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You Need to Know These Myths About Dental Practice Success

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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!

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:

  1. Positivity-a positive attitude goes a long way in the dental practice
  2. Someone who is patient, energetic and outgoing will help ease patient’s stress about going to the dentist
  3. 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!

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Perfect Your Active Listening Skills With These 3 Tips

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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:

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!  

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4 Top Traits of a Perfect Dental Receptionist for Your Practice

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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!

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

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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

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Common Characteristics of the Million Dollar Dental Clinic

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What makes a dental clinic exceptional and stand out among the rest?  A potential patient will be looking for specific characteristics when searching for their new dental clinic, ensure your dental practice has these characteristics.  

Here are some of the top characteristics of a dental clinic that rises above the rest. 

Friendliness

A professional and friendly staff will help your dental clinic shine.  Not only will it help staff morale internally, but patients will take note as well.  No one likes to be around a grump, especially in a setting where most patients are already feeling nervous, scared or apprehensive.  Create an atmosphere of lighthearted, personal and friendly communication.  

Achieve that sought after \’91WOW\’92 factor with these 4 ideas for creating the ultimate patient experience.

Structure

A million dollar dental clinic is structured for success, with crystal clear goals that are monitored constantly.  Create S.M.A.R.T. goals and share them with the team.  They will be true motivators for the dentist and staff when they are used consistently to gauge the practice\’92s progress.   

Skill

Both dentists and their staff should take their profession seriously and have a strong passion to deliver high quality care that lasts. Become a lifelong learner.  Your dental clinic should always be learning in order to deliver an ever-improving quality of care, and to apply new techniques and methods.  

Taking the Time

A stand out dental clinic values time\’97the patient\’92s time at the very top of the list.  Patient appointments should be adhered to and treatment should be completed in a timely manner.  Taking the time also involves answering all your patient\’92s questions and listening to any concerns.  Never speed through a patient\’92s treatment schedule.  Carefully and effectively explain a diagnosis and treatment if necessary.  

Communicate

Effective communication in the dental clinic includes listening, writing and talking.  Poor communication can have a negative effect on many aspects of the business, so it\’92s vital that you and your staff have clear communication to ensure all tasks and responsibilities are carried out correctly.  

Your dental clinic could be the best of the best if it possesses these common characteristics.  

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

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How to Get New Patients Into Your Dental Practice

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Is the door to your dental practice collecting dust and are the hinges getting rusty?  Stuck in a slump with no new dental patients coming in or struggling with a low retention rate?  It\’92s time to change things up.  Discover how to get new patients into your dental practice and keep them there. The great news?  It\’92s not as expensive or difficult as you may think.  

How to Get New Patients Into Your Dental Practice\’97And Keep Them There!

Creating the best experience possible for patients will not only ensure new patients find their way through your doors, it will help to skyrocket your retention rates. Follow these three rules of a successful dental practice and you\’92ll quickly find your schedule filling up!

Survey Your Surroundings

Take a look around your dental practice and ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is the d\’e9cor attractive?
  2. It is clean?
  3. Is there plenty of space?
  4. Is there entertainment for patients while they wait?
  5. Is it comfortable?

If you answered no to any of these questions, it\’92s time to redecorate and reorganize.  Your office and waiting area should be a place you wouldn\’92t mind hanging out in for a little bit.   

Consider these 6 things when creating the best dental office design ergonomics to make your patients feel right at home.

Slap on a Smile

A genuine smile goes a long way.   Do you see smiling faces when looking at your staff?  Do you find yourself too busy thinking about what you need to do next instead of being in the moment and smiling during your day?  A smiley and friendly dental staff that greets patients as soon as they walk through the door will make all the difference in the world.  If your patients don\’92t feel welcomed, you can bet they won\’92t be coming back.  Always hire a calm, pleasant and positive office staff to guarantee that happiness radiates all the way to the patient.  After all, happiness is contagious!

Target Inactive Patients

You should always maintain a recurring relationship with all of your patients\’97active or inactive.  If you don\’92t keep communication strong, how can you ever solidify any sort of valuable relationship?  If you\’92ve been considering a patient recall system, you want it to be as effective as possible, because it is one of the most important systems that you can have in your practice. Don\’92t let your existing patients fall through the cracks! Keep them coming with a top notch patient recall program.

Stop scratching your head and worrying how to get new patients into your dental practice. Follow these helpful tips and quickly see an increase in your new and returning patient visits!

Are you ready to simplify and streamline your efforts to grow you 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!

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4 Traits Every Dental Practice Manager Should Possess

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A dental practice manager is a very unique position since it often stems from a wide variety of backgrounds.  Perhaps you started out chairside, or maybe you got your start working as a receptionist and moved your way up.  You may have managed other types of professional offices or companies aside from a dental practice or hold a business degree.  Wherever your career path started out, there are some essential traits that every dental practice manager should possess.  Do you have them?  

Dental Practice Manager Trait Checklist

Are you\’85

Flexible & Understanding?

You need to be able to stay calm in a fast-paced environment and keep your head in the game with multiple projects and responsibilities happening all at once.  Having an understanding of operations and extensive knowledge to perform any task at a dental practice is crucial.  Whether it is appointment scheduling, data entry or dental patient interaction, you should be able to do it all and with ease.  

A Good Communicator?

