Smart Starts ~ Getting your Practice off on the Right Path

Afresh, clean start. That’s something you rarely get in your practicing life. In fact, most dentists only get that chance once in a lifetime. You can start your practice so beautifully and so well that it literally changes your life and sets a tone of both booming success and quiet peace as you embark on the journey you’ve chosen.

How do you make the most of this precious opportunity; this precious clean start? Select your team carefully and commit to

training so you are united on the same path, with the same goals and believing in the same systems. Know where you want to go and then communicate well with

Dr. John H. Jameson

your team so the patients can sense that confident, systematic approach you share. Mastering this fundamental starting point will offset catastrophic situations from emerging their ugly heads throughout your practicing life.

Cathy Jameson

As Practicing Dentist and Jameson coach Dr. Shannon Griffin says “I talk to fellow dentists all the time who spend their entire life in ‘I wish I had…’ mode. That’s why I love being part of the Jameson Launch program to show dentists how important it is to address these issues NOW so it’s more of a cruise control or

keep up with technology mode later – it’s fun or regret. You choose from day one.”

ing your eyes and hoping your software or your brilliant business manager will handle all of that while you just focus on the teeth. We challenge you to explore at least twelve of the critical factors of the business of dentistry right now. Take them

Vision, goals, scheduling, financing – these are words you have started to consider, I’m sure. Some of you are taking that head on. Others of you are closon as YOURS. You are the leader and the ultimate decision maker. You must care enough to tackle these concepts and develop your passion for the practice as a business right now – or you’ll pay later.

1. Production. Calculate your production goal carefully, not randomly. Analyze (perhaps with the help of your accountant) what the costs of running the practice are on a monthly basis. Then add that to your required and desired salary and compensation. This should be your minimally acceptable goal. This goal must go up every year or as your own costs of operation climb.
2. Collection. Establish a goal of collecting a minimum of 97-98% of all dollars produced. You will certainly have some months that exceed this minimally acceptable goal. You might collect a total fee before treatment begins or you might collect some outstanding accounts.
3. Accounts Receivable. Many dentists come to us in year five or ten trying desperately to get out of the banking business so we plead with you - don’t even start off carrying accounts on your own books. In essence, you are loaning money to your patients. Instead, get involved with and effectively use patient financing programs. Your accounts receivables should be no more than one half times your average monthly production—and that is only if you are accepting assignment of benefits of insurance. If you are not accepting assignment of benefits, then you should have no accounts receivable.

4. Patient Financing Programs. Get involved with patient financing and use the program extensively in your practice. Patients will benefit in many ways because they’ll be able to receive treatment that you recommend more comfortably and without owing you any money. The practice will benefit in many ways, too, because you will receive your fees in a more timely fashion and gain a higher level of case acceptance. Your costs of operation will reduce because professionals are running the credit portion of your

business for a much lower cost than you would incur if you were running a banking business in your own practice.

divided by the number of days you will be working within that month. There is your daily production goal.

5. Overhead. There are three ways for a practice to increase profit margin and lower overhead: increase production, decrease costs, and increase fees. I recommend that you work on all three of these areas. When you combine effort in each of the three areas, you will see significant increases in bottom-line dollars. It starts with tracking. Invest in good advice and proper training to maximize what you do take on as overhead. Include coaching and expert advice in your overhead from day one.

If you schedule carefully and succinctly toward that goal in an organized and streamlined fashion, then you will reach the goal most of the time. Having those equitable days will lead to equitable months. Take out the roller coaster effect that comes with the “highs and lows” of unequally scheduled days and months. Stress relief and business stability will result.

7. Broken Appointments and No Shows. Track these difficult challenges from day one. How many appointments are being broken or cancelled? Are they being rescheduled and voids filled? Do the same for your no shows. Unanswered and unevaluated no shows and broken appointments can be debilitating on a practice. Only when you track these critical factors can you have the black and white data necessary to make appropriate decisions related to alterations or adjustments that need to be made.

6. Scheduling. Scheduling must respond to production needs for the practice, physical needs of both the patients and the clinicians and the challenges that come with today’s busy people. Schedule for a daily production goal based on the monthly production/collection needs of the practice. Whatever you need to produce and collect per month will be

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1. Case Acceptance. Conduct comprehensive treatment planning on all patients. Then, carefully and regularly follow up on all patients who have dentistry diagnosed but left untreated. Schedule time and document the notes carefully so that your entire team has the communication and information they need to contribute to increased case acceptance.
2. Hygiene. Adopt the mindset that this is not just where most education about how to brush and floss takes place, but education about and validation for any diagnosed restorative treatment. In addition, the hygienist (who usually has a very close bond with patients) can introduce new treatment modalities or begin talking to a patient about new areas of concern since the last visit. Within this department there are multiple systems and critical factors. A few of these to monitor and evaluate are listed here: What is the hygiene production: daily, monthly, yearly? What percentage of the overall production of the practice is coming from hygiene? Hygiene retention: What percentage of your active patients are participating in your hygiene program? What percentage of your hygiene production is non-surgical periodontal therapy? (Use your procedure analysis report to obtain accurate information on this critical factor.) How much restorative treatment is coming out of hygiene?
3. New Patients. As a business, generating new business is a critical factor. New patients bring not only themselves to your practice but in many cases, the entire family. Even though you’re just beginning, know that you must treat new patients as if they’re your strongest referral source, powerful marketing tool, and a lifelong healthy patient.

From the day your doors open, track new patient goals. Develop an awesome new patient experience. Determine what you believe would be the best new patient experience a person could have. Then, make that happen—every single time.

11. Team. There is no question that no other critical factor, system or protocol in your practice can work effectively if you don’t have a great team working together to accomplish the goals that have been established for your practice.

Life is all about choice. Make a choice to surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude and who are willing to work at maintaining that attitude. ■

Learn more about John, Cathy and their team of comprehensive, in-office dental practice management and clinical coaches at www.JamesonMangement.com. There, you can register for a free webinar or inquire about the Launch program for those considering starting a practice from scratch. Check Jameson out on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube also.”

12. Attitude. Life is much too short not to be surrounded by people who are excited about the practice, who are interested in excellence and who are willing to walk the extra mile to make sure that things go well. Do not let anyone pull you away from your dreams. There is no reason not to have your ideal practice.