Practice Management

Quality Dental Plan (QDP), the leading in-house dental membership plan in the nation, announced the recent launch of increased public relations efforts to gain attention for its member dentists in local and national media outlets by leveraging the current emphasis on health care reform in the mainstream news media and the recent report by the U.S.

QSI Dental is working to not only get dentists’ heads thinking about the Cloud, but putting their practices into it. Demonstrations of the company’s QSIDental™ Web cloud-based solution are being held at their booth throughout the ADA’s 153rd Annual Session this week in San Francisco. “We are a experienced, proven vendor that for 33 years has successfully supported dental practices over the long haul,” said Kathleen Noll, Vice President Technical Marketing Implementations.

You know you need to step up your marketing game, but how? For a marketing plan to work, your team has to be on board. Staff members are a huge part of internal marketing, from the way they greet patients to what they say to patients while they’re in the chair. Make sure the message they’re sending patients is consistent. Take the time to meet with them on a regular basis to keep them up to date on the latest marketing initiatives and to get them excited about the possibilities.

DentiMax owner David Arnett discusses the new DentiMax 2013, which features several paperless features for a dental office and complete integration with digital sensors.

At the ADA Annual Session this weekend, we celebrate the launch of the DEXIS Imaging Suite 10.0.4. In the spirit of product that helps the dentist see more in his or her images, we've compiled a list of articles to help dentists see more about the many benefits to digital radiography.

The dental hygiene component of a general practice can and should be a profit center for the practice. Yet in too many practices it is viewed as a break even, or even worse, a loss leader. The following miss-steps contribute to the perception that a hygiene department is unprofitable:

Change can be a good thing, especially when it involves the entire team. There are easy ways to transform your office into a welcoming environment that your staff and your patients enjoy.

Show, don’t just tell, them their dental benefits. Communicating with patients regarding their dental benefits can be frustrating and is always a touchy subject.

Take care of yourself. If you’re feeling sluggish or you're starting to experience the body aches and pains that are all too often part of a dentist’s day-to-day, then you probably aren’t providing the best care possible for your patients.

Health care providers today are feeling significant pressure to work more efficiently and streamline procedures in their offices. The pressure can come from insurance companies, patients, or the government, but the message from all parties is to reduce costs and avoid waste. For dentists faced with the pressures of running their own practices, the push toward greater efficiency can be internal as well, based on a desire to minimize unnecessary costs and keep the practice running profitably.

Author Jonah Lehrer's "Imagine: How Creativity Works" breaks down ways staff members can contribute creative ideas, lending their imaginations to a thriving dental practice.

Going digital with your marketing can bring clear cost savings, but other advantages of email newsletters include convenience of reading on tablets and smartphones; ability to share articles easily; and reports that show you which recipients opened and shared specific articles.

We go through leading small business journals and websites so you don't have to. Check out this week's best small business links... The small business issue the candidates are not talking about With talk of healthcare and tax cuts the real question is: What about capital?

Ask the right questions. Before you can truly know what your patients want and what elective services you should talk with them about, you have to take the time to ask. That’s why the new patient interview is such an important part of that first visit.

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Kids costumes at trick-or-treat, pumpkin carving and, of course, loads of candy! There are all sorts of delightful opportunities for dental practice marketing in October. So, if you’re looking for ideas to have fun and market your practice at the same time, don’t be afraid to...

This week's episode of DPR Friday returns with a focus on products that provide proven results and the stories that back them.

RevenueWell Practice Marketing and Communications Suite helps cut costs, attract new patients and engage existing patients with very little effort from the doctor and staff.

You trust your staff, and you should. You depend on them every day; they’re a solid team and you don’t know what you-or your patients-would do without them.

An office manager's take on how to solve team conflict and achieve team harmony in your dental office.

The most common lies coming out of your patients’ mouths might shock you.

Deborah Borden Dunker sold her practice after retiring from orthodontics and now spends her time on Christian and dental-related missions. She has traveled to Guatemala, Brazil, Peru, Liberia, India and Thailand in order to train and help those in need of dental care, where there are often no dentists.

Frequently, I find I have to convince dentists that their technology plays an important role in their practice marketing. The fact is, technology has huge marketing implications-especially for dentists who have added CAD/CAM technology, such as CEREC® or E4D, to their practice. While these types of devices are on the high end of equipment expenditure, they are also on the high end of consumer appeal. Quite simply, patients are eager to find ways to spend less time in the dentist’s office.

Susan Maples has been in private practice as a dentist for more than 27 years and through each year and each patient she’s found passion and her niche in the world. She attributes that passion to her leadership mindset as well as her ability to stay engaged and open to new knowledge.

Offer the best products possible. There are so many dental products on the market these days, it can be difficult to know what is best for your patients and fits best into your practice. It can all be a bit overwhelming at times, but your patients are depending on you to provide the best possible care, and that means you have to take the time to find products that help make that happen.

Don’t sell to your patients. It is your job to educate your patients. You’re the one patients depend on to tell them about any dental problems they might have and what options they have to fix those problems.

We tell you what they might be saying behind your back.

BING Innovations, maker of the DentalVibe® Injection Comfort System, announced a new, tiered pricing structure for DentalVibe products. With the new price plan, pain-free dental injections are now more affordable, at a cost of $1.20 per patient.  

So, it’s another presidential election year. The rhetoric is filling the airwaves and the subjects most discussed are deficit and taxes. The Democrats want to let part of the Bush tax cuts expire and return to a 39% tax rate for earnings over $250,000 and the Republicans want to extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone.

PracticeMojo™ has partnered with My Social Practice, named one of Dental Products Report’s Top 5 Marketing Services companies, to provide dental practices with social media and online Web solutions.  

General dentist Dr. Alizia Westfall discusses her experience with XLDent Suite dental software.