Ask the Experts: Declining Production

My schedule is so full, but my production keeps declining. What am I doing wrong?

Roger P. Levin, DDS

A Scheduling is one of the most important systems in a dental practice, if not the most important system. The reason for this is that the schedule will determine overall practice production more than any other single functional factor. What many dentists do not realize is that an ineffective schedule can actually hold a practice back from growth. They don't realize this because they can't ever out-produce their schedules. What I mean by that is that your schedule basically dictates your production, and most practices don't schedule to meet production goals; they use some other scheduling philosophy, or worse, no philosophy at all-they just let the schedule create itself.

At Levin Group, we have repeatedly demonstrated that almost every dentist in the country can increase production by 30% to 50% in approximately 3 years. To accomplish this, the schedule needs to be mathematically constructed for growth rather than against it. An outdated and ineffective schedule can actually make it appear that a practice cannot handle higher production. For example, it is impossible for some practices to know the actual number of patient appointments, as well as the type of patient appointments, that they could be placing in the schedule because it can't accommodate them in its current format. A new schedule that is constructed for growth with a higher capacity will allow for higher production.

There are specific approaches-such as enabling accelerated scheduling using multiple highly trained assistants; opening up access to additional treatment rooms when needed; and implementing advanced technologies that permit significant delegation as well as correction, if necessary, during treatment; and other techniques-that all support the creation of a new scheduling norm. When you follow these principles and get the schedule right, your practice production will increase quickly, shortening the overall time that it will take for you to reach financial independence.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO and founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with more than 30,000 practices to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, Levin has written 67 books and more than 4,000 articles and regularly presents seminars in the United States and around the world.

Questions can be submitted to asktheexperts@conexiant.com