When you’re operating a dental practice, you’re not just examining patients’ teeth for cavities and other oral hygiene-related issues. You’re running a business, too. With that comes additional responsibilities you might not have anticipated but that are central to maintaining an influx of smiling patients. After all, you might be a phenomenal dentist but a poor businessperson, and that has implications for your entire operation.
That’s exactly why dental management consultant firms were created. These highly specialized companies tackle the personnel, patient and communication aspects of the practice, allowing dentists and hygienists to focus on what they do best — treat and prevent dental-related disease. For a handful of ideas on how these dental consultants can help, consider these five important roles they can play.
Building up a business plan
In today’s highly competitive marketplace, every business must adhere to a resolute structure when it comes to their day-to-day and long-term decisions. In other words, each step has to be part of a larger plan for growth and expansion. Writing a business plan is really the first step to creating a lasting and viable operation, one that dental management consultants would be happy to fulfill, to help a dental practice remain successful and sustainable in the business world.
Brainstorming dental marketing ideas
You might have heard this little bit of wisdom before, but it always bears repeating: Without a website, you simply don’t exist. But if you studied tooth diseases for four years in dental school, you probably don’t have the slightest idea even how to create a website in the first place — or even if you do, you don’t have time to build it, let alone maintain it. A dental marketing consultant helps you reach more potential patients via search engines, social media, web development and myriad other advancements of the contemporary internet marketing landscape.
Hiring new employees and structuring office policies
A great business runs efficiently and smoothly with minimal bumps in the road. But when you’ve got your hands inside a patient’s mouth, it’s a bit hard to tell who would make a perfect hygienist or even receptionist. Allowing a dental management consultant to tackle the hiring process for you can save you time and, even more importantly, money, especially in the long run. After all, a bad hire can end up being several times more costly than a good one.
Establishing an effective scheduling process
Making an appointment to see the dentist is more advanced now than it ever has been. Patients can reserve a spot online, over the phone or in person, and sometimes it’s not clear who should be keeping track of this information in the first place. Dental management consultants work specifically with each member of the team to ensure they know the duties they’re expected to perform — streamlining the entire scheduling process in the meantime.
Handling payment and insurance authorization
Perhaps the most crucial part to any dental practice is ensuring that you’ll actually get paid for all this hard work. By outsourcing your payment and insurance processing to a third-party company (like a dental management consultant), you’re investing in the most accurate and secure systems for both your business and your patients. Every practice is different, and every form of payment is different, too. With all these helpful tips in mind, you can easily look into a dental management consultant to help you prop up the weak areas of your business.