How To Hire A Team For Your Dental Practice

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Maintaining a dental practice takes a lot of work, maintenance, and strategy to keep things running efficiently. Yet, while dental school prepares you for the patients in your chair, it doesn’t always touch on the behind-the-scenes aspects of running a dental practice, including how to hire a team for your dental practice. 

 

You can easily navigate a cavity, but what about sales, marketing, hiring a team, and scaling your business? While the fear of the unknown can often hold us back, there’s no reason to prolong the process if you have the right information on your side. I understand this struggle and wanted to create a go-to guide to help new dentists develop storing systems and procedures from the very beginning of growing their practice, so they can continue to grow in a sustainable way. 

 

Running A Dental Practice 

 

In my book, Just Enough To Be Great In Your Dental Profession: Processes And Procedures For Success, I guide you through the hiring process while also sharing efficient ways to ensure they have the right training and education. 

This book was created for the new dentist, ready to grow a team and learn the insider tips I have used to grow and maintain my 14 dental practices. I have created a refined process and system that will bring ease and expertise to your hiring process with my own system I have developed over the last 30 years of running a dental practice.

In this book, we cover everything from the smallest details like managing phone calls to the process of follow-up care and dental records and how to develop your own processes and procedures to keep things running smoothly. 

If you need more 1:1 support beyond my book, I also offer coaching services for new dentists to ensure they have the tools they need for success. I can walk you through this process 1:1, or I also offer group coaching for anyone who needs it. 

Whether you want to dive into a book or go all-in for coaching, I am dedicated to your success and can’t wait to take my knowledge to help you grow a successful team, streamlined processes, and ultimate success. 

 

 

Pros and Cons of Joining a DSO

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If you are an upcoming or recent dental school graduate, you have lots of big decisions to make. One of the most important ones is where to work. A key component of your success as a dental professional is to weigh your choices and career goals carefully and spend time looking into the pros and cons. This post is a brief overview of some of the pros and cons that come with joining a dental service organization, or DSO’s.

PROS

Dental service organizations are companies that manage the operations aspects of a dental practice. These can include services like IT, payroll, human resources, and more. While some independent practices struggle to have enough staff to manage these tasks, a DSO provides a buffer and the necessary support so that you can focus on helping clients. If you prefer more structure in a work environment, a DSO might be a great choice for you. Since many of the administrative and operations tasks are taken care of, you are more likely to have more reasonable hours and a better work-life balance. This might be particularly interesting to you if you have family or other commitments outside of work. Another advantage to joining a DSO is the higher salaries – made possible because of the structure and established organizational business model – and growth potential. In many ways, a DSO is also a good choice for new dentists who may be unsure which path to take but want valuable experience.

CONS

Despite the obvious benefits of joining a DSO, there are also disadvantages as well. The first is especially relevant if you plan on opening your own practice or joining a smaller one. DSO’s offer more structure and operational resources, but when it comes to your independence with staffing and other aspects, there is often not as much freedom. You also might find yourself bogged down with organizational red tape that you would not have to deal with otherwise. Schedules and hours for dentists in DSO’s are typically not as flexible as they could be if you worked in a smaller practice or managed one yourself. If you crave independence both in your work life as well as your schedule, a DSO might not be the best option – at least for now. However, since no DSO is the same, it’s important to look into several to get an idea of the environment and expectations. Some dentists also find that for all of the operational and technological advances that a DSO offers, patient care can get put on the back burner. For many dental professionals, this is a deal-breaker

STILL UNSURE?

Whether you are a new dentist or a seasoned professional, DSO’s offer compelling benefits, despite some real drawbacks. Want to discuss some of your thoughts or concerns with someone who knows the industry? Email Dr. Coughlin today to learn about his keynote informational session “Dental Service Organizations: Are they right for you?”.

Patients and Profitability

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There is a positive correlation between focusing on patients and profitability. The more you can focus on the needs of your patients in unique ways, the better return you will see down the line. In practical ways, this makes sense: dental practices make their profits from the services they offer. If you have a consistent and solid relationship with your patients, especially if it’s built on mutual trust and respect, you can expect to see increased profit over time. Here are three ways that patient satisfaction and profitability are connected.

