The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here .
What an exciting time we live in! We are living in a time where we are discovering new technologies. We have social media marketing strategies, everyone has a website and we are just a Google search away from one another. If you want to be on the leading edge you are looking for ways to set your practice apart from the rest.
We must pay close attention to increasing profitability, efficiency and our overhead while providing a high level of quality, attention and detail to our patient care. These are exciting times in dentistry as we explore and implement new strategies to enhance and improve our current dental practice business strategies.
Over the years, dentistry has evolved into realizing that we must carry out a patient-centered, prevention-oriented health care practice that is prosperous. It is imperative to employ sound business principles and expect our practice to be an environment in which our team has an opportunity to build a rewarding career and our patients receive extraordinary care and service. One thing that may change for our patients is a re-adjustment of their priorities as it relates to their treatment plan.
The goal of helping our patients has now progressed from treating infection and disease to good overall health. One thing that hasn’t changed is the cost of doing the business of dentistry. It is important that the team understand the cost of running a business in dentistry and a hygiene department. It is when the team understands these financial aspects of the business that members of the dental team are committed to excellence.
When we work as a team we can make a difference. Everyone on the team needs to understand what systems are in place. Cross-training the team can create a harmonious playing field. When your entire team is enrolled in communicating patient education, delivering home care instructions and increasing the patient’s dental IQ we now provide a rich environment for enthusiastic teamwork, enhanced level of communication and a committed effort to improving the overall health and wellness of your patients. With a team fully engaged, your patients begin to connect and establish trust with your entire team and view the team as an invaluable resource for their total health. Working as a cohesive team provides an immediate and lasting impression for your patients. This is a cost effective marketing plan which we all know as internal marketing.
When reading about productivity in the hygiene department you may think of coming in early, working through lunch and staying late. Maybe you think the office has a prophy mill. Does this make you feel like you are running on a treadmill or riding a roller coaster? When you take time to add assessments such as a periodontal screening exam, CAMBRA, smile analysis and xerostomia, etc., you will begin to treat the total patient, work more efficiently and higher end treatment will begin to take place. Patients now have a reason to say “Yes” to treatment needs when they understand the science and importance of oral health related to their total systemic health. The assessments initiate communication for the necessary treatment and when patients understand the importance a “Yes” to treatment most likely means you are more likely to complete higher end treatment plans. This means your revenue will increase.
Another avenue to increase patient oral and systemic health is by recommending home care products. Home care products can also increase revenue and become another profit center. Can you imagine patients coming by the office even when they don’t have an appointment? They do when they purchase home care products from you. These products can be a great gift for patients to share with other friends and family members when there is a special occasion or holiday. This gives patients a reason to stop by the office frequently.
Offering home care products is just one more opportunity to add a personal touch, top of the line preventive services and exposure to your patients without marketing. When you offer products to support patients who request natural products, support your cosmetic dentistry, offer products for caries prevention and treatment of xerostomia, just to name a few. Adding home care products to what you currently offer your patients will not take time out of your schedule and will not add more patients to your schedule. It adds simple revenue with little effort on the part of the dental team.
Every time you prepare a crown or place an implant you are paying a lab bill. When you sell home care products you will not have a high overhead but many of the products you will have your patient purchase have a 70% return on investment. (ROI) This is called passive income. It is an easy way to add value to what your patients receive and it also increases your bottom line in the dental practice.
Providing a patient centered prevention – oriented atmosphere in your practice will bring out the vision, values and quality of your practice. It will set your practice up to harness to ride the big waves depending upon whatever the economic climate may be.
Creating a cohesive team and a dental practice based on excellence and the extraordinary, realizing the potential of the dental hygiene department and the entire team is essential to building the dental practice you have always dreamed of. This assures long-term relationships along side your success.
Your team members are all very important assets to the health, profitability and success of the dental practice. Your patients and the team are priceless!
