dental offices still operate with a conventional schedule that usually starts at 8 AM in the morning and closes at or 5 PM. You might want to realign your clinic hours to better serve your patients, as well as open up your schedule for other opportunities. For example, some dentists who run a group dental practice, often have an alternating schedule. Some employees arrive early in the morning and leave early afternoon, while the employees arrive later in the day and leave later in the evening hours.

Many dental offices also intentionally work different hours, such as starting after lunch and schedule patients into the evening hours. This kind of setup allows patients to work half-day or get their dental work scheduled after their day of work.

2. Invest in your people

Of course, this is particularly important for all dental offices. Investing in your team in your dental practice is “investing in the business”. For starters, the dental office admin team members perform a wide range of activities from scheduling patient appointments, keeping records and the dental assistants complete various tasks that include x-rays, dental technologies like taking x-ray (images)and administer patient care.

By equipping employees with the right certifications and training, they can perform some of the tasks that would otherwise fall on to the dentist themself. This saves up time and allows you to focus on more complex work, or attend to the business side of things.

Maintenance of dental equipment. — autoclave sterilizing maintenance.

3. Include regular maintenance on your equipment

Like any other machinery, the pieces of dental equipment you have in your dental office also require a periodic maintenance to ensure it doesn’t break down or malfunction right when you need it. A regular maintenance schedule might sound like an added expense for the business but it pays for itself in the long run, saving you from the hassle of having to stop or reschedule an appointment because something in the clinic doesn’t work as it should.

Of course, it involves x-ray machines, washer-disinfectors, hydraulic patient seats, lights, and more. You’ll also need to regularly check your handpieces to make sure you do your work with no worries.

4. Start automating processes

Rapid advancements in technology have made most of them less expensive and therefore more accessible for everyone. Some clerical tasks in your dental office can use this technology, saving you time and effort, all while minimizing the risks that come with manually performing them. The most common example is appointment setting and scheduling, automated solutions available today let you customize the platform and let the patients handle the rest. They can set their own schedules and the system will notify your team for confirmation.

One example of automation that saves the employees time and keeps patients returning to your office is NexHealth.

You can even automate your HR platform for your team, making sure that everyone’s salary and benefits are automatically taken care of. It can even help you see your upcoming schedule or if someone is planning to take a paid time-off, even when you’re not in the office. Some of these automated platforms are available in web browsers or even in mobile apps, improving mobility and accessibility for you and your patients.

5. Monitor your inventory

Sometimes, it’s the small things that derail the entire operation. To make sure you never run out of the important things you need, make sure to always keep a good handle on your inventory. You must frequently review the pace at which you consume certain materials such as cotton balls, Q-tips, patient toothbrushes, gloves, etc. Keeping yourself updated on the inventory status makes sure that you don’t overstock and more importantly, you don’t run out of the things you need in doing your day-to-day business.

For small dental offices, having tight control over the inventory means you only buy what you need, when you need it. This practice frees up a portion of your finances for other purposes, such as training staff or setting maintenance schedules. Also, you can start setting up an inventory management system and train the rest of the team for increased efficiency.

Conclusion

Effectively managing your dental practice often starts with the small, often-overlooked parts of the job. By making sure you pay enough attention and allot enough resources, you can continuously improve the place you work in and the processes with which you do business. Not only do they create better employee and customer experiences, but they also take off things from your mind–letting you focus on providing the best oral and dental health services.

Thank you to our guest author: Kat Sarmiento

8 Tips To Get More Patients with Email Marketing For Dentists

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

February 8, 2022

Image Source: Pexels.com

A dental practice doesn’t simply wait until it gets patients through the door. Every successful dental clinic will do everything to reach new prospects, from digital business cards for dentists to email marketing. Email marketing is a powerful way to connect with patients and have more visits through your door.

Are you looking to build on your roster of patients? There are many ways to use email marketing to create your mailing list and get more conversions. Here are x tips to get more patients with email marketing for dentists.