TRUST AND RELATIONSHIP

Every good relationship is based on trust. The same is true with business, especially dental practices. When it comes to establishing trust with a patient, start slow. Get to know your patients during their hygiene appointments. Learn more about them if possible before rattling off the services they might need. You can even introduce yourself quickly while a new patient is in the waiting room before their appointment. These small gestures can go a long way in building rapport and trust with your patient over time.

REPEAT BUSINESS

What’s the difference between a dental practice that’s thriving and one that’s merely surviving? In many cases, it’s the repeat business from the same patients, or who share about their experience via word of mouth or on social media. Repeat business is valuable for several reasons. The first is that a patient’s willingness to return to your practice over another shows that they trust you. Secondly, it does give you the opportunity to provide profitable services as necessary over the course of many years. If your practice treats both adult and pediatric patients, the value of established repeat patients is obvious.

NEW TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES

It’s a good idea to keep on top of any trends or services that your competitors might offer. For example, many dental and orthodontic practices offer Invisalign as a service for patients who want to improve their smiles. If you only offer traditional braces, you might lose out on potential business from patients who want the newest and up to date products and dental technology. The same goes for services like digital video and images to give your patients a glance at their mouth in real time. These kinds of products and offerings put you in a unique position to get ahead of your competitors while providing your patients with state-of-the-art, beneficial services that include them in the process.

The relationship between patient services and profitability is clear. If you focus on your patients and their needs, you will see an increase in your bottom line. The important thing is to remember that your patients are ultimately what drive your success. For more in-depth information on how to measure your dental practice’s profitability and growth, book a consultation with Dr. Coughlin today.

Tips to Boost Productivity

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Whether it’s you or your team, a lack of productivity makes it difficult to feel organized. This results in frustration, confusion, and can make a difference in your bottom line as well. So how can you establish patterns of productivity for everyone on your team? What are some practical examples to help you be more productive? This blog post will address these questions, so read on.

ONE THING AT A TIME

One of the easiest ways to derail productivity is to feel overwhelmed by multiple tasks on your to-do list. To counteract this, work on one task at a time without thinking about the other things you need to. This helps to keep you focused and less likely to make errors along the way.

TAKE BREAKS

Have you ever found yourself frustrated with a task and attempting to finish it over and over without success? Sometimes the answer is stepping away from your task for a few minutes and coming back to it later. This may seem simple, but taking breaks helps clear your mind. Whether it’s data entry or file organization, walking around the office for a few minutes can give you new eyes to finish your task. Breaks are especially important for more menial and repetitive tasks where it’s easy to overlook things.

PRIORITIZE

One of the reasons a large to-do list is overwhelming is because it can seem all over the place. If you and your team organize your tasks by priority, it can help make sense out of chaos. For example, maybe you want to tackle tasks with specific deadlines first, like bills and payroll. Other “less important” tasks – like the lightbulb in the waiting room that needs to be replaced — can be lower on the priority list for now. The key is not forgetting about them!

“WORST THINGS FIRST”

Some people find a “worst things first” approach to be helpful. Is there a task you need to do but really don’t enjoy? Tackle it first! This is especially true for things like decluttering office space and organizing patient records and other more “long-term” goals. You will feel a sense of accomplishment by finishing the more dreaded task first – not to mention a sense of relief.

ELIMINATE EXCUSES

Finally, the key to getting and staying productive is getting in the habit of eliminating excuses. Tempted to do something “later” that can be tackled right now? Don’t give it to those thoughts! If a task takes less than a few minutes, do it right away. While this can’t apply to every scenario, getting rid of excuses will go a long way to boosting your productivity, both individually and as a team.

For more productivity and dental practice management tips, pick up one of Dr. Coughlin’s books or email kcoughlin@ascentdentalcare.com.

How to Train Your Team Well

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Your team plays an integral role in how well your dental practice runs. This might seem obvious, but if your team knows what’s expected of them and how to perform their tasks well, the more organized your practice is. An organized practice keeps everything flowing optimally for both your team and patients.

