Astonishingly Active Steps to Fewer Broken Dentist Appointments by Dental Consultant

Downtime is also the biggest single source of lost revenue in a dental office. On a daily basis, dentists and staff probably spend more time deliberating and dealing with the topic of canceled appointments, broken appointments, and no-shows more than any other subject. This can be an endless source of frustration. A recent survey Dental Consultant conducted showed that an average of 1 in 10 patients is a no-show. That’s a ten percent reduction in dental practice profitability, and a serious dental management issue. A full appointment book translates to revenues and production only if the patients come in. If a practice loses 1 to 2 appointments/day, either on the hygienist’s schedule or on the dentist’s schedule, the lost production from this could be anywhere from $175 (minimally) to $800 per day, depending upon the procedure. Assuming 200 working days during the year, the annual lost production works out to $35,000 at the low end to $160,000 at the high end. Those figures are for an individual practitioner, with one full-time hygienist. Obviously the figures would multiply for a multi-doctor office and more hygienists. Improving office performance in appointment area alone could significantly improve the financial status of countless dental practices. It is not probable to eliminate canceled appointments completely, as patients do have legitimate reasons for canceling sometimes. Nevertheless, with proper structures in place, and motivated, diligent staff, it is conceivable to reduce broken appointments up to seventy five percent.

Communication on Value of Preventive Care

Deliver the value of preventive care exams and cleanings. Highlight that regular exams and check-ups preserve health, save pain, and save cash too. Compare preventive care to something they can relate to, for instance, automobile oil changes. Patients take their automobile in for routine oil changes even though the car does not make a noise; they do not wait for their engine to cause problems. Convey the value and the need for preventive care and treatment before the pain is unbearable. Your entire staff should role play and master verbal skills for all the procedures. Go over and learn to head off typical patient concerns and objections. Involve your staff in educating the patient. Your dental assistant and hygienist play a crucial role in educating the patient. Develop verbal skills that convey to the patient the consequence of not completing the treatment explains Dental Consultant. Patients are often under the impression that no treatment is needed, unless there is pain. Most issues in dentistry are undeveloped. Compare dental treatment to other deceptive medical conditions such as high blood pressure, which patients may understand. Many dental office front desk staff members and Dental Managers dread making confirmation calls. But the fact is that unconfirmed appointments lead to missed consultations, which can cripple a dental practice.

Educate Patients

Try using technology to educate your patient and involve them in diagnosis. Visual tools are a great way to help show what their possible diagnosis. Buy an intra-oral camera if you don’t have one. Patients are more likely to understand the need for work when they see what you see. In your treatment room play a patient education DVD on a TV monitor. Allowing you to educate the patient without spending a lot of time is an invaluable tool states Dental Consultant. Use tables, charts, and other data-recording tools. Remember, patients like to see or hear scientific evidence. If you are perio-charting, be sure to tell them what a normal pocket depth is before you start measuring the pocket depth. Then when your hygienist reads out the numbers for the assistant to record, the patient hears the data and can infer for themselves the health of their periodontium. It is advisable to have a care specialist discuss the cost for treatment before scheduling the patient. If it is an insurance patient, be sure to tell them that what you are providing is an estimate for their out-of-pocket expense. Also, discuss the number of visits necessary and what would be done at each visit. If the patient has a financial issue, discusses with them what your practice has to offer in regard to their payment options. Schedule the appointment only after the cost is discussed.

Great Staff

A huge problem that most dental offices face is managing the business. Many dentist keep their main focus on is taking care of the patients. For that reason you need a great office manage just like any other business office, and if you do not have good business practices, your business is not going to succeed. To guarantee that you are following fantastic business practices you will want to make sure you have some detailed systems in place before you open your dental practice to patients states Dental Consultant. The must have systems includes appointment setting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, and patient record keeping. Your dental practice will not run smoothly without these systems. Having a good office manager will help you put the systems you need in place, but they can also help your office run smoothly. The doctor as the business owner will need to have a basic understanding of office management, even if you have an office manager in place. The office manager and the dentist will want to know how to interview and hire people. A payroll system needs to be in place as well. When more patients keep their reserved appointments, the dental practice’s profits grow, employee satisfaction increases, and patients receive the care they need to attain optimal oral health.

Astonishingly Active Steps to Fewer Broken Dentist Appointments by Dental Consultant