Practice Management

When it comes to improving marketing for your dental practice, the office phone may be the last place you think to start. But if you want to grow your practice, it may be the hidden key to success.

“I’ve always dreamed of having my own toothbrush. Now my dream has come true.” These were the actual words of a little boy who recently received his first toothbrush from America’s ToothFairy. Now the organization is looking to continue to help children around the nation get the basic oral health care tools that they need and deserve.

In this excerpt from the soon-to-be-released "Valuocity 3," by Dr. Marc Cooper and Dr. Mark Silberg, consultant Sidney Kaprov explains the future of dentistry through the eyes of a social archeologist. The complete "Valuocity 3" will be available on Amazon at the end of February.

It’s easy to get good electronic health record (EHR) software, but according to Mike Uretz of DentalSoftwareAdvisor.com, unless it’s implemented correctly you’re still going to have problems.

Warning: some football references are found sprinkled in this read! I will not bore you with play analogies for our profession or chant with a “there is no I in team” commentary. My intention is to provoke thought as you begin 2015. 

When Dr. Anita Burkholder, MD, helped her husband, Dr. Rich Burkholder, DDS, set up his new dental practice in Newport Beach, Calif., she advised him to go electronic with his health records. She knew it was essential to embrace the future of dental practice management.

As many of you are aware, patient privacy and data security has taken center stage over the past two decades. It started with HIPAA in 1996, then the HITECH Act in 2009 and the “final” HIPAA law, the Omnibus Rules, that were enacted in March 2013 with a September 2013 deadline. For many practices, the rules and regulations are a paradigm shift in how you need to practice.

I consider myself to be a pretty decent dentist, but I’ve never considered myself to be the kind of guy who could tell his CPA, “Don’t worry about filing for me this year. I’ve got this.” I mean, we all have our core competencies, but mine lie more in the area of linear thought, sketching schematics, programming, clinical testing, and that sort of mundane stuff.

In 2014, I wrote a plethora of articles for Dental Products Report and Dental Practice Management about the projected future of electronic health records in dentistry. Recently, I have had the opportunity to sit in on numerous EHR vendor demos for clients ranging from small practices to large groups and DSOs. The bottom line is that I have had an insider look that most people don’t have into what 2015 will bring when it comes to EHR adoption.

As technology continues to provide unparalleled advances and innovation, dental practices continue to change their methods for performing treatments, maintaining patient records and communication. 

The decision to get a denture can be a difficult one and is often coupled with misgivings over how the teeth will fit and look. The new VITA ToothConfigurator software helps allay some of those fears by allowing the patient to be involved in the planning of their own dental restoration from the start. With the new VITA ToothConfigurator software, patients can view how the finished prosthesis will look right on the computer screen.

Opening a practice can be a daunting task full of many unknowns. One practitioner shares her top tips for making the process easier.

Would you ask a patient to invest in veneers before treating their dental pain? Not likely! Nor would you have your car painted if it needed a transmission, brakes, tires and a front-end alignment. So, why would you consider refreshing your office (fit and finish) without first addressing the challenges that have evolved since the days that the carpet was new, the paint was fresh and the wall coverings were in style? 

DataMotion's secure messaging can have multiple benefits for a dental practice. Here are the top five: 

As the clock winds down on 2014, more and more patients are trying to squeeze the last pennies out of their dental insurance and make sure they have taken advantage of every opportunity to improve their oral health. With that in mind, the end of the year can be one of the craziest times for dental practices.

Each year, Dr. John Flucke shares his predictions for emerging and continuing dental industry trends in the coming year. Here are his predictions for 2015.

To recruit new patients to your practice you need to get found. Getting found online involves the art of perfecting Search Engine Optimization techniques. Prospective patients can't consider your procedures or practice if they don't know you exist. 

In this installment of What Would Dayna Do?, Dayna Johnson answers a couple of questions from a dental office manager based in Michigan.

Dental equipment manufacturer Planmeca USA originally developed Planmeca Romexis software as an open architecture system, making it compatible with all software operating systems and dental equipment from other companies.

Just in time for the holidays, Prophy Perfect provides the opportunity to create a fun gift for patients, coworkers and even friends and family.

Every year, Dental Products Report and Dental Practice Management compile lists of the most-viewed and most-downloaded articles, products, e-books, webinars and how-to guides on dentalproductsreport.com. Here are the 10 most-viewed Dental Practice Management articles of 2014.

Something many labs hear from their dental clients is how complicated the final choice to get a denture appliance can be. The decision to get a denture is often a difficult one, especially when coupled with misgivings over how the teeth will fit and look. The new VITA ToothConfigurator software (from VITA North America) is designed to help allay some of those fears by allowing the patient to be involved in the planning of their own dental restoration from the start.

Last year at this time, we talked about some key trends heading into 2014, and many of those same trends will continue to play a big role in the dental industry in 2015 and beyond. 

Southland Benefit Solutions has announced coverage, effectively immediately, for a periodontal medicament carrier, an innovative tool used to deliver medication below the gums. Southland is the first carrier to announce the coverage decision. 

The phone is often the first point of contact between your practices and potential patients. Learning to “own the phone” can make a drastic difference in the success of your business.