But what about new hires? How can you bring them up to speed while including them in the routine? In this post, we’ll look at four tips to train new staff well to get and keep them motivated and encouraged.

TIP #1: PAIR UP

Do ou have a seasoned member on your team? Pair your new hire with them for a few days! This is especially helpful since they will be working in the same systems, but works best if you have a larger team. Have your new hire spend time shadowing one of the more experienced staff members so they can have a better understanding of what to expect daily. Another benefit to pairing a new hire up with someone is that it helps establish rapport and connections from the beginning instead of waiting several weeks or months.

TIP #2: ALL SYSTEMS GO

With the rise of technology comes several different systems. In turn, these systems require proper access and login credentials. Depending on the job title, some positions rely more heavily on these systems than others. However, making sure a new hire has access to the necessary systems is a practical and time-saving tip to follow. Consider dedicating a new hire’s first day to helping them get set up and logged in to all systems. A small step like this can help a new hire feel prepared and included.

TIP #3: COMMUNICATE REGULARLY

Communication is especially important when it comes to onboarding a new member onto your team. For the first few weeks, be intentional about meeting with your new hire to see how they are adjusting. Even if you can’t do it every day, try and check in at least once a week as your new employee gets settled in. You are learning the ropes of working with each other, so use this time to get to know them and share about yourself and the team.

TIP #4: TAKE IT SLOW

Finally, remember to give your new hire a chance to learn without giving them too much responsibility at first. There is a learning curve to any new work environment, even if someone has spent decades in the industry elsewhere. Give your new employee the chance to ask questions and encourage more experienced team members to come alongside them as they do.

For more practical tips on how to manage the hiring and training process in your dental practice, pick up Dr. Coughlin’s book Just Enough to Be Great in Your Dental Profession: Processes and Procedures for Success.

3 Questions To Ask A Dental Consultant

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If your dental practice is doing well, hiring a dental consultant might seem unnecessary at first. But if you want your practice to be successful year in and out year out, it’s important to have a strategy. A dental practice consultant can help you set and meet goals for you as a dentist but also for your practice as a whole. Instead of wasting time doing research and potentially making avoidable mistakes, a dental consultant can help streamline the process and take away some of the guesswork. Here are some questions to ask a dental consultant to ensure you both are on the same page.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?

Different consultants have different goals. Some dental consultants work with clients looking to grow their practice and sell it. Others help struggling practices to continue on or build a business from the ground up. Your specific goals will determine the kind of dental consultant you want to work with and how they can help you. Certain methods and strategies might work better than others depending on your goals. Before working with a dental consultant, even a highly recommended one, make sure you share and understand your goals.

WHAT ARE YOUR METHODS?

Another important question to ask a potential dental consultant about is their preferred methods and strategies. The coronavirus pandemic has uprooted every industry, including consultants, so ask about the expectations and practicalities about working together. Will meetings primarily over Zoom or other tele-meeting platforms? Will they come to your practice or will you need to travel to their offices? How does the consultant plan to bill you? These questions can help clarify some potential issues ahead of time, especially if the communication is clear on both sides.

DO OUR VALUES MATCH UP?

Core values are vitally important to your practice. If you want to work with a dental consultant and your core values do not match up, that’s a problem. Values can include anything from the overall feel of your practice to thoughts on staff engagement, client and employee expectations, and so on. These components are a big part of how your practice runs and operates. In order to have a team and practice that runs efficiently and successfully, understanding and agreement of basic core values help unite people toward a common goal. The culture of your practice influences your success, so it’s imperative that any dental consultant you work with understands and appreciates the values that are important to you.

Looking for a dental consultant? Dr. Coughlin brings 30 years of experience managing 14 successful dental practices. Contact us today to see how he can help coach, grow or sell your business.

Four Traits of High Employee Engagement

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Whether you manage your own dental practice or work in one, you know that happy employees make an office more effective and enjoyable. The term to gauge employee satisfaction is ‘engagement’ – how much your staff participates and relates to your practice’s productivity and values. The higher your staff’s engagement, the better results both in your practice environment and on your bottom line. Read on to learn four common traits of highly engaged employees.

