Anyone planning on upgrading and expanding their dental practice – the following text is for you, as here we discuss the top ways to attract dentists to work at your practice. We’ll cover some of the essential things you can do to hire and keep your dental team members happy and build a great team you and your patients can trust.

To maintain a productive dental practice, you need to step up your leadership skills and improve the work environment, so your existing team members will be happy, and your practice can attract new dentists to work at your practice.

We have done thorough research into why people leave their jobs, and surprisingly, the paycheck was not the top reason; some of the most notable reasons why people would be inclined to leave their jobs are a lack of challenge, poor management, lack of recognition, lack of communication, and no vision for the future.

After reviewing many of the factors, we have consolidated the three best ways to attract dentists to come and work at your dental practice – you can look at these as opportunities to improve your dental practice, retain your current staff and attract more dentists:

1. Upgrade Your Practice with Digital Equipment

For a dentist to feel inclined to leave their current position and join your dental practice, they must make the right decision and move to a dental practice with a clear vision for the future. By investing in upgrades that include a modern chair with all the amenities and more advanced equipment like digital dental technology, you are providing the dentists in your practice access to technologies that make everyone’s lives better.

Digital dental equipment like an intraoral scanner replaces the outdated impression putty method of making impressions for the various dental implants, aligners, and braces. By adding this and other digital equipment to your dental practice, you are simplifying the entire workflow of the dental practice, making it more comfortable for both the patient and the dentist.

2. Invest Money in Advertising the Position

Of course, you need to advertise the free position in your dental practice so any interested dentist will learn of the employment opportunity. However, we are not talking about running an ad in a local paper, but you should also do this. Instead, we are talking about investing money in professional ads at the right places that will be seen by a dentist looking for a job or someone looking to change practices.

For example, when looking to attract and hire new dentists to work at your practice, you should consider posting an advertisement in the BDJ journal, the BDJ website, the IDA website, the JIDA, and similar places. Make sure you explain the position, the opportunities, the proposed salary, and extra benefits.

3. Create a Commission System

Now to the most crucial factor – create a commission system for your dentists on top of the offered salary. As we are slowly facing a shortage of qualified staff in the dental field, paying your dentists a competitive salary is essential. However, on top of an hourly, weekly, or monthly agreed salary, you should also consider creating a commission system. The commission is additional compensation earned based on job performance.

A commission system in dental practice terms refers to the compensation paid to a dentist for selling a specific product or service. Regarding the services, a sound commission system that could affect the earnings of a dentist is related to the ability of the said dentist to sell a product; for example, selling a clear aligner instead of track train braces and the like.

A commission system is also directly related to the dental practice’s revenue. Any dentist who can earn a significant goal in their commission will be motivated to hit it and offer more services to the patients. The commission is usually paid monthly, quarterly, or yearly, depending on the dental practice’s structure.

Throw In Extra Benefits

While employees in Ireland and the UK already have a list of excellent mandatory benefits compared to other countries, you can spice things up and attract dentists to work at your practice by adding extra benefits on top of the mandatory ones. Some additional perks that can help tip the scales in your favor include the following:

• Offer a learning opportunity – you should consider improving access to continuous education for your dentists; this can be a professional membership to a learning course, paid online course, or a mentor program. For example, at Great, we provide you with all the education your dental team needs to start using the Great intraoral scanner.

• Offer health & wellness services – the health and well-being of your employees are vital for the success of your dental practice, which is why you should consider adding extra perks like a gym membership or fitness support.

• Offer free food & catering – a sure way to attract people to work at your dental practice and create an enjoyable work environment for all is to provide free food for your dental team. Not having to think about what to eat every day at work increases employee satisfaction, elevating the company culture and creating a more comfortable work environment.

• Offer additional paid leave – this is an already popular employee benefit that you should consider adding to your employee benefits list, as it lets your dental team feel appreciated, which reflects positively on employee motivation and productivity.

• Offer flexible work hours – a sure way to entice a dentist to join your dental practice is to allow them to make their hours. Such a practice has shown that employees can broaden their potential and make them better at their jobs.

Communicate Clearly With your New Dentist

Now that we’ve covered the top ways you can attract a dentist to work at your dental practice, we need to outline another essential thing – transparent communication. As poor communication and poor leadership skills are among the factors that make people leave their jobs, it is crucial to learn to communicate openly with your dental team and show your appreciation – it is how you create a positive, enjoyable work environment any dentist would like to join.

Feel free to browse our blog for more invaluable advice on running a quality dental practice. Check out our educational content on the benefits of digitizing your dental practice with digital dental methods. We regularly bring you fresh, expert-vetted content that can help you run a better dental practice.