Whether you are running your own dental practice for the first time or are simply looking for tools and tips to help your long-standing business run quicker, you’ve come to the right place. We know there are so many moving parts to a dental practice, so it can be quite daunting to know where to start with improving its running. We’ve reached out to dentists, practice managers, and experts in the field all across the country to find out exactly how they optimize their practice and their time at work. So, read on to find out our top tips for keeping your dental practice running smoothly – or smoother!
Implementing IT Systems
One of the simplest ways to improve the smooth running of your dental practice is to install or upgrade your IT systems. Gone are the days of written appointment books and questionable admin work! We really like Nova computer systems. They have been designed with dentistry in mind and are specifically targeted towards improving the functionality of your practice’s IT systems. Jim, a dentist from North Carolina told us that “NOVA computer solutions teaches dental IT that really works”. Using a company like this that has created dental-first IT systems and help with implementation, support, and coaching will surely help to keep your dental practice running smoother. After all, the majority of business these days can – and should – be done on proper IT systems.
Automation
Sticking with the theme of IT and technology, automation can certainly help make sure your dental practice is running more smoothly. Automation uses computer robots and systems to manage back-of-house processes for you. For example, in dentistry, one of the most labor-intensive tasks is managing the appointment book. A simple, automated website can improve this process massively. All you would need to do would be to let the system know exactly how long each procedure takes, and it can manage to place patients in the right places at the right times. Other processes suitable for automation could include managing prescriptions, sending text and email reminders, or managing payroll. Automating many of these tasks leaves your administrative and customer-facing staff with more time to focus on patient care instead of time-consuming admin.
Front of House Triage
Another dentist based out of Alabama told us that in an effort to streamline patient arrival and triage, they have trained their reception staff to triage patients on their arrival. This means your reception staff are able to understand what treatment your patients are likely to need, can ask them questions to help diagnose their condition, and ensure they are booked for the right treatments. This saves dental nurses more time to spend on patient care and assisting in procedures. It also means your reception staff is able to assess whether a patient is urgent or not, without having to interrupt dentists or nurses as often. According to the practice, this saved many hours of patient waiting time and led to more productive patient care.
Organize Treatment Rooms
We’re sure that most of the time spent in the practice is spent within the patient treatment rooms, as it should be! Over time, it is easy to allow treatment rooms to become cluttered and overcrowded. Ideally, the treatment room should contain only what is needed for each patient. Everything should be organized and easy to reach without disrupting the appointment. Consider utilizing mobile storage which can be wheeled in and out of the room as necessary or placing cabinets higher up to leave more room for ease of access for both you and your patients. You’d be surprised as to how much time can be saved by decluttering your space.
Re-Estimate Procedure Times
It’s worth discussing procedure times, too. You obviously want to utilize every opening hour as best you can, and this can’t be achieved if you are leaving big gaps between patients or running late causing long wait times. Spend a little bit of time looking over your current scheduling pattern and recommended procedure times. Has anything changed? Are you now much quicker at fillings than you were 3 years ago? If so, it’s time to update the procedure times to help you fit more patients in the day.
With these five tips, you can help ensure your practice is running smoothly and efficiently every day of the week. This will lead to a higher patient turnover, greater patient satisfaction, and more money! Upgrade your IT, automate what you can, and get that practice organized. You will see the difference almost immediately and soon feel like you have the best-organized practice in town.