Start With A Welcome Email

Some people only buy when they feel positive about a brand. This is why dentists often have a mailing list, where they connect with potential patients then welcome them warmly.

Every email you send should have a “welcome” email, preferably within 24 hours after someone signs up for your list. This email is meant for people to know you, so include your personal story, why your dental care is essential, and what you’re offering.

A welcome email can be a short and sweet email, personalized for the person. After joining the mailing list, they will receive an email with the welcome message, thanking them for their email subscription.

Include images, videos, and testimonials from patients you’ve helped. This will build trust and show that you’ve been in practice long enough to make a difference. You can also include your contact information and a “how can I help you” section to strengthen your connection further.

Brand Your Emails

A critical element for every email marketing is the branding of the email. Most people receive a few emails a day, mostly from businesses they care about or spam marketing. Uninterested people simply delete their emails or leave them unopen. However, branding your emails can make all the difference.

For starters, make a compelling subject line that makes the email fun. You want it cute, smart, or funny, encouraging customers to open the message and read its contents. Prepare a nicely designed email design with highly-valuable content.

Don’t forget about your email signature. Always include your name and contact information, together with a clear call to action on how to connect with you. A strongly branded email can make it stand out from the rest of the crowd and help add to your roster.

Share Do It Yourself (DIY) Oral Hygiene Tips and Tricks

The number one tip for getting more patients with email marketing for dentists includes DIY oral care tips and tricks. While most people appreciate professional dental care, they also understand tips to use independently.

You can share simple dental tips and can be quickly done at home. For example, you can include recommendations on brushing and flossing at home or using mouthwash. You can also share tips on teeth whitening and how to get rid of bad breath.

Dentists can also share tips and tricks on good nutrition, such as foods that are good for oral health. These can include fresh vegetables and fruits, which are great for your teeth and breath. Even if a patient does not intend to return immediately, this creates a stronger connection with your patients, turning losses into profits.

Send Email Reminders

Perhaps the most common form of email marketing is email reminders. Dental practices send reminders to patients about their appointments, billing, and other reminders. This lets patients know you’re on top of things and care about their care.

Include reminders for clients to return for follow-up appointments or reminders about billing. You can also send reminders about your bill due dates and payment schedules.

If there is an appointment, trickle the reminders to a month before, two weeks before, a week before, three days before, and the day before.

You could also include reminders about hygiene, such as regular professional dental visits and dental cleanings. Regular dental visits are important in maintaining oral health and avoiding dental emergencies.

Get People to Share Your Email with Their Friends

A great way to get more patients is to get them to share your emails with their friends. This increases your reach and expands your reach among your patients.

Include a “share” button in your email, along with text that encourages patients to share your emails with their friends. You can also include a “share” button on your website, so patients can easily share your content on social media.

Another way to get more patients with email marketing for dentists is to include referrals. Your mailing list is an ideal tool to let your patients know that you are recommending businesses or products that they have used and loved. You can include links to your recommended products or tell them more about the brands.

Send Emails About New Products and Services

Another way to get more patients with email marketing for dentists is to send information about new products and services. For instance, you can announce regular dental cleanings, teeth whitening treatments, or new products.

You can also announce new branches or locations. This lets patients know that your practice is growing and makes it easier to visit you. You can also send information about new services and treatments, such as cosmetic bonding, veneers, or braces. You can also announce new treatments and procedures.

Use Surveys and Polls

One great way to connect with your patients is by conducting surveys and polls. These effectively get feedback from your patients, which can improve your services and cater to your customers’ needs.

You can conduct surveys about dental care, and you can also ask your patients about their opinions. For instance, you can ask them if they’d like tips or advice on brushing and flossing or if they want suggestions for teeth whitening.

You can also conduct polls about your dental clinic. For instance, you can ask patients if they think dental care is essential, if they trust you, or recommend your dental clinic to a friend.

Help Your Patients Understand Their Dental Costs

Dentists can get more patients with email marketing by helping people understand dental care costs. Most patients want to receive price estimates but don’t want to haggle over costs.

