Practice Management

Digital Clinic was awarded second-place honors for the most innovative dental practice product at the Henry Schein Inc. 17th Annual Dental National Sales Meeting on June 11, 2012. The company provides dynamic, interactive and internet-linked digital signage for dental practice waiting rooms.

The Supreme Court rules the Affordable Care Act constitutional. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Website, the law puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over four years and beyond, with most changes taking place by 2014.

The investigative team at the television show FRONTLINE and the Center for Public Integrity, have joined forces to produce the film “Dollars and Dentists,” which examines the dental care system and offers some solutions to correct problems found within it.

Whether you’re moving to a new office space or adding digital radiography to the office you’re currently in, there’s plenty to consider before you get started. From cabling to computer systems, you need to think about what makes the most sense for your team and your practice.

Social media agency Maximize Social Media LLC announced its cosmetic dentistry marketing program Friday, providing online marketing support to cosmetic dentistry practices worldwide. The agency will provide complete social media management for dentists who offer cosmetic surgery, reconstruction, and other specialized oral procedures.

In restorative dentistry, close attention must be paid not only to the restoration, but to the area surrounding the restoration as well. This type of thinking should be applied to provide the esthetics and functionality the patient seeks. Therefore, to provide the best in patient comfort and minimally invasive procedures, practitioners must maintain familiarity with the newest instruments and techniques available through innovation and product development.

As dental practice marketing completely transforms from the simplicity of running a few ads in the Yellow Pages to the complexity of updating your website and regularly contributing to social media, photographs are becoming more and more important to your practice.

Of course you want to help when you can. You want to be flexible and make sure all your patients get the care they need. But you also have to be careful. Most of your patients, if not all of your patients, are good people, people who need your guidance to ensure they maintain the best oral care possible. Because of that, it’s easy to let your guard down and maybe even become a little too trusting. Even though people generally are good, there are some you need to watch out for, the ones who are always looking for ways to walk away with something for nothing.

DPR editors have compiled a list of must-read books with your dental practice's management goals in mind. The concepts and ideas conveyed through each book can easily translate into your dental practice, among your staff and even your patients. #2 New York Times Best Seller: The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business

DPR editors have compiled a list of must-read books with your dental practice's management goals in mind. The concepts and ideas conveyed through each book can easily translate into your dental practice, among your staff and even your patients.

Likeable today announced the launch of Likeable Dentists, the first vertical of Likeable Local, a Facebook marketing solution for small businesses. Likeable Dentists was created in conjunction with Likeable's mission to help organizations use social media to build relationships, engage with fans and create a more likeable world.

Great marketing isn't always easy. Whether marketing yourself, your practice or a dental product, there is a fine line between messages and strategies that make you feel good and messages and strategies that make your potential patients and customers say yes to what you're offering.

Ben Popken, columnist for the personal finance blog Smart Money, points out that most dental insurance coverage plans are poor. Dental price clubs, which offer pre-negotiated lower rates to consumers, might be a better option for the uninsured or those who have maxed out their annual insurance payout.

In a move aimed to improve marketing to customers, Nobel Biocare recently announced the promotion of Nicolas Weidmann to the position of Head of Global Marketing. Weidmann had previously been the implant, guided surgery and CAD/CAM company's Head of Global Communications. He will retain responsibility for Nobel Biocare's corporate communications while also taking on worldwide marketing responsibilities. According to a press release, the company hopes to the move will increase the effectiveness of the company's marketing efforts while also making them more efficient.

CEREC 4.0 Software takes full advantage of the speed and accuracy of advanced Bluecam digital imaging technology from Sirona. Sophisticated, yet easy-to-use multiple and simultaneous restoration design capabilities enable users to work on as many restorations as they want-and at the same time.

North Carolina is at the front line in a national struggle over dental management companies.

February 2009 | Dental Products Report 10 Questions: A dialogue with industry leaders to discuss what's next in dentistry     Q+A Stanley Bergman Chairman & CEO of Henry Schein   "During an economic downturn, serving customers is about more than just discounting prices." 01 What impact do you see the recession having on dentistry?

Clichés often come from a kernel of truth, so while there might be some room to argue over how many words it actually takes to equal a picture, there’s no doubt that images are valuable communication aids.

Featuring data covering material use and restoration trends in American dental laboratories, the 2012 U.S. Dental Laboratory Market Assessment and Trends Report was recently released by The Key Group. With data compiled from more than 300 U.S. laboratories, the report covers crown & bridge trends, digital technology adoption, implants, dentures and outsourcing.

Dr. Mark Colonna lives and practices in Whitefish, Mo., a small community of 6,300 only a few minutes’ drive from stunning Glacier National Park. The park encompasses 1,013,572 acres of alpine forest, snow-capped peaks and 37 glaciers. Despite the ruggedness of the land, Dr. Colonna’s practice is anything but rustic. He is a strong advocate of laser dentistry, being the first dentist to use only a laser to prep a crown, and he uses the cloud to manage his practice.

Health in Reach announced earlier this week that it would be merging with its largest competitor, PriceDoc. Both services offer an online platform where consumers can go to compare prices on dental services. Both companies will now operate under the Health in Reach corporate brand, and Health in Reach CEO Scott Sangster will remain in the top executive role.

Google Places is out. The search engine giant announced Wednesday that it has updated its local search platform with Google Plus Local, which will interface with Zagat, in efforts to encourage interaction on their social network Google+.

You want to be friendly with your patients, to build a rapport that helps keep them loyal to you and your practice. What you don’t want to do is become too familiar or so comfortable with your patients that you end up taking it too far, and saying something that leaves them feeling uncomfortable and maybe even looking for a new practice.

It all started with a scared little girl who found comfort in a puppy. The little girl, Maya, came to Dr. Allan Pike’s pediatric dentistry practice in Portland for a pulpotomy, a procedure they needed to get done right away. But things weren’t going well, at least not until dental assistant Julie Dubansky offered to bring in her puppy, Madison. That seemed to calm Maya down, and was the beginning of what some of Dr. Pike’s patients drive as many as three hours to experience: Dog day at the dental office.

Jane Pak, CEO of the National Association of Women Business Owners, spoke with Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Bill Dorfman to put together a top 10 list of the most useful small business tips for dental practices.

Sometimes it’s worth the risk. That’s what a Wisconsin-based dentist decided when one of his patients asked him out. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea at first, but after talking with her more and realizing how much they had in common, he changed his mind. “I thought about it for awhile before I responded to her interest in me,” he said. “I was hesitant because I was worried that if it didn’t work out, I would lose her as a patient and there could be some negative ramifications.”

The recent merger between Health in Reach and PriceDoc will allow dentists and prospective patients to connect and for those prospective patients to compare prices on dental care before booking an appointment. The online platform allows dentists to offer cost-saving deals to consumers who are paying for dental care out-of-pocket.

During the TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012 event earlier this week, ZocDoc CEO Cyrus Massoumi talked about the professional online booking platform for doctors and the focus point of its success: providing a solution for health care professionals.

Internet use worldwide is continually expanding as more social media sites pop up, and companies continue to expand their presence on the Web. Smartphones are getting smarter, and many people have opted to purchase tablets such as the iPad, all of which allow instant access to the Internet and a universe of Web-based apps. This activity creates opportunities but can create a multitude of challenges for those who have websites.

For a practice to run smoothly, we office managers need to know how our dentists feel about the following types of questions and we need to be clear on what the dentist’s guidelines are for the practice. So Doctor, what is your office policy for financial arrangements? When do you feel it’s appropriate to send an account to a collections agency? How do you want your emergency patients scheduled?