Practice Management

We all know a trip to the dentist isn’t usually on the fun-day to-do list for any kid. With younger patients, the dentist office often gets a bad rap. With so much working against you, how are you supposed to get children to understand the importance of dental health and not fear the dental chair? As difficult as it may seem, there are simple ways to help younger kids to get interested in proper teeth care and not assume the tantrum position as soon as they come through the door.

If there is one thing we all need to really improve, it’s our communication skills. Not just in dentistry, but everywhere. However, because this is a magazine devoted to dentistry, I’ll keep my discussion to our beloved profession.

How the Morgester Dental model paves the way for other dentists looking to take that first high-tech step.

The CPS Evaluation Team, consisting of dentists, assistants, hygienists, patient coordinators and the dental laboratory, evaluated the ReelMatrix™ by Garrison Dental Solutions. CPS produced the following comments and reviews following its evaluation. Dentist comments

What you need to know for a successful 2013.

In dental practices throughout the United States, the new year is prompting a renewed focus on improving practice systems. Evaluating your dental office management, design, materials, outreach and more can be a boon for everyone involved-the smallest change can have the huge impact. So in the spirit of renewal, we offer 11 tips and tactics you can easily utilize to jumpstart your dental practice success in 2013:

This new feature, promoted in print and online, is designed to offer quick bites for team development and practice success. We highlight best practices and best products in Top 3, Top 5 and Top 7 lists so that you can take the advice and be nimble in integrating into your practice. 1. Offer S.M.A.R.T. incentives.

Many practices that do follow statistics go only as far as comparing their numbers with last year, expert range norms or what they heard their colleagues have accomplished. This is managing by hindsight only and leads to reactive decisions that do not ensure continued growth and progress. If a dentist and team are going to monitor progress through statistical analysis, a key ingredient must be SMART goal setting. This is the only way pro-active foresight can be applied to future success.

Looking to spruce up the design and flow of your dental practice? There’s a new ADA guide to help you with the process whether you’re refreshing an existing practice or building on from scratch.

The updated CS PracticeWorks v7.5 practice management software includes two new eServices that are said to streamline reimbursement and online patient registration. ePostings streamlines the process of receiving and posting reimbursements from insurance carriers, removing the need to decipher detailed paper EOBs. eForms allows patients to complete registration paperwork online at home or at a computer when they arrive for their appointments.

It’s January, and everyone knows what that means: New Year’s resolutions. To be sure, it’s a good time for lab owners to assess the status quo, evaluate both successes and failures and set specific objectives to work toward in the lab during the coming months. This time of year also presents an opportunity to recommit to those strategic goals that may have been pushed to the back burner as more pressing needs arose.

It’s the first episode of 2013! Let’s start the new year right with four amazing cover products… It’s Friday, January 11 and this is DPR Friday, brought to you by Align Technology Inc., makers of Invisalign.  

Dental Consultant and Office Manager Jill Nesbitt, MBA, offers up 10 fresh ways to put those older items to use in your practice.

The New Year’s resolution might be a bit cliché, but the first of the year is a great time to look at your personal and professional life and set some goals for the coming year. Setting goals will help keep you focused and help make you an even better dentist in 2013.

With the end of 2012 just days away, we would like to revisit some of the most beloved articles that have been posted over the course of the last 12 months. The articles below cover a wide range of topics. We've chosen some of our favorites.

We've had the privilege of partnering up with a few industry experts who have contributed regularly over the last 12 months. Let's take a look back at some of their best stuff.

The American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM) is pleased to announce the launch of the AADOM Business College (ABC) to begin January 2013.

This has been an exciting year for videos. DentalProductsReport.com has covered everything from using social media to connect with patients to taking a traditional dental practice paperless to live interviews with the makers of some of the most successful new products. Take a look back to see which videos were the most popular this year.

As part of its 25th anniversary celebration and unveiling of a new brand logo and tagline, CareCredit recently launched a variety of new programs and services. One of these offerings is a redesigned credit card that more closely represents the key role CareCredit has had in the lives of more than 20 million patients over the past 25 years.

There are numerous dental professionals who insist that, if they could just get patients to commit to a homecare regimen, it would make a world of difference in their oral health. While the usual brushing and flossing ritual may seem more routine than racy, a new ad campaign for the SCOPE brand (Procter & Gamble), seeks to change all that.

When it comes to case presentation, there’s always room for improvement. You need to find a way to reach your patients, to get them to understand the need for treatment and to want to move forward with that treatment. That isn’t always an easy task, but it’s one your team members can help with.

Easy-to-install Durastrong® Sky-Scapes® light panels are said to be ideal for reception areas, operatories and offices. They are durable, lightweight decorative fluorescent light covers can replace existing light diffusers in minutes.

As part of our new Morning Huddle e-newsletter, DPR partnered with notable practice management consultants to provide quick video tips to get your team talking. Here, Brad Guyton of Jameson Consulting shares 4 ways to avoid complacency in your practice.      

Many of the marketing articles over the past year focused on ways to use online options to boost brand awareness. Drawing from those highly-read features, here are some simple tips for creating an effective Web presence. 

If you’re not used to treating children with behavioral issues or patients with special needs, the thought of having one of these patients in your chair can be a little intimidating. You might even be inclined to avoid it all together. But treating these patients can be a rewarding addition to your practice; you just have to take a little extra time to prepare.

As part of our new Morning Huddle e-newsletter, DPR partnered with notable practice management consultants to provide quick video tips to get your team talking. Here, Kathleen O'Donnell of Jameson Consulting shares 8 steps to building the ideal dental team.

Dentist peer reviews can help make this happen. Here’s how.

Ortho Insight 3D software simulates tooth movement for treatment planning including extractions, space closure and auto-alignment of dentition. Make precision bracket positioning then transfer to the patient, shortening chair-time and treatment time. The software is said to help orthodontists design accurate orthodontic appliances and eliminate lab fees and storage costs.

As part of our new Morning Huddle e-newsletter, DPR partnered with notable practice management consultants to provide quick video tips to get your team talking. Here, Kathleen O'Donnell of Jameson Consulting offers advice on how to effectively handle the issue of financing.

The holiday season is upon us, and that means your staff members are likely thinking of ways to make your practice more festive. While there’s nothing wrong with adding a little holiday cheer to the office, you have to be careful when it comes to decorating.