The ability to effectively communicate is so important to the success of your dental office.  As a dental practice manager, you will need to be able to communicate with team members, department heads, dentists and patients.  You will have to be able to relay vital information honestly, concisely and constructively.  A dental practice manager is also easy to talk to\’97 for both staff and patients alike.  

One important aspect of being a good communicator is listening.  Make sure you\’92re actively listening and using these 3 important listening skills every day. 

An Advocate of Teamwork?

Teamwork is often as crucial as having a dental practice manager to begin with.   Front staff and clinical staff need to have continuous and open communication.  As a manager, this should be one of your top priorities.  By encouraging teamwork in the dental office, you are able to proactively address any issues that may arise and create a better plan for solutions and the results best for the clinic and dental team.  

A Leader?

An effective dental practice manager is able to provide direction and guidance while supporting the team in their attempt to accomplish objectives and build constructive professional relationships.  

Recognize any of these characteristics in yourself?  Possessing these dental practice manager characteristics will skyrocket both your professional success and the success of the practice in which you work.  

Stress-be-gone with these 3 remedies for stress relief at work!  These tips will help you to go forth and conquer your workday with these tips in your back pocket.

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! 

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Dental Staff Communication Mistakes to Avoid

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A dental office without good staff communication is a recipe for disaster.  Effectively communicating enhances success and ultimately overall satisfaction not only in the workplace but in life. 

In dentistry, it\’92s crucial to master staff communication in all ways – the relationship between doctor and patient, hygienist and doctor and hygienist and patient, as well as between staff.   

Poor staff communication can lead to decreased motivation, increased misunderstandings and even create conflict.  These communication problems can trickle down to your patients who can often sense issues even if you think it\’92s only internal. 

Quality communication is key to the success of any workplace.  Read this blog to improve communication skills to keep your schedule full.

Consistent and effective staff communication in your dental office can be one of your most powerful assets and lead to a fulfilling and successful business.

Avoid these five critical mistakes in establishing effective staff communication. 

Dental Staff Communication Mistake #1:  Not Being on the Same Page

Huddle up!  If you\’92ve been wondering why your dental office isn\’92t producing results, maybe you should consider starting a morning huddle for the ultimate staff communication!  Here you can set the tone for the day, inspire and create daily performance outcomes with the entire team.   You\’92re able to get everyone on the same page with a morning huddle. 

Dental Staff Communication Mistake #2:  One-Size-Fits-All Communication

Everyone has their own communication style\’97there\’92s no one-size-fits-all.  Some people can get it right off the bat, while others may need a bit more explaining.   Take into consideration everyone\’92s different learning and communication styles with a communication strategy that will address them all. 

Dental Staff Communication Mistake #3:  Not Taming Your Tone

The tone of your voice is always important but especially during stressful times in the workplace.  If you\’92re feeling frazzled, you might have an edgy tone.  Here\’92s a tone-taming trick\’97before you talk, stop, pause and take a deep breath.  Then, communicate what you wanted to say. 

Dental Staff Communication Mistake #4:  Being a Gossip King or Queen

You never want to indulge in gossip at the dental office, but it can ruin reputations and break trust.  You want to be trusted as a communicator and team member\’97leave all gossip at the door and don\’92t partake. 

Dental Staff Communication Mistake #5:  Not Listening

We often think of effective communication skills being how we speak or write.  But listening is the key to all effective communication.  Being an active listener means you have the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. 

Staff communication is a precious tool in your dental office.  When you can avoid these staff communication mistakes, it will benefit your leadership, success and your business!

Are you ready to simplify and streamline your efforts to grow you 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

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How to Keep Employees Motivated & Energized in Your Dental Office

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howtokeepemployeesmotivatedThere is one thought that sits in the back of every business owner\’92s head: how to keep employees motivated. Employees are the greatest asset of any company, so it\’92s important to keep them motivated so they perform their best at all times.  Do you know how to keep employees motivated?

You might be surprised to find out that financial rewards are not the only means of keeping your employees motivated. In fact, job satisfaction typically depends more on the office environment. Does the team work together well? Do the employees feel appreciated for doing a job well done?

Here are 3 tips on how to keep employees motivated in your dental office.

Give Your Employees the Tools They Need to Succeed

Do not assume that all of your employees have exactly what they need to do their jobs well. They could be missing anything from a specific tool, to training, or simply just support from you or the office manager. Check in on your employees and ask them if there is anything you can do to help them complete a task. They\’92ll appreciate you taking an interest in their work and be motivated to do well.

Communicate

Make an effort to be present and develop relationships with your employees. A major factor in why employees have low job satisfaction is because they don\’92t like their boss or manager. But this doesn\’92t have to be the case. Communicate often with your staff, and create a dialogue where your employees feel comfortable coming to you when they need help. Share goals with your employees so you are all working together together to improve your dental office.

Engage Your Employees

Include your employees in big decision making. Ask for their input on something that might affect the whole office, and use their ideas if you can. Showing them that you\’92re taking their thoughts into consideration will demonstrate that you value them and their opinion. This is a great way to empower and motivate employees.

Job satisfaction can go a long way in keeping your employees motivated. Strive to create and encourage a positive work environment in your dental office because it will help to keep your employees motivated.

Now that you know how to improve job satisfaction, it\’92s time to improve patient experience!

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