Two basic problems most dental practice have: Too little flow or not enough flow. If there's too much flow then: a. There's not enough personnel. Could also be not enough production space or equipment (phones for example) and/or b. The current staff need to be better trained and/or have better discipline (too much chit chatting or whatever) and/or c. You need better systems and/or d. You need better accountability. Stats, checklists and a proper morning huddle help with that. Kevin Tighe, Cambridge Dental Consultants, Senior Consultant, got bitten hard by the business and marketing bug during long summer days working at...
Staff can look very busy, but this can sometimes be due to them handling additional work they generated themselves due to inefficiencies, lack of training, or no accountability. Examples: • Lab case not in the office. Patient arrives for appointment.• Incomplete information in patient charts.• Incomplete insurance submission.• Insurance not verified.• Patient leaves office without an appointment.• Phone numbers for patient are not correct. • Appointment not confirmed. • Delivering more dentistry in the back than was scheduled; front desk not notified.• Treatment plan sequence not written up.• Financial arrangements not made.• Incomplete treatment not followed up on.• Message taken but not given...
The duties of chairside assisting are not just assisting and cleaning instruments when there are no patients.
1. Require your front desk to report every daily on how many hygiene patients did not schedule their next appointment. No more than one a day is acceptable. 2. Keep a running list of those patients of those who did not schedule and follow up on them. 3. When calling the patient, if you do not reach them, let them know you will try back in about a week. Repeat a week later if needed. 4. After a month or so continue to make calls based on your knowledge of the patient without becoming obnoxious or seeming "desperate". How many calls...
