According to Sikka Software data, the number of oral and maxillofacial surgeries per dental practice per month have risen sharply since 2010. Why is this?
A common theory postulated after the 2008 recession was that dental practices would keep more procedures in house to compensate for lost revenue. The numbers seem to buoy that theory.
Figure 1 shows the average number of oral and maxillofacial surgeries per dental practice per month from 2010 to 2016. The data reflects an analysis of 12,500 dental practices using practice management software from Sikka Software Corporation.
Figure 1: Average number of oral and maxillofacial surgeries per dental practice per month
2010 – 24.92
2011 – 26.25
2012 – 26.5
2013 – 27.75
2014 – 29.5
2015 – 30.75
2016 – 29.25
Data from Sikka's practice management software considers more than 130 codes ranging from D7000 to D7999, which comprise the oral and maxillofacial surgery section of the American Dental Association’s Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT). These codes include procedures such as extractions, biopsies of oral tissue, and surgical extractions of lesions.
Analysis
As a dentist, you may be wondering how you can boost your numbers in this area. If so, it's time to look at your treatment mix and see what you’ve added (or haven't added) in recent years. For example, you may be looking to increase implant placements or biopsies for cancer screenings.
Practice management consultant Roger Levin, DDS, has written about this in Dental Economics. Specifically, he writes about this as a part of "Phase II" of dentists' careers:
“In Phase II, dentists become busy and reach a plateau where the practice is at an artificial full capacity and further growth becomes difficult. Unfortunately, these plateaus are significantly below the real production potential of the practice. The practice is busy, but mostly because it is not running as efficiently as it could, and therefore, not maximizing production. Once a practice is running at what is perceived as full capacity, the dentist usually has little time to devote to devising management systems to work smarter, not harder.
“Due to a limited education in business, most dentists do not fully understand how to implement effective practice-management systems. Therefore, they cannot make the changes necessary to help the practice reach its full potential.
“In Phase II, the practice is in a plateau with slight periodic growth. This periodic growth does not come from better systems, but rather from fee increases or occasionally adding new services. This potential growth is diminished in a challenging economy.” (1)
Perhaps it is, in fact, time for you to look at your treatment mix. You may ask yourself these questions: When did I last consider how I could expand my treatment offerings? What new procedures are now available for me to do? Am I telling my patients everything I can offer to them?
Here's the takeaway: It’s important to not only know your numbers, but also to know what is producing those numbers in your practice.
Author's note: Want to learn more about what Sikka Software can do for your practice? Practice Mobilizer is the free app that lets you send HIPAA-compliant video messages to patients, track patient arrival times, provide zip-code-specific fee data, and more. Learn more about Sikka Software's Practice Mobilizer app at practicemobilizer.com.
References
1. Levin R. How to grow your practice . . . without bursting at the seams. Dental Economics website. http://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/print/volume-94/issue-6/features/how-to-grow-your-practice-without-bursting-it-at-the-seams.html. Published June 1, 2004. Accessed August 1, 2017.
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