cfadmin – Patient Focus

About cfadmin

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far cfadmin has created 50 blog entries.

You Need to Know These Myths About Dental Practice Success

dental practice success.jpg

The path to dental practice success can have its obstacles. Believing any of the many dental myths out there can block you from being successful. In order to overcome these obstacles that hinder dental practice success, it’s important to recognize the myths as to why your business isn’t successful. Only then can you effectively work through any issues.

Avoid these major misdirecting myths of dental practice success.

Myth #1: Outsourcing Is a Waste of Time & Money

Running a dental practice can be extremely demanding. There are so many different tasks to complete in order to be successful. One of the tasks that is extremely necessary but can be exhausting and time consuming is making calls to overdue patients. Outsourcing your dental recall system will help to bring your practice fantastic results and your office’s time management will be on point.

Outsourcing some of the day-to-day business aspects of the dental practice is not only economical, but allows for more time and enhanced business efficiency. If dentists or the dental staff is running the business side of the practice, it can place additional time demands on them and pull them away from the ever important patient-related tasks. An effective alternative is to use an outsourced partner to take over those labor-intensive business functions which will free up your time to make your business more successful. Patient Focus offers innovative solutions that make it seamless for dental providers to manage relationships with active and inactive patients.

Patient Focus will breathe life back into your practice. Learn how to get started on your path to dental practice success here!

Myth #2: Only Cosmetic Dentists Make Money

There are a lot of dentists out there who believe that because cosmetic procedures cost more, they will make more money by ONLY providing cosmetic dentistry services. But the fact of the matter is that the patients who want to pay for these expensive cosmetic services make up a smaller percentage than those who will pay for treatments and preventative care, according to ADS Transitions. If you put your focus solely on cosmetic services, you’ll lose a large number of dental patients who may not be able to pay for these specialty services.

Overcome these 2 myths of dental practice success in order to build the practice of your dreams!

Remedies for Stress to Increase Dental Office Efficiency

remedies for stress.jpg

There are some days at the dental office that can leave the entire team exhausted, breathless and stressed. There are an endless number of to-dos to be taken care of on a regular basis such as maintaining employee satisfaction, keeping dental chairs filled, supplies stocked and eliminating patient no-shows.

Increase Dental Office Efficiency with These 3 Remedies for Stress

Outsource Your Dental Recall Services

Having an effective recall system is extremely important to your dental practice; it is also a service that is beneficial to outsource. Recall duties are often assigned to office staff who don’t have enough time or training to get the best results which can result in a team that is completely stressed out. Outsourcing your dental recall services with Patient Focus can help to increase your practice profitability and your overall revenues. Patient Focus understands that doing recall right is what sustains a practice. If you want to reach your overdue patients, zap stress, and maximize all your revenues, contact Patient Focus today for the solution you’ve been looking for.

Tweak Your Time Management

When you feel that stress start to build, take a step back and review your dental practice. Are you constantly running behind schedule? Is your dental team always frazzled and do stress levels always seem to escalate? Try these effective time management strategies to lower stress in the dental office. Take the time to learn and master the art of prioritization, delegation, assertiveness and decision making.

Exercise

Exercise helps to lower stress levels significantly. One of the best remedies for stress out there, exercise burns up the excess adrenaline caused by stress, allowing the body to return to a steady state. Try to exercise at least 4-5 times a week and you will start seeing a decrease in your stress levels. Exercise will increase energy and efficiency and release endorphins, which provide the feel good factor to help you be nicer to your dental patients and team!

While stress cannot be completely eliminated from a dental practice, it is important to minimize it as much as possible and to avoid the many stress-related physical and emotional problems that it causes. Use these remedies for stress to avoid the negative effects of stress.

Don’t let dental recall add more stress to your plate. Take the stress out of your dental recall and schedule a consultation with Patient Focus. Patient Focus will simplify and streamline your efforts to grow your dental practice in just 3 simple steps!

3 Practice Characteristics Dental Patients Look For In A Practice

It’s easy to fall into the rut and routine of your daily to-dos and tasks in a dental office. But have you have stopped to think—really think!—about what dental patients are looking for? We recommend you do, as it could be the key to your continued success.

Here are 3 of the most important things your dental patients are looking for in a dental practice.

An Honest Conversation About Cost

It’s no mystery that most dental work is expensive. According to a study done by 1 800 Dentist, a resounding 91% of patients said they are more likely to continue patronizing dentists who engage in an honest and clear conversation about costs.

