Overcoming Four Main Dental Practice Challenges

By Mark Morin, DDS, FWCM

New Seminar Offers Solutions to Increase Productivity and Profitability

With competition for new patients, open holes in hygiene schedules, and overall production down 10–20% for the typical dental office, it is time to make a change. Come with your entire team and learn the business strategies and the leadership skills necessary to survive and thrive in this economy. I have traveled throughout the U.S. for the past 25 years working with some of the most successful dental practices in the country. I have learned from these offices, and my own, about what it takes to run a successful dental office efficiently while maintaining profitability in this economy. This year, I am offering a new seminar called “The Principles for the Productive Dental Practice” to help dentists learn what they need to do to overcome huge challenges in their practices.

Higher Taxes and Lower Reimbursements The first big challenge is how to produce an extra 12–14% to make up for the increase in taxes that have been placed on us this year. Doing the same thing you did last year will only put you further behind. Second, how will you deal with the decrease in insurance reimbursement and the increase of PPOs? The average doctor is going to receive a 5–12% reduction in reimbursement, depending on the location of the practice.

This technology offers the ability to perform a digital restoration in one visit in approximately 54 minutes.

The solution to both of these problems will be revealed in this seminar. Plus, I will show you the strategies I use personally to increase practice productivity and team development. We will talk about ways to cut overhead and increase efficiency with technology. One of the fastest ways is with Planmeca PlanScan™. We will demonstrate how easy this technology is to use on a daily basis and in what cases this technology is right. We will also discuss the integral role of the dental team in using this technology to free up the doctor to do more productive procedures in other rooms. This technology offers the ability to perform a digital restoration in one visit in approximately 54 minutes. There are no impressions, no temporaries, and no lab bills. Most dentists who use this technology have been able to reduce their lab bill by 40% or more and increase their productivity.

Patient Communication

Staying in constant contact with our patients is one of the greatest challenges we face in the modern dental environment. Patients are mobile and have access to information at their fingertips. It is rare today for a dental practice to see the same patient for more than 20 years like it was in the past. Staying connected to your patient base is a full-time job. Demandforce has the best system on the market, by far, to stay in contact with patients digitally on a daily basis. It allows us to schedule and confirm these patients without someone at the front desk calling them over and over. We will go into the benefits of this system and how it compares to the other systems now available.

Hourly Production and Billing

We will also talk about hourly production and how it affects the success of any dental office. Increasing your hourly rate by just $25 can add $50,000 to the yearly bottom line. The Henry Schein Practice Analysis is the most important tool I have seen in years, and it can be done by any Henry Schein Sales Consultant right in your office. It allows the doctor to see how his/her fees and codes compare to other offices. This tool identifies areas in which practices can improve and helps with the proper billing of the right codes. It can lead to immediate additions to the bottom line.

Attracting and Keeping New Patients

The most important topic of the day will be the lifeblood of a dental practice—how to attract and keep new patients. Every practice will be faced with this ongoing challenge, and it is the key to keeping your practice growing and productive. I will show you simple ways to attract new patients and how to give them the service that will keep them coming back for years.

About the Author:

Dr. Morin has been featured in Dentistry Today as one of the top 100 clinical educators in dentistry over the last 10 years. Dr. Morin practices in Detroit, Michigan, one of the worst economic areas in the country, and he continues to maintain a practice that ranks in the top 1%. Come listen to him share his practical ideas that have allowed his practice to stay at the top in these tough economic times, and let him motivate you and your team to new heights.