You can send out price estimates, or you might want to develop online pricing calculators. These are effective tools that let patients easily understand your price estimates.

You can also use email marketing to explain dental costs. For instance, you can explain how your insurance works and what your out-of-pocket expenses may be. You can also include your prices and explain how your insurance covers specific treatments.

The Bottom Line

Getting more patients with email marketing for dentists takes time. However, most email marketing practices result in a higher ROI, so it’s worth the time and effort.

Every dental practice should have a strong email marketing practice to connect with more patients. Email marketing is an effective tool to expand your reach, grow your mailing list, and attract new patients.

Thank you to our guest blogger: Kat Sarmiento for her contribution.

Dental Coach | Are Dental Professionals Aliens?

By: admin

July 26, 2018

Written by: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS,

CEO, Dental Practice Solutions

Do your dental patients see you as an alien?

Do we alienate our patients by the words we use when we speak to them about treatment needs?

In this blog I will discuss a simplified way to evaluate patients for gum disease.

Are you probing your dental patients or are you probing aliens?

Doesn’t it really depend upon how we talk to our patients?

Do your dental patients consider the dental team like a bunch of aliens?

Here is an answer: We probe aliens not our patients.

Dental professionals use a ruler to measure between the gums and teeth.

All jokes, puns and play with words aside, we must break through the language barrier and bring the “dental talk,” our words down to a place where our patients really understand what we are talking about.

We need to bring them “into the loop,” so to speak. Let’s help our patients imagine what is happening in their mouth. Let’s help them engage in the decision-making process about what they need. This is one important step to case acceptance and getting patients to return indefinitely.

Case acceptance improves when you use words that help them understand what they need. Your descriptive words will make or break the opportunity for your patients to schedule, pay and return indefinitely to your office.

Patients may tell you they understand what the word periodontal means but if you were to do a case study, you will discover patients are more likely to schedule and pay for treatment when you speak their language.

What words do your patients understand?

Say measure not probe
Say see not found
Say bleeding not BOP
Say gum disease not periodontal disease
Say gum treatment not SRP or scaling and root planing
Say preventive care not recall
Say gum maintenance not periodontal maintenance
Say oral abnormality not oral cancer
Say hole in your tooth not decay
Say change of appointment not cancellation

Our goal is to have patients change (in a timely manner, 48 days prior) not forever cancel future appointments. Contracts are canceled, and appointments are changed.

How do you get patients to own their disease?

Once you have communicated with your patient what you will be completing at today’s appointment and you have explained that you will check for oral abnormalities, show the patients your periodontal “ruler” and explain that you will measure the space between their tooth and gums.

Explain what the numbers you read on the ruler mean. It will sound something like this:

“Jodie, today we will check for oral abnormalities. I will shine this light (if using fluorescent light) and check for any abnormalities on your tongue, cheek, floor of your mouth and throat, etc. After this, I will use this ruler (show your periodontal probe so they understand what your ruler is) and check for inflammation, infection or bleeding in your gums. You will hear me call our numbers one through three and this means you have healthy gums. If you hear me call out a four, this means there is inflammation and if you hear me say a five or higher this means you have infection in your gums. Not to worry if you hear me call out a four or higher because if there is inflammation or infection, you and I will create a plan, so you have healthy gums in the future. Once I am finished calling out these numbers, I will ask you, what is the highest and what is the lowest number I called out?”

Patient Takes Ownership of Their Disease

In most situations, when the hygienist is calling out these numbers and when the patient has been told they need to listen for these number because they need to say what was the lowest and what was the highest number they heard, it creates ownership if there is inflammation and/or infection.

Most hygienists who do use this communication technique when completing a comprehensive periodontal exam (CPE) have patients who are immediately engaged in conversation about what they just heard. It really does save a lot of time explaining what is going on in your patients mouth when you educate them about what you are doing and what you want them to listen for.