One of the biggest obstacles dental patients face is finding a dentist who is willing to openly discuss dental fees upfront. Dentistry HQ has some helpful tips on how to be open and upfront with your dental fees:

Before discussing the price with your dental patients, communicate the long-term value
Always discuss cost upfront and before starting any treatment
Establish trust first, then expand the conversation to include a dental treatment plan that is in their best interest
Offer different treatment options and costs

Friendly Staff

Observe how your staff interacts with your dental patients. These interactions truly will set the tone for the entire visit. Something as painless as a cleaning can be insanely stressful to dental patients. An honest smile, friendly banter and genuinely listening to them can quickly dispel any stress and put their minds at ease. The easiest way to keep them coming back is to make them feel comfortable and important. Looking to hire dental staff? Here are three things to look for to ensure your staff fits the friendly bill:

Positivity-a positive attitude goes a long way in the dental practice
Someone who is patient, energetic and outgoing will help ease patient’s stress about going to the dentist
Someone who smiles easily and is approachable and welcoming

A Social Media Presence

You do not need to have 20 social media sites for you or your dental practice, but having an online presence will go a long way with potential and current dental patients. When searching for a new dentist, a patient’s initial instinct is to type in the name of a practice or dentist into a search engine and hit ‘enter’. Aside from a clean, up-to-date website, they are looking for an active presence on social media—where they can see happy patients, photos of the dental team, how many followers there are and comments. Maintaining an active social media page will give you an opportunity to showcase happy client testimonials, engage with prospects, answer questions and build trust and credibility.

Whether your potential dental patients are searching high and low for a warm smile or a social media presence, following these 3 tips can help ensure you cover all of your bases and bring more dental patients into your practice!

Get Started Today

In only three simple steps you could be up and running with Patient Focus! Learn more today.

How to Enhance Communication in Dentistry

It’s an understatement to say that all dental professionals need to have excellent communication skills. We need to communicate effectively with our dental team members, labs, supply reps and especially our patients. The goal of communication in dentistry is simple: to empower our patients with the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision about their oral health. Before you jump into talking to your patient about not flossing or how they’re brushing way too hard, here are some acceptable subjects for communication in dentistry to break the ice:

The weather
The patient. People always love to talk about themselves.
Pets. Does your patient have any pets? Do you have pets? Talk about them! Animals make everyone happy.
Recent news

Sometimes just an honest smile and a joke can make all the difference in the world. Friendly banter and some humor can dispel the patient’s stress. Making a dental patient feel comfortable in your practice is one of the easiest ways to keep them coming back.

Communication in Dentistry: Chairside

One of the most important elements to building a successful dental business is your chairside communication with your patients. Try these quick steps to effective chairside communication in dentistry:

Explain to your patients their dental problems precisely and in terms they will understand
Inform patients of your treatment recommendations
Let them know the potential consequences if treatment is delayed or ignored

Avoid these 10 mistakes from The Curious Dentist when presenting a treatment plan.

You’ll find that a compassionate approach will keep your dental patients engaged. If you can’t communicate well with your patients and your team, you can’t win. Communication in dentistry requires patience, humility, effort and is a process for continual improvement.

One of the biggest downfalls to a successful dental practice is the patient’s fear of treatment. Patients can skip cleanings and put off treatments because they feel apprehensive. You can prevent fear of dental treatment in the first place by simply talking to your patient. Communicating—you guessed it—effectively. If your patient needs a “scary” treatment like a root canal, break it to them gently. Explain in detail why the treatment is necessary, allow the patient to ask questions and thoroughly describe how the procedure works. When patients are aware of what to expect, they feel more confident in you and about their treatments.

It can be easy to get in the bad habit of herding patients through your doors like cattle to the point where patients start feeling like that. Remember who they are—people! No one wants to feel like “just another patient” in the lineup of your busy schedule. Connect with them. Communicate—really communicate—with your patients. Take quick notes after your appointment about your conversation and follow up with your patients next time they are in. Ask them how their family vacation was, how things are going at their new job and how their son’s big game went.

Communicating effectively and actually remembering details about your dental patients will make them feel special. And guess what? That feeling and connection creates a feeling of loyalty. Patients who leave feeling special and connected to you and your practice are more likely to refer their family and friends.

There you have it. Improving communication in dentistry with these simple tips can potentially bring more patients into your practice! Happy communicating!

In only three simple steps you could be up and running with Patient Focus! Learn more today.

5 Tips to Cultivating the Happiest Dental Patients Around

Patient happiness and satisfaction is an area that many of us in the dental industry take for granted. It’s become to say ‘we are not just treating teeth; we are treating people’, but it is oh so true. There is tons of lip service given to this idea, but most times not a lot of action behind it. Sure your dental patients may leave your practice with the healthiest teeth, but how was their experience? How well were they treated?

