Nine Ways to Increase Practice Capacity

2. Add days per week.This suggestion typically sends chills down the spine of most dentists, as very few dentists want to add hours or days per week. However, adding a full day per week, or even half a day, will increase capacity.

If adding hours to the work week is not appealing, perhaps the next idea will be more palatable.

3. Stagger the schedule.This strategy is applicable to practices with two or more doctors. Last year, the author's firm had a new client with four doctors join its consulting program. All four doctors were in the practice 4 days a week on the exact same schedule. Nothing is wrong with this, unless the practice is trying to increase capacity. Staggered scheduling is simply a matter of changing the hours that each of the four doctors work. In this instance, there were some overlaps, but the practice extended its services to 6 days a week with each doctor working the same number of hours as before. The practice opened 2-1/2 hours earlier in the morning and worked 2-1/2 hours later in the evening. The doctors rotated through this process so that no one doctor was saddled with a schedule he or she didn't like, and capacity increased by 45%.

4. Hire an assistant for your hygienist. Adding a dental assistant to each hygienist will allow the hygienists to alternate between rooms and can increase hygiene production by around 33.3% immediately if the patient flow is available.

5. Add dental assistants. Many dentists could delegate much more than they actually do. They waste valuable time doing tasks that well-trained assistants can handle. Well-utilized dental assistants can boost practice production and efficiency while helping dentists reduce fatigue, especially in states that allow expanded-function dental assistants.

By delegating to highly trained assistants all tasks within their legal capability, dentists will have more time to focus on the diagnostic and treatment aspects that only they are allowed to perform. The author's firm estimates that most practices can increase doctor time by at least 15% to 25% through training dental assistants to manage more responsibility and then delegating those responsibilities to them.

The addition of even just one dental assistant (when the patient flow will support it) can help a practice grow, often enabling production to increase by at least 3 to 5 times the new assistant's compensation. Once again, the additional assistant also frees up the doctor to handle accelerated scheduling and work multiple rooms with efficiency and less fatigue. Often, doctors simply may try to work in more rooms by stretching the staff they have, but this leads to inefficiency, breakdown, miscommunication, and fatigue. Although it may take time initially for a new assistant to contribute to the overall practice production, typically the person will become highly productive within 3 to 6 months.

6. Schedule hygiene power days. Hygiene power days are days when the practice does nothing but hygiene. On these days, one or two extra hygienists are brought in, all the chairs are dedicated to hygiene, and the doctor does nothing but check patients. Doing this even three or four times a year can help the practice catch up on hygiene production, increase capacity, and bring more patients in the door. Doing it more often, if warranted, is even better.

7. Ensure every patient has their next appointment scheduled. Every dental practice has patients that are not currently scheduled. An immediate improvement in the number of patients who are scheduled will result in an immediate increase in practice production. The author's firm emphasizes "the one day rule," which requires that any patient who is overdue for an appointment by one day will be called that day. This is followed up over 9 weeks, if necessary, to encourage patients to make an appointment. The results-and increase in production-can be palpable.

8. Increase referrals of family from new patients.New patients are an "open book" in terms of first impressions. Practices that provide a high-level customer service experience for new patients almost always increase family referrals from them. The practice, however, cannot leave it up to the patients' initiative-patients must be motivated to refer through physical reminders to invite their families.

Internal marketing campaigns can be implemented to let patients know that new patients are desired. More than just simply posting a sign at the front desk asking for referrals, such a campaign employs numerous strategies that work together to have a synergistic effect. Examples include a "family referral program," in which every new patient is told that family members may receive no-cost exams. The new patient is given certificates for the family members and is informed that this is part of the new patient process and that the practice values families. A deadline should be put on the certificate to help create a sense of urgency around the offer and prompt the new patient to invite family members sooner rather than later.

Another strategy is to send a short email to all patients every 30 days. These emails can include updates on the practice, new procedures or services available, new technologies implemented, and other interesting information. The email should always thank all patients who referred other patients and include a statement that the practice appreciates referrals of friends and family of current patients.

"Thank you" phone calls should also be part of this referral campaign. Patients who refer another patient should receive a phone call from the practice thanking them for the referral. Ideally, a doctor should make the call, however staff members can do this. Alternatively, a text (in the name of the doctor) could be sent to the patient who referred, thanking them for the referral. This shows appreciation and offers encouragement to refer others as well.

9. Schedule all new patients within 7 to 10 days.The sooner new patients are scheduled, the more likely they are to show up and, believe it or not, accept recommended treatment. A patient who contacts a practice is motivated, even if it is only for hygiene. The patient presumably is looking forward to meeting the practice and has high expectations. Therefore, it is critical to bring these patients in within 7 to 10 days while their interest level is elevated.

In summary, these recommendations are designed to help dental practices increase capacity. The sooner they are implemented, the sooner your practice can start benefiting from them.

About the author

Roger P. Levin, DDS
CEO and Founder, Levin Group, Inc.
(levingroup.com), a practice management consulting firm that has worked with more than 30,000 dental practices