IMPORTANT   Some states allow you to thank a referring patient after the fact of the referral with a nominal gift ($10.00 - $25.00) however, the referring patient cannot have an expectation of the reward.  A personally signed thank you card or note, ideally from the doctor, is smart and good manners. You can offer a credit to new patients. The amount can be $50.00 or $100.00 or more. You can also offer a free cleaning or exam or nothing at all. It’s totally up to you but, most find a dollar value works best.   If you offer a dollar amount still submit your usual...

The Achilles' heel of many a dental practice owner is to avoid dealing with unpleasant staff situations. A good example is a recent new client of mine. 

Base pay plus commission seems to be the best and most popular system. This protects the hygienist if the front desk drops the ball on the schedule, but also gives the hygienist a reason to go the extra mile. Always use adjusted production or actual collections when calculating a hygienist’s bonus because this is the amount that can actually be collected. The general rule of thumb is that any commission kicks in when production (or collection) exceeds three times the hygienist’s base pay. Also, if the day does fall apart or there's an open hour, the hygienist on base pay can...

1. Time is money

It is the small things that add up to consuming vast amounts of time, and as we all know: Time is money.