Author Archives: fluence
Are Cancellation Fees Effective?
Many dental practices attempt to curb cancellations by charging a fee. But is this effective? Cancellation fees, coupled with appropriate phraseology, work well as a deterrent against patients who call to cancel… Continue On +
Adding an Associate Dentist
If you want to add an associate dentist to your practice, the first thing you need to ask is why you want to do it. Are you adding an associate because it… Continue On +
Curbing Last-Minute Cancellations
Few things are more irritating to a dentist and team than patients who cancel at the last-minute, leaving big gaps in the schedule. And it’s normal for dentists and teams to want… Continue On +
Freedom to Fail for Dental Teams
When you consider what goes into the development of your dental team, you may think of classes they attend, newsletters they read, and staff meetings they go to each month. Each of… Continue On +
Changing Course with Flexibility
Change and adaptable are not always easy, and sometimes we are slow to recognize the need to be flexible. Flexibility, when used appropriately, is a great tool for effective leadership. There is… Continue On +
Getting the Most Out of Feedback
Management guru Ken Blanchard once said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” But what if the feedback is tough to swallow? Inc. magazine has an excellent article about how to handle tough… Continue On +
Commonly Overlooked Dental Procedures
During the course of a busy day, dentists and their teams sometimes post production without accounting for every service performed. Three commonly missed dental procedures are limited scaling and root planing, crown… Continue On +
Stay out of Trouble with Discounts and Credits
One of the fundamental concepts about dental insurance billing is often missed by practices, and even though the oversights are typically innocent in nature, the consequences can be significant. The fundamental concept… 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 +
The Sweet Sound of Our Own Name
Dale Carnegie once said, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” As you consider how to make stronger connections with those creatures… Continue On +
Know What You’re Getting into before You Hire Someone
Whenever we discuss embezzlement prevention, we always include the following in our discussion: protect your practice by not hiring embezzlers. Whenever I communicate this to a group of dentists, I always see… Continue On +
Show and Tell
Since we were kids, we have learned through show and tell, which engages our senses and motivates us to listen to what comes next. Unfortunately, the power of show and tell is… Continue On +