It also helps to have visual aids available. If your patients do have bleeding gums, do your best to take pictures (intra-oral) of the area where there is bleeding. Same thing when you see a lot of calculus, supra-gingival. Take pictures and your patients will more easily understand what is happening in their mouth.

When patients can see what is happening and when you can break the conversation down into words they are most likely to understand, it becomes much easier for patients to want what they need.

If you have never tried this technique for communication, I invited you to try this because I am certain you will notice more patients schedule and pay for treatment. They will continue returning to your office for routine preventive care, when they take ownership of their disease.

Do you want more training to boost your patient care? What is your case acceptance? The standard is 85% of your patients scheduling for treatment after you have presented a plan for them. If you are not aware of your case acceptance percentage and/or if you want to see this percentage increase schedule a no-cost Case Acceptance Profit Session with Debbie HERE. You can also schedule 30 minutes by emailing or calling our office: Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call: 949-351-8741.

Do you want more training for your office? Plan to join us in Portland Oregon on September 21^st for a live CE Event called: Dentistry: Get a Grip on Your Practice and Grow Your Business

Click here for more information about this all- day live event.

ABOUT DEBBIE SEIDEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is a dental consultant, coach, speaker and author. She is also CEO of 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://dentalpracticesolutions.com.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Do you feel like your dental practice runs your life? Do you wish that you did not have to concern yourself with running the business of dentistry? Do you want to not worry about the marketing, deal with payroll, worry about open holes in your schedule and a bank account that does not grow?

I feel your pain and I have created an all-day live CE Event in Portland, Oregon. Plan to join Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, CEO of Dental Practice Solutions, along with Doug Fettig of Aldrich Advisors.

We have planned a life-changing event so you don’t need to worry about your dental business but you can focus on your clinical dentistry.

Plan to bring your team so they can learn and begin implementing what they learn. This will leave you feeling like you have a new lease on life!

You get 6 AGD Credits, breakfast, lunch, snacks, coffee, tea, soft-drinks plus we will give away prizes all throughout the day: valued at $50-$1,500. You will walk away with your customized blueprint.

More information and Register Now. Early-bird Pricing Expires August 21, 2018.

How the Dentists Can Estimate Their Potential ROI from SEO Services

By: admin

July 20, 2018

As a dentist, your e-mail is probably bombarded every day with various online marketing pitches. Everything from web design to e-mail marketing and copywriting—you name it, it’s there.

However, did you notice that neither of these sales letters tells you the most important thing, which is what your return on investment (ROI) will be, or how much money you can make if you invest in their services? They don’t, because in most cases, this is difficult to calculate. These online-marketing firms are not willing to go for such a commitment, and even if they do, the ROI doesn’t look that good.

On the other hand, there are services like search engine optimization (SEO), which delivers quite predictable results, and we can easily tell what your potential is if you invest in that. Furthermore, SEO is a long-term strategy. This means the ROI doesn’t fluctuate month by month. In fact, most of the time, the ROI increases every other month, even if you put the campaign on hold.

This is exactly what we’re going to teach you here. We’re here to help you form an easy way to estimate how much money you could make as a dentist practitioner if you invest in an SEO service.

Click the link below to read more on how you can estimate your ROI from search engine optimization.

Dental Consulting | When Do We Begin Screening for Gum Disease?

By: admin

July 19, 2018

Dental Coach Oregon

Written by: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, CEO

One of the big controversies working with dental hygienists is “When do we begin screening for gum disease?

It is a common question and each office we work with has a different answer.

What is the correct answer to this question?

In 2011, the American Academy of Periodontology published the Comprehensive Periodontal Therapy Statement, which recommends that all adults receive an annual comprehensive evaluation of their periodontal health.

The periodontal exam begins for all adults.

Who is considered an adult?

As a former dental assistant and then clinical dental hygienist, I have learned from experience, over years seeing teens and watching them grow to be mature adults, that periodontal disease begins at a very young age.

The description of adult for a dental patient begins when the patient has all twenty-eight of their adult dentition. This is the best time to begin screening for gum disease.