PRODUCTIVITY

The first important sign of a highly engaged employee is productivity. If an employee feels supported, motivated and recognized by their employer, they are likely to respond positively in the form of overall excellent performance. This includes excellent attendance, meeting and or exceeding goals and expectations, demonstrating exemplary behavior, etc. It’s easy to see why this would be a benefit to your practice, but it’s really a sign of a healthy working relationship.

ENTHUSIASM

Like productivity, highly engaged employees are enthusiastic and motivated to show up and do their work well. While some aspects of enthusiasm rely on personality, if your employees are encouraged and supported effectively, they will respond with proper motivation. Alongside motivation is discipline, and the two traits often go together. One of the main goals of an effective manager is to encourage and foster self-motivated and disciplined employees.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

What do most effective leaders have in common? The best management teams also have many overlapping qualities present in highly engaged employees, so it’s probably obvious that team members who exemplify these attributes also make great leaders. If one of your staff demonstrates consistent attendance and top job performance, their behavior provides a great example for other employees to follow. Think about ways to reward such positive contributions to the team and see where such an employee might fit in on the leadership level. Not only does this help create a good reputation among both your clients and staff, it also helps your employees feel valued and appreciated. It’s a win-win for both of you.

COMMUNICATION

Good communication is vital to any relationship, and especially so in the workplace. Highly engaged employees demonstrate the ability and skill to communicate not only with their peers but also those in other leadership and/or other departments. Engaged employees know how to communicate what’s expected of them both personally and professionally, in addition to positively representing their workplace. If your dental practice has an environment of effective communication, your staff are likely engaged in other areas as well.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Employee engagement plays a big role in the overall success of your dental practice. To find out more tips on how to run a successful practice, schedule a consultation with Dr. Coughlin or pick up one of his books today.

5 Characteristics of Effective Leadership

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It’s no secret that the most successful teams and businesses start at the top. When it comes to establishing a dental practice that goes the distance, one of the biggest reasons is due to effective leadership. If you run a dental practice, understanding the characteristics of effective leadership can make or break the success of your practice. Read on to see what components you can implement (or continue doing!) to boost your practice’s sales and reputation.

BE AN EXAMPLE

An important characteristic of any good leader is the ability to exemplify the skills, personality and motivation that you would expect from your staff members. This means that you demonstrate an ability to work with multiple personality types and are excited and motivated to drive results for your team. As a leader, your actions and behavior are watched carefully. Keep this in mind.

ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

A similar facet of effective leadership has to do with ethics and integrity. In order to earn the respect of your staff, following ethical best practices is of utmost importance. Stand by the values you want to have in your practice. Keep your promises, as much as is possible. Remember that a team is stronger if it’s unified rather than divided by office politics, drama or even intense personality clashes. The “Golden Rule” still applies to leaders: treat others as you want to be treated.

COMMUNICATION

Communication is a vital component of any successful relationship, including the workplace. Make every effort to establish a smooth and comfortable environment among your team. Transparency can go a long way to repairing and healing conflict, especially between managers and staff members. Effective leadership involves communication about both the successes and trials facing your dental practice. Collaborate and brainstorm on solutions and ideas together rather than keeping them only to upper management. By establishing clear lines of communication, you instill trust and openness in your team, which makes it easier to come together for the common goal of working to make your practice successful.

SKILLS

The dental industry, like many others, is not stagnant. New technology develops rapidly, which requires knowledge and skills. In order to be a truly effective leader and run a successful dental practice, you need to master and possibly even edge out the skills your competitors have. This involves study, research and time outside of your work in the office, but it is worthwhile.

INVEST IN STAFF

Finally, your practice would not be successful without the hard work of your employees. Your business will do better if you invest in your staff’s career motivations and work with their own set of skills. If possible, meet with your employees regularly. Understand the ins and outs of their daily role, how it benefits the practice, and recognize your staff for the work they do. The best leader knows how to honor the people who work and support them.

GOT QUESTIONS?

For more information on what makes an effective leader in the dental industry, browse through our website or book a consultation call with Dr. Coughlin today.

