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As a dental consultant, Sandy Baird keeps track of many dental practice management tools. She knows that it is difficult to keep up with all of the resources available, so in this article Sandy highlights 4 tools worth checking out.
Enter Sandy...
Is this a "To Read” file, or a garbage can in disguise?
I regularly asked my dentist husband this question about his ever growing pile of dental journals, articles, and newsletters. Of course, he always had the best intentions of reading them all, so 9 out of 10 went to his so-called “TO-READ” pile on his desk. Many times our bedroom was lined layers high with multicolored plastic tubs full of the "to-read" pile.
Yes, after being married to a general dentist for 40 years, managing his practice for over 30 of those years, and now working with dentists as clients, I know well what a struggle it is to stay up-to-date with all the rapidly changing clinical dental materials, techniques, and equipment. I even did a study in graduate school on how much time a dentist needed to spend each day to stay up-to-date with all the clinical dental articles being published. It was close to SIX hours a day...every day! Impossible! And my study didn’t even include the practice management/business articles which are just as important.
Thanks to my involvement in the Academy of Dental Management Consultants (ADMC) and Speaking Consulting Network (SCN), I have prime opportunities to learn about successful dental practice management services and tools in dentistry. Every year I attempt to review what's working, and introduce those ideas to my clients and friends.
It is impossible to discuss them all, but here are four ideas worth checking out:
Dental Warranty
Dentistry can feel expensive to your patients. Knowing their investment is protected is vital to their willingness to accept treatment. By offering Dental Warranty, patients can benefit from a five-year, no-fault protection plan on the dental treatment you provide. Your patient's cost is a small percentage of the cost of treatment (depending on which coverage plan you choose to offer). Your practice benefits by keeping some of the coverage fee up-front. A win-win for you and your patients.
More information? dentalwarrantycorp.com; (800) 691-7234; answers@dw-corp.com
Weave
Every dentist I know wants to capture lost income and improve communication with their patients. Weave can do this and much more. Your phone rings, Weave mines into your software and tells your team member who is calling, if they (or their family members) need recare appointments, if they have an outstanding balance, or if they have treatment not scheduled - all before they pick up the phone. Your team member is able to maximize the patient interaction. The fee is a flat monthly fee that usually beats what you are paying for telephone service and it does so much more!
More information? http://info.getweave.com/sandybaird; Robb Miller (801) 228-1598 x5
Virtual Dental Office
Do you have dental claims outstanding over 30 days? If so, your money is sitting in the pockets of your patients' insurance companies instead of yours. Your team says they don’t have time to manage it every day? Solution: Virtual Dental Office, a company which stays on top of your claims assuring every penny for which you are eligible is in your pocket instead of the insurance companies’ pockets. Virtual Dental Office knows the nuances of dental insurance and dental insurance coding which enables them to collect more effectively than your own team.
More information? http://www.virtualdentaloffice.net; Jennifer@VirtualDentalOffice.net
DDS GP (from Kick Your Apps)
Your treatment acceptance percentage is an important aspect of a profitable practice. Educating your patients about their conditions and options is critical to case acceptance. The DDS GP app engages your patients in their treatment by visually displaying to your patients the severity of their diagnosis and their treatment options on an iPad. It allows personalization with the stroke of a finger and will email the personalized graphic-based treatment plan to your patients. You can insert your patient’s x-rays and clinical photos into the app for even greater personalization. DDS GP has been rated as the "most effective" chair-side consultation app available by industry leaders as well as your peers. It is available on iTunes and has a one-time fee, which includes free updates for life. A great deal and tool.
More information? www.kickyourapps.com; t.francis@kickyourapps.com
These may or may not be for your practice, but you should know they are out there and that they are working for lots of practices.
About The Author
Sandy Baird, M.B.A, is a practice management consultant with over 30 years
of hands-on dental practice management experience and more than 10 years of coaching.
She is the owner of Baird Dental Business Concepts, L.L.C. a company which
focuses on reducing dental practice stress and risks while increasing efficiencies and rewards.
She is also a passionate speaker.
Contact her at sbaird@bairdconcepts.com; www.bairdconcepts.com; 877.511.4759.