Dental patients will appreciate the overall dental experience if they leave happy. Then, they will come back and maintain excellent oral health and refer your office to friends and family.

Happy dental patients = successful dental practice

It’s time to provide your dental patients with quality care while making their office experience unforgettable. Here’s how you can provide them with the best dental patient experience your office can offer and keep them smiling the moment they walk through your door.

Greet them.

Say hello and give your dental patients a warm welcome right when they come in the door. It shows that you recognize them, that they matter and most importantly, that you care.

Remember who they are.

Everyone wants to feel special. Make it a point to connect with them and remember details about their lives. Connecting will not only ensure happy dental patients, but will create a sense of loyalty.

Don’t talk over their heads.

Patient education is important. Always keep in mind your dental patients didn’t go to dental school. Speak in terms that they’ll understand.

Stay passionate.

It’s so easy to get into a rut at work. Try to reignite that passion you felt when you first started practicing when you go about your day-to-day routine.

Use their name.

Call your patients by name whenever possible. This will give them the sense that they are unique and being served personally and not just another number in your chair.

Making your dental patients happy should be your number 1 priority. Why? It’s simple—without patients you wouldn’t have a practice. Use these tips to start cultivating the happiest dental patients around.

Get Started Today

In only three simple steps you could be up and running with Patient Focus! Learn more today.

Perfect Your Active Listening Skills With These 3 Tips

Listening is the most critical communication skill that every dentist and dental team member should cultivate. Sadly, listening is commonly overlooked in dentistry. Hearing comes natural to most, but listening is another thing.

Sometimes in the rush of what the day brings, we\’92ve forgotten what it truly means to stop and listen to the person we\’92re speaking to. When was the last time you asked a patient or team member how they were doing, and then gave them your full attention when they responded? Did you really, truly hear what they were saying, or did you just hear their answer and then nod, smile and move on quickly to your next item on your to-do list. We challenge you to make a change and add active listening to your daily routine!

Psst! Listen up! Check out these stats on listening:

Listening to and hearing patients are not the same thing.
Active listening skills are one of the most important communication skills in achieving a successful dental practice.
Humans can process around 600 words in one minute. A really fast talker can speak at a rate of 100 to 150 words a minute. As a result, our minds tend to wander.
Right after hearing patients speak, it\’92s common to retain only half of what was heard.
The average adult will spend 70 percent of their waking hours communicating. Of this, 9 percent is writing, 16 percent reading, 30 percent speaking and 45 percent listening.
Many dentists prefer talking to listening
Listening is not a natural process but a skill that must be learned and nurtured.

Discover the essential secrets to successfully filling your dental chairs. Download your 5-Point Checklist to A Full Schedule now!

Are you an active listener in your dental office?

Amazing active listening skills are one of the most powerful ways to build and strengthen the rapport you have with your patients. There are many studies that show how this ranks high on the list of what patients want most from their dentists and other healthcare professionals.

Ready to Improve Your Active Listening Skills?

We hope you are! The benefits are many. Active listening can help to maximize:

Patient satisfaction
Strengthen the patient/dentist relationship
Improve treatment outcomes
Reduce the frequency of complaints and claims
Assist dental team members in resolving complaints quickly and easily if they do arise

Here are your 3 vital components to perfecting your active listening skills.

Silence is golden.

Silence is a powerful tool when it comes to honing your active listening skills. It encourages the patient to speak and lets them know you\’92re ready to listen. It\’92s possible to use non-verbal active listening techniques to actively participate in a conversation without even saying anything at all.

Don\’92t get sidetracked.

Avoid distractions and intentionally listen to what the patient is saying. It can be hard when there are things going on around you, or you\’92re tempted to run through your to-do list in your head, but do your best to block distractions out. Focus on one thing and one thing only: what the patient is saying to you.

Summation.

Taking a moment to review the information given by the patient you can let the patient know that you\’92ve been listening and interpreting their information correctly. Summation examples may include:

\’91Am I right in understanding that you would prefer not to go ahead with have the tooth extracted now?\’94

\’93What I think I am hearing from you is that you\’92re more concerned with the shape of your tooth than the color of it. Is that accurate?\’93

Follow these tips to not only improve your active listening skills, but to build stronger relationships with dental patients, family and friends.

Ready to create a patient experience for your dental practice that gets the \’91wow\’92 response every time? Download Your Guide to the Ultimate Patient Experience today!