Benefits for your Team

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When starting and running your own dental practice, one of the biggest concerns to think about has to do with how to manage your team. What needs do they have? What basic benefits should you cover for your team in your dental practice? Are there any basic requirements? This article will discuss some of those questions.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

In the United States, employers with W2 employees are expected to pay for social security and Medicare benefits. These benefits make up part of your employee’s tax withdrawals on their paycheck.  It’s important to consider social security and Medicare benefits first when evaluating the costs of benefit programs because they are required for any W2 employee.

DENTAL INSURANCE

As a dental practice, offering your team a discount on dental services is appropriate and maybe even expected. There are several ways you could offer dental service benefits. Some practices cover 100% of employee dental services. You could also cover up to a specified amount per employee.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Another standard benefit for most employers to sponsor for their staff is health insurance. The practice’s financial situation often dictates how flexible you can be, but it’s best to consider what options are valued most for your team. If you can’t afford an insurance policy with both low deductibles and low premiums, which option fits with your budget and your employee’s needs? These questions are important to consider. In Massachusetts, health insurance is required, so don’t skip this.

RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS

Most employers offer employees the ability to contribute to a 401K, 403(b), or other form of retirement account. If your dental practice is profitable with a fair amount of room in the budget, matching your employee’s contribution attracts both current and potential new staff alike. Make sure your retirement benefit program works for both you and your team.

PAID VACATION & OTHER BENEFITS

Your team works hard to bring the best dental care to your patients. They deserve adequate, and even generous time off if your budget allows. Do you want to allocate a specified amount of time off up front for salaried employees? Would you prefer an accrual system? Keep in mind the differences and specific regulations between salaried and hourly employees and plan accordingly. For example, a Massachusetts dental practice with more than 11 employees is required to provide a certain amount of paid sick time as part of the basic benefits package.

In addition to paid time off, other “nice to have” benefits might include things like paid family leave, subsidized childcare, discounts to local attractions and businesses, and more.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Do you own or manage a dental practice and still have questions about benefits? Comment below or send us an email and we’ll help you out!

How to Prevent Dental Burnout

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As a dental professional, stress often is the name of the game. Long hours, emotional and physical components, and potentially adding business management as a dental practice owner all adds up to a scenario where you’re chronically tired and overwhelmed. How do you know if you’re burnout – or on the way there? Can you prevent burnout from happening in the first place? If so, how?

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Dental burnout is extremely common, with some studies stating that over 80% of dentists experience it. It’s understandable given the emotional, social, and physical demands of dentistry, not including the added stresses of running your own business if you’re a dental practice owner.

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of dental burnout:

  • Chronic fatigue and inability to wake up easily in the morning
  • Lack of motivation
  • Social isolation
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Lack of sense of fulfilment and/or purpose

Typically, these signs of burnout start to occur for some time prior to your reaching a breaking point. With the right tools and knowledge, you can confidently navigate your dental career with support systems in place if needed.

NAVIGATE SCHEDULES

As a dentist, your work schedule is often demanding and strenuous. If you own your dental practice, there are added factors to consider, including managing cash flow, staff, etc. Whichever position you find yourself in, establishing a consistent schedule with important breaks and downtime included goes a long way to boosting your mood and sense of purpose. Socialization is vital too – even in these interesting times – so make sure you’re connecting with loved ones as much as possible. Healthy diet and exercise are beneficial as well.

ESTABLISH A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT

You most likely spend more time in your office than you do at home. The environment you work in contributes greatly to your mental and even physical health, so it is important to consider workplace stresses. Is there a gossip culture? Is everyone on the same page when it comes to duties and responsibilities? Do you feel supported? Consider meeting with your office staff to brainstorm and make any changes to help relieve some of the stress you carry.

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

Effective communication between and among your team members is vital to managing professional boundaries. Delegate administrative tasks to your staff. Share expectations of your day to day workload with your team and family members. WIth proper communications and expectations in place, burnout is significantly less likely to occur.

NEED MORE HELP?

Looking for guidance to help prevent you or your staff from dental professional burnout? Pick up a copy of Dr. Coughlin’s book Just Enough To Be Great In Your Dental Professional for practical tips on building success in the dental industry.