Running a dental practice is a full-time commitment, and while you may enjoy the dental aspect of the job, you may find yourself struggling with the daily operations. As the main person in your dental practice, you must be the doctor, the executive decision-maker, and often the accountant, the operational manager, and even the entrepreneur.
So, having multiple responsibilities can put a lot of strain on you, leading to you slacking on your obligations and not putting in enough effort to grow your practice. Thus, here we’ll talk about how you can grow your practice and assume an attitude that will positively reflect your professional life.
1. Hire a Great Team
The dental team you have working in your dental office is crucial for the success and growth of the dental practice. They are the ones that manage the little tasks which ensure the practice runs smoothly, from the dental receptionist scheduling meetings to the hygienist and everyone in between.
The dental practice is like any other facility, with finance, marketing, customer care, and other departments. If by some chance, you have rude and incompetent staff, then your dental practice is not running as efficiently as possible, and it will not grow as expected.
It is vital to make sure the people you have on your team are the best ones for the jobs, and they have the skills to match the needs of every obligation they have. An important thing is not to slack on hiring less qualified employees, as even if it seems you will be saving some money on a paycheck, your dental practice will suffer, and you won’t have the expected growth.
Instead, to grow your practice, you need to hire people with exceptional people skills, as you will likely have patients with anxiety or other troubling issues, and your staff should be able to handle everything quickly and efficiently.
2. Incorporate Latest Digital Technology
Adding technology is a priority if you wish to grow your practice. There are regular advances in dentistry, and to grow your practice and provide better services, you should adopt these in your practice. A digital intraoral scanner is a must-have tool in dental practice, as it allows for invaluable scans that are impossible to get with other techniques. The scans can be used for fitting clear aligners, crowns and bridges, and other dental implants. The digital intraoral scanner takes the mess out of the equation, helping you make more precise scans and allowing more comfort to the patient.
But this is not the only tech advance you can incorporate into your dental practice and make it grow. You need to update your other technology and equipment, as it will ultimately cut operational expenses. Plus, you can adopt admin software that will facilitate many office operations: scheduling programs, billing and accounting software, and even inventory tracking systems.
By staying on top of these tasks, you can note what’s missing and where you can improve things, and it will ultimately help you grow your practice, attract new patients, and attract dentists to work at your practice.
3. Advertise Your Dental Practice
In later years, it has become common to see medical establishments advertise their services, so you should follow this example and promote your dental practice if you wish to grow it. Marketing a dental practice is a way to tell people about the services you provide, the technology you use, and the results you’ve had.
People may not know about your practice, even those who reside close by, so advertising is important and a way to reach out to potential patients. It will entice and attract new patients to come to you for their dental needs, and you will increase the volume of patients you serve, which is the right strategy to grow your dental practice.
You can also create a referral program with your current patients and encourage them to spread the word about your skills and services. Word-of-mouth marketing is still a great advertising tool and should not be neglected. Next are the online presence and social media marketing, as these are virtual advertising channels for the growth of any small business, especially the growth of a dental practice.
4. Offer Competitive Dental Fees
The prices your patients pay are the main thing regarding the growth of your dental practice. While charging more is suitable for growing your revenue, this is not a long-time viable strategy. Someone will always offer a better price for the same service, even if it is financially unviable for them. Many may do this to thwart competition and drive more patients their way.
That is why you should offer competitive prices that justify the cost of the treatment but also ensure patients can afford it. It would not do you any good to lose patients if they can’t meet the fees you charge, so adjust your prices to match the services you provide and the purchasing power of your patients.
Another smart thing is offering regular patients free consultations, check-ups, and even discounts. To be competitive and ensure the growth of your practice and improve the practice’s revenue, you can also provide your patients with the possibility to pay in instalments, making it more comfortable for them, and they won’t have to ask you for it.
The Bottom Line
Growing your dental practice is not an impossible feat, but it is an undertaking that takes effort and dedication. Above, we shared essential secrets – not secrets per se, but advice that you can turn into a strategy to help you grow your dental practice, manage the daily stresses related to running a dental practice, and have more time to see patients and do the things you enjoy. Please follow our blog for more information and advice on running a dental practice. Also, book your demo with Great and see how you can become an affiliate practice with the Great Lab and reap all the benefits and perks that come with it.
