Solstice Provider Blog

Have you designed your dental office waiting room to meet the standards of your patients? Contrary to popular belief, an active waiting room tests the longevity of your office and how the office meets the demands of diverse patients. Booking appointments doesn't necessarily show how successful your office is during opening hours. The fact that patients keep their appointments indeed illustrates how responsive you are to their needs. There are many tricks and tips to keep your waiting room moving. These tips are practical and produce long-term results that direct your revenue.

You want to get your patients into your office, but the first step is getting them to make an appointment. A lot of people don't particularly enjoy visiting the dentist. So how can you persuade them to make the dental appointments they need? You need to know how your patients like to be scheduled.

One thing is certain: in any dental office there will be many claims filed. Each day, patients will arrive with different forms of insurance—each of which will need a claim filled out and filed. Filing these claims in a timely manner is an important part of being paid efficiently. However, when claims are not filled out properly, there is a chance that the insurance company will be left with more questions.

You’ve heard that time is money. Nowhere in your dental practice does that ring truer than in the turnaround time from submitting claims to receiving payments. With all that detailed paperwork, seemingly endless phone tag, plus lengthy phone calls, is there anything you can do to shrink that turnaround time?

As you know, poor oral hygiene is linked to health risks, such as stroke and heart disease. And, research suggests that the way patients take care of their teeth may be linked to brain health such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. May is Stroke Awareness Month—this is a good time to be talking to patients about oral hygiene, stroke and dementia!

The idea of conducting patient satisfaction surveys may come with mixed feelings. Do they really matter? Do you really get decent information out of them?

Chances are you’ve walked into someone’s house that was less than…clean. Perhaps the carpets were faded and dingy, or there was a musty, stale smell. Did you feel comfortable? Was it somewhere you’d want to return if you had your choice? Didn’t think so.

Working in a dental office with the same people day in and day can sometimes lead to tension. Issues such as personality clashes, misunderstandings, work ethic and lack of communication will arise and it is important to be an arbitrator, not an instigator. Properly managing conflicts in your dental office will help these issues be contained and lead to a positive environment for your staff and your clients. 

Keeping up with training regulations in your dental office may seem daunting, and you probably feel pretty great about your workplace when you know that everyone is following HIPAA requirements. Nevertheless, it is important that you don't neglect sexual harassment training for your dental office staff. 

Does your dental practice monitor what your patients are saying about you? If not, you need to start today. According to Yelp, 92 percent of people ask family or friends for recommendations, but over 70 percent will read consumer reviews before selecting a service or professional, such as choosing a dentist. With social media, people readily share their experiences--good or bad--with online friends. A strong presence on review sites can be a major influence in building your practice.