The conversation about gum health should begin with a patient at a very young age. You may notice that during orthodontic treatment, young patients have gingivitis. This is a great time to begin treatment for gingivitis and this conversation about the benefits of oral health.

Start educating your patients about gum health at a young age.

As dental professionals, our goal needs to be not only optimal oral health but optimal health. We are in a great position to help our patients understand that a healthy mouth can lead to a longer and healthier life. This needs to be our overarching message as a dental healthcare provider.

What does a periodontal comprehensive exam include?

The American Academy of Periodontology has a checklist that you can download. You can download this checklist here.

Your periodontal exam will begin with an overview of the patients’ total health. This will include recent surgeries, medications; herbs are included with medications because some herbs will cause more bleeding.

Here is a list of medications and herbs that may cause more bleeding then expected during a hygiene appointment or dental procedure.

What do we say when the CPE is not a good report for the patient?

It is very helpful when the clinician providing the CPE explains what is happening before they lie the patient back in the chair.

Next week I will walk you through the process on exactly what you should say before you begin the screening.

If you can explain what you are about to do for example, “I am going to use this ruler to take some measurements and these numbers mean X, Y & Z. When I am finished calling out these numbers, I will ask you “What is the highest and what is the lowest number you hear me call?”

When you explain this to your patients before you begin your screening, you will notice that patients tell you they have disease before you ask them what numbers they heard called out.

Your message

In conclusion, our goal is to help our patients live a longer and heathier life. When your patient has gingivitis, periodontitis or any type of infection in their mouth, it is a chance to sit with your patient and talk about the mouth-body connection.

We are in the business of helping people live a longer and healthier life.

When this is your message, you will have patients who schedule and pay for treatment. When this is your message you will have a dental practice of patients who return for routine care. This message shows how much you really care!

For more information about treating the patient with gingivitis and/or periodontitis download our free resource with a Hygiene Patient Flow Chart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Does your dental practice run your life? If you want to change the way you currently live your life in our world of dentistry check out our Live CE Event

Dentistry: Get a Grip on Your Practice and Grow Your Business

September 21, 2018 6AGD Credits

Early-bird special until August 21, 2018.

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Dental Consultant | Building a Better Team

By: admin

June 28, 2018

Oregon Dental Consultant

Recruiting employees can be a time-consuming, stressful, and sometimes costly endeavor. When you’re looking to build an optimal team, it can be tempting to hold onto old employees for too long and hesitate to hire new ones until you’re confident you’ve found the “perfect” fit. However, both of these common mistakes can be damaging to the efficiency and culture of your business in the long term. Building an ideal team can take time, but keeping the following tips in mind can help ensure your business is able to thrive.

Out with the old…

It can be hard to let go of any employee. Ideally, everyone you bring to your business will become a valuable member of the team. Unfortunately, that’s not always going to be the case. If an employee is displaying any of the following signs, it might be time to consider letting them go:

Bad Attitude: This includes eye-rolling, snide comments, complaints, confrontational tone, and passive-aggressive speech or actions. An employee that disrespects their co-workers won’t have the best interests of the team or the business at heart.
Lack of Engagement: Whether unfocused at work or unresponsive during meetings, an employee that’s not mentally present can’t give their best to their work.
Dishonesty: Whether this involves refusal to accept accountability, blaming others for mistakes, or outright lies, dishonesty is harmful to your business and your team.
Poor Performance: While it’s expected that an employee in a new role may need an adjustment period, if that employee shows an ongoing inability to grow professionally or meet the expectations of their position, it might be a harbinger of even bigger problems down the road.

