Practice Management

Politically, it isn’t smart to “bash” the person in the dental practice who writes your paycheck but, let’s face it, we all know he or she exists … and can cause your day to be horrid.

Dear Doctor, We are dental assistants, and we thought you’d want to know who we are.

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.

What is your patient thinking when he or she first meets you? I hate to say it, but you need to think about this. What do you see when you look in that proverbial mirror? Here are three categories to keep in mind when making a first impression.

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.

SmartPractice calendars reportedly afford dental offices yearlong visibility and increased patient loyalty at a low cost.

There’s no question that the phone can be one of the best parts of your dental practice. It can also be one of the worst parts as well. Here's what you need to know.

Dental technology and the material sciences are advancing at a rate never before experienced by the dental industry. It is difficult, if not impossible, for the average practitioner to understand and appreciate all the new “stuff” that has been developed and introduced to dentistry over the past 10 years. Things that not too long ago seemed like science fiction have now become reality.

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.

Many established and new dental clinics alike suffer from crippling overhead costs that reduce profits, decrease competitiveness and generate unneeded anxiety.

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.

With November upon us, it is once again time for what has become our annual review of the additions, changes and deletions in CDT benefit coding. Changes in CDT 2016 came under the two general categories: Stand-alone changes and interrelated changes.

As technology continues to advance, more and more tools are being introduced that make our lives easier both personally and professionally.

Content, content, content. Are you sick of hearing that word yet? If you’ve been looking for ways to improve your dental website’s search engine optimization, you probably are. The fact remains that unique, high-quality content is king, and you’ll have to work on it to see noticeable search engine rank changes.

Undoubtedly, you’ve been made privy to the importance of having your dental website mobile-friendly. Whether it’s by the onslaught of dental online marketing companies telling you such, your own experience surfing the web, or your tech-savvy nephew, you get it.

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.

Regardless of your practice philosophy regarding insurance management, you are bound to have heard this kind of statement from patients many times in the past.

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.

When a new patient calls your office, do your staff members give them a great phone experience?

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.

As we enter the fall season, chances are that you have patients with remaining dental benefits who also require dental care. According to Forbes, only three percent of patients use all of their benefits in a given year.

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.

As millennials are becoming more important to our practices, it is vital to understand how and where we can get their attention.

Online videos are quickly becoming a powerful influence on consumers today. Why? Video is incredibly engaging. According to research published by Atlas, video is six times more effective than print or online promotions.