Communicating With Your Dental Team
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received regarding communication came from a teacher who reminded us effective memos are never written; effective memos are rewritten. Great speeches are never… Continue On +
Controlling Dental Staff Costs
If your dental staff costs are higher than what you would like to see, consider looking closely at four parts of the day. First, when your team clocks in, do they start… Continue On +
Dental Teams and Problem Solving
How can you and your dental team become better problem solvers? Consider three of the tips offered in an article of Inc. magazine. Be wary of any problem that has only one… Continue On +
Dental Patient Communication Made Simple
Over two hundred years ago the English chemist, Joseph Priestly, said, “The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.” I can’t imagine what Priestly would think today. When research… Continue On +
Use Words That Build Value
Why is it such a struggle at times to get dental patients to accept treatment recommendations? Sometimes patients will not even schedule for something as straightforward as their cleaning. While you cannot… Continue On +
How Your Dental Practice Can Benefit from a Morning Huddle
The economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” Which is why some dentists and teams prefer to skip morning huddles. Too many times… Continue On +
Avoid the Dental “Watch” List
Most dental practices have it, and most dentists regularly talk to patients about it. “John, I’m putting that upper right tooth on the watch list.” You may think you are alerting patients… Continue On +
The Damaging Effects of Denial
What do we gain by ignoring a problem? Does the denial of a conflict or challenge make it go away? Consider major manufacturing companies such as Toyota and General Electric. Both have… Continue On +
Avoid the Dental Tug-of-War
When a dental patient comes in for a perio maintenance visit, can you bill the insurance company for a regular cleaning? How about when a patient receives a comprehensive exam, can you… Continue On +
Speaking the Patient’s Language
Imagine if an exterminator informed you, after inspecting your house, that you had isopterans. What would you ask next? Let’s assume the exterminator noticed a puzzled look on your face, so he… Continue On +
Steer Clear of De-Motivation
If you want to improve morale in your dental practice, you need to not only consider how to motivate your team, but you also need to recognize habits that de-motivate them. Too… Continue On +
Key Ways to Motivate Your Dental Team
Since it is easy for dentists and their teams to get caught up in the day-to-day flow of patients, it’s easy to lose focus on the bigger goals of the practice. How… Continue On +