In with the new…

Whether you’re looking to replace current employees or meet the demands of a growing business, you want to do everything you can to make sure you’re hiring the right people for your team. Here are some tips that can help streamline the hiring process:

There’s No Such Thing as Perfect: When looking to bring in new employees, it can be tempting to wait until you’ve found the “perfect” fit. However, that can unnecessarily slow down the process and cause you to skip over individuals who might become great assets for your team in time. Keep in mind that a good employee is one that grows and performs well, and look for individuals that possess the qualities needed to thrive long-term.
Follow Your Gut: Instincts exist for a reason. If something about a prospective employee isn’t sitting right with you, it could be a sign that there’s a deeper problem you’ll have to address in the future. While you shouldn’t necessarily make quick decisions on feelings alone, it’s worthwhile to take them into account.
Listen to Your Team: The members of your staff will often be able to offer good insights into how the company can grow. Whether a trusted employee is revealing the poor performance of a co-worker or a team is asking for another member to help manage their growing responsibilities, it’s worth seeking their input when making decisions.

Though there’s no exact science to building a successful team, there are proven strategies you can use to help the process be as painless as possible. By holding current employees to a clearer standard and exercising discernment with new and prospective employees, you can make the hiring process operate more smoothly and increase the overall productivity and happiness of your team.

For more advice on building a better team and managing your practice growth, contact our office.

Dental Practice Solutions
(888) 816-1511

How Do You Deliver Your Practice Culture to Your Patients?

By: admin

June 21, 2018

Written by: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

A CRUCIAL ELEMENT of every successful dental practice is your culture.

What type of patients do you want to serve?
How do you want your patients to feel when they are in your office?

One of the first tasks we have our clients complete is to write down the type of culture they want for their dental office. We have a short template the doctors fill in the blanks, so we can “nail” their delivery of culture. We want to help our clients attract and retain their best patients. It also helps enjoy your day when your schedule is filled with patients who enjoy you and you enjoy having them in your chair.

The next step we take with our clients is to support the doctor; our client, to attract their ideal patient. What the office culture represents must be a part of everything the patients see, feel, hear, etc., etc. This must appeal to all of your patients’ senses. This feeling is the real reason why your patients will choose to return to your office.

Patients don’t truly know how great your clinical skills are. All they know is if you made them feel good or bad. And yes, they will remember if you hurt them.

If you want to be a family friendly office, how does your practice reflect this message?

If you want your office to feel like the Ritz Carlton, how do you deliver this message to your patients?

Make Your Culture Delivery A Priority for Your Practice

Many of our clients want to have a family friendly office and if this sounds like an example of what you want in your dental office here are a few suggestions to make your office feel family friendly.

You can also take these suggestions and tweak them to match your office culture:

1. Show off your family by inviting your employees to have pictures of their family around the office.

One of the doctors I worked for many years ago wanted to have a family friendly office. He also enjoyed photography. You can probably imagine what I am going to tell you about this doctor’s office. Yes, you guessed it! This doctor had a lot of beautiful pictures of his family throughout the walls of his office.

2. Make sure you invite the employees to have pictures of their family around the office. For example, in their operatory invite your employees to have pictures of their family, their pets, etc.

3. What type of reading materials do you have in your reception area?

Make sure you have family friendly reading materials for family members of every age.

4. What is playing on your tv if you have one in your reception area and in the operatories?

Make the viewing on your electronics: tv and music, family friendly. No obscenities or inappropriate language in the lyrics or messages/pictures on your TVs.

5. What are you giving patients as a “thank you for choosing our office?”

If this is a child or teenager, what do you hand out to them as a thank you? It is not only the parent you want to provide a “wow” experience for but the child or adolescent as well.

6. Be sure your schedule is blocked for those smaller children who need an early morning appointment and for school-aged children who need afterschool appointments.

We’re Here for You and Your Team!
We’re committed to providing you with almost everything you need to achieve your practice goals, whether you’re working to create a family-friendly environment for your patients or maybe you want to upgrade your hygiene department. If you have any questions about what more you could do in your practice, let us know in the comments below!

If we don’t provide something you need for success, we can direct you to the best expert.

We are here to serve you. Our team is growing so we can cover more of what your practice needs to be successful. Just ask us how we can support you and your dental practice. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Thank you for placing your trust in hiring us!

