Hey there, Ortho Warriors! 👋 It’s your friendly practice management enthusiast, Dustin, back with some fresh insights into the world of orthodontic practice culture. Buckle up, because today we’re diving deep into the three pillars that can make or break your practice’s vibe: Communication, Consistency, and Oversight. Let’s jump right in! 1. Communication: The Superpower of Smiles Picture this: a patient walks into your orthodontic office, filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. What’s the first thing they encounter? Your team’s warmth and welcoming smiles. Effective communication sets the tone for the entire patient experience. From the moment they…
Posts Categorized:Management
It still feels too hot in the midwest for it to officially be Pumpkin Spice Season, but I’ll take any sign that cooler weather and football are on the way. So, as I wait for temperatures to drop out of the triple digits, let’s take a few moments this Friday to consider the consumer experience through the lens of Starbucks. As always, if there’s something I can do to assist you in your professional or personal goals, don’t be a stranger. Reach out to my team and join me on a monthly coaching call, where we all get smarter together……
Balancing Patient Safety and Access to Care or Anticompetitive Rhetoric? The recent introduction of teledentistry laws in various states has sparked a heated debate within the dental community, with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) finding itself at the center of the discussion. As we delve into the implications of these laws and the AAO’s involvement, it becomes essential to weigh the potential benefits of technological advancements against the responsibility of safeguarding patient well-being. Nevada is the first state to require in-person exam prior to orthodontic treatment. This law requires “…an in-person visit before the patient begins using the orthodontic…
This week the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike, grinding to a halt any moving part in Hollywood that wasn’t already ground to a halt by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike which now enters its third month. Not inconspicuously, CEOs, media moguls and tech billionaires arrived this week at Allen & Co.’s annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Chief among them, Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, said some members of SAG-AFTRA are asking for too much. In an interview with David Faber on CNBC, Iger said, “We managed, as an industry, to negotiate a very good deal…
A dental or orthodontic practice can use ChatGPT and artificial intelligence (AI) in many ways to help operate the business more efficiently and provide higher quality service to patients. Here are several ways AI can be applied: Customer Service Marketing and Advertising Human Capital Management Inventory Management Revenue Cycle Management By leveraging AI in revenue cycle management and accounting processes, dental and orthodontic practices can streamline financial operations, optimize revenue collection, improve compliance, and gain valuable insights into their financial performance. Sign up to receive valuable content exclusively for my subscribers. As an added bonus you’ll get the free Ortho…
Ivan Pavlov demonstrated that animal behavior could be established or erased by exposure to stress. In one experiment, he could make a dog react aggressively to caretakers with whom the dog was previously very loyal. This type of behavioral change as a result of exposure to stress has also been seen in prisoners of war. Stress increases our suggestibility. When we feel we have lost control over the situation, what we believe and like can completely change. In a study of 17,000 British civil servants, the workers with the lowest perceived control over their work environment had an significantly increased…
I see a lot of smart people giving dentists and orthodontists dumb advice. Your in-box and social media feeds are filled to the brim with mostly well-intentioned people trying to make a buck convincing you this one metric or that one metric will solve all your problems. They promise efficiency and growth in new patients, revenue, case starts; more of this, more of that. They sell magic weight loss pills while Grumpy Dustin tells you to eat your vegetables and go to the gym. I’m clearly not here to win any popularity contests. Listen. There’s nothing wrong with efficiency and…
The right dental practice management plan will result in an increase in patients. Review these key strategies to take your office to the next level.
Someone close to the AAO Council on Governmental Affairs told me an alarming statistic at the meeting in Chicago this weekend. This person said half of all AAO member orthodontists have now seen a patient in private practice where direct-to-consumer (D2C) aligners caused adverse effects (traumatic occlusion, gingival recession, jaw joint pain, etc.) At first glance, had I taken this doctor’s claim at face value, I could only logically conclude direct-to-consumer aligners are harming the public. Instead, I zoomed out and quickly ran the math in my mind. Smile Direct Club, the largest D2C company, has treated more than 1.8…
Up to 80% of dentist appointments are no-shows, according to recent statistics. No-shows have long plagued the industry, and cost billions of dollars every year. As life continues to get busier, these statistics will only get worse. That is, if you don’t change your dental practice management strategy. There are several changes you can make to take back control. And this isn’t the only area that needs work. Many practices aren’t fixing their financial mistakes with technology, outsourcing, and effective marketing. If each of these areas is improved, your revenue and growth will reach new heights. To help your dental…