{"id":45731,"date":"2020-12-01T15:52:33","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T15:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=45731"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:22:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:22:18","slug":"dental-practice-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/dental-practice-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Dental practice management: Tips and best practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone cares about their teeth. Or at least, they should. A healthy smile shows that someone has good oral health, takes pride in their appearance, and is on top of their health and wellbeing. Any mouth that ticks these boxes will attend regular appointments with dentists and hygienists at a trusted dental practice. Well, the person attached to it will, anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a trusted dental practice takes work. Dental practice management isn\u2019t easy. The most successful practices focus on patient experience. Everything they do is aimed at making their patient\u2019s lives easier and less stressful. As, let\u2019s face it, plenty of people dread going to the dentist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From check-ups, to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">phone etiquette<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to admin, every element of a dental practice needs to be streamlined for optimal patient experience. You\u2019ll be competing with a number of other local practices so, to stand out, patient care, cleanliness, and efficiency are just the beginning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fortunately, technology like all-in-one communication solutions from RingCentral, can help dental practices rise to the challenge. Both in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/dental-practice-lockdown-case-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">world of COVID and lockdowns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and in the years to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This guide provides advice and guidance on the best practices when managing a dental office, with a particular focus on the patient experience, and how technology can help you achieve the levels of experience your patients expect. Happy teeth mean happy patients!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, we\u2019ll cover:<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#dental\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dental practice management best practices<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#imp\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Important technology in dental practice management<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#common\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common challenges in dental practice management<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/how-to-run-healthcare-practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn how to run a remote-friendly healthcare practice<\/a> with this in-depth playbook.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"dental\"><\/a><br \/>\nDental practice management best practices<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To reach and overcome the challenges of dental practice management, you must set your practice up with patient experience at its heart. The best dental practices work hard to meet and exceed patient expectations. So, what are the best practices that will help you to get there?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patient communication\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication is key in all businesses. It\u2019s even more essential in the healthcare niche. Your patients are the most important aspect of your business, so it\u2019s important for clinicians and other team members to be able to connect with them easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clear, accurate, and easy communication is critical to optimal patient experience. When patients can always reach their dental practice and are never out of the loop, it helps ease anxiety about upcoming appointments and their care experience in general.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a number of ways you\u2019ll communicate with your patients: face-to-face, over the phone, and via email, just to name just a few. Here\u2019s how to improve communication in all of these areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Face-to-face\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To provide excellent face-to-face communication, it helps to be friendly, respectful, and attentive. The best way to improve face-to-face communication is to train all your employees, with a particular focus on reception staff. A receptionist often creates a first impression of the company, so they should always be polite, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/empathy-exercises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">empathetic<\/a>, and organized.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, face-to-face communication doesn\u2019t always mean in-person interactions, either. Using\u00a0 video conferencing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/video-conferencing-telehealth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">solutions<\/a> such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral Video,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dentists can easily provide telehealth sessions for patients who can&#8217;t make it into the clinic:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44074\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/telehealth-technology.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"930\" height=\"700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Those kinds of face-to-face virtual interactions can put patients at ease, and thus enhance the patient experience.\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Over the phone<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phone communication is important, as it\u2019s often how patients will make appointments. The best dental practices have top of the range phone systems often based on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/voip-phone.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VoIP<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which can connect to your current devices or via an app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using a cloud-based phone system gives dental practices a raft of beneficial features. They can transfer and record calls, put patients on hold, and more\u2014all through one intuitive platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s more, RingCentral <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yapiapp.com\/ringcentral-integration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">integrates with top dental practice management software<\/span><\/a> and other tools like Sikka Call Optimizer:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/apps\/call-optimizer-ringcentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38003\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/sikka-call-optimizer-e1607439350348.jpg\" alt=\"sikka-call-optimizer ringcentral integration\" width=\"900\" height=\"517\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These types of tools can help make essential patient and appointment information readily available to staff as soon as they pick up a call.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Via email<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emailing can be a great way to send appointment reminders or notify patients of any deals. Effective communication via email is polite, direct, and well written. Always ensure emails are proofread before being sent. Typos and incorrect grammar reflects poorly on the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. On social media\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communicating on social media can feel new for many dental practices. However, it\u2019s a great way to engage with leads and attract attention. Hire a social media and marketing professional to ensure that queries are responded to professionally.