Leaders Are Not Critics

When doctors work on becoming stronger leaders, they inevitably revisit two important lessons of dental practice management.  First, critics do not motivate teams.  Regular criticism makes your team believe you are against… Continue On +

Dental Marketing – The First Question

Wouldn’t it be nice if by simply opening your door wider you attracted more new patients?  Unfortunately, people are not gathering outside your door like they do a donut shop, eager for… Continue On +

When Your Hygiene Team Fears Being Wrong

Through my years of dental practice consulting, I have helped a lot of hygiene teams overcome barriers related to discussing treatment with patients.  In almost every situation, the doctor felt the hygienists… Continue On +

Bet on your Staff

After you expend the time and resources to hire someone, how do you develop your new team member to ensure she/he meets your expectations?  Just because a new hire has experience doesn’t… Continue On +

Utilizing Effective Patient Surveys

Patient surveys can provide valuable feedback regarding how to take your practice to the next level assuming you ask the right questions. Consider this quote from Francois de La Rochefoucauld: “Few people… Continue On +

Get the Word out about Your Services

I remember meeting with a doctor several years ago who had learned to place her own implants, and she was upset. “I spent all of this money to learn how to place… Continue On +

Ellie Days

My five-year-old niece, Ellie, announced to her parents one Sunday morning that this was Ellie Day and she asked for extra attention and toys.  My sister and brother-in-law, who both have a… Continue On +

Why is there a Refund?

Before you sign your name to a refund check, either to a patient or an insurance company, make sure the situation really calls for a refund.  Even experienced team members incorrectly post… Continue On +

Teaching Us about More Than Just Planets

Imagine you had worked years on a discovery, putting in countless hours, and then just before you were going to make your announcement to the world somebody beat you to it.  How… Continue On +

Code Confusion

What often stands in the way of getting paid promptly for the work you do is the correct four-digit CDT code.  Many practices struggle with finding the right codes, and sometimes practices… Continue On +

Comparison Shopping

Treatment coordinators know all too well that more patients are comparison shopping when it comes to orthodontic treatment.  The challenge is how to address the concerns of a comparison shopper during the… Continue On +

Spring

We are just a few days from the start of spring, a season that transforms the landscape with fragrant enticements, interrupting our busy minds until we take stock in the bigger world. … Continue On +