The Power of Appreciation I officially declare today Dental Staff Appreciation Day! Studies have shown that dental staff are more motivated by a simple ‘thank you’ than they are by financial rewards. Employees need to be validated and appreciated as worthwhile human beings every day. Dental staff need to feel that their contributions are making … Read more
These days it seems the actress Maggie Smith is in our living rooms or movie theatres all the time. Being old is not only topical, perhaps it is cool. At the very least, it sells. And so it should. In the western economies, we are now at the demographic tipping point of being an old … Read more
March 26, 2013 seminar at Exhibition Place’s Allstream Centre in Toronto aims to educate employers about how to accommodate mental health issues in the workplace By David Nesseth As a boss, what do you do if your administrative assistant is clinically depressed? Give yourself a second to think about it. What would you say? And how would … Read more
Plustek scanners help pediatric dental center to go paperless HapyBearSurgeryCenter is a pediatric sedation dental office that provides general anesthesia to dental patients referred to them by over 200 dental offices. Hapy Bear has been serving patients in the Central Valley of California since 1997. In 2010 they moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art surgery … Read more
Insurance companies deliberately make it difficult for patients to receive the benefits that they deserve. These are tactics that insurance providers use to retain as much money as possible in the insurance company and pay out very little in benefits payments. Who is the benefactor of these savings? It is not the patient or the … Read more
In previous posts, I examined the advantages of having computers in the treatment rooms. While there are certainly many reasons for placing computers in a clinical setting, for many offices, space limitations have prevented some doctors from making this decision. Desktop computer systems are bulky and take up a considerable amount of space. The average … Read more
In recent OHJ posts, we evaluated the different systems of digital radiography available to the modern dental practice. We have looked at the differences between the sensors and phosphor plate systems, focusing on the raw data and suitability of both for different practice settings. Now that dentists have the tools to choose the best system, … Read more
To survive and thrive in dentistry, your practice needs to be dynamic and provide consistency of service to your patients. Implementing Standard Operating Policies and Procedures (SOPS) will provide consistency and protect your office in an ever changing environment . Why do you need SOPs? 1. They define process 2. They provide structure 3. They … Read more
For offices that are using practice management software and digital imaging, the need to have a proper backup protocol in place is absolutely critical. Few offices would be able to easily recover from the loss of their most important data, so making sure that your data is safe should be the highest priority for every … Read more
“Increasingly, I think the progressive physicians are more focused on the customer experience and how they can differentiate themselves from other physicians, not just from a clinical perspective but from the overall engagement perspective.” That statement sums up an in-depth study of the role of social media in the future of medicine (and dentistry). It … Read more
We hear a lot about bullying and harassment these days, especially when it involves cyber bullying using social media. We also know the devastating effects that may result from excessive bullying. As the victim of workplace harassment, I know firsthand how bullying can affect your life and your health. At that time, I was not … Read more
It’s that time of year to make New Year’s resolutions, regardless of whether or not we intend to keep them. Why not try to make resolutions for your practice that are easy to keep. If you have difficulty making practical resolutions that result in management solutions, here are my top 10 New Year’s resolutions for … Read more
The Dawson Academy introduced a new curriculum based on emerging health care services for dentists during a live webinar Wednesday, Nov. 28. The Dawson Academy introduced a new dental continuing education curriculum based on emerging health care services for dentists during a live webinar Wednesday, Nov. 28. This new curriculum, called the Dental Medical Track, … Read more
‘ Get beyond the Red Wagons The only constant in life and in business is change. Santa realized that, although the elves were masters at making little red wagon. Changes were happening in the market demand. Video games were in and the workshop crew needed to change the way they operated. Santa knew that he … Read more
It’s not easy being Santa Claus. You may not know this, but Santa has two roles that people rarely associate with him; Santa the Manager and Santa the Leader. After all, he is running a business and he is the boss. There are workers to lead, letters to read, processes to manage, stuff to buy, … Read more
So, you’re the owner of a dental practice and you are trying to figure out the best steps to get on to Facebook to drive new patients. It can be a daunting task and with little extra time in the day, how can you be expected to spend time promoting your business on Facebook? I … Read more
TOTAL RECALLS Hygiene coordinators do not have an easy job. It’s tough calling people and constantly facing the apathy of patients who don’t value hygiene appointments, because after all, it’s just a cleaning, it can wait! If you continue doing things the same way, you are very likely to get the same result. I was … Read more
Dentistry is a business and in order to continue to make it sustainable long term, there are bills to be paid and livelihoods to be protected. When I was giving a lecture in Calgary about business systems that support dental implants, at break I was approached by one of the doctors who brought his entire … Read more
So, you’re the owner of a dental practice and you are trying to figure out the best steps to get on to Facebook to drive new patients. It can be a daunting task and with little extra time in the day, how can you be expected to spend time promoting your business on Facebook? I … Read more
Accurate inventory control is essential to managing and controlling your overhead expenses. You need to have a control system that is maintained and updated at all times. The budget for clinical consumable supplies (excluding lab) should not exceed 5% of gross production per month. As productivity increases, the budget should adjust accordingly. A clinical staff … Read more