The following is a guest post by Debbie Seidel-Bittke. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here .
What an exciting time we live in! We are living in a time where we are discovering new technologies. We have social media marketing strategies, everyone has a website and we are just a Google search away from one another. If you want to be on the leading edge you are looking for ways to set your practice apart from the rest.
We must pay close attention to increasing profitability, efficiency and our overhead while providing a high level of quality, attention and detail to our patient care. These are exciting times in dentistry as we explore and implement new strategies to enhance and improve our current dental practice business strategies.
Over the years, dentistry has evolved into realizing that we must carry out a patient-centered, prevention-oriented health care practice that is prosperous. It is imperative to employ sound business principles and expect our practice to be an environment in which our team has an opportunity to build a rewarding career and our patients receive extraordinary care and service. One thing that may change for our patients is a re-adjustment of their priorities as it relates to their treatment plan.
The goal of helping our patients has now progressed from treating infection and disease to good overall health. One thing that hasn’t changed is the cost of doing the business of dentistry. It is important that the team understand the cost of running a business in dentistry and a hygiene department. It is when the team understands these financial aspects of the business that members of the dental team are committed to excellence.
When we work as a team we can make a difference. Everyone on the team needs to understand what systems are in place. Cross-training the team can create a harmonious playing field. When your entire team is enrolled in communicating patient education, delivering home care instructions and increasing the patient’s dental IQ we now provide a rich environment for enthusiastic teamwork, enhanced level of communication and a committed effort to improving the overall health and wellness of your patients. With a team fully engaged, your patients begin to connect and establish trust with your entire team and view the team as an invaluable resource for their total health. Working as a cohesive team provides an immediate and lasting impression for your patients. This is a cost effective marketing plan which we all know as internal marketing.
When reading about productivity in the hygiene department you may think of coming in early, working through lunch and staying late. Maybe you think the office has a prophy mill. Does this make you feel like you are running on a treadmill or riding a roller coaster? When you take time to add assessments such as a periodontal screening exam, CAMBRA, smile analysis and xerostomia, etc., you will begin to treat the total patient, work more efficiently and higher end treatment will begin to take place. Patients now have a reason to say “Yes” to treatment needs when they understand the science and importance of oral health related to their total systemic health. The assessments initiate communication for the necessary treatment and when patients understand the importance a “Yes” to treatment most likely means you are more likely to complete higher end treatment plans. This means your revenue will increase.
Another avenue to increase patient oral and systemic health is by recommending home care products. Home care products can also increase revenue and become another profit center. Can you imagine patients coming by the office even when they don’t have an appointment? They do when they purchase home care products from you. These products can be a great gift for patients to share with other friends and family members when there is a special occasion or holiday. This gives patients a reason to stop by the office frequently.
Offering home care products is just one more opportunity to add a personal touch, top of the line preventive services and exposure to your patients without marketing. When you offer products to support patients who request natural products, support your cosmetic dentistry, offer products for caries prevention and treatment of xerostomia, just to name a few. Adding home care products to what you currently offer your patients will not take time out of your schedule and will not add more patients to your schedule. It adds simple revenue with little effort on the part of the dental team.
Every time you prepare a crown or place an implant you are paying a lab bill. When you sell home care products you will not have a high overhead but many of the products you will have your patient purchase have a 70% return on investment. (ROI) This is called passive income. It is an easy way to add value to what your patients receive and it also increases your bottom line in the dental practice.
Providing a patient centered prevention – oriented atmosphere in your practice will bring out the vision, values and quality of your practice. It will set your practice up to harness to ride the big waves depending upon whatever the economic climate may be.
Creating a cohesive team and a dental practice based on excellence and the extraordinary, realizing the potential of the dental hygiene department and the entire team is essential to building the dental practice you have always dreamed of. This assures long-term relationships along side your success.
Your team members are all very important assets to the health, profitability and success of the dental practice. Your patients and the team are priceless!