Mind Your Own Business

This month, for Inside Dentistry's 2023 business issue, we've assembled a variety of articles addressing different aspects of practice management in the profession today. As you'll read in the feature by Roger Levin, DDS, and are probably already aware, the business of dentistry has been affected by rapid change in recent years. One such change is the nationwide staffing crisis that has developed, which is affecting dentists' ability to hire and retain staff, particularly hygienists.

Personally, I can't find a hygienist right now. Many left the profession during the pandemic, and inexperienced hygienists who are entering the profession have expectations regarding salaries and benefits that can be difficult for smaller practices to meet. Large group practices and DSOs can offer higher salaries and more lucrative benefits, which is forcing some dentists to consider hiring inexperienced hygienists for more money than they are paying their experienced ones. If salaries aren't harmonized across positions, it can destroy morale and cause trusted staff to leave.

The shortage is having wide-ranging effects on dental practices. For example, we're booked out 6 months for hygiene appointments, which makes it significantly harder to bring in new patients. As Brett Wells, DDS, notes in his article, it is important to promptly schedule new patients to secure them. Not to mention the effect that cancellations can have when you're scheduling 6 months out. Forget about new patients; that situation can result in the loss of current patients. So, what are practice owners to do? Holding a little time open in the schedule for new patients can provide a short-term solution, but long-term, you need to look at ways to increase production. If hiring more staff is problematic, evaluate the insurance plans that you accept and see if you can drop any of them. Every practice is different, but all must evolve with the times to be successful.

Other articles in this issue address CBCT imaging education, empowering front desk team members to increase case acceptance, mining data to drive your marketing efforts, applying the principles of lean management, providing culturally competent care for patients with limited English proficiency, and more. It may be a time of turbulent changes in the profession, but changes bring opportunities for those who are prepared to capitalize on them!

Robert C. Margeas, DDS
Editor-in-Chief, Inside Dentistry
Private Practice
Des Moines, Iowa

Adjunct Professor
Department of Operative Dentistry
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
robert.margeas@broadcastmed.com