Amidst a pandemic, it can be difficult to stay motivated and easy to lose sight as to what is important and necessary to have a successful dental practice. In 2020 you were likely focused on implementing measures for the health and safety of your staff and patients. As such, you understandably may have neglected other planned improvements for your practice. As the year comes to a close, schedule time with your management and staff to plan positive changes for your practice and patients in 2021. Get your dental practice ready for the new year!
This year make a commitment to ensure that you and your practice are continually learning. Ask your team what accreditations, workshops, or techniques interest them. Is there a resource or learning lab that you could offer your whole staff? Get a new accreditation for yourself or other senior staffers. The ADA offers several continued education courses throughout the year. The AAPD has regular learning resources for you and your staff. Lastly, immerse your practice in learning a specialty next year. The Special Care Dentistry Association has online courses and learning modules. Whatever you decide, be sure to balance your interests with the needs and demands of your community and patients.
Add new products or services in 2021 to add value for your patients. Is there a product or service that patients often inquire about? What would your patient community value that would add to profitability? Invisalign has been gaining popularity in the past few years and continues to be on the rise. For example, get training in Invisalign so that you can offer it to your patients either as an alternative to traditional orthodontia (if you offer orthodontic care) or as a new service. Another option might be teeth whitening. Teeth whitening and bleaching is desirable to most patients. Although, some patients have reservations about cost, safety, and effectiveness. Get trained and educated on whitening options so you may, in turn, educate and inform patients. Offer an in-office and/or at-home option for teeth bleaching in the coming year.
Green Dentistry is a huge focus for some practices and lesser so for others. There are hundreds of big and small ways to make your dental office greener whether it be through your office environment, patient products, administrative processes, or dental tools.
Here are just a few ideas. Go paperless. Use a virtual office system for patient charting, billing, and radiography. Implement environmentally friendly sterilization. Consider stocking all-natural oral care products like bamboo toothbrushes and silk floss. Put indoor plants around the office to help filter indoor pollution. Hand-out patient giveaways in recyclable paper bags instead of plastic. Switch to stainless steel prophy heads with disposable prophy-containing cups. Order biodegradable disposable cups instead of regular paper cups. If traditional x-rays are taken, recycle lead foil, fixer, and developer solutions.
There are endless ways for your dental practice to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Do not get overwhelmed. Pick just a few and work to implement them next year.
It safe to safe that we are all ready to say Good Riddance to 2020 and Here We Come 2021! Take time to plan and implement a few improvements. Start now to get your dental practice ready for the new year. We wish you, your staff, and your patients a very happy, prosperous 2021!
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