I am sure all of us have dreamed up or imagined what our practice will be like when we are actually done with school and confident to start out on our own. Whether it be the classic family practice with popular magazines next to comfortable couches and children’s toys in the corner, or the cosmetic dental spa that offers pedicures and massages while you are in the dental chair.
I have heard of lots of ideas out there of how to run a practice and what to do to make it a welcoming atmosphere for your patients. I have even heard of an office that bakes cookies in the back kitchen to cover the unpleasant aroma of certain dental materials. While I think the spa treatment and cookie baking cheapens the dental industry, others have made it work for them and their patients. This topic is good for another day.
Have you imagined what your practice will be like?
I would like to start keeping notes of the things that make practices run so that I can implement them or at least try them in the future. I think it is important to look at where we are today and then figure out where we want to be tomorrow. Do you want to specialize? Do you want to run a family practice or a ‘cosmetic’ practice. Some things are still too early to decide and this is why goals are changed and revised frequently.
There is an old story about a ship that at first is only off course by 1 degree. The first 5-10 miles makes this a harmless mistake, but after several hundred miles of being off course by one degree, the ship was hopelessly far from its target. I hope you see the metaphor.
So we here at DMDstudent.com would like you as a reader to please post comments below on what you would like to implement in your private practice. Anything from customer service to technological gizmos. What have you specifically seen done in other private practices that you would like to do in your future practice? Specifics are a must, as “A nice front desk manager” doesn’t really help anyone out. What does the manager do that is so wonderful? Those of you who are practicing dentistry, please feel free to chime in on what works for you and what doesn’t.
We will keep a running list and hopefully compile it together in the future. Here are some ideas:
- Equipment
- Staff Habits
- Computer Programs
- Instruments
- Publications
- Waiting Room
- Office Setup
- ANYTHING!
- Please be specific!
Start writing!
Photo Courtesy of: Dr. Hoskyns used without permission. I will remove it if desired.
6 responses so far ↓
1 pinger // Aug 3, 2007 at 8:46 am
Hmmm, things I liked personally…
Office setup - office with a window view. It doesnt have to be the beach, but even a grassy patch with trees is nice.
Staff habits - Front lady greeting you by name as soon as you enter.
Other - this may be too ’spa’ for you, but I liked having a warm moist cloth (with hint of lavender) at the end of a long appointment, esp. if my TMJ muscles were sore.
2 Teresa Duncan // Aug 3, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Definitely designate an area that can be used to speak privately with the patient - not an operatory however. A good consultation room (doesn’t have to be huge) can be used for treatment presentation and financial discussion.
This is a great subject - I’ll think up some more ideas for you!
3 Jason Hales // Aug 5, 2007 at 1:12 am
In our office, we have a mission statement. Everything we try to do is based upon that mission statement. I believe that it helps to have your philosophy/style spelled out. What do you want to accomplish? What kind of practice do you want to have? What do you value the most? I think any new dentist should sit down and write up their own mission statement. Once they have determined what that is, they can make that vision become a reality. Once you have a vision, you can easily select the technology, staff, environment etc. etc. that will support that vision.
4 Best Dental Answers // Sep 5, 2007 at 11:49 pm
As two hygienists go, we have worked in some very successful and not so successful practices over the past 15 years.
1. Listen to your patients and allow them time to talk to YOU!
2. A staff that works well together, presents better to the patient.
(Remember, you are all on the same team)
3. Windows are a must! (especially for YOUR daily sanity)
4. Be Confident in your work but not arrogant.
5. Patients have multiple personalities! They might tell you (with a smile) that “nothing hurts”, tell your hygienist “the filling you did last year is still sensitive to chewing”, and chew your front desk out about their bill all in the same hour appointment. Dentistry aka Psychology!
5 Linda Zdanowicz // Jan 10, 2008 at 9:05 pm
A service mentality will make everything else follow correctly. Each phone call should be answered with a desire to help and satisfy. The new pt. exam is your first chance to impress, make it count. Make the patient feel like they’ve made a great decision by caring about what brought them to you, where they’ve been and where they want to go. Find out about them and let them get to know enough about you that they feel like they’ve made a friend. Greet each patient like you’ve been waiting all day to see them.
Make sure your staff is well versed about the procedures and treatment you provide so that any one of them can answer pts. questions.
Make sure the office is spotless, even the areas like the lab and sterilization area.
Go the extra mile, look for opportunities to do a little extra. It’s what makes you stand apart. Don’t just tell a pt. that the bathroom is in the waiting room. Show them the way. Make notes of preferences and have the neck pillow they like to use ready and waiting in the room along with the music they prefer loaded into the CD player or Ipod.
Linda
6 CheerioKing // Jan 15, 2008 at 12:18 am
Nice answers. Simply put a dental office is a service oriented business. When was the last time you went to a restaurant that had bad management or poor service? The same goes with dentistry.
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