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools like RingCentral have helped a number of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/pacific-dental-services-provides-superior-patient-experience-with-ringcentral\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">healthcare practices like PDS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with patient communication. These cloud-based systems allow patients to communicate in whichever way they prefer (phone call, messaging, chat, and so on), making patient communication more streamlined and efficient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But dental practices don\u2019t just need flexibility. They also need:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance to ensure that patient data is protected<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A speedy system that doesn\u2019t glitch to keep patient communication up to scratch<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability to communicate via video for telehealth sessions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/industry-solutions\/healthcare-communications-cloud-phone-systems.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">At RingCentral, we are able to make all of this possible<\/a>. With RingCentral, all of PDS\u2019 communications with patients are protected against unauthorized access. Thanks to top-end encryption, the dental support organization has HiTrust CSF Certification validation of compliance with HIPAA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s more, RingCentral&#8217;s desktop and mobile app has both video and voice calling capabilities that are reliable and high-quality, with no danger of jitter or issues of latency interfering with patient-critical communication:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rc_custom_video\"><a class=\"rc_custom_video__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtu.be\/9xaL89hYeFs\">\n\t\t            <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi_webp\/9xaL89hYeFs\/maxresdefault.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"rc_custom_video__media\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9xaL89hYeFs\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t            <\/picture>\n\t\t        <\/a><br \/>\n\t\t        <button class=\"rc_custom_video__button\" aria-label=\"Play video\"><svg width=\"68\" height=\"48\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\"><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-shape\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\"><\/path><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-icon\" d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t        <\/button>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve the environment\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A working environment is important, both for patients and staff. Employees will want to work somewhere bright, clean, and well decorated. Patients want the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is especially important for waiting rooms, which create an atmosphere and are often the first thing patients will see. Patients might be nervous about their appointment, so waiting rooms should never feel dark or oppressive. Waiting rooms should have:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Natural light but not too many windows. Patients don\u2019t want to feel on display.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pleasant and neutral colored walls. Blue helps people to feel relaxed and calm.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Magazines or newspapers to keep patients busy while they wait. Make sure these are up to date and are organized to avoid clutter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leaflets to inform patients of any other services you or neighboring companies provide.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personality. While you don\u2019t want to overwhelm with decorations, waiting rooms should feel homey instead of clinical.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A water dispenser to keep patients hydrated.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comfortable seating. The comfier the seat, the less inclined a patient will be to complain if there\u2019s a long waiting time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A waiting room should be comfortable and relaxing. It should also be stylish and match your brand. Here are some more design and functionality tips from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/eclipse-dental.com\/dental-blog-articles\/designing-a-dental-practice-reception-and-waiting-room\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eclipse Dental<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside your waiting room, appointment rooms should always be clean and tidy. In a healthcare setting, hygiene isn\u2019t simply an option, it\u2019s a necessity. If you have received negative reviews due to a lack of cleanliness, this is the first place to start.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexible financial options\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s no secret that dental procedures can be costly. The best dental practices have flexible financial options that allow different ways of paying. You might consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accepting cash, credit cards, or checks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payment plans\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treatment plans<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insurance coverage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special financing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Referral schemes and discounts<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do these options help you? If you have a wide range of payment options, your patients will be more inclined to stick with you. Plus, they will be more inclined to accept treatment recommendations and return for regular checkups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being flexible around payments means creating a more trusting relationship between you and your patients. This creates loyal patients. Just make sure that you have policies in place for overdue bills, as you don\u2019t want to lose out due to flexibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So how can you improve your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business-central\/get-paid-faster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">billing processes?<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> One way is to use a cloud-based system that makes sure that your dental practice is well managed overall and takes some pressure off other employees. Is there a better phone system that would allow patients to book appointments in flexible ways and automatically send text reminders about upcoming appointment dates and billing information? Options like this can help your billing manager to stay productive and focus on ensuring the payment processes are as straightforward as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"imp\"><\/a><br \/>\nImportance of technology in dentistry practice management<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve probably noticed by now that staying up to date with technology is key for practices looking to deliver superior patient experience. This means having the best tools and equipment available for dental professionals to use, such as mirrors, syringes, scalers etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond that, though, it also means having the best management technology that can help your practice run smoothly. (And one that&#8217;s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/dentistry-kids-and-adults.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">integrated with a good communication system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will really make life easier for your staff.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For example, a dental practice management software.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a dental practice software system?