9 Reasons You Need a \’91Battle Free\’92 Unified Office

Any conflicts that arise in your dental team can make you want to throw your arms up in despair and retreat. But the need for collaboration is here to stay, and while it\’92s not the easiest thing, it will put more minds on the prize: to produce better results.

If your dental team has frequent arguments, or you simply aren\’92t a unified office, how can you get things back on track?

The Great Divide Between Front and Back Office

Dental practices who successfully blend their front and back dental staff will not only provide exceptional patient service, but also enhance operational performance, improve team morale and reduce costs.

Here are some of the most common struggles between the front and back office:

The schedule struggle. The schedule is the one thing in the dental office that affects every team member and every patient. If someone doesn\’92t follow the schedule, it can create chaos behind the scenes. The schedule should be on everyone\’92s radar and doesn\’92t \’91belong\’92 to just the front or back office. Have your schedule mapped out and available to the front and back office to discuss. Then, watch some magic happen and the unified office can schedule together harmoniously.

Treatment planning tug o\’92 war. Clearly establish who enters the treatment plan, when, who presents it and who schedules it.

Regardless of why your team isn\’92t getting along, or if there is an office divide, following a few simple guidelines can help you to resolve disputes quickly and work towards a more unified office.

Step in early. Emotions run high when there is tension or a dispute starts, the sooner you step in the better. If conflicts are left unresolved, they will fester which can result in lasting resentment and hurt feelings, making it difficult to diffuse the situation.

Establish a shared goal & agreement. An important step is ensuring that whole dental team is focused on the same thing: the patient. Whenever possible, connect the resolution back to the dental team\’92s shared purposes, values or identity. This will help the front and back office see eye to eye.

Want to improve your business and motivate employees? Patient Focus can help your dental clinic find success through dental recall. Contact Patient Focus now to get more appointments.

Remember These Key Principles

DO:

Set up conflict management procedures before a conflict arises

Step in early if a disagreement happens between dental team members

Get the team working together as quickly as possible

DON\’92T:

Assume that your dental team knows or agrees with its shared purpose, values or vision

Let conflicts fester or be left unattended

Move on from a disagreement without first talking to the team about the conflict

Ultimately, a unified dental team means a happy patient – which means a successful dental practice. Follow these simple guidelines to work towards your dental office functioning like a well-oiled machine with happy and satisfied team members.

Wondering how to deal with stress at your dental office? What it boils down to is not letting stress take control\’97learn how to control your stress. Here are 3 ways we like to highlight for how to deal with stress at the dental office.

Create a patient experience for your dental practice that gets the ‘wow’ response every time! Download Your Guide to the Ultimate Patient Experience today!

4 Top Traits of a Perfect Dental Receptionist for Your Practice

One of the most critical elements of any dental practice is making sure you provide the ultimate positive dental patient experience\’97each and every single time. One of the key components of a killer patient experience is making sure your dental receptionist is an exceptional one.

The dental receptionist is most always the first person your patients interact with in person or over the phone. They provide the first impression of your dental office and we all know how critical that first impression can be.

Make sure you are looking for these 4 important traits and skills when setting out to hire your one-of-a-kind dental receptionist.

They are friendly.

Most people hate going to the dentist. It\’92s a nerve-wracking and scary experience, but a friendly face at the reception desk can work wonders to calm any nerves. One of the most important traits a dental receptionist can possess is to have a warm, comforting and friendly personality.

They are organized.

A great dental receptionist is organized to the max! One way to see if they are organized is during the interview. Did they bring something to write with and do they take notes during the interview? Do they ask lots of questions? Did they review your website or other information? Taking and utilizing detailed notes and to-do lists are very helpful practices used by top receptionists. Organization is important to schedule appointments, keep track of patients and when they are due for a follow-up appointment and to deal with insurance claims. Falling behind on any of these can really do some harm to the productivity and even profits of a dentist office.

Patient Focus is here for your dental practice to reactivate your patients with live calls. Discover how Patient Focus can breathe life back into your practice.

They communicate well.

Another important skill an amazing dental receptionist should possess is being able to communicate well. Strong written and verbal communication skills are equally important for this position. A dental receptionist will communicate with the dentist, most, if not all, of the dental team, vendors, partners, patients and insurance companies. The ability to speak well and effectively convey information clearly is vital. Another vitally important communication skill is the ability to listen well, and to be able to understand and respond to patient needs and requests.

They are flexible.

A dental receptionist will be handling a wide range of tasks and dealing with many different people. Being flexible and quick to adapt to new situations is important. Someone who doesn\’92t get flustered in a busy dental office will do well in this position.

We hope these tips help you find your best dental receptionist ever!

