5 Innovative Ways to Successfully Build Your Own Practice
The dental and orthodontic landscape is a competitive one. According to Dentistry IQ magazine, there are roughly 60.9 working dentists per 100,000 people. This is an increase of 4.1 percent since 2007. This means that the number of dentists is increasing proportionately to the U.S. population. The per capita supply of dentists is expected to continually increase through the year 2037.
So in this environment, how can you give your practice the edge to be successful?
Build Your Practice with These 5 Innovative Techniques
1. Remember your practice is not only about service; it’s about the relationships.
The most successful practices understand that being a dentist or orthodontist is about much more than the actual science—it’s about the art of conversation and establishing yourself as a partner in your patient’s care. Build rapport, learn about their interests and family, and always be sure someone is with the patient when he or she has to wait during longer procedures.
Be sure to follow up and call patients in the evening after an extensive procedure to ensure they are doing well. This one simple action will not only foster loyalty but also encourage your patients to spread information about your practice to others. Word-of-mouth is one of the common ways people decide which health care providers to use.
2. Establish your KPIs if you haven’t already.
KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. These are more than mere goals—they are also a way of measuring how your business is growing or thriving. If you don’t have these established, how can you determine if your practice is reaching its performance goals?
KPIs should be specific: “grow my practice” is not a KPI. “Grow my practice by 10 percent by the first quarter” is a great example of a KPI. It’s specific, measurable and has a time period associated with it.
3. Get more patients to say “yes” to treatment.
There are some basic tenets you should follow if you want to expand your practice, and one of these is to get patients to agree to suggested treatment. Often, patients balk on needed procedures because of price or inconvenience.
One successful strategy is hiring a treatment coordinator to work closely with your patients to ensure that they understand not only the reason behind the treatment, but that they also have a clear idea of how much their insurance will pay. Sometimes, it’s easier for patients to ask questions when they are not in the treatment room, according to information from Dentistry IQ magazine.
4. Follow up with patients when they are overdue for their biannual exam.
Too many dentists and orthodontists overlook the power of recall. Establish a team member who is responsible for reaching out to patients who need to have their regular cleanings. This is vital to keep them on the schedule. According to Dentistry IQ magazine, this results in better productivity and patient retention.
5. Understand actual value to keep your debt to a minimum.
Sometimes the latest equipment provides a sharper image, greater efficiency and better patient satisfaction.
And sometimes it doesn’t.
Big name digital systems and other similar products aren’t always worth the price tag. If a patient needs to have a repeat X-ray or other diagnostic scan because images aren’t clear, they will have a perceived value that your equipment is sub-par, regardless of its price tag.
Be sure to thoroughly review any new equipment you are considering investing in, and discuss with your colleagues who may have already purchased the product.
Investing in the Best Dental Hygiene Tool Kit Can Go a Long Way Toward Patient Satisfaction
At Diatech, we provide the best of both worlds: high-quality tools at reasonable prices. Our competitive pricing is possible because we cut out the middleman, selling directly to you through our easy online ordering process. You may also call our customer service line where you will speak to an actual representative, not an automated phone tree.
A quality dental hygiene tool kit is just one of the quality products we offer. Even something as simple as an organizer for orthodontic instruments or a bur bits holder can increase the efficiency of your practice.
Discover how Diatech products can help improve your dental or orthodontic practice. Place an order today.
At Diatech, we manufacture superior and innovative products for the dental industry… for the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, orthodontist, endodontist and lab technician. We stand behind our promise of uncompromised quality and the best in competitive pricing.
