Dentists Who Make The Most of Their Time When you have a combination of too many patients and not enough time in your dental practice, it’s important to analyze how you spend your time. You also have to evaluate the proper application of staff and the best use of their time. When we are aware of the actual circumstances of the practice, we can provide recommendations targeted to that specific situation. Hygienist Poor/Hygienist Rich? We’ve seen practices which are either “hygienist poor” or “hygienist rich,” both of which can negatively impact the practice bottom line. In a “hygienist rich” practice, the hygienist’s schedule dominates patients being seen in the practice. The dentist spends much time keeping up with exams which takes away from more valuable chair time. Other practices appear to be “hygienist poor,” where the patient census reflects an inappropriately low level of profitability from hygiene visits. This lack represents missed revenue opportunities the doctor can realize. Additional visits can be a way to increase profit without significantly reducing profitable chair time. Is Your Practice Running You? In other evaluations we see evidence that the practice runs the doctor, instead of the doctor running the practice. We recently worked with a general dentist who was doing some endodontic work of approximately $50,000/year. He also had a long waiting list of other cases representing work he found more enjoyable. Feeling stressed and overworked, he contemplated reducing his schedule. Our evaluation suggested that he not reduce his total practice time, but instead modify his schedule to maximize work he enjoyed and minimize what he disliked. This permitted the doctor to gain control of the practice. Effective Delegation During a recent practice evaluation of a dental group, our consultant observed that one dentist was collecting $50,000 more than the others. While that doctor gave the initial presentation of the treatment plan to patients, he designated his office assistant to set up financial arrangements. He had realized he would discount fees too much or present less costly alternatives within a less appropriate treatment plan because of his fear of rejection by patients. At the same time, he was aware of his employee’s ability to relate well to patients and successfully set up payment plans for appropriate treatment. We find this kind of situation not only in dentistry but also in plastic surgery and increasingly in any specialty with a lot of uninsured, high deductible amounts or self pay patients. While some doctors are experts in both case presentation and setting up financial arrangements, for others such skill does not come readily. Identifying strengths and acknowledging weak points can be profitable for you. Strengths and Weaknesses Over the years, we’ve found dentists whose ability to relate well with patients is often paired with a lack of time awareness and a tendency to routinely fall behind in the schedule. Such doctors enjoy this interaction and profit from the patient rapport which provides good economic results. But behind the scenes the waiting room gets stacked up, while lunch hours run late and schedules of the hygienist staff are delayed, leading to tension, stress and even staff turnover. It’s important to diagnose the practice carefully to structure a strategy for success. In some cases we suggest appointing a staffer as a “stage manager” to facilitate patient flow and better time management. This allows the doctor time to build strong patient relationships, without impeding other aspects of the practice. Time management is critical in most practices today. You’ll benefit from an objective evaluation of your practice to ensure proper use of your time and your personnel.