About the Author: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

CEO: Dental Practice Solutions
DENTISTRY TODAY considers Debbie a top dental consultant for the past 18 yrs.
The focus of Dental Practice Solutions is to create healthier, longer lives for your patients while supporting the practice to optimize their hygiene department. The team at Dental Practice Solutions, takes an integrative approach with your team to create an increase in your production and collections without working harder.

When you continue to use the systems implemented, your dental practice will sustain growth for years to come.

Schedule a no-cost profit boosting call today and discover how you can be your best in 2018: Email to schedule a call with Debbie: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or Call our office to schedule this today: 949-351-8741.

How Dentists can Improve Loyalty

By: admin

June 14, 2018

How dentists can improve patient loyalty.

Our Guest Blog Written By: Dr. Nabil Mockbil

There have been many cases when patients who need certain expensive cosmetic or restorative dental procedures, cringe at the exorbitant cost and often forgo the expensive treatment completely.

It would seem that dentists are quick to recommend costly dental treatments with little or no regard to how their patients are going to pay for the costs.

The dentist is in a unique position to advise their patient on the best and most affordable dental care ensuring their patient is happy and financially comfortable.

How can your dental practice achieve this and keep or even grow your patient base?

Once a dental diagnosis has been made, use this time to educate the patient on the proposed procedure. The end goal should always be helping patients achieve and maintain their best oral health.

The patient should understand the benefits of the treatment plan and be able to make an informed decision, as opposed to opting out of the treatment because of what they believe is a high cost of dentistry.

The benefits you outline should focus on how the treatment will improve their overall health, comfort and appearance. This will help the patient make an educated choice based on your professional advice.

The patient may fully understand the benefits but still think the treatment is too pricey and not justified, but at least the patient sees you as being upfront and honest. This contributes to building your good reputation.

Be honest about the cost of the proposed treatment plan. This should also include all the dental appointments required and the length of time it takes to complete the treatment.

Being candid from the beginning is important in building a strong relationship, great rapport, between the dentist and patient, based on trust and honesty.

If you are able to offer an alternative treatment plan that takes less time or is less costly, be sure to offer it to your patient. This will leave the patient feeling like you have their best interests at heart rather than just making a quick buck!

It is a good idea to give your patient a written estimate of the treatment plan.

This shows that you are transparent about the costs and are willing to stick to the plan and the fees you’ve discussed; provided there are no “surprises” (aka: changes), during the treatment in the form of unexpected additional costs. Ensure the patient understands that “changes” to a treatment plan are possible.

The patient will also have a record for future reference during or after their treatment.

Some points to include in your written price estimate:

The treatment proposed with the time it will take to complete from start to finish. Ensure that you include a provision that complications may arise due to unforeseen circumstances- this may impact the length of time of the treatment and even the costs.

A breakdown of the fees as discussed with the patient at the initial consultation. This should clearly show what portion is covered by the patient’s dental/medical insurance and a fee the patient will have to cover “out-of-pocket.”

Outline any payment options your dental practice offers. Does your office offer a special patient discount plan? Be clear on the amount that needs to be paid upfront before treatment begins, if there is any.

Explain your dental practice’s billing options- whether you have convenient online payment options or how often invoices are sent out- either via email or postage. This will improve patient payment compliance. Who needs an inconvenience when trying to pay a bill?!

Clarify how any amounts that are in arrears are dealt with. It is expected that some patients will not be able to pay their bills on time. This gives the patient options without impacting the reputation of your dental practice.

When you make an effort to connect with the patient you are able to explore all the available alternatives for his dental treatment but within his budgetary constraints. This builds a strong relationship between the dentist and patient.

A happy patient is one who returns to your practice for all future dental care, brings the whole family and recommends you to friends thus, growing your patient base.

