7 Resolutions to Make for Your Dental Practice This Year

Just as every dental patient could stand to brush and floss a little bit better, every dental practice has room for improvement. Want to take your dental practice to the next level in 2018? Try making these seven resolutions.

1. I resolve to continuously increase production. How efficient is your practice at completing treatments in the allotted time? If you don't know the average time it takes you to complete common procedures, your production will suffer. Regularly track your actual production against goals; then work with the staff to figure out ways to meet your benchmarks.
2. I resolve to maintain team spirit and caring among the staff. Your dental practice can't run efficiently if your staff isn’t pulling together. Devote time to team-building activities, regular meetings and consistent feedback to help build bonds of trust and caring among employees, from doctors and hygienists to the front office. Cross-training can encourage employees to feel more invested in the goals of the practice, rather than just their own tasks. Remember, a happy staff means happy patients!
3. I resolve to give every patient our personal attention. A personal greeting when they arrive, remembering details of their lives — little things go a long way toward enhancing patient loyalty. Don't forget the power of courtesy: Something as simple as sending a dental appointment reminder makes patient’s lives easier, which they’re sure to appreciate. Use Lighthouse 360 to contact patients the way they prefer — by text, voice or email.
4. I resolve to run a more efficient practice. Help your front office staff eliminate time-wasters so they can stay on top of their daily to-dos. Lighthouse 360 uses “smart recommendations” to automatically create a front desk task list every morning, so your staff always knows what to focus on. Eliminating the time-consuming phone tag involved in dental appointment reminders saves time, too. Use Lighthouse 360’s automated dental appointment reminder tools instead.
5. I resolve to communicate better. Communication with your team is key to a well-run dental practice. When you use a cloud-based dental communication solution, you can feel confident that your whole team always has access to current information. For example, Lighthouse 360 syncs with your PMS every 10 minutes, so your schedule is always accurate. You also have a record of all communications with patients so your whole team can stay in the loop.
6. I resolve to help patients improve their dental health. Patients’ busy schedules can sometimes get in the way of proper oral care. Fortunately, Lighthouse 360 helps you help your patients stay on track by sending automatic reminders when they’re due for a hygiene appointment. You can also turn on reminder messaging for patients who need to return for additional treatments. Lighthouse 360 even sends customized emails to dormant patients to get them back in the office.
7. I resolve to invest in technology that helps improve my practice. Technology is changing the way dentists run their practices. If you're not keeping up to date on what new technology can do for you, your practice will suffer. In 2018, resolve to keep current on technological trends and budget for tech tools—such as Lighthouse 360—that offer a great ROI.