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, management software is essential in running a streamlined dental practice. A good software system will:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Track appointments\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Send automated appointment reminders\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manage patient records<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create patient reports<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collect data<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connect with your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/industry-solutions\/healthcare-communications-cloud-phone-systems.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">phone system<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to have the right software system to ensure that records are properly tracked and dental care is as efficient as possible. Software also helps to streamline the workflow and keep the dental team organized and up to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, in addition to dental practice software, you\u2019ll need a communication platform that makes phone calls and messages with patients easier. For instance, RingCentral has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/solutions\/office\/call.html\">cloud based phone system<\/a> that streamlines the patient experience for dental practices in a few ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running telehealth video sessions with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral Video<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holding, transferring, and recording calls all in the app<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dentists taking patient calls on their personal cell phone securely and without divulging personal contact numbers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flipping calls from a phone to computer (or vice versa) without interrupting the conversation:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44983\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/switch-devices.png\" alt=\"switch call from video to phone\" width=\"819\" height=\"488\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These services rank your dental practice above the rest and ensure that patients get the best experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essentially, software helps you make sure that you&#8217;re delivering the best patient experience possible. It creates a more organized workflow, from appointments to billing, and keeps all records in one safe place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But which software system should you use?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best dental practice software systems<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a number of different softwares to choose from. Some of the best include:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dentrix Ascend<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 1989, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentrix.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dentrix<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was the first dental practice management software for Microsoft Windows. It has advanced greatly since then and is now a cloud-based software that has solutions for practice management, administration, charting and imaging, and even group practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has a free demo and hands-on training included in the package. It\u2019s used by many leading dental practices and includes support via phone or email\u2014a nice bonus. You can get a quote on the website.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curve Dental<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Dentrix, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.curvedental.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curve Dental<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is cloud-based, which means it can be accessed from any computer. This allows for excellent remote working options when you can\u2019t be in the office.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a favorite among many practices for this reason and manages scheduling, billing, imaging, and charting with ease. Pricing varies on the number of dentists at your practice, so you will need to contact the company directly for a quote.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Denticon<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Denticon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an all-in-one practice management solution that includes native analytics for real-time reporting and anytime, anywhere access to practice information. Released in 2003, it was the first cloud-based software available, making it a pretty ground-breaking program in the dental industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It boasts a number of excellent features, including modules for patient communication, records management, imaging\/charting, treatment planning, claims management, and much more. You\u2019ll need to contact them directly for a quote.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"common\"><\/a><br \/>\nCommon challenges in dental practice management<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with any industry, there are a number of common challenges in dental practice management. By following best practices and leveraging the right technology you can mitigate many of them. It still pays, though, to recognize the issues you may face when striving for the best patient experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best dental practice managers and practice owners understand these challenges and know how to tackle them head on. Here are the most common challenges you might face:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Balancing appointments\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bigger a dental practice, the more challenging balancing appointments can be. Often, dental practices will overbook to avoid disappointing patients. However, this can cause difficulties, as there may not be the availability for all patients to be seen, and then they may leave for another practice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best practices find ways to schedule appointments while also allowing for urgent procedures. The only way to do this effectively is with fully unified software solutions. A cloud-based phone system integrated with practice management software ensures no patients slip through the cracks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tip\">\n<div class=\"tip-heading\"><b>\ud83d\udca1 Pro-tip:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n<p>See how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/whyringcentral\/casestudies\/dentistry-kids-and-adults.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dentistry Kids &amp; Adults<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> used YAPI along with RingCentral to see all patient and appointment details as soon as a patient calls their office. (Not to mention being able to send automated appointment reminders!)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No-shows and cancellations, therefore, can be made much less common, which can make a big difference. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentaleconomics.com\/practice\/article\/16390417\/no-more-noshows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dental Economics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that up to 10% of dental appointments are canceled every year. This can mean huge financial losses when you look at the practice\u2019s bottom line. If a practice lost one appointment every day for a year, the financial damage would be between $20,000 to $70,000.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, balancing appointments can be a huge challenge. It\u2019s also important to ensure that the dentists aren\u2019t overworked to prevent burnout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Competing with other companies\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes your dental practice stand out? Why should a patient go to your practice instead of the one down the street?