Author bio:

Dr. Nabil Mockbil received his DDS in 2001 from Umea University in Sweden, regarded as having the best dentist programme in Sweden for undergraduates. He’s now the founder of Swedish Dental Clinic in Dubai

Contact your highly trained and experienced dentist

https://www.swedishdentaldubai.com

Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping): How to use it to Alleviate Anxiety in the Dental Patient

By: admin

June 7, 2018

Written by: Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS, OMT

How many times have you heard a patient say: “I hate the dentist.”? Well, they don’t actually mean they hate the dentist. More than likely they have dental anxiety. It has been estimated that 9% to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of anxiety and fear.

Fear of the drill, fear of the needle, fear of the cost, fear of the white coat, fear of small spaces, fear of being lectured, fear of bad past experiences, and fear of being embarrassed. These are all fears that can bring on anxiety about going to see a dentist.

There are many options we can offer our patients to help them conquer their anxiety. Some options are: listening to headphones, taking anti-anxiety medication, breathing exercises, etc. One option you may not have heard about is Emotional Freedom Technique, commonly referred to as tapping.

What is Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping)?

Emotional Freedom Technique, often referred to as tapping, is a form of psychological acupressure that is meant to help your body focus on healing its self. It has been shown to help relieve a wide range of emotional and physical issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, pain and trauma. It can be done anywhere and anytime without any tools, needles or side effects, which makes it very convenient.

Think of it as a form of acupuncture where you use your fingers instead of needles. Using your fingertips to tap on your energy meridians using a sequence which helps release blockages within your energy system.

The Three Parts to Tapping

Part One: The Setup Statement- Have the patient focus on their feelings of anxiety. They should come up with a statement that addresses that anxiety. The more specific they are with the statement, the better. An example is: “Even though I have dental anxiety, I love and accept myself.”

Part Two: The Reminder phase – The reminder phrase should be a very short version of your setup statement that states the issue. An example is: “This dental anxiety” The reminder phrase will be used as they continue through the tapping sequence.

Part Three: The Sequence- Start by having your patient rate their anxiety on a scale of 1-10. Then have them start the sequence by repeating the setup statement three times aloud, while tapping on their first meridian point, the karate chop. Next, have them tap 7-9 times on the reminding eight points in order listed below. As they are tapping on the eight remaining points, have them repeat the reminder phase.

The Nine Meridian Points Used for Tapping

www.TheTappingSolution.Com

Karate Chop – Located on the fleshy, outside part of the hand between the top of the wrist and the bottom of the pinkie finger
Eyebrow – Located just above the nose where the eyebrow starts, slightly to the side.
Corner of the Eye– Located on the bone alongside the corner of the eye.
Under the Eye – Located an inch under the pupil.
Below the Nose– Located in the area between your nose and upper lip.
Under the Mouth – Located below your bottom lip and above your chin.
Collar Bone – Located where your collarbone and first rib meet.To find it, locate the U-shaped indentation at the top at the bottom of your throat (then move down 1 inch and to the side 1 inch.
Under the Arm – Located about 4 inches below the armpit.
Top of the Head- Located on the top of your skull in the middle of your head.

After they have completed the tapping sequence, have them take a deep breath and concentrate on how they are feeling. Now have them rate their anxiety again on a scale of 1-10. They should feel a sense of relief, but they may want to repeat the sequence for even better results.

Once your patient has perfected this sequence, they can perform this any time during their dental appointment to help ease their anxiety.

We now have several resources to offer our patients when it comes to dental anxiety. Tapping might be the best option as it is proven to be highly effective and does not require any equipment or medication. The patient is totally in control of the tapping and this helps ease their fear and anxiety even more.

Cindy Rogers, RDH, is a dental consultant, coach, speaker, and author for Dental Practice Solutions. Cindy coaches in the areas of front office systems and processes as well as the hygiene department. People love the calm ZEN vibe that comes with Cindy but don’t be surprised at her “Inspiring and Motivating” ability when working with your team! Please contact Cindy for a complimentary Profit Boosting Session:
cindy@dentalpracticesoultions.com or call 949-351-8741 the website for valuable resources and schedule your complimentary Profit Boosting Session today. Check out more information on our website: https://dentalpracticesolutions.com/