There are certain factors of increasing practice production that often go unnoticed. They are not typically measured, and because of that, any shortcomings will gradually erode the ability of the practice to reach its full production potential.
Reduce no-shows. Most practices don’t know their no-show rate, and most practices don’t include last-minute cancellations, but they should. These practices simply reschedule these patients, but each time this happens, they most likely will end up losing money. Between the extra time needed by the scheduling team to manage a no-show, and the downtime for the clinical team because of unused chair time, the no-show patient has eaten away at any profitability. By reducing noshows to a target of 2% or less, most practices will increase production by several percentage points within a short period of time.
Be prepared for patients. Is it the standard in your practice that before they leave each appointment, hygiene patients are analyzed for next steps? Many thousands of dollars are lost every year by practices whose patients are simply behind on basic hygiene services. Being prepared means that you know and record what is due at the next visit. This is especially helpful for temporary employees who may be unfamiliar with patients.
Keep active patients scheduled. At any given time, practices can have up to 20% of their active patients not scheduled, which results in longer appointment times. Furthermore, these off-cycle patients end up costing the practice tens of thousands of dollars each year because they are no longer coming in as often as they should. By bringing patients in on the standard cycle, practice production increases instantly.
Ramp up your customer service. One of the most effective ways to increase the number of new patients and the patient base is to have an exceptional customer service program. Dental management is all about systems. The schedule should be built as a system and followed step-by-step every day. Few practices think of it this way, but the same is true for customer service. Patients will accept more treatment both in the short and long term when excellent customer service is systemized in your practice.
Here are some ways to do that:
- Greet every patient with an overthe- top greeting and excellent scripting.
- Learn one new thing about every patient, every time.
- Check in with patients every five minutes during procedures to see how they are doing and let them know how well treatment is going along the way.
- Thank every patient for coming to the office.
These strategies are considered “hidden” because they are not measured. When you start implementing and measuring them, production will increase.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the January 2025 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
