Management

Based on his extensive experience with dentists in the past 30 years, Dr. Roger P. Levin has authored a new book entitled The 31 Biggest Mistakes Dentists Make. His premise is simple. As he says in the introduction, “We can learn from our mistakes. But isn’t it better to learn from other people’s mistakes?”

Cathy Warschaw from Up All Night Coaching hands out advice and helps you through some of your trickiest situations.

As we have discussed in many previous articles, HIPAA has changed the way that dental practices need to operate. Not only do dentists need to be current on the latest technology and IT systems, but they must also ensure that they incorporate technologies in a HIPAA-compliant manner.

Based on his extensive experience with dentists over the past 30 years, Dr. Roger P. Levin has authored a new book entitled The 31 Biggest Mistakes Dentists Make. His premise is simple. As he says in the introduction, “We can learn from our mistakes. But isn’t it better to learn from other people’s mistakes?”

Providing staff members with effective feedback is critical to your practice's success.

By the same token that you deserve success, your team members deserve the proper, ongoing training that will enable them to contribute to that success.

For many professionals working in industries across the board, having a mentor was vital in helping them get from where they were to where they wanted to be.

Even the strongest teams experience conflict from time to time, but it doesn’t have to invoke stress and dread when it rears its ugly head. With a little preparation, you can be ready for it and quite possibly, have it lead to a stronger and more productive team!

There is only a month and a half left in 2015, and you may be wondering where time went. However, there is still time to finish out the year strong for your practice and your patients.

Last winter, my 2012 Mercedes convertible decided it did not like the cold weather.

During the recent American Dental Association meeting in Washington, D.C., Teresa Duncan, the insurance editor for Dental Products Report, took a few moments to reflect on some of the most frequently asked questions she gets during her lectures around the nation.

In 2003, my dental practice converted from an archaic DOS-based dental software to the impressive and robust Dentrix practice management software. To say the least, I was completely overwhelmed. Two years later, in 2005, I still felt like I hadn’t even scratched the surface of my new powerful software’s potential, so I applied to become a Certified Dentrix Trainer in order to learn everything there was to know about the Dentrix program.

You finally decided to hire an office manager to run the business side of your practice. You knew it was time, and thought your star front office employee was ready to take over the position.

If you haven’t created a compelling New Patient Experience, you’re making a mistake that could prevent you from building lasting relationships with patients you’ve worked so hard to attract to the practice.

When dentists ask me what it takes to be a good practice leader, I give them a simple answer: Vision. Only when you have a clear, specific idea of where you want to take your practice can you effectively plan your growth, make the best decisions and inspire staff.

There are things that happen in a dental practice that would make The Walking Dead seem like a walk in the park. There are stories that could be told that would make Frankenstein think fire wasn’t so bad. We asked dental team members to tell us the stories that still make them shake their head and cringe … and plenty of them answered

Don’t get me wrong, consultants are great. I hired several over my long career. I like them so much, I became one. But, before you make the call and sign the contract, there a few things you can do to jumpstart the process, or even delay your need for help for a while. Don’t get me wrong, consultants are great. I hired several over my long career. I like them so much, I became one.

Don’t get me wrong, consultants are great. I hired several over my long career. I like them so much, I became one. But, before you make the call and sign the contract, there a few things you can do to jumpstart the process, or even delay your need for help for a while.

It’s a dark and stormy night in the small town where your dental practice is located. It’s also one of the first late, late afternoons you’ve worked in the practice since it relocated from the center of town to a new location out by the lake.

It’s a monthly ritual. A mystery shopper calls your practice, chats with a random staff member and delivers a score. Your staff member has been rated on a scale of one to five for her phone skills. But do the rubrics mystery shoppers use really measure the abilities of your staff?

I know an associate won't stick around for very long. I know because it happened to me several times for various reasons. It is not unusual for associates to leave the first position they take.

You likely haven’t put much thought into improving your recall system. You rely on sending generic postcards to remind recall patients they’re due for an appointment, and you know your hygienist makes phone calls when she can.

Having spent my entire career in dentistry; different roles and responsibilities have allowed me to develop an appreciation of all areas of the dental practice and see how everyone must work together to create a both a positive working environment and patient experience.

You can’t run your clinic alone. Whether you are a large center or a small clinic, you likely will need to manage both professional and support staff. You may need other dentists, specialists, hygienists, office managers and front desk personnel to be part of the team. This staff may come with a wide range of educational backgrounds and, depending on the individual positions, may require varying levels of supervision.

How can you successfully be a “Gen Mix” manager? That’s the big question in Bruce Tulgan’s and Carolyn A. Martin’s book “Managing the Generation Mix: From Urgency to Opportunity.”

Do you ever wonder how you survived without all of the modern technologies we have today? With smartphones, tablets and laptops, we are able to access any information we want or need at virtually any time

“Your job is being eliminated!” Those are words you never dream you’ll hear … but this is reality and you are really hearing, “You’re fired.” Your first thoughts are of shock. Why are they eliminating my job? I don’t get it.

Editor's Note: Based on his extensive experience with dentists over the past 30 years, Dr. Roger P. Levin has authored a new book entitled, "The 31 Biggest Mistakes Dentists Make."

Your case acceptance rates are abysmal, and you have no idea why. You and your team members talk with your patients about the importance of going forward with treatment, yet most never do-even when you think they’re ready to schedule.