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Practice management tips for managing the patient schedule

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Practice management tips for managing the patient schedule

A quick thank you to Austin Moon who shared his practise management tips to help manage your patient schedule.

Austin Moon submitted these 3 practice management tips, and we’ll highlight a link to his bio at the end of the blog.

3 tips for managing your patient schedule

The 3 tips for managing your patient schedule are

1.Play the long game.

Don’t think of each day as a production number to hit at first. Don’t put your focus on everything you have to do.

When you first start, there’s going to be some slow days and that’s going to happen no matter what. It’s just the nature of getting things started.

Take this time to invest in your patients at that point in time. Talk with your patients and let them get to know you and the type of person you are.

You can give your patients something for free, give them a discount on a procedure. You can also use that time by planning to do quadrant dentistry as the time allows before you see the next patient.

Try to get a lot done in one visit for people when you can. They probably love not having to come back multiple times and would appreciate getting more of their fillings done in a single visit.

Talk to your patients about your interests outside of work. Let them know your passions. Let what they think of you be your word-of-mouth advertisement.

It’s possible your patients will send people your way quickly and they’ll remember: “Hey, they took care of me. They gave me a good price. They’re not out doing this for the money. They spent time talking with me.”

That’s what you want people to say about you when you are getting started and trying to bring people into your patient pool.

And just be honest with people. “Hey, I’m new in this practise, but your patience is appreciated. I’m here for you and to help you with your dental needs.”
If something happens that needs to be corrected, own it, and make it right. Earning the patient’s trust is key.

2. Eye on the schedule

Second thing is: keep your eye on the schedule. Come to work early enough just to look at your schedule and see when the sticky spots are.

If there’s a lot of fillings back-to-back, if there’s going to be patients that might be difficult because it’s going to take more time for that procedure. Things like that.

And then also look where things will probably go more quickly, like a simple extraction, and keep that in the back of your mind.

You should check the schedule periodically throughout the day.

If you get a no-show or a cancellation, or lucky enough to get something done more quickly than expecting immediately go to what you’re looking at or working on right then and there.

See if there is something else that needs to be done for this patient today: such as quadrant dentistry.

Or is there a hygiene patient that needs a filling today that we could go ahead and get that done while they’re here. And think how much more time will it take to do number 15 when you’re already working on number 12 and number 13. Likely very little extra time at that point.

So always add more when you can and when the patient obliges.

If you get a no-show or a cancellation, or lucky enough to get something done more quickly than expecting immediately go to what you’re looking at or working on right then and there.

See if there is something else that needs to be done for this patient today: such as quadrant dentistry.

Or is there a hygiene patient that needs a filling today that we could go ahead and get that done while they’re here. And think how much more time will it take to do number 15 when you’re already working on number 12 and number 13. Likely very little extra time at that point.

So always add more when you can and when the patient obliges.

3.Delegate

The third tip is to delegate. Learn to be a good manager and a good delegator. You don’t have to adjust every aspect of every venture. You don’t have to deliver an Essex retainer.

Another example is the assistant can make a temporary crown.

There are things that the assistant can do. Let the assistant check things while you’re doing a hygiene check and just being efficient through proper delegation.

So: these were three things that came to mind from Austin Moon: check out his bio and we appreciate his tips.

Meet

Dr. Moondanvilledentalassociates.com

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