Creating Time

by Bill Blatchford, DDS

Universally, dentists will say they want more time. They feel stressed about how little time they have compared to how much effort they put forth. Time off and more time to complete dental procedures continues to be high on their list of priorities.Dentists are very aware of the value of time, yet few take action to create more time for themselves, their patients, and their families.We all have a finite number of minutes, but it’s how we view those minutes and make use of our valuable time with systems and team training that allows us to be extremely efficient and gives the illusion of time to our guests. The result is more precious minutes, hours, and days off because our guests were treated with care, organization, and kindness.If you could complete your present production or an increased level of production in the same or lesser amount of time, could you discover how that would work? Would your team be supportive of this endeavor? Would your patients applaud you for being efficient with their time in scheduling more major work at a single appointment? Have you ever asked your patients if they would like to do the full arch instead of a single tooth?Becoming more efficient with your time is a matter of intending to become more efficient. Do you want to have an extra day off every week or every other week? Since very few dentists are actually turning patients away, it is possible to plan more efficiency into your schedule. Would you agree?What is a minute worth in your practice? Do you know your current overhead per hour? Every doctor and team member should know how much it costs to produce an actual unit of dentistry in their practice per doctor/team member. With the lab bill subtracted, the cost per hygienist and doctor is equal in treating patients. Go to www.blatchford.com to find instructions on figuring your current overhead per hour.Let’s say your overhead per hour for the office (minus lab fees) is $250, which means if you have hygiene four days a week and the doctor works four days a week, each has an overhead per hour of $125. As each team member understands and takes ownership of this fact, your practice will avoid scheduling a single procedure that just reaches your overhead per hour. You'll begin to understand that you must work to exceed your overhead.We do not want to encourage unnecessary treatment, but is there any way this single procedure can be combined with other work? If you have a single procedure, could you schedule it next time when your patient comes in for hygiene? Have you and your team ever sat down and had a conversation with patients about their long-term goals? If there is no long-term plan, your team will continue to support the dentist in diagnosing single units and the “fix this one” mentality, which keeps you in the office operating near your overhead per hour.Also, if your team is paid by the hour rather than a guaranteed wage, they will not be supportive of your efficiency. What steps do you need to take to assure that your team is on board? What is an extra day of free time each week worth to you?Prior to the appointment, your team needs to have everything in place in anticipation of a relaxed and well-served appointment. What training and preparation would need to occur for a terrific result?Solid systems need to be in place and each team member cross-trained so your patients feel well-served. If you are doing major dental work, you do not want any patient scheduled in a second operatory. Effective efficiency is not about running faster, but rather sitting down and working on one patient. Block scheduling must be in place and supported by the entire team.Communication with your guests is imperative. You and your team must be skilled in sales so as not to put pressure on your guests. It is about asking your guests questions, not exerting pressure about the procedure. If you feel you are putting your patients under pressure, you need to work on your sales skills.Your pre- and post-communication with your patients can be on your Web site in the form of health history forms and postoperative instructions. You want to create the illusion of time. Another way to do this is the doctor-calling-patients-in-the-evening to share the care.More time can be yours! Are you willing to make the effort or just continue to complain about the lack of time? Dr. Blatchford’s book, “Blatchford BLUEPRINTS — the Art of Creating Practice Success,” is available at www.blatchford.com for $39. Profits go to the Juvenile Diabetic Research Foundation. For more information, visit www.blatchford.com.