It can be extremely stressful if there are empty dental chairs at your office. Download our 5-Point Checklist to Achieving a Full Schedule here. The essential secrets to successfully filling your dental chairs await!

Secrets to a Great Dental Team

Dental practices face many common challenges including how to be more efficient clinically, how to reduce their overhead, how to motivate the team and how to get more patients. You may be constantly searching for solutions but may be overlooking the most impactful and obvious piece of your practice: the dental team that you are working with every single day.

Your Dental Team Is the Most Important Asset In Your Practice

Take a moment to consider how every system, every interaction and procedure involves and relies on your dental team. A motivated and well-trained team will work together to consistently provide high-quality and exceptional patient care while increasing efficiency in the practice.

Discover the essential secrets to successfully filling your dental chairs. Download your 5-Point Checklist to A Full Schedule now!

It\’92s critical to instill and develop a sense of teamwork, to be motivated to work hard every day. In addition, creating a sense of investment and satisfaction with their job to stay committed to work with you for years to come\’97keeping the turnover rate low. A great team is made up of people who have a deep understanding of how their daily contributions are part of a larger purpose. \’91That\’92s not my job\’92 is never a part of their thinking and it is understood that everyone\’92s role is to contribute to the success of the dental practice.

Here are a few quick tips to creating the dynamic and effective dental team that your practice deserves:

Thoroughly train your team on all systems in your dental clinic

Document the step-by-step process for each of your practice systems to serve as your foundation to build a successful team

Motivate team members with performance reviews

Keep your dental team up to speed with anything new

Set measurable goals and communicate to the entire team

Providing the most positive dental experience takes a team. Having the right dental team in place can have a huge impact on your dental practice. Make sure your team is great for the straightest road to dental practice success.

Want to improve your dental practice? Patient Focus can help your clinic find success through dental recall. Contact Patient Focus now to get more appointments.

3 Reasons Why Your Dental Patients Don\’92t Come Back

The average dental practice loses 15-20% of their dental patients every single year. Why are you losing these patients? What is happening to your dental patients and where are they going? It\’92s important to uncover the why – to get to the root of the issue – to effectively take action and do something about it.

Like most business owners, dentists can have various blind-spots when it comes to weaknesses in their practice. Stop simply wondering why your dental patients aren\’92t returning and start uncovering the real reasons.

Here are 3 of the most common reasons why dental patients walk out the door and don\’92t come back.

Unbearably long wait times

Time is important to everyone. And that includes your dental patients. There is nothing worse than sitting in the reception area just watching the clock tick away slowing waiting for your name to be called. You expect your patients to be in your practice on time, and your dental patients have the same expectation of you. Your staff should schedule realistic appointment times and remember to avoid double booking patients. Of course there can be unexpected delays or emergencies that pop up causing a delay in wait time. If that is the case, make sure that the dental team clearly communicates to the patient. The pain in waiting often comes from the unknown. You\’92ve most likely experienced this feeling while sitting in traffic–not knowing what caused the traffic jam can drive you crazy! And the moment you\’92re aware of what the issue is, it immediately reassures you that it will soon come to an end. Then the wait doesn\’92t seem quite as unbearable! If there is a wait, simply communicating with the patient as to why and how long that wait will be can work wonders in building trust and making them feel valued.

Ready to discover the essential secrets to successfully filling your dental chairs? Download your checklist here!

You don\’92t ACT like you care

While we know you appreciate and care about your patients (you wouldn\’92t be in business if it weren\’92t for them!), it\’92s all-too common for dental patients to think that you don\’92t truly care about them personally. Since it\’92s incredibly easy to get caught up in the clinical side of what you\’92re doing, it also becomes incredibly easy to forget to take a moment to pause and pay proper attention to the patient. Let them understand that you are there for them and do what you can to ease their fear and discomfort when at all possible. No one likes feeling like they\’92re just another number.

Your staff is unfriendly

Having a friendly and helpful dental team is critical to patient satisfaction and retention. It will be easy for dental patients to jump ship if they don\’92t feel welcome and respected. Train the entire team to greet every single patient by name and always welcome them with a smile. Ensure everyone on your team knows how important their role is in patient retention, and the impact they can have in making your patients\’92 day. When dental patients feel valued and comfortable, they are much more likely to return.

A successful dental practice makes their highest priority providing exceptional patient care. Getting new dental patients is tough enough. It will be well worth the effort to keep them!

Are you ready to simplify and streamline your efforts to grow your dental practice? Follow this link to request a consultation with one of our call experts, or call us today at 888.978.2615 and get started in only three simple steps!

Learn How to Get Started