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As dentistry is a lucrative industry, there will be a number of other companies to compete with. Patients are looking for the best experience at the best possible price. Dentist procedures can be expensive, and while patients want to ensure the job is done right, they might not anticipate the need for such a costly procedure at the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Competing with other companies also means having a good marketing strategy. The best practices might use the following methods to attract new patients:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Social media platforms:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Email campaigns:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These remind current patients about appointments and attract new ones<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>A user-friendly website<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: This makes a practice easier to search for\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Hosting <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/what-is-webinar.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>webinars<\/b><\/a><b> and creating content:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To generate traffic to said website or social media pages. At RingCentral, we provide a number of tools which help schedule, organize and smoothly host professional webinars.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial issues<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dental practices deal with huge sums of money every year. While you want the practice to be profitable, there can be a number of difficulties involved. The most common are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Tax issues: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dentistry is a high earning profession, with the average dentist earning around $125,000 per year. This places them in the 28% tax bracket, which can cause serious burdens on a dental practice. However, a practice must always pay the correct amount of tax.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Managing accounts receivable: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, patients or clients are late with payments, especially if someone has had expensive and unanticipated surgery or dental services. It\u2019s unavoidable, and unfortunately all you can do is to minimize the likelihood of that happening. There are a few ways to keep on top of your accounts receivable.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you have a policy in place for overdue bills. This should include a clear and standardized way of contacting patients. With a phone system from RingCentral, this is far simpler to manage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to RingCentral\u2019s integration with practice management software, you can contact patients with billing issues with little more than a click or tap. Then, as soon as the bill is paid or the issue resolved, your system will be immediately updated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patient confidentiality\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with all healthcare services, patient confidentiality is of the utmost importance. You will have a huge amount of confidential data on file, which cannot be breached.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Health records and payment information must be stored safely. This means locked cabinets and password-protected documents. If you fail to meet legislative requirements like those set out in HIPAA, it could be the end of your dreams of practice success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dental practice with a breach in its data will lose credibility and damage its reputation. But it will also face financial consequences. For example, back in 2013, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/krebsonsecurity.com\/2013\/10\/adobe-breach-impacted-at-least-38-million-users\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Krebs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reported that Adobe had been hacked, and almost three million encrypted customer credit card records were stolen, alongside login data for numerous accounts. Adobe ended up paying $1.1 million in legal fees and $1 million to customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The takeaway here is that patient confidentiality is more than just important, it\u2019s essential. It can be challenging to get it right, but it\u2019s imperative that you do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the role of a dental practice manager?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dental practice manager is a busy bee. They\u2019ll have a number of different responsibilities and will need to know their stuff. Essentially, a dental manager or office manager oversees all areas of the company, from staff training, to finances, to software. They\u2019re the person who must be across everything we\u2019ve discussed so far.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019re the key to nailing the patient experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thinking of becoming a dental practice manager? Here\u2019s everything else you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What qualifications do you need to be a dental practice manager?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you need to go to college to become a dental practice manager? Do you need to have studied dentistry or some other area of medicine or health care?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The short answer is no. No formal qualifications are needed for the role. Many dental practice managers get into the role after being a dental nurse or receptionist. However, you could take a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/campaigns.iti.org\/dental-practice-management-course\/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAqdP9BRDVARIsAGSZ8AnUIdL3dFIGBROxmU6lP3WRkDENlvMxNdyUNr8Qd0REHwTpNL9J6AEaAhGqEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dental practice management course<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or a dental administration course to gain knowledge and experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you don\u2019t need a specific qualification, you will need to have a good level of knowledge in the following three areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>English and writing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: As you will be regularly communicating with patients and other members of staff, you will need good spoken English. You will also be regularly crafting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/engage\/channels\/email.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emails<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so will need a good understanding of written English.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Math<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Dental practice managers deal with finances on a regular basis, so you will need to be confident with numbers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>IT<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A dental practice manager will be expected to organize the dental practice software system, meaning you will need to have a good understanding of IT softwares and systems. You may also be required to host webinars or use social media.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Typical responsibilities of a dental practice manager<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you know the skills and qualifications needed to be a dental practice manager, what are the typical responsibilities? While the roles will vary between practices, here\u2019s an idea of what most do on a regular basis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial management<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dental practice manager will be in control of most of the finances at the dental practice. This might mean payroll, taxes, refunds, payment plans, and much more. This is why a dental practice manager will need to understand numbers. It will be your role to try to keep costs to a minimum and generate revenue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human resources<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dental practices tend to be small and don\u2019t have HR teams. So, the dental practice manager also tends to count as HR. This means that it is their responsibility to ensure that all employees are safe and happy. These responsibilities might include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Training new members of staff<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Approving annual leave and tracking sickness absences\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organizing team rotations and schedules<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifying staff development opportunities and courses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Motivating staff and creating a positive working atmosphere<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being available for emotional support<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring proper practices are being followed and investigating claims of wrongful behavior\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jobs and recruitment<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dental practices also rarely outsource to recruitment agencies. So, a dental practice manager is often in charge of recruitment. This means posting jobs and screening candidates. It\u2019s important to ensure you hire the best staff and hire team members who work well together.