Convenient Hours for You or Your Patients

There has always been a tough decision for dentists to make (especially non-group offices), should they be open at hours that are convenient for their patients or hours that are convenient for their lifestyle. Patients like early morning hours, after work hours and weekends. These are also the same hours that dentist and staff like to have away from the office for their own family’s needs.

The choice to offer non-traditional office hours affects not only the dentist but the entire staff. A large number of staff members are working women with children which makes office hour decisions even more complicated.

For new offices, starting with non-traditional hours is not complicated as the staff that they hire understands the hours being offered. Switching from traditional operating hours to expanded hours is often difficult for an established practice because it upsets the life of the staff. This often means losing staff members and replacing them with new personnel.

Younger and more aggressive dental offices tend to have expanded hours as a means of attracting new patients. This means that offices that operate under the Monday – Thursday 9-5 model put the traditional dentist at a competitive disadvantage.

There are few decisions more crucial to your practice’s success than when you are available to your patients. People shop for offices with patient friendly hours. On the flip side, having a work schedule that allows you time with your family is also important. You will have to decide how to walk this balance beam.

Dr. Corey Gold
President - Advanced Continuing Education Systems
www.aces4ce.com

Drug Addicted Dentists

Dentists are just like other people and they can sometimes wander down paths that lead them into dangerous addictions. No dentist ever went out and intentionally became addicted – it is always a series of unfortunate events and decisions that spiraled into an addiction. For dentists it can often start from legal use of prescription pain killers.

If you know an addicted dentist, urge them to seek help. Most dentists don’t seek help because they are afraid of losing their license, their practice and their income source. Most states have special anonymous treatment program for dentists just for this reason –the dentist can seek treatment without the loss of their license or public embarrassment.

Knowing an addicted dentist puts us in a difficult position – what do you do when a colleague you know is addicted. Your friend says they will take care of the problem but they don’t. What do you do? I was confronted with this situation and had to threaten to turn the doctor in to authorities unless they voluntarily sought treatment. Luckily for me – that dentist sought treatment and was successful in their therapy.

It is an awful position for you if you know an addicted dentist but it is very important for patient safety and for the long-term health and safety of your addicted dentist friend for you to make sure they get proper treatment. You must act! Go to your state’s dental board website and look up their addiction or diversion program. Most states have set up mechanisms for addicted professionals to safely seek the treatment they need.

Dr. Corey Gold
President - ACES
www.aces4ce.com

What are the most important things to have on your website?

This is an easy question for people familiar with web browsing habits. The most important things are the things you look for when searching for a restaurant, local store or gym.

Where are you located? Your potential patient wants to know if you are conveniently located. Put on your address! What shopping center or professional building? A MAP is perfect! What are located near (the mall, 24 Hour Fitness, super market, hospital). Write it out and show it - maps and pictures are great tools.

1                     What is your PHONE NUMBER?

2                     What are your office hours - highlight this if you are open weekends, early mornings or evening hours!

3                      Insurance is Welcomed!

These are the four most searched items when searching for a general dentist - where are you located, what is your phone number, what are your hours and will you take insurance!

All the rest is just extra stuff - remember they know what dentists do :)

Dr. Corey Gold

President - Advanced Continuing Education Systems
www.aces4.ce.com

Professional does not mean No Personality

I agree that all dental professionals should 'act professionally' but some dentists confuse that with acting in a sterile or cold manner. Our patients are more comfortable in our offices when we act like ourselves and show our personality.

This does not mean you run around acting like you would on a weekend away in Las Vegas but it means you should let your humor and caring nature come alive in your practice. You do not need to act cold and dead panned for your patients to take you seriously as a dental professional.

A survey of patients showed that one of the top reasons patients chose their dentist was their connection to them. They stated that they liked their dentist's personality and that of the staff. The survey also said that the lighter the mood of the office the less phobia patients experienced.

You and your patients will be happier when you relax, be yourself and let your personality come out in your practice.

Dr. Corey Gold

President - Advanced Continuing Education Systems
www.aces4ce.com

The Reward is Doing Quality Work

I remember being a newly minted dentist and getting excited when my work looked great or a procedure worked out just as planned. I also got satisfaction out of overcoming a challenge in the work that I had not anticipated. Heck, in the early days, I got satisfaction out of sending a cosmetic case back to the lab because it was good but not great – I wanted it to be awesome. My patients thought I was too picky – and for me that was a huge compliment.

A lot of dentists lose their “new dentist smell” and the excitement of doing quality work becomes old news. We used to get satisfaction out of the regular, routine work and now it is just Groundhog’s Day. We become stale – the honeymoon is over – the thrill is gone.

The trick to having long-term happiness and satisfaction in your practice is to try to remember why your patients come to you – they come to you because they trust you to use good judgment and deliver quality care. If we are meeting and exceeding our patient’s expectations then we should take great pride in that.

I know a lot of dentist who go build incredible new offices when things get stale and then wind up feeling stale again a few months later. The new office was like a middle age man buying a convertible – we are looking to feel young again (and yes I have a shiny convertible – lol). At the end – the only thing that can make you feel excited again about your work is going back to the mental place you were when you were young in your practice – that is to love doing dentistry and enjoy doing quality work. The joy is in the work being good.

By the way – I am not saying not to build a new office – build your new office and enjoy it, just don’t expect it to make you happy if you weren’t before you built the new office. As for convertibles – I love them J

Dr. Corey Gold

President – advanced Continuing Education Systems
www.aces4ce.com