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Administration<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dental practice manager will also be responsible for keeping the office organized and doing general administration tasks such as filing, organizing and replacing stock, and data entry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will also be your responsibility to keep an eye on the building and organize any maintenance that needs doing. You will also be the point of call to all cleaning staff, and should oversee the correct hygiene practices on premises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IT\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our tech-savvy world means that a dental practice manager needs to know computers. It will be your responsibility to oversee the management software, so you will need to be tech-literate and unfazed by new software and programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most dental practice managers will regularly be updating spreadsheets, keeping an eye on software updates and ensuring that all tech is working smoothly. You will also need to keep an eye on health and safety\u2014so ensuring that there are no loose cables that could cause trip hazards or faulty equipment that could be dangerous.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most dental practices are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business-central\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">small businesses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They compete with bigger businesses, and will need to have an effective marketing strategy in place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dental practice manager will most likely spend some time working on the practice\u2019s marketing strategy. That may mean updating the website, posting on social media, or collecting and combining patient feedback. A big part of your role is to try to attract new patients to the practice and ensure it\u2019s getting the attention it deserves.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is it worth buying a dental practice?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you know what goes into managing a dental practice, you might be wondering whether buying one is a good option. There\u2019s clearly a lot to think about before buying a dental practice. Here are some of the pros to consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Demand is high. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It always is. People will never stop needing a dentist. Unlike opening a shop or a cafe, people <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">need<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your services instead of wanting them. This makes your business instantly more profitable.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><strong>You won\u2019t go out of fashion<\/strong>. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many small businesses open due to fads: a certain brand becomes fashionable and gets forgotten about in a matter of years. Dentistry isn\u2019t a fad. People always have teeth. So, you don\u2019t need to worry about your business going out of fashion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>You have experience:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dentists looking to buy a dental practice don\u2019t do it straight out of medical school. They work in the industry for a while first, learning about the business and gaining experience. So, when it comes to buying a dental practice, you understand patients and know what they\u2019re looking for.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And here are some of the cons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>It\u2019s expensive. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting a business always needs money. However, buying a dental practice can be particularly expensive, as you\u2019ll need to buy the premises and then all the equipment and software.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>There\u2019s lots of competition.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> While demand for dentists is always high, there\u2019s also a lot of competition. You will need to work hard to ensure that your dental practice is better than those nearby, and find your brand. Take <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentalbliss.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dental Bliss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for example. This company established that many people fear going to the dentist, and created a luxury practice with a spa and pampering to make people enjoy going to the dentist. It\u2019s smart. To be the best, you\u2019ll need to be creative and think outside the box.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>You\u2019ll need to know business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A dentist with their own dental practice needs to know business\u2014or at least hire someone who does. You can\u2019t just know teeth and gums: you need to know money, marketing, and margins. Essentially, it\u2019s more work. Are you up for the challenge?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take dentistry to the next level<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All in all, owning a dental practice isn\u2019t easy. Neither\u2019s managing one. Whether you\u2019re managing it yourself or sharing the responsibilities with a dental service organization (DSO), you\u2019ll need to be organized, efficient, and know how to stand out. Sure, people always need help with their teeth. But do they need it from you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best dental practices care about their patients. They take dentistry to the next level. Every element of the process is streamlined; from the reception staff, to the esthetics of the waiting room, to the appointment. It might seem difficult, but dental practice and management is all about organization and understanding your patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using cloud based systems from RingCentral elevate the dental experience and ensure that patients return to your dental practice every time. With our help, the patient experience becomes less intimidating and more inviting.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everyone cares about their teeth. Or at least, they should. A healthy smile shows that someone has good oral health, takes pride in their appearance, and is on top of their health and wellbeing. Any mouth that ticks these boxes will attend regular appointments with dentists and hygienists at a trusted dental practice. Well, the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":45733,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901,18674,18669],"tags":[17264],"class_list":["post-45731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","category-healthcare","category-verticals","tag-dentistry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dental practice management: Tips and best practices | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everyone cares about their teeth. Or at least, they should. 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